The Events Industry Council introduced its new Sustainability and Social Impact Foundations Certificate, which provides guidance to event industry organizations on how to launch their own sustainability and social impact programs. It is also suitable for organizations with established sustainability and social impact programs and can be used to review existing policies and plans and help to identify gaps.

The course dates are:

Thursday 8, September from 10.00 am – 12.00 pm ET
Thursday 22, September from 10.00 am – 12.00 pm ET
Thursday 6, October from 10.00 am – 12.00 pm ET
The Certificate is an element of EIC’s Sustainability and Social Impact Journey, which includes a pathway for individuals, events and organizations.

Organizations in the EIC Sustainability and Social Impact Foundations Certificate Program will receive:

Access to the EIC Sustainable Event Standards Excel Workbook
EIC Foundations Certificate templates and resources
Access to eight (8) hours of continuing education 
Review of their sustainability and social impact policies and plans by a subject matter expert
A digital badge, valid for five (5) years (upon successful completion of the program)
More information on the EIC Sustainability and Social Impact Foundations Certificate can be found here.

Mid-August marked the one-year milestone of the debut of one of live entertainment’s most technologically advanced venues that has enjoyed record-breaking attendance and along with it, world ranking in box office sales.

To date, Coca-Cola Music Hall has held 59 concerts and 43 private events with a total attendance of more than 165,000 people.

ASM Global President and CEO Ron Bension said, “Our work with Coca-Cola Music Hall is an excellent example that the island is ready to foster more significant alliances of private and government companies for the development of all sectors.”

Since its opening, the 4,200 capacity Coca-Cola Music Hall has featured artists such as Ednita Nazario, Caramelos de Cianuro, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Stryper, Jesse & Joy, Louis Tomlinson, Gente de Zona, Toño Rosario, Ana Torroja, Camilo, Ilé, Alejandro Fernández, CNCO, Jerry Rivera, Manuel Turizo, Eladio Carrión, Noel Schajris, DJ Nelson & Alberto Stylee, Melendi, Rosario, Nío García, RKM & Ken-Y, Il Divo, Los Tres Pianistas, Myriam Hernández, Almost Queen, and Barak, among others.

It was also the venue for the Miss World 2021 International Pageant and comedy shows from Daniel “El Travieso” and “Sé lo tuyo!” with Alexandra Fuentes and Raymond Arrieta.

The three-level theater—one of the industry’s first to be cashless—features the most advanced sound system of any venue its size in the world and the most advanced fixed lighting system in Puerto Rico. Coca-Cola Music Hall quickly assembled a large team of in-house specialists to help clients with staging, audio-visual, and acoustic services, all of which are included as part of the rental fee. Other amenities include ultramodern suites, dressing rooms, Wi-Fi coverage, box office, security, ushers and cleaning, among other services.

“On behalf of the entire Coca-Cola Music Hall team, we thank the public for the support we have received in just one year. We have managed to keep the entertainment industry in Puerto Rico thriving. We showed the world that we are a world-class venue, and I am confident that we will continue to grow in the years to come,” said Jorge L. Perez, CVE, ASM Global regional manager in Puerto Rico.

Thanks to its strategic location within DISTRITO T-Mobile, visitors to the Coca-Cola Music Hall can enjoy great experiences before and after each event. The experiential complex comprises several areas, including Popular Plaza, which is an open space with state-of-the-art LED screens, restaurants, a 177-room Aloft San Juan Hotel, Caribbean Cinemas VIP, Toro Verde Urban Park with ziplines and much more.

“Coca-Cola Music Hall is a state-of-the-art performance hall that competes with the best international venues and offers locals and visitors a one-of-a-kind experience. The diversity and capabilities of its facilities and the public’s response have been key to both, the venue and DISTRITO T-Mobile’s success as the premier entertainment destination in Puerto Rico,” said Francisco Mariani, general manager of DISTRITO TMobile.

The executive director of the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority, Mrs. Mariela Vallines, added, “The Convention District has an ambitious plan to continue improving our facilities and expand the entertainment offered for our visitors. All our facilities have proven to be ideal for any private and public event. This first anniversary of the Coca-Cola Music Hall echoes that we are doing the right thing so that Puerto Rico
continues to develop both in the entertainment industry as well as tourism, gastronomy, and other related sectors.”

