Populous announced the expansion of its American footprint into the Texas market. The firm’s Dallas office will be led by noted
designers Byron Chambers and Jonathan Kelley. This new office will focus on a wide range of project types and services including sports and entertainment venues, convention centers, aviation experience architecture, hospitality architecture, and interior design. The expansion is Populous’ fifth in the United States in recent years and supports Populous’ growth trajectory in the Americas.

“Having a physical presence in the Texas market has been on our radar for many years; it is indicative of our desire to continually adapt to changing market needs,” said Populous Americas Managing Director and Senior Principal Earl Santee, FAIA. “The stars aligned for us in finding Byron and Jonathan and with their leadership, we will now have a nucleus of talented designers who all unite under the same desire to create the places where people love to be together.”

Chambers and Kelley, along with their team in Dallas, will be integral in connecting Populous to opportunities throughout the Southern United States as well as Latin and South America.

“What attracted us to Populous, in addition to its massive brand recognition and design expertise, was our alignment with Populous’ cultural values around client service,” Kelley said. “We have always admired Populous’ focus on relationships, ideas and design, and we look forward to expanding those standards within the footprint of the South.”

Chambers and Kelley will lead a Dallas staff of eight, with the plans for Populous to continue to grow its presence much as it has done with other upstart markets across the Americas.

“Very few firms have the reputation Populous does,” Chambers said. “As designers, we will accept the challenge of creating the places that connect our communities; iconic buildings where lifetime memories are made.”

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) announced the appointment of Darren Waite as Director of Sales.

Waite joins MCEC from AccorHotels where he was Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia. Prior to joining AccorHotels, Waite was Director Asia Pacific for CWT Solutions Group. He has held a number of senior positions with well-known global brands including IHG and Accenture Procurement Solutions.

Commercially minded and target focused, Waite has extensive sales, consulting, procurement, and stakeholder management experience.

MCEC Chief Executive Peter King said he was excited to have Waite join the MCEC team in this critical role. “After an exhaustive search, I am excited by the skills and experience that Darren will bring to our team,” he said.

“Our future will be determined by the innovative way we attack our sales targets and our partnerships with our customers, and Darren’s background is strongly focused on leadership and customer centric behaviors. I can’t wait for him to inject a new energy to our sales function. With our new expansion having recently opened, this is an exciting time for MCEC as we reset our business for the future.”

Waite said he was looking forward to new challenges at MCEC.

“I am delighted by the opportunity to join this inspiring and capable team at such a pivotal stage in the MCEC journey,” he said. “I look forward to working with the sales team to focus on our revenue growth goals, while creating an environment for customers and partners to thrive will ensure MCEC remains as a leader in the venue industry worldwide.”

Waite will begin his new position on October 15.

AEG Presents has appointed Matt Robin as a Talent Buyer for the Southeast region. Robin joins Senior Vice President John Valentino’s roster of buyers which includes Senior Talent Buyers Ethan Levinson and Jesse Stoll.

“Matt’s knowledge of the business and his insight from an artist management perspective will enable us to better program and promote concerts and special events,” Valentino said. “We welcome him and are thrilled to have him join our team.”

Since graduating from the Bandier Program at Syracuse University in 2012, Robin has gone on to work for The Artists Organization and Mick Management, both based in New York. He has worked closely with a wide variety of artists including Animal Collective, Soundgarden, Chromeo, The Joy Formidable, Hamilton Leithauser (of The Walkmen), Jon Batiste, Phillip Phillips, Yusuf / Cat Stevens and many more.

“I am excited to be starting this new chapter of my career,” Robin said, “as I have always found the concert promotion business to be a great way to share my joy and excitement for live entertainment.”

Robin is based out of AEG Presents’ Southeast regional office, located at 1800 Australian Avenue South, Suite 201 in West Palm Beach, Florida 33409 and can be reached at (561) 681–5604 or mrobin@aegpresents.com.

By Kim Insley

Marcus Travis walks through the Minneapolis Convention Center with an easy smile and a friendly greeting for both visitors and staff. As Guest Services Manager, his job is anything but easy. Travis and his team are responsible for the well-being and safety of everyone in the 1.6-million square foot building.

“We play our part in ensuring the public feels safe,” said Travis, who has overseen major events ranging from the 2018 Super Bowl Experience and presidential visits to rock star performances and luminaries like the Dalai Lama in his 14 years at the convention center – all in a building that is more public-facing than most.

“Because we are a public building, we allow access for those who don’t necessarily register for a convention or purchase a ticket to go to a show,” Travis explained. “We’re the connection between the neighborhood and the city’s skyway system.” With its own coffee shop, inviting park benches and tree-lined plaza, the building is also a gathering place.

The Minneapolis Convention Center is located in downtown Minneapolis and is part of a neighborhood that includes high-rise apartments, office workers and churches providing social services for people in need. The building hosts more than 800,000 guests at events each year, providing public spaces that could be shared by both conventioneers and someone who’s just coming in to take a break from the summer heat. Travis and his staff balance the whole spectrum, all while keeping the venue safe and welcoming.

