By City of Toronto Media Room

On June 27, 26,771 Torontonians joined the City of Toronto and Team Toronto vaccination partners at the Toronto Vaccine Day “Our Winning Shot” clinic at Scotiabank Arena. The total COVID-19 vaccine doses administered are believed to be a new world record for most one-day COVID-19 vaccinations given at a single clinic.

Mayor John Tory visited the “Our Winning Shot” clinic yesterday during setup. The Mayor, joined by renowned Toronto Maple Leaf alumnus Wendel Clark, thanked all those working to get the clinic ready and acknowledged that while a world record is something to celebrate, the real prize is the protection people, their families and communities now have against COVID-19. This morning, Mayor Tory received his second dose of vaccine at the “Our Winning Shot” clinic.

Preliminary counts from today’s clinic indicate 26,771 doses administered. Throughout the day, the clinic administered 978 first doses and 25,793 second doses, with 25,476 adults and 1,295 youth vaccinated. On average, immunizers gave 1,785 vaccines per hour. At 2:21 p.m., the clinic surpassed the Canadian record of 10,470 vaccinations given at a single clinic in one day. At 4:58 p.m., the “Our Winning Shot” clinic surpassed the North American record of 17,003 doses by one clinic in a single day.

People attending the clinic were entertained by Kiss 92.5’s DJ Clymaxxx and Breakfast Television’s Devo Brown, with visits from Carlton the Bear and the Raptor. Fifty lucky vaccine recipients – one every 30 minutes – also won Toronto Maple Leaf or Toronto Raptor tickets for an upcoming game.

The “Our Winning Shot” clinic was made possible through a partnership between the City, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), Scotiabank, University Health Network and Michael Garron Hospital. All partners want to thank the nearly 1,500 staff and volunteers that made the day a historic success.

Now is not the time to slow down, Toronto. Tomorrow at 8 a.m. eligibility for accelerated second doses further expands to all adults who received a first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine at least eight weeks ago or a first dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine at least 28 days ago. As of yesterday, Toronto youth age 12 to 17 who received a first dose of vaccine at least 28 days ago are also eligible to book an accelerated second dose. Appointments for City-run immunization clinics can be booked by residents through the dark blue “Book a Vaccine” button on toronto.ca/covid-19 or by calling the provincial vaccine booking line at 1-833-943-3900.

More than 35 per cent of Torontonians now have their second dose of vaccine. Getting a second dose is vital in Toronto’s fight against COVID-19 and the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) that is more infectious than other strains of the virus. Recent studies have shown that two weeks after the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, a person’s protection against the Delta variant is 50 per cent higher than one dose alone.

To easily connect to resources including vaccine appointment bookings, information on vaccines and upcoming telephone town halls, Toronto residents can text “VACCINE” to 1-833-750-0888 or 833-750-0888 for more information.

Quotes:

“Toronto Vaccine Day at Scotiabank Arena is a huge success and demonstrates the progress Team Toronto is making getting people vaccinated. Thank you to our dedicated partners along with all the staff and volunteers who worked to make sure today was a winning shot in our fight against COVID-19. And thank you to the thousands of Toronto residents who stepped forward today to get either their first or second shot and set a record in the process. I continue to encourage all Toronto residents to get fully vaccinated so we can bring this pandemic to an end.”

– Mayor John Tory

“Toronto, we did it. 25,000 Torontonians stepped up to protect themselves, their community, and their city. It’s a remarkable record-breaking achievement. Today’s clinic was a remarkable Team Toronto logistical effort. Now, let’s keep pushing, keep working, and get Toronto vaccinated”.

– Councillor Joe Cressy (Spadina-Fort York), Chair of the Toronto Board of Health

“What an accomplishment! Thank you to all involved in this incredible achievement. And thank you Toronto, for showing up and rolling up your sleeves to protect yourselves and our communities.”

– Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health

“Throughout this pandemic, those working on the frontlines have worked tirelessly to care for and protect our communities from a virus that has tested our strength and resilience. Today’s milestone marks a bright light in this pandemic and demonstrates the incredible power of partnerships across sectors in the City of Toronto. At MGH, our guiding principle is to get as many vaccines into arms as expediently as possible; we are so proud to be a part of this remarkable day and do our part to bring our community one step closer to the lives we knew before this pandemic. Congratulations to our exceptional teams who made this day possible – and thank you Toronto for your outstanding showing of collective action and support in the fight against COVID-19.”

