Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in August 2021. 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 http://www.iavm.org/i-am-venue-management-share-your-story to share your story and photo.

Jerrol Anonuevo, Tacoma Venues & Events, Tacoma, WA

Rich Atkins, Improving Communications, Port Washington, NY

Shane Axten, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND

Connie Barber, St. Charles Convention Center, Saint Charles, MO

Isabel Bearlin, Palais Theatre, St Kilda South, VIC, Australia

Jeremy Bennington, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

Brock Bradley, Ungerboeck, O’Fallon, MO

Pamela Carnes=Sanders, St. Charles Convention Center, Saint Charles, MO

Neville Carseldine, Auckland Stadiums, Auckland,

Rachel Chambers, T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA

Mark Coffey, Performing Arts Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX

Shannon Cole, Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Jamie Coyne, St. Charles Convention Center, Saint Charles, MO

Jordan Crawford, T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA

Kathryn Czuj, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia, SC

Anthony Dagata, Tennis NSW, Silverwater, NSW

Natalie Davis, Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, OK, Australia

Lukas Daxer, SKIDATA GmbH, Tokyo,

Julie Desaulniers, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia, SC

Megan Dickerson, Collaborative Management Specialists, Tallahassee, FL

Jordan Edwards, Sunset Cultural Center, Carmel By The Sea, CA

Cori Eischen, T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA

Courtney Elmore, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Caroline Falkiner, Naveze, Cremorne, NSW, Australia

Grant Finlay, Johnson Controls, Windsor, QLD, Australia

Matthew Friel, Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, OK

Kara Gerke, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND

Joe Giarraputo, UBS Arena, Elmont, NY

Christine Gillett, Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, TX

Cooper Glenn, Black Hills State University, Bismarck, ND

Kimi Gray, American Airlines Center/Center Operating Company, Dallas, TX

Eric Greene, UBS Arena, Elmont, NY

Bayley Haberman, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH

Steve Harms, Wisconsin Center District, Milwaukee, WI

Allen Hess, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND

Bryant Houk, Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, OK

Greyson Hughes, Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, OK

Abby Hunt, Landers Center, Southaven, MS

Matt Jeansonne, CAJUNDOME & Convention Center, Lafayette, LA

Cole Johnson, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND

Julia Johnson, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND

Cherwanda Jones, Gogue Performing Arts Center, Auburn, AL

Toryn Jones, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND

Leon Jost, Auckland Stadiums, Auckland, New Zealand

Deidre Joubert, RIEDEL Communications Australia Pty Ltd, Rosebery, NSW, Australia

Jamie Kanta, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND

Nicholas Kilburn, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ

Danielle King, Ticketek Pty Ltd, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Josh Kropf, Tacoma Venues & Events, Tacoma, WA

Susie Kyrou, Ticketmaster, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Yolanda La Porta, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Wharf, VIC, Australia

Joe Larosa, SKIDATA GmbH, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Jason Leung, Brisbane Racing Club Limited, Hamilton Central, QLD, Australia

Kevin Lewis, Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, FL

Philby Lewis, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, VIC, Australia

Rayme Long, ExtraMile Arena, Boise, ID

Paige Lorini, UBS Arena, Elmont, NY

Katrina Lui, The Lume Australia P/L, Brunswick East, VIC, Australia

Michael Markla, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Ryan Matzelle, MI Associates, North Sydney, NSW, Australia

Andrew McCabe, Johnson Controls, Eastlakes, NSW, Australia

Richard McConnell, St. Charles Convention Center, Saint Charles, MO

Ethan McGue, St. Charles Convention Center, Saint Charles, MO

Richard McWha, Invercargill City Council, Invercargill, New Zealand

Ian Millar, VenuesWest, Floreat, WAu, Australia

Aryon Mitchell, Smart Financial Centre, Sugar Land, TX

Mpho Mokonyama, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Griffin Mooney, University of South Carolina Department of Sport & Entertainment Management, Marietta, GA

Sammy Morsi, UBS Arena, Elmont, NY

Brian Moya, MGM Resorts, Las Vegas, NV

Brendan Myers, Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, FL

Emily Ness, Ticketek NZ, Auckland Central, New Zealand

Lisa Nolan, ICS Service Solutions, Norwood, SA, Australia

Andres Oliden, T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA

Lou Oppenheim, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Jessica Parrot, Tennis NSW, Silverwater, NSW, Australia

James Paterson, MI Associates, North Sydney, NSW, Australia

Amanda Peavy, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Jessica Pereira, Optus Stadium, Burswood, WAu, Australia

