By R.V. Baugus

Tom Bedard, ABCP, Meteorologist and Business Continuity Specialist based in Wichita, Kansas, is not your typical “weather guy.” How can he be when he proposed to his wife at … wait, we’ll save this most interesting story at the end.

Bedard will also be familiar to the IAVM family when he presents a session entitled Venue Safety and Reducing the Impact of Weather on Events at the Severe Weather Preparedness program and the Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS) in Las Vegas on March 4.

Bedard stays busy as a meteorologist, service implementation manager, and emergency management & business continuity professional for AccuWeather for Business in Wichita. His team manages client onboarding, customer service, technical implementation, and consulting projects. Outside of AccuWeather, he is an active volunteer firefighter/EMT for Colwich Fire Department and an active K9 Human Remains Detection Dog Handler for the Sedgwick County Volunteer K9 SAR team.

Thankfully, he was not too busy that he couldn’t spare a moment to visit with us regarding his session. Oh, and about that marriage proposal.

Speak some about your topic of Enhancing Venue Safety and Reducing the Impact of Weather on Events. It seems like not a year goes by that we do not have a major news story dealing with some event that has had a major weather event impact it and its guests.

Guests know that weather impacts their experience at an event, so how a venue responds to it is as much a matter of customer service as it is a matter of safety. They expect venue managers to know the forecast and have a tried and tested plan to respond to it. Their experience at an event becomes poor (or frightening) when they feel like they’re on their own to protect themselves. Those are the stories that capture media attention and end up in the news. My sessions at AVSS and the Severe Weather Preparedness Training are focused on guiding the emergency planning process so that venues anticipate the storm and stay out of the news.

What are the most common oversights that venues make when it comes to planning for severe weather?

Venue and event managers are masters at planning, logistics, and operations. They know the wind thresholds for every piece of equipment and they’re very well-practiced with crowd safety operations. The oversight we most often see them committing is not coordinating with a meteorologist to get expert opinion on their weather plan. It’s important to verify the warning criteria that they’re using as triggers and to confirm that they’re making the right assumptions. I’m still encountering safety plans that assume that every thunderstorm travels at 60 mph and that all tornadoes move from southwest to northeast. It’s not hard to get in contact with degreed meteorologists in the National Weather Service or the private sector and I’d be happy to make that connection for anyone while I’m out in Las Vegas!

-Let’s flip the script if you can share a quick story about how proper planning helped alleviate what could have been a possible disastrous situation.

The July 31st, 2021, Garth Brooks concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville is a recent success story that was presented at the 2022 American Meteorological Society’s Annual Meeting. Although the sky was clear when gates opened at 5 pm, the concert’s 7 pm start was delayed due to concerns about a storm approaching from the northwest. As the storm approached, the stadium posted a “Lightning Advisory” shortly after 7:30, asking guests to proceed to the shelter area. The stadium’s twitter account shared the delay and more updates as the storm moved overhead. Although weather ultimately forced the event to be postponed, no lightning-related injuries occurred despite the intensity of the storm.

Any primary or main takeaway you would like your audience to leave with and take back to their venue?

Here are the three takeaways that I’m encouraging my AVSS session attendees to think about:
Risk assessments for weather hazards should be specific. “Severe thunderstorm” as a hazard is more helpful when it’s broken into individual 30 mph wind gusts, lightning within 8 miles, hail >1”, and flash flooding hazards.
Vulnerability assessments should be equally as specific. The planning process should uncover what windspeeds compromise equipment safety, what evacuation times are expected with guests, and if guests will be more susceptible to high heat.
Communicate early and often. Acknowledging the cliché, share public-friendly versions of your severe weather plan with your guests alongside the channels that they can use to find updates.

​OK, you can’t Google your name without hearing about your famous marriage proposal last year. For our members who do not know about it, would you please share just one more time? I doubt this one will ever be topped!

There’s no higher form of romance for severe weather-loving meteorologists than getting engaged in front of a tornado. My girlfriend of five years and my best friend are both exceptional operational meteorologists at our company and were working together on what would be the last good storm chase of the spring. The right ingredients came together for a slight severe weather risk in southeast Colorado, so we hopped in my best friend’s truck with his wife on a Saturday morning and headed west from Wichita. We found a storm that we wanted to follow for the day and stuck with it as it struggled through a less-than-favorable environment. After repositioning ourselves a few times and getting through the maze of storm chasers, we found a safe spot south of the circulation just in time for a large cone tornado to form. My fiancé had no idea of the intent of the chase and the entire day was an incredible success.

By R.V. Baugus

The next step in the world of virtual experience just became real.

Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves became the first MLB team to join the metaverse through the creation of a virtual platform featuring a photo-realistic digital twin of Truist Park.

