IAVM is expanding its podcast circle with a new series, The Venue: Coffee Break with Alexis and Shelley. It is an addition to the successful series, The Venue, which airs monthly and is a call-in show that includes live chats straight from the headlines of IAVM’s VenueNet member forum and issues we face every day.

The Venue: Coffee Break will also include live chats and will be hosted by IAVM members Alexis Berggren, director of event services at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, and Shelley Ellis, general manager of the Visalia Convention Center. It will also include special guests.

The first episode of the new series was live at VenueConnect 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and featured Mark Gnatovic, senior vice president of SearchWide, a company that provides executive search services to convention centers, arenas, exhibition, and event companies. During this episode, Mark discussed how resumes have changed in recent years, the impact of LinkedIn, and what each of us can be doing on LinkedIn to stay relevant.

Future episodes will cover a range of topics, and will be designed to educate and entertain. The second episode will be The Venue: Coffee Break “Human Resource Edition.” Alexis and Shelley will discuss human resource issues and employee evaluations with Kelli Zohar-Davis, SPICE training manager at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Other upcoming topics will include:

• An interview with Brad Mayne, CFE, IAVM’s president and CEO. During this interview, we will all gain insight on Brad’s first few months as president and CEO, the future of IAVM, and ask Brad the question: “What would you tell your younger self when you first started this industry?”
• Book Club Edition – The first book that will be featured is The Girls Guide to Being a Boss (Without Being a Bitch): Valuable Lessons, Smart Suggestions, and True Stories for Succeeding by Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio. This one is sure to have some laughs. Grab your copy.
• Social Media Success Stories – Alexis and Shelley will interview a firsthand expert in our industry.
• Venue Horror Stories – We each have them, and we want to hear yours. Let’s laugh together.

Listeners can expect to have fun, relax, sit back, and enjoy chatting along with Alexis, Shelley, and special guests, but also hear about venue related trends and news content you crave.

“We want to provide information to IAVM members and listeners in an alternate way while having a lot fun,” Alexis and Shelley said. “We are all in this together and this podcast won’t be perfect. We will definitely have fun and we will make fools of ourselves at times, but we love what we do and we want to share our passion with others and want to hear from each of you. We are all on this journey together and the more we can share the better we can each become at what we do.”

Take a coffee break along with Alexis and Shelley! The next podcast will be Friday, October 7, and you can register here.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Wednesday 246-177 to delay the Labor Department’s upcoming overtime rule by six months. The rule is set to take effect on December 1. The U.S. Senate would need to pass legislation, also, to delay the bill. However, Congress is adjourned until November 14.

“We all agree we need to modernize our nation’s overtime rules, but small businesses, nonprofits, and colleges and universities should not be hurt in the process,” said Congressman Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), who introduced the bill, in a statement. “The department needs to abandon this flawed rule and pursue the balanced approach we’ve been fighting for from the start. Instead, they are forcing those who have to deal with the real-world consequences to make significant changes before an arbitrary December deadline. While the department continues to ignore widespread concerns, the House has taken an important bipartisan step to provide hardworking Americans more time to implement this expansive rule. The administration should do the right thing and approve this much-needed delay.”

The White House threatened to veto the bill.

“While this bill seeks to delay implementation, the real goal is clear—delay and then deny overtime pay to workers,” the White House said in a statement. “With a strong economy and labor market, now is a good time for employers to provide these essential protections for workers, who cannot afford to wait.”

IAVM leadership—represented by President and CEO Brad Mayne, CFE, and 2016-2017 Chair Mark Mettes, CFE—sent a letter to Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) on Wednesday in support of his proposed bill, the ” Overtime Reform and Enhancement Act.” The complete letter is as follows:

Dear Congressman Schrader,

On behalf of more than 5,500 public assembly venues and suppliers, the International Association of Venue Managers extends our support for the Overtime Reform and Enhancement Act.

IAVM represents public assembly venues from around the globe. Members include managers and senior executives from auditorium, arenas, convention centers, exhibit halls, stadiums, performing arts centers, university complexes, and amphitheaters. IAVM also counts more than 500 Allied companies among its members. These companies provide products and services used by venue managers.

When the Department of Labor’s final rule, entitled “Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees,” takes effect December 1, 2016, it will more than double the salary test of those now eligible for overtime from $23,660 to $47,776 without any adjustment to reflect wide regional variations in the cost of living and will permanently index the threshold for inflation.

This will have a dramatic effect on personnel cost by greatly expanding the number of employees eligible for overtime pay. Reclassifying employees from salaried to hourly will limit an employer’s flexibility, bonus and incentive pay while demoralizing many more employees who would now be subjected to punching a time clock. In the long run, this rule will have the unintended consequence of reducing employee benefits and serve as a detriment to future hiring. The DOL ruling adds another increased cost for our membership that will lead to future consolidation in our industry and have a dramatic impact.

For these reasons, we believe the Overtime Reform and Enhancement Act provides a much more reasonable timeline for organizations to comply with this significant payroll burden, starting with a salary threshold increase to $35,984 on December 1, 2016, with additional, incremental increases phased in over the next three years. IAVM also supports the provision in the bill that would eliminate the automatic increase to the salary threshold every three years to maintain the threshold at the 40th percentile of full-time salaried workers. This proposed salary threshold should also be subject to public notice and comment periods consistent with the rulemaking process.

We strongly support your efforts.

IAVM members should be following this story with the understanding and preparation that as of today, September 30, the effective date for the overtime rule will stay December 1. Continue due diligence with your HR department and attorneys to stay up to date on the rule and any changes to it. The U.S. Department of Labor is also a good source for updates.

Here’s where we spotlight some of our favorite Instagram photos we’ve seen from the past week. The photos are from members and venues worldwide. If you haven’t followed us on Instagram yet, now is a good time. We may just include your photos in a future post.

By following us, you’re also entered into our monthly drawing where you can win such prizes as conference registrations, full-page ads in FM magazine, and textbooks. Congratulations to Bridgestone Arena, who is our recent winner. The next drawing will be in October.

Behold, this week’s top five!

Continue Reading →

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)