By Kristina Barnes and Clare LePan

The Calgary Stampede and development partner Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) unveiled the design for the expansion of the BMO Convention Centre – Calgary’s premier meetings and convention venue since 1982. This visually stunning expansion, valued at $500 million, will significantly grow and modernize the facility and enable Calgary to host major conventions on a global scale.

Last year, the Calgary Stampede and CMLC carried out a rigorous competitive process to select the internationally recognized design team now leading this transformation—Stantec, Populous and S2 Architecture. These firms, valued for their complementary experience and proven collaborative approach on major projects, have spent the past 12 months crafting a world-class design for a revamped BMO Centre that’ll enable Calgary to compete with major convention destinations the world over.

Dana Peers, President & Chairman of the Calgary Stampede Board, shares his excitement about this milestone project. “Calgary’s citizens are world-renowned for their community spirit and their drive to achieve great things,” Peers said. “When complete in 2024, the expanded BMO Centre will provide Calgary and southern Alberta a significant platform for economic diversification through growth in both the convention and tourism industries.”

Calgary Stampede CEO, Warren Connell, adds, “This project would not be possible without the support of our three orders of government, and we thank them for the opportunity to undertake this important project to support economic diversification and job creation for our region.” The BMO Centre will be the largest conference facility in western Canada (and the country’s second largest after Toronto’s) and will launch Calgary as a bona fide competitor in the international meetings and conventions industry.

“The Government of Canada is making historic investments in infrastructure projects that create jobs in the short term and support significant growth for the local economy. The BMO Centre’s expansion will help drive tourism activity in Calgary and generate more foot traffic for local businesses in and around Stampede Park,” said the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “I am pleased to be a partner in this important project and look forward to continue working together to build a better, more prosperous, and more resilient Alberta and Canada.”

The raw numbers are impressive—over 1 million square feet of total floor space, including 350,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, and more than double its current rentable area—but more important, the new facility will espouse, inside and out, today’s best practices in premier conference facility design. The interior spaces will be ample and adaptable; meeting rooms will be wired for instant connectivity; flexible breakout areas will facilitate those all-important human connections; and outdoor spaces will invite attendees to experience the natural surroundings, diverse amenities and western hospitality Calgary is rightfully famous for.

“As we prepare Calgary for the future, solidifying our role as the ultimate host city will be a major driver of jobs and economic activity. The expanded BMO Centre is going to be a major draw for tourism and travel,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “From design to function, I’m confident this building will capture the attention of event organizers from around the world, creating opportunities for our local economy for decades to come.”

The BMO Centre expansion is significant also for being a keystone project set to catalyze the transformation of east Victoria Park into Calgary’s Culture & Entertainment District.

“This project defines an incredibly important phase in realizing the Calgary Stampede’s and CMLC’s long-term vision for east Victoria Park and Stampede Park,” says Kate Thompson, CMLC president and CEO. “The mission shared by the whole BMO project team—Together we will design a world-class facility that celebrates Calgary, captures the Stampede Spirit, connects the city with the Rivers District and activates the site all year long—speaks to this commitment.”

“An expanded BMO Centre will bring new energy, talent, and revenue into our city while adding another world-class attraction to the area,” Thompson said. “This design reveal is confirmation that our vision for the city’s Culture & Entertainment District is truly coming to fruition—and I couldn’t be prouder of what the team has accomplished so far.”

The announcement comes at a time when, in a typical year, Calgary would be preparing to host the world at the annual 10-day community celebration. Although the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the Calgary Stampede, all project partners remain fully committed to the project and enthusiastic about the opportunities it heralds for the city.

“This exciting project will not only enhance the world-class infrastructure in Calgary but will create jobs in this city when they are needed most. Once complete, this upgrade will continue to positively impact the Calgary economy, as conventions and events from around the world take advantage of the BMO Centre, creating jobs and supporting the hospitality sector,” said Jason Kenny, Premier of Alberta.

