Good morning!  It’s Friday and a wonderful day for YOUR Foundation and YOUR Future.  Preparations are moving right along in the Foundation office after having returned from a trip to the Super Region Conference in Lexington, KY, plans to experience Venue Management School in June, the 30 I UNDER I 30 awards wrap-up, and VenueConnect in Toronto on the horizon in July…and much, much more!

Foundation activities for VenueConnect are shaping up well and look to be exciting and fun for all.  The annual IAVM Golf Tournament on Sunday, July 22^th will take place at the Lionhead Masters Golf Course.  If you are interested in participating, now is the time to register.  We are also offering sponsorship opportunities for the golf tournament.  This is a great way to showcase your company to those who matter to you the most…your clients. 

Also coming together nicely is the Foundation’s Silent Auction.  It’s back this year, and it is bigger and better than ever with items sure to interest everyone!  Please consider donating an item to the auction or becoming an auction sponsor.  Once again, this is a great opportunity to spotlight your company.

In April, both the Region 6 conference and the Supper Region conference (Regions 1, 2, 3 and 5) came through with flying colors for the Foundation. Together those regions raised over $5,600 to invest in YOUR Foundation and Your Future! I was able to make the trip to Kentucky and the Super Region conference, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many IAVM members, attending classes, seeing Rupp Arena and the Lexington Opera House, and sampling a little local bourbon.  Thank you to everyone who had a part in raising the funds, and those who invested in the Foundation.  Remember that you too can invest in the future of your career, the careers of your colleagues, and the future of your industry by making an investment in the Foundation.

Scoring has been underway for the past few weeks to determine the 30 I UNDER I 30 Class of 2018.  We had over 50 worthy applicants this year!  Teams made up of volunteers from the Foundation Board of Trustees and CVP members have been working hard to select the award-winning applications.  Many, many thanks go out to those who are aiding in this endeavor.  Good luck to all who applied!  Stay tuned for the outcome!

Venue Management School takes place the first week of June.  The Foundation will be there to talk about our purpose and lead fundraising activities.  Please contact me for more details.

My first two months with the IAVM Foundation have been an enjoyable whirlwind in which I have learned a lot about the industry I am now serving, the wonderful people involved and their generous spirits, and what steps to take in which to move the Foundation into the future.  I’m definitely looking forward to a bright and prosperous future for the IAVM Foundation and the industry as a whole.

This year, one of IAVM Foundation‘s premier programs is getting a boost from the very organization that bears the programs name. The Joseph A. Floreano Scholarship + Internship awards  20 scholarships  to deserving applicants from each sector of the IAVM membership in the categories: Outstanding Leadership, Diversity, Industry Women, Young Professional.

Scholarships may be applied towards Venue Management School (VMS), Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS), and VenueConnect, IAVM’s Annual Conference & Trade Show. Selected applicants will receive a travel stipend of $600 and complimentary registration to attend Venue Connect.

Joseph Floreano, CVE

“Joe was the consummate industry professional who spent over 40 years in public assembly and cared deeply for both IAVM and its foundation,” stated James Brown, Executive Director of the Floreano Center.  “Many of us knew Joe, knew his kind spirit, generosity, humor and friendship. He freely gave his time, knowledge and financial resources to the IAVM Foundation and always challenged us to do the same. He knew the importance of mentorship, education and the need to always strive for excellence. We are proud to carry on Joe’s legacy of giving.”

The Floreano Center has committed $6,000 towards the total goal of raising $12,000 to fund this year’s scholarships and is issuing a Call to Action to IAVM members across all Regions to rise to the challenge by supporting and investing in this valuable initiative that benefits each and every one of us.

“I’d like to challenge every venue to step up and invest in Your Industry, Your Future by donating towards the IAVM Foundation Scholarship program,” said Brown. “By investing today you are investing in your industries tomorrow.”

Please go to the IAVM Foundation web page to learn more: http://iavm.org/foundation/foundation-floreano-scholarships

VenueConnect 2018 is an outstanding opportunity to check one more item off your “Golf Bucket List.” We are sure that “Playing a Round of Golf in Canada” is on that list! On Sunday, July 22^nd, the annual IAVM Foundation Golf Tournament will tee off from Lionhead Golf and Country Club’s Masters Course, which is recognized as one of the most challenging courses in Ontario.

