Staff at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center made a long-lasting memory for a 13-year-old boy scheduled to perform at Delta Sigma Theta’s 54th National Convention after the show was suspended because of the threat posed by Hurricane Barry.

Originally, Kaleb Motley, a 13-year-old vocal student at LaVilla School of the Arts in Florida, was scheduled to perform on Friday in the New Orleans Theater to more than 3,000 Delta Sigma Theta sorority sisters. However, during a Thursday rehearsal, event organizers suspended the conventions proceedings because of the threatening weather.

As a soloist in the youth choir of his school, and a hobbyist singer, dancer, and drummer, Motley was disappointed that he did not get a chance to show his skills during the Delta Sigma Theta National Convention after traveling from all the way from Florida.

Sensing his deep disappointment, the staff of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center gave Motley a rehearsal to remember despite the cancellation. Convention Center staff dimmed the New Orleans Theaters’ house lights, put the spotlights on Motley, and gave him a microphone for the full show effect. Motley performed in front of his friends and family, along with a few Delta Sigma Theta and Convention Center staff members.

“Kaleb and his family were so happy that he got VIP treatment from the Convention Center,” says Ceara Labat, Event Coordinator at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. “We were also able to record his performance, so he will always have a memento of his time here.”

After the show’s cancellation, Delta Sigma Theta officials also donated more than 17,000 meals to the Second Harvest Food Bank, who distributed the meals to those effected by the severe weather.

Kaleb Motley’s full audition can be found here.

AEG Facilities, a stand-alone division of the world’s leading sports, venue and live entertainment company AEG, has been selected to by the City of Palm Springs to operate the Palm Springs Convention Center, the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism, the Palm Springs Visitors Center and the Welwood Murray Memorial Library.

As part of a comprehensive management agreement and effective September 26, 2019, AEG Facilities will be responsible for the management of the facilities’ operations and providing such services as event programming and content development, purchasing, vendor venue services, advertising, marketing and event-day operations for the convention center and Bureau of Tourism. Additionally, AEG Facilities will implement its industry-leading proprietary initiatives including AEG S.A.F.E., AEG 1Source, AEG 1EARTH, AEG 1Force, AEG Encore and AEG Energy Services.

“We are excited for the next chapter at the convention center and are confident that AEG’s vast network of resources and talent will be an incredible asset to the City of Palm Springs and will help attract more meetings, conventions and special events to the Palm Springs Convention Center, generating increased tax revenue and economic impact to our region,” said David H. Ready, Palm Springs City Manager.

In addition to providing venue services, AEG Facilities will provide management services to the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism to promote tourism to the City of Palm Springs by generating positive awareness of the City as a destination for leisure travelers, establish marketing plans and strategize the improvement of the Palm Springs Visitor Center.

“We are very pleased that the City of Palm Springs selected AEG Facilities to manage the convention center and Bureau of Tourism, and we are anxious to get started working with the hospitality stakeholders to attract more events to Palm Springs.” Said Brad Gessner-Senior VP of Convention Centers for AEG Facilities

The Palm Springs Convention Center is 261,000 square feet and features a world-class setting and showcases flexible, spacious and is uniquely positioned to maximize the benefits of its surroundings. Featuring more than 1,600 hotel rooms within walking distance, the location of the Palm Springs Convention Center is an ideal location for events and meetings of all types.

The recently renovated Welwood Murray Memorial Library is located in the heart of downtown Palm Springs and serves as a resource for tourists and residents. Originally opened in 1941, the Welwood Murray Memorial Library serves as a branch of the Palm Springs Library, a research library for the Palm Springs Historical Society and a downtown visitors center.

Charleston Gaillard Center announced the promotion of Therese Spaseff to director of entertainment and programming for the Charleston, SC performing arts center.

Spaseff joined the Charleston Gaillard Center in May 2014 prior to the reopening of the Gaillard Center in October 2015 after its $142 million renovation. She began on staff as booking coordinator, responsible for contracting rental engagements. Following that, she worked in the finance department and eventually found her home in the programming department.

In October 2016, she stepped up to be the primary talent buyer for concerts, comedy, family programming, commercial acts, and Broadway as the Gaillard Center’s entertainment programming manager. Since then, she has worked to secure the best artists for the Charleston community, including Tony Bennett, John Mulaney, TajMo: Taj Mahal and Keb Mo Band, TobyMac, Kristin Chenoweth, Reese Witherspoon’s Whiskey in a Teacup Book Tour, and most recently Tim McGraw with Jon Meacham on their Songs of America Book Tour.

She is a graduate of the College of Charleston with degrees in International Business and German, with a minor in German Studies. This fall, Spaseff will return to the College of Charleston as an adjunct instructor teaching “Presenting the Performing Arts.”

Ungerboeck announced the launch of Ungerboeck Connect in partnership with TIBCO Software, a global leader in integration, API management, and analytics. Ungerboeck Connect enables Ungerboeck customers to build simple to sophisticated integrations with other systems easily and rapidly.

Events and venues today rely on multiple systems for day-to-day operations. Yet, having siloed systems means businesses struggle to connect the dots. WIth TIBCO Cloud™ Integration, customers can elegantly bring all their data streams together and seamlessly connect the important applications they already use and trust all from an easy-to-use Integration Platform-as-a-Service (iPaaS).

“Improving the customer experience with data enrichment and personalization is a key requirement in winning the online buyer. We are excited to leverage our deep connectivity into the cloud’s best platforms to complement Ungerboeck’s event management software,” said Rajeev Kozhikkattuthodi, vice president, product management, TIBCO. “For Software-as-a-Service providers like Ungerboeck, TIBCO offers its customers one of the fastest ways to tap into the growing array of cloud applications that enrich the core of the Ungerboeck product.”

“Our partnership with TIBCO and the availability of Ungerboeck Connect in the TIBCO Cloud Integration marketplace mark an important milestone for Ungerboeck,” said Manish Chandak, president and chief executive officer, Ungerboeck. “For most of our customers, Ungerboeck is the core CRM, event management, registration, and financial system. This partnership with TIBCO will allow our customers to integrate our platform with their security, visitor management, point of sale, marketing automation, digital signage, ticketing, and any other system.”

For more information on Ungerboeck Connect, please visit ungerboeck.com.

The Coppell Arts Center will be hosting a public topping out event on the construction site located in Old Town Coppell on Saturday, August 10 at 9am. The steel signing ceremony will give residents their first glimpse of the new entertainment and cultural venue slotted to open in May of 2020.

The event will first include a private reception for local dignitaries, resident art group members, and Coppell-based business leaders who have worked closely on the project. The public will then be able to enter the construction site and offered the opportunity to sign their name on one of the last pieces of steel to be installed. The ceremony gives individuals a rare opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the new Coppell Arts Center.

“Topping out ceremonies are typically attended by a small group of key stakeholders,” said Alex Hargis, Managing Director for the Coppell Arts Center. “But for this venue, we truly feel every Coppell citizen is a stakeholder who has played a part in making this dream a reality, which is why we wanted to extend the invitation to the entire community.”

The event will take place at 505 Travis Street directly across from the Coppell Farmers Market and will include live music and presentations from the Coppell Arts Council and the Center’s design team.

“This will be a proud day to remember,” said Pete Wilson, President of the Coppell Arts Council. “Many have worked hard to get this new home for Coppell artists built, and we look forward to signing the steel and feeling we have accomplished something spectacular.”