Dick Shaff (right) receives the ICCC Lifetime Achievement Award from John Christison, CFE, CMP.

Longtime and influential IAVM member Dick Shaff passed away this week. He was vice president and general manager at SMG/Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family.

Shaff was an integral part of IAVM, serving on several committees and on the board of directors. He was chair of the IAVM Foundation in 1988-1989 and president (now known as chair) of the association in 1994-1995. He received IAVM’s highest honor, the Charles A. McElravy Award, in 2002. In 2011, he was selected as the recipient of the International Convention Center Conference (ICCC) Lifetime Achievement award.

Amusement Business magazine in 1993 featuring Dick Shaff; Bob Mayer, CFE; and Dexter King, CFE.

“I was fortunate to get to know Dick Shaff when we both served on the IAVM Board of Directors in the early nineties,” said Bob Mayer, CFE, former IAVM chair and the 2014 recipient of the ICCC Lifetime Achievement award. “Dick was the quintessence of being a mentor to so many in this industry, and I learned so much from him during the year that I served as association chair. His guidance, honesty, humility, and willingness to think outside-the-box helped improve IAVM, and me, in so many ways. The tremendous impact that he had on the industry is immeasurable and his contributions, friendship, and leadership will be missed by everyone who had the honor and privilege of knowing him.”

Several of Dick’s friends and colleagues also offered their thoughts and remembrances.

“I have lost a dear friend, and colleague, and the industry has lost a true icon and leader. He was a mentor to many and an example for all of us. This wise and gentle man will be missed but his impact and character will not be forgotten.” — John Christison, CFE, CMP, president of BCI+network LLC

“I am deeply saddened to hear the news about Dick. When I was a newbie in this industry, Dick was one who was there to help me along the way. I will always be grateful to him for his kindness, guidance, and being a friend. May his memory be eternal.” — Peggy Daidakis, executive director of the Baltimore Convention Center

“Dick and I became close colleagues, with a great appreciation for each other, while serving together as IAVM senior officers as well the Executive Committee. His candor and direct approach was incredibly valuable in his various leadership roles he executed on behalf of the membership and the industry at large. He was an incredible man, full of wisdom and compassion, always willing to encourage and equip those in need. Both Marilyn and Dick were a special duo wherever they walked. He will be sorely missed.” — Dexter King, CFE, former president and CEO of IAVM

“With the unexpected passing of Dick Shaff, our association and the industry has lost one of its premier leaders. A consummate professional, whose membership dates back 50 years with IAAM and now IAVM.

“Truly a leader from the onset, he involved himself in committee work and became chairman on many of those. He chaired the IAAM Foundation and led the creation of the Silent Auction. He, too, was a district vice president and association president in 1994-95. Obviously very active, he hosted district and annual conferences in his city.

“His skills probably came from those leaders from District VII, when as an assistant general manager in Long Beach, California, he worked for then IAAM President Win Hanssen, who exposed him to the association. At this time, there were a succession of IAAM presidents from the district who influenced Dick and many others. These men—Bill Cunningham, Charlie Graviss, and Bob Thompson—all contributed to Dick’s success. He was one of a new breed of leaders that all became members around that same time and went on to leadership positions within the association, a group that may have sat at the colored table cloths in the back of the room but ascended to the dais during their careers.

“During the early years, when the association was much smaller, the district and annual conference were attended by the members with their wives and family. Relationships were formed and lasted to this day for many. One such friendship group that continues to meet at least annually include the Shaff, Root, Williams, Zerilli, and their wives and often the Wards.

“My personal relationship with Dick and wife Marilyn dates to 1970. While work is his job—and he did that quite well as everyone can attest knows of the successes of the Moscone Center—his love of family was his life. With Marilyn, children Lorrie and Greg, and his grandchildren, he cherished his free time with them. From the early days on the sidelines, teaching them to water ski or supporting their many interests, including 4H where he assisted them and purchased the product, he did it all without reservation.

