By Andra Bennett, APR

The City of Fort Worth has selected Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, Inc. (TVS), a global architectural design firm teaming with local firm Bennett Partners, to deliver design and construction administration services for the first phase of the Fort Worth Convention Center’s expansion.

The expansion project will take place in two phases and the facility will remain operational during both. The first phase includes the construction of new state-of-the-art food & beverage facilities, demolition of the annex, realignment of Commerce Street to create a site pad for a future convention hotel and rebuilding the center’s loading docks. This phase is expected to begin construction in mid 2023 and be completed in 2026.

“TVS has the reputation, experience, and vision that will make our convention center a memorable destination in its own right, and Bennett Partners is a well-respected local expert in the industry,” said Mike Crum, director of Public Events for the City of Fort Worth. “With all the momentum on the southeastern side of downtown with new residential property, new hotels and the Texas A&M campus expansion, we’re looking forward to welcoming larger events and more visitors than ever to Fort Worth.”

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., TVS is one of the world’s leading convention center designers with major new build, expansion, and renovation projects in Las Vegas, New York City, Nashville, Puerto Rico, Panama, Canada and throughout China.

“Fort Worth is an amazing destination with a huge untapped potential for attracting the widest range of meetings and events,” said TVS Principal Rob Svedberg, FAIA. “TVS is thrilled to be part of this historic project that will establish Fort Worth at the forefront of the most important industry trends, anchor the south side of Main Street, and energize the entire convention district.”

Award-winning architectural planning and design firm Bennett Partners brings deep community knowledge to the project. Their recent developments in Fort Worth include the restoration of the historic Horse and Mule Barns in the Stockyards, downtown’s Frost Tower, the Kimpton Harper Hotel, the Museum of Living Art in the Fort Worth Zoo and Sundance Square Plaza’s Westbrook and Cassidy buildings.

“Like many of us from the Fort Worth area, I grew up attending events at the arena and the convention center, so I’m especially honored that a Fort Worth-based firm will have a meaningful role on the design team,” said Michael Bennett, principal and CEO of Bennett Partners. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Fort Worth to create a true convention district that will catalyze additional development in the southern part of downtown.”

The convention center expansion, which had been planned for several years to accommodate larger conventions and group meetings, was about to begin with robust funding from hotel occupancy taxes when the COVID-19 shutdown began in 2020. After a pandemic-induced pause, the Fort Worth City Council approved $52 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in December 2021 to support the first phase of planned expansion of the city-owned convention center. Broaddus & Associates, Inc. is serving as project manager in partnership with Elements of Architecture, Inc.

The second phase of the project will include the demolition of the 1968 arena and create approximately 97,000 square feet of net new exhibit hall space, 48,000 square feet of flexible meeting rooms, a new 50,000 square foot ballroom (twice the size of the current ballroom), as well as renovations to the current facility, which was expanded in 2003. This phase will be funded when hospitality taxes recover to the point where they can support the issuance of debt to fund the construction.

Andra Bennett, APR, is Marketing Communications Manager for the City of Fort Worth Public Events.

IAVM’s Introduction to Venue Safety & Security equips leadership, event safety & security staff, guest services teams, and meeting planners & organizers with the necessary know-how to effectively protect their respective facilities. Developed by seasoned event safety and security professionals, this one-day event primes attendees with an action plan outline, as well as creative and innovative strategies that secure all facilities, engage front-line teams, and provide the best in guest services and customer experience.

This one-of-a-kind experience is something you and your staff will not want to miss!

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Registration Now Open!

Location: Boch Center | Boston, MA

Date: Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Time: 9:00 AM – 5:45 PM ET

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COURSES INCLUDE:

Creating Effective Event Briefing Documentation
This session covers the fundamentals of creating effective event briefings, incorporating daily training, practical application of situation awareness, and post orders.

Duty of Care and Incident Reporting
An introduction to premise liability (duty of care), theory, terminology, and tools. Participants will learn how to apply the “fundamentals of risk management” and document incidents should/when they occur.

Fundamentals of Risk Management
Participants will learn how to apply an “all hazards” risk management approach into their venue and area of responsibility.

Building Your Security Culture
Focusing on developing diverse cultures surrounding themselves around safety, security, and heightened levels of awareness, participants will learn how to build elite teams within their organizations. This session will help train leadership, front line teams, and young professionals to forecast and expect those unexpected challenges in the future and provide the tools to mitigate the risks our world delivers daily.

Daily Dilemmas: From Restrooms to Needles
From transgender restrooms to suspicious persons and hypodermic needle use, venues are facing new ethical dilemmas. Participants will team up and be faced with real (and some not-so-real) scenarios that present a multitude of ethical and legal challenges. The solution may feel like the right thing to do, but how will your attorney respond to your solution?

Safety & Security Town Hall
Be ready to meet, greet, and get to know your fellow attendees in an engaging town hall meeting. Identify specific security challenges and develop a baseline of best practices to assure teams provide the best in safety and security. Great opportunity to identify programming for our Introduction to safety and security.

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The IAVM Mentor Connector Program is getting ready to launch the Fall 2022 Cycle.  If you would like to learn more about becoming a Mentor or Mentee to further your professional development, please join our informational webinar Thursday, September 29 at 2pm ET.

Click here to register for the webinar.

