By Jaime Sharp

Social justice advocacy group Black Opera Alliance (BOA) and international arts management consultants TRG Arts have announced a partnership to further BOA’s mission to expose racial inequity and under-representation of the African diaspora in all facets of the opera sector and promote reform.

In September 2020, BOA released their “Pledge for Racial Equity and Systemic Change in Opera,” which maps out eight areas of needed transformation. As the opera field seeks out truer equity, inclusion and racial justice, this framework provides specific requirements and timelines.

BOA is eager to understand whether The Pledge is being followed and if progress is being made. BOA is also committed to helping the sector understand how to make this needed transformation.

“We are pleased to partner with TRG Arts in this incredibly important work because we believe their expertise in data analysis and benchmarking is crucial to ensuring that change in our sector happens. Lack of industry-wide accountability has been a prime culprit in stalling substantive industry progress in the EDI space. This partnership will aid in BOA’s goal to shine a spotlight on the sector’s progress with The Pledge,” said Dr. Derrell Acon, Project Director / BOA Leadership Council.

Through this partnership, a system will be created for the sector so that benchmarks can be learned, and progress can be tracked and shared. Additionally, BOA and TRG Arts plan to release quarterly Insight Reports in 2021 that will detail how the sector is making strides towards The Pledge’s requirements.

“We are so proud to be invited to participate at Black Opera Alliance’s table. At TRG Arts, we have witnessed the powerful transformation that can happen when data are collected and analyzed, and insights are shared,” said TRG Arts CEO Jill Robinson. “Supporting Black Opera Alliance’s work to expose racial inequity and under-representation, and promote reform is an honor for us. The time for action in our sector is now.”

Dr. Acon continued, “While colleagues at TRG Arts offer a wealth of experience in arts analytics, our BOA team brings a myriad of critical perspectives as marginalized artists and administrators in the opera field. The collaboration is magic.”

“Insight reporting to the sector on our findings will mightily advance Opera’s understanding and approach to this work, as well as further position BOA as a leader in the broader performing arts sector vis-à-vis verifiable change and accountability in the spheres of racial equity and social justice.”

Jaime Sharp is an administrative assistant with the Black Opera Alliance.

By Lorianne Walker

WESS, a GardaWorld company and nationwide provider of event staffing and security services, announced its rebrand to BEST Crowd Management. BEST Crowd Management will carry the longstanding expertise and demonstrated success of WESS, providing guest services, gate management, perimeter protection, security response and field intrusion teams, access control, parking management, and executive protection and consulting services.

Who is BEST?

• Decades of experience providing world-class security solutions for crowd management solutions.
• Current partners include the country’s largest stadiums professional sports teams, college sports teams, major concert venues, and convention centers for corporate events.
• Present in more than 27 markets and a growing footprint that reaches from California to Las Vegas, Florida and New York.

“The decision to rebrand follows from decades of experience and demonstrated success in providing the BEST for our clients. It’s time we updated our branding to reflect our standing,” said Jeff Spoerndle, Vice
President of BEST Crowd Management.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, BEST Crowd Management has demonstrated its leadership, flexibility and adaptability, introducing services including temperature screenings, social distancing supervision, capacity monitoring and vaccination checks.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought crowd management to the forefront,” said Spoerndle. “Event staffing and security is no longer just about ticketing or physical security—it’s about securing staff and guests from an invisible health threat. As a result, sports venues, corporate events, and even nontraditional event venues and organizations require a partner that brings highly-cultivated expertise with adaptable skill sets and services.”

“We’re proud to announce the rebranding of WESS to BEST Crowd Management Services,” said Prentice Robertson, Chief Operating Officer, Security Services, U.S. at GardaWorld. “BEST represents the very core of the GardaWorld family, bringing energy, innovation and world-class expertise and resources to deliver highly customized security solutions.”

To learn more about BEST Crowd Management and its services, visit https://best.garda.com/.

Lorianne Walker is with Abel Communications for GardaWorld.

By Lindsay Church

Florida Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan Field in Gainesville, Fla., designed by Populous, recently debuted its enhanced player and fan experience. The new ballpark replaces McKethan Stadium which opened in 1949 and hosted its last game in 2020. The $65 million ballpark is prominently located on the southwest part of campus, at the intersection of Museum Drive and Hull Road. The Gators, the unanimous preseason No. 1 in all recognized collegiate baseball polls, open the 2021 season with a three-game series against the University of Miami.

The ballpark’s collegiate gothic style is inspired by the prominent architecture of the University of

Florida campus. Designed with a variety of seating types and viewing areas, the ballpark allows fans 360-degree access around the venue without losing sight of the field and features a tiered seating bowl allowing fans to be closer to the action. In total, Florida Ballpark can accommodate 7,000 fans across 3,400 lower bowl chair backs, 800 club seats, two grass berms with capacity for 2,800 people, as well as an open concourse. The berms are located down the left and right field lines and wrap around both outfield foul poles.