Within only five months of operation, the Coca-Cola Music Hall closed 2021 in the No. 31 position in box office sales worldwide (theater category) in Pollstar magazine’s “Year-End” results.

“We are extremely grateful to the artists and the producers for choosing Coca-Cola Music Hall as the ideal place to host their events and also to our partner PRISA Group and sponsors Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, JetBlue, Visa, Evertec, Cervecera de Puerto Rico, Destileria Serralles, V. Suarez and ticketing partner Ticketera,” Perez said. “We are committed in continuing to offer a varied entertainment program in a safe environment. This is an achievement for all of Puerto Rico.”

The Seattle Seahawks and Lumen Field announced plans to modernize the stadium’s concessions experience with a new store powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology for checkout-free shopping and Amazon One for entry and payment with palm recognition. Lumen Field will become the first NFL stadium to implement both technologies in a single store, District Market. Amazon’s technologies are designed to offer fans a frictionless shopping experience as they grab food and drinks to get them back to the game faster by eliminating checkout lines.

In collaboration with Lumen Field’s hospitality partner, Levy, and DBK Studio, Levy’s innovation studio, Lumen Field’s store equipped with Amazon’s technologies is scheduled to open in time for the 2022 Seahawks regular season.
“We are continually looking at new ways to innovate and modernize our fan experience, and we know fans will love the fast, convenient experience the Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One-enabled store will deliver,” said Zach Hensley, Seahawks Vice President of Operations and General Manager, Lumen Field. “We are proud to bring this technology to our fans so they can spend more time enjoying the game.”

“We’re excited to partner with the Seahawks and Lumen Field to bring Seattle fans an incredibly fast and convenient new way to enjoy their favorite food and beverage,” said Sandeep Satish, Managing Director of DBK Studio and Vice President of Strategy & Analytics for Levy at E15 Group. “Checkout-free experiences, like District Market, have taken off in a very short amount of time because they give fans unprecedented control and enable them to spend so much more time enjoying the event. We look forward to continuously growing these truly frictionless experiences.”

The stadium’s Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One-enabled store will be located on the upper concourse in an upgraded area of section 323. District Market will offer a selection of assorted beer, wine, seltzers, and non-alcoholic beverages, along with gameday snacks and cuisine from the stadium’s community neighbors in Seattle’s International District. Fans purchasing alcohol will be required to show their ID to a store attendant for age verification.

When a fan visits District Market, they can opt to insert their credit card at the entry gates or hover their palm over an Amazon One device to enter. Once inside, shoppers can take what they want and then just leave after they’re done shopping. As they shop, Just Walk Out technology determines what they take from or return to the shelves, and the credit card they inserted or linked to their Amazon One ID will be charged for items they took after they leave the store.

“We’re proud to be part of Lumen Field’s commitment to continuously innovating the fan experience and are excited for the NFL season to kick-off with the opening of District Market so fans can see first-hand the convenience of Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One,” said Dilip Kumar, Vice President, AWS Applications. “Our goal is to help fans get back to their seats quickly without missing a moment of the action, so we’re excited to see how NFL fans enjoy the new store.”

Fans can enroll in Amazon One, which is Amazon’s palm recognition and payment service, at the enrollment kiosks located outside the store. They can also enroll where Amazon One already exists, like at select Amazon Go, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market stores.

Photo by Seattle Seahawks

By VUCommodores.com

Vanderbilt University and FirstBank have signed a 10-year football stadium naming rights and campus collaboration agreement, announced Candice Lee, vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director.

Vanderbilt Stadium will be recognized as FirstBank Stadium starting with the 2022 Commodore football season. Through this agreement, FirstBank becomes the official bank of Vanderbilt Athletics and the Vanderbilt Alumni Association.

“I’m excited for the opportunities this historic collaboration with FirstBank creates for Vanderbilt Athletics and our student-athletes,” Lee said. “As the landscape of collegiate athletics continues to shift, we remain committed to our core mission. We will provide student-athletes with the tools to reach their full potential on and off the field and work to unite and inspire the city we call home. I look forward to seeing Nashville come together to support the Commodores at FirstBank Stadium for years to come.”

