Simmons Bank Assumes Naming Rights to Verizon Arena
By Jana DeGeorge
On Thursday, October 3, Simmons Bank assumed naming rights to Verizon Arena, which is now Simmons Bank Arena. The event comes nearly a year after the bank’s November 2018 announcement of a $10.5 million deal to acquire naming rights to the 18,000 seat multi-purpose arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
New branding will be seen in-venue on apparel, cups, napkins and banners, as well as on the venue’s website and social media handles as of October 3. Simmons-branded signage is expected to be installed later this year.
“The Arena is a beacon for economic vitality, culture and world-class entertainment in Arkansas,” said George 
Makris, chairman and CEO of Simmons First National Corporation. “Simmons is proud to join our name with an organization that helps our home state flourish by driving commerce and creating shared experiences.”
“As we start our third decade, the Arena Board is excited to begin this new partnership with Simmons Bank, said Rett Tucker, chair of the Arena Board. “It will enable the Arena to continue to be one of the best entertainment venues in the country.”
The official name change coincides with the Arena’s 20th anniversary, a milestone that the organization is celebrating with a variety of events hosted throughout the month and a commemorative poster.
With more than 400,000 guests each year, the Arena has hosted hundreds of top industry artists such as Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, The Eagles, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Stevie Wonder and many others. In addition, the Arena has welcomed many family shows and sporting events including Disney on Ice, Cirque Du Soleil, Harlem Globetrotters, Monster Jam, and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
To celebrate the name change, Simmons Bank launched a Facebook contest on October 3 to give away two free tickets to the October 25 Eric Church concert – one of the first events at Simmons Bank Arena.
Jana DeGeorge is director of marketing at Simmons Bank Arena.
Ungerboeck Welcomes Massachusetts Convention Center Authority
By Stacie Bauer
Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) is joining the Ungerboeck community, having chosen the software provider after a two-year review process, as its event booking and venue management solution. In 2018, the MCCA hosted 315 events at the BCEC and Hynes with 800,000 attendees, generating 646,000 hotel room nights and generated $870 million in regional economic impact. The MCCA will implement Ungerboeck’s “best of breed” exhibitor eCommerce and service delivery suite as part of the Authority’s continued commitment to customer service excellence.
“In selecting Ungerboeck, we knew we had a partner that has earned the confidence of the meetings and events 
industry,” said David Gibbons, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. “Our venues are known throughout the industry for their robust technology profile. We are living up to our reputation by adding Ungerbock’s reliable, flexible, and scalable event services platform for planners and exhibitors coming to Boston.”
“We are proud to call MCCA part of the Ungerboeck community,” said Manish Chandak, President and CEO of Ungerboeck. “Not only does MCCA play a key role in Boston and the Northeast region but they are also a premier global destination in the convention and exhibition industry. Our platform will help fuel MCCA’s continued growth and integrate with MCCA’s other complementary systems.”
Stacie Bauer is Event & Sponsorship Coordinator for Ungerboeck.
AudienceView Acquires UniversityTickets
By Christine Payne
AudienceView, a leader in e-commerce software for events and entertainment organizations, has acquired New York-based UniversityTickets, a ticketing and event management solution built specifically for higher education campuses and college athletics. With this addition, AudienceView cements its portfolio and leadership in the higher education space with more than 900 institutions processing more than 20 million tickets per year.
AudienceView’s newest acquisition further enhances an already extensive network of solutions. UniversityTickets 
brings unique product features designed to meet the needs of the entire campus across colleges and universities, including specialized commencement and student life features.
“Our success in driving innovation and targeted solutions throughout the live event industry continues with the addition of UniversityTickets in the higher education space,” said Mark Fowlie, CEO of AudienceView. “We understand the complex needs that come with running events on a campus and the need to provide integrated tools for students, faculty, alumni, and other key groups that support the higher education mission. We’re thrilled with how this acquisition strengthens our product portfolio.”
“We are extremely proud of the company we’ve built over the past 20 years of UniversityTickets, but we are now ready to take it to the next level. The momentum that AudienceView has created over the past few years gave us confidence that they were the right organization to whom we can entrust our clients as we move forward,” said Gordon Capreol, co-founder of UniversityTickets. “Our UniversityTickets clients are becoming a part of something very special. I’m confident that they will benefit from the thriving community of new peer organizations and the investment in development that only an industry-leading organization like AudienceView can provide.”
