VenueConnect 2019 in Chicago is right around the corner. and the Foundation is gearing up for the annual IAVM Foundation Golf Tournament scheduled for a morning tee-off on Sunday, July 21^st. 

Harborside International Golf Center is the site for this year’s tournament.  Home to both the Port & Starboard Courses, Harborside has been Chicago’s home for golf since 1995. Located only minutes from Chicago’s Loop, Harborside offers the premier golf experience in the Chicago area.  Bringing championship style links golf to the Chicago area, Harborside’s two courses are regularly rated in Golfweek’s Top 50 Best Municipal Courses You Can Play in the nation and in the Top 15 in the State of Illinois.

This tournament is a best ball, par is your friend, scramble format, played on one 18-hole course.  Awards are given to the first, second, and third place teams, longest drive, closest to the pin and more. This all-inclusive event includes bus transportation to/from the hotel, food, drinks, golf and networking—now we just need you!  Registration for the tournament opens on February 11, with the opening of VenueConnect 2019 registration. 

Golf Tournament Sponsorship opportunities are open now!  Enjoy the benefits of supporting your Foundation through a golf sponsorship and receive complimentary golf registrations, branding of your organization and more!  Please contact Kathryn Eades to reserve your sponsorship today.

We hope to see YOU out at the IAVM Foundation Golf Tournament at VenueConnect in July!  Be sure to secure your spot early!

 

Here is the harsh truth: you can’t stop weather from disrupting events and potentially endangering visitors at your venue. But you can plan for it and drastically reduce its impact on operations. Taking the weather into account when planning for your events is not a new concept, but getting it right can be tricky. The secret is understanding what you need to focus on, how to go about it and what technologies you need. Having an expert handy wouldn’t hurt. What is your reward for getting it right? The dream result – A drop in event disruptions, as well as increased safety for your visitors and staff. We are here to tell you how to make that a reality.

 

Date: Tuesday, January 22

Time: 1:00PM – 1:45 PM EST

Presenters: Earth Networks Meteorologist Steve Prinzivalli and Ryan Boros, the Director of Safety at NRG Park

Key takeaways:

• Understand severe weather and its threats
• Learn how to develop an effective weather management plan
• Get a crash course on weather technologies

REGISTER NOW

Annually, IAVM recognizes individuals who reach a membership anniversary milestone in five-year increments. A total of 423 awards were mailed out two weeks ago (a lapel pin with an updated member certificate). To see a complete list of recipients, CLICK HERE. We hope you will wear your bronze, silver, or gold pin at an upcoming event. Congratulations to each individual member on your wonderful achievement and most of all, thank you for your ongoing support!

5 Years – 165

10 Years – 92

15 Years – 51

20 Years – 53

25 Years – 24

30 Years – 17

35 Years – 12

40 Years – 3

45 Years – 3

50 Years – 2

55 Years – 1

If you have any questions, contact membership@iavm.org.

As we come to the close of 2018, it is time for — what else? — reflecting.

We here at IAVM wish you and yours a happy and healthy 2019 and look forward to another year of serving you, our valued members.

It has been my pleasure to serve as your editor of Facility Manager magazine and to contribute each week to the IAVM News newsletter. As I have said many times over, I consider myself one of the luckiest dudes around who gets to match his passions of writing and as a frequent customer of events held at our member venues.

As you continue recharging those batteries in preparation for another busy year, I wanted to share with you a brief two-minute video that highlights my 2018, my marriage on June 16 to Charlotte Cariker. I never thought I would be marrying again at age 61, but as those of you who know my story, I never thought I would lose my wife four years ago at age 48 during an otherwise unremarkable day surgery procedure.

God blessed me by finding a Grief Share class I needed to deal with the loss of the love of my life while at the same time introducing me to a lady in the class who had lost her husband just two months prior to my loss. We had plenty in common and share many a night on the phone talking through our grief, often through sobs and tears.

Today, I stand fortunate as someone who has gone from mourning to joy and now along with my wife pay it forward by leading a Grief Share class at our church. Yes, 2018 has been good to me, and it would have been regardless of whether I had remarried or not, for I know I have never been left to go through this alone by God as well as our wonderful IAVM members who have been at my side for these several years.

See you in 2019 and enjoy the video!

State Farm Arena in Atlanta (formerly Philips Arena) will enjoy a serious Wi-Fi network upgrade following an agreement announcement along with Comcast Business.

Oh, and this is not just any run-of-the-mill upgrade. Far from it as according to Comcast it will deliver 10 times the current speed and will nearly double the number of access points that existed before the home venue of the Atlanta Hawks was renovated. The deal was announced recently for Comcast Business to both provide and manage the arena’s Wi-Fi network.

“We view renovation as innovation,” Marcus Wasdin, chief information officer for the Hawks,” said in a statement. “This is the perfect opportunity to solidify a core component of the fan experience. Connectivity is the foundation to our digital initiatives where we seek to allow fans to enjoy the arena in new and immersive ways tailored to them. As an organization, we want to create a one-of-a-kind digital experience to engage fans, and this partnership with Comcast Business will provide the foundation for us to do so.”