(Editor’s Note: Carol Moore, CVE, holds a very special place in my heart. She likely holds a very special place in the heart of everyone in this industry. If she does not, the problem is not with Carol. As she prepares for her June 30 retirement, we could not let Carol leave without sharing some thoughts on this incredible longevity in the public assembly venue industry. On a personal note, I consider Carol one of the dearest friends I have. I can only hope I have “been there” for Carol as she has been for me through life’s ups and downs. Through it all, Carol’s ever-present smile will be in my mind’s eye. Wishing you the very best, Carol. Thank you for everything and God bless. Now on to Carol’s reflections…)

By Carol Moore, CVE

I’ve been asked to write about my career in this industry. As I thought back over my 49-year career, it is amazing to see the vast changes that have happened during that time. I began my career in 1974 as a secretary.

When we rented the facility, there was one main phone line that rang into the building. We had ten button phones on our desks that would allow multiple calls to come through at one time. Everyone was responsible for answering a ringing line. It was always amazing to see all ten buttons light up all at once when Elvis was announced, and they would ring non-stop for eight hours. When we prepared contracts, we used pre-printed forms and inserted carbon paper between each copy. Everything business was handled through mail. At this point there weren’t fax machines yet. We did not have a copier, but rather used a mimeograph machine to print things when you needed a lot of copies. All files were manual and stored in file cabinets as there weren’t computers. Your financial accounting records were all done manually and kept in ledger books. I used shorthand when my boss dictated a letter to be sent out as there weren’t small recording devices back then.

All event tickets were hard tickets that were housed in these wooden boxes with pigeonholes. The tickets were arranged in these boxes as the arena was laid out. Back then a concert ticket was $7.50 – a far cry from today’s prices. Processing a credit card payment was handled by a machine that would imprint the customer’s card information onto a 3-form carbon receipt. The customer received a copy, the building kept a copy, and the third copy was turned into the bank for processing. Then you had to manually add up the total charge card receipts for settlement each day.

Advertising for a show was vastly different as you only had newspaper, radio, and television. Concert show posters were put out around town on the telephone poles announcing the event. Our ticket outlets received a section of hard tickets to sell from their location and we would have to deliver and pick up tickets and money.

Production was very different as well. For years our stage consisted of scaffolding and plywood pieces that were built by the operations team. The power needed for sound and lights back in those days was only 200/400 amp – a huge difference from today’s show needs. The show would consist of two semi-trailers at the dock – not the sometimes 50 semi-trailers you see today! Rigging plots weren’t as elaborate back in those days either.

The first concert I remember that had the stage in the round was Kenny Rogers. I always felt bad for the poor stagehand who kept having to crawl around in circles while Kenny walked the stage. The first audio/visual used for a concert that I remember was for John Denver, who showed video of his then wife Annie. The show riders were so much simpler back in those days as well, although I do remember the Van Halen rider about the chocolate M&Ms.

I remember when we would have hockey or Holiday on Ice, the operations team would have to hose down the concrete floor 24 hours a day with a water hose until they created an ice floor. Such a tedious task and a very expensive one to do as well.

The other difference I have seen is in the aesthetics of the venues. Back in the old days venues were sterile and consisted of a lot of concrete. Today they are state-of-the-art venues with beautiful aesthetics, very high tech, and create an unforgettable experience for the guest. The food and beverage from the old days consisted of your typical concession fare of hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, nachos, etc. Today of course there are chefs at our venues that prepare culinary delights for everyone’s palate.

Security was obviously very different back in those days and nothing like what is faced by our venues today. Technology was non-existent in a venue for me until 1988 when I was first given a desktop computer. I learned the computer by grabbing a co-worker when she would pass by my office door on her way to do something. In those days, the computer was DOS based and you had to type in commands to get it to do what you needed.

There are so many other things that were different that escaped my mind. But let’s leave it to say that “we’ve come a long way, baby!”

By R.V. Baugus

The Miami Beach Convention Center invites you to join them on August 10 for Venue Safety & Security Training provided by IAVM Director of Safety and Security Mark Herrera.