David Pollock, ICS Service Solutions, Norwood, SA, Australia

Alana Portlock, Ticketek Pty Ltd, Subiaco East, WAu, Australia

Amanda Powell, Wisconsin Center District, Milwaukee, WI

Michelle Price, Auckland Stadiums, Auckland, New Zealand

Sue Purkiss, Ticketek, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Alan Reed, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ

Lawrence Robertson, Tennis NSW, Silverwater, NSW, Australia

Pat Robinson, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND

Megan Rowe, Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Brandon Ruege, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND

Sebastian Russe, Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, FL

Charles Salem, Unique Venues, Rehoboth Beach, DE

Corey Salem, Unique Venues, Rehoboth Beach, DE

Jodie Sard, ICS Service Solutions, Norwood, SA, Australia

Nathan Scroope, Johnson Controls, Warners Bay, NSW, Australia

Derek Shearer, Johnson Controls, Windsor, QLD, Australia

Terrell Singleton, T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA

Tom Sloane, MI Associates, North Sydney, NSW, Australia

Amy Squires, Thoroughbred Park – Canberra Racing Club, Mitchell, ACT, Australia

Chris Stanley, MI Associates, North Sydney, NSW, Australia

Andrew Steel, Vivaticket, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Joanna Tai, Stadium Australia, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, Australia

Ashlee Taylor, VenuesWest, Floreat, WAu, Australia

Mark Tenholder, St. Charles Convention Center, Saint Charles, MO

Danielle Thomas, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Mike Tice, Evolv Technology, Woodland Park, CO

Mike Tillia, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH

Alberto Torres, SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, CA

Ben Tully, Camatic Seating, Inc., Wantirna South, VIC, Australia

Mari VanFelder, Wisconsin Center District, Milwaukee, WI

Nathalie Vauthier, Optus Stadium, Burswood, WAu, Australia

Wendy Walz, T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA

Brandon Ward, ICS Service Solutions, Norwood, SA, Australia

Jack Weatherby-Fell, Darwin Convention Centre, Darwin, NT, Australia

Andrea Wegener, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND

Michael Welch, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia, SC

Tim White, Tennis NSW, Silverwater, NSW, Australia

Dave Wilke, T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA

Maria Williams, Performing Arts Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX

Destrey Zarfos, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND

Alexander Zendzian, Mills College, Oakland, CA

The Mentor Connector program is looking for Mentees, Mentors and Coaches. We have Mentors and Mentees from every sector, and the program continues to grow each year. Anyone at any point in their career can benefit from the program.

Who can benefit from a mentor? A few examples….

1. Someone new to their career who is looking to climb the ladder. There is a wealth of information a mentor can share with you  about management, leadership, and navigating office politics.
2. Someone who is looking to achieve a specific goal such as a certification, attending their first Venue Connect or Venue Management School. A mentor that has recently achieved a certification of their own or has recently attended VMS or AVSS can walk you through the steps. A mentor can be a buddy at any conferences you may both be at. The value of a friendly face in the crowd cannot be overstated.
3. A mentee who is changing sectors. You may have many years of experience in your current sector but need someone to show you the little (and not so little) details that differentiate the pros from the crowd in your new sector.
4. A peer who is looking to achieve a career or personal goal but needs the accountability that a mentor relationship would provide. Think of it as a workout buddy situation. You are much more likely to reach your goals if you have a partner to encourage you to stick to your plan. Also, in this situation, your mentor can be a sounding board and provide a fresh perspective that can be extremely valuable.

 

Applications for the program are due September 20th. For more information about the program Click Here

To view a pre-recorded webinar about the program, register HERE

By R.V. Baugus

Trudy Bourgeois, founder and CEO of the Center for Workforce Excellence, will serve as the keynote speaker for IAVM’s virtual annual conference ENCORE, held October 5-6. Suffice to say where she has been the last 20 years in founding and leading her business is quite a career change from her previous life in the corporate world. A visit with this dynamic personality who is one of America’s leading experts on transformational leadership and a highly regarded leader in the fields of leadership, diversity, and inclusion proved further she is where she belongs, making a difference in lives. It is that same desire she wishes for those who attend her upcoming session — to be difference-makers. Trudy took some time out of her schedule to visit about her background, her business, and what she plans to bring before IAVM members at her keynote at ENCORE.

RVB: I understand that your background prior to starting your business was quite different from where you now sit. Tell us some about that.

