Several IAVM members participated or served as observers for the Des Moines Performing Arts Tabletop Exercise with Department of Homeland Security/Office of Infrastructure Protection. Laura Sweet, Vice President & COO of the Des Moines Performing Arts, organized the event. She also serves as vice chair for the IAVM Performing Arts Committee.

Back Row (from left)
Scott Braudt – Adler Theatre/VenuWorks
Heather Brummel – Adler Theatre/VenuWorks
Craig Spillman – Stephens Auditorium/VenuWorks
Natalie Stroud – Lied Center for Performing Arts
Joe Levy, CVE – Apollo Theater
Tammy Koolbeck, CVE – Stephens Auditorium/VenuWorks
Todd Duesing – Cincinnati Arts Association
Justin McDaid – Carlsen Center/Johnson County Community College

Front Row (from left)
Janet Albanese – Des Moines Performing Arts
Ebeth Campbell – Carlsen Center/Johnson County Community College
Laura Sweet – Des Moines Performing Arts
Jacqueline Goetz – Overture
Heather Goforth – Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Kelly Wilson – Cincinnati Arts Association

Photo provide by Tammy Koolbeck, CVE

Moo TV announced the appointment of Jason Rittenberry, CVE, as Executive Vice President and General Manager. In this position, Rittenberry will oversee the day-to-day operations and lead the Nashville-based team that supports artists such as Garth Brooks, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, and other top tours. He will direct the senior leadership team and be responsible for developing and overseeing implementation of all current business initiatives while assisting with the future growth of the company.

Moo TV is an award-winning video and live events production company offering live video-production for concerts, touring, special events, and corporate events. Moo is the eight-time Pollstar Video Company of the Year, 2018 Nashville Business Journal Business of the Year, and reigning Parnelli Award winner for Video Production Company of the Year.

“Jason is the real deal. A straight shooter with a fantastic history of success, while at the same time being the kind of guy who will fit right in to our culture. He has that elusive combination of a stellar track record and more importantly a guy whose head and heart are in the right place,” said Scott Scovill, Founder and CEO of Moo TV. “He brings an extensive background of experience in live events, venue management, and event production and I could not be more pleased to welcome him to our Moo family. I have the utmost confidence in his ability to lead and represent Moo TV.”

As one of the industry’s forward-thinking executives, Rittenberry is a proven successful senior level entertainment leader with extensive experience in the sports, entertainment, and music industries. Most recently he served as Managing Partner of MSG Strategy, a full-service event production and strategic consulting firm. Previously, the President and CEO of Kentucky Venues, overseeing the operations of all state owner entertainment venues. He also had a 15-year career in venue management, during which he led Circuit of The Americas and Austin360 Amphitheater in Austin, Texas, and was President and Chief Executive Officer of IRG Sports + Entertainment, the privately held parent company of multiple sports and entertainment properties.

“I’m excited to become a part of the Moo TV team,” Rittenberry said. “Moo is not only the best in the business, but the culture here is why our clients trust us as their partner. Scott has built an incredible company and I am honored to be leading it into the future.”

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and Brian E. Wolfburg, President/CEO of VyStar Credit Union, announced that a naming rights agreement has been reached between VyStar and the City of Jacksonville for the SMG-managed Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena – a first for the 15-year-old arena. Legislation to enact the agreement has been filed and sent to the Jacksonville City Council. Pending City Council approval, the arena will be known as VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on a 15-year, $9.76 million deal.

“In coordination with veteran leaders, my staff and VyStar, we have an agreement that is good for taxpayers and at the same time creates new program funding for veterans in our City,” said Mayor Curry. “This is a win for everyone involved, and I will work with the City Council to earn their approval.”

“VyStar will be honored to have its name alongside our brave veterans’ on the arena,” Wolfburg said. “Both of our missions, to serve and recognize our great military, could not be more aligned. Based on VyStar’s deep roots in the military community, past and present, we can’t imagine a more suitable naming partnership.”

