Midwest hospitality at its best; that’s the philosophy at the Swiftel Center, managed by VenuWorks. That motto has rung true as the Swiftel Center has been awarded the 2018 George S. Mickelson Great Service Award. The award was presented to members of the Swiftel Center staff by South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and South Dakota Secretary of Tourism Jim Hagen at the 2019 Governor’s Conference on Tourism.

The George S. Mickelson Great Service Award honors businesses, communities, or organizations that have done an exemplary job of exceeding visitors’ expectations in customer service. It marks the culmination of a yearlong hospitality program that involves hospitality training, customer comment cards, an employee recognition program, and an application for the Great Service Star designation.

“The Swiftel Center is taking a unique look at motivating and educating their staff to provide high levels of customer service,” said Governor Noem. “Whether a full-time or part-time employee, they are demonstrating what people-first service looks like and are seeing the benefits of their excellence.”

Team members – including all Swiftel Center full-time and part-time staff – are encouraged to continuously consider the four basic needs of any guest: to feel welcome, to feel important, to be understood, and to be safe and comfortable. The staff at the Swiftel Center strives to provide excellence customer service that upholds these four needs.

“We are honored to be recognized by the Governor of South Dakota for the George S. Mickelson Great Service Award,” said venue Executive Director Tom Richter, CVE. “The Swiftel Center Team takes great pride in consistently putting service first for our customers and patrons.”

At the Swiftel Center, each department hosts an annual training to introduce part-time staff to new hospitality materials and review policies and procedures. The Swiftel Center also provides yearly training to motivate and teach new customer service skills.

“Every staff member can provide a moment of impact for our clients, whether it is opening a door, setting up a table, serving a meal, or just offering a friendly welcome,” said Kristina Lankow, Sales & Marketing Manager. “We always need to be on top of our game. The George S. Mickelson Great Service Award is a major honor for our facility and will motivate us to continuously demonstrate our commitment to our guests to always be our best.”

To collect feedback from customers, patrons, guests, and clients, the Swiftel Center sends a client satisfaction survey. Employee Appreciation Parties provide an opportunity to recognize staff achievements, while “high-five” cards are used to let staff members know when they are doing an awesome job.

“We are committed to provide the very best experience for every guest who enters our doors,” said Ashley Biggar, Event Manager. “Our team is nothing short of amazing. Feedback from both our staff and guests is not only heard but is used to take action to make our events better and better. We look forward to utilizing our current training to continue to provide ‘Midwest Hospitality at its Best’.”

(Photo from left to right): South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem; Ashley Biggar, Swiftel Center Event Manager; Kristina Lankow, Swiftel Center Sales & Marketing Manager; and South Dakota Secretary of Tourism Jim Hagen.

When the best football teams from each conference collide in Atlanta, Georgia, for Super Bowl LIII, Daktronics will have a hand in creating the atmosphere and experience for everyone in attendance. This year, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams to see who will be crowned champion.

The league’s newest venue features 16 LED displays totaling 83,500 square feet installed by Daktronics, including the world’s largest video scoreboard, the Halo Display. The Halo, measuring 58 feet high by 1,075 feet round, is large enough for a helicopter to fly through and the length of three football fields when rolled out.

A massive mega column display, a curved triangle-shaped feather wall display, narrow pixel pitch displays in club areas, and 3,100 linear feet of ribbon displays highlight the uniqueness of technology throughout the venue.

“This year’s game is a big one for Daktronics as we’ve had equipment in use at 15 straight championship games for professional football,” said Daktronics Vice President of Live Events Jay Parker. “The LED displays being used at Mercedes-Benz Stadium total the most square footage of any stadium in the world to provide the best game-day experience possible for fans and viewers. We’re proud to be a part of helping enhance the biggest moments in sports as this game will feature the largest video scoreboard at the biggest football game of the year.”

A game of this magnitude requires extra attention in both preparation and game-day support. As such, Daktronics will have four display technicians and two control room technicians on-site for the event. This includes pre-event checks and game-day support from the company’s services division.

“We’ve become accustomed to supporting the most watched, highest profile sporting events year after year,” said Daktronics Vice President of Services Sarah Rose. “With people on-site, it really is a benefit to our customers that many people might not think about when purchasing a display. We’re always available to ensure everything runs as expected, and this weekend we’ll be at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to do just that.”

