By Maggie Yu

The Shenyang New World EXPO reopened on March 10th 2021 for its third time due to previous governmental mandated COVID related closures in January, April, and December of 2020. The activity following clearly indicated the resilience of the exhibition industry in Shenyang, Liaoning’s provincial capital city, as well as within the northeast region of China.

Five major events were held within EXPO in the last three weeks of March including the 2021 Shenyang International Advertising Festival, the 2021 and 23rd North International Exhibition of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Comfortable Home Systems, the 2021 and 22nd China Northeast International Dental Equipment & Affiliated Facilities Exhibition Symposium on Oral Health, the 2021 and 26th China Northeast International Building & Decoration Exhibition, and the Fang Guan Jia Real Estate Agency Annual Conference. The attendance for the five events totaled 187,952.

“From the reopening in July of 2020, all events have been successfully held; organizers have fully respected the COVID-19 procedures which have been approved by Shenyang’s health related bureau,” said Diane Chen, EXPO’s General Manager. “Plans put into action by EXPO included implementation of measures to minimize the causation of virus transmission, strict social distancing protocols, utilization of data and technology to support contact tracing and testing, and focus protocols and communications to reinforce behavioral change to address the new procedures. Attendees have been very cooperative with COVID procedures, e.g., wearing masks, body temperature checks, and distancing when queueing during entry. Visitors have been happy to sanitize their hands and most willing to show their personal health code before entering the venue. Through March 2021, no suspected COVID cases were reported. All the attendees are traceable using organizer registration systems and health codes”.

Shenyang’s health commission, commerce bureau, and public security bureau were included as an extremely important part of EXPO’s reopening team. All team members continually shared the most updated epidemic information and were available to respond to stakeholder questions regarding the status of the epidemic. Also used was the regular updates on operational advice from UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry and the International Association of Venue Managers. EXPO is an active member of both industry associations.

Cliff Wallace, CVE, Senior Executive Advisor to EXPO, noted that government bureaus were and continue to be very proactive in supporting the exhibition and conference industry and EXPO’s reopening. Wallace said, “On 24th February 2021, Ms. Wang Ping, the Deputy Director of Shenyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Mr. Lian Zhiyong, the Head of Emergency Office of the Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, attended EXPO the 4th Organizer & Contractor Co-ordination Meeting encouraging all organizers to cooperate with EXPO’s COVID Prevention Procedures to facilitate the restart the exhibition industry. I was delighted to see the Commerce and Public Security Bureaus actively supporting the reopening by granting the event licenses expeditiously and on time considering the last minute decisions required of the organizers. A high level of cooperation by Government is critical in such emergency and crisis situations.”

Quarantine control measures remain in effect for visitors entering China from outside the mainland. This is similar to other countries globally. The exhibition industry remains challenged until international travel resumes. Both Chen and Wallace remain optimistic that the continual administration of the COVID vaccines and ability to verify that visitors have received the vaccine will be the most effective short term enhancement for the industry’s meaningful restart.

Maggie Yu is in Communications at the Shenyang New World EXPO.

Photo: The 22nd China Northeast International Dental Equipment & Affiliated Facilities Exhibition Symposium on Oral Health

Kelly Shea will be joining VStar Entertainment as Senior Director of Booking on May 3, 2021. Kelly comes to VStar with over 20 years of experience in the live entertainment industry. She was most recently Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development at Premier Sport Psychology in Minneapolis.

Premier’s client roster includes teams and athletes from the NBA, NHL, NFL and NCAA. Prior to that, she spent two and half years at Ticketmaster working in their NBA and NHL segment in Client Development. Before coming to Ticketmaster, she spent almost 14 years at Feld Entertainment in the North American Routing and Tours Department, most recently as Senior Booking Director.

Kelly started her career in live entertainment at VEE Corporation in 2000 first as a Promoter and then moved into Booking after two years. “I’m thrilled to join the team at VStar Entertainment Group, a leading worldwide entertainment company and producer of unforgettable live experiences,” she said. “I’m really excited to be working alongside Kevin Kulas, Vice President of the Cirque Du Soleil Affiliate Group, and to reconnect with all of my amazing industry friends and colleagues.”

By ISSA and R.V. Baugus

Professional sports venues continue to demonstrate their dedication to fans and players with GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council™, (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. This week, the latest arenas to earn accreditation include FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies; and Le Centre Bell (L’Aréna des Canadiens Inc.) in Montreal, home to the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. GBAC STAR also accredited Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City; Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, R.I.; and Houston Community College-Administration Building in Houston.

“By helping facilities prepare for, respond to, and recover from biorisks, GBAC STAR is raising the standard for cleaning and disinfection,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “Because it is a performance-based accreditation program, the public can trust the science behind the GBAC STAR seal that facilities display.”

In addition to continuing to gain ground with large stadiums and arenas, GBAC STAR is a sought-after program for convention centers and hotels that are eager to welcome visitors and guests as travel begins to pick up again. Designed for facilities of all types, the accreditation program requires participants to fulfill 20 key elements related to facility leadership, risk mitigation, standard operating procedures, and more.

This week’s newly accredited facilities include:

Arenas

FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies
Le Centre Bell (L Arena des Canadiens Inc.) in Montreal, home to the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens

Convention Center and Expos

HIR Expos y Convenciones in Mexico City
Hot Springs Convention Center in Hot Springs National Park, Ark.
Italian Exhibition Group – Palacongressi di Rimini in Rimini, Italy
Italian Exhibition Group – Rimini Expo Centre in Rimini, Italy
Italian Exhibition Group – Vicenza Expo Centre in Vicenza, Italy
Kyoto International Conference Center in Kyoto, Japan
Pacifico Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan

Cultural Venue

Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City

Stadiums

Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, the practice facility for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys
Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., home to the MLS’s New York Red Bulls and the NWSL’s NJ/NY Gotham FC

Theaters and Performing Arts Centers

Benedum Center in Pittsburgh
Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, R.I.
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami
Byham Theater in Pittsburgh

“The cleanliness of a facility impacts the guest experience, just like service and price do,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “Proper cleaning must also incorporate disinfection and infection prevention techniques. With accreditation, people can be confident that facilities know how to uphold cleanliness to support health and safety.”

Learn more and apply for GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation at gbac.org/star.

Find accredited facilities and those pursuing accreditation via the GBAC STAR Facility Directory at gbac.org/directory.

IAVM members seeking to apply for accreditation through GBAC, please use the link https://gbac.issa.com/iavm/!

Henderson Engineers, a national building systems design firm, named Brian Alessi, AIA, LEED AP, BD+C, as its new sustainability director. Alessi brings 20 years of experience in sustainable design to the role, including over 400 LEED certified projects, zero net energy projects, and residential and commercial passive house developments. He will be at the helm of Henderson’s long-running efforts to design buildings that are healthy, sustainable, and resilient. Alessi will also lead efforts to support Henderson’s sustainability-focused clients on their path to net zero.

“Brian is an invaluable addition to our technical leadership team as we continue to push ourselves to expand our services to meet our climate goals,” said Dustin Schafer, chief technical officer at Henderson. “We’re committed to delivering work that is good for people and good for the planet. Brian is a longtime advocate of this approach. His holistic design process and multidisciplinary approach will help ensure we remain at the forefront of implementing innovative, cost-effective sustainability strategies for our clients.”

Henderson’s design process aligns with standards set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and each project is analyzed for its potential environmental impact, including CO2 emissions, landfill waste, and water and energy consumption. Henderson has more than 125 LEED-Accredited professionals on staff and the firm has completed more than 500 LEED projects, including the Golden 1 Center and practice facility in Sacramento, Calif., which was the first LEED Platinum and entirely solar-powered arena in the world.

“I collaborated with Henderson in the past as a consultant and appreciated how receptive the company is to adopting sustainable solutions,” Alessi said. “I believe sustainability is a beautiful blend of design, equity, and social good, and my role is to ensure the building systems we create nurture our environment now and for future generations. I’m excited to bring this vision and my expertise to the Henderson team.”

By Mary Klida

Larry Alexander, board chairman of the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) is pleased to announce that ASM Global has welcomed Karen Totaro, CVE, as General Manager at TCF Center. Totaro will immediately assume leadership of the overall management, promotion and operation of the facilities, leading the team of dedicated professionals at the TCF Center, building on the key industry partnerships in the community, and supporting the overall mission of the TCF Center and the DRCFA.

ASM Global management considers TCF Center to be one of the top convention centers in the country and is proud to have included the Center in their venue portfolio since 2010. Over the decade, the center remained open during a five-year construction period ending in 2015. The ASM team rebuilt the business model, resulting in a $20 million reduction of operating deficit, and quadrupled the number of major events held annually in the center from 2010 to 2019. The operations team completed a transformation of the customer experience to one that is “centered around you,” the current tagline of the brand.

“Karen Totaro is the right person at the right time to take the TCF Center back to hosting visitors and providing world class service to its valued customers as the pandemic eases,” said Bob McClintock, executive vice president of convention centers, ASM Global. “Over the last decade, TCF Center became a gold standard in areas of security, sustainability, technology and corporate social responsibility. I know with Karen’s leadership events will build on that success.”

Totaro is a Certified Venue Executive (CVE) and leads the center’s team in bringing new and repeat business to the Detroit region by maximizing the customer experience. On behalf of ASM Global for the DRCFA, she will work collaboratively with community stakeholders, clients and the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“The decision to take the job at TCF Center was an easy one. The spirit of partnership in this industry is going to be that much more successful in Detroit with the former CEO of the CVB leading the DRCFA and the former GM of the TCF Center now leading the CVB.” said Totaro. “I was so impressed by how progressive the center is and the high-caliber and professionalism of the staff.”

Totaro went on to add that she found the back-of-house spaces as clean as the front-of-house spaces, indicating the time and respect that the staff puts into the building. Finding the recent renovation to be forward thinking in the design of the ballroom, atrium and new concourse spaces incorporating so much daylight, she noted, “the venue was built for the future.”

Most recently, Totaro served as the Chief Operating Officer for the San Diego Convention Center Corporation. Prior to San Diego, she served as General Manager of the Atlantic City Convention Center, Assistant General Manager of the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati and the Assistant Executive Director at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

While with the leadership team at the Oregon Convention Center, Totaro steered them toward innovation to achieve one of the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications for a convention center in the country. She went on to be involved in advanced sustainability initiatives in each center during her tenure. She sees the highly acclaimed sustainability program at TCF Center as a real opportunity to team build and inform clients on environmental impacts and center innovation with training and educational opportunities.

“Because of the ASM Global team’s operations management starting in 2010, TCF Center has earned a world class reputation while making a major financial impact for our region and state,” said Alexander. “They were a critical component to the growth in our meetings and conventions which became a driving force in tax revenues, jobs, and the improvement of the reputation of Detroit and Southeast Michigan. All of which helped to secure one of the largest naming rights sponsorship anywhere in the industry.”

Alexander added that Totaro is coming in with expertise and knowledge of facility operations, labor contracts, sales and service which will serve the center well in getting past COVID-19. “I believe she is the best leader to continue to inspire the center’s talented team in helping us sprint forward from the pandemic impact.”

During her career, Totaro has served in multiple leadership roles for the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), including Chairman of the Board. She was selected by her industry peers and took on this highly regarded position as the youngest woman at that time ever voted to serve in this capacity.

Totaro was named a “Woman of Influence” by Venues Today Magazine and was the cover story of FM (Facility Manager) Magazine with an article on leadership. She has been awarded the “Elite Award” from Facilities and Destination Magazine for making a difference in the meetings industry. She was also highlighted in Facilities & Destination Magazine as one of the “Top 12 Women Convention Center Executives.” She led the teams in Portland and San Diego in achieving the highest industry honor, the coveted “Venue Excellence Award” awarded by the International Association of Venue Managers.

Lisa Canada, vice chairperson of the DRCFA, headed the board’s selection committee which was tasked with interviewing candidates before it recommended Totaro to ASM Global for the position. “I am always thrilled to see the leadership gap for women narrow, and especially in the appointment of this position that is so important to the convention center and the Southeast Michigan region,” said Canada. “Karen’s leadership style and experience in innovation will help this venue get back to business quickly and efficiently.”

TCF Center is one of the top 20 convention centers in the United States. Of those, three have women General Managers and two of those are ASM Global facilities.

Mary Klida is Senior Marketing & Communications Manager for TCF Center.