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. AQ Technology Partners served as transaction advisers to AudienceView.
Christine Payne is president of Primoris Group.
Access VenueNet Anytime Via MemberCentric
To download:
Search “MemberCentric” in your app store (iTunes, Google). When you install the app and log-in as a member, it will take you to VenueNet
For a mobile-web version, go to www.memberc
Member Access
You’ll need a member login to access members’ only content online. Your username is your email address. If you need to reset your password, here’s what you do:
Step 1: Go to the IAVM Password Reset page: http://www.
Step 2: Enter the email address that you use for IAVM membership (enter email only, no need to check any boxes) then click Reset My Password
Step 3: An email will be sent to you, click on the link provided in that email
Step 4: Choose your own password, click continue and you’re done! Your password is now changed. On the next screen, you can return to the IAVM home page or update your mailing address
The IAVM Buyers Guide lists all current Allied Members. Inclusion is a benefit of membership. You can search for products and services by company name or product category. Companies may also add a description of your products and services along with an email and web address. This enables a venue to easily locate you and review expanded details about your offerings on your website. It’s a great idea to review your listing at least once a year to ensure it is accurate. Note: The membership directory and the buyers guide are not connected. To make edits in either program, you will need to review them separately. If you need assistance, please reach out to membership@iavm.org.
Ask the Allieds: An Appealing Repealing
The longtime industry standard governing the flammability of materials used in public seating is no more. California Technical Bulletin (TB) 133 was repealed in January by the California Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings, and Thermal Insulation (BEARHFTI), the governing body responsible for overseeing testing for such materials. Eliminating the outdated regulations of TB 133 allows for more cost effective, environmentally sustainable and aesthetically pleasing public seating.
Why was TB 133 repealed?
Technical Bulletin 133 had been in place since 1991 and mandated an “open flame” test for any furniture that could be used in a public setting. The test, which manufacturers typically passed with heavy use of flame retardant materials, was controversial for multiple reasons.
The test was thought to inaccurately represent the situations in which a fire was likely to spread to furniture. In the nearly three decades since TB 133 went into effect, the furniture manufacturing industry and BEARHFTI developed other standards, like TB 117-2013 that more accurately tested the fire performance standards for furniture used in public settings.
What’s more, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) says TB 133 hadn’t done much in the way of preventing fires.
“BIFMA manufacturers have reviewed fire safety statistics for several years and questioned the need for California TB 133 given no statistical differences between the state of California and other states not requiring TB 133,” said David Panning, Director of Technical Services at BIFMA. “in addition to our furniture industry, the scientific community and firefighters pressed for California to repeal TB 133 given their concern with fire retardant chemicals.”
Many of the flame-retardant materials used in response to TB 133 carried significant health risks. Some, including those often used for furniture in college dormitories, were known carcinogens, forcing a choice between compliance with fire performance standards and health considerations.
For these and other reasons, BEARHFTI determined that TB 133 was obsolete and voted to repeal it in January, a move supported by the scientific community, firefighters and the furniture manufacturing industry.
What does this mean for furniture manufacturers and end users?
While TB 133 is no longer in effect, furniture manufacturers must still comply with TB 116 and TB 117-2013, both of which mandate different testing standards for material flammability.
TB 117-2013 itself is an updated version of a California Technical Bulletin originally passed in 1975. The revised version still employs a modified version of the open flame test in addition to what’s called the Resilient Filling Material Test, which measures how likely filling materials are to ignite in the presence of a smoldering heat source, like a non-filter cigarette. BIFMA considers the test a more than adequate replacement for TB 133. “California TB 117-2013 has been the de facto national standard for six years in both residential and commercial environments for upholstered furniture,” said Panning. “Fire safety statistics continue to show favorable trends which are attributed to relevant furniture standards (and other standards beyond furniture), sprinklers, smoke detection, and cultural views on smoking.”
As a result of these tests, manufacturers and end users may have more flexibility in their material choices. While TB 133 resulted in potentially carcinogenic materials being used regularly in furniture manufacturing, its repeal could open the door to healthier, more environmentally friendly materials gaining wider use.
Eileen Kulish is an Allied Member and the National Accounts Manager for MTS Seating