Overland Park is the first convention center in the world to open a KultureCity approved sensory room for neurodiverse, autistic and disabled attendees.

In partnership with non-profit KultureCity, the sensory room is a dedicated space created by medical professionals with reduced lighting and noise for guests who may feel overstimulated and need a more secure environment.

The certification process equipped venue staff by training with leading medical professionals on how to recognize those attendees with sensory needs and how to handle a sensory overload situation. Sensory sensitivities or challenges with sensory regulation are often experienced by individuals with autism, dementia, PTSD and other similar conditions.

One of the major barriers for these individuals is over stimulation and noise, which is an enormous part of the environment in event venues. With this new certification, the convention center is now better prepared to assist guests with sensory sensitivities so that all can attend and feel comfortable.

Sensory bags, equipped with noise canceling headphones (provided by Puro Sound Labs), fidget tools, verbal cue cards (produced in conjunction with Boardmaker), and weighted lap pads are also available to all guests at the convention center who may feel overwhelmed by the environment.

Prior to attending an event, families can download the free KultureCity App where they can view what sensory features are available at the convention center and where they can access them. The apps ‘Social Story’ feature also provides a preview of what to expect while at the venue.

“To know that you soon will be able to see families attend a basketball game, a true community binding experience, with their loved ones who have a sensory challenge and who were not able to previously attend, is truly a heartwarming moment,” said Dr. Julian Maha, Co-Founder of KultureCity. “Our communities are what shapes our lives and to know that the Overland Park Convention Center is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that everyone, no matter their ability, is included in their community is amazing.”

By Celebrity Access

AEG Presents has tapped industry veteran Brett Williams as the company’s new Senior Vice President, Global Touring and Talent.

While at AEG Presents, Williams will be tasked with identifying, signing, and booking talent for the company’s Global Touring and Talent division.

Williams joins AEG Presents from Los Angeles-based management company Monotone, Inc., where he spent more than 15 years, serving most recently served as General Manager. While at Monotone, Williams worked with a diverse roster of artists that included The Chicks, Foster the People, Cold War Kids, Miike Snow, Dirty Projectors, BANKS, Ratatat, Still Woozy, Empress Of, and Briston Maroney, among others.

In addition, Williams played a key role in the company’s expansion, growing their client roster from four creatives to more than 20, along with a staff that expanded from six employees to more than 20.

“Brett brings an incredible breadth of knowledge and experience to the position,” said Gary Gersh, AEG Presents President of Global Touring and Talent, to whom Williams reports. “His management background, keen eye for spotting and developing talent, and superb artist relations skills are perfectly aligned with our core strategy. I’m thrilled he’s joining the team.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining such a well-respected and innovative company and look forward to working with Gary and the entire Global Touring and Talent team, who are best in class,” Williams says of his new role at AEG Presents. “I started my career in music because of my obsession with artists, and the company’s mission mirrors my own — namely, to build, support, and serve world-class artists and their vision.”

By R.V. Baugus and Hurricanes.com

The public assembly venue industry and IAVM friends mourn the passing of long-time industry veteran Davin “Dave” Olsen, who passed away January 31 from a heart attack. He was 62.

Olsen served more than two decades as the general manager of PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, home of the National Hockey League Carolina Hurricanes as well as home to North Carolina State University sports.

“We are shocked and saddened to learn of Dave’s passing,” the team said in a statement. “Dave was an enormous part of this organization from the construction of PNC Arena through nearly 22 years of operating and maintaining it as one of the premier entertainment venues in the Southeast. He was a dedicated, popular employee who will be dearly missed by so many of our employees, past and present.”

Olsen worked in arena management for more than 30 years, including the last 24 years with the Hurricanes and PNC Arena. Most recently, he was working as the interim manager of the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Prior to joining the Hurricanes, Olsen served as the director of recreational facilities at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Olsen had also overseen Germain Arena in Estero, FL, Compuware Arena in Plymouth, MI, the New Haven Coliseum, and the Hartford Civic Center during his distinguished career.

His name is engraved on the Stanley Cup with the 2005-06 champions.

Dave is survived by his wife, Marci, and his sons Davin and Jason.

By Andra Bennett

Trinity Food and Beverage, a division of Omni Fort Worth Hotel, has named Brent Hines executive chef of the Fort Worth Convention Center’s catering operations.

