Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in February 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.

Shaun Albrechtson, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Adam Alfia, Feedback, Dallas, TX
Roxanne Ancona, OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa, CA
Mike Anderson, Churchill Downs Racetrack, Louisville, KY
Rob Auten, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Tyler Barrett, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Timothy Berry, Berry Consulting, Mankato, MN
Michaela Boruta, New York University, New York, NY
Terrick Bostic, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Kelvin Broughton, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Aldo Cardenas, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Jacob Carlisle, FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Vanessa Cherry, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Odette Cimino, Paramount Fine Foods Centre, Mississauga, ON
Tori Coleman, Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Adrienne Crowe, Overwatch TN Security Inc., Dickson, TN
DeAnna D’Egidio, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Bruce Daniels, Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center, Tallahassee, FL
Johnny Davis, SurfaceGuard, Washington, DC
Dave DiSalvo, Owensboro Convention Center, Owensboro, KY
Ramin Djaved, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Reymundo Dominguez, OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa, CA
Talina Gilbert, East Montgomery County Improvement District, New Caney, TX
Jennifer Green, East Montgomery County Improvement District, New Caney, TX
Taylor Haas, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Amy Harris, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Jennifer Hellman, 22nd DAA/Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, CA
Maddie Heywood, Utah Valley Convention Center, Provo, UT
Thane Hollman, OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa, CA
Mike Hudson, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center, Fort Walton Beach, FL
Lily Johnson, Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Susie Jones, CN Centre/Exhibition Park – City of Prince George, Prince George, BC
Kimberly Joseph, Churchill Downs Racetrack, Louisville, KY
Shelley Kemp, FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Dylan Keville, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, TX
JongHun Kim, Grossinger Motors Arena, Bloomington, IL
Robert Landers, Columbus Civic Center, Columbus, GA
Daniela Lencioni, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Delilah Lewis, East Montgomery County Improvement District, New Caney, TX
Justin Magistrale, University of South Carolina Department of Sport & Entertainment Management, Columbia, SC
Warren Mather, East Montgomery County Improvement District, New Caney, TX
Kelley Mattlage, East Montgomery County Improvement District, New Caney, TX
Frank McCrady, East Montgomery County Improvement District, New Caney, TX
Colleen McGough, Appetize Technologies, Los Angeles, CA
Paul McManus, Vancouver Civic Theatres, Vancouver, BC
Lindsey Miner, Inventory Smart, Englewood, CO
Kim Minick, 22nd DAA/Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, CA
Creg Mixon, East Montgomery County Improvement District, New Caney, TX
Brandon Nash, East Montgomery County Improvement District, New Caney, TX
Anna Nikolas, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Raymond Nugent, FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Joe O’Connell, East Montgomery County Improvement District, New Caney, TX
Kemper Owens, Utah Valley Convention Center, Provo, UT
Nile Owens, Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center, Tallahassee, FL
Ashley Partain, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Mesita Partridge, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Ron Pellerine, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, ON
Jeff Pillon, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Jessika Searles, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Scott Secore, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Sandy Seeyle, East Montgomery County Improvement District, New Caney, TX
Alice Silva, National Event Services, Mission Hills, CA
John Stancato, Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
Ben Sterling, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Brandi Stevens, Owensboro Convention Center, Owensboro, KY
Jessa Sudduth, FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Sam Teegarden, Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Brandon Wagner, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Regina Wells, Sandy Springs Performing Arts & Conference Center, Sandy Springs, GA
Scott Wiley, Lucid Drone Technologies, Charlotte, NC
Kelvin Williams, FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Monique Wise, Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Mike Ziegler, Churchill Downs Racetrack, Louisville, KY

 

Reminder to all members that the Call for Volunteers is closing soon.  Please consider responding for the term beginning August 2021 and ending at VenueConnect 2022.

The deadline to respond to the Call for Volunteers is March 12, 2021; appointments to board committees will be made by the First Vice Chair, while appointments to management committees will be made by the CEO in consultation with the committee chairs and vice chairs. Volunteers will be notified of their committee assignment no later than mid-June. 

IAVM has two types of committees: board committees and management committees. A board committee helps the board do its work, of oversight, strategy and member engagement. Management committees help IAVM’s management do its work, of meeting the board’s goals and effectively operating the association to deliver benefits to our members.

