Having been in this industry for at least 5 decades, I must share my personal feelings of commitment to the entertainment and sport industry that has been so good to me.  We live in a fast-paced world, but as the leaders of an older demographic, we have a responsibility to give back.  I personally give to the Foundation to create opportunity for a solid future for the industry through continuing education. 

I know I have worked through the glory days of Rock and Roll, and the business is changing.  I do find it hard to change some aspects of my personal approach, but the one thing that I know for sure, and it was reiterated as I grew by one of the finest women I have known, Mom, we are keepers of the future.  It is our duty and responsibility to lead the way, to give back and to show the next generations that philanthropy is not just a big word, but a duty, a charge to maintain the established industry we love.  I do that personally, by giving of my time, and quite frankly my money.  My life is good, I am comfortable, and through it all I hope I have shared my ethic of giving as a mentor, friend and seasoned leader. 

I give, because my very first boss said, when I asked as I started as an usher, “Just do the right thing”.  Please join me in paying it forward, do the right thing by donating to the IAVM Foundation.

It’s YOUR Foundation. It’s YOUR Future. Invest Now!

John Siehl, CVE
Chief Operating Officer
VenuWorks

The San Diego City Council approved the appointments of Carlos Cota and Allan Farwell to serve on the San Diego Convention Center Corporation Board of Directors, effective Tuesday, December 4, 2018.

Cota and Farwell join a board that will be chaired in 2019 by Xema Jacobson. Her officers include Jaymie Bradford as Vice Chair of the Board, Carol Kim will serve as the Board’s Secretary and Elvin Lai becomes Treasurer.

“Allan and Carlos are great additions to our Board,” said Jacobson. “As Chair, I am looking forward to working with the Board and the Convention Center staff as we approach our 30th Anniversary. One of our main goals is to find solutions for the needs of our customers who want to grow with the San Diego Convention Center.”

Jacobson, a San Diego native, has a rich history with the tourism industry as well as the Convention Center itself. She was involved in both the construction of the facility, its 2001 expansion and the future of the Center.

The San Diego Convention Center Board of Directors sets policy for the public benefit corporation that was created by the City of San Diego to exclusively manage, market and operate the 2.6 million-square-foot waterfront facility.

Cota is an International Representative and Trustee for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) with over 25 years experience in the Entertainment and Convention Industries.

He began his career as a stagehand in 1990 while still pursuing his studies. He entered the IATSE #122 apprenticeship employed at a variety of venues around the City including the then newly-completed San Diego Convention Center. After quickly achieving journeyman status, he began traveling nationally with many of the industry’s top conventions. This experience allowed him the opportunity to work in and compare services provided at nearly every major convention facility throughout the United States and Canada and bring back those experiences to share with the local workforce.

Following his time working in the field, he served 13 years as Business Agent for IATSE Local 122, with responsibilities covering oversight of day-to-day operations, contract negotiation and administration, budgeting, training, and education. During his tenure as Business Agent, the Local’s membership and contract portfolio grew exponentially. He was also responsible for establishing the organization’s Training Trust Fund.

He’s served as an Executive Board Member for the IATSE District 2, covering California, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii, Executive Board Member for the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO and spent eight years as an Advisory Board Member for the College, Career & Technical Education (CCTE) program for the San Diego Unified School District.

Farwell brings 40 years of hospitality experience to the Convention Center’s Board of Directors. He served as General Manager at several Hyatt properties from 1990 to 2018, including Maui, Chicago, Washington, Orange County, Indian Wells, and most recently, La Jolla, where he retired from. While in Maui, his hotel was a champion of sustainability, bringing his hotel to a LEED EBOM status, meaning the building was constructed before LEED certification standards.

He remains active in the industry, serving as a Board Member on the San Diego Hotel Motel Association, the former San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau, and is Past Chairman of the Palm Springs Visitor and Convention Bureau, as well as the California Hotel and Lodging Association.

Article courtesy of San Diego Convention Center.  Click here to see their original post.

Henderson Engineers announced Carlo Sechi as a new senior leader in the firm’s Houston office. Sechi will serve as an associate and senior program manager, concentrating on expanding Henderson’s presence in Houston. He brings more than 23 years of experience, including nearly nine years as a partner and director of higher education with DBR Engineering Consultants, Inc./JonesDBR in Houston.

