Sarah Trahern jumps on a conference call with some IAVM staff along with Convention Center Chair Neil McMullin and Vice Chair Matt Hollander. Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association (CMA) based in Nashville, has every reason to have a tired voice fresh off the conclusion of a very successful CMA Music Festival that ran from June 8-11 in the city and included artist performances at venues such as the Music City Center, Nissan Stadium, Bridgestone Arena, and Riverfront Park. Instead of weary, the voice is instead cheery.

“Here in Nashville, we have strong relations with all the venues because we just got off of Music Fest where we were at all of our city’s major facilities,” Trahern said.

Trahern will share some of that experience along with much more when she serves as the keynote speaker for the Convention Center sector meeting on August 9 at 10:45 a.m. during VenueConnect in Nashville. As an association executive, Trahern understands the importance of working with not just her local venues but those around the country wherever the CMA goes.

“I worked with Charles Starks (president and CEO of the Music City Center) for some events they did that went with the National Hockey League All-Star Game in 2016,” she said. “I brought my team over and there were a lot of things they did that we then adopted for our Music Fest to make our signage better, for example. We all learn from each other to make events better.”

Nashville was the hub of activity in early June not only with Music Fest but also with the NHL Nashville Predators playing in the Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“We kicked off last week in Nashville with the Music Fest, where we usually average about 80,000 to 90,000 fans per day on a regular year coming into town,” Trahern said. “We also had the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“All of us are in event management, whether it’s your members or our folks. You go to an event like we did at Music City Center to look at how the hockey folks had laid out their Fan Fair experience with hockey, and you take in best practices. They do well, but frankly there is always a little pride of ‘What do we do better? Do we handle physically challenged people better?’ We learn some from these folks.

“So we thought that the hockey folks did a particularly good job on how they set lighting levels and how they handled the columns in the convention hall to make it feel warmer and less ‘conventiony’ and to make it a warmer event space. These were things that we subsequently did to add a bit into our footprint and certainly this year in a larger way at Music Fest.”

Trahern noted that convention centers have an advantage of being multi-functional to be able to host just about any type of music programming and before audiences ranging from the thousands to those in the hundreds.

“I think that there are more opportunities for these types of shows in convention centers,” she said. “Many have formal arena-style venues attached to the convention center. There are more opportunities for private engagements to fall often at convention centers. Certainly, there is a rich market for private shows and talent to fall more within the convention center realm sometimes than the traditional labels.

“The quality of the infrastructures that are offered today by convention centers is so improved over the last 15 to 20 years. I think if you are an artist that good sound is what is foremost important as your brand is represented. I know that when I go to book an act for something the first question usually has to do with the quality of the sound. The quality of audio offerings that are coming out of different kinds of convention center spaces today is so superior to what it was years ago, so that is really off the table as a concern than it might have been years ago.”

In booking, Trahern also understands that competition is keen amongst venues. Still, she has participated in collaboration with other venues and knows that there is still a need for competitors to also work together.

“All venue communities tend to be competitive with each other,” she said, “but all of ours also have to work together like last week where we had things happening all over town. I’m very proud of our national music industry and how closely we work with the venue community, but also how the venue community works very proactively with us as well.”

Campbell University of Buies Creek, North Carolina, has asked Daktronics to design, manufacture and install a LED video display for the university’s home to baseball, Jim Perry Stadium. Installation was completed this spring and the display is providing excitement and entertainment for Fighting Camels baseball fans. A dedication ceremony was held before the game on June 4.

“This Carlie C’s video board is a complete game-changer for the experience of fans at Campbell and Buies Creek Astros baseball games,” said Campbell Athletics Director Bob Roller in a release on the university’s website.

The video display measures approximately 23 feet high by 35 feet wide and features a 15HD pixel layout. It’s placed in the outfield and replaces the fixed-digit display that was previously used. The new display provides excellent image clarity and contrast with wide angle visibility while also incorporating industry-leading environmental protection.

The display features variable content zoning which allows it to show one large image across the entire display or it can also be separated into multiple zones to show any combination of live video, instant replays, scoring information, up-to-the-minute statistics, graphics and animations, and sponsor advertisements.

A Sportsound® 1500HD audio system, which will be integrated with the video and scoring system, will also be added to the stadium. The system provides full-range sound reproduction and delivers clear and intelligible speech. The 1500HD provides a powerful audio experience for the fans. Daktronics audio offers high-quality audio systems that can integrate with dynamic displays in indoor and outdoor sport venues.

“We are proud and very excited for the installation at Jim Perry Stadium,” said Corey Williams, Daktronics sales representative. “The scoreboard and support structure are both very impressive. Campbell University is a great partner that we’ve enjoyed working with for many years. We’re looking forward to seeing this project enhance the game-day experience for many years to come.”

