The Sports Innovation Lab successfully launched its first Leadership Board in January focusing on Athlete Data with decision makers from across the industry. Today, the Sports Innovation Lab is proud to announce the launch of its second Leadership Board focused on the opportunity for the sports and entertainment industry to engage the next generation of fans with “smarter” venues. Industry veteran and long-time IAVM member Bobby Goldwater, Georgetown University Sports Industry Management/The Goldwater Group, serves as co-chair.

The Sports Innovation Lab continues its formation of leadership boards in 2019 around specific topics related to the intersection of sports and technology. Leadership Boards bring together an invite-only group of executives around an annual program designed to prepare the sports industry for the future. Each board member benefits from facilitated research-based discussion powered by the Sports Innovation Lab’s market intelligence software.

The Smart Venue Leadership Board is composed of companies and executives that represent a diverse ecosystem. Executives from venue construction, design, management, ticketing, food & beverage, venue management, point-of-sale, mobile commerce, payments, connectivity, transportation, biometric identity and more were invited to join. Today’s fan experience requires the seamless integration of technologies throughout a venue and its surrounding area. It is imperative that teams, technology vendors, and venues work together to continue enhancing the experience for the fan.

Board Members:
• Co-Chair – Josh Walker, Co-Founder and President, Sports Innovation Lab
• Co-Chair – Bobby Goldwater, President, The Goldwater Group & Adjunct Professor, Sports Industry Management, Georgetown
University
• Co-Chair – Judith Grant Long, Associate Professor of Sport Management and Real Estate, University of Michigan
• Aramark – VP of Data Science, Kevin Pelegrin
• Armored Things – President, Julie Johnson
• CLEAR – Head of Sports, Ed O’Brien
• The Dow Chemical Company – VP of Olympics & Sport Solutions, Mike Reed
• Fancam – CEO, Tinus Le Roux
• JMA Wireless – Director, Markets and Solutions, Kurt Jacobs
• Legends – CIO, Mike Morris
• Oak View Group – President, Global Partnerships, Dan Griffis
• Oracle Food and Beverage – Global Director of Sales Consulting, Sports and Entertainment, Jennifer Dorta-Duque
• Rossetti – CEO, Matt Rossetti
• Satisfi Labs – SVP, Sports, Entertainment, and Tourism, Courtney Jeffries
2
• TD Garden – VP of Brand and Innovation, Jen Compton
• Ticketmaster – CCO, Greg Economou
• Visa – Global Head of Innovation and Partnership Marketing, Andres Polo
• Venuetize – CTO, Nimish Shrivastava

“The sports industry is waking up to the fact that it is competing with all forms of entertainment. In the attention economy, sports fans have endless entertainment options in the palm of their hand,” said Angela Ruggiero, CEO of the Sports Innovation Lab. “To get fans into the venue, our industry needs to create hassle-free and memorable experiences that cater to both the die-hard fan and the casual fan. It’s an enormous challenge to think about physical space being agile enough to keep up with the ever-evolving expectations of fans. I’m glad this board is
coming together to take on this challenge and imagine new ways to collaborate and inspire future generations of fans.”

The first Leadership Board meeting will be hosted at TD Garden in Boston where the leadership team is in the middle of building an innovative mixed-use facility to renovate and reimagine the fan experience. “We are thrilled to host this group of innovative leaders from across our industry,” said Jen Compton, VP of Innovation at TD Garden. “The opportunities we’ll be discussing on this Leadership Board are at the core of many of the strategic decisions we’re making each day as part of our mixed-use development project, The Hub on Causeway, and expansion of TD Garden. We’re eager to share what we’ve learned and gain from the other leaders at the table.”

Beyond Athlete Data and Smart Venue, Leadership Boards will convene around other trends that Sports Innovation Lab analyzes through its proprietary software, including, but not limited to: Immersive Media and Next Generation Sponsorship. To deliver the innovative results needed to solve industry-wide challenges, each Leadership Board is invite-only. Members are identified by the Sports Innovation Lab’s research and knowledge of the market. Participation in a Leadership Board includes the following benefits:

• Research access: Access to Sports Innovation Lab’s software platform, and all the data-driven insights that come with it, as well as weekly and monthly curated research from Sports Innovation Lab
• Thought leadership: The ability to influence the future of sports through each individual’s participation
• Networking: Collaboration with like-minded C-suite execs through quarterly board meetings
• Promotion: Inclusion in press, promotional materials and events

By Michelle Witkins

Coming from such a small venue, working remotely and just starting out in the early part of my career, I have had to seek out opportunities to expand my network and develop professionally. The difficulties of working remotely have led me to take the initiative to seek out a Mentor and get involved with this instrumental Association.