Kristina Barnes is Manager, Communications & Media Relations, for the Calgary Stampede, and Clare LePan is Vice President, Marketing and Communications, CMLC.

By Stacie Bauer

In times of such great uncertainty and social distancing, event organizations worldwide are relying on technology to rethink their events and bring live events back safely. It is important, now more than ever, that event professionals invest in learning technology and best practices applicable to the industry to prepare for the future.

Ungerboeck recognizes this and is pleased to announce the launch of its role-based certification program. This is open to all Ungerboeck customers. These certifications are designed to validate that event professionals have globally recognized skills and abilities with the Ungerboeck platform required for a given role in their industry.

Ungerboeck has developed 4 certification paths that consist of passing a series of exams to earn certification in a specific event field:
• Venue Sales & Operations
• Registration
• Exhibitions
• Financials

These certification paths are tiered based on proficiency level from Associate, to Professional, to Administrator.

“The digital transformation of events businesses has always been important but never before has the use and learning of technology been so imperative to the future of the industry. Two of the most important elements of success with technology are learning and change management. We are thrilled to be offering high quality online learning and a certification program that gives our customers and their employees the tools they need to ensure success in their digital journey. We are very excited and overwhelmed with the customer response received so far,” said Manish Chandak, President & CEO of Ungerboeck.

With a growing need for professionals to keep their skills up to date in a very competitive environment, the Ungerboeck Certification program offers event professionals the opportunity to stand out and advance their career at the time they need it the most.

Ungerboeck is offering complimentary access to their Associate Level Certification Program and unlimited online learning to all their customers until 31st December 2020.

Request access here.

Stacie Bauer is Event & Sponsorship Coordinator, Marketing, at Ungerboeck.

Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in May 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.

Virginia Arana, Centro Internacional de Congresos de Yucatan, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

Joaquin Jose Aranda, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, School of Design and Arts, Manila, Philippines

Robert Arenson, US1 Corporation, Doral, FL, United States

Jarrod Bradford, Wharton Center for Performing Arts at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States

Forest Callaway, Rose Quarter, Portland, OR, United States

Genaya Cameron, Halifax Convention Centre/Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada

Trevor Chesler, ASM Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, United States

Yang Clark, Bradley Corporation, Menomonee Falls, WI, United States

Jeremiah Clubb, Oklahoma City Convention Center/ASM Global, Oklahoma City, OK, United States

Shawn Dashkowitz, University of Southern California, San Clemente, CA, United States

Robin Dolbin, H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center, Shippensburg, PA, United States

Peggy Dooley, Halifax Convention Centre/Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada

Jonathan Duke, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, United States

Erin Esyiok-Prime, Halifax Convention Centre/Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada

Morgan Ewert, Rip City Management, LLC, Fort Myers, FL, United States

Anthony Favata, Marlins Park – Miami Marlins, Miami, FL, United States

Terrol Ford, Energy FC, Oklahoma City, OK, United States

Haley Fort, The Classic Center, Athens, GA, United States

Suzanne Fougere, Halifax Convention Centre/Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada

Katelyn Galante, Appetize Technologies, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Brittany Griffith, Academy Center of the Arts, Lynchburg, VA, United States

Nathan Hauser, Oilers Entertainment Group Canada Corp., Edmonton, AB, Canada

Jon Hendricks, Ryan Center & Boss Ice Arena, Kingston, RI, United States

Jocelyn Johnston, City of Brampton Performing Arts Venues, Brampton, ON, Canada

Savannah Kafara, Oilers Entertainment Group Canada Corp., Edmonton, AB, Canada

Carly Kimbrough, Oklahoma City Convention Center/ASM Global, Oklahoma City, OK, United States

Marva Kumpf, St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks, Lexington Park, MD, United States

Katrina Lang, The Grand Theater, Wausau, WI, United States

Katie Loomis, Resch Center, Green Bay, WI, United States

Timothy Lynch, International House – UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States

Rachel Macleod, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Newark, NJ, United States

