We all want to reach higher when it comes to attaining our potential. Those attending the Performing Arts sector keynote session led by Jonathan Fries at VenueConnect will be able to do just that after hearing a presentation on “Focus and Flow: Keys to Achieving Your Highest Potential.”

Fries, a professional consultant with Flowcess, specializing in leadership and executive development in the areas of business, education, and athletics, comes from a research and technology company that specializes in facilitating organizations beyond engagement towards generative culture communities.

Fries is an accomplished musician, writer, and composer having toured throughout the U.S. and Canada noting highlights such as playing for the X-Games in Aspen, CO, and opening for five-time Grammy award-winning Green Day before joining the Just Thinking team.

Between thinking and his music, Fries took a few minutes to share some about the upcoming session and what attendees can expect.

We understand you specialize in leadership and executive development in the areas of business, education, and athletics. That is quite an interesting mix! Are there similarities there in those professions when it comes to leadership and development?

In all three areas, leadership ability is judged by the performance of others and this can only be intentionally achieved through development. The ultimate performance is Flow. There are three conditions required for Flow. For example, one of these: Focus. You can’t Flow if you have no thoughts and you can’t Flow if you have two or more thoughts. The reality is the leader needs to first be in Flow before they are able to help others get in Flow.

You have a very impressive musical background as well. This might be a stretch, but same as above can we derive ways in which music soothes the soul and can help leaders and top executives perform better?

Music is the perfect universal illustration of Flow! It is difficult for music to soothe the soul if someone is distracting you with additional thoughts. Last year, numerous universities shared research proving humans physiologically sync up their thought processes. I love to ask athletic coaches, “What is momentum?” Even though they feel it and talk about its importance, none of them can define it. Momentum is when a group of people sync up their thought processes. Music is one of the easiest ways for a group of people to physiologically sync into Flow. It is one of the things that makes us human! Robots are unable to experience this.

What are some of those keys to leaders achieving their highest potential?

A lot of my executive coaching is focused on helping the individual understand their uniqueness including their unique process for Flow. Once this is understood, we look at their work context. The key to achieving your highest potential depends on your ability to find or modify your context to match your uniqueness. When it comes to leading others, two-thirds of their ability to Flow is in your control. Is it any wonder research shows 70% of an employee’s engagement can be directly attributed to their boss? Leaders unwittingly take the people they lead out of Flow by altering the context of these employees.

Do leadership styles have to evolve to stay relevant with newer generations?

The only challenge unique to the younger generation is their attention span, but the same was said about the current generation. Everyone does everything through a thought process. If a leader is in Flow and they approach a member of the younger generation in their uniqueness, the response will be beyond engagement. Remember, people want to sync up their thought process to yours. Where is your thought process?

What challenges do most work places face today when it comes to the communication between leaders who aspire to accomplish organization objectives and the people who carry out many of those objectives?

Again, the key is to use your words to reach the uniqueness of the individual. I help teachers communicate with pre-teens and teenagers suffering from emotional and behavioral disorders with diagnosed mental issues. When the teacher speaks according to their uniqueness, the student becomes upset if they aren’t allowed to complete the task. If the teacher speaks the opposite of the student’s uniqueness, they have ended up leaving in handcuffs. If the teacher speaks any other way, the student loses energy and doesn’t do the task. The same results, in a less extreme fashion, happen with everyone you lead.

What lasting takeaway would you like IAVM attendees to your session carry back to their venues?

My goal is for people to experience Flow and its transformative nature. Once these leaders understand their goal is providing Flow experiences to groups of people, I would hope they will be more energized to return to work knowing they are in a business that truly has the ability to heal our world.

By Billy Warden, GBW Strategies

More than ever, the safety and security of event goers is on people’s minds. On Wednesday, June 19, the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex along with the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) hosted the region’s first ever all-inclusive Security Day, bringing together competing venues for a greater good, namely guest safety.

Roughly 300 event planners and first responders attended. They reviewed guidelines on how to safely manage large crowds and discussed best practices for protecting people in any kind of emergency. Specific topics included Situational Awareness and Risk Mitigation, Trained Crowd Management, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Stop the Bleed, and Active Shooter Training. All attendees also received a three year Trained Crowd Manager certification.

Raleigh, NC’s capital, is home to some of the largest, most popular venues in the state. This includes the Raleigh Convention Center, the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Red Hat Amphitheater, which share an interlocking downtown campus. Combined, the Duke Energy Center and Red Hat Amphitheater offer nearly 11,000 seats, with the convention center able to accommodate up to 22,000 people simultaneously. Not far away, the PNC Arena seats 8,680 for hockey and more than 19,500 for basketball and concerts.