“Carlo’s addition to our Houston office takes us to the next level,” said Tom Simmons, director of operations for Henderson’s Houston office. “For more than two decades, he has been a respected leader in the Houston engineering market. His experience is a great fit for our team and will help us continue to propel our office forward. We are happy to have Carlo on board.”

Sechi holds vast higher education, corporate, hospitality, venue, and healthcare engineering experience. He has worked on recognizable projects such as NRG Stadium, Marriott Marquis Houston, and the entire Corps of Cadets Dorm and Quad renovation at Texas A&M University, his alma mater.

“I’m thrilled to join Henderson because of its reputation for quality work and innovative thinking,” Sechi said. “I’ve been proud to call Houston home and have always admired Henderson. Their portfolio of nationwide work, focus on technical quality, and great culture was exactly the type of company I wanted to join. I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity.”

Sechi previously worked for DBR Engineering Consultants, Inc./Jones DBR in Houston for 12 years. He was promoted to partner in 2009 and named as their director of higher education in 2010. He also worked as a mechanical engineer for Shah Smith & Associates, Inc. and served as a sales engineer for The Trane Company.

Football fans in Weslaco, Texas, wrapped up their season at Bobby Lackey Stadium in November, which features the largest LED video display in high school sports. Daktronics designed and manufactured the landmark installation.

At 36 feet high by 66 feet wide, the display features a 15HD pixel layout, stands as tall as a telephone pole and as long as a bowling lane. It delivers the resolution, brightness and viewing angles ideal for the 12,000+ fans attending football games.

“This display is as impressive in capability as it is in size. The functionality and uses are endless,” said Kyle Sydow, Daktronics high school sports and recreation market manager. “Daktronics is proud to be part of this phenomenal installation. Texas has great passion for football, and that’s reflected in the technology they chose.”

The display sees frequent use as Weslaco and Weslaco East High Schools share the stadium for football, track and field, soccer, commencement, and graduation ceremonies. Regional Special Olympics and youth football leagues also make use of the stadium.

“Weslaco is a repeat customer with an impressive handle on digital technologies for their many events,” said Pete Vela, Daktronics south Texas sales representative. “The skill they show during game days and Friday nights leads the area.”

Built to entertain for years to come, Daktronics LED video and messaging display technology features industry-leading environmental protection to ensure a long lifetime for the display with consistent performance and low power consumption.

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited (“HML”) announced that with new joins and new structure, the 330-strong Food and Beverage team is ready to raise culinary and service standards at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (“HKCEC”) to new heights. HML is the professional private management and operating company for the HKCEC, long recognized as Asia’s best. During the year ending June 30, 2018, a total of over 2.4 million F&B patrons were catered for. They included guests to restaurants, concession stands as well as 355 banqueting events, the largest of which served close to 4,000 guests.

After the appointment of Paul Jeffrey Chandler as Director – Food & Beverage early 2017, HML added new positions and restructured the Division.

Richie Li joined HML as Assistant Director – Food & Beverage in March 2018. He assists Paul in overseeing Event Management, Catering Services, Stewarding and Restaurant Operations. Under Richie’s leadership, Dicky Lam was promoted to Senior Food & Beverage Manager – Restaurants in July 2018. A new dedicated function accountable for food safety and hygiene has been created under Richie’s supervision with Vincci Ho as Manager – Food Safety & Hygiene in July 2018.

The Western Kitchen was strengthened with Chef Bo Ip Sorensen’s promotion to Executive Chef – Western Kitchen and appointment of Chef Christopher Wong as Executive Sous Chef – Western Kitchen. With increasing emphasis of desserts in banquet and restaurant menus, the pastry section head was upgraded to Executive Pastry Chef and Chef Ken Lee was appointed in May 2018.

“The creation of the new and upgraded positions and promotion of our high flyers reflects our commitment to delivering the best possible food and beverage services across all events, banquets and restaurants. With new inspiration and creativity and with long serving staff working together, the HML F&B Division are ready to advance further, set new benchmarks for the industry, and take HML’s customer dining experience to the next level,” Chandler said.