Not being in an office environment has presented speed bumps for me to brainstorm new ideas and learn from fellow co-workers. At this point in my career, I sought out an opportunity via the Mentor Connector Program to learn from industry leaders and apply my membership benefits.

After applying for the Fall Cycle, I was pleased to find out that my Mentor, Mac Campbell, is just a hop, skip, and jump away down at the Baltimore Convention Center.

Serving as the deputy director, Mac’s industry expertise and leadership skills has provided me an avenue to educate myself, become inspired, and advocate for the Mentor Connector Program. With our close proximity, I was fortunate enough to meet Mac face-to-face earlier this year – all the more the reason to write a blog post!

There were not enough hours that day to discuss everything we wanted to, so we’ll be meeting up again soon in a couple of weeks. I am eager to learn from his experience, start on my goals, and build a foundation. I can already see the impact this program is having on my personal life and my career journey. Thank you for this opportunity IAVM!

Michelle Witkins is director of meetings and events at the Top of the Hill Banquet and Conference Center in Washington, D.C.

This is what the live entertainment industry means to its fans.

Country music artist Kane Brown extended a special meet and greet request prior to his performance at the Swiftel Center in Brookings, SD, to members of Tanner Schwagel’s family – Hilary (mother) and three sisters (Cassidy, Brooke, and Bailey). Tanner, age 16, of Milbank, SD, passed away October 7, 2018, in Sioux Falls.

“I just wanted to thank you and the Swiftel Center for allowing me and the girls to meet Kane Brown,” wrote Hilary Schwagel, Tanner’s mother, in a note to staff. “It will be a memory they will have forever.”

Tanner was on the hood of a moving car on a rural road southeast of Milbank when his foot got caught on the front bumper and he was dragged beneath the car. Tanner was first taken to the Milbank hospital, then was airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital where he passed away. Tanner was a sophomore at Milbank High School at the time of his death.

Prior to Tanner’s death, his mother – Hilary – had purchased tickets to the Kane Brown concert at the Swiftel Center as a surprise for Tanner. Kane Brown was one of Tanner’s favorite artists and he had mentioned on several occasions his excitement about wanting to see him perform. To honor Tanner’s memory, Hilary and three of her daughters attended the concert. Hilary reached out to Swiftel Center venue management who connected with tour management who ultimately extended the special meet and greet access to the Schwagel family. Hilary expressed how special it was to meet Kane Brown as he was such a big part of Tanner’s life.

“I just loved how humble and supportive he [Kane Brown] treated us,” wrote Hilary. “He is such a great guy. The girls talk about it all the time and it was such a great experience. Thank you!”

Hilary also shared that her father served in the National Guard for 35 years and was deployed twice while she was growing up. Kane’s song “Home Sick” holds a very special spot in her heart as it brings back all the memories of when her dad served for our country.

Tanner was a member of the Northern Lights 4-H Club. Shooting sports and welding were his favorite projects. Tanner also loved fishing and hunting. He would spend time checking for fish at the creek and would wander through the pasture to see if there was any wildlife walking around. Tanner liked to prank his mom and sisters, yet, he had a tender side for them even though he was a “teenager.” On Halloween, one of his favorite pranks was to ring the doorbell and hide from his family who answered the door, a silly prank to make people laugh.

Photo from left: Brooke Schwagel, Hilary Schwagel, Kane Brown, Bailey Schwagel, and Cassidy Schwagel.

By Barbara Cosio Moreno

The San Diego Convention Center Corporation announced that Todd Temple, a decorated special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has been selected to lead its security team.

Temple will start with the Convention Center as the Director of Public Safety and Guest Services on April 2, 2019. He is replacing Josh Layne, who is leaving his role after 12 years of service.

