Dear IAVM Friends,
Once again, our hearts break for so many touched by the act of terror in Orlando, Florida, this past weekend. The Pulse nightclub attack is so very terrifying due to the seeming randomness of how the attacker selected the venue. We all have venues we work in and sometimes live in, and it is hard to imagine the horror of something like this happening in our own spaces with the people we care about. What happened to the young artist Christina Grimmie also touched our hearts as she was just starting her career and simply signing autographs for her young fans when her life was taken. Please join me in remembering the families of all those touched by these acts of violence.
Mark Herrera, IAVM’s director of education, met over the weekend with the DHS Council regarding these recent shootings. He will be posting information on VenueNet regarding enhanced awareness for our venues and reminds us to always remain aware of our surroundings.
Our venues continue to be places that bring so much joy, a refuge to all the craziness in the world. We must stay strong and diligent for the communities we serve and ensure our teams have the training they need to help them feel prepared. The resources available to IAVM members are numerous and can be found on the IAVM website. In addition, I encourage all of you to consider sending your safety managers to the Academy for Venue Safety & Security in the future where they can collect the tools and resources that will help your teams focus on safety and preparedness in a much broader sense than ever before.
Thank you all for what you do every day.
(Image: Enrique Jiménez/Creative Commons)
