What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you see the words “convention center?” Don’t think too much; just hold on to that very first thought that pops into your head. Did it relate to a conference or trade show?

Convention centers are built mainly for the purpose of conferences and trade shows, but not every venue has a completely booked schedule 100 percent of the time. And of course, more bookings mean more revenue.

There are endless types of events that convention centers can host as long as you have a little creativity, a little flexibility, and a little bit of time. “Unboxed” is an article to be published in the fall 2016 Leadership & Operations issue of FM magazine. The story covers three out-of-the-box events that convention centers have recently hosted and highlights some of the challenges that each venue had to face during the planning process.

The events in “Unboxed” are fairly large-scale functions, but not every calendar has that much space to fill. Fortunately, there are plenty of smaller-scale events that can squeeze perfectly between conferences.

FIRST is an organization that engages young people in a mentor-based science, engineering, and technology program. In short, they build robots! This group has hosted several events at venues all over the U.S., including the recent Dallas Regional Competition held at the SMG/Irving Convention Center in Texas.

“It was a great opportunity for the City of Irving, due to the type of event and the potential economic impact,” said Keri Berry, the center’s director of events. “The staff and volunteers of the Robotics Competition are so passionate about creating a memorable experience for the students and the schools.”

But this event was unlike any event that Berry had previously been a part of. The planning process took slightly less than a year, and although an event of this size has needs similar to those of trade shows (food and beverage, set-up, power, signage, etc.), it also has an added element of excitement.

“My favorite part of hosting the FIRST Robotics Competition was being able to watch the students work together on a common goal,” Berry said. “They have worked so hard to perfect their skill, even before arriving at the Irving Convention Center, which is a great example of teamwork and dedication.”

When it came to planning, the FIRST Robotics Competition only reiterated the core values that Berry already knew.

“With any event, not just a robotics competition, it is important to understand the client’s needs and goals,” Berry said. “Understanding these two things will assist in providing great customer service while making the event successful for the client and the hosting venue.”

To read more about out-of-the-box events hosted at convention centers, pick up your copy of FM magazine, hitting mailboxes this October. Don’t receive FM? Learn how to subscribe here and get your hands on the most tangible knowledge in the industry.

The International Convention Center Conference takes place Oct. 27-29 in Pasadena, California. Registration is open.

(Image: Rog01/Creative Commons)

The world-renowned Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, plans to renovate 10,000 square feet of premier event space by converting a previous jazz club on the venue’s northwest corner into a premium guest lounge. It is set to open in late 2017.

“We saw an opportunity to enhance our offerings and create the most memorable experience possible for our guests,” said Fox Theatre President and CEO Allan C. Vella in a statement. “Atlanta’s entertainment landscape is ever-changing, and we are in a unique position to further the Fox’s physical and cultural footprint with this exciting addition.”

Guests in the exclusive event space will experience enhanced food and beverage service, two rooftop bars, private restrooms, concierge guest services, and parking. The Moroccan-style lounge will be members-only with general admission ticketing upgrade options. Details about membership and ticket upgrades will be available starting in January 2017.

“This is an undertaking we have not taken lightly,” said Fox Theatre Vice President and COO Adina Erwin, CFE, in a statement. “We found a great partnership with Lord Aeck Sargent, a local architectural firm specializing in conservation and preservation of historic venues. We are taking every precaution to keep adjustments minimal and have every confidence that their vision and experience will allow us to create an innovative space that is loyal to the legacy of the Fox Theatre.”

(Image: Fox Theatre/Sara Foltz)

We like to highlight it whenever an IAVM member is featured in a news story or an article. The latest is Billy Langenstein, director of events services for U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, who Athletic Business magazine will publish a profile of in its upcoming October issue.

“On Vikings’ gamedays, he’s ultimately responsible for everything from transportation and emergency response to the actions of thousands of security and guest-services personnel,” the magazine wrote. “AB senior editor Paul Steinbach caught up with Langenstein the morning after the Vikings had played their second home preseason game in four days.”

Congratulations Billy! To read more, please visit Athletic Business for the full story. And if you’ve made the news recently, please send it to me at editor@iavm.org. Thank you.

(Image: Athletic Business)

Melbourne, Australia’s Rod Laver Arena is set to undergo a redevelopment that will include four “pods” (also known as annexes) and upgrades to food and beverage stations and restrooms. The facade will be re-skinned, and disability access will be increased. All of this will happen as the venue stays open.

“It’s a bit like performing heart surgery while the patient’s still awake,” Patrick Ness, a principal director at Cox Architecture, who designed the redevelopment, told ArchitectureAU.com. “We’ve got this venue working and we have to do all this work around it.”

Ness said that each pod was designed depending on available space.

“What we’ve done, in a way, is create a series of mini town squares in each of those locations,” Ness said. “Then above that is the new architecture, which is in keeping with the original building but also unashamedly forward looking. [There are] new skins on the building, there’s lots of glass, very open structures, but they don’t compete with the original building.”

The redevelopment is set for completion by the end of 2019. Check out some images below of the design and visit ArchitectureAU.com for more on the story.

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Disgraced performed at the Guthrie Theater.

Ah, the last quarter of the year. A time for reflection and list making, and one of my favorite lists is American Theatre‘s 10 most produced plays of the season. I suspect a few employees at performing art centers may be interested in this list, too.

“This year, we received a total of 411 season submissions from member theatres of Theatre Communications Group,” wrote Diep Tran, the magazine’s associate editor. “From there, we gathered all of the full-length productions scheduled between Sept. 1, 2016, and Aug. 31, 2017, running for at least a week’s worth of performances. Those productions numbered 1,946. To calculate our most-produced lists, it is our policy to exclude plays by Shakespeare and two perennial holiday shows (A Christmas Carol and The Santaland Diaries).”

The list actually includes 12 plays due to ties. Here’s the list, along with the number of productions scheduled:

Hand to God by Robert Askins (13)
Constellations by Nick Payne (10)
Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar (10)
Million Dollar Quartet by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott (10)
The Christians by Lucas Hnath (8)
Peter and the Starcatcher, adapted by Rick Elice from Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (8)
The Legend of Georgia McBride by Matthew Lopez (7)
Sex With Strangers by Laura Eason (7)
Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage (6)
King Charles III by Mike Bartlett (6)
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (6)
Sister Act, with book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner, music by Alan Menken, and lyrics by Glenn Slater (6)

Speaking from experience, the production of Disgraced that I saw at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during VenueConnect was excellent. It’s a powerful play that warrants a lengthy post-production discussion with friends. Try to see it if you can.

Registration for the 2017 Performing Arts Managers Conference will open soon. It takes place February 27 to March 1 in Chicago, a city renowned for its great theatre scene.

(Image: Dan Norman)