Hurricane Florence is now a Category 1 hurricane after making landfall along the coast of North Carolina. The ramifications from the storm’s fury will likely be felt for an extended period of time. Prior to the hurricane’s arrival, we were able to speak with Larry Perkins, CVE, assistant general manager of PNC Arena in Raleigh, to check on our friends and to find out what they were planning as a venue to deal with the event.

“Our parking lots are being used for staging,” Perkins said. “We are also opening up our locker rooms to folks coming in from

out of town who can take a shower. We’re going to feed them, give them a bite to eat. We are going to be ready to go to respond to this emergency.

“Then we are going to open the building up to our employees from the surrounding area. If they don’t feel safe in their homes, they’ll come here. We want them to assume they are going on an outing or camping. Bring your blanket and things of that nature because we obviously don’t have beds.”

Perkins said that he and others have been in dialogue with federal agencies in advance of the storm in making preparations and that they are as ready as can be as they began accepting people by noon today (Friday).

“People can make their claim on a part of our concourse and some of them we will put in our suites to keep families together. We’re doing that. Once the hurricane goes through we are going to collect some donations. We haven’t decided that yet and how it goes. We are going to use some of our crews as we have about nine chain saws and will probably send them out in the community to take down trees and debris.

“Of course, the staging was already in place because we had to get those folks to North Carolina early so that they are in position.”

As for his own well-being, Perkins said he is doing good and will be available throughout the cycle. Perkins, a native of Enfield, NC, said that he has a home in that country setting that he is concerned about.

“it gets flooded easily and I have large trees right over my house. Other than that I am good.”

We have been working with FEMA and the NC State Emergency Management to try an assist in the response and recovery efforts. We are using the PNC Arena parking lots for staging Duke Energy and other Recovery Teams, and PNC Bank will stage mobile ATM equipment and vehicles. Plus, we are offering showers and food to the crews.

Right now, we are not announcing the employee shelter, but may announce tomorrow once we see how the weather is progressing.

Larry Perkins
Vice President of Guest Relations / Assistant GM of PNC Arena

Even as the state of North Carolina takes the brunt of Hurricane Florence, public assembly venues in the state have rallied to assist evacuees in the spirit that venues have become known for.

An emergency shelter for Hurricane Florence evacuees opened Wednesday at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem. While the shelter opened to accommodate people evacuating from the coast, people in the area are also welcome to stay.

The Red Cross indicated that those choosing to come to the shelter should be prepared to bring prescription medications, extra clothing, pillows, blankets, hygiene supplies, important documents, and other comfort items.

Meanwhile, last night the Boston College-Wake Forest football game took place at BB&T Field. The game was moved up two hours to get the game in and get the people out and to safety. A number of other college games around the state were cancelled including West Virginia-NC State, East Carolina-Virginia Tech and UCF-North Carolina.

Further inland, the Charlotte Motor Speedway also opened its Rock City Campground at noon Tuesday for evacuees heading west or inland from Hurricane Florence.

With severe weather in the forecast for other southeastern states, accommodations will be available as long as possible prior to potential landfall. Evacuees will have access to bathhouse facilities on speedway property.

“While the Charlotte area is not completely out of the region that could face the effects of Hurricane Florence, for many of our neighbors to the east it is a safer alternative or a good stopping point as they seek shelter elsewhere,” said Greg Walter, executive vice president of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “We look forward to welcoming anyone who needs a place to stop and to showing them the hospitality they deserve as we ride out this storm together.”

Wilmington is the coastal city that in the early stages has taken the greatest fury of Florence. Even so, the spirit of humanity shows up. Representatives from the corporate office of Waffle House in Norcross, GA, arrived in Wilmington to a local Waffle House and opened it to feed hungry first responders.

(From Region 6 newsletter)

In the year since Hurricane Harvey struck Houston, the city has been defined by its resilience and strength.
While the majority of the city was back and open for business just a few short weeks after the storm touched ground,
many of the city’s neighborhoods and important institutions were deeply affected by Harvey. The Wortham Theater
Center, located in the heart of the Theater District, and one of Houston’s artistic cornerstones, is one such institution
that has faced a longer road to recovery. After almost a year of restoration efforts, the Wortham Theater Center
opened its doors for the Theater District Open House on Sunday, August 26, 2018.

