The ticket for the game might not be too fan-friendly, but oh how guests at Super Bowl LIII at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta are going to love chowing down on some $2 hot dogs and washing them down for some $5 beer.

Yes, the prices for such staple concession items at America’s biggest sporting event gives patrons an opportunity to save a few bucks when it comes to filling up the stomach.

As team CEO/President Rich McKay said once again in advance of next Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams, the venue would have Fan First Menu Pricing for spectators, and the menu even goes beyond the tried-and-true hot dogs and beer.

In all, some 12 popular food and beverage items will be available at very affordable prices, including $5 cheeseburgers, $3 nachos, and $2 refillable soft drinks. There is no tax included on the items, so go ahead and hand over that $10 bill and walk away with some nachos, a dog, and a cold one.

The low pricing is actually counter to what takes place at such a major event as a Super Bowl. But, again, McKay, pushed aside the significance of the game when it came to menu pricing.

In fact, the team introduced the concept when the sparkling $1.5 billion stadium debuted in 2017. Most telling, spending per customer rose 16 percent despite a 55 percent dip in prices from the last year of the Georgia Dome through the inaugural year of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Levy Restaurants is the venue’s F&B provider. With this being, of course, a Super Bowl, fans will make it an all-day affair, something the provider has taken into account as there are 29 walk-in coolers for keg storage and another 12 for food coolers. There will be no issue in running out of items as 75,000 bottled waters and 55,000 hot dogs will be stocked for the big game.

The concept of lowering some prices seems to be catching on as 13 pro and college sports teams have followed the lead in Atlanta, including the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions.

Where does all of this go from here? Who knows, but for now there is a great starting point set by the model in Atlanta.

Good morning, everyone, we are looking into umbrella stands for our facility. I am curious what type of stands other venues are using. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Do you know where the above comment came from? No idea, you say. Let us fill you in if that is your answer. Bob Eslick, operations manager of the south hall of the Von Braun Center posted it Friday morning on IAVM’s VenueNet.

If you did know the answer, hats off to you as you are someone who takes advantage of the public and interactive member forum known as VenueNet. One of IAVM’s true jewels, VenueNet is the place where industry questions are asked and then answered by peers in the know. We might add that if you are an Allied member but not taking advantage of VenueNet, you are likely missing out on something even greater — potential dollars. Many of the questions posed have to do with products and services, which is where you, the Allied member, come in.

Regardless of membership category, VenueNet is here to help you.

“The thing I like about VenueNet is that everything that’s on your mind shows up there and you can get answers and people’s opinions on everything. It’s fabulous!” said Robyn Williams, CVE, Portland’5 Centers for the Arts.

VenueNet works best when there is participation. Many members begin their day by browsing VenueNet to possibly not only answer a question but on occasion to even find a question that they thought of asking but someone else did first.

“There is always somebody there that can answer a question for you,” said Dusty Saine, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. “The interaction is important but talking to somebody who understands the problems you have and has solved this problem before saves you a lot of time and stress.”

“VenueNet is a huge benefit to members who do use it,” added Tammy Koolbeck, CVE, Iowa State Center, IAVM 1st Vice Chair.

Members are also encouraged to download and use the MemberCentric app in order to access VenueNet on the go through mobile devices, which many are already doing.

Regardless of how you use VenueNet or where you use it from, the bottom line is to participate to help your colleagues and to get answers for your own questions or offer comments, suggestions, or recommendations.

“It truly is one of the hidden treasures we have,” said Michael Marion, CVE, Verizon Arena, IAVM Chair of the Board.

Adam Straight Hired

After a nationwide search, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has named Adam Straight as vice president of operations. In this capacity, Straight will be tasked with the oversight of plans and strategies for convention center event operations. Departments reporting to Adam will include Production Services, Food and Beverage, Public Safety, Environmental Services, and more.

Straight brings more than 19 years of facility operations and management experience to his new role. Before joining with the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Straight served as the senior director of campus operations for the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) in Atlanta, Georgia, which includes the Georgia World Congress Center, Mercedes Benz Stadium, and Centennial Olympic Park. Under his leadership there, he and his team on the GWCC Authority oversaw the planning and management of multiple NCAA Final Fours, Super Bowls, and the National College Football Playoff Championship Game.

