IAVM grieves for the families and communities of numerous Asian Pacific Islander (API) community members murdered in Georgia on March 16, 2021 by senseless gun violence and anti-Asian racism.  We hope those wounded survive these atrocious attacks, and we continue to condemn all forms of hate.

IAVM calls all people, including local and national leaders, to condemn anti-API violence and to actively find solutions to shield our community from further hate and violence towards marginalized communities.

Whether the accused killer’s intentions were racially motivated or not, the impact of his actions has been a groundswell of fear and discussion around anti-Asian acts that are prevalent in much, if not all, of the United States.  We can and we must do better as a people, and as a nation, united against hate – silence is not acceptable.

By Bev Rose

ASM Global, the world’s leading venue management and services company, announced it has been selected via a competitive bid process by the Montgomery County Convention Facilities Authority (MCCFA) to provide management services for the Dayton Convention Center, the Ohio Miami Valley Region’s premiere event facility. In addition to running the day-to-day operations and management of the Center, ASM Global will be collaborating with the Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) and area hospitality stakeholders for marketing and promoting the Center, and providing first class culinary services, among other duties.

The addition of the Dayton Convention Center expands ASM Global’s convention center footprint in Ohio to four facilities, including convention centers in Toledo, Cleveland, and Columbus. Located in downtown Dayton and built in 1973, the Dayton Convention Center offers 150,000 square feet of meeting space, a 77,000 square foot exhibit hall, a full-service theatre, three ballrooms and 22 meeting rooms and spaces. As ASM Global’s presence increases, its managed facilities and venue owners benefit from the talent, resources, marketing and sales expertise, and operations support within the company’s regional network.

“We are honored to have been chosen by the Montgomery County Convention Facilities Authority to be their partner in operating the Dayton Convention Center, a premier venue that has been central to southwestern Ohio’s hospitality industry for almost 50 years,” said Bob Newman, CEO and Chairman of ASM Global. “In collaboration with the Authority, the Dayton CVB and other local partners, we look forward to building a strong foundation of creativity and service for the Center as we work together to develop and grow the destination for all.”

“The Authority looks forward to harnessing ASM Global’s significant experience, capabilities and resources as we enter a new era for the Dayton Convention Center as a centerpiece regional asset for the City of Dayton, Montgomery County, and the destination,” said Pam Plageman, Executive Director of the Montgomery County Convention Facilities Authority. “The Authority and ASM Global will work quickly to finalize the management agreement so we can move forward as soon as the asset transfer is complete and we will be ready to re-open the Dayton Convention Center safely and comfortably on May 1st. Together, we can ensure the Center is poised for another five decades of attracting visitors and guests to Dayton and supporting our region’s businesses and residents.”

“The Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau is extremely pleased the MCCFA has hired a venue management and services company and is confident that ASM Global will do an excellent job. We look forward to working together with the MCCFA, ASM Global and our local hospitality partners to bring more convention and event business to our community” stated Jacquelyn Powell, President & CEO of the Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Over the coming months, the ASM Global team will implement industry leading approaches to operations, marketing, sales, customer service, and resource allocation, providing the base foundation for future success. Additionally, ASM will provide support and counsel to the Montgomery County Convention Facilities Authority on its planned renovations to the Center.

“The ASM Global team is excited to work with the Authority and the entire Dayton hospitality community. Our experienced professionals can’t wait to get started and look forward to the community and business partnerships we will create and develop in the region,” said Bob McClintock, Executive Vice President, Convention Centers at ASM Global. “We applaud the steps taken to date by the Authority and clearly see the opportunity and bright future for the destination.”

Bev Rose is Director of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships for the Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau in Dayton, Ohio.

By R.V. Baugus

In celebration of Black History Month, IAVM’s monthly E3 series last month highlighted the achievements of African Americans in the public assembly venue industry.

Moderated by Robyn L. Williams, CVE – Executive Director, Portland’5 Centers for the Arts (Past Chair IAVM Board of Directors, Past Chair of the IAVM Foundation Board of Trustees, Past Chair Diversity & Inclusive Leadership Committee, 2008 Ray Ward Award and 2018 McElravy Award), the decorated and accomplished panelists included Jimmy D. Earl, CVE – Retired, Frank Erwin Center, Senior Associate Athletics Director (Past President/Chair of IAVM Board of Directors, 2016 McElravy Award); Mina Y. Boyd, CVE – Retired (2020 Foundation Legacy Award); Adonis “Sporty” Jeralds, CVE – Assistant Dean for Diversity & Inclusion–Senior Instructor, University of South Carolina (2018 Education & Service Award); and Carol Wallace – President & CEO, San Diego Theatres/San Diego Civic Theatre (Past President/Chair of IAVM Board of Directors, 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award, Chair Citation Award in 2005 and 2016, 2004 McElravy Award).