Sandra Madden, The Campanile Center for the Arts, Minocqua, WI, United States

Brianna Mathis, Texas A&M University – Commerce, Lewisville, TX, United States

Maureen McCarthy, Ryan Center & Boss Ice Arena, Kingston, RI, United States

Laura McClatchy, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, United States

James McMorrow, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Newark, NJ, United States

Kiara Montalbano, Oklahoma City Convention Center/ASM Global, Oklahoma City, OK, United States

Aubrey Mulligan, St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St Augustine, FL, United States

Jennifer Muna, The Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States

Regina Needham, Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN, United States

Alex Nurkin, Ryan Center & Boss Ice Arena, Kingston, RI, United States

David Ratti, Walton Arts Center/Walmart AMP, Fayetteville, AR, United States

Jesse Reck, Wisconsin Union, Madison, WI, United States

Kristy Reilly, ParkHub.com, Dallas, TX, United States

Chris Rogers, Oklahoma City Convention Center/ASM Global, Oklahoma City, OK, United States

Chris Rowarth, Halifax Convention Centre/Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada

J.C. Schroder, Walton Arts Center/Walmart AMP, Fayetteville, AR, United States

Brent Silvia, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia, SC, United States

Blain Skinner, Blain Skinner Consulting, LLC, Costa Mesa, CA, United States

Greg Smith, Halifax Convention Centre/Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada

Justin Sweeney, Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON, Canada

Camilla Tibbs, Gateway Theatre, Richmond, BC, Canada

Maria Tofalo, Levitate Backyard & Rexicana Surf Cantina, Marshfield, MA, United States

Joe Trumbley, Edmonton Convention Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Curt Walker, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Eryn Walters, West Plains Civic Center, West Plains, MO, United States

Douglas White, Arkansas State Fairgrounds, Little Rock, AR, United States

Andrea Wilkie, Halifax Convention Centre/Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada

Michael Womack, Garrett Metal Detectors, Garland, TX, United States

Ieronimos Xenos, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Newark, NJ, United States

Monica York, Ryan Center & Boss Ice Arena, Kingston, RI, United States

James Zoehrer, Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham, WA, United States

(IAVM Note: The world needs all voices and we need all hands on-deck. Do you have a public platform? If so, use that voice for the cause of dignity for all. Spread the message of human rights for every individual. Spread the message of love, unity, and respect for all. Should you have money, donate to the cause of inclusive opportunities. If you have time, donate that time and your energy to the cause.)

By Frantzer LeBlanc, MBA, CVP

One of the greatest things about our country is that everyone has the opportunity to become successful. Where you start in life does not have to become your destiny. You can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. That thought was always encouraging to me. I grew up in a very impoverished area of Philadelphia. My mother did the best she could, but she was a single parent raising two children trying to provide a life for us with only a high school education.

For most of my childhood, we moved more times than I can count. We were also on welfare and sometimes got food from the food bank until I was 18-years-old. Although I knew my father, I did not have him in my life. I have been working since I was in middle school partly to help my family and also to have a little spending money. The first job I had was when I was 12-years-old, working as a custodian at our church and also helping the local handyman in our neighborhood with side jobs.

Growing up in these conditions, it can be difficult to dream a life for yourself more prominent than what you see around you. But I did! I wanted to go to college following in the footsteps of my Uncle Tim, who at that time was the only person in my immediate family that graduated from college. This process was not easy for me either; I worked through my entire high school years and worked a full-time job while in college to support myself as I started living on my own after I turned 18 and I took out loans to pay for tuition.

I became the first person in my entire family to achieve a Master’s degree, and have had a successful career in college athletics and now in venue management. I serve on the Board of Directors of IAVM, I wrote two articles that were published, I have been asked to speak at many different Universities to talk about my expertise, and I have the privilege and honor of mentoring over 15 individuals. But despite overcoming my challenging upbringing, achieving many of my goals, and becoming a valuable member of our society, the truth is none of that matters. At times, I am reduced to what you see, a black man.

