Happy Friday!  #GivingTuesday is the global movement where millions of people around the U.S. and the world come together to support causes they believe in. This will be an opportunity for YOU, our members, to show support of the IAVM Foundation and the overall well being of the venue industry we all work in.

We hope that you will begin to consider and reflect on YOUR experiences in the venue industry, and that you will realize the importance of YOUR investment to the IAVM Foundation. Over the past 35 years, donations to the foundation have helped to create amazing programs such as VMS, the IAVM research department (VDS), safety and security initiatives (EMSSI), and scholarship and internship programs for the future of the industry. #GivingTuesday is a time to give back, so the IAVM Foundation can continue to develop programs and education that improve every aspect of our venue industry.

Your support, in any amount, makes a difference!  Please consider giving back on #GivingTuesday. CLICK HERE to invest now!

With the holiday season right around the corner, the IAVM Foundation will be holding a Holiday Online Auction to raise additional dollars to fund the programs that provide professional development opportunities to our members and to strengthen our industry as a whole. 

We already have a few donated items, but to enhance this auction we need more.  Tickets for bowl games, concerts, events, autographed memorabilia, hotel packages and gift cards, or anything that might be a coveted Christmas gift would all be awesome additions. What do you have to donate to a Holiday Auction? Any event or item that can be used between Christmas and June 30, 2019 would be fantastic. 

If you are able to donate an item, we’ve made it really easy! Please send word to Kathryn Eades, Director of Development, at kathryn.eades@iavm.org by November 15, and include the Auction Donor Form.  Remember, it’s for a worthy cause and will help to strengthen our industry and the professionals that are employed in public venues across the globe.  Your organization will receive recognition on the Foundation web page and on each item’s description page on the online auction.

Thank you in advance for your support . 

On Wednesday, you received a communication concerning purchasing tickets to this year’s Cotton Bowl Classic. This initiative is a fundraiser for the Foundation, while making a  perk available to our members. The Cotton Bowl Classic is part of the College Football Playoff (CFP) which will pit two of the top four teams that will be pursuing the National Championship Game being played in Santa Clara, California.

The Cotton Bowl is one of two Bowl Games that will host the CFP Semi- Finals and will host two of the four highest ranked teams as determined by the CPP Rankings at the end of the college football season. The top ten teams in the current CFP Rankings include: Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Notre Dame, Michigan, Georgia, Oklahoma, Washington State, Kentucky, and Ohio State.  As you can see, these are the storied college football programs from the major conferences so the tickets will be sought after.

The Cotton Bowl Game is sold out, and tickets are being sold on the secondary market for increased pricing. IAVM Foundation has a limited number of great tickets so if you want to purchase a pair of tickets, e-mail Tiffany.Jackson@IAVM.org immediately.

This is a win-win opportunity, as when you purchase these tickets from the Foundation, a portion of the funds will be a donation in your name to the Foundation. The Foundation funds professional development programs for our IAVM Members.

Seek the e-mail sent to you on Wednesday for more information and links to the Cotton Bowl website for specific information. You have until next Wednesday to purchase tickets.

The IAVM Leadership Development Committee is seeking candidates who are well-versed in all areas of venue management, invested in their own professional growth and the growth of others, are dedicated to the advancement of the venue industry as a whole and have the demonstrated ability to lead the Association.

The application process and criteria are available here. The deadline to submit your application to Rosanne Duke, Director of Governance/Operations, is December 31, 2018.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must have attained CVE designation and maintain the designation throughout the term of office;
• Must be a dues-paying (either Individual or Group Membership), Professional Member of IAVM and remain as such throughout the term of office;
• Must have previously served at least one full term on the IAVM Board of Directors;
• Must have served at least one full year as Chair of:
• an IAVM Committee,
• the Board of Regents,
• the Board of Governors, or
• the IAVM Foundation Board of Trustees;
• Must have served on any combination of at least 3 of the following:
• IAVM Committees,
• Board of Regents,
• Board of Governors, or
• Board of Trustees;
• Must have been employed in one of the 2 top positions in a venue for at least 10 years;
• Must have completed at least 1 of the following IAVM school programs:
• Venue Management School
• Graduate Institute
• Senior Executive Symposium
• Academy for Venue Safety & Security
• Must have attended VenueConnect at least 3 times, and any combination of at least 3 other programs (from the list below) in the previous 6 years:
• Additional years at VenueConnect;
• Other IAVM school programs;
• Sector Conferences
• Region Meetings
• Chapter Meetings

The nomination process is Member-initiated. The web site directs the interested members to review the criteria and utilize the online self-assessment tool to help determine their individual eligibility as a candidate for senior officer, and to ultimately submit an application form should they wish to be considered as a candidate.

The application and supporting documentation is due by December 31, 2018.

For nearly 30 years, the San Diego Convention Center has been at the forefront of the meetings industry. Now, the venue has been honored with the Gold Award for Best Convention Center in the Western United States by the 2018 Prevue Visionary Awards.

This is the first time the Prevue Visionary Awards has included a category for convention centers, specifically recognizing venues that are forward-thinking and innovative.

“The entire team at Prevue is honored to recognize these innovators in the meetings and incentives industry as voted on by our readership and esteemed Advisory Board,” the organization said in its official announcement of winners in 30 categories.

San Diego Convention Center Corporation President & CEO Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe, CVE, and Vice President of Sales and Services Andy Mikschl were presented the Gold Award at the IMEX America Exhibition in Las Vegas on Tuesday, October 16. IMEX is America’s worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings, and events.

“We are grateful to be recognized by those who nominated our venue and those who voted for us in this award category,” Rippetoe said. “Our purpose is to be the region’s premier gathering place. And since we are in the experience business, we are always looking to the future and how we will create new and better experiences for our customers.”

Earlier this year, the San Diego Convention Center completed its Sails Pavilion renovation, which included the new addition of colored LED lights. This feature allows customers and community partners to create vibrant, expressive displays that not only illuminate the interior of the 90,000 square foot exhibit space, but the surrounding cityscape as well.

The Convention Center’s food and beverage partner, Centerplate, has been a leader in creating remarkable new experiences for event attendees. From a new fish taco cart, to creating custom meals for thousands, the in-house food and beverage team is always looking for new and innovative ways to make a memorable catering experience.

Sustainability in meetings is another important goal of the San Diego Convention Center, which is a LEED Gold Certified Venue.

When one of its long-time customers began their “zero plastics” efforts, the Convention Center team swapped out all plastic water bottles for boxed waters, ordered canned juices instead of bottled beverages, and used plates and cutlery made of compostable materials.

In 2019, California law will prohibit plastic straws, but the San Diego Convention Center is already ahead of the game, cutting out plastics as of now from catering protocol.