We are excited to announce that registration is now open for IAVM’s DirectConnect Hosted Buyer Program! This program, taking place at VenueConnect 2024 on Sunday, July 28 from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, offers unique opportunities to connect with key suppliers and discover innovative solutions tailored to your needs.

What is DirectConnect?

DirectConnect is IAVM’s Hosted Buyer Program at VenueConnect 2024, offering:

• 1 complimentary conference registration
• 2 nights of accommodation at the host hotel
• Personalized meeting schedules with Allied Member solution providers
• Exclusive networking opportunities

This VIP networking experience is designed to maximize your time and ensure you meet the suppliers that matter most to your business.

Why Participate?

• Efficiency: Optimize your time with a personalized meeting schedule
• Cost Savings: Enjoy complimentary conference registration and hotel accommodation
• Networking: Build valuable relationships with solution providers, industry leaders, and peers
• Innovation: Discover the latest products and services to enhance your operations

Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your VenueConnect 2024 experience with DirectConnect! Click here to learn more and register now!

Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in May 2024. Thank you for being a part of the association! Also, let us get to know you better by participating in the I Am Venue Management series. Please visit here to share your story and photo.

Dustin Altic, TITAN Global Enterprises Inc, Atlanta, GA
Parker Arnholt, State Farm Center – University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
David Baylor, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Manassas, VA
Amanda Begins, K2 Solutions, Inc, Southern Pines, NC
Osvaldo Berrios Ocana, CECONEXPO, Morelia, Mich., Mexico
Jarod Blom, Mesa Convention Center, Mesa, AZ
Joe Bogdan, Charleston Gaillard Center, Charleston, SC
Rick Boller, Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA
Blake Bostick, Heindl Center for the Performing Arts, Senatobia, MS
Kyle Bradford, Plano Stages, Plano, TX
Emily Brennan, Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Quinci Camazzola, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
David Candell, TITAN Global Enterprises Inc, Atlanta, GA
Carol Candeloro, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, MN
Michael Capella, TITAN Global Enterprises Inc, Atlanta, GA
Claudia Cardenas, Expo Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Ray Cervantes, Charleston Gaillard Center, Charleston, SC
Elena Chapa, Airo Events, San Pedro Garza Garcia, NL, Mexico
Hope Ciferni, Wilson Center – Cape Fear Community College, Wilmington, NC
Jordan Coyle Draeger, Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
James Creed, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Winston Salem, NC
Brandon Cross, Mesa Convention Center, Mesa, AZ
Tammy Daniels, Wilson Center – Cape Fear Community College, Wilmington, NC
Ian Davis, FMX, Grandview Heights, OH
Axel Dougar, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Ian Dunn, TOSSWARE, El Monte, CA
Amy Echeverria, Utah Tech University, St George, UT
Marco Antonio Elizondo Cesena, Centro Expositor Y de Convenciones de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
Sandy Elliott, Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Jeff Ent, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville, TN
Chip Fischesser, Charleston Gaillard Center, Charleston, SC
Dan Fjeldheim, Dant Clayton Corporation, Louisville, KY
Michele Frau, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Nicholas Frazzell, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Denver, CO
Kevin Freeman, PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
Maria Luisa Garcia Dominguez, Fideicomiso Centro de Congresos y Convenciones Morelos, Morelos, Mexico
Alexandra Gilchrist, Mesa Convention Center, Mesa, AZ
Justin Glessner, Charleston Gaillard Center, Charleston, SC
Christian Glowinski, MGM Resorts, Las Vegas, NV
Kendra Goodman, FanThreeSixty, Leawood, KS
Roxana Gover, Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, Asheville, NC
Daniel Gutierrez, Baja California Center, Tijuana,
Channa Harrington, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Denver, CO
Gabriela Hernandez Ramirez, Poliforum Leon, Leon,
Ashton Hornick, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Denver, CO
Amanda Kerstetter, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Jeff King, Kaseya Center, Miami, FL
Heather Kulla, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA
Caroline Lee, Proof of the Pudding, Atlanta, GA
Leongar Eduardo Leon Garcia, Palacio De Convenciones Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico
Brian Letavay, TITAN Global Enterprises Inc, Atlanta, GA
Jim Lewis, Dant Clayton Corporation, Louisville, KY
Hector Hugo Lozano Villarreal, Airo Events, San Pedro Garza Garcia, NL, Mexico
Federico Matamoros Quiroz, Fideicomiso Centro de Congresos y Convenciones Morelos, Morelos, Mexico
Valerie McClintick, Portland’5 Centers for the Arts, Portland, OR
Brendan McDonald, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Denver, CO
Aiden Mercer, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Denver, CO
Silvia Ruth Mesa Gomez, World Trade Center Veracruz, Boca Del Rio, Mexico
Emily Meyer, Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, Reno, NV
Jordan Miller, Rider Levett Bucknall, Denver, CO
David Morales, Mesa Convention Center, Mesa, AZ
Jacob Muennich, San Diego State University, Temecula, CA
Meghan Murry, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Denver, CO
Amanda Nickolai, Resch Center, Green Bay, WI
Melissa Norberto, Expo Mundo Imperial, Acapulco, Mexico
Betsy O’Brien, University of Illinois Springfield Performing Arts Center, Springfield, IL, IL
Michael O’Reilly, Rider Levett Bucknall, Boston, MA
Erin Obre, New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA
Pedro Olivares Rodriguez, Centro Internacional De Convenciones De Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Kristy Owens, University of Kentucky, Bettendorf, IA
Candace Peguero, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia, SC
William Penny, Walton Arts Center | Walmart AMP, Fayetteville, AR
Alex Poe, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville, TN
Joe Puglisi, Kwik-Covers, Webster, NY
Emily Ratliff, Logan University, Chesterfield, MO
Larry Reed, Trail Drive Management Corp./Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX
Matthieu Rodriguez, Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, Asheville, NC
Patricia Rodriguez, PALCCO, Zapopan, Mexico
Trevor Rowe, The Holmes Convocation Center, Boone, NC
Koby Ruff, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia, SC
Sara Paloma Ruiz Nava, Palacio De Convenciones Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico
Angela Sanborn, Spokane Public Facilities District, Spokane, WA
Liliana Sarabia Castaneda, PALCCO, Zapopan, Mexico
Quinten Scribner, Mesa Convention Center, Mesa, AZ
Erin Sorvig, Alerus Center – OVG, Grand Forks, ND
Beatriz Soto, Centro Expositor Y de Convenciones de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
Samantha Spears, Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, Asheville, NC
Jonathan Spero, InHouse Physicians, Lake Worth, FL
Scott Staedter, Kwik-Wall Company, Springfield, IL
Katie Stein, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Newark, NJ
Lillian Sullivan, Adelphi Theatre – LW Theatres, London,
Kim Summers, @the Grounds, Roseville, CA
Melvin Terrill, PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
Ben Tidwell, Trail Drive Management Corp./Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX
Jamie Wadsworth, Spokane Public Facilities District, Spokane, WA
Zak Walton, UTA Special Event Facilities, Arlington, TX
Christopher Weathers, Spokane Public Facilities District, Spokane, WA
Laura Weston, Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, Asheville, NC
Aaron Woodward, Rider Levett Bucknall, Phoenix, AZ
Shanna Wright, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Scott Yeager, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Shachaf Zahavy-Mittelman, Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham, WA
Aggie Zalewska, Calgary TELUS Convention Centre, Calgary, AB, Canada
Bailey Zimmerman, Utah Tech University, St George, UT
Ron Zurcher, Rider Levett Bucknall, Henderson, NV