In addition to the equipment installation, the university will also receive a bank of hours for the creation of digital content to be produced and delivered by Daktronics Creative Services. This content will consist of any mixture of sponsorship messages, crowd prompts, headshots, game opens and venue announcements at the request of the facility.

Ungerboeck announced the addition of Eric Kaser to the company’s executive leadership team. As Vice President of Sales, Americas, Kaser will lead sales strategy and execution from company headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri.

“Eric is a powerful addition to the Ungerboeck team,” said Ungerboeck CEO, Manish Chandak. “He has a proven track record of success in software sales and sales leadership that is going to be instrumental in accelerating our growth and helping us reach new heights.”

Prior to his position at Ungerboeck, Kaser enjoyed a successful career as a long-term sales leader at the Reynolds & Reynolds Company. He served most recently as the Vice President & Director of Sales for the Major Accounts group where he was responsible for the organization’s largest and most strategic clients and prospects nationwide. Throughout his 23-year tenure, Kaser led countless initiatives to drive profitable revenue growth and improve client’s business results including the execution of a three-year strategic plan that transformed the team into a world-class sales organization and led to significant annual savings while increasing employee morale and improving client satisfaction.

“I am passionate about leveraging innovative software solutions to drive business results for customers,” said Kaser. “I’m thrilled to be joining a company like Ungerboeck with a strong executive team that clearly shares that passion. I’m very fortunate to be coming into a situation with an excellent foundation in place to expand our position as the industry leader and I look forward to developing a world-class sales organization that will carry us forward.”

Kaser holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. He will soon be joined in St. Louis by his wife, Lisa, and daughters, Emily and Paige.

JustOne is an initiative created by IAVM’s Membership Committee. This recruitment campaign gives IAVM volunteer leaders – Board of Directors, Trustees, Regents, Committees and Task Forces – an opportunity to recruit at least one new member.

5 Weeks Left – Campaign Ends July 15, 2017

You represent the very best of venue management. Now, it’s time to identify the next round of leaders that will propel IAVM to new heights, but more importantly, provide you with expanded connections to give you more vibrant experiences and discussions at our schools and conferences. By having a larger more diverse network, everyone benefits.  

GOAL: Today, we have 279 individuals involved in IAVM’s governance. Our goal is to have 100% participation by our leadership; if successful, we will add 279 new members.

REWARD: The committee and individual that refer the most new members will be recognized in Nashville at VenueConnect. To receive credit, give your new member these directions for completing the online membership application:

• “How Did You Hear About Us” field – enter “Just One”
• The committee you want to receive credit should be referenced; important if you serve on multiple committees
  • Example: Just One-Membership Committee
• Provide the name of your referral:
  • Example: Nick Zazal, Walton Arts Center/Walmart AMP
• One-time initiation fee will be waived
  • In the payment information section, enter the promo code: JUSTONE
  • If applying for Professional or Supplier membership, only the dues will remain (savings of $150*)

*Discounts only apply to new members

JustOne presents the opportunity for each IAVM member volunteer to encourage a colleague, star employee, customer, allied, professor, or student to become a member of our unique community. Direct your referral to www.iavm.org/membership/join.

Get your competitive juices flowing and help us meet our goal, 279 volunteers connecting 279 new members with IAVM. The campaign ends July 15, 2017.

Contact Member Services at 972-906-7441 and ask for Gina or Summer. Thank you for your support!

“We (Board of Trustees) are extremely proud to announce the third class of your IAVM Foundation 30 | UNDER | 30. This group truly represents the talent, passion and drive we all have for the industry. These 30 deserving individuals will come together at VenueConnect 2017 to represent the Foundation at the Legacy Project, UpSTART Emerging Leaders Program and at the Foundation Lounge on the trade show floor. We encourage everyone to come by and meet the next 30 | UNDER | 30 class,” said Bob Hunter, Board of Trustee Chair.

Applicants were required to submit application and a creative video. Four members from the IAVM Young Professional committee, along with two IAVM Foundation Board of Trustees, Mark Gnatovic, Senior Vice President of Searchwide and Bill Bavirsha, Associate Athletic Director Facility Operations/ General Manager UIC Athletics Sports Complex, served as the evaluation committee. 

“We received a staggering number of applications and it was extremely hard to narrow down the list to 30 as all submissions were top notch” stated Bill Bavirsha.

When asked what being a Class of 2016 30 | UNDER | 30 member meant to him, Michael Santa,  IAVM Young Professional Committee Vice Chair said,  “It has been extreme honor to be part of the current 30UNDER30 class. Meeting and networking with so many of my talented peers and colleagues in my class has been an incredible opportunity. My VenueConnect 2016 experience as part of the 30|UNDER|30 class in Minneapolis was unforgettable!”

Recipients receive complimentary registration to VenueConnect 2017, along with an $850 stipend.

Congratulations to the 30 | UNDER | 30 Class of 2017!

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