Temple is a 22-year FBI veteran, serving as the current Crisis Management and Special Event Coordinator of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. During his FBI career, he served as a Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) of the San Diego Division’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Division’s Critical Incident Response Team.

Temple managed the division’s crisis response programs, which includes Command Post Operations, Special Agent Bomb Technicians, Special Events, and the Evidence Response Team. Within Special Events, he was responsible for FBI resources and response capability for large-scale special events in the City of San Diego, including Comic-Con International, the 2016 MLB All-Star Game, 2017 Breeder’s Cup, Rock n Roll Marathon, Big Bay Boom, San Diego County Fair, and the Miramar Air Show.

Prior to his role in the FBI, Todd worked for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for six years.

“I am truly looking forward to joining the team and working for a world-class convention center,” Temple said. “I am excited and feel blessed for the opportunity to join such a highly recognized and respected organization in San Diego.”

Temple is a San Diego native, born and raised in El Cajon and a graduate of Valhalla High School.

“Here at the Convention Center, we are San Diego,” said Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe, CVE, President & CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation. “At the heart of our facility are San Diegans who choose to work here every day. It makes us proud to know that Todd, with his incredible resume of service and duty, is choosing to work here and help us protect and secure the venue for everyone who gathers here.”

“We are so pleased to have found a candidate of Todd’s caliber,” said the Convention Center’s Chief Operating Officer Karen Totaro, CVE. “Not only does he bring years of experience and training, but a true understanding of the value in building strong relationships with our community, our customers, and our guests.”

Temple said that having a structured network of established local, state and federal partners is essential to venue safety and security. That is why he will be joining the International Association of Venue Manager’s (IAVM) in addition to his role as head of security for the Convention Center.

Rippetoe is currently the 2nd Vice Chair of the IAVM Board and Totaro is a past IAVM Board Chair.

Barbara Cosio Moreno is Executive Director, Communications & Outreach at San Diego Convention Center Corporation.

Thirsty? All it takes is a text message! The Cleveland Cavaliers and Aramark, the food and beverage provider for Quicken Loans Arena (The Q), announced fans in designated sections of The Q during Cavs and Cleveland Monsters (AHL) games are able to use Apple Business Chat to place orders using their iPhone’s Messages app to have the menu items delivered directly to their seats. The Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena are the first NBA team and arena to pilot the service.

Apple Business Chat allows fans to utilize the speed, simplicity, and convenience of text

messaging to order and pay for menu items without downloading a special app. The testing of this service at The Q is the latest example of Aramark’s commitment to identify new and innovative ways to leverage modern technology to re-imagine various aspects of the in-arena food and beverage experience. The service will be available for the remainder of the Cavs and Monsters 2018-19 home schedule.

With the ease of a text message, Cavs and Monsters fans sitting in the lower bowl of the arena will be able to purchase select beverages (beer and water) from the comfort of their seats using their iPhone. The pilot program will run through the end of each team’s season.

Ordering is simple*:
Open the iPhone Camera app
Scan the QR code on the seat back
Follow the prompts on the Messages text screen to place order
Complete transaction with Apple Pay
Enjoy the game while order is delivered to seat location

*To utilize the service, iOS 11.3 or higher and an Apple Pay account are required.

Aramark was the first sports concessionaire to pilot this modern mobile ordering service using Apple Business Chat, when it experimented with the technology during the 2018 baseball season.

“The intersection of technology, service and convenience continues to motivate us, and we’re pleased to be working with our partners at Aramark on this innovative approach to ordering,” said Nic Barlage, Cavs and Quicken Loans Arena President of Business Operations. “Finding a way to provide an enhanced game experience with much easier and faster ordering capability for our fans adds another convenient feature at The Q that we’re proud to pilot for the remainder of the Cavs and Monsters season.”

“We’re excited to be piloting this new service offering at Quicken Loans Arena. With more people using their mobile devices for everyday transactions, we’re continually searching for innovative ways to incorporate digital technology into the food and beverage experience,” said Kevin Kearney, District Manager, Aramark’s Sports & Entertainment division. “The integration of Apple Business Chat with the ordering process is not only fan-friendly and easily accessible, it’s reflective of fans’ changing expectations and behaviors and we’re looking forward to Cavs and Monsters fans giving it a try.”