Herrera will bring his recognized and renown teaching and will present on Situational Awareness (Mitigating Risk Through Guest Services), De-Escalation Training for Frontline Teams (Overview), Active Threat/Active Shooter Preparedness and Best Practices for Building Your Security Culture (Practical Exercise).

Here are the details for this FREE event that is sure to improve all facets of safety and security at your venue or business.

To register for this FREE and invaluable training, click here.

Date: August 1Oth, 2023
Time: 9am-1pm
Location:
Miami Beach Convention Center
Sunset Vista Ballroom
1901 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Parking: MBCC Roofdeck
Registration: FREE (must show ticket for entry)

From AEG Worldwide

Starting July 11, L.A. LIVE, AEG’s 4 million-square-foot downtown Los Angeles sports and entertainment district will officially bear the Peacock name.

As part of a multi-year naming rights agreement between Peacock, NBCUniversal’s premium streaming service, and AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company, the 7,100-seat concert and special events venue formerly known as Microsoft Theater will be named Peacock Theater and the entertainment district’s 40,000 square foot open-air plaza, formerly known as XBOX Plaza, will be known as Peacock Place. The agreement, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, strategically aligns the brands, and establishes Peacock as the exclusive streaming partner of L.A. LIVE.

“Like Peacock, L.A. LIVE is at the epicenter of premium original entertainment, exhilarating sports, one-of-a-kind experiences and extreme fandom,” said Kelly Campbell, President of Peacock, and Direct-to-Consumer, NBCUniversal. “Through Peacock Theater and Peacock Place, we’ll have the opportunity to bring all the elements of our brand to life with the millions of fans who visit L.A. LIVE each year, while partnering with the incredible team at AEG to further cement Peacock as the ultimate destination for audiences.”

“We are ecstatic for the opportunity to be able to partner with the amazing leadership team at Peacock for this long-term relationship,” said Nick Baker, Chief Operating Officer of AEG Global Partnerships. “The content within the Peacock platform is ideal for our audiences and the synergies between both organizations around our variety of events is limitless.”

“We are incredibly excited for this groundbreaking partnership with Peacock and AEG,” said Lee Zeidman, President, Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater and L.A. LIVE. “We are looking forward to the opportunity to collaborate with Peacock to create new content and programming to complement our existing roster of amazing concerts, awards shows, and special events we are known for at all of our iconic L.A. LIVE venues.”

With the comprehensive new agreement, Peacock will have an enhanced brand presence across L.A. LIVE including significant interior and exterior signage at Peacock Theater, fixed signage at Peacock Place, a branded content studio, and customized fan activations and brand integrations throughout select premium locations of the sports and entertainment district.

Peacock will also engage fans via signature digital signage elements, including a brand-new, dedicated LED marquee, located prominently at the corner of Figueroa and Olympic Blvds., one of downtown L.A.’s busiest intersections. The forthcoming dedicated LED marquee will feature two state-of-the-art video boards permanently attached to L.A. LIVE’s façade and will provide Peacock with 100% share of voice, 365 days a year. With this new signage, Peacock can highlight its latest content including key series premieres, promotions, and special events taking place at L.A. LIVE over the course of the partnership. Once complete, the largest of the two new signs will measure more than 29 feet high and 56 feet wide. The second will stand at more than 29 feet high and 88 feet wide, providing Peacock with premium exposure to millions of people each year. The signs will connect at the corner, with one facing Figueroa and the other facing Olympic and will remain a permanent fixture at L.A. LIVE for the length of the partnership.

(Photo: Business Wire)

From neworleanssaints.com

The New Orleans Saints unveiled the latest updates to the Envision the Future transformation of the Caesars Superdome. The five-year project is a collaborative effort between the Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District (LSED), the New Orleans Saints and the State of Louisiana, and the project continues to near its 2024 scheduled completion date. As the 2024 finish line rapidly approaches, this colossal project progresses with a team of architects, contractors, designers, and construction workers working around-the-clock to transform the fan experience and functionality of one of the most iconic venues in the world. Saints season ticket holders and their guests will be the first to experience the remarkable evolution of Caesars Superdome, while the building’s global unveil will be completed in advance of the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, which will also mark the stadium’s 50th anniversary.