Growing up as a youth in the ’80s, my mother and grandmother would share their stories of dealing with racism, segregation, and unjust killings of black people. At a young age, I remember hearing the story of Emmett Till, the way he was murdered and why. In 1991 I watched on TV as Rodney King was brutally beaten by LA police officers, and I watched on TV as a grocery store clerk murdered a black teenager. In both of these cases, the individuals committing these crimes were not convicted.

As we moved into the new century, the same problems plagued us. This year I watched George Floyd being murdered by members of the Minneapolis police department. I watched Ahmaud Arbery being senselessly murdered on the street while running and heard the story of Breonna Tayler being murdered in her own home by police officers. As I contemplate these situations, I think that could have been me.

I want to try to make you understand how watching these videos and hearing these stories feels to me. Some of you are old enough to remember 9/11. You, like me, remember exactly where you were when the planes went into the buildings. You remember the stories of the innocent people who were murdered that day. And like me, you remember how scared we were that day wondering what was next and if there would be another attack. Then we as a country wanted justice, we wanted to find out who did this, and we needed to get them.

Now imagine that we never were able to receive that justice, and every year there was another attack that we had to watch and experience that same pain and fear all over again. How angry as a country would we be? Every time I see a video of another black person being unjustly murdered during their encounters with police and others for performing regular life routines, I relive every encounter I had all over again as well. The anger of the injustice that I had to endure overwhelms me, and the sick part is I feel “lucky” that I am alive. Each time one of these murders happen without justice, that pain and fear are both multiplied.

• When Trayvon Martin was murdered on the street for “looking suspicious,” I remember when I was 16 years old going to a bank in a suburb of Philadelphia to cash a check. After I left the bank, a police officer pulled me over and asked me why I went into the bank. After I told him I went in to cash my check, he informed me that there were robberies in the past at this bank and asked to check my ID. I asked him did the bank call the cops; he said no. Five minutes later, I was surrounded by five officers against a wall. I was so angry that this was happening to me just for cashing my check legally. I raised my voice at the officers, and I will never forget this. One of the officers said, “stop raising your voice to me. I can get nervous, and you don’t want me to be nervous.” Luckily for me, the sixth cop that arrived pulled everyone away and calmed the situation down. I went to the police station to try to file a complaint, and nothing came of it.

• When Christian Cooper had the police called on him for merely asking a woman to follow the laws and put her dog on a leash, I remember when I was 18 years old as a freshman at Liberty University. I was falsely accused of threatening to hurt one of my dormmates. It was my word against his, and his version of the story was taken as facts. I was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor, taken to jail and thrown out of college. I will never forget the look of pleasure on the officer’s face as he put handcuffs on me in front of my friends and arrested me. Luckily for me, when the case went to court, the judge saw the facts and put me under one-year judicial probation that allowed me to clear my record after the year was complete. I believe that case should have been thrown out, but I had a public defender so I guess beggars can’t be choosers, right?

• When Amadou Diallo was killed by four police officers in New York City, I remember at 20, visiting one of my white friends in Lancaster, PA. There were three of us in the car, two of whom were African American. We were pulled over by the cop, for what, I still do not know. The officer demanded that we all give him our ID’s, so he could check our records, I always assumed. After he obviously found no warrants open on us, he took our white friend out of the car and told him he should not hang around guys “like us.” Even though this cop never met us before, in his eyes, this 20-year-old white kid should not hang around two Black males. We were able to leave after our friend refused to leave us.

• When Phillip Pannell was shot in the back and killed by a police officer, I remember at 21 while driving home from work, a cop car flashed its lights into my rearview mirror, blinding me. I pulled over, and when the officers came to my car, I asked them if I did anything wrong. One of the officers asked me why I was driving through this neighborhood. I told him I was going home. He asked me if I bought drugs today. I told him no. He asked if he checked my car, would he find crack? I told him no and told him to check my car if he wanted to, although I was terrified that they might plant something in my car. After 10 minutes, these officers told me I could go. They followed me for another five minutes before leaving me alone. I still have nightmares to this day that a cop would plant something in my car when I get pulled over.

