Our colleagues at IAFE have sent the below advocacy request. They are asking for assistance by February 8^th. Please note the pre-made letter may need to be altered per your venue type.  Message from IAFE:

Over the past few years you’ve heard quite often about the need of H2B visa workers for the mobile amusement and mobile concession operations. You’re very much aware that most of these businesses generally cannot find drug-free and eager workers from within the US to travel with them. If they don’t have the labor to operate at your fair, what are the consequences? Longer lines, shorter operating hours, or worse – no carnival at all?

Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in January 2018. Thank you for being a part of the association!

Also, let us get to know you better by participating in the I Am Venue Management series. Please visit http://www.iavm.org/i-am-venue-management-share-your-story to share your story and photo.

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Join IAVM for the 93rd annual VenueConnect  Conference and Trade Show hosted at the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada. VenueConnect hosts professionals from a spectrum of public assembly venues including arenas, convention centers, amphitheaters, fairgrounds, performing arts centers, stadiums, universities, and more. This is the only industry conference that inspires industry leaders, provides targeted education, and brings attendees together creating relationships that last a lifetime!

• This year IAVM has 100+ educational sessions available for you to choose from! VenueConnect offers tailored education developed by top industry leaders that align with your venue type.
• BootCamps are back, and with more options to choose from, they are even better than ever! These small-group sessions, held at venues across Toronto, will provide participants with an even greater understanding of venue-specific operations.
• Gain front row access to agents and promoters, and seize opportunities to bring new talent into your venue.
• Get access to the latest industry hot topics and trends.
• The Trade Show floor will feature Venue Chat education sessions, Agent Alley, Block Party, Career Center, food, drinks, & more!

• Multi-Registrant Member Discount! Register 5 or more Professional Members (Professional or Young Professional) on the same registration order and each registrant receives $100 discount…that’s a savings of at least $500!
• This year’s VenueConnect will now feature over 12 hours of Trade Show hours!
• Sector theaters have been added to provide attendees with an opportunity for additional networking with sector colleagues.
• You asked for it, and we delivered it! Not only have we increased the number of education sessions, but we have also lengthened some to allow more time for content coverage.

Don’t Delay!  Register now!!

 

An all-star panel moderated by Andy Jabbour, co-founder and managing director of The Gate 15 Company, is among the highlights at this year’s Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS) taking place February 15-19 in Minneapolis. Jabbour will lead a discussion for a session titled “Current Topics in Venue & Event Safety and Security.” Panelists include Bill Flynn, president, Garda Risk Management; Doug Reynolds, security director, Mall of America; Dave Horsman, senior director of ballpark operations, Minnesota Twins Baseball Club; John Bonhage, special agent, FBI; Mike Christianson, protective security advisor, DHS; and Glenn Sanders, protective security advisor, DHS.

“We expect for this session to be as current and topical as possible,” Jabbour said. “We have folks who are really, really pros in this area. We will be getting perspectives from local to regional to national, from public to private, hometown security, physical security threats, cybersecurity at facilities, just lots of incredible and valuable information for attendees.”

Jabbour oversees team projects providing Gate 15’s threat-informed and risk based approach to analysis, preparedness and operations in support of private sector and government partners across the critical infrastructure environment, including support to the several information sharing and analysis centers. He also presently serves as a member of IAVM’s Venue Safety & Security Committee, as faculty for AVSS, as well as serving as on the InfraGardNCRBoard.

“We’ll talk about the big events that has gotten everyone’s attention, such as the tragedy in Las Vegas on the 1st of October,” Jabbour said. “It made the whole community stop and think about why this happened and how this happened. We’ll also talk a lot about some common concerns of low-tech terrorism and extremism that are more likely to be created around a facility.

“The implication is that most of the people attending won’t necessarily be dealing with a catastrophic incident like we saw in Las Vegas or the church shooting in (Sutherland Springs) Texas. It would be on a much smaller scale but still very impactful such as a deliberate vehicle ramming. Facility leaders need to look to their neighbors and related facilities to understand the importance of local coordination and to know what’s going on in the neighborhood. We’ll talk about all of that.”

Jabbour said that there is an increased integration of technology such as cybersecurity.

“You’re now blending your physical security person with a cybersecurity person,” he said. “It is important to understand this new blended environment and to try and gain an appreciation for these different disciplines that might be under your operations.”

The panel discussion will emphasis four main topics including Preparedness and Response, Hometown Security, Local Coordination, and Facility Cybersecurity. A Q&A session will follow the panel discussion.

“We want to help venues understand the threat environment, the risks to their facilities, and hopefully give them some nuggets to take away so that they can take action, whether that is a training program or some type of exercise or building a plan or reaching out to their neighborhood partners. We want them to walk out understanding the threat, appreciating the risk, and then go out and do something to get ahead of those concerns.”

After 25 years at the helm of the RBC Convention Centre, President and CEO Klaus Lahr will be retiring this spring. Following a lengthy search, Crystal Laborero, Board Chair, and Search Committee Chair Danny Akman, announced that Drew Fisher will be appointed to the position effective March 15, 2018.

Fisher will join the convention centre with over 30 years of experience in the hospitality and tourism industry. He has held leadership

positions at several Fairmont hotels and resorts across Canada, the most recent at the Fairmont Winnipeg where he has been the general manager for over four years.

“We are pleased to welcome Drew to the convention centre organization,” Laborero said. “We held an extensive and thorough search and considered over 80 local to international candidates. We are quite confident that we have selected the best person for the position.

“Drew has worked extensively with tourism organizations and in the hospitality industry. His experience in destination marketing and the hotel industry will make him a well-rounded leader to the team.”

Lahr will leave the convention centre with big shoes to fill. He has been recognized as being a visionary and a leader with an understanding of the big picture. He has seen many changes during his time at the convention centre and played an integral part in the recent successful expansion. He championed the project for over 16 years and was influential in bringing it to fruition and instrumental in the project opening on schedule and within budget.

“We appreciate Klaus and thank him for his dedication and commitment and we wish him well as he enters this new chapter of his life,” added Laborero.

Lahr will remain at the convention centre until early May as he works with Fisher during a transition period.