Vanderbilt will uphold and honor the designation of Dudley Field—the venue’s original name when it opened in 1922 as the first stadium in the South to be erected exclusively for college football.

As Vanderbilt marks the 100th anniversary of Vanderbilt Stadium and Dudley Field this year, construction related to Vandy United will begin to transform the north and south end zones. From concerts and commencements to presidential speeches and football games, the stadium remains a place for the Vanderbilt community and the city of Nashville to come together and celebrate.

“Vanderbilt is a Nashville institution—in, of and for the city,” Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said. “This agreement with FirstBank, and the possibilities it creates, forges a new kind of collaborative connection among our university, our community and our Commodore student-athletes as we all—to use our university motto—‘dare to grow’ and realize our shared potential together.”

Headquartered in Nashville, FirstBank has 81 full-service bank branches across Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia and a national mortgage business with offices across the Southeast. The bank serves five of the major metropolitan markets in Tennessee and has approximately $12.6 billion in total assets. FirstBank is a wholly owned subsidiary of FB Financial Corp. (

“For more than a century, FirstBank has built its reputation by believing in the power and potential of our community,” FirstBank President and CEO Chris Holmes said. “Partnering with Vanderbilt reinforces our shared commitment to the idea that world-class excellence can have local roots. We believe FirstBank Stadium is more than a name. It represents an opportunity to strengthen this community and mentor leaders who will shape an even brighter future.”

In addition to football stadium naming rights, the relationship includes a comprehensive multimedia arrangement with Vanderbilt Athletics for all varsity programs. FirstBank will also participate in Vanderbilt student and alumni engagement opportunities, including the sponsorship of student internships and select alumni programming, such as the Owen Graduate School of Management’s Owen Forward alumni engagement speaker series.

Additionally, FirstBank will have the opportunity to conduct on-campus workshops and provide financial products supporting innovation and startup activities at Vanderbilt.

Warren James Buckley, former President and Chief Executive Officer of the BC Pavilion Corporation, responsible for the operation of two of British Columbia’s most iconic public facilities, the Vancouver Convention Centre and BC Place Stadium, passed away July 14. He was 73.

From 2008 to 2012, Warren oversaw both the expansion of the Vancouver Convention Centre and the extensive refurbishment of BC Place Stadium.

Prior to returning to Vancouver, Warren was the President and CEO of the privately owned Suntec Convention Centre in Singapore for seven years. The Centre was named Asia’s number one Convention Centre three years in a row.

Prior to leaving for Asia, Warren was appointed CEO of the BC Pavilion Corporation in 1994, responsible for BC Place Stadium, Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, Bridge Film Studios, Robson Square Conference Centre, Fraser Valley Trade and Exhibition Centre, and BC Place Stadium.

Prior to his remarkable career in the public assembly venue industry Warren served with the RCMP and later as an executive with Xerox.

Warren was a graduate of the University of Winnipeg with a Bachelors’ degree in Economics.

Warren was actively involved in several industry associations serving as Chair of the Asia Pacific Exhibition and Convention Council, Board member of the World Council for Venue Management, Venue Management Assocation, and board member of IAVM. He also served as an instructor at both the Venue Management schools in Wheeling, West Virginia, and Australia for several years.

Warren’s family shared that he chose July 14, 2022, as his last day of life, grateful to leave when his own words came true: “Enough is enough.” He was at home on a bright summer day in Furry Creek, BC, and surrounded by love, laughter, and family. As with everything in life, Warren’s choice of a medically assisted death was made with grace and dignity and allowed him to write the last chapter of his life after a diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia.

“I think I’ve done some good here,” were Warren’s last words, as he looked at loving faces around him. “All of you.”

Profoundly grateful for him, and forever laughing with memories are his wife of 52 years, Rilla Buckley, daughter Tricia and Brock Grey (Lauren & Jordan); son Chris and Brooke Van Hatten (Chloe); sister June Kaan of Winnipeg, numerous adored and adoring nieces and nephews, and members of the Preston family, who embraced him from the time he and Rilla met.

To support research and work on Lewy Body Dementia, the Buckley Family asks you to please consider a donation to Dr. Robin Hsiung at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health at UBC.

A Celebration of Life will be held August 27 at the Vancouver Convention Centre West at 3 pm.