• When Philando Castile was murdered in front of his child during a routine traffic stop, I remember at 31 going to lunch during work when I was working in Long Island. I made an illegal U-turn and was rightfully pulled over by an officer. After I was pulled over, the officer asked me for my license and registration. Having been trained by my previous experiences, I warned the officer that my registration was in my glove compartment, and I would have to move and open it up to retrieve it. The officer put his hand on his gun and asked me if I had anything in my glove compartment while he was shaking nervously. Trying to ignore that question and remain calm, fearing if I showed how offended and how angry I was, I might not survive this encounter, I told him no, just the registration. He kept his hand on his gun until I gave him my license and registration. Once he saw my license, he asked me if I lived in Brooklyn and what I was doing here. I told him that I worked on Long Island and was going to lunch. He kept asking me why I was on Long Island, not comprehending that I worked there. He asked me if I had any weapons with his hand on his gun again; I told him no. He wrote me a ticket and told me I shouldn’t come to that area. I left to go back to work angry with that experience, but grateful I was alive.

• When Botham Jean was murdered in his apartment by an off-duty police officer entering the wrong apartment, I remember at 35 after purchasing my first home. I was outside, cutting my grass. Apparently, someone called the cops on me because I went into the garage. The officers came to me while I was outside and asked me where the owner of the house was. I told him I owned the house and he looked surprised and said, “really?” I asked him if there was a problem; he told me someone called the cops. I told him this is my house and everything is fine. I had to confirm by showing this officer my license, and he left.

So why am I angry? To you, the one video could feel like a single incident; for me, it is a reminder of my pain and that at any point, I could be the person in that video being murdered. I am angry because if you talk to any black man in America, they can share similar stories of their encounters with police. I am angry because I have to plan my daily running routine around what is the most visible and least residential area to limit any chance of cops being called on me. I am angry because I should not have to be scared every time that I get pulled over by a police officer. I am angry because I should not have to have a conversation with young black men and, eventually, my son about how to act when you get pulled over by the police so you can survive. I am angry because if I carry a gun, I am looked at as a criminal and not a 2nd amendment loving American. I am angry because I should not have to hear people say to me, get out of the country if you don’t like it when all I want to do is make it better. I am angry because being a minority in our country is tough, being poor in this country is nearly impossible, and being a black man in this country can be dangerous. And mostly, I am angry because no matter how much I have and will accomplish, I will still be judged by the color of my skin.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” To create the change we need, I need all of you who are not minorities to help. Care enough to ask the hard questions with the intent to learn. I don’t need you to understand what it feels like to be me. I just need you to understand that being me is different from being you and not accept that that reality as okay. I need you to become an advocate with us, demanding justice when needed and demanding change to end the systematic racism that has plagued our country throughout its entire history. I need you to be angry with me and then empathetic enough to help me change our society.

I will choose not to remain angry but become hopeful because tomorrow always brings an opportunity for change. One of my favorite songs is one recorded by Louis Armstrong called “What a Wonderful World.” Louis Armstrong recorded this track in 1968. Louis Armstrong is a black man who lived through the Great Depression, three wars, experienced racism and segregation, and participated in the civil rights movement.

His explanation of what this song meant to him has always stuck with me. When asked to explain, Mr. Armstrong said, “All I’m saying is see what a wonderful world it would be if only we’d give it a chance. Love, baby, love. That’s the secret. Yeah. If lots more of us loved each other, we would solve lots more problems. And then this world would be better. I am hopeful that you, the unaffected, will join me to make this country better for everyone who lives in it and fight with me for justice.

Frantzer LeBlanc, MBA, CVP, is Director of Events and Operations at the UMBC Event Center | OVG Facilities in Baltimore, Maryland.

By R.V. Baugus

Does it not seem years ago that any public assembly venue saw its last live event take place? The simple truth is that it has been less than 90 days, but oh how it seems like forever.

