After a 30-year run, Tim Dean, long-time director of the Arkansas State University Convocation Center, retired on March 31. Dean began his career as the concert coordinator for the Student Union Board while a student at the university before being hired as assistant director at the Convocation Center in February 1987. In September of 1998, Dean was named director of the facility.

“I got into this business because of my love for music,” Dean said. “I never dreamed I would spend 30 years getting to do what I loved as a career. I began this work as a student at ASU and the timing was perfect for me to move to the Convocation Center after I graduated. Over the years, I’ve had some really great people here to work with, not only my staff, but at the University. I’ve also made many life-long industry friendships in this business with who I hope to continue. I am now ready for the next adventure in my life. Cindy and I plan to travel and spend time with our children and grandchildren and give back some of the time they’ve given me to pursue my career. We’ll then take a look at what the future may hold.”

Through his career, Dean has booked such notable talent as Garth Brooks, Ray Charles, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Reba, Kelly Clarkson, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and 100’s of other acts. Additionally, he has booked national touring shows including the Harlem Globetrotters, Ringling Bros. Circus, Professional Bull Riding, Monster Jam, Sesame Street LIVE and many others, while hosting ASU’s annual Commencement exercises and ASU intercollegiate sporting events.

An unpleasant restroom experience can turn customers away, perhaps even garnering a bad review. However, clean, well-maintained restrooms can be customer magnets.

A new survey shows how businesses ultimately pay a price for having unpleasant restroom conditions—and reap the rewards of providing good ones.

More than half (56 percent) of American adults said they are unlikely to return to a business after experiencing unpleasant restrooms, according to the Healthy Hand Washing Survey by Bradley Corp., manufacturer of commercial washroom products. Other disheartened customers will complain to management, tell a friend, post a comment on social media or leave right away without completing their business.

Conversely, businesses that have pleasant, well-maintained restrooms can turn into customer magnets. Almost three-quarters (70 percent) of Americans say they have made a conscious effort to select a specific business because it has restrooms that are cleaner and better maintained. That number is even higher for millennials—77 percent of respondents aged 18 to 34 say they’ve patronized certain businesses because they have cleaner restrooms.

“Depending on their condition, public restrooms can become significant business liabilities—or ringing endorsements,” Jon Dommisse, director of global marketing and strategic development for Bradley Corp., said.

Dommisse noted that good restrooms “invite positive customer reinforcement” and “clearly give businesses a competitive edge,” likely resulting in more sales.

Moreover, expectations for a business’ restrooms are clearly tied to customers’ perceptions of the quality of the goods or services. According to the survey, 92 percent of respondents expect that a business that provides high-quality products or services would also have restrooms that deliver a high-quality experience.

Despite the high value that customers put on restroom conditions, the survey uncovered an adverse trend showing that more businesses are at an increased risk for losing customers because of messy facilities. In 2017, almost 70 percent of Americans said they recall having an unpleasant restroom experience—that number was only 60 percent in 2015.

Dommisse said keeping regular scheduled maintenance on the radar is essential, citing the following common restroom aggravations uncovered by the survey: empty or jammed toilet-paper dispensers (mentioned by 93 percent of respondents); clogged or unflushed toilets (87 percent); stall doors that do not latch (81 percent); bad smells (79 percent); and an overall appearance that is old, dirty, or unkempt (79 percent).

Further, Americans do not like touching things in public restrooms, and they use all sorts of techniques to avoid coming into contact with surfaces, such as relying on their foot to operate the toilet flusher, using a paper towel to grasp the door handle, and hovering over the toilet seat.

When asked what restroom improvements they would like to see, it is not surprising cleanliness topped the list. After that, Americans want touchless fixtures and better stocking of supplies, such as toilet paper, soap, and paper towels.

Puerto Rico Convention Center Authority Executive Director Omar Marrero announced that the island’s main convention center and Dr. Pedro Rosselló hosted Puerto Rico’s National Baseball Team homeland welcome on March 23 after the team received the silver medal at the World Baseball Classic in Los Angeles.

The team didn’t win gold but were welcomed home as champions.

A sea of Puerto Rican flags greeted the team when the plane landed at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. The display was followed by a press conference where the players and managers received a heroes reception from government officials representing Puerto Rico’s Governor, Dr. Ricardo Rosselló, who couldn’t be there to celebrate but was present during the team’s final game.

After the airport reception, a victory parade led by two large buses headed toward the PRCCA for the welcome ceremony. All throughout the eight-mile route, Puerto Ricans greeted the baseball players by waving flags, chanting, and showing their love and appreciation. Once the parade stopped at the convention center an impressive line-up of local artists, singers, and musical groups entertained more than 12,000 overjoyed locals.

The baseball team showed their gratitude by taking pictures with fans, signing autographs, and addressing the Boricua crowd. “It was a magical night at the PRCCA for the country and its people. This small island is full of talent and pride; the turnout today illustrates the unity of our people and the heart of Puerto Rico,” said Marrero Díaz, executive director of the Puerto Rico Port Authority.

The Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority and AEG invited PRCCA neighbors “Casa De Niños Manuel Fernandez Juncos” (CNMFJ), a non-profit charity that shelters orphan boys, to be special guests at the ceremony. Children from the ages of 8 to 18 were greeted by director Marrero and Jorge Perez, general manager of the PRCCA, who gave them a tour through the PRCC facilities and took them backstage to meet Puerto Rico’s National Baseball Team.

“This is a historical moment in Puerto Rico’s history, and we are honored to share this memorable experience with the boys of Casa Manuel Fernandez Juncos,” Perez said.

Tricia Gonyo, vice president of sales and marketing at VenuWorks, was nominated by The
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a candidate for its 2017 Man & Woman of the Year (MWOY)
national campaign.

Candidates of the MWOY campaign have 10 weeks from March 9 through May 20 to raise funds for LLS blood
cancer research in honor of local children who are blood cancer survivors, the Boy & Girl of the Year. The
titles are awarded to the man and woman who raises the most funds during the 10-week campaign.
Funds raised through the MWOY campaign are used for research, patient access and policy and advocacy.
Gonyo accepted the nomination in honor of her daughter, Ashley, who was diagnosed with Leukemia in
2013.

“On February 20, 2013, I heard the words that are every mother’s worst nightmare – ‘Your daughter has
cancer.’” Gonyo said. “While in treatment, Ashley represented LLS as the 2014 Girl of the Year. After 26 months of
treatment, Ashley won her battle against acute lymphoblastic leukemia. To say it was a long, difficult
road would be an understatement. Ashley’s diagnosis and treatment affected our family, our friends and
our community.

“LLS is dedicated to funding research, finding cures and ensuring access to treatments for blood cancer
patients. The funds raised during this campaign will make a difference.”

The 2017 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man & Woman of the Year kicked off on March 9. Winners will be announced at the Grand Finale Gala on Saturday, May 20. For more information on the campaign, please visit www.triciagonyo.com or contact Tricia directly at (515) 240-7137.

The IAVM iCommit campaign was created in 2012 to enable our members to identify and encourage potential venue management superstars as new members. As a result, our network has become larger and everyone benefits from a collective sharing of smart practices across all venue types. Due to the great response of our annual recruitment campaign, we added 148 new members to our membership. We thank all of our members who helped support this effort!

The winners are: 

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