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: carpenter or generally doing home renovations. It’s something I discovered along the way, but I really enjoy building things and seeing the transition that evolves during a renovation. I was enthralled watching our log home building built, and admired the craftsmanship and dedication of our builders.

Most impressive person I’ve ever met is: Kent Kirkpatrick, the former City Manager in Ottawa. He’s a really bright guy, good with people and numbers, a strong negotiator and able to deal with the politics of his job like no one else I’ve ever seen. He recently left his position because of the advancing effects of Multiple Sclerosis. His tenacity and work ethic were always very impressive and inspiring to me.

I unwind by: after a hard day of golfing, I like to sit on our deck and watch the river flow by or cradle a good book. There may also be a refreshment involved, but not always (don’t want to get too much of a good thing).

On my desk right now is: My home office is small but neat. On my desk now is my IAVM meeting notebook, a calendar (because my memory is lousy and I’m surprisingly busy in retirement), and there’s a binder of campfire songs. I keep it there so that when inspiration strikes, I can print out the words to a new song and add it to the binder.

My favorite IAVM event I ever attended was: probably my first District 2 meeting in Fort Lauderdale at the Marriott Marina (at that time, we met outside of our boundaries every three years, to help bolster attendance). Everyone was so welcoming, and I found the sessions very informative. I was hooked immediately. That was 1988 or 1989.

If I were on the other side of the seats, I’d be a: I have no talent for entertainment, so I’d probably be a hockey player, eh? I played varsity hockey but I never had the full skill set to get any higher. If that didn’t work out, I would have been a hockey referee. I did that before university and really enjoyed it, but as a career, it’s hard to say. That’s a tough lifestyle for anyone with family ties.

One trait an up-and-coming venue manager should have is: be humble. Confidence is essential, too, but know what you don’t know, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or guidance along the way. You simply can’t do it all on your own.

One up-and-coming venue star in the arena industry is: I can’t think of just one individual, but I know I’ve been fortunate to work on committees with several strong, talented young professionals from all sectors.

One of my goals for this year is: I was in the Mentor Connector fall session as a mentor … but the partnership collapsed for some reason. It was terribly disappointing for me, but I want to try again and hopefully get through the full session. How rewarding would that be??!! I’m also going to make a stronger effort to learn to play guitar (see previous answer, re: no talent).

How do you plan to help elevate the profession? At this stage, I can try to be an example of doing things the right way: work and live with integrity, dedication, and values. In retirement, I’ve continued to be involved with IAVM committees – membership and governance – and I think both of those groups are working hard to ensure member value and good governance for the benefit of our members.

Where do you see new growth opportunities in the profession? Growth opportunities in the profession are everywhere. We continue to raise the bar of professionalism with both the CFE and the new CVP designations, and building on the strong foundation laid by earlier generations of venue managers. We owe them a lot. I would also like to see stronger ties between our practicing members and academia.

How do you stay current with industry trends and developments? I can’t get to as many meetings as I would like, so I rely on Facility Manager and VenueNet to try to keep up. But there is always so much going on, particularly with the integration of technology in the event experience. That is something I struggle with.

Who are three people you’d invite to a dinner party and why? I would consider Gordon Ramsay, Oprah, and Jon Stewart. With this group, we would be sure to have outstanding food, great conversation, and lots of laughs.

Richard Haycock, CFE, is retired. He was formerly general manager of Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, Canada.

The IAVM Foundation is proud to announce the Joseph A. Floreano Scholarship + Internship Program recipients for the 2016 International Convention Center Conference (ICCC), recognizing deserving individuals who demonstrate leadership, character, community involvement, and the potential to be future leaders in the venue management industry. The Foundation also offers scholarships + internships to a variety of other IAVM conferences and schools, click here to learn more and to apply. Thanks to the support of committed donors, together we are Building Amazing Futures. Click here to learn more about the Foundation’s annual campaign.

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The 2016 International Convention Center Conference takes place next month, October 27-29, in Pasadena, California. Attendees will experience high-level educational content along with captivating keynote speakers.

One of those speakers is Ed Corey, chief operating officer of the Tournament of Roses. We recently spoke with him to learn more about his keynote address and his thoughts on the industry.

IAVM: Your keynote will address how the Tournament of Roses continues to evolve. Can you speak to that a bit and share a couple of ways the organization stays fresh and forward in people’s minds, especially with so much entertainment competing for attention nowadays?

Ed Corey: Any event that has 128 editions has to continue to look at ways to continue drawing attention to the event. We are fortunate in that the history of the Tournament continues to bring in generations of new viewers. To continue to evolve and attract new viewers, we are enhancing our digital offerings on all platforms, including social and our website. We continue to work with float participants in creating floats and entries that are relevant to wide and diverse audiences such as attracting entrants such as the Lakers, the NHL, Downton Abbey, and others who have natural followings. We are aware of the available entertainment options but we continue to brand ourselves as the place to be to welcome the New Year.

IAVM: What experiences best prepared you for your current job as COO?

EC: My track to this position was actual Tournament experience. I started with the Tournament in various functions more than 30 years ago and continued to learn. My background in various operations provided a good foundation for this role. This job, and many others, requires that you try not to micro-manage the event. There are far too many moving parts. Our sheer number of conflicting events makes it impossible for any member of our staff to attend them all. Success requires a grasp of the big picture. My training as a lawyer has also certainly helped navigate some of the issues being addressed in our business.

IAVM: What’s the biggest story in the industry at the moment?

EC: The biggest story in this industry and with anyone who runs events or venues is security. As will be discussed at the meetings here in Pasadena, the events around the world dictate the measures that need to be taken. How we respond and how we handle the considerable expense associated with the effort consumes a great deal of time. This is an area where event and venue managers and producers are not in control and our actions typically become responsive.

IAVM: Who has influenced you the most in your career and how?

EC: Many people here in the Tournament have been great examples but one in particular, Bill Lewis, was a great influence. Bill was a former member and ran our Game as a volunteer for many years. He was the consummate leader. He took everyone’s opinion but you knew he was in charge. We became great friends and was a great influence.

Register now for the International Convention Center Conference. See you there!

ParkHub is a parking management system, and several parking operators have recently adopted its technology. These operators include Parking Company of America – Dallas Inc., Ultimate Parking Management, ImPark (West Coast Operations), Denison Parking, and LAZ Parking. With these companies on board, ParkHub now lists the most premier venues in its portfolio.

“We’re thrilled about the newest partnerships and integrations with these leading companies and ParkHub,” said George Baker, Sr., CEO and founder of ParkHub, in a statement. “We want to take the pain out of parking with our multiple products and API-driven solutions to connect various parking systems to help our partners fulfill their commitment to provide the guest with a smooth event experience starting in the parking lot.”

ParkHub provides its partners support with such items as payment options, inventory management, and theft deterrent.

“The primary goal when servicing Levi’s Stadium or AT&T Park San Francisco is to expedite a better experience of getting people parked and in their seats as efficiently as possible,” said Michael Rescigno, director of operations San Francisco, IMPARK, in a statement. “Working with ParkHub is another way we can enable each individual guest to customize their experience by enabling parking lot attendants to accept payments and validate QR/bar codes from pre-purchased parking reservations, all while speeding up the process for parking customers.”

(Image: ParkHub)

Levi’s Stadium unveiled the first-ever rooftop farm on a sports venue last week. Named the “Faithful Farm,” it features 40 rotational crops and herbs that will be used for meals at the stadium’s club spaces and during private events.

“We’re proud to reinforce Levi’s Stadium as an industry leader in environmental sustainability with the addition of the Faithful Farm,” said Jim Mercurio, San Francisco 49ers vice president of stadium operations & general manager, in a statement. “Our 27,000-square-foot green roof successfully helps reduce heating and cooling requirements within our suite tower, and carving out this small portion to grow crops for use in the stadium further minimizes our carbon footprint by reducing our reliance on outside food sources.”

The Faithful Farm is 4,000 square feet and is located on the NRG Solar Terrace. Some of the crops grown since July include tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. The farm is managed organically by Farmscape, and it’s expected to yield 150 pounds of produce per week.

“The Faithful Farm represents the strongest commitment an NFL team has made to local, organic produce,” said Lara Hermanson, principal at Farmscape, in a statement. “The farm will educate the community on how many items can be grown in their own backyard while providing local jobs and great food.”

(Image: Levi’s Stadium)