This year’s golf tournament continues the tradition of providing classic business development, networking, fun and philanthropy. The IAVM Foundation is the beneficiary of this event with all proceeds going to support our scholarships, awards, and educational programs that impact, develop, and inspire current and future leaders of IAVM.

As a participant of this event you will be able to meet some of this year’s scholarship recipients during the day. Please register soon to participate in this event.  There are only 120 spots for golfers, and they are filling up quickly. The IAVM Foundation Golf Tournament is an excellent way for Allied Members to showcase their companies by becoming a sponsor for the event.   Sponsors are invited to attend the event, whether they are golfing or not. Those who select our Flag and Tee Sponsorship will be able to meet every golfer as they play your hole.

The IAVM Foundation Golf Tournament is an anticipated annual tradition at VenueConnect. We look forward to seeing you at Lionhead Golf & Country Club in Ontario on July 22nd!

George John Smith, 83, of Rochester, died unexpectedly at his home on Saturday, April 28, 2018. George was born on Sept. 21, 1934, in Philadelphia, to John and Louise Smith.

George joined the Navy after high school, serving a tour in Korea. Following his time in the Navy, he moved to the Midwest with a group of close friends to attend Yankton College in South Dakota.

After college, he met his wife of 50 years, Joann. The two raised three daughters together. His career as a facility manager took the family throughout the Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota.

Before retiring, George managed the Rochester Civic Center. During his retirement, he was an active member of his church, volunteered as a mediator, and served on the board for the Gift of Life Transplant House.

George was a devout Catholic, and his faith inspired him to help others. He is known for his storytelling and his sense of humor, something not lost on long-time colleague Roger Newton.

“George and I started working in Des Moines at the same time,” Newton said, “he as director of the brand new Des Moines Convention Center and me as GM of Veterans Auditorium.

“I learned after a few months that, well, George had more time on his hands than did I. George loved to talk and loved to tell stories. He would call me most afternoons to chat and I would usually have to end the conversation to call promoters to keep trying to book shows. I found out that George grew up with five sisters and he lived with his wife and his three girls. Poor guy couldn’t get words in growing up or at home, I surmised.

Newton said that his friend was also fond of merriment and jokes.

“George loved a good prank,” Newton said. “He, Dick Geyer, and Frank Jirik were always playing jokes on each other and one day Dick and Frank got George good. Apparently Dick had a local radio newsman in Rapid City make up a fake news story that Dick had been fired by the mayor for improprieties. He played the recording for Frank then Frank and Dick called George with the ‘bad news.’ After telling him they then played the ‘news’ story. George fell for it and after the call he immediately started calling several industry contacts to try to find his friend Dick another job. When Dick learned about George making all those calls he had to call George to let him know it was a joke.

“This was George. Loyal to friends and wanting to help. When I read about all his volunteer work in retirement I again thought this was so like George wanting to help others. RIP my friend. There are a lot more laughs in heaven now that you are there.”

Rex Post has been a part of the public assembly venue industry for a long time and knows seemingly everyone in the business. George Smith is one of those individuals he recalls with fondness.

“George after retiring was the volunteer’s volunteer in Rochester,” Post said. “He worked with the courts, his church, and with the Mayo Medical Center. George became a saint to the Post family when he took the time to sit with my older brother Bob during his bouts with esophageal cancer. He would sit with Bob to give my sister-in-law Verna a chance to take a break or get some rest during the months of this procedure. I happened to be able to take a few days in between Monster Truck dates in the upper Midwest and took time to spend with Bob and to take George out. I had to rassle the bill from him when we did go out for dinner. He insisted because I was in HIS TOWN. George even took the time to attend my brother’s funeral service years later which was a 200-mile round trip. Not sure if the Vatican would approved but he is SAINT UNCLE GEORGE in my family.”

Post also had another story to recall about his friend from an IAVM (then IAAM) annual conference.

“It was the annual conference in Minneapolis in 1994,” Post said. “It was after the golf tournament and Tom Powell’s softball game in the Metrodome. I was on the IR after the game due to some poor cart driving getting outta the facility so I was nursing a dislocated toe. Three of my mentors decided I needed to have some sustenance and liquid pain medication to dull the pain. The details will remain for another time since I believe the stattue of limitations might still be in play, but George Smith, Tom Powell and Don Sandefur, plus Tom’s wife, proceeded to take me to a nearby steak house. The waitress was given an order of every 20 minutes to refresh the table with beverages. The trio must have known there was an extra cask of Scotch on hand. After an hour, we decided we might be wise to order dinner and soon after Denzel Skinner joined us and needless to say it was a festive eve. The next day, George found me and had one question: Did we actually eat dinner?

