The National Football League announced that it is planning for 22,000 fans to be in attendance at Super Bowl LV, including around 7,500 vaccinated health care workers. The big game takes place on February 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, home to the participating Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who will battle the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

The NFL plans to honor health care workers for their service during COVID-19, with 14,500 additional fans to be in attendance at the game. The majority of these health care workers – all of whom will have received both doses of the vaccine – will come from hospitals and health care systems in the Tampa and central Florida area. They will receive free Super Bowl tickets and gameday experiences directly from the NFL. All 32 NFL clubs will select vaccinated health care workers from their communities to attend the Super Bowl.

“These dedicated health care workers continue to put their own lives at risk to serve others, and we owe them our ongoing gratitude,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “We hope in a small way that this initiative will inspire our country and recognize these true American heroes. This is also an opportunity to promote the importance of vaccination and appropriate health practices, including wearing masks in public settings.”

The announcement followed discussions with public health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Department of Health, and area hospitals and health care systems. The League said these officials reviewed and provided feedback on the NFL’s comprehensive plans for safe fan attendance at a stadium that hosted Buccaneers fans during the regular season.

The League said Super Bowl plans enhance the already rigorous COVID-19 protocols implemented by NFL clubs that hosted more than 1.2 million fans at 116 games throughout the regular season and playoffs.

These protocols include mandatory mask-wearing, social-distancing, and other measures to prevent the spread of the virus. This includes podded seating, touchless in-stadium experiences at concessions, restrooms, and security checkpoints, as well as controlled entry and egress. In November, the NFL and payment services brand Visa detailed plans to make the Super Bowl game a cash-free event from this season.

Derrick Brooks and Will Weatherford, co-chairs of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee, said: “While this was already shaping up to be the most meaningful Super Bowl in our hometown’s history, the NFL deciding to welcome and honor our local vaccinated healthcare workers to Super Bowl LV takes the importance of the event to an all new level.

“The unsolicited outpouring of appreciation that we’ve received in support of this initiative from our local healthcare workers across the community has been truly amazing. These heroes inspire us every day, so we couldn’t be more thankful to the NFL for working to safely create this monumental effort to celebrate them.”

By Samantha Marker

In 2020, three AEG employees graduated from the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Fully Employed Master of Business Administration (FEMBA) program as a result of the unique partnership formed between AEG and Pepperdine University (Pepperdine) in 2016. As part of the partnership, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, a number of AEG’s staff were afforded the chance to participate in the University’s prestigious MBA program, helping make this momentous achievement possible four years later.

Congratulations to STAPLES Center, Microsoft Theater, and L.A. LIVE employees Brittney Garza, security operations manager; Austin Caldwell, director premium business intelligence; and Kayla Kilpatrick, event sales manager, for earning their MBA degrees. Garza received hers in August 2020 while Caldwell and Kilpatrick graduated most recently in December 2020. Both Caldwell and Garza earned their degrees with a concentration in global business, and Kilpatrick graduated with a concentration in leadership and managing organizational change. Caldwell and Kilpatrick both graduated with honors as a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the international business honor society for AACSB-accredited schools.

Pepperdine and AEG formed an innovative partnership, which began in the fall of 2016 with one goal in mind: to work together to create world-class educational programs in sports and entertainment management. Since that time, Pepperdine has been named the exclusive Education Partner of STAPLES Center, L.A. LIVE, and the LA Kings, and the two organizations have engaged in an unprecedented collaboration, advancing the University’s goal to position itself as a highly visible and active participant in the vibrant Los Angeles community.

“We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Pepperdine, which has allowed us to work in support of education as well as the next generation of leaders in the sports and entertainment industry,” said Nick Baker, chief operating officer, AEG Global Partnerships. “These most recent graduates are a testament to this great relationship and we look forward to seeing their careers and achievements grow both at AEG and across the industry at large.”

“I am extremely proud that, through Pepperdine’s partnership with AEG, we at Graziadio have had the opportunity to form and support tomorrow’s sports and entertainment leaders with a premiere business education,” said Deryck J. van Rensburg, dean of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. “I have no doubt the exceptional students from AEG will become Best for the World Leaders. We at Graziadio look forward to innovating and expanding upon the AEG partnership.”

