By R.V. Baugus

With the 2022 mid-term elections over (well, almost over: hello, Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia), the public assembly venue world can once again look back with pride at the civic role many of our IAVM member venues played as hosting sites for their state’s citizens to place their votes.

We all remember how in 2020 during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that many IAVM venues served as voting sites, many with restrictions such as drop-off voting to ensure the public’s safety from the raging coronavirus. What many may not know, however, is that a large number of our members have for years served as voting sites, a responsibility not taken for granted.

“As a county-owned facility, we have been a polling and election site for many years,” said Harrison Williams, executive director of the Washington County Expo in Brenham, Texas. “Doing prep for elections is pretty straightforward for us as we just have to place signage saying we are a polling site and identify how far from the building political ads and protests can be from the entrance to the building.”

As Williams said, there are indeed governmental restrictions that come with serving as a polling venue, with signs of course being one of those. When you went to vote (and we KNOW our members indeed did that!) were you confronted with a dizzying array of signs as you pulled up to the venue? That comes with the turf, of course, but once again as Williams noted even these signs must meet certain restrictions with where they may be placed and just how close to the venue they may be staked into the ground.

“Gas South District has traditionally been a voting site for almost 30 years,” shared Robyn Ali, assistant general manager of that venue in Duluth, Georgia. “Since our County was looking for more locations for early voting this year, we booked it in our Arts Center instead of blocking out the space in the Convention Center. Voting typically takes place in our Convention Center but half of the rentable space is under construction right now.”

So, even when a venue such as Gas South District faces the challenge of ongoing construction it is not enough to stop a tradition that has taken place for almost three decades. A little maneuvering into the arts space of the venue and — presto! — bring the voters in!

Major kudos go to General Manager Jim Finch and team at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center in Punta Gorda, Florida, which has been a voting site since the venue opened in 2009. This year, of course, saw the city and surrounding area pummeled by Hurricane Ian. Even that monster hurricane was not enough to deter the venue of being ready for its citizens to come vote.

“The Supervisor of Elections also does poll worker training at our venue, too,” Finch said.

To all IAVM member venues who served as voter sites, thank you! See you in 2024.

By Andra Bennett

Sales and marketing veteran Jordan Steffan has been promoted to director of sales for Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC), according to Mike Crum, director of the City of Fort Worth’s Public Events Department.

Steffan has been a key player on WRMC’s sales and events management team since 2019, working with events ranging from equestrian and livestock shows to concerts, consumer shows, and community events. She had been serving as interim director of sales since August.

“Jordan Steffan brings the exceptional talent, expertise, and institutional knowledge needed to help drive WRMC’s continued growth as a leading venue for local, national, and international events, especially in the equestrian industry,” Crum said. “She is an excellent example of the depth of skilled and dedicated staff who make it possible for us to promote from within, which is an ongoing Public Events Department commitment.”

The 120-acre WRMC complex is operational 24/7 year-round, with the exception of Christmas Day.

“Will Rogers is a unique venue with multiple events and various types of shows running concurrently,” said Kevin Kemp, General Manager of WRMC. “After a national search, Jordan’s experience, enthusiasm, and connections will provide continuity as well as fresh perspectives for our sales and marketing efforts.”

Steffan’s goal is for WRMC to compete with other top tier equestrian centers while expanding bookings for concerts and community events.

“I’m looking forward to working closely in a leadership role to continue to elevate the event experience for our elite equestrian clientele as well as increase operations revenues generated by the numerous events we host each year,” she said.

Holding a B.A. in sociology/communications from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., Steffan brings more than 16 years’ experience in events sales and marketing.

Prior to relocating to Fort Worth, she served for five years as director of sales for historic Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester, N.Y. She then served five years at the Rochester Institute of Technology as associate director of sales in the University Arenas Department.

Andra Bennett is Marketing Communications Manager for the City of Fort Worth, Texas.

By TSNN News

The Events Industry Council (EIC) released the findings of its 2022 Q2 Global Business Events Barometer which revealed a strong increase in its two major indexes: business event request for proposal (RFP) and group hotel room nights.

According to the barometer, which monitors the changes within the market relative to pre-pandemic levels, the Q2 RFP activity index rose to 81% of 2019 levels and the Q2 group hotel room nights index jumped to 83% of 2019 levels.

The barometer points to the fact that RFP activity for events with short lead times has recovered further than requests for events with greater lead times and that both indexes improved in all global regions in Q2. RFP activity was the highest in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North America.

Meanwhile, group hotel room nights were the highest in North America, the Middle East, and Western Europe.

While the Q2 results show optimism for further recovery of the business events sector, the industry should be prepared for all scenarios in the future, according to Amy Calvert, CEO of the EIC.

“It is incredibly heartening to witness the significant momentum in the second quarter of the year,” Calvert said. “However, with rising inflation rates, the impact of the energy crisis and ongoing socio-political events, we must remain confident in our capacity and yet prepared for all possibilities, continuing to build upon the momentum and celebrating what we have achieved thus far.”

Longer-term forecasts in the barometer anticipate a cautious economic outlook with several countries, particularly in Europe but also the U.S. and Canada, facing risks of short, mild recessions in the coming quarters. Such economic headwinds are anticipated to slow but not upend a sustained industry recovery.

The barometer, which was created by Oxford Economics on behalf of EIC as part of the 2021 EIC Economic Significance Study, uses data provided by Amadeus Hospitality, Cvent, the Global Business Travel Association, and STR Global.

To download the Global Business Events Barometer click here.

By Communications Department

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center was presented with the Corporate Leadership Award from the environmentally focused non-profit organization Keep Louisiana Beautiful. This accolade recognizes a business organization rooted in community engagement paired with a consistent dedication to Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s mission of influencing positive policy and infrastructure changes to prevent litter, reduce waste, increase recycling, and protect the natural resources of Louisiana communities.