“The support of his local teams, the 49ers and the Giants, was evident from seeing his attire as he enjoyed season tickets and the comradery of those with him. His respite was his retreat to the Delta but even then his leadership didn’t escape other owners, as he was elected the president of their ownership group. Just to prove the old saying, ‘You ask the busy guy to do the best job.’ For all who knew him, he was a friend, mentor, and all-around good guy. He worked hard and played hard. One of his latest personal passions was his Harleys and rides with industry friends like Cliff Wallace and his SMG colleagues. On weekends, you could see him on rides in the foothills or oceanfront with his grandson on the back.

“Whether it is a staff meeting, boardroom, or labor negotiation, Dick was beyond reproach. His fairness can be verified by all who knew him, a dear friend who will be dearly missed.”— Leonard Zerilli, CFE

Eventbrite recently asked: Are we at the apex of music festival popularity or is it still growing? That’s a good question, so the ticketing platform worked with MusicWatch Inc. to survey more than 1,000 North American 18-to-49-year-olds who attended at least one music festival in the last year to better understand their habits and preferences.

“We uncovered a range of insights around how much people are spending and why they’re attending,” Eventbrite wrote in its report. “We also learned that despite industry speculation, demand for music festivals is still strong: nearly 40 percent of festival attendees said they went to more music festivals this year compared to last year (41 percent attended the same amount), and over half plan to attend even more festivals next year.”

The company discovered that hardcore festies—while only 20 percent of festival attendees—account for almost 80 percent of revenue.

“Hardcore festies are not only attending more events overall, they’re also more valuable to each festival: they’re spending $91 (or 78 percent) more on a typical festival ticket compared to casual festies, and often attend their favorite festivals many times,” Eventbrite reported. “In fact, hardcore festies outrank casual festies in VIP purchasing, social influence, and virtually every other aspect of spending, attendance, and engagement.”

The full report, “Hardcore Festies: The Driving Force Behind Today’s Growth in Music Festivals,” is available to read on Eventbrite’s website.

(Image: Eventbrite)

At the 91st annual VenueConnect in Minneapolis in July, the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) announced a new “Conference Strategy.” Along with new president and CEO, Brad Mayne, CFE, and an interwoven “Re-Brand,” this strategy will reshape and improve IAVM’s conference offerings starting with VenueConnect 2017.

The conference strategy builds on five key objectives:

1. Protect the intimacy and focus of the sector conferences
2. Preserve the cross-sector networking and knowledge sharing enabled by VenueConnect
3. Secure the IAVM marketplace as a thriving hub for Allied and Professional connections
4. Grow the relevance and value of the overall conference experience
5. Provide the opportunity to integrate private meetings into the design of the conference in future years

“I’m most looking forward to the strong focus on sector tracks. This structure will make it easier for me to justify in my budget attending the conference or sending my team members to the conference,” said Erin Jepson, CMP, 2016-2017 chair of the VenueConnect Program Committee. “The opportunity to participate in an event that brings the incredible minds that plan each of the sector conferences to the VenueConnect planning table is an opportunity not to be missed next year in Nashville.”

The development of the conference strategy contained very inclusive processes to ensure IAVM members’ voices were heard.

“The results are better for it,” said Karen Totaro, CFE, 2015-2016 IAVM chair.

To learn more about the development and future implementation, please watch the Conference Strategy presentation below that was given at VenueConnect 2016 and provides an in-depth overview of the strategy development and the steps IAVM will take moving forward. We also have a Conference Strategy brochure as a companion piece.

IAVM’s 92nd annual VenueConnect will be held at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee, Aug. 7-10, 2017.

You, as an IAVM member, are our most important asset. Without your commitment to the association and to the venue management industry, we wouldn’t be here. Because of your support, we are featuring member profiles in our I Am Venue Management series. If you are interested in participating in the I Am Venue Management series, please visit http://www.iavm.org/i-am-venue-management-share-your-story.

If I wasn’t doing this I’d be a: part of another sector of the hospitality or beverage industry.