Straight’s career in the events industry includes four years as director of facility operations at the Georgia Dome, which played host to hundreds of sporting events and concerts, bringing approximately 1.9 million guests to the building per year. Straight also served 12 years with the University of Maryland, where he oversaw the daily operations of 14 athletic facilities that saw about 750,000 visitors annually. During this time, Straight also oversaw the planning, construction, and opening of a $13.5 million football stadium renovation.

“Adam is a great fit in both experience and personality and I am confident he is a perfect addition to our staff,” said Michael Sawaya, President of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

“My family and I are very excited to join the New Orleans family and plant roots in such a historic and vibrant city,” Straight said. “Through my unique experiences in venue management, my commitment to hospitality excellence and use of Quality Operating Standards, I look forward to help solidifying the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center as the #1 destination center in the #1 destination city.”

A nine-year veteran of the United States Coast Guard, Straight received numerous accolades and commendations for his service. Straight is also an IAVM Certified Venue Manager and received his Safety Certification from the National Safety Council.

LA Convention Center Expansion

Los Angeles city officials have made critical initial-step approvals for a proposed $500 million transformation of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Part of an overall $1.25 billion project, LACC’s total useable space would grow to more than 1.2 million square feet — including 250,000 square feet of meeting space and a 51,000-square-foot ballroom — with total contiguous exhibition space between the existing South and West Halls expanding to 750,000 square feet.

The public-private proposal also calls for a $700 million addition to the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live hotel on Olympic Boulevard. A 40-story tower with 850 rooms would be built just south of L.A. Live’s Regal Cinemas complex, to be connected by pedestrian bridges to the existing JW Marriott and the West Hall of the convention facility.

Melding the expanded convention center with the new hotel tower, Staples Center and L.A. Live would create a 100-acre campus with multiple meeting spaces, lodging, theaters and restaurants, said Ted Fikre, vice chairman of Los Angeles entertainment giant Anschutz Entertainment Group, which operates the LACC and owns L.A. Live. “This is not just about competing with Anaheim, San Diego, and San Francisco,” he noted. “The bigger opportunity here is to create this unrivaled destination.”

This past December, the city had thus far approved nearly $98 million for AEG’s convention center/hotel project. AEG hopes to begin negotiations immediately to secure construction approvals so the expansion and hotel can be completed as early as 2021.

The Green Sports Alliance announced Roger McClendon as the new executive director for the organization. McClendon will lead the premier alliance of international sports and stadium executives, as well as sustainability experts, to use sports as a vehicle to
promote healthy, sustainable communities throughout the world.

“I am honored for the opportunity to lead the Green Sports Alliance. I look forward to taking the Alliance to the next level and ensuring sports plays a key role in the global sustainability movement, focused on measurable impact,” McClendon said. “Along with our Board, members and staff, we are poised to develop the Alliance’s vision, while leveraging global innovation and
strategic partnerships, to improve the social and environmental well-being of future generations.”

McClendon joins Green Sports Alliance with extensive experience in sustainability, business, and sports. McClendon was the first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer for Yum! Brands, whose holdings include Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC restaurants. He also led the development of Blueline, a sustainable design guide for restaurants built on the LEED certification program. Blueline was a
global standard implemented in approximately 5,000 Yum! Brand restaurants globally.

“We are very excited to have Roger take on this leadership role,” said Scott Jenkins, who serves as Chair of the Board. “His results-driven track record in sustainability and sports presents a unique opportunity for the Alliance to further innovate, influence and inspire the communities we serve.”

Due to McClendon’s efforts, Yum! was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in 2017 and 2018, as well as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Corporate Responsibility Magazine. Yum! Brands was also part of the inaugural class of the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions, U.S. businesses and organizations pledging concrete steps to reduce food loss and waste in their
operations 50 percent by 2030.

Prior to Yum! McClendon worked with Champion Paper, now International Paper, to automate and improve operational and manufacturing efficiencies that included water treatment, power generation, and production systems. McClendon studied computer and electrical engineering at the University of Cincinnati while also becoming the school’s number two scorer all-time, second
only to National Basketball Association Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.

McClendon was chosen after a thorough and highly competitive national search led by Weinreb Group Sustainability Recruiting, a boutique executive search firm that specializes in placing sustainability leaders.