By Roxanne Donovan

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has opened its $40.4 million Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence (RACE), the university’s latest milestone in a multi-tiered project that will enable the success of student-athletes and provide state-of-the-art recreational facilities to the San Antonio community. Kansas City-based Populous was the architect of record for the project, working with local architects at MarmonMok.

UTSA is dedicated to building an urban serving and community-engaged university, and the Populous-designed Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence will help fulfill that commitment. In addition to providing a world-class recreational resource for the San Antonio community, the RACE facility will serve as the central hub of UTSA Athletics, helping to attract the most competitive Division I student-athletes.

“This is a transformative moment for UTSA, and we were honored to be involved with the RACE project, not only because it sets the course for the future of UTSA Athletics, but because it will also help enrich the San Antonio community,” said Populous Associate Principal Austin Welsh. “Previously, facilities were spread throughout the campus and even off-campus. RACE provides the opportunity for student-athletes to optimize every minute of their day.”

The center spans more than 10 acres near the southwest corner of the UTSA Main Campus. The nearly 95,000-SF facility features multiple practice fields (one synthetic turf field and one field with natural grass), academic spaces, a sports medicine center, strength and conditioning facilities, locker rooms, meeting rooms, a student-athlete lounge, and office space for coaches and administrative staff.

“At UTSA, student success is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to providing all of our students, including our student-athletes, with the very best environment to enable them to achieve their full potential,” said Lisa Campos, UTSA vice president for intercollegiate athletics and athletics director. “Just as UTSA is becoming an exemplar in academics and research, UTSA Athletics is increasingly gaining national recognition. RACE will have a long-lasting impact in further propelling UTSA’s stature as a Division I competitor.”

The project featured an efficient design that concentrated on athletes use and experience, maximizing useable space with column free interior, extensive use of concrete and glass to provide natural light and views of campus while reflecting the environment of surrounding structures and topography.

Upcoming phases of the project will include the addition of a covered pavilion over the synthetic turf practice field and the construction of a facility at the university’s Park West Campus.

Joeris General Contractors served as the construction firm and Project Control served as the project manager for the RACE facility.

RACE is another foundational project in UTSA’s broader strategic vision to achieve national standing as a premier research enterprise and model Hispanic thriving institution. For more information about the UTSA RACE facility, visit their website.

By Paul Pettas

The San Diego Symphony officially announced partnerships for The Shell Provisions, its signature culinary program featured at its new permanent waterfront venue, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, in downtown San Diego. The program, conceived and created by Frank ODea Hospitality for the San Diego Symphony, curated by Centerplate, offers an impressive range of local specialties in partnership with some of the city’s most popular purveyors including celebrity Chef Richard Blais, URBAN KITCHEN Group, Biga, Lola55, Achilles Coffee Roasters and more.

In addition to top-notch food and beverage selections, The Shell Provisions at the Prebys Plaza Dining Pavilion and Market boasts new state-of-the-art kitchens and incredible dining spaces, allowing concertgoers to enjoy some of the best tastes San Diego has to offer, while taking in the beautiful sights and sounds of the city. The Rady Shell’s inaugural season started on Friday, August 6, 2021 with Music Director Rafael Payare conducting the Symphony in the world premiere of Mason Bates’s Soundcheck in C Major.

“Our goal with The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park is to not only give San Diegans and visitors an unforgettable musical experience, but also a well-rounded cultural experience that reflects our city. The Shell Provisions highlights cuisine San Diego is famous for, while supporting local businesses and elevating the concert-going experience,” said San Diego Symphony, CEO Martha Gilmer. “We are thrilled to partner with Centerplate and Chef Richard Blais as well as Chef Tim Kolanka and restaurateur, Tracy Borkum with URBAN KITCHEN Group to give concertgoers an unmatched tableside dining experience. We are equally excited to showcase beloved local purveyors along with our dynamic programming this summer. We are infinitely grateful for every partner, donor and community member who helped make this possible.”

Paul Pettas is PR & Communications Director for Centerplate.

By Ian Cox

Kentucky Venues, which operates the Kentucky Exposition Center and the Kentucky International Convention Center, announced a new partnership with Spectra to expand sponsorship and client-building opportunities across the state and generate new revenue sources.