– Sarah Downey, President and CEO, Michael Garron Hospital

“Stunning is the only word to describe Toronto Vaccine Day. To vaccinate 25,000 people, set a world record and work so effectively with the City of Toronto, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Scotiabank, Scotiabank Arena, Michael Garron Hospital and the vaccine teams from hospitals and community agencies across the city – what a demonstration of cooperation and support for the citizens of this city.”

– Kevin Smith, President and CEO, University Health Network (UHN)

“This record setting vaccination clinic is another important example of partners coming together to help our community overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, but more importantly, of the caring spirit of this community as they responded so emphatically to the opportunity to take their shot to protect themselves and each other. Having 25,000 Torontonians back in Scotiabank Arena Sunday, plus the hundreds of volunteers and others making the event happen, reminds us of how much we look forward to hosting our fans again very soon and why this Team Toronto vaccination effort is so vitally important. Thank you to our friends at the City of Toronto, Team Vaccine and Scotiabank for their leadership, as well as to everyone who contributed in any way to today’s success. MLSE was proud to be a part of this effort and we are always proud to be a part of Team Toronto.”

– Michael Friisdahl, President & CEO of MLSE

“A heartfelt thanks to all of our partners, and the volunteers, who helped make Toronto Vaccine Day at Scotiabank Arena an overwhelming success. Defeating the virus requires that we work together as a team, while also doing our part by getting our shots. I’m more hopeful than ever that the next time Scotiabank Arena has 25,000 people move through its doors, they will be fans, cheering on the Leafs and Raptors.”

– Brian Porter, President and CEO, Scotiabank

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter Opens in new window, Instagram Opens in new windowor Facebook Opens in new window.

By Nadia Vanderhoof

Marking the largest event to date hosted at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, the Amateur Athletic Union’s (AAU) 48th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships welcomed more than 135,000 attendees across two weeks, from June 18-29, 2021, creating an estimated economic impact of $173.3 million for the region.

“We appreciate the strong partnership between the Amateur Athletic Union and the Orange County Convention Center,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “Our trusted relationship and our many years of collaboration has enhanced this event to become the largest volleyball tournament in the world. We are proud to be the premier destination for the AAU to host its events safely.”

For nearly 20 years, the esteemed volleyball tournament has been coming to The Center of Hospitality to safely and successfully host their sporting events for players, chaperones and coaches from around the world.

This year, the massive 12-day volleyball event implemented a series of modified health protocols to ensure the safety of all attendees. Facemasks were encouraged, no handshakes or gift exchanges took place between teams, spectators, coaches and athletes were encouraged to socially distance, courts were spaced apart to increase walkways and the event spread across both OCCC buildings – the North-South and the West.

“We are pleased to have been able to yet again offer the opportunity to let athletes do what they really want to do, and that’s to play,” said Jennings “Rusty” Buchanan, President/CEO of the AAU. “The 2021 AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships at the Orange County Convention Center welcomed our biggest numbers to date, positively impacting not only the AAU organization but also the Central Florida area as well. Hosting such a large event successfully would not be possible without the dedication, commitment and tireless efforts of the Orange County Convention Center team.”

As the largest event nationally in the convention industry since the pandemic, the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships is a testament to how the live events industry has returned stronger than ever and how the OCCC is doing Business Better than Usual.

Nadia Vanderhoof is Marketing and Communications Manager for the Orange County Convention Center.

By Kristi Mexia

Hollywood Park, a near 300-acre sports and entertainment destination, and YouTube have partnered in an extensive multi-year agreement that names the development’s 6,000-seat performance venue, YouTube Theater. The partnership is the first-of-its-kind for YouTube, with the venue hosting a variety of live entertainment from concerts to comedy, award shows, esports competitions, community events, conferences, and distinctive YouTube creator events. YouTube Theater is part of the sprawling Hollywood Park mixed-use development in Inglewood, Calif., which is being developed by Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke, and construction is set to complete for the theater in summer 2021. The first event to officially open the venue is slated for mid summer.