Most impressive person I’ve ever met is: Ray Charles. He was genuinely warm and engaging with our crew, staff, and students. At the same time, he had a keen business sense. He demanded excellence and professionalism from everyone on his tour and always gave the audience his very best.

 I unwind by: spending time on the water with family and friends.

 On my desk right now is: a few industry publications, my MacBook Pro, and some photos of my wife and daughter.

 My favorite IAVM program I ever attended was: Venue Management School, class of 1999.

 If I were on the other side of the seats, I’d be: an artist manager or producer.

 One trait an up-and-coming venue manager should have is: the ability to maintain perspective in a chaotic situation.

 One up-and-coming venue star in the arena industry is: my friend, Al Karosas, at the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State. He’s never afraid to try something new to make his venue better.

 One of my goals for this year is to: help foster more transparency between the work of the IAVM Board of Directors and our members.

 How do you plan to help elevate the profession? Work to provide meaningful experiences in venue management for young people interested in the industry.

 Where do you see new growth opportunities in the profession? Strategic use of social media, the next generation of guest experience initiatives, and more seamless collaboration with the artists and teams that play our venues are all areas where we can continue to innovate.

 How do you stay current with industry trends and developments? Visit other venues, read the various industry blogs and publications, and check in with friends and colleagues throughout the industry.

 Who are three people you’d invite to a dinner party and why? Peter Drucker, my favorite management guru; Walt Disney, one of the true architects of guest experience; and Dave Chappelle, because what dinner party wouldn’t be more interesting with Dave Chappelle?

Doug Booher, CFE, is the director of Indiana University Auditorium and the 2016-2017 first vice chair of the IAVM Board of Directors.

We wrapped up VenueConnect last week, and up next is the 2016 Arena Management Conference (AMC) in Tampa, Florida, September 18-20. The AMC programming committee has worked hard at creating a great educational schedule and they’ve secured a notable keynote speaker: Steve Griggs.

Griggs is the chief executive officer of Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment, which includes the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Storm, and Amalie Arena. He oversees all of the organization’s business operations at the arena. He was executive vice president of sales and marketing for the Orlando Magic for three years and vice president of sales and service for the Minnesota Wild for eight years prior to joining Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment.

We asked him a few questions about marketing, leadership, and guest experiences.

You have a strong marketing background. What are some of the new trends you’re noticing in marketing in arenas? How easily can these be scaled to venues of various sizes?

Steve Griggs: During my career in the sports industry, I’ve watched how marketing initiatives have evolved to better engage franchise’s fan bases. Recently, I’ve seen virtual reality activation be a new tool to bring sports teams and fans closer. Second-screen activation has helped sponsors bring their product closer to fans that attend games, enhancing sponsorship money for sports teams.

How has your leadership style changed over the course of your career?

SG: My leadership style has evolved over my career in the sports industry by understanding the importance of leading through example. I have found that throughout my career that it’s backing up my words with my actions. In order to drive the global vision of the company and get the best results, it’s very important to lead through action and words. I’ve found that being a leader is about motivating people by different means, but leading through my actions has the most positive results.

The Lightening continue to see increases in game attendance. What are you and the organization doing to help drive rising attendance?

SG: The Lightning use a variety of different tactics to help improve our growing attendance from year to year. Our on-ice success over the past few years has certainly helped with our attendance numbers but we have also used strategic planning, analytics, our fan experience, and our community engagement to grow awareness of our brand. When our fans attend a Lightning home game, they are treated to a world-class sporting event from the moment they park their car to when they leave the building.

Finally, what thoughts or ideas would you like attendees to take away from your keynote at AMC?

I would like the attendees to leave AMC thinking about how solid leadership can build a great vision and lead a brand and company transformation. The success of your company greatly depends on the culture you create among your employees. Building a world-class organization begins with developing and investing in your employees. It’s also important to remember that the transformation of a brand begins with a strong, strategic plan that focuses on improving the local community and delivering the consumer a great product.

AMC registration is open. See you in Tampa!

(Top image: Matthew Paulson/Creative Commons)