By Communications Staff/Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has embarked on an innovative and ambitious plan to upgrade an already award-winning employee culture by placing ownership of the plan referred to as “the Culture Project,” in the hands of employees.

The Innovation Lab (photo of employees celebrating the introduction of the lab) is the culmination of a collaborative effort between trepwise, a local growth consulting firm, and New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center employees to develop a culture that is fueled by accountability and collaboration, and then driven by employee engagement, feedback, and recognition. To ensure the success of the Culture Project, Convention Center employees are tasked with setting goals, providing timelines, and ownership of all aspects of this plan.

Through inclusive employee engagement and collaborative ideation, trepwise engaged employees in a design process with the goal of creating a culture that rewards creativity, accountability, and risk-taking. Trepwise coached Culture Project Design Teams in designing solutions to reach these goals using a human-centered approach called “Design Thinking.”

Out of this process came the Innovation Lab, which consists of three teams: Belief Biologists, Communication Chemists, and Recognition Researchers. The project leads were selected from front line employees and mid-level management positions and provides an opportunity for them to grow their skills and demonstrate ability to lead and transition into higher positions.

A fourth group, Test Technicians, is a group of impartial employees who will pilot new software and processes created by the other laboratory members.

The Innovation Lab team leads were announced at an all-staff meeting at the Convention Center on Thursday, July 15. The employees will drive the timeline of implementation with a “sense of urgency,” but sufficient time will be allowed for demonstrating results.

“By letting our employees steer the ship on this project, they find better ways to collaborate and communicate, which will create better feedback tools we can use to reward innovation, creativity, and risk taking,” said Convention Center President Michael J. Sawaya. “In the long term, this will improve customer satisfaction in a hypercompetitive environment, supporting our vision to be a leading-edge organization known for innovative delivery of exceptional event experiences in a world-class destination,” Sawaya concluded.

“We are grateful for our partners at trepwise for guiding us to a forward-thinking, cutting edge approach to employee culture,” said Tim Tumminello, Director of People Services at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. “This will not only attract the best and brightest from the pool of potential job seekers, but it will also help us retain the best employees we currently have on our roster. As the job market gets more competitive, we are excited to put our best foot forward on this critically important aspect of what we do here at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.”

By Hollywood Park Press

Samsung Electronics America and SoFi Stadium are proud to formally reveal the new name of the center-hung videoboard at SoFi Stadium – The Infinity Screen by Samsung. The state-of-the-art Infinity Screen not only features the most LEDs ever used in a sports or entertainment venue, but also has the first and only 4K, end-to-end video production in a stadium.

“It’s been a long time coming, but we are so proud to announce The Infinity Screen by Samsung,” said Mark Quiroz, Vice President, Display Division, Samsung Electronics America. “SoFi Stadium is one of the NFL’s crown jewels and it has been a privilege and an honor to work with the team on this project. We are incredibly excited to see fans engage with the Infinity Screen in-person for the first time.”

The process of naming the videoboard at SoFi Stadium took many months of consideration and testing, with the team reviewing over a dozen names that communicated Samsung and SoFi Stadium’s overall vision. The name Infinity comes from Samsung’s long history with bezel-less displays and the videoboard’s unique design. From mobile devices to displays like The Wall, Samsung is known for its infinite displays and the Infinity Screen at SoFi Stadium is no exception.

“We are excited to introduce the official name for our 70,000 square-foot, dual-sided video board, The Infinity Screen by Samsung. The Infinity Screen creates an absolutely stunning presence inside SoFi Stadium,” said Jason Gannon, managing director, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park. “It is powered by the largest graphics control system in the history of sports and is already synonymous with the next-level fan experience at SoFi Stadium.”

Built for the future and positioned 122 feet above the playing field, The Infinity Screen by Samsung has the largest LED content playback system ever deployed. With nearly 80 million pixels spaced 8 millimeters from center to center, each panel can be uniquely or congruently programmed with statistics, live and/or animated content. The different sizes of the video panels are designed to serve spectators in every seat, from the sideline to the upper deck. Teams on the sidelines and fans sitting in the lower bowl of the stadium will view the inside of screen as it sits directly across from their line of view, while guests in the upper bowl will view the outer panels of the videoboard.