Follow this link to find the list of opportunities available, and the volunteer roles and responsibilities for each.  To volunteer, please follow the link to complete the survey and tell us where your interest, skills, and abilities will allow you to make the greatest contribution.  Even if you currently serve on a committee and wish to continue, you must indicate your interest on this application to be considered for renewal as all committee appointments have a one-year term (unless an issue arises and term limits need to be extended or changed). You may indicate your interest for no more than three committees, so please make sure that you rank your choices with 1 being your highest preference. Finally, given the level of interest in service, we can generally only place you on one committee. 

By Paul Pettas

On February 19, Centerplate – the food and beverage partner to the San Diego Convention Center – reached a milestone of one million meals served to people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Centerplate team has prepared several thousand meals per day for San Diegans temporarily residing in

the San Diego Convention Center, which opened as an emergency shelter on April 1, 2020, under the project name Operation Shelter to Home. The operation has safely sheltered thousands of people and connected more than 1,200 to permanent or longer-term housing so far.

“Centerplate and our Convention Center have been an integral part of Operation Shelter to Home’s core mission to keep San Diegans experiencing homelessness safe during this pandemic,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “This milestone and all of their contributions during the past year to those sheltering in the Convention Center reflect the commitment we have as a city to addressing homelessness together.”

Led by General Manager Bobby Ramirez and Executive Chef Daryl O’Donnell, the Centerplate management and culinary staff has gone above and beyond to serve the new clientele, utilizing two main kitchens and six independent teams. At peak, job opportunities were provided to 82 Centerplate employees as a result; even with resident numbers decreasing, work was still provided for 65 employees after regular event activity was put on hold due to the ongoing pandemic. Operation Shelter to Home is currently funded through March 2021.

“The efforts of our team have been admirable, and to do so while adhering to stringent safety protocols has been even more noteworthy,” echoed Steve Pangburn, CEO, Centerplate / Sodexo Sports & Leisure. “It is our honor to play our part in supporting the local residents and community of San Diego, and I believe this epitomizes the service spirit that we promote throughout our entire Sodexo family on a daily basis.”

Chef O’Donnell and Senior Executive Sous Chef Sufi Karaien plan the meals roughly a week in advance to keep the food balanced and varied. Around the building, Centerplate staff hear from residents about favorites such as Buffalo chicken salad sandwiches, hot dogs, and manicotti. They have prepared special hot meals for holidays and events, like the recent Super Bowl, and organized a sock drive for shelter residents in December.

“The operation is seven days per week with multiple meal servings per day, in close coordination with city and county officials,” said Bobby Ramirez. “In our line of business, we know how to feed a lot of people – sometimes tens of thousands per day – so we know how to be nimble and solve problems. Our top priority continues to be the safety and health of our consumers and employees amid the biggest health crisis the world has seen in the last 100 years. I am truly grateful for the dedication and commitment our team has shown.”

As it does when catering conventions, Centerplate has been using locally sourced and seasonal ingredients whenever possible—an emphasis that has an economic ripple effect in the San Diego region. Centerplate’s suppliers include local farms, dairies and specialized markets. For example, many of the vegetables come from family-owned Moceri Produce – where a typical order can consist of 400 pounds of lettuce, 60 pounds of broccoli and 50 pounds of cucumbers. And, most baked products are from Poway-based O’Brien’s Boulangerie.

Operation Shelter to Home began by moving individuals already in shelters into the San Diego Convention Center to allow for proper physical distancing and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Because the effects of the pandemic were creating staffing challenges at the City’s various shelters, the program centralized staff in one place to ensure personnel could be efficient even with limited numbers. Since April 2020, the operation has served nearly 4,000 people with a warm and sanitary environment.

“In our building, we’re all one team. We thank the tireless efforts of the Centerplate staff and the many local suppliers who work to make this all possible,” said Rip Rippetoe, CVE,k IAVM Chair and President and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation.

Paul Pettas is PR & Communications Director for Centerplate.

John R. “Jack” Vivian, a friend to many in the IAVM family, passed away on February 17. He was 79.

Vivian was a Canadian ice hockey player, college football player, ice hockey head coach, general manager, professional scout, and university administrator. He was most notable as the first head coach of the Bowling Green State University (BGSU) varsity ice hockey program and the then-youngest general manager in professional hockey with the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association from 1973-76. He was a member of the Adrian College and Bowling Green State athletic halls of fame.

Most recently, he was CEO of JRV Management and Consulting, a firm specializing in ice arena construction, operation and management, as well as a Director at the Ice Arena Institute of Management.

Vivian grew up in Strathroy, Ontario, just west of London. After high school, Vivian joined the logging industry in Dryden, Ontario. He left to enroll at Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan, where he played football. He transferred to the University of Vermont to play on the club ice hockey team for one year and then returned to Adrian. Vivian was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree from Adrian in 1966.