“Building security is a critical topic right now for venue managers,” said Jeff Johnson, Executive Director of the Minneapolis Convention Center. “The discussion centers on ‘How do you maintain both a high-level of security and a welcoming atmosphere for meeting attendees and the general public?’ Do you need airport-style security, or is there something that can better serve the function of the building and the people in it?”

“I think we do a great job with awareness and collaboration with our command center,” added Travis. “Our building security team is highly visible and their role is multi-faceted. To the general public, they’re greeters, saying ‘Hello’ to people. It’s important to acknowledge them and be consistent with that, whether they are attending an event or just passing through.”

Travis believes that is foundational to any safety plan. Those greeters also serve as the eyes of the security team and each one is positioned in plain view of every public entrance. If you enter the building, someone will see you.

People are the critical factor in any security equation. Travis believes learning about another person’s story helps him evaluate and properly respond to a situation. Empathy for others is deeply ingrained in Travis, thanks in part to homelessness he experienced as a teenager. That life experience is valuable in his current work and helps him whether he is encountering a vulnerable adult, a conventioneer, a visiting dignitary or protest groups. “I think the first step is being intentional and aware of how you’re going to interact with an individual or a group and take an approach of empathy and compassion,” said Travis.

A third pillar of Travis’ safety plan is gathering intelligence and history about each event at MCC. His team conducts extensive research, collaborating with planners, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to assess possible concerns. Even local businesses are involved. “Safety is a shared responsibility,” explained Travis. “We partner with a program called Radio Link. We’re in radio communication with downtown businesses, so we can communicate with each other when we have incidents or threats.”

Travis believes one size does not fit all when it comes to event safety. Flexibility allows his team to create the most effective security plan for each event while maintaining the Minneapolis Convention Center’s central role in the community, including large public shows like the Twin Cities Auto Show, and the Minneapolis Home and Garden Show, each attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

As an IAVM 2018 Venue Excellence Award winner, the Minneapolis Convention Center is recognized among its peers for excellence in management. For Travis, that means working to exceed the expectations of every client and visitor. “I’m passionate about the role we play in everyone’s safety, making sure people come here, and that they return as well.”

At the end of the day, Travis’ goal is to ensure guests feel safe and also have a great time at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Kim Insley​ is public relations and communications manager for Meet Minneapolis, Convention & Visitors Association.

Oak View Group Facilities named Shura Garnett, CVE, a highly respected convention center expert, as Senior Vice President, Convention Centers. She will lead the company’s expansion into convention center management, as well as oversee Oak View Group Facilities’ current convention centers. She will report to Oak View Group Facilities President Hank Abate.

“Shura Garnett is well-regarded and one of the most experienced leaders in convention center management in our industry,” Abate said. “She is a past chair of the IAVM, and brings with her a great deal of knowledge, insight and vision to help Oak View Group Facilities expand and grow our convention center business.”

“I have had the pleasure of working with Shura over the past 20 years, and I know firsthand the impact she will make on our convention center business,” said Peter Luukko, Chairman, Oak View Group Facilities. “She is well known throughout the industry and we are fortunate to have her as a member of our team.”

“I have tremendous respect for Peter, Hank, and the Oak View Group’s senior management,” Garnett said. “I’m excited to join the team and help attract a great deal of new business for Oak View Group Facilities and offer my experiences to many of the nation’s great convention centers.”

Garnett joins Oak View Group Facilities from Spectra where she most recently served as Divisional Senior Vice President overseeing the company’s 5.2-million-square-feet of convention center space, and mid-west region of facilities, including the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA; and the Chaifetz Arena on the Campus of Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO.

With over 25 years of industry experience, Garnett has held positions as a Director and CEO of the Midland Convention Center and the Vice President of Visitor Development for the Midland Chamber of Commerce. She previously served as a Board Member of Trade Show Executives Exposition Forecasting Board and the Center for Exhibition Industry Research Foundation.

Formerly, Garnett was on the Board of Directors for the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce, elected to the Texas Department of Economic Development’s Tourism Advisory Committee.

As part of her IAVM activities, she currently serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and previously served as Chairman of the IAVM Convention Center Committee, member of the Industry Affairs Committee, member of the Board of Governors, Chair of the Board of Education, and Chair of the Diversification Committee. She was then elected 1st Vice President of the IAVM and worked her way through the chairs to become the Chairman of the Board of the IAVM. She is a current member of ASAE, IAEE, IAVM, MPI, and PCMA. She is the recipient of the 2008 St. Charles Zonta Yellow Rose Award, the 2008 recipient of Venue’s Today’s “Women of Influence” Award, the recipient of the 2005 IAVM Presidential Citation in 2005 and most recently the 2014 recipient of the prestigious Charles A McElravy Award, the 27th recipient since 1963.