Thank you to those who responded quickly yesterday to a targeted email (sent to members who participated in the Advocacy webinar on 12/2) asking to include your venue in the attached letters (House/Senate).  These letters were delivered to the bi-partisan group of House and Senate members working on COVID relief this morning.  The letter urges them and Congress to include publicly owned venues in the next COVID relief bill by expanding eligibility to publicly owned venues under the PPP and also includes them in any new grant or assistance program to help live event organizations.

Please reach out directly to your House and Senate representatives TODAY with a personal note and attach the appropriate letter.  Below is an example from IAVM member, Michael Marion, CVE to help get you started.

Dear Senator Cotton,

It seems the Problem Solvers Caucus bipartisan COVID proposal doesn’t allow for government owned arenas like ours to qualify for PPP. It appears to only cover independently owned venues, such as night clubs. As the year draws to a close, we have still not received any assistance from the Cares Act. Even though we have made numerous cuts and furloughed much of our staff, our reserve fund is running low. As we don’t receive any taxpayer funding, our options are becoming limited. Qualifying for assistance would make a real difference in the future of the arena. Could you help get this point across to your colleagues? Thank you for all you do for Arkansas. 

If you didn’t receive the email yesterday, we still need your assistance by reaching out to your congressional delegation with the attached information.

For those members who don’t represent publicly created venues, you can still help by crafting a slightly different message to your congressional delegation in support of your colleagues.

Time is running out for legislation to be approved by the end of the year.  Please share with your contract administrators as well to spread the word.

Thanks for all that you are doing.  Stay Well!

Tammy Koolbeck, CVE

IAVM Board Past Chair

 

Your Foundation Proudly Presents
The 30|UNDER|30 Class of 2020 Spotlight
Sponsored by Ungerboeck 

KATY LANG
Director of Education & Community Engagement, The Grand Theater in Wausau, WI

 

Katy Lang is the Director of Education and Community Engagement at The Grand Theater in Wausau, WI. She manages numerous events and programs at The Grand, including student matinee performances, a high school musical theater performance ensemble, and dozens of community engagement events. She is proud to introduce over 17,000 students each year to amazing arts programs at the very same venue where she first experienced the power of the performing arts.

“When I received notification that I was selected as part of the 30|Under|30 Class of 2020, I not only felt appreciated and supported, but I also immediately felt motivated to continue to work hard to live up to this honor. I am also thrilled to be recognized alongside so many other talented and hardworking young professionals.”

Join your Foundation in congratulating Katy 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!

Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in November 2020. Thank you for being a part of the association! Also, let us get to know you better by participating in the I Am Venue Management series. Please visit http://www.iavm.org/i-am-venue-management-share-your-story to share your story and photo.

Ramona Adams, The Center for the Performing Arts, Carmel, IN

Andra Bennett, Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth, TX

Mindy Biladeau, Lansing Center, Lansing, MI

Katie Brejda, Infinite Energy Center, Duluth, GA

Anthony Colangelo, Boise Centre, Boise, ID

Kyle Conway, State Farm Arena – Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta, GA

Nikki Davis, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD

Lucas Fox, Otterbein University, Westerville, OH

Lane Ganong, Edmonton Convention Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Allena Jeremiah, California State University, Chico, Chico, CA

Chris Kinnard, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas, Dallas, TX

Christine Latch, Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, TX

Lauren McCullough, State Farm Arena – Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta, GA

Mike Medeiros, Rogers Centre/Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto, ON, Canada

Monte Ortel, Infinite Energy Center, Duluth, GA

Rich Peterson, Renasant Convention Center, Memphis, TN

Pamela Rambo-Sexton, Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth, TX

Dorian Shelton, Chartway Arena at the Ted Constant Convocation Center, Norfolk, VA

Wynston Waller, Phoenix Convention Center & Venues, Phoenix, AZ

Brooklyn Nets owner BSE Global has announced several executive hiring including Adina Erwin as General Manager of Barclays Center, after most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Business Operations at TD Garden Arena in Boston.

“We are thrilled to welcome five top executives into our business operations,” BSE Global CEO John Abbamondi said in a statement. “The executives are accomplished leaders in their respective fields, and their incredibly deep expertise will be instrumental as we prepare for an NBA season like no other. I am extremely excited and look forward to working with them to take our fan experience to the next level.”

Prior to TD Garden, Erwin spent 15 years at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta where she held various roles including Vice President and General Manager, and ultimately, Chief Operating Officer.

Erwin has also held various management roles at TIAA Bank Field, American Airlines Center, Vystar Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts. She has received numerous accolades including VenuesNow’s Women of Influence Award, the Women Who Mean Business Award by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and the Ray Ward Award for extraordinary contributions to IAVM’s Venue Management School, as well as serving as the chair of the Board of Trustees for the IAVM Foundation.

In other BSE announcements, Emerson Moore was named Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer; Peter Stern as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer; and Jackie Wilson, II as Executive Director of Diversity & Inclusion. Chris Giacalone was named Vice President of Hospitality at Barclays as well, announced in collaboration with venue operator partner ASM Global.

“Adina is one of the most respected venue operators in the sports and entertainment industry and we are thrilled to have her as part of the ASM family” said Bob Newman, Chairman, ASM Global. “She’s a talented leader and we are very fortunate to be able to leverage her wealth of expertise as we plan for a new NBA season at Barclays Center and look forward to a robust entertainment season sometime soon.”