Florida Ballpark was designed for maximum fan comfort. The ballpark is situated on the site to maximize shading throughout the seating bowl while shade canopies wrap the lower and upper seating bowl. Ceiling fans throughout the concourse also protect guests and staff from the hot Florida sun, offering an improved, comfortable game day experience. In addition to an open club space, the view level includes two suites and a party deck. From these seats, fans can see the football stadium off in the distance.

Populous created social areas in and around the outfield where fans can experience additional seating options in the Dizney Grove which is situated at field level just beyond the outfield wall with views back to the field. Among the Adirondack chairs and palm trees, fans will have access to a variety of concessions and food trucks throughout the season. This fun, relaxed zone offers an additional area for fans to congregate and watch the game.

“The Florida Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan Field was designed to change the experience for our future, current and former student-athletes, staff and fans,” said University of Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin. “Our baseball program will enjoy state-of-the-art student-athlete and staff amenities, while more fans will be able to enjoy the game in a more intimate setting, with shade structure and multiple seating and game experience options within the 360-degree concourse layout. We are excited about the memories that await both our players and fans in the new ballpark.”

In addition to having first-class fan amenities, the ballpark is also the year-round home to Florida Baseball and was designed for the student-athlete. The elite training areas feature four indoor hitting cages, two indoor pitching tunnels, a full-size artificial turf infield, hydrotherapy and athletic training spaces. A new 1,400-square-foot player lounge features a Gatorade nutrition station and is located next to the locker room which has direct access to the field. The ballpark features some of the largest dugouts in the NCAA and has separate meeting and video rooms. The bullpens include covered bench areas for both the home and visiting teams. Coaches’ offices overlook the field and are located along the main concourse.

“The new Florida Ballpark is a game changer and what you expect a successful program like the University of Florida to call home. The ballpark’s focus is on the student-athlete, providing state-of-the-art amenities to train and perform at the highest level,” said Jason Ford, senior architect and associate principal at Populous. “Gator fans will also enjoy a variety of seating options including chairback and berm seating, all with socializing opportunities, direct views to the field and most importantly shade provided throughout.”

Lindsay Church is with Great Ink Communications in New York, New York.

Jennifer Tuchband is a Consultant at Keen Independent Research. She joined Keen Independent Research after completing her MFA in Arts Entrepreneurship and Management to help the arts thrive in communities and venues throughout the country. She has played a pivotal role in feasibility and management studies for cities such as Phoenix, Arizona and Waco, Texas as well as venues including the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Wheeler Opera House, Ent Center for the Arts, May Bonfils Staton Theater and JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center.

I was ecstatic to be named a recipient of the 30 Under 30 Award this year. While I was grateful that my boss, Steve Bedard, had the confidence in my abilities to nominate me for this honor, I was also grateful to IAVM for announcing the awards and injecting a small slice of normalcy in the midst of the current pandemic. These are trying times for our industry with many organizations in turmoil due to cancellations and associated cutbacks that could serve to reduce the opportunities available to young managers in the short-term future. I look forward to a time when the Class of 2020 can together grow the skills needed to help our industry weather these times and thrive in the future.

Join your Foundation in congratulating Therese on being honored as one of the 30|UNDER|30 Class of 2020 and don’t forget to come back each Thursday as we spotlight another honoree!

Submitted by Washington State Convention Center

Although Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) did not as a governmental entity qualify for the first round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans offered last spring, they were determined to apply again when the Second Draw PPP Loans opened in January.

The Center’s hopes were lifted when they learned from their general counsel that loan regulations had changed and, as a Public Facility District, WSCC could apply as a destination marketing organization in this round.

They also understood finding the right bank to apply through was critical. After vetting various institutions and tapping into professional networks, they went with a local community lender. First, the lender was familiar with the Small Business Administration (SBA) loan process and were already prepared with web forms. Second, unlike the First Draw PPP Loans, the SBA accepted PPP loan applications only from community financial institutions at the beginning of the Second Draw to ensure a more equitable distribution of funds.

Another element that helped move the process along was providing thorough documentation. This made it easy for the bank to identify how WSCC qualified for the loan, and the bank could quickly verify accuracy of the Center’s financial information with payroll and tax back-up documentation.

“Awareness, preparation and persistence are key elements in situations like these. We were ready to act when the opportunity presented itself,” said Sam Hecker, WSCC Director of Finance/CFO.

“We appreciate the tremendous support of IAVM leadership to amplify the knowledge-sharing regarding these programs with venues,” said WSCC CEO Jeff Blosser. “It’s important for the collective recovery of our business to maintain a strong network among IAVM members.”