By Josh Albrecht

After a record-breaking year in tourism, VISIT Milwaukee unveiled a new way for visitors to explore Milwaukee with Authenticated Experiences (AX), a non-fungible token (NFT) marketing campaign at the organization’s recent annual meeting.

The tourism industry’s only immersive and interactive NFT platform, AX features collectible digital tokens allowing users to unlock exclusive real-life experiences and prizes in a scavenger hunt-like format. This campaign by VISIT Milwaukee is designed to attract visitors from across the region to Milwaukee and encourage them to venture out into the city’s 191 neighborhoods.

“This campaign is a unique opportunity to attract new visitors to our city and offer them incredible experiences while helping them explore all that our 191 neighborhoods have to offer,” said Josh Albrecht, VISIT Milwaukee’s vice president of marketing and communications. “AX serves as an artist platform and gives us a fresh way to position Milwaukee as a destination for both tech and travel—a win for the arts, tourism, and our terrific partners like Summerfest.”

Debuting in partnership with Summerfest and Summerfest Tech, AX spotlights Milwaukee’s digital creators, iconic brands, places, and people by geolocating free NFT collectibles around the city. AX’s first five custom NFT collectibles are inspired by Milwaukee’s rich music history through the lens of local artist T9LET. In honor of the 55th anniversary of the world’s largest music festival, Summerfest, the first 55 people to collect all five NFTs will receive access to an exclusive VISIT Milwaukee x AX artist experience and the chance to win two tickets to a Summerfest show of their choice in 2023 or 2024.

In addition to AX’s first five collectibles, AX2 will feature five NFTs geolocated on the Summerfest festival grounds through July 8. Curated by Cullah, a Milwaukee native, artist, and musician, AX2’s Summerfest-inspired designs will unlock unique VISIT Milwaukee prizes and the chance to win a Summerfest x Visit Milwaukee VIP Experience.

“This is a joint effort between Summerfest, Summerfest Tech and VISIT Milwaukee to lean into new and exciting technologies. It allows us to create a tech-forward touchpoint for our Summerfest attendees and provide awareness around Web3 and NFT at Summerfest Tech this year while strengthening the connection we have with VISIT Milwaukee and tourism,” said Jerrod Woods, senior director of marketing at Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.

As part of Summerfest’s efforts to enter into the NFT and collectible space, the music festival released its own NFT on June 22 with 1,000 limited editions available for collection. Each user who claims the special Summerfest NFT will also receive one FREE Summerfest general admission ticket. The NFT will be made available with the same technology group that VISIT Milwaukee has partnered with, Vennity. This is the first time that Summerfest has entered this tech-forward space, thanks in part to the efforts of AmpliPhi Digital and Spencer Smith.

In addition to partnering with local artists and brands, VISIT Milwaukee is aligning with Vennity as its AX technology partner for online map integration and digital art minting on the Polygon blockchain. A no-code platform for creating and distributing digital collectibles in the real world, Vennity was founded in 2018 by Vlad Avesalon and Navneet Saxena.

“Milwaukee holds a special place in my heart since my wife and I spent seven-plus years here collectively, we got engaged here, I got my dog from the Humane Society here,” says Saxena, co-founder of Vennity. “It’s a special place and a hidden gem when it comes to tourism. I’m excited to showcase some of Milwaukee’s beauty through the Vennity app as it was intended to be used.”

Josh Albrecht is Vice President of Marketing and Communications for VISIT Milwaukee.

From Business Wire

SAVOR, ASM Global’s in-house culinary division, has partnered with World Young Chef Young Waiter (WYCYW) to bring their renowned service competition to the United States on August 21.

Now in its 44th year, World Young Chef Young Waiter is a prestigious global competition that promotes hospitality as a career choice. It seeks to identify the most talented chefs, waiters, and waitresses under the age of 28, showcasing their skills and passion for the industry.

SAVOR is inviting service and hospitality professionals from across the United States to register for the YCYW USA competition.

The first live round of the competition will take place at The Culinary Institute of America at Copia (CIA) in Napa, California, on August 21, 2023. Winners from the American leg, along with winners from other international competitions, will have the chance to compete in the WYCYW finals held in Monaco on November 23-24, with an opportunity to win $10,000.

