By Bryan Hill

Bigger isn’t better. At least at first. Much like many young venue managers, I had my eyes set on the Madison Square Gardens of the world when I graduated from college. With a finance degree in hand and some part-time experience working in a venue had me ready to take on the world. I quickly learned my very first lesson about achievement; you don’t start at the top.

I took a graduate assistantship opportunity at Wagner College, a small liberal arts school located in Staten Island, NY, after graduation working in facility and event management. While I was in the same New York market shared by the likes of Madison Square Garden, the Barclays Center, and the Prudential Center, I was overseeing a gymnasium and fitness center that at its maximum capacity held about 1,200 people. It was hard for me to see how this experience was going to benefit me.

However, for a year I was constantly challenged. As a young GA I had responsibilities that many universities would give to assistant athletic directors due to the small size of the department. I worked on projects that replaced a turf field, renovated a press box, and updated the strength and conditioning room. In addition to this experience I was forced to find creative solutions to complex problems. When “just buying a new one” was out of the question, like it often was, I was challenged with figuring out the solution, oftentimes under very demanding deadlines. After a year at Wagner I was offered a position at the University of Delaware working as a facility and event manager at the Bob Carpenter Center.

Larger than the previous venue, the Bob Carpenter Center offered a 5,000-seat venue capable of producing a variety of events including athletic contests, touring shows, and university functions. As a mid-major school, there were still challenges that came along with the position both in terms of financials and personnel. I often found myself in a variety of roles that may have been separated at the larger venues and universities. This at times was overwhelming. However, I was able to understand the value that this opportunity had on my future.

As an event manager by title, I had the opportunity to work in facility maintenance, production, and parking planning operations in addition to the coordination of event details for my assigned events. I had my hand in every phase of an event while at the Bob Carpenter Center and this allowed my general understanding of event management to grow. I was able to communicate to various event stakeholders with clarity and experience due to my involvement in the various operations. This is the biggest takeaway that I have from this job as I look back on that experience.

I have since been fortunate enough to be given an opportunity to work as the event manager at the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State University and have found the experiences gathered while at smaller venues and institutions to really prepare me well. While the shows may be different, the skills required to be successful are similar. Having the broad understanding of all elements of a venue and event really allow my communications to be more effective in my new role. While I may be more focused on certain elements in my new role, I will always appreciate the opportunities I have had. It is not the size of the venue that matters as much as the size of the opportunity, especially early in your career.

Just remember, bigger isn’t always better. Start small, work hard, and the big opportunities will find their way to your doorstep.

Bryan Hill is the event manager of the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State University.

The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), owned by the City of Los Angeles and managed by AEG Facilities, unveiled its 2.21 megawatt solar array on April 4, 2018 during a press conference with Mayor Eric Garcetti. Located on the roof of South Hall, this addition brings the facility’s total solar to 2.58 megawatts, making it the largest solar array on a municipally owned convention center in the United States.

Starting in October 2017, the six-month project included the construction of 6,228 panels at 355 watts each. The new array is projected to generate 3.4 million kilowatt hours per year that equates to 17 percent of the LACC’s annual energy usage. This amount of electricity produced can power 565 homes in Los Angeles.

The project will reduce the LACC’s carbon footprint by 2,554 metric tons per year. To give perspective, this is the equivalent to removing 2,794,396 pounds of coal from being burned or planting 66,192 trees.
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I am proud to celebrate the completion of the Convention Center’s solar project,” said Jon Vein, Chair of the City of Los Angeles Department of Convention and Tourism Development Commission. “This project has set a precedent for other facilities to follow and is key to keeping Los Angeles the number one solar city in America.”

The LACC is a busy facility welcoming 2.5 million visitors annually with a 75 percent occupancy rate. This project required careful design and planning to avoid disrupting the numerous events hosted in the exhibit halls below.

“This solar project was first proposed in 2014,” said Doane Liu, Executive Director of the City of Los Angeles Department of Convention and Tourism Development. “It is exciting to see it come to fruition and experience the impact it will make in the building and Los Angeles.”

This project contributes to the mission of Mayor Garcetti’s “Sustainable City pLAn” and AEG 1EARTH, AEG’s sustainability program established to reduce the company’s environmental impact. The solar array is a powerful addition to the facility that will impact energy conservation for years to come.

