I drove from the IAVM Headquarters near Dallas back in early 2013 to visit Dean Justice, CFE, in Austin and to view the association’s archives that he oversaw at an off-campus location from the University of Texas at Austin. As the former IAVM president in 1981-82 greeted me, I could tell that he did not want to waste any time in showing me the mammoth collection from the industry that ran decades and decades back into a history that Justice devoured and loved.

More than three years later, Justice would pass away peacefully from colon cancer on October 29 with his son, Blake, daughter, Tracy, and wife, Sharon, at his side at home. He was 88.

“He loved the industry even to the end,” Sharon said. “The minister would come out every 10 days or so and Dean would often talk about the entertainment industry. He would talk about shows that had been at the Erwin Center and about the IAAM and the membership. It was nice to hear him tell those stories of different acts and stay positive.”

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The IAVM iCommit campaign is still going strong. You have just over a month to refer a friend or colleague for your chance to win some amazing prizes! Do you have interns, students or young professionals working for you now? Is there a long-time employee who hasn’t gotten involved yet? Encourage them to become a part of our network. If you know of a venue in your community that is not a part of IAVM, encourage them to consider Group Membership. As of today, 112 active venues are participating as group members.

What’s In It For You?

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I am grateful for the opportunity to serve IAVM’s diverse membership. It’s been an eye-opening experience to move from being a member to actually working in the association industry. I always thought I knew what IAVM staff members did, but have learned that they do so much more. I am proud to say I am part of a team of professionals who are passionate and want to serve our member’s needs.

I want to thank our members and let you know what a phenomenal resource you are to the betterment of our association. Separately, our members individually support one another. Together, and more importantly, our members are strong economic and social influencers and difference makers. Your collective work and success in the local community give us all additional strength in our communities.

My successful career was made possible through participating in IAVM committees, task forces, boards and special projects, and many of you have accomplished the same results. Those of you who have not participated in giving your resources are missing out on the rewarding feeling of serving others in the association. In my 30 years of IAVM membership, I learned that as I gave my time, talents, and funds that I experienced a greater return on my investment than I have in many of my other endeavors.

As we journey into the thanksgiving holiday, I hope you’ll consider giving to others, and that you’ll consider giving some of that to the International Association of Venue Managers.  

Enjoy your family, friends, and colleagues during the Thanksgiving holiday. Be a fountain, not a drain, and make our world a better place to reside.

Brad Mayne

As we roll into the holiday season, giving becomes a second nature for many of us, and there is no better time than right now to exercise our desire to give back.

“#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.” (Information from givingtuesday.org)

On or before Tuesday, November 29, we are asking sectors and individuals/groups to give to your IAVM Foundation. Giving is a simple yet rewarding endeavor, and you can even make it enjoyable.

AND in the spirit of giving, we are offering the organization or individual who donates the most money and the venue with the most participants one complimentary registration each to the 2017 VenueConnect Annual Conference and Trade Show in Nashville, Tennessee.

Think of it like buying a lunch for a friend or a colleague. And in the words of Winston S. Churchill, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

“I’m at $500 n I wan $550, $550, bid n $550, I’m at $500 will you go $550, $550…”

Intentional spelling errors aside, this narrative is a prime example of the imprecise sounds that an auctioneer might chant at his audience. Auctions provide the opportunity for bidders to compete against one another for items leaving the highest bidder to walk away with one heck-of-a-deal. And while it’s very easy to get lost in the magical moment of an intense bidding war, physically attending an auction is not the only way to find incredible deals.

Of course, this information isn’t news. I mean, everyone has heard of eBay, right? But what if I told you that the money earned from a specific auction could go straight into your very own industry? Whoa. I’ll give you a second to catch your breath.

By going to the IAVM Foundation‘s Bidding for Good auction page, you can place your bid electronically on incredible entertainment packages, sports memorabilia, and other great items. And YES, all of the money raised goes straight back into the venue industry! “How,” you ask? 

The IAVM Foundation supports industry educational programs, development, and funds research. Some of these programs are things like 30 | Under | 30, VenueDataSource, Venue Management School, and the Certified Facility Executive and Certified Venue Professional certifications.

Since the start of the 2016 Online Auction (which began on August 16), more than 50 items have been donated from venues, organizations, and individuals all over the world. From those 50 items, we have raised more than $6,239 so far, which will be funneled straight back into those Foundation funded programs we just mentioned. But we need your help to reach our goal of having your continuous support of the Foundation.

The auction as a whole doesn’t end until January 15, 2017, so it’s not too late to visit our web page and place your bid. But be quick, because each item has its own individual end date, and that’s the deadline you don’t want to miss.

Unfortunately, you don’t have the pleasure of an auctioneer rambling off numbers to you while you anxiously wait to see if you’ve won. But the satisfaction from claiming an item as your own is just as prominent and rewarding as a physical auction victory. And the bonus is that no one can see you jumping around with excitement while you’re doing your happy dance.

Take a look at some of these hot auction items, or visit our main page to view all of our available items. See how giving back can also give back to you.