The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), owned by the City of Los Angeles and managed by AEG Facilities, announced the appointment of Nancy Walker as the new vice president of sales and marketing.

Nancy joins the LACC with more than 20 years experience in the events and trade show industry, most recently as the director of sales, North America at Reed Travel Exhibitions. Prior to her work as director of sales, Walker was the vice president and associate publisher at Tradeshow Week Magazine.

“Nancy will be a great addition to the outstanding LACC sales and marketing team,” said Ellen Schwartz, assistant general manager at the LACC. “Her expertise and fresh perspective will strengthen our Sales and Marketing Department and the facility as a whole.”

Birmingham is set to host a convention of sports event professionals, and it could mean millions of dollars in future bookings for the greater Birmingham area.

The National Association of Sports Commissions announced at their meeting this month in Minneapolis that Birmingham has won the bid to host their 2021 Annual Symposium.

As the only non-profit trade association in the U.S. sport tourism industry, the NASC is considered the most essential resource for sports commissions, sports destinations, vendors, and sports event owners. Nearly 800 member organizations lead, manage and execute sports events of all sizes.

“Hosting the NASC will be a rare opportunity for us to promote area sporting facilities and to meet one-on-one with industry professionals who plan sports events,” said J. John Oros, Jr., Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau president and CEO. “From the Birmingham Crossplex and the Hoover Metropolitan Complex to the BJCC Legacy Arena, we have a lot to show off.”

More than 1,000 attendees are expected for the 2021 Annual Symposium, resulting in about 4,000 room nights. Direct visitor spending during the event is estimated by NASC officials to be more than $1 million.

“While the economic impact of this convention is important, it is bookings in the aftermath that can benefit us for years to come,” Oros said.

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has received a “Safest 70” award from the Louisiana Workers Compensation Corporation (LWCC), the largest workers’ compensation carrier in the state. The award acknowledges excellence, outstanding performance, and commitment to workplace safety, and is given to the top 70 of over 16,000 entities insured by LWCC.

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center was recognized based on the effectiveness of their safety efforts in preventing injuries and maintaining a consistent workplace safety history in 2017.

“It is an honor for our facility to be recognized by LWCC,” said Michael J. Sawaya, President and General Manager of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. “Providing a safe work environment is our highest priority and is a team effort. We consider our employees internal customers and value their input while collaborating on ways to continuously improve our facility. Philosophically, this in turn results in a safer environment for our patrons/external customers as well.”

Left to right: Brett Slocum, Assistant Director of Public Safety; Tim Tumminello, Director of Human Resources; Tanya Smith, Human Resources Coordinator; Darren J. Kimball, Lead Safety Services Consultant, LWCC; Susan Paisant, Client Relations Representative, LWCC; Mark Kaufman, Director of Public Safety.

It has been a few years since the Los Angeles Convention Center was expanded, 20 of them to be exact. Now, following a proposal by venue owner Anschutz Entertainment Group, that could change to the tune of a $1.2 billion to the facility, one that would definitely change the financial landscape for the venue and the city.

For the full scoop and story on the proposal, click here.

The International Association of Venue Managers has named Amy Duncan as its new Membership Sales Specialist. Amy joined the team on April 23, 2018. She was previously the Membership and Fitness Benefits Coordinator for the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center of Dallas, where she increased membership sales by over 18% during her tenure.

“I was at a point in my professional career where I wanted more of a challenge,” stated Amy. “When I saw the opening on LinkedIn, it literally felt like everything I had been wanting and praying for!”

Amy’s primary focus will be to generate new business and new members across all sectors, as well as help drive revenue growth.

“The nerd in me is looking forward to the globalization aspect of our association,” she noted. “Being able to communicate with people from different cultures, backgrounds, and socioeconomic points of view is really awe-inspiring. The geography of the Earth is so massive but with technology our tangible world has become really small. I mean, I had to Google what time it was in New Zealand this morning to see if it was an appropriate time to send an email. How cool is that???”

Amy is originally from Louisiana, but she called Dallas home in 2001 when her family moved to Texas. She is wrapping up her Associate of Science in Business Administration at Richland College. An avid live concertgoer, she is looking forward to seeing events at our member venues!