A much-anticipated annual event, this year’s open house festivities held special significance for the city’s
arts groups hosting the event. For the past year, tenant companies Houston Grand Opera (HGO) and the Houston
Ballet have performed in different venues throughout the city, including Resilience Theater, a temporary theater
built in the George R. Brown Convention Center to host the HGO’s Fall Season. Finally back in their home at the
Wortham, the open house was an opportunity for artists and art-lovers alike to celebrate a return to normalcy and
generate excitement for the theater’s upcoming season of events.

The Wortham Theater Center will open officially for its first performance on Wednesday, September 26,
2018—just over one year since Hurricane Harvey hit. The first performance will feature Placido Domingo, who
performed in Verdi’s Aida when the theater first opened thirty years ago. The sold-out performance kicks off a full
season for the theater and Houston’s arts groups, who have shown adaptability, creativity, and spirit for Houston
over the past 12 months. The Wortham is back and ready to showcase the best Houston has to offer in arts and
culture.

For more about the Wortham Theater Center: http://www.houstonfirsttheaters.com/Wortham-Center.

The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (“HKCEC”) continues to be the preferred venue for international organisers staging world-class exhibitions and conferences in Hong Kong. During the fiscal year 2017-2018 (July 2017 to June 2018), a total of 1,061 events were held at the HKCEC, including 118 exhibitions and 166 international and local conferences, along with hundreds of corporate meetings, banquets and entertainment events. During the year, the HKCEC welcomed an attendance of over 8.2 million*, including exhibitors, trade buyers, conference and meeting delegates, event visitors, banquet guests, and restaurant customers.

The 118 exhibitions and 166 international and local conferences cover diverse topics such as start-up, franchising, diving and resorts, technology for the elderly, finance, medical science, cloud technology, amusement and theme park, etc.

Seven new exhibitions and 69 new conferences were successfully held at the HKCEC, including Gourmet Asia 2018, and China Guardian (HK) 2017 Autumn Auctions, The 33rd Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) Congress, and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute Annual Conference 2018.

The outstanding business performance is complemented by 23 awards and certificates, in recognition of service quality, community service, and environmental protection. These recognitions include Champion in the “Outstanding Venue Award” at the 2017 AFECA Asian Awards, organised by Asian Federation of Exhibitions and Convention Associations; “Best Convention and Exhibition Centre in Asia-Pacific” in the 2018 CEI Readers’ Choice Award conducted by CEI Asia magazine; 15 Years Plus Caring Company logo by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service in 2018.

Monica Lee-Müller, Managing Director of Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited (“HML”), the professional and private management company of the HKCEC, commented, “We are proud of the results, but we will not rest on our laurels. We continue to look for opportunities to improve and share our success with our business partners, staff members, and community at large. The commitment is reflected in the 30th anniversary slogan: Breakthrough‧Advance Together. A series of infrastructure and technological upgrade are already in progress.”

The Membership Committee is asking the leaders of IAVM to help us achieve a bigger, more diverse network. Our community is more than numbers. The venue management industry is comprised of influential individuals involved in every aspect of the sports and entertainment market. IAVM is the link to bring this unique, global community together — venue managers, our sponsors and allied partners — to have a passionate and vibrant exchange of ideas and best practices. You represent the very best of venue management. Now, it’s time to identify the next round of leaders that will propel IAVM to new heights, but more importantly, provide you with expanded connections to give you more vibrant experiences and discussions at our schools and conferences. By having a larger more diverse network, everyone benefits. We encourage you to share your unique vision and passion with the next generation to help them become trailblazers for our great industry. Encourage them to join today.

GOAL:  Our goal is to have 100% participation by our volunteer leaders.

REWARD: The committee, council or task force and individual that refers the most members will be recognized at VenueConnect in Chicago 2019.

To receive credit for your new member, ask your referral to complete these fields in the online membership application:

• How did you hear about IAVM – Enter “JustOne” and the committee you want to receive credit; important if you serve on multiple committees
  • Example: JustOne-Membership Committee
• If a person referred you, provide name:
  • Example: Alexis Berggren, Membership Committee
• One-time initiation fee will be waived because of your referral if they join by December 31, 2018.
  • Under the Payment Information, enter the promo code: JUSTONE
  • If applying for Professional or Supplier membership, only the dues will remain (savings of $150.00)

 

JustOne affords you the opportunity to help someone reach their potential and have access to resources that ensures their success. Encourage your colleague, star employee, customer, etc. to become a part of our unique community. Encourage them to become an IAVM member. So, get your competitive juices flowing and help us meet our goal, 300 volunteers connecting 300 new members with IAVM.

Questions, contact Member Services at 972.906.7441 and ask for Gina Brydson or Robin Covington.