“God bless George Smith and to those that showed others the way before him.”

Survivors include his wife, Joann; daughters, Laura of Edina, Brigid (Vic Russiff) of The Woodlands, Texas, and Margaret (Tom French) of Minnetonka. He was a loving grandfather to Noah and Sophie Russiff, and Owen and Jonah French. He is also survived by his two sisters, Stephanie Southrey and Ann Flamm of Philadelphia. He is preceded in death by his parents and three sisters.

The funeral for George will be at 4 p.m. Friday, May 4, at St. John the Evangelist church in Rochester with Visitation one hour before the service.

Coliseum – a top name in international stadium conferences – is coming to Detroit, Michigan with over 30 top international names in the sports venues business as speakers at the Coliseum Summit US 2018 on May 9-10, 2018.

“Coliseum is excited to be back in the sophisticated stadium business market of the USA,” said Michael Rennschmied, the CEO of MJR Group, the organizers of the event. “The conference program in the US is geared to meet the local demands of the stadium and arena business in the Americas and therefore completely different from the ones in the Middle East or Europe for example,” he added.

Some of the prominent names from the distinguished array of speakers include Tim Larkin (2026 United Bid Committee, US), Jim Renne (Rossetti, US), César O. Esparza (Monterrey Int. Stadium, Mexico), Bryan R. Sperber (ISM Raceway, US), David Harris (Optus Stadium, Australia), David Campbell (Geiger Engineers, US), Mike Lorenc (Google, US), Jim Willits (Chicago White Sox, US), Carlos Perez (LaLiga, Spain), Robert Jordan (Van Wagner Sports & Entmt., US), Jim Darrow (Detroit Tigers, US), Chris Moore (Meyer Sound, US), Brendan Russell (Tampa Bay Lightning, US), Tony Raubolt (KLA Laboratories, Inc., US), Michael Lussier (SHEERFILL, US), Brad Mayne (IAVM, US), Aran Rush (Sacramento Kings, US), Philipp Lehnert (Vector Foiltec, Germany), Darryl Dunn (Rose Bowl Operating Company, US), Ryan Gedney (HOK, US), Mike Cerha (Ottawa Sports and Entmt. Group, Canada), Scott Meyers (24/7 Software, US), Darren F. Johnson (Detroit Lions, US), Jared Kozinn (Detroit Lions, US), Truscott Miller (Miami Marlins, US), Steve Burgess (Series Seating, US), Gregory Six (AS Monaco, France), Alex Versen (Uber, US), Scott Kachelek (Philips, US), Rick Brenner (Michigan Int. Speedway, US), and Judith Grant Long (University of Michigan, US).

The speakers will share their unique case studies and experiences to throw light on the myriad of challenges faced by the sports venue sector and also deliberate upon the possible solutions.

Nearly 150 venue specialists have already registered to participate at the summit so far. “The delegates as well as speakers are from very well known clubs and venues and represent a range of new and under-renovation stadium projects,” Rennschmied said.

Coliseum summit offers a unique platform for experts from the stadium and sports venue business to come under a single roof to discuss the future of the sector. The conference is formatted to highlight 11 different segments of the stadium business, namely: venue design, construction, business, technology, education, green venues, operations, security, venue VIP, venue experience and destination.

Beginning this year, the conference has added two additional but crucial segments of broadcast strategy and brand development.

“No other conference has such a variety of topics covered,” Rennschmied said.

The sessions at Coliseum Summit US would highlight experiences and stadium projects in the US as well as from other regions of the world including Australia and China.

Participating delegates will also get unique ‘behind the scene’ experiences through two venue tours that would include the Little Caesars Arena Tour on May 8, a day ahead of the start of the summit; and also Ford Field Tour on May 9.

Conceived and executed by the MJR Group, Coliseum is a global series of stadium and arena business conferences, a sports venue news online-platform and an international publication dedicated to the various challenges of designing, constructing and operating of sports venues all around the world. It is the only global sports venues business summit with 5 dedicated stadium and arena conferences every year in 5 key regions in the world: Europe, US, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Latam.

For more information on Coliseum or the Global Stadium & Arena Business Conference, please visit http://www.coliseum-online.com/.