Former IAVM member and performing arts friend John C. Walton passed away suddenly at his home on July 3 at the age of 72.

“John was active with the performing arts committee for many years,” said Robyn Williams, CVE. “He was one of the first people I met when we had the inaugural PAMC conference in Chicago and we became long-time friends.”

Mourning his loss are Lorraine Walton and their children, Jenn (Kevin Swan), Michael (Tara), Ann (James Peters) and Chris; his brother Mark (Pam) and their children, Katie (Dan Barber and their daughter Val) and Greg. He was predeceased by his parents, Margaret and Vance (“Peggy and Bud”) Walton and his nephew Jeff Walton. He will be fondly remembered by many respected former colleagues across Winnipeg’s performing arts community, and a small, cherished circle of special friends.

A celebration of his life will be held at a later date, with a full obituary published at that time.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate gifts in John’s memory to the Jeff Walton Memorial Bursary, Cathedral High School, 30 Wentworth St. N., Hamilton, ON L8L 8H5, (905) 522-3581, to Fort Whyte Alive, 1961 McCreary Road, Winnipeg, MB R3P 2K9, (204) 989-8355, or the charity of your choice.

The Baltimore Ravens have completed a three-year, $120-million self-funded renovation of M&T Bank Stadium as the 2019 season gets ready to begin. The improvements include new 4K ultra-high definition video displays, new escalators and elevators to the upper deck, a new sound system, upgraded kitchen facilities, a redesigned club level, and new suites.

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When we think about the world of recognition, we often think about facial recognition and its utilization. While that world of recognition remains critical in its utilization, other forms take on equal significance to help businesses and industries fulfil their needs to identify individuals. Among those: fingerprinting, voice, and the iris in the eye.

In her presentation at the Arenas Welcome, Mary Haskett, CEO & co-founder of Austin, Texas-based Blink Identity, spoke about what venues need to know when it comes to recognition as well as shared some of the latest technologies becoming available.

Haskett shared a brief primer about how we see, beginning from birth and into our adult years. “Your eyes take in light signals and the brain processes that vision, almost from birth,” she said. “We see with our past experiences. Computers can’t do that.”

Haskett was introduced to facial recognition early in her career when she worked with the military and described their prototype as “giant.” The device on stage at her presentation was a small, compact box that can easily be placed where guests enter a venue.

When it comes to accessibility and reliability, Haskett said that identity is not 100% and it can never be. There are errors in biometrics, false matches, and non-false matches.

Haskett provided an example of a soccer match in Wales that was later reported by local media. A “watch list” was created of attendees in which 170,000 attendees were photographed in the crowd. Of 2,470 candidate matches, 2,297 were false matches while 173 were true matches.

“The media reported that 7% were correct and 93% were incorrect,” Haskett said. “Police said, ‘we found 173 criminals.’ For me, it is troubling that 2,000 people were being detained. If the criminal activity was a parking ticket, it is probably not worth it.”

Haskett covered the issue of privacy laws when it comes to gathering data on individuals, which she said is “still kind of like the wild west in most states.”

Only four states have laws concerning such laws, she said, with California set to enact in 2020. Illinois, Texas, and Washington are the others with laws on the books about gathering consumer data.

Haskett’s summary about privacy includes:
*Only collect what is needed
*Get real informed consent
*Only retain as long as is needed
*Use best practices for data storage
*Review frequently

“People want to be in control of how their data is used,” Haskett said.

Aside from the obvious safety and security implications, recognition can also be used to identify VIPs and make their lives happier. “That is going to create revenue streams for you,” she said.

Airports, of course, are among the first places people think of in the world of recognition. That application should only become more pronounced. “It is said that 99% of facial recognition is expected at airport gates by 2024,” Haskett said.

Indeed, the world of facial (and other) recognition continues to advance and goes far beyond how individuals merely recognize each other.

“We think we’re good at face-recognizing, but we’re really only good at recognizing people we know,” Haskett said.
It’s a new world today, and the applications of recognition continue evolving in the public assembly venues patrons attend.