Past winners of the competition have gone on to achieve notable success in the hospitality industry. Esteemed figures such as Mark Sargeant, Marcus Wareing, Simon King, John Torode, Annie and Germain Schwab, Jeremy King, among others, have served as winners and judges.

Thomas Bensel, the managing director of CIA at Copia, expressed pride in hosting the inaugural USA Young Chef Young Waiter competition, emphasizing its role in creating awareness and fostering pride in the essential principles and skills of the profession.

Shaun Beard, the Senior Vice President of Food and Beverage at SAVOR, highlighted the company’s commitment to supporting and nurturing the next generation of culinary talent. SAVOR has a rich history of providing hands-on training, apprenticeships, scholarship programs, and participation in prestigious competitions like World Young Chef Young Waiter. Beard expressed pride in offering a platform for these talented young chefs and waiters to showcase their skills, excel, and continue supporting their development.

The collaboration between SAVOR and WYCYW reflects their shared dedication to elevating the hospitality industry and recognizing the exceptional talents and contributions of young professionals.

Join us at VenueConnect in Pittsburgh on July 31-August 1 to celebrate the 2023 Venue Excellence Award and Education and Service Award winners! IAVM congratulates the folliowing 2023 award recipients for outstanding community outreach and demonstrated leadership within the industry:

Venue Excellence Awards (VEA)

The Venue Excellence Awards recognize five IAVM venues, across all sectors within membership, which demonstrate excellence in the management and operation of public assembly venues. Award applicants must demonstrate distinction in the management and operations of a public assembly venue including: operational excellence, safety and security, team building/professional development, and service to the community. A committee of IAVM members chooses the finalists, and winners are approved by the IAVM Board of Directors.

The 2023 Venue Excellence Award Winners

Baltimore Convention Center – Baltimore, MD

BC Place Stadium – Vancouver, BC, Canada

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts – Orlando, FL

INTRUST Bank Arena – Wichita, KS

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center – New Orleans, LA

Schottenstein Center/Nationwide Arena – Columbus, OH

Education & Service Awards

IAVM also announced the 2023 winners for the Education & Service Award. This prestigious award recognizes member involvement through community outreach, educational opportunities, mentorship, and internships that demonstrate excellence within our industry, as well as giving back to the community. This award is open to university staff, professional members, faculty, allied companies and individuals, as well as retired members.

The 2023 Education & Service Award Winners

Lee A. Esckilsen, CVE – Principal, ESVenues, LLC

Raleigh Convention Center – Raleigh, NC

All award recipients will be honored during VenueConnect 2023 in Pittsburgh, Not yet registered for VC23? Don’t delay!  Register now!

By R.V. Baugus

After some 48 years of dedicated service to the world of public assembly venue management before his retirement in February 2020, it is fair to say it takes something out of the ordinary to pull the wool over the eyes of Courtney Dyer, CVE. That being the case, score one for Jim Finch, CVE.

“I was shocked,” Dyer said in recalling when Finch phoned to tell him that he was the 2023 recipient of the Convention Center Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented to Dyer at VenueConnect in Pittsburgh. “I was like, do you have the right person? There are plenty of worthy people out there. Why me? I was very humbled by it. I wouldn’t have put myself in that category. There is a lot of strong leadership in IAVM and over the years I have gotten to know them.”

It was somewhat natural that Dyer was taken aback by the good-news call from Finch, who serves on IAVM’s Convention Center Committee. Dyer, after all, took a break from his retirement to return to the Virginia Beach Convention Center to help on routine audit work, something he was very familiar with from his time at the venue. As his work wound down, Dyer said that the position was open and he thought that Finch was calling to inquire about the job.

“I have been helping on the audit until they find a replacement,” Dyer recounted. “When I saw the number come up on my phone and Port St. Lucie, I thought, that’s where Jim Finch is. I wonder if he is calling about the job. He said, you might know why I’m calling. I said, I think I might and when he said it was about the award, I said, well, that’s not what I thought!”

Dyer is especially well known for service in his beloved Region 5, where he has served on just about every position on the board, on committees, and hosted a couple of region meetings and a couple of mid-manager meetings over the years.

“I have tried to involve as many people as possible in positions on the board that’s going to guarantee it keeps peopled engaged, informed, and moving the organization forward,” Dyer said. “It was a great learning experience to host a meeting and I’ve helped others do it. I have gained a lot of perspective from a lot of people in Region 5.”