In addition, the naming rights agreement provides for several Veteran support initiatives – including a concessions donation program, which will allow arena patrons to make donations to an approved veteran program when making a purchase at the arena’s concessions stands. Other initiatives include a veteran memorial, as well as discounts for veterans and VyStar members on concessions, tickets, and parking. Veterans will also be included in ticket presale opportunities making it possible for them to purchase tickets before public on-sales.

The Howard Hughes Corporation®, developer of the Summerlin® master planned community, the Las Vegas Ballpark®, and owner of the Las Vegas Aviators®, the city’s professional Triple-A baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, announced a partnership with Daktronics. Daktronics has designed, manufactured, and recently installed a new one-of-a-kind LED video display at the Las Vegas Ballpark, featuring a unique angle to match the contour of the outfield wall.

At 3,930 square feet, the new outfield display is the largest Daktronics has installed in baseball’s minor leagues and is top 25 in size for baseball in North America. It features a 13HD pixel layout and measures approximately 31 feet high by 126 feet wide. The stadium’s construction team – a joint venture of AECOM Hunt and PENTA Building Group – installed the new display in late 2018.

The display is capable of variable content zoning, allowing it to show one large image or be divided into multiple zones to show any combination of dynamic content. From live video and instant replays to statistics and animations, the display will keep fans entertained at every event.

“Pairing the largest Daktronics LED video display in the minor leagues with the new Las Vegas Ballpark will blow fans away,” said Rusty Lenners, Daktronics sales representative. “We’re grateful to be working with The Howard Hughes Corporation, the Las Vegas Aviators and AECOM Hunt-Penta on this first-class project. This partnership has resulted in an installation that will excite and engage fans for years to come.”

According to Don Logan, president and chief operations officer of the Las Vegas Aviators, the new display is an exciting addition to Las Vegas Ballpark, poised to be one of the country’s premier minor league stadiums. “Although the team has been in Las Vegas for 37 years, this upcoming season is the start of a new chapter for the Aviators, with a new name, a new stadium and a new affiliation,” said Logan. “It doesn’t get better than that.”

By Scott Hall

A new LED video system will enhance the audience experience and open the door to new avenues of programming and revenue for the Carmel, Indiana, Center for the Performing Arts and its Resident Companies.

The fully portable state-of-the-art system involves 95 thin modular panels, each 19 inches square, which can be snapped together in endless configurations large and small at the three venues operated by the nonprofit Center: the 1,600-seat Palladium concert hall, the 500-seat Tarkington theater, and the black-box Studio Theater.

For example, the entire set can be stacked like bricks into a 12-by-21-foot HD video wall for a Palladium concert, but smaller combinations can be used, a few at a time, to create multiple displays around the campus. Half of the panels were assembled to provide video support for the City of Carmel’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at the Tarkington.

Among other uses, the system expands possibilities for the Center’s concert business, in which touring artists increasingly require certain video capabilities for their performances, Vice President of Operations Jeff Steeg said.

“Up to now, the expense of renting video equipment has sometimes forced us to pass up nice opportunities,” Steeg said. “Having this system in house takes that cost out of the equation as we weigh the financials involved in presenting a particular event.”

Beyond concerts, the system opens up a range of potential programming, including film screenings, sporting events, live streams, and gaming competitions. Corporate retreats, social gatherings and other non-arts rental events – a growing business line for the Center – now have access to better video options at lower cost.

Manufactured by ROE Visual, the “Black Onyx” model LED panels were supplied by Dodd Technologies, a Pendleton-based event production company that maintains additional panels for rent when even larger video displays are needed. The cost of the system, including a Barco brand video processor and rigging designed by Tyler Truss Systems of Pendleton, totaled in the low six figures, but President/CEO Jeffrey C. McDermott said that outlay will be recouped easily.

“We constantly look for new types of programming to present and new revenue streams to support our arts and education mission,” McDermott said, noting the purchase was made from the operating surplus generated by recent successful seasons. “This video system is an investment we’ve made to create innovative business opportunities for the Center and provide greater value to the community.”

Scott Hall is communications director for The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana.