Elliott Ferguson, Chairman of the Board for Tourism Diversity Matters (TDM) and President and CEO, Destination DC, and Mike Gamble, TDM’s Founder and President and CEO of SearchWide Global announced the collective impact model to inspire authenticity and inclusive leadership throughout the tourism and events industry. TDM’s mission is to be a resource to foster diversity, equity and inclusion practices that will educate, advocate, engage and empower in collaboration and cooperation with all industry initiatives.

Founding partners include ConferenceDirect Foundation, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), and SearchWide Global.

Ferguson, one of the few Black leaders in destination marketing, has been a long-time advocate for repairing diversity deficiencies and misrepresentations in the corporate environment.

“Addressing racism should impact how you lead – it’s an American issue,” said Ferguson. “As many are confronting these issues for the first time, we can’t turn a blind eye and we can’t turn back. The pandemic has forced us to slow down and focus on being human. We need to be comfortable with uncomfortable conversations and having these discussions not only at home, but also in the workplace.”

TDM’s four guiding pillars include Apprenticeship Programs; Workforce Development; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and Research and Data. The goal is to sustain and expand the platform by collaborating with associated organizations and industries and notable research institutions to develop impactful solutions for all involved.

“Tourism Diversity Matters is a dedicated resource focused solely on creating long-term solutions through complete industry engagement and participation,” said Gamble. “The intention is to not replace existing good work happening in this area, but rather to shine a light on it, and add value and insight where needed.”

Greg DeShields, CDE, CHE, a respected leader on behalf of DEI and regarded for initiatives to raise Philadelphia’s image as a multicultural visitor destination, has been named Executive Director. In addition to this new leadership role, he will continue to lead PHL Diversity, a division of PHLCVB.

The inaugural Board of Directors includes:
• Dr. Brandi Baldwin, CEO, Millennial Ventures Holdings
• Debra Blair, Director of Organizational Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Temple University School of
Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management
• Ray Bloom, Chairman, IMEX
• Cathy Breden, CAE, CMP, CEM, EVP & COO, International Association of Exhibitions & Events
(IAEE); Chair-Elect, Events Industry Council (EIC)
• Amy Calvert, CEO, Events Industry Council (EIC)
• Gregg Caren, President and CEO, PHLCVB
• Mark Cooper, CEO, International Association of Conference Centers (IACC); Chairman, Events
Industry Council (EIC)
• Melissa Cherry, COO, Destinations International
• Roger Dow, President and CEO, US Travel Association
• Christine Duffy, President, Carnival Cruise Line
• Mike Gamble, President and CEO, SearchWide Global
• Al Hutchinson, President and CEO, Visit Baltimore
• Sherrif Karamat, President and CEO, PCMA
• Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, CQIA, President and CEO, Association Forum
• Brad Mayne, President and CEO, International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM)
• Lynette Montoya, President and CEO, Latino Hotel Association
• Carrie Freeman Parsons, Chair, Freeman
• Leah Smiley, President, Society for Diversity, Inc.
• Brian Stevens, CEO, ConferenceDirect
• Paul M. VanDeventer, President and CEO, Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
• Telesa Via, VP, Sales, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants
• Carl Winston, Director of the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, San
Diego State University

“Tourism Diversity Matters offers the opportunity to reset and heal from a year filled with the most challenging moments in modern history,” said Carrie Freeman Parsons. “I am honored to be part of this
important collaboration moving all toward an inclusive environment with equitable access and participation.”

The Las Vegas live events industry is hosting a pop-up food drive distribution site for free boxes of assorted food items on Saturday, February 13th, and they need your help to serve industry workers hardest hit by the pandemic.

The food drive will be for trade show and event marketing industry people by trade show and event marketing industry people.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the challenge of food insecurity to many in our industry,” says EDPA Las Vegas Chapter President Jen LaBruzza. “Our EDPA chapter is well versed in the importance of food security with our annual food drive, and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to partner with other generous people in live events to help our industry family here in Las Vegas. It’s about being able to show some love for those in our industry and say, ‘We haven’t forgotten about you.’”

There are a number of ways you can assist in helping industry members in need through this event. You may donate money to help purchase additional food items at https://www.123signup.com/register?id=kxtnh. EDPA Las Vegas is a 501(c)3 organization, and donations are eligible for charitable deductions. Or if you are in the Las Vegas area and able help pack food boxes on Friday, Feb. 12, please email Martha Donato at m.donato@madeventmanagement.com.

If you need help, the Las Vegas Live Events Industry Food Drive will be held Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Las Vegas. To confidentially reserve a spot for curbside pick-up, please register at https://www.123signup.com/register?id=kxtdh. You will be provided with the pick-up location after registering. Please be prepared to show your ESCA or union badge or an industry business card when picking up your food box.

About EDPA Las Vegas
The Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA), founded in 1954, is an internationally recognized national trade association with more than 300 corporate members from 18 countries that are engaged in the design, manufacture, transport, installation and service of displays and exhibits primarily for the exhibition and event industry. The EDPA Las Vegas chapter was formed in the early 1990s and holds regular meetings, including a charity golf tournament in conjunction with EDPA Foundation in June. www.edpalv.com

GUESTX 2021 Session Spotlight
Inclusive Inclusion – How To Be Inclusive With Social Isolation & Making Your Venue Inclusive For All
Thursday, February 11 – 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM CST 

Join KultureCity, Charleston Gaillard Center, and Prudential Center for a conversation about social isolation, sensory diversity and how to get our venues ready to reopen to promote sensory inclusion, diversity and also enhance guest satisfaction and venue revenue post pandemic.

PANEL OVERVIEW

Moderator: Uma Srivastava, Chief Operating Officer at KultureCity

Panelists:

• Julian Maha, Founder KultureCity
• Dominique Wilkins, Vice President Of Basketball & Special Advisor To The Ceo, Atlanta Hawks, & Board Chairman Of Kulturecity
• Brandi Rhodes, Chief Brand Officer of All Elite Wrestling, KultureCity Advocate, Actor & Television Personality
• Daniel Malandruccolo, Director, Guest Services New Jersey Devils/Prudential Center
• Kiana Z. Kim, Director of Production at The Charleston Gaillard Center & IAVM Foundation 30|UNDER|30 Class of 2019

If you have not already registered for GuestX 2021, there’s still time! Simply click here to register now! We hope to “see” you at virtual GuestX 2021!

By R.V. Baugus

These days we need mental strategies to merely cope with life as much as we need any other resource to call on. Times are stressful, uncertainty about the future continues to abound, and yet we are still asked to perform, to get results, to meet expectations, and to otherwise continue going down the road of life.

It isn’t easy, but Justin Anderson, Psy.d., LP., CMPC, Sport and Performance Psychologist, Founder & CEO of Premier Sport Psychology in Edina, MN, has some valuable insights to share on February 10 during his presentation at GuestX on Building a Resilient Mind: Applying Mental Strategies That Elite Performers Utilize to Manage Highly Adverse Situations.

Dr. Anderson is acknowledged for his work for teams in the NFL NBA, and MLB, and will discuss several strategies that can optimize our mindsets to improve our mental-toughness and well-being – even when we are fatigued, over-stressed and under pressure. Oh, and you don’t have to be a performer in the major sports leagues to reap the benefits of Dr. Anderson’s expertise.

He spent a few minutes visiting with us about his background, about his upcoming presentation, and about how every attendee will benefit from participating.

If you will, share a little about your background and how you came to start and lead Premier Sport Psychology.

I got into sport psychology because I was fascinated with the question of why some athletes could perform well in the clutch and others (who were more talented) didn’t play to their potential. I believed it had to do with the mental aspect of the game because of some of my experiences in playing baseball and football. I started Premier Sport Psychology because there weren’t a lot of resources available for people and athletes who wanted to optimize how they thought and performed. There were a lot of clinics to help people who were struggling with mental health, but no one working on the positive psychology front. Plus, there weren’t many jobs available for young sport and performance psychologists, so I decided to carve out my own path. Today, we are grateful for our success and for all the lives we’ve been able to impact. It truly has been a rewarding ride.

What does “training our minds” mean?

We found that the mind fires very much like a muscle group in our bodies. We know now that when we think certain ways and get repetition in that thinking, we can actually strengthen our neural pathways. Our minds have a natural reaction to certain stimuli in our environment. Sometimes this natural course isn’t ideal for the result we seek, so we have to retrain the mind to hold its attention to variables that lead us to accomplish the goals we hope to obtain versus just leaving it to chance. Basically, we can train our minds to be prepared for certain sensations (anxiety) or distractions (crowd noises/babies crying, etc.) and still hold our attention/focus on the task we desire to complete. Without the training, we are leaving our minds to operate from its natural state, which may not be optimally effective for the situations we wish to navigate.

It goes without saying that today we are facing more adverse situations than most of us ever have in our lifetimes. Do these experiences change the way you do your training in the people you work with and how?

We are doing most of our work virtually today. In the past, we preferred to meet in person, but with technology advancing, we’ve actually found that we can do work all over the country. And, because so many people are needing help and want to find new ways to grow and navigate these incredibly adverse times, we’ve been very busy working with individuals and organizations (not just in the sport industry) from all over the country. We have seen a very large increase in leaders seeking cognitive training to help them navigate the many issues that 2020/2021 has created.

Athletes have to be at their optimum in all facets to perform at the high levels in which they compete. What are some strategies you use in working with them that can translate to the rest of us?

One skill we start with that can be effective for anyone is to practice simple mindfulness exercises. Mindfulness is just the act of gaining more awareness of where our attention gravitates towards. Those that have more awareness of their thinking can then begin to assess if their minds are working for them or against them in certain situations. For example, if you find that your mind tends to drift/gravitate to the future more often than the present or past, there is a good chance you will experience more anxiety. If your mind gets stuck in the past (i.e., perhaps focusing on a regretful interaction), people tend to feel more depressed. We find that the present moment thinking is where we feel most settled, we also perform the best – so there is a tremendous benefit to being present. For example, fully paying attention to what we are eating or what we are doing can significantly enhance the experience. We once took an NHL team through an exercise of mindfully eating a Starburst. We placed one piece of the square candy in front of them, we then asked them to pick it up and notice the texture of the wrapper and describe what they noticed (color, smoothness of the wrapper, size, weight, smell, etc.). We then asked them to unwrap the piece of candy and again just observe what they noticed. At this point, many described how much their mouths were watering, how good the candy smelled, and how eager they were to eat it. Finally, we asked them to place the candy in their mouth and again mindfully pay attention to their senses. They were blown away at how great that small piece of candy tasted. This small exercise can create some simple joyful moments within the mundane and redundant days we face during this pandemic.

Venue managers have stressful jobs juggling many balls at the same time and working unusual hours. How will you communicate in your session what these individuals need to know with regard to the subject matter you are presenting?

With any group that we work with, we always want to make our tools as applicable to their situation as possible. The exciting thing that most of our clients find, is that we are having to “perform” every day. The long hours, managing stressful situations, managing teammates, attempting to stay motivated, dealing with less than ideal circumstances have ties to any occupation – sport just showcases it. We get to see athletes and performers deal with these types of circumstances in real-time, but the concepts we train are fundamental to anyone wanting to become healthier (mentally), happier, and more successful in any occupation.

Stress gets tossed about these days almost as a cliche. We all know it is real. How would you give your personal working definition of stress?

Stress is our perception of our abilities to manage the tasks and environment we find ourselves within. If we feel we can confidently manage it, we feel less stress but, after a certain amount of time, we may feel boredom. So, some stress is good for us. It keeps us sharp. How we perceive stress (i.e., see it as a challenge/good thing or see it as a horrible thing) can impact our health significantly. Therefore, coming back to using mindfulness to assess our perception of stress can be a good first step.

What would be a main takeaway or two you would like to leave attendees with to take back to the job and personal life?

Your mind ultimately will impact your overall wellness, happiness, and success. Many people have endured very difficult times and come out stronger from them. My hope is that by attending our session, people within the IAVM will take away a few tools to help them navigate any situation they currently find themselves within.

By R.V. Baugus

The Arizona Coyotes became the first National Hockey League team to welcome fans back when 2,274 attended the January 14 game against the San Jose Sharks. The number fell below the maximum of 3,450 allowed, or 25 percent capacity at Gila River Arena. The team played more home games in January for fans to attend.

“Our arena capacity is 17,125 but the City of Glendale approved 25% capacity (3,450) for our home games at Gila River Arena in January. We have reduced that capacity to 2,600 to increase safety and social distancing,” Rich Nairn, Executive Vice President, Communications & Broadcasting, explained to IAVM.

Most any team will admit that hearing at least some home fans encouraging the team is better than the piped in noise that many venues must do to simulate crowds while still waiting for clearance to bring guests into venues.

“The fan response has been incredibly positive,” Nairn said. “They have been impressed with all the safety measures we have put in place.”

Nairn added that some staff has been hired back to accommodate a bigger workload with fans in attendance, but that the actual number is confidential.

As for his own experience at the arena, Nairn said, “The experience has been good. We feel very safe and we all undergo daily testing.”