In addition to the unparalleled technology featured inside SoFi Stadium, Samsung technology will be represented throughout Hollywood Park, reaching fans across the district’s residential, office and retail areas through the connected mobile app.

Photo: Courtesy of SoFi Stadium

The Phoenix Suns and Mercury basketball teams are partnering with the plant-based fiber technology company Footprint in a deal to rename their arena and do away with single-use plastic at the facility.

Biodegradable, compostable and recyclable products from the company will be integrated into the Footprint Center’s offerings over the next year under the deal announced July 16. The team and Footprint declined to disclose financial terms of the long-term agreement.

A five-year accord between Phoenix Suns Arena and Talking Stick Resort expired in November 2020. The recently renovated stadium, upgraded at a cost of $245 million, seats more than 18,000 people and is the home of the NBA finalist Phoenix Suns.

Naming rights for an NBA arena traditionally cost millions of dollars per season, with contracts usually signed by companies with nationally recognizable names, like Staples, which secured naming rights for the Staples Center, home to the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.

One of the things that stuck out to Suns owner and managing partner Robert Sarver was Footprint’s mission—to create products that eliminate single-use and short-term-use plastics.

“The more we got to know them, we saw a unique connection to really make a difference with them and that’s exciting,” Sarver said.

Photo by Phoenix Suns/Christy Radecic

By Briana Martin

Spectra, providers of Venue Management to the St. Charles (MO) Convention Center, has hired Mark Tenholder as Director of Sales and Marketing. Tenholder will oversee all sales and marketing operations at the award-winning facility.

Prior to joining the team he was the Corporate Director of Sales Task Force for Crescent Hotels and Resorts, building teams at hotels across the country. Tenholder is a veteran of the hospitality industry with over 27 years in hotels, most of those in the St. Louis area and was introduced to hospitality while working at the family business at Tenholder Travel.

As a St. Louis native, he looks forward to leading the winning sales team at the convention center as they continue to rebound from 2020. “Mark Tenholder has joined the team at the St. Charles Convention Center as Director of Sales,” said Kathie McAlpine, General Manager of the venue. “Mark is a talented leader in the hospitality industry and is a most excellent addition!”

Briana Martin is Marketing Manager for the St. Charles Convention Center.

By Dennis Dennehy

AEG Presents, a global leader in concert promotion, artist development and venue management, announced that Scott Holtz has joined its Global Touring and Talent division as Vice President, Ticketing Strategy. In this newly created position, Holtz will help expand ticketing strategy and revenue generation efforts across all ticketing platforms, using the latest technologies to make nimble and strategic real time pricing decisions in an effort to maximize revenue for the division’s touring artists.

“Adding Scott to the team brings us to another level in terms of super-serving our artists,” said Gary Gersh, President of Global Touring and Talent, AEG Presents. “His talents, experience and insights are going to be critical in reshaping the way musicians who work so hard to entertain their fans night after night are compensated for their efforts.”

Holtz brings over 18 years of event ticketing experience to AEG Presents, both on the venue and promoter sides. He joins the Global Touring and Talent team after spending the last nine years at Live Nation, where he was most recently Vice President of Pricing and Distribution, based out of New York. During his time in that position, he was responsible for driving tens of millions of dollars in increased revenue in markets across the northeastern United States, including Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.

“I am excited to be joining the AEG Presents team and look forward to working with all of the talented individuals that have a hand in the world class events and tours produced by this organization,” Holtz said. “As our business looks to a new future and greater opportunities post-pandemic, I hope to bring some new perspectives on ticketing strategy to help increase overall revenue.”

A pioneer in the implementation of dynamic pricing strategies and revenue growth, Holtz’s background also includes positions at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, CT, Mountain Laurel Center for the Performing Arts in Bushkill, PA, Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, and Princeton University, where he implemented the school’s current centralized box office operation. Holtz will continue to be based out of New York.

Dennis Dennehy is Chief Communications Officer for AEG Presents.