The iCommit member referral campaign launched four weeks ago. With your support, we have added 13 new members due to you spreading the word about IAVM.

For each new member you refer, your name will be entered in a raffle to win great prizes! The current leaderboard is shown below:

Alexis Berggren – 8 – new group member
Billy Langenstein – 1 – new young professional
Timothy Savona – 1 – new young professional
John Siehl, CVE – 1 – new professional
Kevin Spence, CVE – 1 – new student
Beth Wade, CVE – 1 – new young professional

Do you have interns, students, or young professionals working for you now? Is there a long-time employee who hasn’t gotten involved yet? Encourage them to become a part of our network.

If you know of a venue in your community that is not a part of IAVM, encourage them to consider Group Membership. As of today, 152 venues are participating as group members.

Do you have a vendor that is not an Allied Member? Urge them to join now and experience all that membership has to offer!

To ensure you are eligible to win one of the prizes, ask your new member to do the following:

• List your name in the ApplicationSection titled, “Who Recommended IAVM To You/How Did You Hear About IAVM?”
• Enter “iCommit” in the Promotional Code fieldin the online membership application
• For new Professional or Allied members only, the $150 one-time initiation fee will be waived

 
Prizes

• The grand prize will be a complimentary registration to VenueConnect2019 (value up to $1,000).
• Win one of five, $500 Apple Gift cards
• The IAVM Region that adds the most new members will have one CVP application fee waived (value $125)

 
We will continue to share monthly updates as we strive to meet our goal of adding 550 new members. It’s a lofty goal, but we can do it! The campaign ends June 30, 2018.

The San Diego skyline will never be the same.

On February 21, 2018, the San Diego Convention Center debuted its newest feature: LED colored lights that illuminate the newly renovated iconic fabric roof. The lights change colors and are visible across the downtown area: from the Gaslamp Quarter to Coronado Bay, and especially to visitors flying in on their way to the San Diego International Airport.

The light fixtures are the same as those used to light the Empire State Building in New York City.

“This is a very different space than it was when it opened in 1989,” said Executive Vice President and General Manager Karen Totaro, CVE. “I am proud of the entire team. It took hundreds of people – from our internal staff to our partners – working collaboratively in this effort including BirdAir, ProCal Lighting, Siemens and Kinsman Construction, just to name a few. Their work will serve as a legacy for both our city and our customers to live up to our award-winning title ‘Venue of Excellence’ and ‘Best of California.'”

The lights are the “icing on the cake” of the newly remodeled exhibit space, one of the most unique spaces in the conventions and meetings industry. The 90,000 square foot venue recently underwent a $16.7 million renovation, part of the largest series of upgrades in the Convention Center’s history.

Here is what’s new in the Sails Pavilion: •New Fabric Roof
•New Concrete Floor
•LED Lighting System
•New Water Cannons (part of the venue’s fire-suppression system)

“The Sails Pavilion is our Convention Center’s most distinguishing feature,” said San Diego Convention Center Corporation President & CEO Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe, CVE. “After 28 years in operation, it was time to reinvest and reimagine the space. Not only were we able to conduct necessary maintenance and upgrades without interfering with our business, but we were able to add something new that will make the Convention Center truly shine.”

All of the upgrades, except the LED lights, were funded through a $25.5 million loan from the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank). The LED lights were paid for by the Convention Center’s reserves, at a cost of $377,000.

The concrete floor replacement started in December of 2016 and was completed in March 2017. The roof replacement began in August of 2017 and wrapped up in February 2018.

“The renovation of the Sails Pavilion and the other important capital improvements taking place around the Convention Center have been a major priority for our Board of Directors,” said Gil Cabrera, Chair of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation Board of Directors. “The work being done ensures we will remain the region’s premier gathering place. Each project improves upon our role as an important economic driver that will generate an estimated $1.2 billion in regional impact this year alone and provide $27.5 million in hotel and sales tax revenue to the City of San Diego.”

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer praised the Convention Center staff for their efforts.

“These upgrades represent an infrastructure investment in one of the greatest economic engines that we have,” said the Mayor. “This iconic Sails Pavilion is how so many people – San Diegans and visitors alike – help to identify our great city skyline.”

Rafael Castellanos, Chairman of the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners, said this project is the start of an overall synergistic approach to the lighting of San Diego Bay.

“I’m especially excited because this illumination of the Sails Pavilion is the first step in what will be a bay-wide illumination,” Castellanos said. “That includes the lighting of the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge, lighting up what will be the new home for the San Diego Symphony (along the waterfront behind the Convention Center) and the Central Embarcadero.”

Projection Presentation Technology (“Projection”), a national audiovisual company, announced that it has hired industry veteran Chris Carpenter to lead efforts to continue the growth momentum within the company’s successful convention center business.

“Chris brings a deep level of expertise and proven success from his years in the industry,” said Larry Taylor, corporate vice president, Projection. “At Projection, we seek to provide our clients with the most experienced team of experts – from the very first meeting. With Chris as the newest member of our team, we look forward to expanding this commitment to new clients across the country.”

With teams in-house at convention centers across the nation, including, but not limited to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C., Boston Convention & Exhibition Center/Hynes Convention Center and the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Carpenter will focus on taking the company’s proven ability to deliver creative, innovative and high-quality audiovisual/presentation services to clients and their events in new venues from coast to coast.

“I am thrilled to join this team of industry experts that has been delivering customized solutions for the past 50 years,” said Carpenter, whose title is business development manager. “As meeting planners and associations continue to seek new ways to engage their audiences in convention centers across the country, Projection is the perfect partner to ensure the successful delivery of audiovisual/presentation services that enhance and optimize each attendees’ experience.”