Hines, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin, aims not only to elevate a conference dining experience with “euphoric” flavor blends, but also to make the City-owned venue a culinary destination in its own right.

“My vision is for the Fort Worth Convention Center to become a destination for groups looking for a particular food and beverage experience,” he said. “We want people to leave remembering the cuisine and requesting the recipes.”

A native of Chico, Texas, Hines began his professional career at Keystone Ranch in Colorado, a Vail Resorts property and Zagot-rated top fine dining restaurant. At 27, he landed his first executive chef job at Sky Creek Ranch in Keller, Texas, which received multiple awards for best new restaurant and best steakhouse. He then moved to global hospitality giants Gaylord and Benchmark before serving as executive chef at Winewood Grill in Grapevine and executive sous chef at Park House Dallas. Hines joined Trinity Food and Beverage, an arm of Omni Fort Worth Hotel, as the FWCC executive chef in June of 2021.

“We know that a conference or gala experience can hinge on the guests’ satisfaction with the cuisine,” said Larry Auth, general manager of the Omni Fort Worth Hotel. “Chef Hines brings both restaurant and large-scale hospitality experience to our clients with a unique combination of global perspective and local Texas flavor to his creations.”

Hines blends his own spices from scratch, as well as all dressings and sauces, to create unique flavor combinations with infused Southwest, French, Asian, Italian, Caribbean and Mediterranean influences. Marquee dishes include tenderloin bruschetta with arugula pesto and tomato jam, which he describes as “Italian with a Texas twist.” Other signature menu items include grilled Texas watermelon with hydroponic mix greens, local goat cheese and smoked blueberry dressing; lobster mac & cheese with brandy cream, truffle essence and chervil; and duck quesadillas topped with poblano crema and corn pico de gallo.

“I’m an artist with a blank canvas, intending to make an impression on all your senses,” said Hines. “When the colors are appealing, flavors are well-balanced, and everything comes together in your mouth, you should have a euphoric feeling.”

The Fort Worth Convention Center is planning a $450 million phased expansion over the next five years that will include a new, state-of-the-art catering kitchen and provide the ability to serve larger events and shows with 5,000 to 10,000 people in attendance. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2023.

Andra Bennett is Communications Coordinator for the Fort Worth Convention Center.

By APAP

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Deborah Rutter, President, and Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Vice President and Artistic Director of Social Impact, announced the honorees and participants of “The Next 50” initiative in an Instagram live event on Thursday, January 20, 2022.

Joining a list of luminaries that includes dancer/choreographer Camille A. Brown, comedian/actor Vir Das, poet Amanda Gorman, world cup champion Megan Rapinoe, and musician Esperanza Spalding, Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) President and CEO Lisa Richards Toney was named among a who’s-who of cultural leaders who exemplify the Kennedy Center’s mission to help shape culture and society through the arts—with integrity, creativity, empathy, and artistic excellence.

The list of culture-makers imagines a world that identifies and connects the abundance of resources in communities across the nation in an effort to uplift and move us toward a more inspired, inclusive, and compassionate country.

“The Next 50 is an instrument that signals an institutional shift. It’s the Center taking responsibility for identifying artists and creatives as national leaders, committing to a process, and offering a platform to see that work through to fruition,” Bamuthi said.

“It is an honor to have been selected among the Next 50, and I am inspired by Deborah Rutter’s and Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s vision,” remarked Richards Toney. “I look forward to galvanizing a wide and deep community of performing arts professionals to celebrate, support, stand with, and fight for arts workers as we prepare for our greatest comeback!”

The Next 50 will not only recognize the cultural leadership of these 50 trailblazers and organizations but also create spaces and opportunities for these visionaries to use their talents to put art into action as they influence our communities and create new pathways for the coming generations.

Over the course of the anniversary season, the Next 50 will participate in programs, forums, residencies, and events—such as Arts Summit, the Active Hope Podcast, Millennium Stage—and work with the Kennedy Center to create opportunities for discourse with other leaders to ensure that the voices of artistic and cultural leaders are lifted and heard.

The Center, through its Social Impact program, undertook a comprehensive process to identify the Next 50. Leaning on the public through a crowdsourcing campaign powered by Meta, the Center queried arts educators, arts and culture administrators, and artistic programming professionals to curate a list that ensured representation and diversity in all of its pluralities—a vanguard of culture makers—household names, scions of the cultural sector, and everyday people—who the Center believes, will lead the country into its next 50 years.