Mentor Connector creates the opportunity for an experienced professional (Mentor) to provide guidance and encouragement to a member who has an identified professional development need (Mentee).

Anyone at any stage of their career can be a Mentor or Mentee. There are no restrictions or qualifications, you just need be a member of IAVM.

Go to https://iavm.org/career-learning/mentor/ for more information and to apply. Applications are due October 7, 2022.

By Nicole Pitman

The Performing Arts Center’s (PAC) Chris Miller is set to retire from his managing director role this October, after six and a half years.

Throughout that time, Miller managed the PAC’s $3 million annual operating budget and oversaw nearly 400 annual public and university events, hosting approximately 75,000 event attendees annually.

“It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with the incredible PAC staff during my tenure and support our wonderful community arts organization clients and their events,” Miller said. “The unique partnership between the university, city of SLO, and the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center that created and sustains this world-class facility is a visionary model for other communities to emulate. I’m so grateful for the outstanding community support that the PAC enjoys and to have had the opportunity to facilitate its impact on our local artists and audience members over the past six years.”

During his tenure, the PAC saw financial success with operating surpluses each fiscal year, the only exception being the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season. The PAC’s operating reserve balance has doubled, and nearly $2 million has been added to its Major Maintenance/Capital Renewal Fund.

Even with these successes, Miller is most proud of how the PAC staff overcame the significant challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the severe financial impact of no live events during fiscal year 2020-21, the staff pivoted to provide critical support for pandemic response and testing on campus, and quickly developed the capacity to produce complex virtual events, including a concert series featuring local artists.

The PAC staff worked with San Luis Obispo City leadership to host the memorial service for fallen San Luis Obispo Police Detective Luca Benedetti – demonstrating the role the PAC plays in the life of the community, not only as a venue for world-class artists but as a home for its most important events.

Miller joined the PAC staff in May 2016, succeeding Ron Regier, who retired as the founding managing director earlier that year. Miller relocated to San Luis Obispo from Seattle, where he enjoyed a 30-year career in various performing arts and venue management positions.

From 2003 to 2015, Miller was the general manager for McCaw Hall at Seattle Center, the 2,900-seat home of Pacific Northwest Ballet and Seattle Opera. He oversaw the hall’s opening after a $127 million renovation, hosted nearly 400 events and more than 350,000 patrons every year during which time he built a $3 million capital renewal fund while achieving net operating surpluses each year. Prior to McCaw Hall, Miller served as theatre operations manager at Benaroya Hall, home of the Seattle Symphony, for two years. Prior to that he spent 15 years as Pacific Northwest Ballet’s company manager and director of operations.

Miller has served the performing arts venue industry as vice chair and chair of the Performing Arts Sector Committee of IAVM as well as Performing Arts Sector representative on the IAVM board of directors. He is co-founder and co-chair of the Central Coast Coalition of Arts Leaders. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama from the University of Washington, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Performing Arts Management from Brooklyn College.

His last day on campus will be Oct. 14.

Miller and his wife, Barbara plan to remain on the Central Coast for some time after retirement but expect to eventually return to the Pacific Northwest at some point, as family obligations warrant.

Ryan Gruss, current director of Patron Services and Campus Ticketing, will serve as interim managing director starting Oct. 15.

Nicole Pitman is Graphic Designer & Interim Marketing Manager for Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo
Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California.

By R.V. Baugus

The cover page of the September 2022 Manage HR Magazine “Learning and Development Issue” features Venue Solutions Group’s Advantage Training and their revolutionary approach to impacting employee engagement and production. VSG Advantage Training was named Top Emerging Learning and Development Services Company by HR Magazine’s editors and readers and duly recognized in the feature article.

You might also recognize the charming face on the cover as that of Richard Andersen, CVE, VSG Chief Illuminations Officer and a Past IAVM President (Chair). As our good friend shared, the profile is one that will “help our industry see as a group we are all making an impact even outside of the venue management world.” Andersen, along with fellow training partner Russ Simons, VSG Chief Listening Officer and Managing Partner, bring decades of experience, motivation, and philosophy to their approach of first understanding and then meeting client needs.

Indeed, our members are making such an impact, and it begins with organizations such as Venue Solutions Group and their Advantage Training that delivers leading-edge programming covering a comprehensive list of organizational needs, helping create meaningful change through rich “aha moments.” Participants are engaged through the latest in adult education techniques, customized activities, and real-life examples.

To give you an idea of the success of the program, VSG Advantage Training earned top honors in the 2022 list of Top Emerging Learning and Development Services Companies recognized by Manage HR Magazine.

The lead-up to the article notes that Andersen “encourages readers, just like he encourages his clients, to see the power of human potential and the opportunity to positively impact lives and organizational culture through VSGAT’s unique approach to training.”

“Central to Andersen and Simons’ approach for VSG Advantage Training’s game-changing programs was to build their model on the best materials available, while incorporating the latest in adult education techniques,” the magazine added. “Backed by their industry knowledge, their work is largely focused on illuminating human potential and inspiring program participants to achieve excellence by equipping people with the tools they need to grow. Patrick Scanlon, Vice President of Guest Experience for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment Group summed it up best. ‘The VSG approach was simply a great learning session for ALL involved and quite frankly a game-changer for me.’”

“We love building around self-discovery, the Confucius approach of ‘tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, let me do and I understand,’” Andersen said.

Congratulations Richard and Russ! To read the article, click here.