Kerry Painter, CEM, CVE, CMP, who helps oversee the internationally award-winning convention center in Tulsa, Okla., has been named general manager and director of Raleigh’s Convention Center complex.

City Manager Ruffin Hall announced today that Painter will begin her new duties on December 18.

Owned and operated by the City of Raleigh, the Convention Center complex consists of the Raleigh Convention Center, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, and Red Hat Amphitheater — all located Downtown —and the Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek.

“Kerry is recognized as a top performer in strategic, innovative facility management,” Hall said. “She has tremendous experience and knowledge in leading convention facilities and performing arts/concert venues. We’re excited that she will become a member of the City’s management team, and I am confident she will continue and build upon the great work of the staff at our Convention Center complex.”

Painter currently is the assistant general manager at Cox Business Center in Tulsa, a position she has held since 2013.

The Cox Business Center was a recipient of the 2017 Venue Excellence Award presented by IAVM. The annual award is given to venues and individuals who demonstrate excellence in the management and operation of public assembly venues globally.

“I am honored and excited about working for a premier city like Raleigh that has outstanding public facilities for conventions and entertainment,” Painter said.

Painter has more than 30 years of experience in strategic, innovative facility management. She has helped to oversee a variety of public facilities, including convention centers, a theatre, arena, and stadium.

Additionally, she has launched and facilitated construction and grand openings of five facilities.

Prior to joining the Cox Business Center staff, Painter served as interim general manager of the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, and as president and general manager at the Niagara Convention and Civic Centre in Niagara Falls, Canada.

She has obtained industry certifications, including certified event manager, certified meeting professional and certified exhibition manager. Painter also is an instructor for IAVM and the International Association of Exhibitions and Events.

Painter holds a bachelor’s degree in management, economics and communication arts from the University of Michigan. She has dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.

Bill Herman has been promoted to general manager of Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas. Herman has served as assistant
general manager with Allen Event Center since July 2017 overseeing daily and event operations at the venue.

“Bill’s extensive experience in arena operations, event planning, booking, and general management has been an indispensable
resource to all work groups at the Event Center over the past 15 months,” said David Angeles, Herman’s predecessor who will
now provide oversight to both Allen Event Center and the Courses at Watters Creek as an assistant director. “Bill’s knowledge in
sports team operations has further strengthened the arena’s relationship and support of City of Allen sports tenants.”

Herman, who officially began his new role on October 27, has spent his 20-year career in public assembly venues in the Dallas/Fort Worth market and is a recent second year graduate of the Venue Management School.

The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), owned by the City of Los Angeles and managed by AEG Facilities, announced its straw ban during a sustainability presentation at the National League of Cities (NLC) City Summit on November 9, 2018.

The United States uses over 500 million plastic straws every day; most straws end up polluting oceans and killing marine life. The LACC, in partnership with in-house caterer Taste of LA by Levy Restaurants, will cease the use of 250,000 straws annually to protect the planet. Paper straws will be used only for blended coffee beverages until other solutions are accessible. Paper straws will also be available for those with ADA requirements.

“One of the best ways to reduce our carbon footprint is by removing waste wherever possible,” said Matthew Brown, general manager of Taste of LA by Levy at the LACC. “Our goal has been to function 100 percent straw-free. One year ago, we eliminated straws from catering, which serves as 80 percent of our business. Removing straws from our cafes and kiosks was the last piece of the puzzle.”

The LACC has recently implemented additional sustainability initiatives. In August the facility upgraded to water and energy efficient dishwashers, saving an estimated 1.3 million gallons of water annually. Last month the LACC started a project replacing 330 faucets in guest restrooms; 0.5 gallon per minute (GPM) faucets are being upgraded to 0.35 GPM units, which will save approximately 415,000 gallons of water annually.

“Environmental sustainability is embedded in the LACC’s culture and permeates every aspect of our day-to-day operations,” said Ellen Schwartz, general manager of the LACC. “It is exciting to continually launch new initiatives at events like NLC City Summit that impact communities all over the country.”