During that very short time span we have witnessed the bottoming of the economy, rampant job loss, full-blown death numbers from the COVID-19 coronavirus, and, most recently and sadly, the death of an unarmed African American male by a white police officer in Minneapolis that has drawn protests and more all across our great country.

So, can we please — please! — open our venue doors soon to return to a sense or normalcy for everyone while understanding and working toward deep-rooted issues within our country that must be solved?

Those days of opening are actually sooner than later, we are happy to share.

Let’s start with the magnificent Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, which will host its first event since March with the 47th Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior National Volleyball Championships on July 14. The significance is that the venue is among the first in the convention center sector in the country to host an event since the pandemic effectively shut down the industry with the March 11 declaration while games were in play that the National Basketball Association was postponing its season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus.

The convention center game plan for the tournament is thorough, as it should be for an event taking place over 12 days and occupying almost one million square feet.

Among the key points as presented by venue Executive Director Mark Tester to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force.

* Teams arrive in three waves with no spectators.
* Courts will employ physical distancing and staggered start times, with dedicated entrances and exits throughout the building and temperature checks at certain entries.

OCCC expects its Global Biorisk Advisory Council Star (GBAC) accreditation by July 14. GBAC (see other story in Front Row News) involves meeting detailed guidelines and performance criteria on sanitation, disinfection and infectious disease prevention best practices. The advisory council’s parent organization is ISSA, known until 2005 as the International Sanitary Supply Association.

Elsewhere, the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) has announced a new competition that will begin in June and culminate in a championship event with fans in attendance at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in July.

The “PBR Monster Energy Team Challenge” competition will feature 48 professional bull riders split into 12 teams and two divisions. Teams will face off until two finalists remain, with the finals slated for July 10-12.

The first four weekends of the team challenge in Las Vegas will be closed to the public (June 5-28), but the championship weekend will be a ticketed event that is open to spectators.

This will be the first PBR event that is open to fans since early March and likely one of the first national events to feature spectators since the COVID-19 crisis began.

Brian Haenchen of the Sioux Falls ARGUS LEADER noted that the venue will be “open to fans (for the first time) since early March and likely one of the first national events to feature spectators since the COVID-19 crisis began.”

ASM Global, which manages the Denny Sanford Premier Center, will activate its Venue Shield, an “advanced environmental hygiene protocol that reduces physical touch points, increases venue sanitization and cleanliness, and provides various health monitoring guidelines and services.”

Among the guidelines for the PBR include:

* Tickets will be “for only approximately 35% of the capacity for PBR events at the arena.”
* Seating that separates fans with a “minimum four- to six-foot buffer between ticketed seats and minimizes the potential for crossover for fans entering and exiting their seats.”
* Medical testing and screening for “all staff as they enter the venue,” as well as “complimentary facial coverings for fans.”
* More efficient “’top to bottom’ exit following the event to reduce aisle, hallway and exit congregation.”

Finally, have you heard that the NBA is inching closer to resuming that end-of-regular-season and playoffs that shut down on March 11?

The NBA’s Board of Governors is set to approve a restart to its season that would include 22 teams playing at Disney World in Orlando. The league is targeting a July 31 date to start the tournament. The league’s safety protocols will include daily testing for coronavirus in addition to limiting contact between players and Disney staff.

Meanwhile, Major League Soccer (MLS) is moving forward with a season restart in Orlando as the players union recently approved the plan. The players also agreed to a proposal that cut salaries for this season while also extending the collective bargaining agreement through 2025. MLS Commissioner Don Garber said the league will take a $1 billion revenue hit because of the coronavirus hiatus.

As for Major League Baseball, um, let’s not talk about that right now. We will get back to you if and when the MLBPA union and owners can come to some sort of agreement for teams to begin and play some type of 2020 season.

All in all, let’s give thanks as our venues begin the crawl to welcoming guests. Please share with us your venue or others you know with definitive opening dates so we can be the bearers of some good news in these very trying and challenging times.