“As venue managers, my team and I are keenly aware of our responsibility to keep our customers and visitors safe,” said Kerry Painter, CVE, who signed on as general manager and director of the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex in December 2018. “We were delighted to host this summit for colleagues from throughout the region, and heartened by their enthusiastic and thoughtful participation.”

Supporting sponsors of the event included IAVM, Centerplate, Live Nation, the Durham Performing Arts Center, Cary’s Booth Amphitheater, the Durham Convention Center, and American Audio Visual.

Photos by Mary Deifer – Raleigh Convention Center

SMG and Lubbock (TX) Entertainment and Performing Arts Association announced the appointment of Charlton Northington as the new general manager of Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts & Sciences.

“Charlton is the right person to lead our SMG team in Lubbock,” said Bob Papke, Vice President of Theaters, SMG. “From his time working for a Broadway presenter, to managing venues in Reno, Hurst, Texas, Shreveport, and Alexandria, La., Charlton has demonstrated the commitment, professionalism, and vision to help us succeed at Buddy Holly Hall. Being a Texas Tech grad and coming home to Lubbock is a huge win for the venue and for the community.”

“The LEPAA Board and staff are thrilled to welcome Charlton Northington back to the Lubbock community as the general manager for The Buddy Holly Hall,” said Tim Collins, LEPAA Board Chair. “We truly could not have imagined a better person at the helm of this incredible performing arts campus than Charlton. He is a first-class individual who will bring his tremendous energy, ideas, and decades of experience to The Buddy Holly Hall in a manner befitting of such a world-class facility.”

Northington is a 25-year industry veteran who has managed entertainment and convention facilities throughout the U.S.

Once completed, The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences will total more than 220,000 square feet, including a 2,200 seat theater, a 425-seat theater design for Lubbock ISD, a 6,000-square-foot multipurpose-space, and a bistro by Market Street.

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre announce Vickie Hubbard as its next Managing Director. She follows industry veteran Sandie Aaron, who retired after a three-year tenure.

“Our executive search committee did an exceptional job vetting applicants and finalizing their recommendation of Vickie,” said Michele Swann, General Manager and CEO of the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority. “Her vast experience in the public assembly management industry, as well as her vision for CEPAC, makes her the ideal choice to further drive the theatre’s success.”

Hubbard brings more than 30 years of progressive, hands-on experience in the overall management, promotion, and operation of arts, entertainment, and sports venues. Most recently, she was Executive Director of the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center on the campus of Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, PA.

“I am honored to join such an outstanding organization and look forward to working with this passionate and talented group of individuals,” Hubbard said. “The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre is truly a beautiful and first-class venue. It will be a privilege to contribute to CEPAC’s great legacy.”

Live Nation and Ticketmaster plan to raise the standards of accessibility at live events throughout Australia and New Zealand through a partnership with disability advocacy group Get Skilled Access.

Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation, has begun testing an enhanced online booking experience across its channels (website and app) giving fans with accessible needs more flexibility and choice when buying tickets.

As for Live Nation, Get Skilled Access has already provided accessibility training to 150 employees across Australia and New Zealand. The firm is also working toward providing new levels of accessibility on its stadium tours, including the upcoming U2 Joshua Tree 2019 Tour.

Get Skilled Access was co-founded by Dylan Alcott, the three-time Paralympic gold medallist, eight-time wheelchair tennis grand slam winner and disability advocate.

The partnership with the live entertainment industry giants will see a host of initiatives launched across their portfolio of companies in Australia and New Zealand.

“Every fan has the right to equal access of live entertainment,” said Roger Field, chief executive of Live Nation Australasia. “We’re delighted to be working closely with Dylan Alcott and Get Skilled Access to make sure that real change happens. It is essential that the industry comes together to achieve this and now is the time for us all to find solutions.”

As part of the partnership, Alcott and Get Skilled Access co-founder Nick Morris addressed 400 venue industry professionals at the recent Venue Management Association Asia-Pacific Congress.

“It’s Get Skilled Access and my mission to help people understand disability by driving organisations to be more inclusive,” Alcott said. “With my passions being sport and music, it’s a game changer to work with Live Nation and Ticketmaster to make live more accessible and inclusive for all. If we can start by getting more fans with accessibility needs to events, not only we will change people’s lives through the power of live but we will improve the industry overall.”