By R.V. Baugus

So it is 3:15 a.m. and you are having trouble sleeping. You are a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and, by gosh, you have tickets for the upcoming home game and really wanting to know where in M&T Bank Stadium you can find a beloved crabcake. What to do, what to do?

Welcome to what the team and venue dubs a new virtual assistant/virtual concierge/chatbot known as FlockBot. Yes, get out of bed, oh restless one, and hop on to your phone or computer and talk to a real interactive virtual assistant to answer that question and many, many more 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

It is another frontier in which technology is taking us while ensuring that the customer experience now goes WAY beyond just entering and exiting the gates following a game.

The Ravens make it easy for fans to connect with FlockBot through the Ravens Mobile app as well as the team’s website. Flockbot is designed to answer questions about the stadium, tickets, gameday and team information. Oh, and of course where to go in the stadium to find your favorite food fare.

If those immediate responses aren’t to your liking (hey, who says at 3:15 a.m. our mind isn’t a bit foggy), fans can in fact be connected to a real person if necessary.

Team Director of Digital Media Dave Lang said, “We’re always thinking about how we can utilize technology to enhance the fan experience — both inside and outside the stadium. Our hope is the FlockBot will help us to improve customer service by more rapidly responding to fans’ questions and concerns.”

The team’s newest technology comes on the heels of a completed $120 million renovation of the stadium last July that focused on the fan experience at the 71,000-seat stadium and included the installation of new 4K UHD video displays, escalators and elevators, new sound system, upgraded kitchen facilities, redesigned club level, and updated suites.

As far as FlockBot, look for it to be extremely busy in the days ahead as the 12-2 Ravens have not only run away with the AFC North but boast a likely NFL Most Valuable Player in quarterback Lamar Jackson.

“FlockBot, where will the Super Bowl be played?”

In IAVM Board news, Phil Jordan, CVE, has stepped down as the Performing Arts Sector Director for the IAVM Board as he has recently moved into the consulting world. IAVM Board Chair, Tammy Koolbeck, CVE, has appointed Jennifer Norris, CVE, Assistant Managing Director for the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, to serve the remainder of Phil’s term which expires in July 2021.

“We appreciate Phil’s commitment and service representing Performing Arts and look forward to welcoming Jennifer to the IAVM Board,” Koolbeck said.

By Justin Ochsner

Video board manufacturer Daktronics has partnered with Major League Soccer franchise Houston Dynamo to design, manufacture, and install four new LED boards at the team’s BBVA Stadium.

Installation is underway and the boards will be ready for use by early 2020 in time for the new MLS season.

The main video board will measure approximately 34 feet high by 73 feet wide and feature a 15HD pixel layout to bring clear images to every seat. The main display will also feature environmental protection to ensure optimal performance during adverse weather conditions.

The main display will be capable of variable content zoning allowing it to show one large image or multiple zones of live video, instant replay, up-to-the-minute statistics, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages.

Additionally, two auxiliary displays and a new marquee display will be fitted at the stadium. The auxiliary displays will measure around 15 feet high by 26 feet wide and provide supplementary content to the main display, while the exterior marquee will measure 25 feet high by 37 feet wide and promote current and upcoming events at the stadium.

Daktronics’ Show Control System will also be included in the installation. The system provides a combination of display control software, video processing, data integration and playback hardware to offer a user-friendly production solution.

Dynamo president John Walker said: “We’re excited to team up with Daktronics to continue to improve the game-day experience for our fans through improved video boards. We’re grateful to Gabriel Brener and our ownership group for their continued commitment to invest in all aspects of our club, both on and off the pitch. These video boards will help us continue to deliver a first-class experience for all fans at BBVA Stadium for years to come.”

Dan Fjeldheim, Daktronics sales representative, added: “The new video technology at BBVA Stadium is going to be a significant upgrade in both size and resolution. The fan experience will be lifted to a whole new level and we are grateful for the opportunity to provide the new displays for the stadium.”

Justin Ochsner is in the media relations department with Daktronics.

Eric LeBlanc has been named Creative Services Manager for the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the sixth largest convention center in the nation. In his new position, LeBlanc will oversee the newly created Creative Services Division, which will handle creation and distribution of graphic design work, room set diagrams, and digital signage for internal and external customers.

The Convention Center is embarking on an ambitious half-billion dollar makeover of the facility including a robust digital signage program. The first-phase of the program is in place with each of the 140 meeting rooms having a 53” video display screen that provides the event planner a number of sponsor opportunities, in addition to informing the viewer of the agenda for the meeting room. Wayfinding kiosks and large video displays are planned, all of which will come under LeBlanc’s oversight.

A graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans, LeBlanc began his tenure at the facility in 2007 as a Communications Coordinator, and was later promoted to Communications Specialist. In that role, LeBlanc provided graphic design, photography, and digital signage needs in support of the sales and communications departments.

Before his time at the Convention Center, LeBlanc worked at the St. Charles Herald-Guide Newspaper as their Sports Editor, and at SELAbration Entertainment Magazine as its Editor and Publisher.

LeBlanc previously served as a board member and Co-Producer of BayouCon, a comic-con style pop culture convention that was held in Lake Charles, Louisiana for eight years.

This release is from the communications department of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

As a member of IAVM, you know all about the inspiration, expertise, and lifelong connections that the association provides. Now is the perfect opportunity to share the wealth of endless opportunities with your colleagues. This is a fabulous present for someone deserving. No shipping required with the Gift of IAVM Membership – just a few minutes of your time is needed to sign up online. 

Member Services will provide the recipient with the link for the appropriate membership application. We will contact you, the sponsor, for payment. After one year, once they experience firsthand what IAVM has to offer, they may renew their membership.

Your chosen recipient now has the chance to connect to the industry’s professional core, plug into its powerful network, be enlightened by visionaries, and be inspired by once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Dues will depend on which membership category is appropriate for the recipient. For your reference, categories, eligibility, and respective dues are listed below.

IAVM Membership Categories:

• Professional – Individuals who manage or are actively involved in the management, administration or operation of a public venue. – Dues $495
• Young Professional – Individuals who are actively involved in the management, administration or operation of a public venue at a level below the top two levels of management at the venue, i.e., Executive, General Manager or Department Head and who are 30 years of age and younger. – Dues $250
• Student – Individual enrolled at a university, college, or post-secondary technical school and is actively pursuing a degree in fields associated with, or appropriate to public venue management or operations. If the individual is employed full-time with a venue or industry provider, he or she is ineligible for Student Membership. – Dues $75
• Faculty – Open to individuals who are employed full-time as faculty of an accredited, post-secondary educational institution, providing instruction and training in disciplines and/or areas associated with the venue management industry, such as sports or venue management and/or hospitality. – Dues $180
• Allied – Any firm, organization, or individual engaged in providing product, equipment, services or attractions for public venues. – Dues $655
• Allied Extra – Additional employee(s) of a current member company providing product, equipment, services or attractions for public venues. A principal must already be a member to receive this rate. – Dues $495

 
Your chosen recipient will have the chance to connect to the industry’s professional core, plug into its powerful network, be enlightened by visionaries, and be inspired by once-in-a-lifetime experiences!

Questions? Email the IAVM Membership Department, or give us a call at 972-906-7441.