In 1966, Vivian was recruited by Bowling Green to be a graduate assistant coach for the BGSU football team, coach the club hockey team, and help direct the completion of the new BGSU Ice Arena. With a new ice arena, ice hockey became a varsity sport in 1969 and Vivian became the varsity team’s first head coach. In addition to coaching BGSU, Vivian also helped start the youth hockey program for the city of Bowling Green. Playing for two seasons without a conference, Vivian joined forces with four other hockey programs Lake Superior State, Ohio, Ohio State, and St. Louis University to create the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). In 1973, Vivian directed BGSU to their first-ever CCHA Tournament championship.

On May 15, 1973, Vivian accepted the general manager position for the Cleveland Crusaders of the WHA. At the time, Vivian was the youngest general manager in major professional hockey. Crusaders head coach John Hanna was fired midseason 1974-75 and replaced by Vivian. Vivian coached the Crusaders to a 35-40-3 record after beginning the season 14-18-1.

In 1973, at the age of 32, Vivian was named general manager of the Cleveland Crusaders of the WHA. Vivian also coached the team for 44 games during the 1974-75 season. The Crusaders folded after the 1975-76 season. In 1976, Vivian became a scout for the New York Islanders. He was with the Islander organization for 17 seasons.

After resigning from the Crusaders, Vivian was named the ice hockey facility director at Miami University. He oversaw the construction and opening of Goggin Ice Arena.[9] He held the position until 1985.

To honor Jack Vivian, signees of this petition from the website below want to recognize his countless contributions to the BGSU community by naming the main ice surface at the Slater Family Ice Arena in Bowling Green. We are suggesting its new name to become the Jack Vivian Rink at Slater Family Ice Arena.

https://www.change.org/p/bowling-green-state-university-dedicate-the-main-ice-surface-at-bgsu-to-jack-vivian
click here.

By Aly Grubb​

The Fox Theatre has announced it has achieved the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities. Under the guidance of GBAC, a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, the Fox Theatre has implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention. The accreditation is one of many health and safety preparations the Atlanta theatre has made to reopen.

As the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation, GBAC STAR™ helps organizations establish protocols and procedures, offers expert-led training, and assesses a facility’s readiness for biorisk situations. The program verifies that the Fox Theatre implements best practices to prepare for, respond to, and recover from outbreaks and pandemics.

“By taking this important step to pursue the GBAC STAR, the Fox Theatre has received third-party validation that it follows strict protocols for biorisk situations, thereby demonstrating its preparedness and commitment to operating safely”, says GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger.

To achieve this accreditation, the Fox was required to demonstrate compliance with the program’s 20 core elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness and response measures. Learn more about GBAC STAR accreditation at www.gbac.org.

In addition to earning the GBAC STAR™ accreditation, the Fox is making significant improvements to the facility’s air quality. Most notably, the theatre has consulted with Mathias Environmental out of Duluth, GA to design and install an Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) system in its heating and air ventilation system. The technology, recognized for disinfection of air by both the CDC and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRE) uses UVC lighting to attack the DNA and RNA of pathogens found in the air. “UVC has been used to combat the spread of airborne pathogens like Tuberculosis since the 1960’s,” says Jeff Stines of American Ultraviolet, the company providing most of the Fox’s UV lighting equipment. “Once installed, the technology is designed to inactivate up to 99% of viruses on every air cycle.”

The theatre’s air quality improvement project adds to a list of evolving health and safety preparations it has made since shutting down last March.

“The Fox’s determination to utilize one of the most effective and proven technologies backed by decades of testing and research, is a refreshing example of a facility and its management that doesn’t just say they’re doing something effective and meaningful but prove they are with an investment like this,” says Dave Heydinger, President of the Mathias Environmental.

Regarding some operational changes, guests returning to the Fox can expect a more contactless event experience:

Digital tickets to replace paper tickets and print-at-home delivery options
Mobile entry with self-scanning pedestals

Guest-facing credit card terminals and contactless payment options

Plexi-glass partitions at all food and beverage service locations

Touchless hand sanitizers throughout the theatre

Mobile pick-up on select food and beverage through the Fox Mobile App

“Local, state, and federal guidelines related to resuming indoor live events continue to evolve. We are continuing preparations for a summer reopening and will share further event updates including guest implications as they develop,” says Allan Vella, President and CEO of the Fox Theatre.

Aly Grubb​ is Director of Marketing for The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.