In case you were not able to participate to glean the comments and insights from the panel on many important issues relating to African Americans in the public assembly venue industry, we caught up with some of the panelists to get some extra thoughts beyond their panel comments.

Bear in mind that the distinguished veteran panelists all got their starts in the profession many years ago, at a time when as people of color it was not easy to get into and advance in the industry.

“This is an important question to me because I feel like I owe my career to Andy Greenwell,” Sporty Jeralds said. “Andy was a 50-year-old white guy and I was a 24-year-old Black kid when I started as an intern with him at the Hampton Coliseum. He saw something in me during that internship and created a full-time job for me based on my limited industry experience. He allowed me to fail, took me to VenueConnect and believed I could become a venue manager. I would encourage our industry that is still predominantly white to find opportunities to embrace potential venue managers who do not look like them.”

Mina Boyd totally agrees with that assessment.

“When I realized there would be extremely limited opportunities to advance in the industry, I made the decision to learn as much as I could by taking on activities within my department that went beyond my role as Event Manager,” she said. “When I also saw that my salary would not increase in order to enable me to handle my personal responsibilities, I chose to expand my education, which paid off almost immediately. Not knowing whether or not I would remain in venue management, I pursued and achieved a Master of Science Degree in Public Administration. I was hired as Executive Director of the Kansas City Convention and Special Event Facilities in less than a year of receiving my graduate degree.”

Wallace captured a word often mentioned today about employers at that time — though few and far between — being intentional in their hiring.

“For me, it was an industry leader who decided they wanted increase the diversity in their organization so they made a conscious recruitment effort,” she said. “Then they guided, supported, and mentored my professional development.”

It was only a few years ago that the word “diversity” was all the talk, and it has seemingly taken many years for people to fully understand that the definition of the word goes far beyond black and white. Likewise, today “inclusion” is a word bandied about in conversation circles. IAVM, like many of its member venues, seeks to be truly inclusive, a position that the panelists were eager to discuss.

“For IAVM to be truly inclusive, I believe it is going to take intentional strategies by venue general managers,” Jeralds said. “I say with all sincerity that if a young person has the desire and willingness to work the long hours our business requires along with the ability to get along with all different types of people they can be successful in our business. When positions are available in venues, general managers must challenge their human resource departments to find diverse candidates. I know there are qualified people out there if you search hard enough. Like industries such as hotels and sports councils as well as HBCUs are great places to find diverse candidates. And if there aren’t any qualified candidates, hire a diverse candidate and invest in them long enough for them to be qualified. A good rule of thumb is to try to have your staff mirror the demographics of the community. For instance, if your community is 27% African American, a great goal is that your full-time staff should reflect that 27%. Diversity is not always easy, but it is always worth it!

“”Success to me is when BIPOC is a term of the past where skin color, gender, and ethnicity do not define who we are,” Boyd added. “I might be overly optimistic but I believe it can be achieved within IAVM. A recent documentary asked the question, “How Can You Hate Me If You Don’t Know Me?” If members don’t establish relationships and get to know others who appear to be different, they cannot be truly inclusive.

“Therefore, I would suggest that IAVM develop a program that actually seeks potential BIPOC members through a program similar to the one Sporty promoted years ago with ”Each One Reach One.” I would suggest “Each One Teach One.” In other words, offering an opportunity for IAVM leaders to take one person under their wing as an assigned mentor. This could be through a summer high school program, for college junior or senior internship, etc., that would be exclusively sponsored by IAVM in collaboration and coordination with venue managers. It could also include those who are new to the industry. When we actually know each other, we can be more accepting of those who look different from us and are from different cultural backgrounds.”

Wallace believes that there is a direct solution.

“Clearly identify the path to leadership and develop training opportunities,” she said.

As far as being a Black leader in a predominantly white industry, Boyd said brushing off skin color keeps her from getting caught up in the actual words of black and white. Boyd, of course, had an added challenge as not just an African American, but a female breaking in to the industry.

“I actually do not wake up thinking that I am of African American descent,” she said. “I am not a fan of the terms black and white or people of color to describe us as Americans. We are all homo sapiens who have varying degrees of skin pigmentation. The terms to identify us by color originated as a Jim Crow measure to separate us. Therefore, I think of myself first as a competent, relatively intelligent person who loves people and involvement. I am proud of my heritage and the strength of my forefathers. I try to model their characteristics in my efforts to achieve. I strive to be a positive role model and not allow discrimination to deter me from my goals. As a black leader, I want others to see something different in me, so that they will have a desire to make a difference also. My priorities are integrity, skills, leadership, and mentoring with the color of my skin taking the lowest priority. I would hope that my fellow industry leaders who have lighter colored skin would have similar priorities.