Digital Truist Park, powered by Epic Games’ Unreal Engine technology, will give fans the opportunity to experience the Braves’ ballpark and The Battery Atlanta mixed-use development in an immersive, multiplayer environment streamed directly to their browsers.

The Braves said the inspiration to accelerate entry into the metaverse is driven by the opportunity to connect with fans in a non-physical venue free of geographical constraints or capacity limitations.

Mission accomplished.

The new environment, which fans are set to be offered a first look at in April, seeks to become a new way for Braves supporters to engage with the club and consume content. Meanwhile, the team will be able to create use cases for ubiquitous consumption through seamless and blended physical and digital environments.

Inside Digital Truist Park, fans will be able to create and customize avatars; explore exclusive areas of Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta; enjoy exclusive content, performances, and meet-and-greets; and meet and interact with other Braves fans from around the world, among other features.

“It’s exciting to create a new way for our fans to connect with our team and their favourite ballpark,” said Derek Schiller, Atlanta Braves president and CEO.

“The digital version of Truist Park will offer limitless opportunities to create unique fan engagements in the metaverse and we are proud to be the first team to offer this immersive experience. We look forward to building enhancements along the way which will continue to showcase the innovation of the Braves brand in the digital world.”

Earlier this month, Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A football club Corinthians launched a virtual platform to provide fans with a closer look of its Neo Química Arena, while English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur became the first team in the UK to utilize Ticketmaster’s 3D Virtual Venue technology.

In November, Spanish LaLiga club Real Madrid entered into a partnership with computer software company Adobe to create “premium entertainment experiences” for supporters.

Real Madrid and Adobe will look to bring the Santiago Bernabéu to a global audience through an “expanded ecosystem” of online experiences, products and services. The initiative will transform the stadium into a virtual destination that can be accessed by fans worldwide.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is getting its first peak at the latest interactive technology. To see more, click here.

By Gail Sawyer

ASM Global announced that Dan Harris will join Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai, as Commercial Director. With more than 20 years of live events and entertainment industry experience, Dan brings a strong skill set to the Commercial Director position having extensive experience in several UK venues within the ASM Global group.

This appointment comes following the promotion of Mark Jan Kar who assumed his new role of General Manager of the Coca-Cola Arena in June 2021. Dubai’s home of live entertainment has seen a tremendous lineup of events over the past six months, with the arena diversifying its strategy by catering to an increasing number of sporting events.

Dan joins Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai, ahead of a busy calendar of events for 2022.

ASM Global APAC Chairman and Chief Executive, Harvey Lister AM, said he was excited to welcome Dan to the Arena’s award-winning team. “As a proven leader within ASM Global, we are thrilled to welcome Dan to the team. Coca-Cola Arena has seen a strong recovery as it emerges from the pandemic, and I am positive that Dan’s extensive background in events and venue management will greatly benefit the arena as Dubai cements itself on the global touring circuit.”

Most recently, Harris has served as general manager for ASM Global in the UK at Bonus Arena, The Baths Hall, and The Plowright Theatre. Dan brings with him a wealth of experience and extensive industry relationships having managed the pre-opening and launch of both the Bonus Arena (2018) and The Baths Hall (2011).

Iain Campbell, Executive Vice President, ASM Global – Gulf Region, highlights that Dan’s appointment reinforces ASM Global’s reputation to bring the best talent from across the globe. “It is a great pleasure to welcome Dan to the team with his considerable knowledge and experience, supporting Mark Jan Kar and the Coca-Cola Arena team in the Gulf Region.

“It is really exciting when we are able to provide career advancement opportunities for industry professionals already working within our global family of facilities.”

Dan will relocate with his family to Dubai in March in order to take on his new role at Coca-Cola Arena, the region’s premier entertainment venue. “I am looking forward to the challenge afforded to me in the Middle East, by ASM Global and Dubai Holding,” he said. “It is great to see the return of live events in Dubai and I will be working closely with key stakeholders and commercial partners to continue driving the industry at Dubai’s home of live entertainment.”

Gail Sawyer is Group Communications Manager – ASM Global (Asia Pacific).

By Andra Bennett, APR

Experienced hospitality services professional Shanda Cartwright has joined the Fort Worth Convention Center (FWCC) as its Sales & Events Manager. In this position, Cartwright will be responsible for increasing the venue’s share of local meetings, events, and galas.

“As Fort Worth is now the 12th largest city in the U.S., opportunities for hosting more local and regional business meetings have continued to grow,” said Blake Moorman, CMP, Director of Sales & Marketing at FWCC. “Shanda’s wide-ranging experience in sports, entertainment, hotels, events, and catering – in addition to her knowledge of the market – will benefit our existing clients and introduce our venue to new customers.”