The stars came to the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, to show their appreciation to our Veterans for their service and sacrifice. The event raised more than $1.2 million dollars to support veterans and their families. More than 18,000 in attendance including servicemen and their loved ones rocked to a phenomenal lineup featuring hit-laden performances by Joe Walsh, James Taylor, Don Henley, Chris Stapleton, and Haim. There was great camaraderie among the musicians – Joe jammed with James on a smokin’ “Streamroller” and then jumped up during Don’s set for “Life in the Fast Lane” and “Hotel California” before taking the stage for his set, which he started with “Walk Away” and capped off with “Life’s Been Good” and “Rocky Mountain Way.” Then all the artists came onto the stage for the grand finale performance of “With A Little Help from My Friends” led by Ringo Starr.

Drew Carey served as MC of the evening, and Tammy Duckworth joined by video sending a message of acknowledgement for her fellow serviceman. The show also included standout performances by DaNell Daymon and Greater Works Gospel Choir, who kicked off the show with a spirited “Star Spangled Banner,” and returned midway to sing “This Little Light Of Mine.”

Sponsored by Alaska Airlines, Boeing, The International Association of Ironworkers and T-Mobile, the event has grown tremendously in just one year, with the second annual Vetsaid bringing in over three times what the first event did.

“I can’t believe everybody showed up!” joked a grateful Joe Walsh. “This issue, Veterans and their families, is resonant to me because I am a Gold star family member. I lost my Dad in active duty when I was 20 months old. I also want to bring attention to a forgotten war, we are at war, and our soldiers are coming back shattered and need our support. I had to do something, and I am in a position to, so I did. We have to help our Vets with the transition back to civilian life. We shouldn’t see Vets standing by the side of a road holding up a card board sign for food and shelter. Tonight we raised money to help change that.”

Matthews Southwest Hospitality, LLC, a national hospitality industry developer based in Dallas, TX, released an initial conceptual design of the proposed headquarters hotel that would be attached to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, giving the public a first glimpse at the proposed exterior of the $558 million addition to the city’s hospitality inventory. In addition to Matthews, the Project team includes Preston Hollow Capital, Provident Resources Group, The Convention District Development Associates, and Omni Hotels & Resorts.

Plans call for the 1,200 room Omni Hotel to be located on Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority/State-owned property connected to the Convention Center. Omni Hotels & Resorts is a market leader in the operation of Convention Center hotels in the U.S., with the addition of 5,500 rooms since 2010 in markets such as Dallas, TX; Nashville, TN; Louisville, KY; and Ft. Worth, TX. The luxury brand currently has Convention Center hotels under construction in Boston, MA, Oklahoma City, OK and soon-to-be Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Negotiations between the Authority and the Project team are in their early stages and are expected to be completed by early next year.

“Our team, working closely with Nunzio Marc DeSantis Architects, is committed to building a world-class destination hotel in New Orleans that will enhance the local community and create a new destination for its visitors,” said Jack Matthews, chairman of developer Matthews Southwest.

According to an independent analysis commissioned by the Authority, the new headquarters hotel will begin generating an annual economic impact of $282 million, $18 million in new taxes for the City of New Orleans, $6 million for the State of Louisiana, as well as supporting over 1,900 new jobs. The new hotel will complement the current redevelopment of Convention Center Boulevard into a pedestrian-friendly outdoor arts and entertainment area, further stimulating additional private investment in dining, residential housing, and retail development.

“The design of the new convention center headquarters hotel has to be spectacular in order to deliver on its full potential and we are both excited and enamored with the initial design concept provided by Matthews Southwest. We are very confident that the new hotel will be a catalyst for more new development and investment in an area upriver from the Convention Center and deliver vital new taxes to the City of New Orleans and State of Louisiana,” said Melvin Rodrigue, chair of the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority.

The independent analysis of the project concluded that the hotel would induce significant new room night demand and dramatically improve the occupancy of the exhibit halls on the upriver end of the convention center. The pre-development terms are currently being established that will guide the formal negotiations. The new headquarters hotel could be ready to welcome guests as early as spring of 2023.