TB: I spent 18 years in corporate and was very blessed, very fortunate. I had a $3 million business unit that I managed but as I was climbing the ladder I remember when I became the VP because one lady made me a sign. On one side it said the doctor is in and the other side said the doctor is out. We had that on my door because people would come by and want to talk to me about their personal strategies and challenges. What I really discovered was something that was a seed sown in childhood that I have a love for the underdog. I have a real thirst to help people and found out I loved developing people even more than I loved putting together million dollar deals.

As a result of that, several years later I decided I was going to leave corporate. I was going to really use my talents whatever God had given me to make a difference for others. So twenty years ago I started this business.

I am so incredibly fortunate. I am not going to say it’s been easy because I had to hit the reset button. I moved from the comfort of a title and a corner office. I decided that wasn’t fulfilling enough for me. When you can find sweet spots where you can do real life, knowing your life matters to people – it just gives you a different journey in life.

I couldn’t do the things I do now had I not gone through what I did in life. One is segregation. I grew up in Jim Crow and it wasn’t easy. This was back in the day when Black people weren’t welcome but I know that I am where I am not because of me but my faith and I’m very blessed to have parents and grandparents who breathed possibility into my life. I had only gone into homes of two of the kids I had gone to school with because I was Black. There was a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Donaghy, who were people ahead of their time. They were white people and exposed me to things I would have never otherwise have known like opera and other things.

I know there is such power in people using their gift, using their platform, using their privilege to make an impact. I’ll be talking about the Donaghy’s when I’m on my death bed.

RVB: How will your presentation resonate with the IAVM audience?

TB: Of all the industries, you all attract people from all walks of life. I believe that means that there is a special opportunity for this industry. Not every industry has the platform that you guys have and so the more that you all can be public champions … we all need to be public champions of inclusion but because of your platform you can speak to so many different people from so many different backgrounds. I’m super excited about the opportunity to maybe remind people of the things that they already know but maybe stir a richer appetite for being bolder, being more courageous, being more intentional, because our country is at a horrible state of polarization. We need people who can bring people together.

RVB: You’ve whetted my appetite! Without giving away the kitchen, can you give us another teaser or two about your keynote?

TB: What I have learned is that no matter how you were raised or who influenced you as a child that once you become an adult you can make a different choice. History is history but we can challenge ourselves to say that some of the things that I learned in my past still serve me well. I don’t want to blame anybody. I don’t want to shame anybody. There’s no value in that. All of us are going to have something that is going to be written about our time on this earth and I just want to enable and equip these individuals with the passion and the know-how to be a voice of peace, to be a voice of inclusion, and to be a voice of celebrating differences. I’ll be talking about my life story including the good, the bad, the ugly, and the stories of many of my clients who have had their own revelations, their own aha moments. I am so incredibly grateful to be able to speak to anybody but I’m particularly excited for this opportunity.

I really want people to leave different than when they first came, even if it’s like a month down the road, like, oh, that’s what she was talking about. You never know when the dividends are going to pay. I’m hoping to have a conversation and not be a talking head. I’m hoping to have a conversation about humanity and about the way we treat each other. Hopefully that is going to have a ripple effect.

RVB: Your impressive business website has a tagline of “Equipping Leaders to Be Change Agents.” Define for us a change agent and is this something easier said than done to change people?

TB: Our heart’s desire is to help people build new capabilities that allow for them to create an inclusive culture where differences can be celebrated and be a business advantage. When I think about equipping people it starts with understanding history. Being a change agent means by default that you represent something that goes against the norm, goes against the grain. That’s not natural. It is so much harder it seems because you are trying to shape and influence others and you can only do that through vulnerability. You have to actually open your heart up and admit what you don’t know and admit you’re afraid and find the courage to shift your behavior to the degree that you find your voice and then you use that voice and you use it intentionally. It’s not something that you turn on or turn off.

Change agents are always on. They can’t see injustices anywhere and keep quiet. They just simply can’t. It’s so deep into their soul that they are compelled to act, even if it’s just something like trash on the ground. They’re just compelled to pick that up. If they see someone being mistreated they’re compelled to say something and not go “oh that’s too bad,” that’s not my problem.

RVB: A lot of people see vulnerability as a weakness. Is it?

TB: No, in fact it’s quite the opposite. It’s a strength. It is a source of growth. To walk around pretending that you know everything you’re not going to learn a doggone thing. If you’re vulnerable, you admit your own frailty … there’s power in that because then you have opened yourself up to all kinds of opportunities for growth.

RVB: Diversity in its infancy in the business world as well as the outside world pretty much meant black and white. How has diversity changes over the years and have you seen progress?