The International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) is pleased to announce that it will hold the 2019 (July 21-24) VenueConnect Annual Conference & Trade Show in Chicago, Illinois at McCormick Place Convention Center and the 2020 (July 26-29) VenueConnect in Long Beach, California at Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. IAVM’s VenueConnect is the leading industry conference that provides targeted education created specifically for more than 2,000 arena, stadium, convention center, performing arts center, amphitheater & fairgrounds, and college & university venue professionals.

VenueConnect 2019 will bring the conference and trade show back to Chicago for the first time since 1965. “Chicago has so much to offer the members of IAVM. We are excited to have the privilege to host VenueConnect 2019,” stated David R. Causton, Regional Vice President SMG’s Convention Center Division and General Manager for McCormick Place Convention Center.

McCormick Place Convention Center is anchored in Chicago’s McCormick Square, a community that was created to provide economic stability and growth to the area. It is undergoing tremendous growth, including new hotels, restaurants, and retail spots.

Chicago will provide the perfect setting for attendees from all sectors, and McCormick Place Square provides quick access. From Motor Row, a historic district with great entertainment, shops, and restaurants, to Chinatown, considered one of the most vibrant ethnic communities in North America and provides diverse places to explore, to Soldier Field, Wintrust Arena, the Adler Planetarium, Field Museum of Natural History, and more, conference participants will have many historic and recently added venue options to explore.

VenueConnect will move to the west coast and Long Beach, California in 2020. Long Beach last hosted the annual conference and trade show in 1954. “The Long Beach

Convention & Entertainment Center is extremely excited to be selected as the 2020 International Association Venue Managers (IAVM) host,” said Charles Beirne, General Manager. “We are looking forward to showcasing our unique turnkey spaces and sharing ideas among our IAVM colleagues.”

The Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center is located in the center of the city’s downtown waterfront and entertainment district. The convention center recently underwent a $60 million modernization and has prompted tremendous economic growth in the community, specifically in the local tourism and hospitality sectors. The “Pacific Ballroom at the Long Beach Arena, The Center’s first turn-key venue, features over 45,00 square free of floor space, built-in professional LEDs, stage lighting, and sound system to provide an intimate environment for dinners, concerts, and special events. The Terrace Plaza comes complete with programmable “dancing waters” fountains, and with its downtown skyline and waterfront views, is the ideal outdoor venue to experience Southern California’s near-perfect weather.

Long Beach, located in Los Angeles County, ranked one of the “Most ‘Walkable’ Cities in America,” will provide easy access for VenueConnect attendees to tour venues across all sectors, such as the new Inglewood Stadium and Staples Center, as well as enjoy the shopping and culinary experiences offered close by.

“IAVM is excited to be returning to Chicago in 2019 and Long Beach in 2020,” said Brad Mayne, IAVM CEO and President. “Each location offers unique backdrops to the VenueConnect experience, but also access to the communities and venues that the Association serves for our attendees. Both McCormick Place Convention Center and Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center will provide unique opportunities for our attendees to learn and network.”

More information for the 2019 and 2020 VenueConnect conferences will be announced at a later time.

The IAVM Foundation is proud to announce the 2018 Joseph A. Floreano Scholarship + Internship VenueConnect scholarship recipients.  Each year, scholarships are awarded to attend the sector conferences hosted at VenueConnect and provides recipients with a full conference registration, as well as a $600 stipend to assist with travel costs.

Your 2018 scholarship recipients are:

Arenas

Outstanding Leadership Scholarship – Matthew Hatch – Landers Center, Southaven, MS

Diversity Scholarship – Anila Hardin – Richard E. Berry Educational Support Ctr. – Cypress, TX

Young Professional Scholarship – Tony Clements – Univ. of Florida, Steven C. O’Connell Center

Scholarship for Industry Women – Eboni Wilson – MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas, NV

Convention Centers

Outstanding Leadership Scholarship – Karla Gonzales- San Diego Convention Center

Diversity Scholarship – Ryan Briones – SMG/Moscone Center – San Francisco, CA

Young Professional Scholarship – George Long – Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, VA

Scholarship for Industry Women – Dianne Javier – San Diego Convention Center

Stadiums

Outstanding Leadership Scholarship – Meredith Ley – Columbus Crew SC, MAPFRE Stadium, Columbus, OH

Diversity Scholarship – Anecia Carroll-Bankston – Metropolitan State University of Denver – Student

Young Professional Scholarship – Morgan Ewert – The Rose Quarter – Portland, OR

Scholarship for Industry Women – Megan Max – Natl Music Publishers Association – Washington D.C.