Jill Schinberg, Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky, will be presenting “From Intentions to Metrics: Mapping IAVM Membership Diversity” at VenueConnect24.

An ‘expat’ from a 20+ year career in venue management, Jill has worked for music promoters, agents, international festivals, and performing arts centers in various capacities. She researches arts management consulting, programming as an artistic practice, and workplace equity issues while teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Leadership and Management, Arts Programming, and Arts Entrepreneurship. Jill is also a founder of Demographic Trends, a startup dedicated to collecting and analyzing demographic data for organizations in the arts, culture, and entertainment industries.

Read on for our Q&A with Schinberg.

What can VC24 attendees expect to learn at your session?
The purpose of this session is to share the baseline data from the first demographic survey conducted in 2023. The survey collected self-reported demographic data from members of the association. The results show a snapshot of the demographic makeup of the members of IAVM which may or may not be indicative of the industry as a whole. It will be of particular interest to folks who completed the survey, but anyone who is interested in diversity, equity, and inclusion will likely be curious about the results. 

What is the best advice you’ve received?
If you’re asked to do a self-evaluation of any kind (e.g. in advance of a performance review meeting, tenure dossier, etc.), think of it like an acknowledgement–maybe even a celebration–of what you’ve accomplished. You might impress yourself.

What’s the last book you read?
Entitled: Discriminating Tastes and the Expansion of the Arts by Jennifer C. Lena

Please join us at VC24 for this session!

• From Intentions to Metrics: Mapping IAVM Membership Diversity
• Monday, July 29  |  5:00 – 5:25 PM
• Room: Exhibit Floor Education Theater

Not yet registered? Visit venueconnect.iavm.org today!

Tampa, FL – Straz Center President and CEO Greg Holland has announced the retirement of Lorrin Shepard as chief operating officer of Tampa’s David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts.

Shepard joined what was the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in 1990 as production manager, after previously serving in similar capacities at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, Tenn., and at Vanderbilt University. In 1992, he was named vice president of operations and assumed responsibility for the daily operations of the facility. In 2001, Shepard was named executive vice president and general manager and in 2005 was named chief operating officer. 

During his expansive tenure, Shepard has overseen all aspects of The Straz Center’s general programs and services including the advancement of the organization’s strategic mission and the administration of ticketing, guest services, production services, security and safety, facilities, retail and food and beverage.