Through its relationship with AEG, Pepperdine remains steadfast in its commitment to leadership in entertainment, media, and sports as the University’s portfolio of innovative academic programs continues to grow. AEG and Pepperdine also partnered in the launch of a new internship program, which has offered more than 30 Pepperdine graduate and undergraduate students the opportunity to work directly with AEG and STAPLES Center professionals in a major sports venue.

Samantha Marker is Manager, Communications & Social Media for STAPLES Center/Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.

The Events Industry Council (EIC) released the latest deliverable from the APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force: the Resources for Business Continuity Accepted Practices Guide.

The new guide focuses on:

How organizations prepare for future crises or disruptions, such as the current global pandemic
How businesses reliant on in-person events navigate through a crisis when such traditional in-person event models are not possible
Curating business continuity resources for event professionals
Understanding and implementing value-based adaptions and innovations

To access the resource, click here.

By Convention Center Staff and R.V. Baugus

Working in the public assembly venue industry, we all know, can get into one’s blood, regardless of the position served and regardless of the sector type.

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center would like to extend gratitude and congratulate Mr. Willard Trosclair, the Facility Attendant in the Building Maintenance Department, on his retirement after an admirable 36-year career. Trosclair joined the New Orleans Convention Center in January 1984 prior to the facility’s first use as the Louisiana Pavilion of the World’s Fair in May 1984.

MTrosclair is the longest tenured employee at the Center and is a well-known presence around the facility. He celebrated his final day at the Center on January 13 2021.

“Being employed at a single establishment for more than three-and-a-half decades is an outstanding accomplishment. We are so proud of our entire team for fostering a culture of dedication and achievement, and Willard Trosclair epitomizes what it means to be a loyal, tenured part of our extraordinary team,” said Michael J. Sawaya, Convention Center President.

“Willard has been a staple of our facility for the last 36 years. While we are sad to see him go, we are incredibly grateful for his service and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement,” Sawaya continued.

By ISSA and R.V. Baugus

Raymond James Stadium plans to welcome about 22,000 spectators for the championship game on Feb. 7, 2021, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and the city’s very own Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, Lucas Oil Stadium will host the NCAA quarterfinals in late March and the semifinals in early April. Each stadium fulfilled 20 program elements to achieve accreditation and display the GBAC STAR accreditation seal.

The latest list of facilities to achieve GBAC STAR™ accreditation also includes the world’s first children’s museum and arboretum in Salt Lake City’s Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum and Red Butte Garden and Arboretum.

“The goal of GBAC STAR accreditation is twofold. First and foremost, it helps protect frontline employees and cleaning staff from biological risks,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “It also gives the public confidence to enter these accredited facilities knowing that they understand how best to clean, disinfect, and prevent infectious disease outbreaks.”

GBAC STAR teaches the proper protocols, correct disinfection techniques, and cleaning best practices for biohazard situations like the novel coronavirus. The accreditation is valid for one year, at which point facilities undergo a reaccreditation process to showcase their ongoing commitment to maintaining safe and clean spaces. To date, more than 1,100 facilities around the world have achieved GBAC STAR accreditation and an additional 2,700 are currently pursuing the designation.

This week, the following facilities have earned GBAC STAR accreditation, the gold standard for facility preparedness:

Arenas and Stadiums
Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, home to the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Sports Authority) in Tampa, Fla., home to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Olympia Entertainment, Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, home of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons
Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas

Convention Center
Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas
Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Va.
Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center in Grapevine, Texas
Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis

Performing Arts Centers
Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Vina Robles Amphitheatre in Paso Robles, Calif.

Theaters
Riverside Theater in Milwaukee.

“As the novel coronavirus pandemic demonstrates, infectious disease can spiral out of control when we’re ill prepared,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “With GBAC STAR accreditation, we’re giving facilities the tools to prepare for, respond to, and recover from outbreaks so they can protect their customers and employees, even during times of uncertainty.”

For more information about GBAC STAR™ facility accreditation, visit gbac.org/star

To locate facilities that have achieved or are in the process of earning accreditation, visit 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/!