Amphitheaters & Fairgrounds

Outstanding Leadership Scholarship – Thomas DeBari – WALMART AMP/ Walton Arts Center – Rogers, Arkansas

Diversity Scholarship – Justin Aquino – San Mateo Event Center – no city listed

Young Professional Scholarship – Hannah Turner – City of Dallas, Fair Park – Dallas, TX

Scholarship for Industry Women – Lori Marshall – Cow Palace Arena & Event Center – Daly City, CA

Performing Arts

Outstanding Leadership Scholarship – Ashley Schneider – The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts – Louisville, KY

Diversity Scholarship – Bradley Carter -Scottsdale community College/Mesa Arts Center – Mesa, AZ

Young Professional Scholarship – Kaitlyn Higgins – Old Town School of Folk Music – Chicago, IL

Scholarship for Industry Women – Tori Morgensai – Mesa Arts Center – Mesa, AZ

Congratulations to the 2018 Scholarship recipients!  And THANK YOU for investing in YOUR Foundation to make each of these scholarships possible!

The International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) Foundation announced Steve Peters, CVE, as the 2018 Legacy Award Recipient. Peters is the founder and President of VenuWorks.

The purpose of the Legacy Award is to recognize significant contributions of an individual or company that benefit the mission and objectives of the IAVM Foundation, leaving a legacy for the advancement of the venue management industry.

“The Legacy Award is given to someone who, through either financial or non-financial contributions, has made a positive and lasting impact towards the mission and objectives of the IAVM Foundation,” said Kathryn Eades, IAVM Foundation Director of Development.  “Steve Peters, a valued member of IAVM and supporter of the Foundation, truly embodies those qualities and is a tremendous industry leader.”

Peters has over 40 years in the venue management industry. He began his career in 1976 in Dubuque, Iowa as manager of the Five Flags Center. In 1982, he became associate director, and in 1984 executive director of theIowa State Center in Ames, IA. In 1990, Peters was named the National Director of Operations for Ogden Entertainment, Inc., and served as opening director of the Target Center in Minneapolis before being named an Ogden Vice President in 1995. In the fall of 1996, he left Ogden to create VenuWorks.

Stephanie Curran, CVE, chair of the Foundation Board of Trustees, remarked that “Steve Peters has been a valuable member of IAVM and investor in the Foundation and our industry. We are fortunate to have someone of his caliber making our industry better through his leadership and leaving a strong legacy for IAVM”

“I have known Steve for over 30 years and know him to be a man of the highest stature, with a significant focus on the future,” said Tammy Koolbeck, CVE, IAVM Board of Directors 2^nd Chair. “Steve’s passion for the industry sets the direction for his continual support of the Foundation, both professionally and personally.  Most recently, Steve generously joined a challenge to support the diversity efforts of the Association through the Foundation.  Coupled with the incredible attributes mentioned, Steve is a tremendous advocate for IAVM’s continual and ongoing efforts in the realm of education and training for the staff members of VenuWorks.”

Peters’ passion for the venue management industry can be seen in the success of the company he founded, VenuWorks. Starting from a desk in the basement of the Peters home, VenuWorks has grown to become the management company of choice for over forty venues in twenty US markets.  He created VenuWorks Sports, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, in 2016, through which he became the proud owner of the Evansville Thunderbolts of the Southern Professional Hockey League.  Steve’s lifelong passion for live theatre resulted in the creation of VenuWorks Theatricals, which in 2015, won the Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play for co-producing You Can’t Take It with You on Broadway, starring James Earl Jones.

“I am humbled, and very honored to receive the Legacy Award,” stated Peters. “IAVM has been a very important part of my professional, and my personal life for over forty years. For many years we planned our family vacations around the annual conference. My kids grew up in the business, and now three of them are involved in our company.  You might say IAVM has become a part of my DNA. I am thrilled to be able to give back to IAVM, through the Foundation, at this stage in my life.”  

Peters is a Past President of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), and received their highest honor, the Charles A. McElravy Award for lifetime achievement in 2015.