“YouTube Theater will drive the uniqueness of YouTube by combining physical, ‘in real life’ events that bring creators and fans together, while simultaneously sharing that same event experience with our two billion global monthly users through livestreams and VOD content,” said Angela Courtin, Vice President of Brand Marketing, YouTube. “YouTube creators and artists are the heart of YouTube and YouTube Theater adds to the portfolio of opportunities to drive their creativity, build their businesses, grow their communities and so much more.”

“When he set out to build YouTube Theater, Stan Kroenke envisioned an intimate, world-class venue that exemplified three core aspects: technology, creativity, and entertainment. We cannot imagine a better partner to help us bring this vision to life than YouTube,” said Jason Gannon, managing director, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park. “YouTube Theater will be open to the public this summer as Los Angeles’ new home for esports, community gatherings, concerts, and all types of live entertainment. YouTube Theater is the next step for Hollywood Park as we develop and deliver on creating a true sports and entertainment destination across our 300 acres.”

YouTube Theater is designed to be home to a variety of live entertainment events. Hollywood Park and Live Nation have partnered in an exclusive multi-year booking agreement and have already confirmed Caifanes, Los Angeles Azules, Pitbull, Black Pumas, Devo, Trippie Redd, Alejandro Sanz, Christian Nodal, Marina, and Louis Tomlinson to play shows at the theater in 2021 and 2022. Guests at the theater will be introduced to state-of-the-art technology and premium finishes that elevate the fan experience.

The innovative features at YouTube Theater focus on interactivity, including a large scale digital YouTube play button icon outside the venue, which can transform into an immersive video screen that guests can interact with by mirroring themselves on the screen and by viewing highlights of YouTube’s creator and artist content. The venue also features a dynamic digital wall on the interior that will be used to celebrate YouTube creators and artists by showcasing them in a gallery-like setting.

This agreement builds upon YouTube parent company Google’s previously announced partnerships with Hollywood Park that made Google Cloud the exclusive cloud partner of the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers and their home SoFi Stadium. Google Cloud is the exclusive cloud partner of YouTube Theater as well. YouTube will be the exclusive video services and music streaming services partner of YouTube Theater, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park and the exclusive video services partner and an official music streaming services partner of the Rams and Chargers.

YouTube Theater is a 227,000 square foot, three-story indoor venue. Built to be a best-in-class event venue, the 6,100 square-feet stage is an expansive area to get creative, and every seat is close to the action on-stage, with the farthest seat in the house only 164 feet away from the stage. The venue itself is blended seamlessly in at the southernmost corner of the same roof canopy that stretches over SoFi Stadium and American Airlines Plaza. Complete with a two-story Kaynemaile chandelier, the theater will feature six luxury boxes, a 1,200 square-foot premium back-of-house hospitality space — with adjacent dressing rooms — and a 3,500 square-foot private club with 140 premium seats.

Legends Global Partnerships division sourced, negotiated and represented Hollywood Park in securing this partnership.

Kristi Mexia is Director/Head Corporate Communications for SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park.

By StadiumBusiness

The National Football League (NFL) will open its 2021 season at full capacity after the Indianapolis Colts became the final team to secure clearance for full attendance at its stadium.

Lucas Oil Stadium is set to operate at its normal capacity of 63,000 after the Colts were granted permission following extensive consultation with the Marion County (Ind.) Public Health Department (MCPHD).

As COVID-19 is still affecting the city and state, the Colts said they will continue to be vigilant about keeping fans safe and healthy, but added that most in-stadium protocols from last season will be relaxed or eliminated.

Single-game tickets for the entire 2021 season are on sale now, with the Colts stating that inventory is already very limited for the opening two home games against the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams.

“We were fortunate to be able to host fans in 2020 through the pandemic, and those fans were as loud and proud as ever,” said Colts owner and CEO, Jim Irsay. “But gamedays at Lucas Oil Stadium are like family reunions, and it wasn’t quite the same without our entire Colts family alongside us.

“So we can’t wait to open the stadium doors to all our fans so they can take this journey with us as we work to bring a Super Bowl title back to Indianapolis.”

Last season, the Colts were one of the few teams to host fans at every home game. The Colts were ninth in attendance figures last season with a total of 79,560 fans, or an average of 9,945 per game, admitted to Lucas Oil Stadium. Capacities peaked at 12,500 last season.

The NFL appeared to be closing in on its goal of having stadiums at full capacity for its 2021 season last month after it was disclosed that only two teams were yet to receive permission for this course of action.