VenuWorks announced the addition of a new division, the VenuWorks Agency, to its existing
group. Based out of company headquarters in Ames IA, and with offices in New York, the VenuWorks Agency establishes itself as a boutique booking group, whose primary function is to create and develop complete touring strategies for the artists it represents and to work in close collaboration with performing arts centers, promoters, civic and municipal stages, festivals, and state fairs across the United States.

The principal agents behind the company are VenuWorks founder and CEO. Steve Peters, CVE,
internationally renowned artist and Emmy® nominated producer Michael Londra, and marketing and public television specialist Jean Clancy.

The headline acts represented by VenuWorks Agency include Ireland’s biggest star Nathan Carter, who since catapulting to fame with five #1 albums, two #1 singles, and three #1 music DVDs in his native country, is now blazing a trail to international success.

Chloë Agnew, an original member of Celtic Woman supergroup, who toured the world with Celtic Woman for almost a decade as the group’s youngest soloist and performed to over three million fans worldwide before setting out on a solo career.

Noël The Musical, the uplifting Holiday musical from international top-selling children’s author Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl) and preeminent Irish film composer Liam Bates. NOËL is directed by award-winning director Sam Scalamoni (Disney’s Elf National
Tour, Beauty & The Beast) and produced by VenuWorks Theatricals.

Emmy® nominated performer and the voice of Riverdance on Broadway, Michael Londra. Michael has toured globally and recorded with artists such as Luciano Pavarotti
and Andrea Bocelli. Londra recently filmed a television special for broadcast on public television in the Fall 2019/Spring 2020.

Drawing on their collective and extensive experience in all aspects of booking, mounting and marketing shows in the performing arts world, the founders of VenuWorks Agency bring their expertise in tour creation and management to their artists and a commitment to excellent service with high caliber content to the venues with whom they will partner.

Adopting a personal and dynamic approach, the company’s main focus will be on helping the artists it represents develop and grow their careers on a national and international stage, while working hand in hand with presenters to provide comprehensive
marketing support for each show they contract.

The VenuWorks Agency represents a select group of world-class artists and theatrical shows, offering culturally enriching programming to Fine Arts presenters. The company’s roster spans a wide spectrum of art forms from music acts to musical theatre and dance. VenuWorks Agency intends to introduce its artists to presenters at upcoming conferences in North America such as Arts Midwest, South Arts, PAE, APAP and IEBA for the 2020/21 season.

For more information please visit https://www.venuworkstheatricals.com/agency

Football is just around the corner, and the NFL Washington Redskins are ready with a number of initiatives designed to enhance the game-day experience at FedExField during the upcoming season.

Suite holders will benefit from six new catering packages, including P.F. Chang’s, which specializes in Asian food. Fans will also be able to order food digitally and stay in their suites for up to two hours after games.

Season ticket members at FedExField will receive Redskins Gold benefits such as fast-lane entry into the stadium and at selected concession stands, as well as pre-game field access and the chance to visit members-only lounges on the stadium’s Club Level.

Following the success of a fan pavilion opened in the west end zone of the stadium last year, the Redskins will add another open-air Bud Light Party Pavilion and concourse in the east end zone. The space will open three hours before kickoff and feature a 90-foot bar, live bands, and outdoor suites.

FedExField is also set to add a new Chicken Guy restaurant, which will mark the chain’s third location and its first outside of Florida. Fans will be able to choose from 22 sauces at the restaurant.

“This is all based on feedback from our fans,” said Chris Bloyer, the Redskins’ senior vice president of stadium operations and guest experience. “We listen to our fans. We ask them what they want. We take their feedback seriously, and we try to deliver on what they ask for.”

The stadium’s Boardwalk Fries outlet is also set to add funnel cake fries, while Johnny Rockets will offer a stadium-exclusive avocado burger.

Healthy-food options will also be improved, with Alexandria’s Territory Foods to offer refined gluten-, dairy- and sugar-free options, and Ben’s Chili Bowl serving a veggie dog and vegan chili.

The team will also offer a cocktail called Burgundy Crush, which is similar to a sangria. Additionally, Paisano’s will deliver pizza to fans seated on the main concourse during games.

“We hear a lot that we need fun food,” Bloyer said. “It’s a football game. Let’s have fun food.”