By Julie Pazina

Edlen Electrical Exhibition Services, the nation’s largest independent electrical contractor to the convention and trade show industry, announced its exclusive utility partnership with the team at the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. Beginning July 1, 2021, Edlen has been working with the team at the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, show management, general service contractors, AV and IT professionals as the exclusive provider of electrical, plumbing, compressed air, and cable services.

Founded in 1975, Edlen is the nation’s largest and most experienced independent temporary utility contractor. Jim Wetterling, President and CEO, said, “Edlen is honored to partner with our friends at the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. We look forward to a long and mutually successful relationship.”

Shawna Moore has moved to Atlanta to assist with the transition and lead the team. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her tenure with Edlen. Shawna served as the Assistant General Manager of Edlen’s Mandalay Bay office and has serviced some of the largest trade shows in the country.

Edlen Electrical Exhibition Services is the nation’s leading independent temporary utility contractor to the trade show, convention and special event industry. Edlen is a national company based out of Las Vegas, servicing more than 5,000 events annually providing exclusive, preferred or recommended services in over 200 convention facilities nationwide.

Julie Pazina is national director of sales for Edlen Electrical Exhibition Services.

Pictured: (Left to right) Anthony Ellis, Tashee Tott, Brittany Brown, Shawna Moore, Dana Brown, LaTonia Ross, Detris Lawerence

By Nancy Walker

The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), owned by the City of Los Angeles and managed by ASM Global, the premier venue management and services company, marked 50 eventful years with a live celebration on Thursday, July 29th.

After touring the LA Art Show, the first large-scale event to be hosted by the Convention Center since re-opening, City of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (pictured) addressed approximately 200 attendees that included City and State officials, event organizers, Convention Center partners, the downtown LA hospitality community, and current and former LACC employees.

Additional remarks were made by Doane Liu – Executive Director of the Los Angeles City Tourism Department, Adam Burke – President & CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Ron Bension – President & CEO of ASM Global, and Ellen Schwartz – General Manager of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

“After an extended hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are excited to bring large scale events back to Los Angeles. The Convention Center has been an economic engine for our city’s economy for the past 50 years, and we look forward to building on that legacy by welcoming even more visitors and conventions in the future,” commented Liu.

At the celebration, the Los Angeles Convention Center Hall of Fame was officially unveiled. Three events were named as the 2021 inaugural LACC Hall of Fame inductees: Anime Expo, the Los Angeles Auto Show, and Ski Dazzle. These iconic events were recognized by Ellen Schwartz during the program. “We are thrilled to have the 50th Anniversary celebration be a platform to launch the LACC Hall of Fame. Here, we can formally recognize the events that have contributed to the success of this Center,” Schwartz said. “Each July, additional events will be named to the LACC Hall of Fame and collectively, these events will illustrate the vibrant history of this great facility.”

The 50th Anniversary celebration coincided with the opening of the LA Art Show, the most comprehensive international contemporary art show in America. Kassandra Voyagis, Producer and Director of the LA Art Show, said, “I am so excited to be bringing the LA Art Show to the Los Angeles Convention Center, on the heels of a difficult year. Now more than ever, we need a physical art fair to unite the creative community. Thanks to this incredible space, we are able to safely welcome our artists, exhibitors, and patrons for a celebration of art and culture. We are thrilled to celebrate the LACC’s 50th Anniversary in conjunction with our return.”

Nancy Walker is VP, Sales & Marketing for the Los Angeles Convention Center.

By Lauren Crawford Shaver

Oxford Economics released an economic report entitled, “The Concerts and Live Entertainment Industry: A Significant Economic Engine,” that highlights the industry’s contributions to the U.S. economy. The report, commissioned by Live Nation Entertainment, was conducted by Oxford Economics to better understand this important industry’s contributions to the U.S. economy nationally and at the state and local levels.

“Beyond its important cultural contributions, the concert and live entertainment industry generates massive economic upside, supporting the livelihoods of nearly a million people in the US and sustaining public services with nearly $18 billion in taxes generated in 2019,” said Adam Sacks, President of Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company. “The US needs a flourishing concert and live entertainment industry to achieve full economic recovery.”

The report’s key findings revealed that:

· The industry’s total nationwide economic impact of $132.6 billion supported 913,000 total jobs with associated labor income of approximately $42.2 billion in 2019.

· The industry generated a direct impact of $55.2 billion in 2019, which included local operational spending by live events venues and off-site spending by out-of-town live event attendees.

· Overall, the live events industry generated a total fiscal impact of $17.5 billion in 2019, including nearly $9.3 billion in federal tax revenues and $8.3 billion in state and local tax revenues

While the national impact of the live event industry is significant, live’s impact starts locally. Concerts and live entertainment events generate significant economic impacts at the state and local level as its venues spend money in local economies to sustain daily operations, including spending on payroll, marketing costs, legal services, and professional services. And, the economic impact of live events extends beyond the jobs, event, and venue itself to local restaurants, hotels, bars, retailers, and small businesses. For example, If an out-of-town attendee were to spend $100.00 on a concert ticket, the local economy would benefit from an additional $334.92 in spending, resulting in a total spending impact of $434.92.

Live events also contribute to the overall quality of life in a region that helps to attract and retain businesses and talent and helps to create the sense of community so many crave after this year of isolation caused by COVID-19. Beyond the cultural loss involved, the US economy has incurred massive losses in GDP, employment, household income, and tax revenue due to the shutdown of live events during the pandemic. Due to this, the report examined 2019 data to ensure a complete analysis could be conducted that is in line with regular performance of the industry.