The NFL 2020 season saw 119 games have fan attendance in some capacity, with around 1.2 million fans in total. Fan attendance was determined by teams’ local COVID-19 restrictions. Notably, the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers (SoFi Stadium), as well as the Las Vegas Raiders (Allegiant Stadium) were forced to play their entire seasons behind closed doors at their new homes.

In March, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell expressed his hope that full capacity would be achieved for the 2021 season and recent weeks have seen a number of teams make announcements to this effect.

At the NFL’s two-day spring meeting, Peter O’Reilly, the League’s executive vice-president of club business and events, stated all but two teams had gained approval from state and local governments to open their stadiums at full capacity for the new season.

The two teams that had yet to receive authorization were the Colts and Denver Broncos. The latter was subsequently granted permission to operate Empower Field at Mile High at full capacity for Broncos fans on June 2.

In May, the NFL announced a return to international play with Tottenham Hotspur Stadium confirmed to host two games during its 2021 regular season, the only outings for the League in the UK this year.

Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars will be the home teams for the games, taking on the New York Jets on October 10 and the Miami Dolphins on October 17, respectively.

By TicketingBusinessNews

Testing requirements could lead to a dramatic drop in ticketing sales conversion according to data released from the Events Research Programme (ERP).

Information garnered from test events held in the UK from April showed a 90% drop in conversion rate among those visiting ticketing websites, with researchers suggesting this was a result of increased sales friction.

In the ‘Operational Learnings’ section of the ERP study, released last week following a legal challenge, researchers found that only 1.7% of site visitors bought a ticket, when previously, without testing requirements, their conversion rate was 18%. It added that users were spending an average of three minutes and 15 seconds reading the terms of entry specifying supervised testing requirements.

Researchers also found higher-than-usual ‘no-shows’ for games held at Wembley Stadium. They added: “This may indicate that people received their tickets and then didn’t want to follow through with the home or supervised testing requirements. Tests for pilot events were free; if consumers had to pay for tests, it would be likely to have a knock-on impact on demand and participation, and could exclude or disproportionately impact some demographic groups.”

As widely reported, the data showed just 28 cases of COVID-19 recorded out of the 58,000 people who attended during the first nine events.

However, while some saw the low number of cases as proof that events could be staged safely, the data also highlighted low levels of compliance with rules of attendance. The proportion of participants returning PCR tests varied between 8% and 74% for the ‘pre-event’ (days -1 to 3) test and between 13% and 66% for the ‘post-event’ (days 4-7) test. This “significantly limited the ability to estimate rates of infection after attending events”.

Researchers found that test return rates were higher for the events where tests were posted to attendees and when an incentive, such as the chance to win free tickets, was offered. “The music festival offered an incentive of the chance to win future festival tickets and saw a three-fold higher return rate of both PCR tests when compared with the Circus Presents ‘The First Dance’ (nightclub) event held on the same weekend with an approximately comparable audience in Liverpool,” researchers found.

“Across all events, of the 15% who returned both PCR tests, there were 28 PCR-positive cases recorded, with 11 considered potentially infected before an event and 17 at or after an event. It should be noted that some individuals were potentially infected before an event despite admittance being conditional on a negative LFT result before the event.”

Pilots highlighted “significant issues” in matching event bookings with test results and wider public health data, except in Liverpool, where an enhanced combined intelligence system is already in place.

“This test to ticket matching requirement underpins the testing and tracing infrastructure,” the report said. “Without it, it is impossible to reliably associate attendees’ test results to events and therefore to reliably operate outbreak prevention and control for events. Given some individuals infected before the event were admitted despite admittance being conditional on a negative LFT result, robust contact tracing capacity is necessary.

“Higher levels of audience participation in testing and thorough data linkage with public health surveillance systems are needed to better understand the transmission risks around events.”

The ERP began with a series of indoor and outdoor events allowing limited capacities in April, including the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield and concerts and club nights in Liverpool.

A second phase of pilot events has completed, with group stage UEFA Euro 2020 matches hosted at Wembley, the Download Pilot music festival, the England v New Zealand test match at Edgbaston and Royal Ascot having taken place this month. Research into the events is still being gathered and analyzed by the ERP science team.

The third phase of the ERP will include Wimbledon Championships, The Open Championship, and Latitude festival.