ASM Global has named Jessica Ragsdale Vice-President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

Ragsdale comes to ASM Global after eight years with Microsoft, most recently working with their global diversity and inclusion team. For ASM, Ragsdale will be working within a team to turn ideas into action that can be implemented within the ASM organization to further their education, understanding, and engagement with internal employees and external partners. Ragsdale’s focus will be to provide strategic leadership in the areas of diversity, inclusion, and equity by implementing programs to support ASM Global’s goals and monitoring progress to meet those goals.

ASM Global President and CEO Ron Benision commented on Ragsdale appointment, “We are honored to have Jessica join us to serve as our new vice president of DEI, which remains an important part of business today and into the future. Jessica’s experience and dedication to this important aspect of our business fits perfectly with our community and employment goals embodied in our ASM Acts platform.”

Prior to Ragsdale’s appointment, ASM Global announced they’re launching the ASM Global Acts Foundation to support philanthropic and community-based endeavors guided by its sustainability and diversity pillars as well as the ASM Global Acts Scholarship, which will focus on serving diverse and under-resourced communities with education and career-development opportunities.

“As many of us know, DEI is a journey, and this is an adventure I am thrilled to be a part of,” Ragsdale said. She will be located in the ASM Global Los Angeles office.

By R.V. Baugus

Many who read this are too young to remember that once upon a time when you went to fill your gas tank at the pump you had no option but to let an attendant do the job for you while you remained in your car. Crazy, huh?

OK, let’s move this forward to get more of our reading audience on board but talking about how you can go to a bank and find a kiosk to make a deposit, withdrawal, or any other number of services. You can go to a grocery store and find self-checkout stations all over the place.

Well, in our venue professional world, the NFL Miami Dolphins became the first team in the league to launch a self-checkout retail option for fans at its Hard Rock Stadium.

Unveiled on December 19, the Hard Rock Stadium Express Shop is an autonomous retail experience powered by Verizon’s 5G self-checkout activation, offering supporters “grab and go” checkout options to purchase snacks, beverages, and merchandise in a fully autonomous and frictionless setting.

The Hard Rock Stadium Express Shop can function at any location in and around the stadium where Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network is available.

Fans can insert a credit card at the door and the Express Shop allows supporters to purchase products and walk out of the store. They will then be billed electronically and receive a receipt via email.

The Express Shop is available during all Dolphins homes games, as well as other events at the venue.

“As a global entertainment destination, we consistently look to implement experiences for our guests that exceed expectations in modernization and technology which are focal points in our partnership with Verizon,” the Dolphins’ senior vice president and chief revenue officer Jeremy Walle said.

“The Hard Rock Stadium Express Shop is at the forefront of future retail experiences, and we are excited to be the first NFL stadium to make this autonomous and free-standing concept available to fans.”

The launch comes after the Dolphins entered into a partnership with Dell Technologies to expand the use of video for fan engagement, safety and security at Hard Rock Stadium.

By Toni-Ann Burke

accesso Technology Group has added 15 North American operators to the roster of clients for its accesso ShoWare box office ticketing suite. The new partners include Silverton Casino in Las Vegas; Biltmore Theatre in Oshawa, Ontario; UIS Performing Arts Center in Springfield, Illinois; three speedways in Burlington, Washington, Fairbury, Illinois, and Seekonk, Massachusetts; the Peninsula Ballet Theatre in San Mateo, California; and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Mississippi. All 15 destinations and attractions are set for full integration by the end of January 2022.

“Over the last year, it was wonderful to see so many destinations, venues, and attractions around the world begin to welcome back their valued guests,” said accesso CEO Steve Brown. “We are privileged to have the opportunity to help these new partners enhance their operations and offerings with a next-generation ticketing experience.”