TB: I’ve seen starts and stops. I definitely have seen positive things accomplished. Am I satisfied? No. That’s how change agents come into play. I will say the untimely death of George Floyd … his death was a gift in a lot of ways. It gave us an opportunity to start having those courageous conversations. I am still more hopeful now even though we are in a high level of polarization. I feel like the next generation does not have the same tolerance that we had. I think CEO’s and boards are now recognizing they must play a role in solving societal issues including race relations.

RVB: Any final comment or takeaway you would like to have IAVM attendees leave with?

TB: My heart’s desire would be for them to embrace their role in changing daily experiences for the positive. Over our careers, no one is going to remember how many widgets you sold or how many deals you made, but every single person will have made an impact in one way or another. Make it positive. Not too hard to do. Wrap your head around that and you have power.

By Gloria Fong

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited (“HML”) announced the completion of the installation of 5G infrastructure which will herald a new era of digitally-elevated and connected venue experience as well as enhancement of operational efficiency. Marking this new page is the introduction of a futuristic staff member to the HKCEC team – “Captain C”, a 5G smart robot which recently completed its apprenticeship successfully as a security captain at the “Hong Kong Computer & Communications Festival.” The addition has only been made possible with the new 5G network infrastructure.

The HKCEC now boosts 100% 5G coverage spanning event spaces, restaurants to backstage areas. In addition to accommodating a large number of facility users to simultaneously access data-intensive applications and content, the 5G network infrastructure will empower exhibitors to integrate physical and online marketing and sales efforts such as more stable and better real-time live-streaming of events, application of new technologies (such as hologram and augmented reality) to enhance engagement with visitors, and streaming of high-definition videos to visitors’ mobile devices.

Monica Lee-Müller, Managing Director of HML, said, “As an industry leader, HML is committed to using smart technology to offer better service to our customers, and we are delighted to be one of the first organisations in Hong Kong to provide high-speed indoor 5G connectivity. Our new 5G smart robot also helps us flexibly allocate resources and provide event organisers and visitors with safer, more reliable services.”

Captain C combines 5G network and artificial intelligence technologies. It is equipped with a 360-degree 4K high-definition surveillance camera, infrared detection camera, and a sensor system for detecting smoke and fire. Captain C can play very versatile roles including implementation of crowd management or pandemic prevention measures such as broadcast of social distancing reminders. When a person exhibits a high body temperature or does not wear a mask, Captain C will instantly transmit real-time images to the security control room so that appropriate follow-up actions can be taken.

HML kicked off the US$128 million (HK$1 billion) HKCEC Five-year Advancement Project in 2019 to upgrade and refurbish the HKCEC’s facilities and infrastructure over several stages. The introduction of Captain C is a benefit of the HKSAR Government’s “Subsidy Scheme for Encouraging Early Deployment of 5G” to improve operational efficiency.

Gloria Fong is Senior Manager – Corporate & Marketing Communications at Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Pictured: The 5G smart robot “Captain C” was deployed during the Hong Kong Computer & Communications Festival from 20-23 August 2021 to enhance security and operational efficiency at the HKCEC.

By Stacie Bauer

Ungerboeck, The World’s Event Software, added to its impressive list of 2021 Top Workplace National awards in the following Cultural Excellence categories: Top Compensation, Top Managers, and Top Work-Life Flexibility.

At Ungerboeck we work hard to provide a culture and environment where employees feel empowered, they are valued, and that each of them plays a key role in the organizations’ success. However, these Cultural Excellence awards are more meaningful than most because these are awarded and based on the opinions of our best organizational asset, the employees at Ungerboeck.

Hear directly from the employees on what makes Ungerboeck a 2021 Top Workplace in Cultural Excellence:
“It’s a great place to work. Smart, driven and good people, a great product, flexibility in working from home, and visionary leadership.”

“I can make decisions that change and improve other peoples lives.”

“My boss gives me the autonomy to complete my job duties, while also being available as needed for feedback or coaching. Our teams have the opportunity to work on and deliver engaging solutions for our customers. Ungerboeck provides phenomenal work/life balance.”

“These awards mean so much to us, especially after the difficult time our customers and employees that serve the event industry have gone through. We did everything we could as an organization to ensure that we were all there for each other as well as and serving our customers and broader events community. These Cultural Excellence awards speak volumes about the company culture we all live every day. I’m humbled by the passion our employees have about the industry, our customers, and the work they are doing at Ungerboeck,” said Manish Chandak, President & Chief Executive Officer at Ungerboeck.

Stacie Bauer is Event & Sponsorship Coordinator at Ungerboeck Systems International.