By R.V. Baugus

Jenny Stephens, principal and director of marketing for Denver-based Perkins&Will, has the distinct pleasure of guiding a panel discussion at the popular Empowered Women in Leadership session that takes place at VenueConnect20 on Friday, October 30 at 10:30 a.m. There is no better way to conclude this year’s virtual IAVM conference than attending what is annually one of the biggest draws at VenueConnect.

Panelists include Sporty Jeralds, CVE, University of South Carolina; Kim Pegula, Pegula Sports & Entertainment, Buffalo Bills & Buffalo Sabres; Philida Bill, Ovations Food Services, Colorado State University Football Stadium, and Francesca Leiweke-Bodie, Oak View Group.

Stephens and the panel have been prepping with excitement for the session, but for a minute she spoke with us to share some thoughts about what attendees can expect.

First, can you provide our attendees with a synopsis of some of the topics the panel will talk about?

This event is committed to inclusion. We encourage anyone of any gender identity to attend. The event focuses on the empowerment of women, including women-aligned transgender and non-binary individuals. Men and allies of women are also very encouraged to attend.

This is a “Who’s Who” of panelists! With so much great information to share, what will the format of the session be as far as the time panelists speak versus opportunities for the audience to engage and ask questions and make comments?

The first 45 minutes of the session will be prerecorded. The two moderators and I met and developed an outline of the potential questions that was distributed to the panelists in advance of the recording. There is no script; the questions will be asked in a random order and a few “back pocket” questions have been crafted allowing the moderators to call an audible if they see an opportunity to advance a topic or direction. On the day of the panel we will all join the session live, the pre-recorded portion will be played first, followed by a live question and answer session that will be facilitated by the moderators but will address live discussion from the audience.

Every year this is one of the most popular sessions at IAVM. Let’s talk about some of the strides women have made in leadership and after that, please share some of your thoughts on opportunities for continued advancement.

I think much progress has been made in the leadership of IAVM member venues since the time that I have been involved in the organization, but like so many of our country’s efforts right now, there is still a long way to go. I believe there are nuances in viewpoints and communication that have be eliminated before equality can take place as defined. We still hear conversations about how progressive organizations are for promoting women to lead roles … or someone being defined as the “female CEO”. When organizations promote someone because they are the most qualified for a job they should be viewed as being smart or strategic, not progressive. Ruth Bader Ginsberg was known to have chosen her words deliberately and specifically. It is claimed that she saw the use of adjectives as an indication that the correct noun had not been chosen. Think about female CEO in that context.

Our particular industry is one that might be considered “late coming to the party” when it examines the role of women in leadership at venues as well as within IAVM volunteer leadership. What are some practical ways that women can make a greater impact and move into these types of roles?

My response to this question is one that I use to guide most things and is quite simple. Work hard and ask for what you want. If you are told no then find out why and make the appropriate adjustments, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Anyone whose career path does not include some missteps along the way is not putting themselves out there or being honest with themselves. That being said, when you ask for something, you should not ask if you don’t feel confident you have earned it. I don’t like diversity for diversity’s sake, but rather diversity that is the right choice based on the situation and the qualified candidates.

Another piece of advice I would give is enjoy the journey. It can’t just be about success; it also has to be about personal fulfillment and fun. When I am working with younger people in my office, I encourage them to not chase the end but to be hard working, loyal, and honest in their steps along the way and the end goal will come.

It is 2025. Where would you like to see women in that year when it comes to leadership positions and being major decision-makers within organizations?

In 2025 I would love to see a percentage of women in leadership positions in equal proportion to the percentage of women in the workforce. And, if the venue operations and management industry does not have a represented number of women or minorities entering the career, it is the responsibility of the organizations to recruit, educate, and provide opportunity.

To learn more about VenueConnect 2020, or to register, please CLICK HERE.

