Bob C. Mayer, CFE, and Roy Saunders, CFE

A piece of Tulsa history passes on with Roy Saunders, CFE. If you’ve ever attended a rock concert, hockey game, circus, trade show, the ballet, opera, or symphony in Tulsa, then chances are you were in one of “Roy’s buildings.” As director of public events for the City of Tulsa for over three decades, Roy oversaw the construction, opening, and operation of The Tulsa Convention and Assembly Center (now the Cox Center) and The Tulsa Performing Arts Center, from 1962-1993. He worked tirelessly with eight mayoral administrations, the CVB, the chamber of commerce, the arts and humanities council, numerous national promoters, and Carson Attractions, to bring business and top-name entertainment events to his beloved Tulsa.

“It was an honor and a privilege for me to work for Roy Saunders for 10 years before his retirement in 1993 as director of public events for the City of Tulsa,” said Bob C. Mayer, CFE, past IAVM president. “He instilled in me a passion for the industry and for the association that he loved so much. I learned so much about managing public assembly venues from Roy and his protégé in Oklahoma City, Dan Saunders (no relation), who I worked for before moving to Tulsa.”

Roy was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas, August 20, 1930, to Bonnie and Sydney Saunders. The family later moved to Pratt, Kansas, where Roy graduated from Pratt High School in 1948. He proudly served in the United States Army as a finance officer from 1948 to 1952 during the occupation of Germany. Roy then returned to Kansas and started college. He met the love of his life when he and Joyce Smith were cast as the two leads in their college’s theater production of My Little Margie. The couple married in 1955 and moved to Topeka, Kansas. Roy graduated with honors in 1957, earning a degree in business administration from Washburn University.

Saunders was a long-time member of the International Association of Auditorium Managers (IAAM, now called IAVM), joining in 1957. Roy served in numerous capacities and held every office within the association. His influence as a leader, mentor, and friend to the membership spanned seven decades. Saunders is the only person in IAAM/IAVM history to be the recipient of the IAAM Mr. Auditorium Manager award, the Charles A McElravy award (the industry’s highest honor), and serve as IAAM president. Roy saw a need for top-level training for entertainment venue executives and helped conceive and found the Venue Management School (formerly Public Assembly Facility Management School) in 1987.

“It seemed that Roy mentored just about everyone that he came in contact with and would share his expertise and/or opinion on about any topic,” Mayer said. “He always enjoyed meeting new members of IAVM and wouldn’t hesitate in making them feel comfortable and would always offer to help them learn about the profession. He was certainly instrumental in helping to launch new educational offerings for the industry, including the Venue Management School at Oglebay Park in Wheeling, WV.”

Roy and Joyce celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary on March 5. The couple loved to travel and visited more than 50 countries on six continents and all 50 of the United States. Roy loved adventure. He was an avid fan of all types of auto racing and was himself a stock car driver. He enjoyed water skiing, trick skiing, hunting, fishing, woodworking, and could build just about anything.

Roy Saunders, CFE, and past IAVM presidents.

Roy was beloved by his family, friends, neighbors, and professional associates. He was noted for his ever-present sense of humor. Roy was a great storyteller who always had a twinkle in his eye and a good joke up his sleeve. He was never happier than when he was holding court at the dining room table, with family all around, dispensing sage advice and regaling people with stories of past adventures, some of which were still funny after the eighth or ninth telling. He was a long-time volunteer at Hillcrest Medical Center, and was very proud of his Cherokee heritage.

“As anyone knows who ever met Roy, he was a great storyteller,” Mayer said. “He had an unbelievable memory for dates and events and a wonderful historical perspective that came out in the stories that he told. Each one included a teachable kernel that you could learn something from.”

Roy is survived by his wife, Joyce; son Greg and wife Debbie of Tulsa; daughter Dawn Black and husband Dusty of Austin, Texas; and grandchildren Gabrielle, Ford, Bella, and Luke.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the American Cancer Society, or honoring a Veteran by picking up his or her lunch tab.
Memorial service to be held 2 p.m. on Friday, April 22, at Ninde’s Brookside Chapel in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“Roy’s strength of character, incredible wit, great sense of humor, passion for his profession, and devotion to his many friends will be missed by everyone who knew him,” Mayer said. “Rest in peace, Roy.”