Early in his tenure, Shepard orchestrated and implemented the decision to bring food and beverage service in house, resulting in a substantial increase in annual gross revenue.

In 2004, he managed the construction and opening of the $8 million Dr. Pallavi Patel Performing Arts Conservatory and is currently serving as the project manager for $100 million Master Plan renovation, which will dramatically expand public and educational spaces and enhance the aesthetic character of the Tampa arts district. After his retirement, Shepard will continue as a consultant on the Master Plan – a project he has been spearheading since 2008.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shepard provided key leadership in the development and implementation of COVID protocols for the Straz Center and for the performing arts venue industry nationwide, serving as the lead editor of the Performing Arts Center Consortium’s Guide to Reopening Theatrical Venues, released in June 2020.

He has served as performing arts sector chief for the International Association of Venue Managers and serves on multiple local committees which consider matters relating to Tampa’s urban design and infrastructure.

Shepard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in fine arts with a concentration in theater production from Indiana’s Earlham College. 

The David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts is one of the largest performing arts complexes in the country. The 335,000 square-foot Straz Center provides an environment for a wide variety of world-class events. It boasts one of the nation’s leading Broadway series and is nationally respected for producing grand opera, as well as presenting a wide variety of concerts, performances, and events. In a typical season, more than 600,000 patrons attend 1,500+ events at the Straz Center. The Straz is also home to the Patel Conservatory which annually serves nearly 65,000 students with a variety of educational activities and classes, Opera Tampa and its resident theater company, Jobsite Theater.

We are thrilled to unveil the IAVM Foundation’s 30|UNDER|30 Class of 2024! This prestigious program recognizes the most promising young professionals in the venue management industry, celebrating their exceptional achievements and future potential.

Meet the Innovators, Leaders, and Visionaries

The Class of 2024 comprises dynamic individuals who have demonstrated remarkable dedication, innovation, and leadership in their respective fields. These rising stars are setting new standards and driving positive change within the industry. From event coordination to facility management, their diverse talents and relentless passion are shaping the future of venue management.

The Class of 2024 Honorees:

• Keyanna Alexander, House Manager, ASU Gammage
• Khamari Alexander, Assistant Facility Operations Manager, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority/Charlotte Convention Center
• Timothy Bizub, Manager, Event Operations, Prudential Center, HBSE
• Andy Burke, Manager, Event Security, Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena
• Ellie Chambers, Senior Manager, Team Member and Fan Experience, New Meadowlands Stadium Company / MetLife Stadium
• Maegan Collins, Marketing Coordinator, F&M Bank Arena
• Brandt Daniels, Assistant General Manager, Lakefront Arena
• Derrik Emerick, Manager- Patron Services, Dayton Live
• Megan Escobar, Event Manager, ASM – Paycom Center
• Ryan Fink, Event Manager, OVG360 / Donald L Tucker Civic Center
• Christina Fitzgerald, Event Services Manager, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority
• Anne Gierach, Event Manager, PMI Entertainment Group / Resch Complex
• Hayley Gray, Accounting Manager, Moody Center
• Annika Heine, Assistant Manager – People & Culture, Oak View Group – Acrisure Arena
• Zenik Hite, Event Manager, Raleigh Convention Center
• Lily Johnson, Manager, Event Services, Chase Center, Golden State Warriors / Chase Center
• Miranda Korniloff, Sr. Convention Services Manager, George R. Brown Convention Center
• Ethan Lang, Director of Facilities & Engineering, Baltimore Convention Center
• Kyra Libuser, Manager, Conversion Calendar, SoFi Stadium & Hollywood Park
• Alina Milauskas, Sr. Manager, Event Services, Florida Panthers / Amerant Bank Arena
• Victoria Mitchell, Director, Engineering & Capital Projects, San Diego Convention Center Corporation
• Emma Miziolek, Event & Meeting Coordinator, Exhibition Place
• Madisen Pool, Patron Services Manager – Front of House, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
• Hayden Schrag, Premium Seating Manager, ASM Global / INTRUST Bank Arena
• Ross Schwartz, Marketing Coordinator, Anaheim Arena Management LLC/ Honda Center
• Nicholas Searcy, Event Coordinator, Hampton Coliseum
• Amanda Verdadero, Production Manager, Kia Forum
• Madison Vickers, Booking Coordinator, ASM Global – Allegiant Stadium
• Claire Wiens, Event Manager, INTRUST Bank Arena / ASM Global
• Stacia Winters, Assistant General Manager, OVG 360 – Grand Junction Convention Center, Avalon Theatre, and the Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park

30|UNDER|30 is made possible thanks to the ongoing support of Momentus Technologies and IAVM Foundation donors. The Class of 2024 honorees will receive full complimentary registration to VenueConnect 2024 in Portland, OR, as well as three nights’ accommodations at one of the conference host hotels. Honorees will be recognized throughout VC24.

We invite you to join us in congratulating the Class of 2024 30|UNDER|30 honorees. Their hard work, creativity, and vision are not only inspiring but also vital to the continued growth and innovation in venue management.