As local government officials are providing approved health and safety guidelines, concerts, festivals, and live events are beginning to return to communities around the country. After a year of isolation, many crave getting back to enjoying memorable live experiences safely in 2021 and into the 2022 and 2023 seasons. This renewed enthusiasm for live positions the industry for growth in the coming years as long as safety measures and vaccinations continue across the country.

To read the full report, click here.

The Concerts and Live Entertainment Industry, as defined by this report, includes all live musical performances, such as festivals and concerts, and comedy shows held in amphitheaters, clubs, theaters, arenas, stadiums, and other venues. Not included in this analysis are theater, Broadway, sporting events, and family shows.

Lauren Crawford Shaver is with Forbes Tate Partners.

CareerConnect is a FREE program encompassing career coaching, job fair, and recruitment open house coinciding with IAVM’s 2021 VenueConnect Annual Conference. Individuals seeking full time employment opportunities in the Venues & Live Events Industry from Georgia and the surrounding states are encouraged to attend. VenueConnect attendees are invited to attend and/or assist with the job fair/career advice portion. Volunteer Career Coaches are encouraged to bring information on their open positions. Participating Job Fair organizations include: OVG, Spectra, TeamWork Online & VenuWorks.

Where: Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center
When: Monday, August 2
11am-1pm ET – Career Coaching & Job Fair
1-5pm ET – Open House with Recruiters from: OVG, Spectra & VenuWorks

Registration is FREE!
Click HERE to register as an attendee.
Click HERE to volunteer as a Career Coach. Please remember to indicate if you have positions available.

Before attending, be sure to view the below links:
OVG: Facility Positions / Corporate Positions
Spectra: Open Positions
TeamWork Online: Open Positions 
VenuWorks: Open Positions

By R.V. Baugus

Barry Strafacci knows a thing or two about the Convention Center Lifetime Achievement Award as presented by the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) after nomination and selection from the association’s Convention Centers Committee. It was Strafacci, after all, who served as the chair of the committee when the award was formed some 20 years ago. The award has now come full circle as Strafacci — an IAVM Retired Member residing in St. Petersburg, FL, is the latest recipient for the award and will be honored at IAVM’s VenueConnect in Atlanta on Wednesday, Aug. 4 at 2 pm (ET).

For Strafacci, being recognized by his peers provides an extra satisfaction.

“Stacey Church (Convention Centers Committee chair) called to give me the good news,” Strafacci said. “Stacey was actually one of the very first managers I worked with.

“What it means to me is a lot and it’s emotional because there is no greater recognition professionally than being recognized by your peers and the other people that do what you did for a living. That’s the best. When you look at sports awards or theatrical awards it’s when people that are the entertainers would get to vote it would mean more. I think that is probably why it is so overwhelming to me.”

Strafacci’s distinguished and accomplished career certainly makes him a due — if not overdue — honoree for the award. While he still serves part-time as CEO in Barry Strafacci Venue Services, where he provides a wide range of consulting services in pre-opening and management areas of Convention Centers, Expos, and Fairgrounds, it is his tenure in the public assembly venue world that he is most remarkable for.

Strafacci began his career in the public sector as senior policy and budget advisor for the Kentucky Governor’s Office of Planning and Management after earning a graduate degree in Commercial Recreation from Western Kentucky University. After affecting policy at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Board, which is responsible for the operation of the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, Freedom Hall Arena, Broadbent arena and Cardinal Stadium and the Commonwealth Convention Center in Louisville, KY, Strafacci was named as vice president of the combined facilities. During his tenure, he expanded the Kentucky Fair and Exhibition Center to over 1-million-square feet of exhibit space before he left in 1989.

Strafacci would go on to serve as a Regional Vice President Special Projects Convention Centers for Global Spectrum (now Spectra Venue Management) and remained in that position while being named the first General Manager at the Harborview Center in Clearwater, FL in 1996. Strafacci’s career with the private management company covered almost 20 years.

Strafacci was introduced to then IAAM in 1985 by Louisville colleague Jeff Blosser, who departed Louisville ahead of Strafacci to lead the Oregon Convention Center and currently is President/CEO of the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.

“One of the first things Jeff said to me was if you want to be in this business to join IAAM and I did,” Strafacci said. “How fortunate it was for me to get in the business there, to be paired with Jeff as a partner and boss, and to be immediately exposed to the association. IAVM members — and not just convention center members — but our association people help each other which is what makes it so wonderful.”

As his special day quickly arrives, Strafacci reflected on some convention center giants such as Lee Fehrenkamp, John Christison, Blosser, and Roger Dixon, who have helped chart the course for convention centers and the role they play today. Strafacci also mentioned Mich Sauers, who hired him at Global Spectrum and who will be in Atlanta to celebrate along with Strafacci, his family, and IAVM attendees.

“Everybody wants to see each other,” Strafacci said about VenueConnect, which was virtual only in 2020 due to the pandemic. “We get these calls and it’s like long lost friends talking. I worked with Mich Sauers for 20 years and he wasn’t planning on being there when I called to let him know about the award. He called me the next day and said he had made a change of plans and was going to fly in for one day to be there.”

It makes for a fitting moment for someone who has given the industry and association so much through the years and now is the one receiving acknowledgment for meritorious service.