The daughter of a college football coach, Cartwright attended the University of Oregon and began her career with Spurs Sports & Entertainment in San Antonio before moving to the Broadmoor Hotel and Resort in Colorado Springs and then to the Denver Broncos. She made her way back to Texas to help open the Cowboys (now AT&T) Stadium and work with the Mavs at American Airlines Center on the 2010 NBA All-Star game. Other experiences include sales and event management at Billy Bob’s Texas, Las Colinas Country Club, The Fort Worth Club and Trinity Food & Beverage, the FWCC’s exclusive catering and concessions provider.

“Hospitality is where my heart is, and I approach sales as being a builder of profitable relationships,” Cartwright said. “Fort Worth is very much my home, as it is the first place I have ever unpacked all of my moving boxes. For someone who had to relocate every few years, that’s a significant milestone.”

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

By Kristi Mexia

Focused on representing California’s vibrant wine culture, SoFi Stadium’s culinary operator Legends recently unveiled a highly curated wine program for the new venue and home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. The program highlights California vintners, with a focus on Santa Barbara County, one of the world’s top wine-growing regions. The wine selection offers guests the opportunity to enjoy exceptional wine in a stadium setting and places California’s world-renowned viticulture on a global sports and entertainment platform.

“Santa Barbara County is a diverse and dynamic wine region that goes head-to-head in quality and artisanal craftsmanship with any wine region in the world,” says Ryan Tawwater, VP of Special Projects for Legends. “While 65 percent of the wines we selected are from Santa Barbara County, the wine list we curated features more than 21 different grape varieties from Santa Barbara County.”

Throughout the stadium, 90 percent of the wines offered are from California, with 65 percent of the selections hailing from Santa Barbara County.

“We challenged Legends, our culinary operator, to put together a wine program that was as unique to Southern California as the project itself,” said Jason Gannon, Managing Director, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park. “The program Legends created will introduce a large audience to groundbreaking wines from just north of us in Santa Barbara County. We look forward to our guests sampling the unique flavors local to Southern California.”

The wine selection in the stadium’s clubs and suites highlights Santa Barbara County and its six American Viticultural Areas (AVA). The wine list in these spaces is organized for guests by the distance of the vineyard to SoFi Stadium. Showcasing the breadth of selection from the region, guests will find wines from six AVAs within Santa Barbara County on this list. Producers and vineyards featured include the original pioneers of Santa Barbara County (Sanford, Au Bon Climat), trailblazers (Andrew Murray, Lane Tanner), and the top winemakers from the next generation of Santa Barbara County producers (The Hilt Estate, Holus Bolus, JONATA, Tyler, The Paring, Chanin, Deovlet).

Legends also selected Northern California and Paso Robles stalwarts, including Turley, Kistler, Kosta Browne, Paul Hobbs and TOR. The SoFi Stadium reserve wine list has hard-to-source bottles of impeccable provenance including Bond, Harlan, Peter Michael, Promontory and Screaming Eagle.

International wines and sakes round out the selection of California bottles, with six different sakes and wines from some fabled wineries such as Gaja, Penfolds Grange, Domaine Bonneau du Martray, Louis Roederer Crystal, Billecart Salmon and Dom Pérignon.

Several wines from The Paring as well as Nomadica’s sparkling white are available throughout the stadium and in all its concession areas. The Paring wines are from the coastal vineyards of Santa Barbara County. The wines embrace the region’s “refrigerated sunshine” and trademark freshness. Selections include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a Rosé of Pinot Noir. Complementing the wines from The Paring is the Nomadica sparkling white, from Northern California. Nomadica’s sparkling white blends chardonnay with a hint of muscat to bring out flavors of nectarine, citrus and melon.

In conjunction with the wine program’s official debut, SoFi Stadium created a wine bar in the Google Cloud Club and Suites on the second level of the stadium to feature world-class wines from California’s finest wine producers. The club features a hand-painted mural based off the legendary Hilt wine label and incorporates imagery of the rugged Sta. Rita Hills AVA landscape in California where the Hilt Estate, and many other world-class California vineyards are located. Located in the Google Cloud Club and Suites, the wine bar features a highly curated list of wines, including the bright and well-structured Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from The Hilt Estate in Sta. Rita Hills; a sublime red blend, “Todos,” from the JONATA estate in Ballard Canyon; the mouth-watering “Vandenberg” Riesling from Tatomer; and a single-vineyard Chenin Blanc from Foxen.

Kristi Mexia is Sr. Director/Head Corporate Communications at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park.

Photo courtesy of SoFi Stadium.