Dyer is that extremely rare individual who has worked his entire career in the same town he was born – Virginia Beach. He began in 1972 “pouring Cokes and popping popcorn at the snack bar at the Municipal Auditorium at the Virginia Beach Dome, the Virginia Beach Civic Center.”

Dyer spent 25 years working his way up to general manager at the Virginia Beach Pavilion before spending another 15 years as general manager at the convention center. He is proud of the opportunity he had to serve on the design and construction and working with the ownership team when the convention center was being built.

“I represented the owner and built this $206 million facility,” he said. “I’ve really enjoyed my career and had an opportunity to run a performing arts theater that was part of the Pavilion. I had an opportunity to run a soccer stadium for a few minutes as an ancillary thing when I was building the new convention center. My IAVM experience helped out in all of those areas, and all of those areas helped me get my CVE.”

Dyer’s career, thus, covers several venues with one employer. Again, this is very rare in a profession that contributes mightily to U-Haul shareholders.

“That’s kind of unusual today,” Dyer said. “I did spread that around with a number of different venues. I guess between the three buildings, the theater and the stadium, I got exposed to a bit more. I’m kind of a hometown guy. I was born and raised here, commuted to school, drove back and forth and say I tried to squeeze four years into seven. I was working full-time and went to school part-time.”

As for Dyer’s “first” retirement in February 2020, it was only natural to wonder if that was due in any part to the COVID-19 pandemic that took off one month later. It wasn’t.

“I told my boss a year before that my time was up here, I’m almost done,” Dyer said. “The retirement party they had for me was one of the last events (before the pandemic). We didn’t know it was coming. My last day in the office had been sometime at the end of January.”

The hometown hero gets to take one more major curtain call in Pittsburgh when Dyer gets an award where the word “lifetime” is appropriate within its title. Dyer has given a lifetime to the world of convention centers, and it is now only fitting that world give back to Dyer and all he has meant to it.

Please join us in supporting the IAVM Foundation’s 2023 Diversity & Inclusive Leadership Committee’s “Celebration for the Cause” to be held during VenueConnect in Pittsburgh. There are several price-point opportunities for you to participate as follows.

Backstage Pass Sponsor ($12,500)

• Backstage Pass Sponsor mention on all print & electronic communication about reception (hyperlinked)
• Backstage Pass Sponsor mention on all social media posts about reception (hyperlinked)
• Name/logo as Backstage Pass Sponsor on VC23 website & mobile app (hyperlinked)
• Name/Logo as Backstage Pass Sponsor on all VC23 General Session sponsor decks
• Name/Logo as Backstage Pass Sponsor on all reception signage
• Recognition as Backstage Pass Sponsor on all post reception communication (hyperlinked)

Ballad Sponsor ($5,000)
• Name/logo as Ballad Sponsor on VC23 website & mobile app (hyperlinked)
• Sponsor mention on all social media posts about reception (hyperlinked)
• Name/logo displayed as Ballad Sponsor on signage at reception
• Name/Logo on all VC23 as Ballad Sponsor on VC23 General Session sponsor decks
• Recognition as Ballad Sponsor on all post reception communication (hyperlinked)

Song Sponsor ($2,500)
• Name/logo as Song Sponsor on VC23 website & mobile app (hyperlinked)
• Name/logo displayed as Song Sponsor on signage at reception
• Name/Logo on all VC23 as Song Sponsor on VC23 General Session sponsor decks
• Recognition as Song Sponsor on all post reception communication (hyperlinked)

Lyric Sponsor ($1,500)
• Name/logo as Lyric Sponsor on VC23 website & mobile app (hyperlinked)
• Name/logo displayed as Lyric Sponsor on signage at reception
• Name/Logo on all VC23 as Lyric Sponsor on VC23 General Session sponsor decks

Is your organization unable to sponsor, but want to give? You can reserve a table for your guests. It will include a table for 8 with cocktail service and your name on the table. Table reservations for 8 are $5,000.

To secure your sponsorship or purchase a table, please contact: Cindy van Rensburg at cvanrensburg@Levyrestaurants.com, Shura Garnett at sgarnett@oakviewgroup.com, or Evelyn Ingram at evelyn.ingram@gomomentus.com