The Caesars Superdome Club Rooms and Premium Areas have and will continue to be some of the most popular sectors of season ticket holders. Through the Envision the Future campaign the Northeast and Northwest loge clubs no longer exist and have been replaced with an East loge club named the Caesars Legends Club. This dedicated club and suite area provides access to Gate C with access to dedicated escalators and new elevators which will provide fans with a faster entry to the club and premium areas. The upgrades at the Caesars Club include much larger areas that stretch the length of the sideline with improved seating and amenities in state-of-the-art surroundings that enhance the premium ticket holder experiences.

The VIP loge level will also feature an upgraded concourse experience connecting to the new Caesars Club as well as new premium bars, markets, and concessions. New clean, comfortable, and modern restroom and family rooms will adjoin the club on both sides to alleviate wait times for the rest room facilities at the busiest times of gamedays.

By Josh Albrecht

After a record-breaking year in tourism, VISIT Milwaukee unveiled a new way for visitors to explore Milwaukee with Authenticated Experiences (AX), a non-fungible token (NFT) marketing campaign at the organization’s recent annual meeting.

The tourism industry’s only immersive and interactive NFT platform, AX features collectible digital tokens allowing users to unlock exclusive real-life experiences and prizes in a scavenger hunt-like format. This campaign by VISIT Milwaukee is designed to attract visitors from across the region to Milwaukee and encourage them to venture out into the city’s 191 neighborhoods.

“This campaign is a unique opportunity to attract new visitors to our city and offer them incredible experiences while helping them explore all that our 191 neighborhoods have to offer,” said Josh Albrecht, VISIT Milwaukee’s vice president of marketing and communications. “AX serves as an artist platform and gives us a fresh way to position Milwaukee as a destination for both tech and travel—a win for the arts, tourism, and our terrific partners like Summerfest.”

Debuting in partnership with Summerfest and Summerfest Tech, AX spotlights Milwaukee’s digital creators, iconic brands, places, and people by geolocating free NFT collectibles around the city. AX’s first five custom NFT collectibles are inspired by Milwaukee’s rich music history through the lens of local artist T9LET. In honor of the 55th anniversary of the world’s largest music festival, Summerfest, the first 55 people to collect all five NFTs will receive access to an exclusive VISIT Milwaukee x AX artist experience and the chance to win two tickets to a Summerfest show of their choice in 2023 or 2024.

In addition to AX’s first five collectibles, AX2 will feature five NFTs geolocated on the Summerfest festival grounds through July 8. Curated by Cullah, a Milwaukee native, artist, and musician, AX2’s Summerfest-inspired designs will unlock unique VISIT Milwaukee prizes and the chance to win a Summerfest x Visit Milwaukee VIP Experience.

“This is a joint effort between Summerfest, Summerfest Tech and VISIT Milwaukee to lean into new and exciting technologies. It allows us to create a tech-forward touchpoint for our Summerfest attendees and provide awareness around Web3 and NFT at Summerfest Tech this year while strengthening the connection we have with VISIT Milwaukee and tourism,” said Jerrod Woods, senior director of marketing at Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.

As part of Summerfest’s efforts to enter into the NFT and collectible space, the music festival released its own NFT on June 22 with 1,000 limited editions available for collection. Each user who claims the special Summerfest NFT will also receive one FREE Summerfest general admission ticket. The NFT will be made available with the same technology group that VISIT Milwaukee has partnered with, Vennity. This is the first time that Summerfest has entered this tech-forward space, thanks in part to the efforts of AmpliPhi Digital and Spencer Smith.

In addition to partnering with local artists and brands, VISIT Milwaukee is aligning with Vennity as its AX technology partner for online map integration and digital art minting on the Polygon blockchain. A no-code platform for creating and distributing digital collectibles in the real world, Vennity was founded in 2018 by Vlad Avesalon and Navneet Saxena.

“Milwaukee holds a special place in my heart since my wife and I spent seven-plus years here collectively, we got engaged here, I got my dog from the Humane Society here,” says Saxena, co-founder of Vennity. “It’s a special place and a hidden gem when it comes to tourism. I’m excited to showcase some of Milwaukee’s beauty through the Vennity app as it was intended to be used.”

Josh Albrecht is Vice President of Marketing and Communications for VISIT Milwaukee.