The Corporate Leadership Award was given in consideration of the many environmentally focused initiatives that the facility has undertaken in the last year. These initiatives include a waste audit which helped the Center improve its recycling efforts, the installation of 87 new bottle filling stations which encourage the reduction of single-use plastic water bottles, restroom remodels that included low-flow fixtures for improved water usage, the construction of an environmentally-friendly pedestrian park which saw the installation of 200 trees, new green spaces and bioswales for rain water collection, and improvements to the facility’s energy usage via a change to LED lighting in the exhibit halls and more energy-efficient components in the facility’s heating and cooling systems.

These innovative, environmentally focused improvements are part of a $557 million modernization plan which will further solidify the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center as one of the country’s premiere event destinations and show the world that New Orleans is Built to Host.

“By all accounts, this has been a banner year for our sustainability efforts,” said Convention Center President, Michael J. Sawaya. “We sincerely appreciate organizations like Keep Louisiana Beautiful for recognizing our substantial progress in this area. It is vitally important that we stay on the pulse of our industry, providing clients with world-class event experiences.”

“Sustainable event practices are becoming more and more important as the live event industry strives to reduce its carbon footprint. Our clients expect us to be leaders in sustainability efforts and it is the responsible thing to do,” Sawaya concluded.

The award, given to Convention Center leaders at an award luncheon in Baton Rouge on October 12, marks the Convention Center’s fourth environmentally focused award this year. In February, the facility was given the “Love Your City Award” in the Best Overall category, which highlights individuals and organizations that assess, improve, and address their impact in their communities through reductions in energy use, contributions to the local economy, commitments to providing equitable opportunities for all, and more.

The Center also earned two awards from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality for major and impactful initiatives aimed at reducing the facility’s environmental footprint. The Environmental Leadership Program Awards, given to the Center in the Community Environmental Outreach category, as well as the Energy and Water Pollution Reduction category, recognize outstanding activities and projects that demonstrate environmental leadership and the pursuit of a cleaner, safer environment.

Pictured: Convention Center directors and executives accept the Keep Louisiana Beautiful Corporate Leadership Award from Governor John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality at an Award Presentation on October 12. (Left to Right): Dr. Chuck Carr Brown, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality; Linda Baynham, Director of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center; John Bel Edwards, Governor of the State of Louisiana; Michael J. Sawaya, Convention Center President; Adam J. Straight, Convention Center Vice President of Operations.

By Blair Cardinal

The Big 12 Conference has partnered with Oak View Group, a leader in the management of collegiate athletic facilities, to assess and optimize safety and security among its member schools to improve the gameday and post-game celebration experience for Big 12 student-athletes, game officials, team personnel, and fans. In addition to safety and security, Oak View Group will evaluate all aspects of venue and fan experience at each member institution, providing best practice recommendations for multiple elements of the gameday experience.

Prevent Advisors, highly regarded security specialists in sports and live entertainment facilities and a flagship service company of Oak View Group (OVG), will conduct quality assurance audits at all Big 12 football and basketball venues. Last weekend, the Prevent Advisors team conducted gameday audits at five football stadiums and will evaluate the remaining facilities – including incoming members BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF – before the end of the season. The team will then progress to assessing all Big 12 basketball venues.

Using a proprietary systematic assessment program specifically designed to fully evaluate all components of a venue’s physical security measures, Prevent Advisors’ Red Team Assessment Services – which received a coveted SAFETY Act Designation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security earlier this year – will deliver venue-specific feedback to spotlight key strengths and areas for improvement. The team will then develop minimum recommendation standards for each facility, with particular focus on post-game celebrations. Following that, Prevent Advisors will hold a Conference-wide training summit to share results and best practices. A working committee will be formed with representatives from Conference member schools to work alongside OVG and Prevent Advisors.

“Ensuring the safety and security of all of our gameday constituents is crucial,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “Our partnership with Oak View Group and best-in-class Prevent Advisors will allow us to quickly uncover our strengths and areas for improvement. Additionally, this partnership will allow us to be proactive in bettering all aspects of the gameday experience across our Conference.”

OVG oversees a combination of venue management and hospitality operations at several Big 12 Conference schools, including University of Texas and Texas Tech, as well as at incoming member schools UCF and Houston.

“The Big 12 Conference is one of the most prominent Conferences in the nation, and we are delighted to be working together with them in this new increased capacity,” said Tim Leiweke, chairman and CEO of Oak View Group. “The grand scale of this partnership is ideal because of OVG’s profound, broad-reaching knowledge of collegiate athletic facilities, and it’s fantastic to see Brett, his team, and Big 12 member schools placing the safety of student-athletes, fans, and employees at the top of their list. Through this deal, Big 12 is getting ahead of the curve on safety and security, which are both very important parts of the overall fan experience.”

Prevent Advisors assists its clients – stadiums, arenas, and convention centers – to further enhance their overall security apparatus by addressing security needs, creating ongoing security policies and procedures, implementing these procedures, and continuously adjusting as needed. Client-partners of Prevent Advisors include professional sports leagues and teams, sport and live music entertainment venues and festivals, and corporate campuses.

“The Big 12 Conference is taking a critical preventative step to ensure safety on the field and on the court – during as well as after the games,” said Michael Downing, Chief Security Advisor for Oak View Group’s Prevent Advisors and former Deputy Chief, Counter Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau, Los Angeles Police Department. “For venues, it’s about honestly evaluating a facility’s strengths and weaknesses, and taking proactive, meaningful steps to better operations to the benefit of student-athletes and fans alike so that everyone can enjoy the game in a safe and secure environment.”

Blair Cardinal is Vice President, Communications for OVG360.