For more information about Projection’s convention center business, contact Carpenter at (531) 207.3046.

Russell “Russ” Blair, Jr., a long-time IAVM member, passed away on February 15 in Orlando, Florida.

“It is with great sadness I send the news of Russ Blair’s passing,” said Allen Johnson, CVE, executive director of Orlando Venues. “Russ hired me out of college and I worked for him for three years but with over 37 years of friendship.”

Russ was the vice president and general manager of the Tupperware Convention Center from 1976-1992, a 2,000-seat theatre with more than 60,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space. He was an Orlando resident since 1959 during which time he met his wife to be, Emma Lou Shook. The couple married October 7, 1960, and remained so for nearly 52 years until Emma’s passing on July 24, 2012.

“Russ was a true gentleman with a great sense of humor,” Johnson said. “He often said he got the job because no one else at Tupperware Corporation knew anything about the entertainment and venue management industry. Russ would also admit he didn’t know everything but would talk to other venue operators and promoters to learn. When I moved back to Orlando in 2004 we rekindled our friendship, especially when his beloved wife Emma passed away, and my family spent a lot of time with him. Hardly a week went by that my wife Suzi didn’t text, email or visit with him to make sure he was OK. We had several lunches and also had him over for a ‘special’ dinner. I learned many things from Russ including how to treat everyone whether they were the cleaning person or the promoter or the patron. He will be missed.”

The couple raised two loving daughters, Anna Blair Hanes (John) of Geneva, FL and Laura Blair Gill (Darryl) of New Smyrna Beach, FL. Russ is also survived by his two loving children Barry Steven Blair of New Smyrna Beach, FL and Veronnie Duggin (Jim) of Albuquerque, NM. His children provided them with the blessing of wonderful grandchildren; Beau Hanes, Katie Csaszar (Alex), McKenna Gill and Jennifer Blender.

Russ was born into a career U.S. Army family at Ft. Benning, GA where his father, Russell Sr. was stationed. Russ and his brother spent much of their younger years traveling the world as their dad’s various military assignments unfolded. The two boys completed their pre-college schooling in a constantly evolving series of locations, including Philadelphia, PA, Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Germany.

In 1949 Russ graduated from the U.S. Army Dependents’ high school in Munich Germany. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1950 and served until 1952 at which time he entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (Class of ’56) and later American International College in Springfield, MA. He began a career in broadcasting as a radio and television announcer in Springfield, MA, and Albany, NY.

In 1959 Russ relocated to Orlando, FL to resume his broadcasting career as a TV news anchor at WDBO-TV (now WKMG). In 1963 he decided on a career change and began what was to be a nearly 29 year corporate career with Tupperware Brands Corporation at the firm’s international headquarters in Kissimmee, FL beginning with the firm’s public relations department. Subsequent assignments with Tupperware were as Director of Product Development, Vice President of Special Services and finally in 1976 as VP/Director of Tupperware Convention Center until his retirement in 1992. Following retirement from Tupperware, he remained active as a marketing consultant, executive director of a charitable foundation, and beginning in April 2002 as a volunteer with the Altamonte Springs Police Department in the Records Section where he served for almost 15 years.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Dr. Russell Blair Endowment for Language Programs at the Culver Academies, 1300 Academy Rd., Culver, IN 46511 or to Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3377 Aloma Ave, Winter Park, FL 32792.

ALLEN JOHNSON | Chief Venues Officer

The Shenyang New World EXPO in Liaoning province’s capital city of Shenyang crossed over into its second year of operations on March 1. The inaugural second year event will be the 20th China Northeast International Dental Equipment & Affiliated Facilities Exhibition Symposium on Oral Health to be held March 16th to 19th, organized by Liaoning North Exhibition Co., Ltd.

The major exhibition to follow March 23rd to 25th, the 2018 Northeast China AD Exhibition & 25th Liaoning AD/Sign/LED Lighting Expo, is scheduled to utilize all of EXPO’s rental space totalling 28,000 square meters (sqm) and will be organized by Shanghai Modern International Exhibition Co., Ltd.
Following a successful soft opening period during 2017 including nine major exhibitions attended by 1,729 exhibiting companies and over 220,000 visitors and guests, EXPO will begin year two by hosting three major recurrent events during March and April that were held in the same period in 2017.

Diane Chen, EXPO’s general manager, said: “The success of EXPO’s initial exhibitions during the first year and the interest created by the exhibitors and visitors alike ensure the ongoing potential of EXPO’s future exhibition business. Additionally, regional and national conferences are finding the venue most attractive. Its central business district location, direct link to the city’s METRO underground system, over 6,700 hotel rooms within three METRO stations of the venue, and state of the art facilities make EXPO one of the most sought after exhibition and conference venues in northeast China.”

EXPO opened over a year prior to the adjacent elements of the total project it anchors. That project consists of over 1.4 million sqm of construction space including two adjoining hotels, northeast China’s largest retail shopping mall, three residential towers and two future office towers. With the exception of the office towers and one of the hotels, all project elements will be open by the end of 2018.

Accordingly, EXPO has been operating in an extended soft opening period to accommodate the completion of the massive project that is fully funded and operated by New World China Land in association with affiliated operating companies of the New World Group in Hong Kong.

Cliff Wallace, chairman of Shenyang New World (Management) Ltd., said, “I remain confident that EXPO is a model venue for China’s second tier exhibition markets and will make significant contributions to the growth of Northeast China’s exhibition and meeting industry.”