Spectra Partnerships – a major division of Spectra, an industry leader in live events and entertainment – will serve as KY Venues’ sales consulting agency. The team will be responsible for identifying and cultivating naming rights and corporate sponsorships for the sixth largest convention center in the U.S. – Kentucky Exposition Center, and one of North America’s newly renovated and LEED Silver – Kentucky International Convention Center to generate new revenue sources.

“Kentucky Venues is in the business of generating economic impact for our city and state. We want to use our resources wisely to attract new clients and build partnerships with sponsors,” David S. Beck, president and CEO of Kentucky Venues, said. “We’re excited to work with the professionals at Spectra, leaning on their expertise and experience to help improve events and generate revenue at both of our facilities.”

Spectra Partnerships will also focus on six annual, signature events that are owned and produced by Kentucky Venues: the Kentucky State Fair, World’s Championship Horse Show, National Farm Machinery Show, Championship Tractor Pull, North American International Livestock Exposition, and North American Championship Rodeo.

“We are thankful that the State of Kentucky has entrusted Spectra to represent the commonwealth throughout this important campaign, as well as offered the opportunity to work with a visionary leader like David Beck,” Bryan Furey, senior vice president, Spectra Partnerships, said. “With two major venues and six quintessential events, Kentucky Venues engaged Spectra to evaluate the available assets and outline a far-reaching strategy for building meaningful, long-term partnerships. We’re eager to begin identifying potential naming rights partners in Louisville, regionally and across the state who recognize the value of this remarkable compilation of venues and signature events.”

Spectra Partnerships – which has secured more than 40 naming rights partnerships in the last 10 years, more than any other company in the space – is a leader in sales representation and strategic consulting for convention centers, sports facilities, and entertainment properties across North America and globally. Its experienced sales team drives revenue via the marketing and sale of naming rights, corporate partnerships, advertising, premium seating, and hospitality initiatives. Spectra provides a blend of management, hospitality, and partnerships services for top-tier clients like the City of Miami Beach and Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio, as well as more than 150 properties, such as Navy Pier, Duke Energy Convention Center, Owensboro Sportscenter, and the Iowa Events Center complex.

Ian Cox is Executive Director of Communications for Kentucky Venues based in Louisville.

IAVM is please to announce Trudy Bourgeois, Founder and CEO of the Center for Workforce Excellence, as this year’s ENCORE keynote speaker!

Trudy is one of America’s leading experts on transformational leadership and a highly regarded leader in the field of leadership and diversity and inclusion and will be speaking at ENCORE on understanding and overcoming unconscious bias. An expert at developing managers and leaders on how to unleash the greatest potential of every employee, she and her firm are known for building inclusive leaders that can create inclusive cultures, leading to better business results.

Named “Best and Brightest Women Leaders” by Dollars and Sense Magazine, Trudy has a rare ability to tackle very difficult subjects such as race and bias without triggering negative emotions. Drawing on her own life’s experience of being born into segregation, she operates from a principle that “everyone has something to learn” on the journey to accepting each other across differences and building workplaces that are truly inclusive.

ENCORE, IAVM’s new annual virtual conference and trade show, will be held Oct0ber 5-6, 2021.  Registration is now open, so save your spot today!

Recently, a Shuttered Venue Operator Grant (SVOG) survey was sent to members who identified as the primary contact for their venues.  We received almost 100 replies.  Thank you to the members who responded. 

We were asking a few questions for all members who applied for SVOG in order to better help members who were writing appeals or asking for budget reconsiderations.  We were looking for similar venues, organizational structure and venue ownership so we could match up venues in need of assistance.

Now, we need this information to help TwinLogic Solutions (TLS) advocate for our members with the SBA and congressional offices on two fronts: 1) those who were declined and 2) advocating for excess SVOG funds to stay with those eligible for this program as the delta variant is becoming an issue with tours being postponed/cancelled either nationally or locally due to the inability to mandate vaccinations or masks.  If there are excess funds, we want to keep them in SVOG instead of going to other places.

Data is very important for our advocacy efforts.  TLS uses this information (anonymously unless we have your permission) to advocate for our members with congressional offices and federal agencies.

If you did not fill out the survey OR if your status has changed since you filled out the survey the last time, please click this link and complete this quick survey. 

Tammy Koolbeck, CVE

Advocacy/Industry Affairs Committee