With more than 50 million tickets sold annually worldwide and half a billion processed transactions, the accesso ShoWare ticketing suite is a best-in-class solution designed to enhance, streamline and guide guests’ online purchasing journeys. The accesso ShoWare ticketing suite offers high-volume capabilities, white-label branding and unparalleled customer service, all packaged in one, easy-to-use turnkey solution, empowering venue and destination operators to redefine the experience for guests – whether they purchase online or on-site – while driving revenue. With more than 600 installations in theaters, concert venues, sports arenas, casinos and attractions around the world, the cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution offers operators flexible, full control over the end-to-end ticketing process, including secure and simple reserved ticketing tools, as well as functionality to support spaced seating, contact tracing, donation tools, live streaming, email marketing integration and more.

Toni-Ann Burke is Communications Specialist for Curley & Pynn – The Strategic Firm®.

By R.V. Baugus

Not enough that long-time industry veteran and former IAVM Chair Randy Brown, CVE, retired after meritorious service leading the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, but the end of the year also marked the retirement of the venue’s second-in-command, Bryan Christie. While we are on the subject of longevity, Bryan retired from his vice president of operations post after working at the venue for — ready for this? — 53 years. He began working at the Coliseum while in high school with his first role a very familiar one for those breaking into the industry so young as filling sodas at the concession stand.

The venue’s Facebook page gave due credit to one so deserving: Congratulations to Bryan Christie on his last day and retirement as Vice President of Operations for the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. For more than 50 years, Bryan has worked tirelessly, putting his heart and soul into each and everything he does for our clients, guests, and staff.

Evansville-Vanderburgh County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. (“Visit Evansville”) announced the hiring of Alexis Berggren as incoming President and CEO. A nationwide search guided by the local Visit Evansville Commission was conducted in recruiting Berggren.

Joe Kiefer, II, the Visit Evansville Commission President, said, “We were encouraged that through the
national search process we were able to conclude on a local hire with whom we have years of experience. Alexis has served on the commission for many years and ran the Old National Events Plaza for nearly five years. Alexis’s experience, leadership, and tenure in the industry are exemplary. Visit Evansville has seen our region’s occupancy and room rates grow over the last decade with a keen focus on youth sports, including investments at Deaconess Sports Park and Goebel Soccer Complex. With the nearing completion of I-69 and recent Deaconess Sports Park synthetic turf investments, the youth sports business and convention businesses are poised to continue growing. Berggren’s vision, existing community relationships and fiscal responsibility make her well-suited for this new role. We are confident that Alexis will bring the energy, skills, and knowledge necessary to keep our momentum moving forward for years to come. We look forward to Alexis leading our team, with an anticipated start date of January 18, 2022.”

Berggren is an Evansville resident with extensive prior managerial experience in the Council Bluffs,
Portland, Los Angeles, and New Orleans markets, as well as with the Old National Events Plaza in
Evansville. Berggren is well known in the industry and has been active with many management and
development associations. She has exhibited skills in building consensus with a collaborative
environment, and she thrives on leading teams to find innovative solutions and service initiatives.
Recently, she worked directly on creating and adopting the Commission’s 10-year Master Tourism Plan.
Berggren comes with extensive facility management experience as well, which is vital to Visit Evansville
as the operator of world-class amateur sporting facilities.

Berggren’s knowledge of tourism and events has been building throughout her career in multiple
destinations, different market sizes and experience leading a local community asset in Evansville.

“I want to thank the Commission and local leaders for selecting me to lead Visit Evansville as the
President & CEO. Evansville is a growing, dynamic community that I am excited to advocate for in this
role. I will commit my skills, experience, and abilities to continue to grow this region for our population, our clients and for my family. Visit Evansville has a strong team in place with whom I am excited to collaborate, and I am certain we have the talent and skills to continue to grow this region. Evansville’s unique strengths as a central location with convention and gaming facilities, along with its large sports complexes and supportive local leadership, position it to grow as a destination market for years to come. Continued tourism industry growth improves not only the visitors’ experience but enhances the quality of life for all our region’s residents.”