That said, Boyd cited examples in her past where racism came about as a quest for power from others who ignorantly (our word) chose not to get to know her as a person.

“I experienced my greatest incidents of racism with the Convention and Visitors Bureau executives in several of the places where I worked,” she said. “I attributed their attitudes to a quest for power because they never took the opportunity to know me, the person. They knew me for my position and could not fathom that a ‘Black’ woman could successfully handle the responsibilities I was given. I never discovered whether or not my ‘white’ male counterparts experienced the same level of discrimination. I worked very hard to not take their slights personally, even though it was hurtful. Getting into a contest with them would have been counterproductive; therefore, I focused more so on the job at hand while maintaining my dignity with a quiet strength. I am certain that my demeanor confused them.”

There is nothing confusing to us about the attributes of leadership from each member who participated in this important and eye-opening panel. They lead through example, deeds, action, and, indeed, the desire to first and foremost know the hearts of others as they have hoped others have made the effort to know their hearts.

To view the full E3 panel discussion, click here.

(Editor’s Note: please click on the link at the bottom of the story to view a powerful video about Mylissa Smith)

By R.V. Baugus

The pictures and images are difficult to stomach when we watch them on television. Elderly and sick people are isolated in a room while loved ones are unable to visit. There is a peek through a window, a hand-held sign, something — anything — to symbolically touch a loved one when it is impossible to physically touch.

Wes Smith is the Director of Safety and Security at the Charleston (WV) Coliseum and Convention Center. He lost his beautiful wife of more than 30 years, Mylissa, from COVID-19 back on October 3 of last year.

“She was in the hospital for four weeks fighting this disease (COVID-19) without any face-to-face contact and no opportunity for a family member to advocate for their loved one,” said long-time IAVM member John Robertson, who before retiring worked with Wes at the venue. “It probably happened to many but hits home when it is one of our own.”

Now, the state legislature is proposing House Bill 2368 “Mylissa Smith’s Law” to require hospitals to allow a family member in to see a patient, even during a pandemic. It has passed the West Virginia House Judiciary Committee unanimously and goes to the floor soon. The law is named in honor of Mylissa Smith, who worked tirelessly and was dedicated to service as a Kanawha County hospice nurse. Mylissa is among four West Virginia nurses to die from COVID-19. The onset of her illness occurred while she was doing what she loved — taking care of the elderly and those not able to receive loved ones.

Local Eyewitness News produced a very powerful, moving YouTube video about Mylissa that we strongly encourage you to view by clicking here.

By Sarah McAlister

After a national search, the Raleigh (NC) Convention and Performing Arts Complex announced the promotion of
department veteran Michelle Bradley to the position of assistant general manager, where she will oversee the overall and day-to-day operations of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts (DECPA) in downtown
Raleigh. With more than 20 years’ experience at DECPA, Bradley brings with her an extensive knowledge of the venue, a firsthand understanding of its operations and business goals, and a portfolio of well-developed
relationships with promoters, industry professionals, local organizations and the venue’s resident companies. Bradley began her new position on March 13.

“Michelle has been a passionate driver for expanding the role of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in our community,” said Kerry Painter, CEM, CVP, CVE, director/general manager, Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex. “She continues to champion the arts as a way to build bridges and has improved access to the venues, advocated for events that meet the cultural interests of our community and developed partnerships to welcome a new wave of patrons to the theater. I cannot think of a better person to lead our fantastic performing arts center out of this pandemic and into a busy, vibrant future.”

Bradley, who began her City of Raleigh career in 1998 as a receptionist, eventually went on to hold the Director of Marketing position for a decade before being promoted to Theatre Manager in 2019. In her roles, Bradley has brought success to the DEPCA, including an overhaul of the center’s safety and security measures and impressive annual ticket sales of $11.5 million.

In March 2020, she quickly stepped in as the venue’s interim assistant general manager, not knowing that a pandemic was on the horizon. On leadership during a global health crisis, Bradley credits an attitude of resiliency and adaptability: “Embrace the moment when it is presented. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and do better.”

Most recently, Bradley has developed a partnership with the African American Cultural Festival, resulting in the production of the City of Raleigh’s inaugural Kwanzaa Celebration, as well as a Virtual Celebration of Black History Month and “The Hidden Crisis: Mental Health in the Time of COVID-19 within the African American Community.” An active member of the IAVM, Bradley has participated in the Association’s Venue Management School and Academy for Venue Safety and Security programs.

The Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts has served as Raleigh’s premier performing arts venue since 1932. The venue draws approximately 400,000 guests annually to its four separate event spaces and is home to the Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Theatre, North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Opera, and PineCone. With roughly 600 events each year, the venue draws an average of $35.4 million in economic impact to Raleigh’s businesses, hotels, and restaurants.

Sarah McAlister is Marketing Management for the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina.