Andy Long, friend to countless in the industry and most recently Director of Conferencing at Grand View University in Des Moines, IA, passed away on July 17. He was 55. In addition, Andy was employed for seven years with VenuWorks as regional vice president in 2011-2012 and also as vice president – events and entertainment from 2007-2014.

As tributes continue pouring in on Andy’s Facebook page perhaps the comment shared by Tamera Frank Skrovan sums it up best: “As I’ve followed all these tributes to Andy, it strikes me that many of us met/spent time with him at specific segments of our lives and we all benefitted from the same Andy: joyful, thoughtful, energetic, optimistic, talented. And, even as we moved on from those life stages and miles separates us, we still felt his love. What a great gift Andy was to all of us!

“Anyone who ever knew Andy Long for any length of time was bound to hear him use his favorite line from the movie Animal House. He’d extend his hand and say, ‘Andy Long, rush chairman, damn glad to meet you!’ He had a heart full of good will and a smile that could light up any room. And I swear he knew somebody in every town in America! His super power was friendship. Andy was in his element when opening new venues, and we opened a lot of them together. You could go to any of those venues today, and I guarantee there would be somebody there ready to tell an ‘Andy Story.’ And that is an incredible legacy,” said Steve Peters, CVE, VenuWorks President.

The following moving obituary was penned largely by Robert John Ford, playwright and Andy’s longtime friend.

Andy Eugene Long was born on November 17, 1964 to Ray and Joan (Miller) Long in Marshalltown, Iowa, the yoest of three children. He attended grade school in Melbourne and graduated from West Marshall High School in 1983. Andy grew up in a small town with a close-knit community; his father owned a gas station – the site of many shenanigans – and his mother was the church organist. Andy and his siblings, Dwight and Jody, made up the rest of the church music team, singing for services and leading worship. He and Dwight also ran small businesses in town, including a paper route and lawn-mowing business; on his route, Andy was known for taking breaks to share a glass of lemonade and a cartoon or two with his customers. Childhood blessings also included close proximity to his grandparents, with whom he was very close, and summers at Clear Lake, which left him with fond memories of weekends at the family cabin.

After graduating from high school, Andy attended Iowa State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. During his time there, he was a devoted member of the fraternity Alpha Tau Omega, and he was an avid performer, spending his spare time on campus singing and producing musicals, and his summers on Adventureland’s “Soda ‘n’ Sounds” stage. After graduation, he remained a lifelong fan of the Cyclones, and loved spending Saturdays at ISU games.

Upon receiving his degree, Andy did what most of us only dream of as children – he ran away and joined the circus, serving as the Regional Marketing Director for Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus for 2 years. He then spent the next 24 years in event venue management: first as a Director of Marketing, which took him to Dayton, OH, Ames, IA, and Charleston, SC; next, he moved to Wilkes Barre, PA, where he was the General Manager of the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza; after that, he returned to Iowa to serve as the General Manager for the Iowa Events Center; finally, he held various executive positions with Venuworks. Most recently, he brought his event management experience to Grandview University as Director of Conferencing.

Over the years, in addition to assembling an impressive collection of photos with the many celebrities who played his buildings, including Elton John, Cher, Neil Diamond, Reba McIntire, AC/DC, and more, Andy also assembled a collection of true VIPs in his life, most notably a young woman named Karen Van Riessen, whom he met in 1990. Like the thousands of people who had previously encountered Andy, she succumbed to his charms – only this time, Andy became hopelessly devoted to her in return, and they were married September of 1993. He loved fiercely, and always kept Karen laughing, even when he was “patiently” playing the piano while waiting for her to get ready.

Together, they welcomed their first child, daughter Samantha, in 1996, and completed their family quartet with the birth of their son Eric in 2001. His family (including two beloved English bulldogs) became his life – his pride, his joy, his strength, his inspiration, his greatest achievement, and his de facto test audience for his infinite Dad jokes. Along with coaching both kids in various sports, he beamed with pride at every one of his children’s musical performances, and he loved to volunteer at their events. As per anyone’s request (or not), he would share their videos at a moment’s notice.

Andy excelled at engaging an audience. He was, in the best sense, a human magnet – he exuded a force that no one within his sphere could resist. He took command of any room he entered, and genuinely enjoyed striking up conversations with strangers – not because he felt that he was someone to get to know, but because he felt that every person was someone worth getting to know. And then, as if his gift of friendship wasn’t enough, he felt the need to keep the people in his life endlessly entertained. Music was Andy’s constant companion, and he knew it was a gift he had to share; therefore, no piano within his sight remained unplayed, no Muppets song was left unsung, no occasion was too formal for a mediocre Elvis impersonation. However, he never did this for the benefit of himself – it was always to bring joy to everyone else.

All this to say that, whether he be the loving husband/father/son/brother/uncle, or the leader in his workplace, or the truest of friends, Andy always knew his role and played it to perfection. His superpower was optimism – an unwavering belief in the good in humanity, the good in this moment, and the good that was still yet to come. It was this “always look on the bright side of life” attitude about his health challenges that made it easy to believe he was invincible. Of course, no one is invincible, but for those who love and remember him, Andy’s spirit will never truly be gone.

He is survived by his wife, Karen; children, Samantha Long of Houston, TX and Eric Long of Johnston, IA; father, Ray (Patt) Long of Ankeny, IA; brother, Dwight (Lynn) Long of Johnston, IA; sister, Jody (Bob) Gibbs of Rhodes, IA; brother-in-law, Verl Van Riessen of Cape Coral, FL; brother-in-law, Mark (Susan) Van Riessen of Urbandale, IA; nieces, nephews, and extended family members.

He was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Joan Long, and his grandparents.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the family in loving memory of Andy. Additionally, close friends of the Long family have established a GoFundMe page to assist with medical, funeral and educational expenses at Andy Long GoFundMe Account.

The family invites you to view the service on Friday, July 24, at 11 am via live stream on Friday by clicking here.

David M. Olson, former Communications Director at VenuWorks, died Friday, July 17, 2020 at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, IA. He was 77. Following cremation, Dave’s cremated remains will be scattered by his family at a special place.

In his memory, support your local performing arts and please make memorial contributions, made in Dave’s name, to the Israel Family Hospice House, 400 South Dakota Avenue, Ames, Iowa 50014.

Online condolences may be directed to www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com

“Dave Olson has been an important part of my life for nearly fifty years,” said Steve Peters, CVE, President of VenuWorks. “We had worked together at the University of Iowa Center for the Arts and the Iowa State (University) Center before he came to work with us in 1998, the third person hired for the corporate office of what was then Compass, now VenuWorks. He carried himself with a quiet wisdom and a ready smile. He had a dry wit, and a calm demeanor that made him unflappable in even the most stressful of situations. He was my mentor and friend. Always bearded and philosophical, with an almost magical twinkle in his eye, he was our Obi-Wan.”

At the end of July the DOJ will hold hearings regarding the consent decrees currently in place for ASCAP/BMI. As venue operators we are already in very uncertain times and the elimination or modification to the current decrees would result in further financially impacting anyone who remits licensing fees to ASCAP & BMI. As a reminder, BMI is hoping to not only license music but extend licensing to other revenue streams such as parking, concessions, merchandise and so on. What is most disturbing about the upcoming hearings are the actual panelists who are participating in the upcoming hearings. We have learned that members of the MIC Coalition that some members who have asked to be a part of the discussion have been turned down so any possible advocacy we might submit will not be heard.

There is an open comment period which ends July 22, 2020. I strongly encourage you to lend your voice to this by letting the DOJ know you support maintaining the current consent decrees. Now is not the time to modify or eliminate the decrees. Sample language is below as well as the email address to submit comments to (and of course you may modify your comments as you see fit):

I strongly recommend that the consent decrees remain as they are. Any changes will undoubtedly result in increased fees being levied against thousands of performance venues located in both large and small towns throughout America. Many of these venues are already facing financial losses in the billions and the recovery of the venues that are not forced to permanently close due to the pandemic will be years not months. We are not underwritten by government or local municipalities but rely solely on revenue earned through the sale of tickets. Now is not the time to make any changes to the existing consent decrees.

ATR.MusicLicensing-Workshop@usdoj.gov

I challenge all venues who hold ASCAP & BMI licenses to take a few moments to submit comments to the DOJ. 

I am happy to answer any questions anyone may have via my email.

Shelly Kleppsattel
Chair, Industry Affairs Committee, IAVM

By R.V. Baugus and ISSA

From Los Angeles to New Orleans, several convention centers and lodging facilities across the United States have recently secured GBAC STAR™ facility accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. By providing third-party validation, GBAC STAR’s 20-step, performance-based program helps facilities of all sizes establish and maintain an effective system of cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention.

Recently accredited facilities include:

Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles
Malibu Beach Inn Hotel & Spa in Malibu, Calif.
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans
Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park, Kan.
Palm Beach County Convention Center in Palm Beach, Fla.
Peak 8 Properties in Breckenridge, Colo.
San Diego Convention Center in San Diego
STAPLES Center in Los Angeles
The Westin Galleria Dallas in Dallas

As you can see, many of the venues above represent IAVM members, who shared what gaining the accreditation means to their venues as well as the industry.

“The health and safety of our guests and employees is our top priority, and we recognize the important role that cleaning plays in reducing the risk of contamination and transmission,” said Brett C. Mitchell, CVE, General Manager, Overland Park Convention Center. “The GBAC STAR program has helped us clearly outline and implement a plan for prevention, response, and recovery that will create a safer space for everyone that walks through our doors.”

“Our San Diego Convention Center team continues to demonstrate leadership in the industry, said Karen Totaro, CVE, Chief Operating Officer. “Our center was one of only six convention centers nationwide that GBAC invited to participate in a task force to develop industry-specific considerations and protocol templates for extending
their esteemed accreditation program to our sector.”

“We are committed to ensuring the health and safety of our employees, guests and attendees at the Orange County Convention Center,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “By incorporating some of the most stringent protocols of the GBAC STAR program into our recovery and resiliency plan, we continue to work hard to recover from this public health crisis.”

“We know that when the time is right for our guests, athletes, artists, and our team members to experience the incredible energy within STAPLES Center again that our GBAC STAR accreditation demonstrates that we are taking the proper precautions to protect everyone once it is safe to host events again,” said Lee Zeidman, President, STAPLES Center. “We are honored to be one of the first GBAC STAR accredited arenas leading the way in maintaining cleanliness and continuing to make the safety of everyone our number one priority.”

“At the outbreak of the pandemic, we recognized that our clients and their attendees will expect first-in-class protocols to be in place when they return, and we have been working earnestly to help lead the industry in establishing and implementing new health and safety protocols,” said Michael J. Sawaya, President of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. “In addition to achieving the GBAC STARTM accreditation, we engaged an industrial hygienist team of experts, which includes multiple former high-ranking government health and safety officials, to provide additional confidence to both our internal and external customers that we have gone above and beyond.”

“This is an important step in the eventual, safe and responsible reopening of the Anaheim Convention Center,” said Tom Morton, executive director of Convention, Sports & Entertainment for the city of Anaheim. “Event organizers and attendees can have confidence that our facility meets the highest standards of cleaning, disinfection and prevention. This accreditation is one part of a larger, comprehensive plan that will guide the Anaheim Convention Center in safely resuming meetings, conferences and conventions when the time is right.”

Palm Beach County Convention Center and The Westin Galleria Dallas pursued their accreditation through their respective destinations’ (Discover the Palm Beaches and Visit Dallas) support of GBAC STAR. Discover the Palm Beaches has committed to pursuing GBAC STAR for a wide range of its hospitality businesses in Palm Beach County, Fla. Visit Dallas has teamed up with the Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District to implement and fund the GBAC STAR accreditation effort for its member hotels, plus select city-owned venues.

In addition to these newly accredited facilities, American Airlines announced its commitment to achieving GBAC STAR accreditation, making it the first airline to commit to the program. By the end of 2020, American Airlines expects to receive full accreditation for its entire fleet and lounges.

“We’re excited to see so many organizations commit and follow through to earn GBAC STAR accreditation,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “Whether it’s an airplane, hotel property, expansive event space, or a local foodservice establishment, GBAC STAR provides the necessary knowledge, tools and resources to meet the new standard of cleanliness and limit future outbreaks.”

As the industry’s only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation, GBAC STAR offers expert-led training and assesses a facility’s preparedness for biorisk situations. More than 2,400 facilities around the globe have committed to earning GBAC STAR accreditation, and 14 have so far achieved accreditation.

“Our growing list of accredited facilities range in size and span across multiple industries but all share the same dedication to keeping staff, customers, and the public safe,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “With GBAC STAR, these organizations send a clear message that they’re prepared to respond, recover, and—most importantly—prevent outbreaks from occurring within their spaces.”

To review a full list of GBAC STAR accredited facilities, committed facilities, and industry supporters, click here.

To apply for GBAC STAR facility accreditation, visit www.gbac.org.