By R.V. Baugus

Nick Schacht, Chief Global Development Officer at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and Sharoni Denise Little, Ph.D., Ed.D., Vice Dean/Senior Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and Professor, Clinical Business Communication at the University of Southern California, will present at the Executive DEI track on the topic of “Leading from the Top: Building an Inclusive Venue Culture” at VenueConnect20.

Want to know why diversity and inclusive leadership is critical in a changing venue industry? These experts have the answers and will present them in a session where you will learn why leadership, diversity and inclusion is important in creating your venue’s action plan. As leaders, you are required to lead, guide, empower and hold yourself and others accountable.

Schacht was able to take a few minutes to speak about what attendees can expect at this timely and important presentation.

VP Magazine: Our industry, much like the guests who come into our venues, is one that continues to change. Why is diversity and inclusive leadership critical as our industry prepares to meet the millions of guests who frequent our arenas, stadiums, convention centers, and performing arts theaters?

Schacht: The guests who are welcomed into venues around the world expect safe and welcoming environments. However, “safe” and “welcoming” mean different things to different people and different groups. A diverse and inclusive venue team will by its nature have a broader array of perspectives and is more likely to be attuned to the needs and expectations of an increasingly diverse population.

VP: We also hear that this same diverse and inclusive leadership is important in how a venue creates its action plan. Why is that?

Schacht: Leadership sets the tone for how the entire organization works. A venue’s action plan – typically involving a large cross-section of the venue team – should proactively consider the needs and expectations of a diverse population. Consider, for example, the varying needs of an aging population, or people with disabilities. If leadership sets an inclusive tone, then the team members developing the action plan are more likely to take an inclusive approach to their panning efforts.

VP: Much of this session stems in leading from the top. What are some of the more obvious ways that these leaders can build inclusive cultures at their venues?

Schacht: Leaders can contribute to effective inclusive cultures through their examples – their words and their actions. Establishing a conscious, articulate commitment to diversity and inclusion is the first step. This is not a one-time pronouncement, but an ongoing emphasis on inclusion in spoken and written communications. Actions need to support this commitment – and in particular, actions that support equity and equitable access to opportunity within the venue organization and operations.

VP: We as an industry are looking to have a more diverse and inclusive pool of talent leading our association as well. Are there some things in your experience that any association or workplace can do that might be different than what venues do in hiring that more diverse sector, or are they pretty much the same?

Schacht: They are pretty much the same, but IAVM should look to become a role model for members. What are the practices and approaches that IAVM can take and demonstrate, that members can then follow? How can IAVM publicize and document these successes? How can IAVM act as a “clearinghouse” for best practices from members – sharing what works, so that all venue learning curves can be accelerated?

VP: What would you like some takeaways to be from your presentation as your audiences returns to their respective venue workplaces?

Schacht: The one key takeaway is the critical role that executives/leaders play in developing and nurturing inclusive workplace cultures. If leadership is not committed to an inclusive workplace, and does not demonstrate that commitment through words and actions, then there will be no success.

Sodexo and Centerplate would like to invite IAVM members to join them for a sports-venue focused expert panel on Wednesday, October 21 at 11am ET, where proprietary research and quantitative insights by Harris Interactive – exclusively for Sodexo – will be shared focusing on consumer sentiment about attending a live sports event in the COVID-19 environment.

This is an opportunity to listen to your peers as they discuss the challenges and lessons learned on how to welcome fans back safely.

Nathalie Bellon-Szabo, CEO, Sodexo Sports and Leisure Worldwide will introduce the topic. Tim Newcomb, Sports Journalist, will moderate a panel discussion with Tom Garfinkel, Vice Chairman, CEO & President, Miami Dolphins & Hard Rock Stadium, Laurent Lachaux, Head of Sales & Partnerships for Amaury Sports Organization and Tour de France organizer, Franck Chanevas, CEO, Sodexo Sports and Leisure France & Spain and Claire Morris, Global Marketing Head, Sodexo Sports and Leisure.

To register for this timely and important event, click here.

From Ticketing Business News

Jared Smith is stepping down as global chairman of Ticketmaster at the end of the year after more than 17 years with the ticketing giant.

In August, Smith was promoted to chairman of the combined North America and International teams as it looks to become a “truly global” self-service ticketing platform.

According to the announcement published by online news website Sportico, Smith and the chief executive of Live Nation Michael Rapino have reportedly had ongoing discussions over the past few years regarding a succession plan.

Smith said that the COVID-19 pandemic provided the opportunity to make the move.

He said in an interview, Sportico reports: “The company deserves to have the person who’s going to be here long-term making the hard decisions right now of what it should look like.”

Smith will stay on through the end of the year to help with the transition.

Smith began his career at Ticketmaster in 2003 in an entry-level sales job in Birmingham, Alabama, and seven years later he was named chief operating officer following the merger with Live Nation in 2010. Three years later he was named president of its North America operation.

He said: “I owe my entire career to sports and entertainment. I love the business, the people, the dynamic relationship between the consumer and the product.

“As I evaluate opportunities, whether it’s within or outside the live event industry, the most important thing to me is finding an opportunity with great growth potential that leverages my experience of building innovative products, high performing teams and operating at real scale.”

Ticketmaster and its parent company have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down live events almost overnight in March. The majority of Live Nation’s shows were postponed or cancelled in 2020, with the company claiming that 86 per cent of fans have opted to keep tickets for rescheduled shows, as opposed to seeking refunds.

However, Live Nation’s 2020 financial results for the three months to end of June showed that its global ticketing operation posted negative revenue in the quarter, due to customer refunds.

Live Nation reported a loss of $567.5m for Q2 of 2020 in its quarterly earnings report. The firm’s revenue was $74.1m, down 98 per cent from the same period in 2019 when it reached revenue of $3.15bn.

Despite aggressive cost-cutting measures, the live entertainment giant furloughed and laid off hundreds of its North American workforce as a result of the pandemic in April. This was followed by a series of cuts in May that affected 2,100 of its 10,500 employees across multiple divisions at the company to reduce costs by $600m as live events remained dormant.

In September, it instigated a further round of furloughs across its US venues and Ticketmaster North America divisions. It is estimated that hundreds of employees have been affected by the cost-reduction measures brought on by the continued strain of COVID-19, although the exact number of cuts are unclear.

By Nancy Walker

The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), owned by the City of Los Angeles and managed by ASM Global, announced that the facility has been awarded LEED certification at the Gold level for Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EB: O&M) for the third time. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence. Through design, construction and operations practices that improve environmental and human health, LEED-certified buildings are helping to make the world more sustainable.

The LACC first achieved Silver certification in 2008 and was certified at the Gold level in 2010 and again in 2015. LACC achieved LEED Gold re-certification in recognition of implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions in areas including water savings, energy efficiency/management, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Certified under LEED V4.1 – adapting ARC Skoru platform, the new LEED guidelines ensure team effort, healthy building practices, performance oriented sustainable programs, and efforts toward zero waste.

“Achieving LEED certification is more than just implementing sustainable practices. It represents a commitment to making the world a better place and influencing others to do better,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. “Given the extraordinary importance of climate protection and the central role buildings play in that effort, the Los Angeles Convention Center is creating a path forward through their LEED certification.”

“Congratulations to the Los Angeles Convention Center for continuing to prioritize the environmental practices that have once again earned the LEED Gold re-certification. The values and goals inherent in the LEED program match with goals set forth by the City of Los Angeles and we applaud the LACC’s team for weaving these components into the fabric of their operation,” said Doane Liu, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Department of Convention & Tourism Development.

“Environmental sustainability is embedded in the Los Angeles Convention Center’s culture and is considered with every decision in our day-to-day operation,” commented Ellen Schwartz, General Manager of the Los Angeles Convention Center. “The venue is nationally recognized as a champion of environmental stewardship and social responsibility. We remain steadfast in our efforts to reduce the venue’s environmental footprint by continually seeking new sustainable practices and products.”

Nancy Walker is Vice President, Sales & Marketing at the Los Angeles Convention Center.