Congratulations to our latest Certified Venue Professional: Dave Horsman, CVP.  Dave is the Senior Director of Ballpark Operations at Minnesota Twins Baseball Club!

View all of our current CVP’s here.

Thanks to the generous funding and support from the IAVM Foundation, the CVP program was launched in August 2015 at VenueConnect in Baltimore. It recognizes the competence of middle-to-senior-level managers of public assembly venues as well as assisting the managers in creating a professional roadmap in the venue industry.

The CVP designation says three important things about an individual: he or she is a capable professional, is committed to the industry, and is pledged to continued professional growth and development. Venue professionals who earn the CVP designation are recognized, by those inside and outside the industry, as skilled in their profession.

The Wisconsin Center District (WCD) Board of Directors has named Marty Brooks as the new CEO for the Wisconsin Center District. Brooks’ first day was January 22, 2018.

Brooks brings to the WCD firsthand experience managing facilities for the NBA, NHL, NFL, Division I Men’s and Women’s college basketball, and minor league hockey. Most recently, Brooks had served as the senior vice president and general manager of America’s Center Complex in St. Louis since December 2012. America’s Center Complex is owned by the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission and maintains the Cervantes Convention Center, Edward Jones Dome, and an executive conference center. Brooks was hired as executive vice president and general manager there in 2008. Prior to that time, he worked as an executive for the Scottrade Center and Peabody Opera House in St. Louis, and at Madison Square Garden from 1985 until 2007.

“Marty’s hiring signals a new and dynamic era for the Center District. The Board looks forward to working with Marty and our community partners to further expand economic activity in and around southeastern Wisconsin,” said Scott Neitzel, WCD Chairman and Secretary of the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration.

“In my role, I look to increase the profitability of the Wisconsin Center District properties, as well as raise the profile of the District itself,” Brooks said. “A robust convention and events calendar for the District has a ripple effect throughout the community, and I look forward to working in partnership with VISIT Milwaukee to continue that trend.”

Paul Upchurch, president & CEO of VISIT Milwaukee, said, “On behalf of VISIT Milwaukee, I’d like to welcome Marty Brooks to the Wisconsin Center District and the Milwaukee area. His operations expertise for convention centers, theaters, and arenas will play well here in Milwaukee and will boost the already strong schedule of events at our Wisconsin Center facilities. He is a great addition to the team, and we look forward to working closely with Marty to further build on the success of the District and bring even more events and conventions to the region.”

“I’m thrilled to start the next chapter of my career in Milwaukee,” Brooks added. “This is a vibrant city with a great downtown scene.”

With the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, in full swing, WalletHub released its 2018 Winter Olympics By The Numbers report, which includes an awesome infographic as well as commentary from a panel of leading sports experts.

Some of the interesting statistics in the infographic include:

•$13 Billion: Estimated cost of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, 4x less than the record-setting 2014 Sochi Games.

•$19.6 Million: Was spent on cybersecurity and X-ray screening for the PyeongChang Games.

•$4,683: Average price of a week-long trip to PyeongChang for the Olympics.

•242: Athletes on the U.S. team – a record for any country in the Winter Olympics.

•169: Russian athletes received a special exemption to compete after Russia was banned from the 2018 Olympics due to a doping scandal.

To see all the fascinating numbers in infographic form, click here.

The San Diego Convention Center announced that it has selected ON Site, a division of ON Services, as its preferred provider of audio visual services and its exclusive provider of production rigging and in-house sound.

ON Site is a leading in-house provider of audio visual services to convention centers, hotels and resorts, utilizing the latest innovative technology combined with an unwavering focus on exceptional service. ON Site will provide the San Diego Convention Center with a full spectrum of audio visual and production rigging services supporting conventions, trade shows, meetings, and special events. ON Site is the preferred in-house audio visual provider for recognized venues including the Georgia World Congress Center, the Georgia International Convention Center, the Cobb Galleria Center and the Cobb Energy Center.

The Convention Center’s Board of Directors voted to approve the five-year contract with ON Site at its January Board meeting. The agreement will begin May 1, 2018.

“We are looking forward to working together with our new partners at ON Site to meet all of our customers’ needs,” said Executive Vice President and General Manager of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation Karen Totaro, CVE. “One of our core values is service, and we are confident that ON Site will help us fulfill our promise of providing outstanding customer service so that our clients will want to bring their events back to San Diego.”

“The San Diego Convention Center is a leading facility, and we share their team’s commitment to providing exceptional service,” said ON Services Executive Vice President Brian Hefner. “We are excited to partner with them as we provide audio visual and production rigging services, delivered with excellence.”

Houston First Corporation announced the retirement of Dawn Ullrich, its President & CEO. Ullrich, a veteran of the City of Houston’s Legal and Convention & Entertainment Facilities Departments, held the position since 2011. Houston First Chairperson David Mincberg, an appointee of Mayor Sylvester Turner, thanked Ullrich for her dedication and service.

Ullrich’s tenure included the 2017 Super Bowl, an extensive renovation of the George R. Brown Convention Center, the debut of the Marriott Marquis Houston, landmark tourism initiatives, and numerous conventions and performing arts performances.

Houston First Corporation is expected to announce a new President & CEO soon as part of an overall drive to make its operations more forward-looking and efficient. New leadership will face challenges stemming from the recovery of the Houston Theater District from Hurricane Harvey and maintaining Houston’s momentum in the convention and leisure-tourism market.

“Houston competes well for national conventions and tourism dollars, however our competition from other cities never fades,” Mincberg said. “Accordingly, the board will select a new leader for Houston First dedicated to making our corporation’s name their mission: Putting Houston in first place and keeping it there.”

Houston First Corporation operates the city’s finest convention and performing arts facilities to position Houston as a world-class destination. Houston First owns Hilton Americas-Houston and manages 11 city-owned buildings, plazas and parking facilities. Properties include the George R. Brown Convention Center, Miller Outdoor Theatre, Wortham Center and Jones Hall for the Performing Arts.