The Wisconsin Center District (WCD) has named Megan Seppmann as vice president of sales. The WCD owns and operates the Wisconsin Center, Miller High Life Theatre, and UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

“The vice president of sales is not only responsible for maximizing revenue and space utilization opportunities across the WCD properties, but also acts as the primary liaison between the WCD and our colleagues at VISIT Milwaukee,” said WCD CEO Marty Brooks. “Megan’s experience is a great fit for the duties expected of the role, and her professional style will promote an environment of collaboration between the WCD, VISIT Milwaukee, and the overall hotel and hospitality community.”

Seppmann holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Southwest Minnesota State University. She has held positions of increasing responsibility throughout her career, from catering director to sales director, and most recently area associate director of sales for Marcus Hotels & Resorts.

“This role with the Wisconsin Center District is very exciting for someone like me who has broad experience in the hospitality industry,” Seppman said. “The opportunities for teamwork and collaboration are plentiful. I am looking forward to bringing stakeholders together to make the best possible growth decisions for the WCD and its superb facilities.”

More information on events at the WCD facilities is available at www.MillerHighLifeTheatre.com, www.UWMPantherArena.com, and www.WisconsinCenter.com.

The Milwaukee Brewers have played their home games in Miller Park since it opened in 2001, but the stadium’s name will change after the 2020 season thanks to a naming rights deal with American Family Insurance. The Madison-based company takes over naming rights honors in a 15-year deal. The new name of the stadium has not been named nor were financial details disclosed.

“Twenty years ago our company stepped forward to help keep the Brewers in Brew City USA, a move that built on our longstanding relationship with the team and our commitment to Wisconsin – whether that’s at Packers and Bucks games, at Summerfest and the State Fair or in backyards and beer bars,” MillerCoors said in a statement confirming the name change. “Late last year another Wisconsin company, American Family Insurance, proactively pitched the Brewers an incredibly rich offer for the future naming rights to Miller Park, and we’re proud to welcome American Family to the family we’ve been part of for generations. While the name on the stadium will change after the 2020 season, we fully expect Brewers fans inside and outside the stadium will continue to celebrate every home run and every strike out with one of our beloved brands.”

MillerCoors purchased the naming rights to the 41,900-seat stadium before it opened in 1996. The $40 million deal lasts through 2020. As the company statement indicated, Miller products will remain a staple at the stadium for the distant future.

The venue will continue to be known as Miller Park leading up to 2021. The final five years of American Family’s naming rights agreement is predicated on an extension of the Brewers stadium lease. The lease currently runs through the 2030 season.

“We are excited to elevate our partnership with American Family Insurance, a heritage Wisconsin company that has been a sponsor of the Brewers since 2001 and one that shares our core values,” added Brewers chairman and principal owner Mark Attanasio.
“This is a significant commitment that reflects American Family’s growing presence in Milwaukee, as well as their support of the Brewers. We look forward to all of the benefits this new partnership will bring to both of our organizations and to fans of the team.”

As with most naming rights deals, the partnership extends just beyond signage. The Brewers and insurance provider will team to fund community projects, including refurbishing youth and high school baseball fields. The two organizations will also work on marketing and promotional initiatives to enhance the fan and customer experience in both the stadium and in the community.

There has been plenty of chatter about the name change in a city where the team name and beer just naturally go together, enough that team COO Rick Schlesinger said to MLB.com, “Here’s the thing: We love having our fans’ views. The fans have passion about everything Brewers, and that includes the (stadium) name. What I would say to fans is they have some time to get used to it. We’re going to be respectful with the name and with our heritage. Miller beer is a prominent part of our experience here, and I don’t see that changing.”

One game shy of reaching the Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs announced plans to upgrade Arrowhead Stadium during the off-season as it seeks to enhance the experience for fans.

The stadium has served as the Chiefs’ home for more than 40 years and has some of the rabid fans in not just the NFL but all of sports. Witness the attendance at the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots played on a Sunday night when temperatures were biting cold but not as bad as minus temperatures predicted earlier.

The iconic Arrowvision scoreboard, which hangs over the west end zone and is shaped like a football, will be modernized. The structure will maintain its size and shape but will be fitted with new LED panels to provide a more enhanced picture for spectators.

Other enhancements include waterproofing measures for the stadium’s upper deck to be reapplied to protect the enclosed space below the club level, a move designed to help Arrowhead Stadium’s to deal with adverse weather conditions. All seats in the upper deck are removed for the process, and will be replaced by new seats featuring cupholders.

“It has been a decade since our last major renovation to Arrowhead Stadium was completed and we’ve been taking an extensive look at areas we can address as we move towards future seasons,” said Mark Donovan, team president. “We are excited about these projects and look forward to the work beginning in the coming days and weeks.”