The Board of the Venue Management Association (Asia Pacific) announced the appointment of Michael Brierley as their new Chief Executive Officer. He will begin his duties on January 2, 2018.

Brierley comes to the VMA with a 20-year career in sports management within Australia, having previously held senior positions with Yachting Australia (Commercial Manager) and the Australian Olympic Committee (Executive Director; Queensland Olympic Council). Most recently, as CEO of Apex Camps, Brierley successfully turned around the Queensland based youth charity which operated 4 active recreation venues throughout the State.

With a strong background in large-scale membership programs, stakeholder engagement strategies, and corporate governance, Brierley also brings a wealth of experience from the peak body sector having previously sat on the Boards of the Australian Society of Sport Administrators and the Institute of Sport Management.

In announcing the selection, VMA President Steve Harper, CFE, said, “I am very much looking forward to having Michael on board. He brings with him well-rounded and extensive experience that will serve the organization well. Michael’s key focus will be to provide strong organizational and financial leadership to the organization, build on the VMA brand throughout the region, significantly grow the membership program, and deliver quality education and professional development product to the industry.”

“I am extremely delighted to be given the opportunity to lead such a well-respected organization through the next phase of its growth,” Brierley said. “I am looking forward to working with the dedicated Board and Committees of the VMA, and wider stakeholder group across the Asia Pacific region, to continue to build on the 30 plus years of valued contribution to the venue management industry.”

Facility Manager Senior Editor R.V. Baugus has written a book about his wife, Tanya, who passed away suddenly almost three years ago at age 48 during a day surgery procedure. The book Saint, Servant, Soulmate: The Loving Legacy of Tanya Baugus, is now available to order from a website established for Tanya at www.honoringtanyabaugus.com.

Your purchase of this book supports the Tanya Baugus Memorial Scholarship Fund at her employer Coaches Outreach. The Scholarship was the idea of Coaches Outreach founder Tommy Maxwell to honor the legacy and memory of Tanya while at the same time using donations to the scholarship to enable coaching couples the opportunity to afford one of the Coaches Outreach summer marriage retreats. As the event coordinator, Tanya was present at every marriage retreat and welcomed all couples whether she knew them or not with open arms and a loving heart for the weekend they were about to enjoy. Tanya loved these special weekends in the summer to see couples grow closer together in their marriage and in their spiritual walk.

Thank you for remembering Tanya and giving her great joy in heaven by knowing that your purchase goes to one of her greatest passions in the Coaches Outreach marriage retreats.

Daktronics announced a continued partnership with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to bring 14 LED displays totaling more than 23,000 square feet to the venue for the 2018 season.

“While putting a perennial contender on the field remains a top priority, the fan experience is very important to Angels Baseball,” said Angels Club President John Carpino. “We believe this investment into Angel Stadium will dramatically enhance the overall experience for our loyal and dedicated fan base, and look forward to unveiling this technology at the start of the 2018 Season.”

The new right field video display will be the third largest in Major League Baseball at 9,500 square feet. It will feature 7.7 million LEDs and would take a total of 890 60-inch televisions to cover the entire display. The new display in left field will measure 5,488 square feet. Both displays will feature 13HD pixel layouts and 11,000 nits of brightness, the industry-leading solution for outdoor stadium technology, to bring excellent image clarity and contrast to fans in every seat.

The project upgrades Daktronics technology that has been operating since its installation in 2004. With the new project, a total of 17.1 million LEDs will light up to improve the fan experience in and around the stadium.

“We’re excited to continue our long-standing partnership with the Los Angeles Angels for this upcoming stadium-wide installation,” said Daktronics President and CEO Reece Kurtenbach. “We’re proud to continue developing the best video solutions for our customers in the world of sports and beyond. Our customers have high expectations for our products and we look forward to meeting and exceeding their expectations for years to come.”

Marcus “Chip” Murrell has been appointed general manager for the Rocky Mount (NC) Event Center, a Sports Facilities Management, LLC managed facility.

Murrell brings over 15 years of experience in the event industry to Rocky Mount, with his most recent duties as an operations director for the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in Columbia, S.C. and the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Fla. Murrell’s responsibilities included leading the day-to-day back of house venue operations, leading his events team in the planning and implementation of all events, creating and successfully meeting annual budgets, maintaining inventory, and overseeing all service management agreements with outside vendors. As general manager for the Rocky Mount Event Center, Murrell will be responsible for managing all aspects of the pre-opening and operations of the facility scheduled to open fall 2018.

Murrell is a graduate of Winston Salem State University with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management: Management and Administration. He is also a graduate of the IAVM Venue Management School and is currently an active member of IAVM and the Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA). In 2015, Murrell earned the Employee of the Year Award with the Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports and Tourism.

Murrell began his duties on November 23.

Santa’s elves brought plenty of smiles to small faces as they delivered a hefty sack of toys to The Ronald McDonald House of New Orleans. New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center employees donated money via payroll deductions to raise funds to buy toys and supplies for the young patients who are spending their Christmas in a hospital setting as they battle various illnesses, as well as toys for their siblings, and gift cards and toiletry packs for the parents. The group also purchased items for the Ronald McDonald House, such as snacks, sheet sets, pillows, and flashlights.

Convention Center employees Kelli Zohar-Davis, Erin Oubre, Clair Lorell, Megan Clay, and Mildred Simon used their personal PTO hours to shop for toys at various local stores on Friday, December 15. The following week, on Tuesday, December 18, employees Nicole Newton, Maurice Jackson, Erik Gonzalez, Kelli Zohar-Davis, Cassie Jones, Megan Clay, Matthew Fryou, and AJ McCorkle distributed the toys and gifts to the families who reside at the Ronald McDonald House during treatment. Centerplate, the Convention Center’s exclusive food and beverage provider, generously donated 60 boxed lunches containing sandwiches, chips and fruit, plus cookies for a decorating activity.

“We are so grateful to the Convention Center employees who donated, shopped for, and delivered gifts and meals to the families staying in the House. It’s heartwarming to know that people care and took the time to make Christmas special for everyone,” said Brooke Stewart, Programs and Volunteer Coordinator Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana.

The Convention Center’s staff chose The Ronald McDonald House of New Orleans because of the organization’s commitment to improving the quality of life for families of seriously ill children.

The mission of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana is to provide a “home-away-from-home” to families of seriously ill children and to provide programs that give comfort, compassion, and care to children and their families. Parents with critically ill children are invited to bring their immediate family to stay in the Ronald McDonald House, free of charge, while their sick child receives treatment. The house provides a safe, homey place to stay, laundry facilities, and meals/snacks for the residents so that families don’t have to incur additional expenses and be separated during an already stressful time.