(Images: Bob C. Mayer, CFE)

Congratulations to the following individuals who recently were awarded the Certified Venue Professional (CVP) designation.

Thanks to the generous funding and support from the IAVM Foundation, the CVP program was launched in August 2015 at VenueConnect in Baltimore. It recognizes the competence of middle-to-senior-level managers of public assembly venues as well as assisting the managers in creating a professional roadmap in the venue industry.

The CVP designation says three important things about an individual: he or she is a capable professional, is committed to the industry, and is pledged to continued professional growth and development. Venue professionals who earn the CVP designation are recognized, by those inside and outside the industry, as skilled in their profession.

Brian Stovall, CVP
Assistant General Manager
Allen Event Center
Allen, Texas

Ross Girouard, CVP
Director of Operations & Production
Allen Event Center
Allen, Texas

“Great format with fast-paced interaction.”

“Great information and loved being exposed to new products.”

“Great opportunity for one-on-one meetings.”

“Enjoyed learning about new capabilities of products.”

“Great to meet face to face in a smaller setting.”

These are just a few of the many praises from past surveyed DirectConnect participants. Perhaps you, too, will be singing its praises this year.

DirectConnect brings qualified buyers to VenueConnect for FREE, and we already have more than $1 billion (yes, billion!) in confirmed buying power in the 2016 program.

For Professionals, if you or your team have an upcoming project or new product needs, apply here and experience the benefits of our new, customized meeting program.

For Allieds, when you participate as a host, you build a customized schedule of 10 one-on-one appointments with pre-qualified buyers and decision makers that match your business.

Pricing per table:
* Exhibiting Allied Members: $3,000
* Non-Exhibiting Allied Members: $7,500

To reserve your spot, please fill out the DirectConnect Contract.

Appointments opened April 11. Don’t miss your chanced to get in front of these venue managers!

Here is a list of venues that have committed to participating in the 2016 program taking place at VenueConnect in Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 23-26.

Allen Event Center
American University
Ames Center
Baltimore Convention Center
Chandler Center for the Arts
Charleston Civic Center
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
Georgetown University Department of Athletics
Hawaii Convention Center
Hellenic College
ICAO
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kellogg Arena & Festival Market Square
Kennesaw State University School of Music
Landers Center
Lauderhill Perf Arts Center
Lied Center for the Performing Arts
Mayo Civic Center
Mesa Arts Center
Millersville University
Orlando City Soccer Club
San Diego Zoo Global
Show Me Center
TAIWAN EXTERNAL TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
Topeka Performing Arts Center
Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
UC San Diego
UCSD Sports Facilities
VenuWorks – Ames
VenuWorks – Iowa State Center
Visalia Convention Center
Walton Arts Center/Walmart AMP
Yakima Convention Center

Score another win for Facebook. By the end of the month, Ticketmaster will start selling tickets directly on the ubiquitous social media site, as reported by Buzzfeed News.

“By putting the ability to buy tickets directly within Facebook we hope that we’re going to provide a more seamless purchase experience and sell more tickets,” Dan Armstrong, VP and general manager of distributed commerce at Ticketmaster, told BuzzFeed News.

Facebook will receive an affiliate fee from Ticketmaster when a ticket is purchased on the site. However, tickets still have to be “claimed” on Ticketmaster’s website or app.

“Millions of people on Facebook connect with their favorite bands, artists, and causes to find out about events happening in their community,” a Facebook spokesperson told Fortune. “We’ve heard feedback from venues and artists that Facebook is an important platform for them to update and connect with fans. We’re excited to help partners like Ticketmaster sell more tickets via Facebook and to make ticket purchasing easier and faster for people.”

Concerning Eventbrite, no affiliate fees will be collected by Facebook when Eventbrite tickets are purchased.

“We are committed to innovation that helps event organizers sell more tickets,” Eventbrite VP of Product Laurent Sellier told Buzzfeed News. “Enabling a seamless purchase experience for consumers in places like Facebook where they are spending significant time is an important step in this mission.”

(Image: The Verge)

As IAVM member Zach Sloman recently wrote in his blog post, “Making the Move,” if someone wants to climb the ranks one must move locations. Sometimes, though, deciding between jobs can be stressful. That’s where Fidelity’s Job Offer Evaluator comes into play.

The tool helps people evaluate two jobs not just based on salary but also on benefits, relocation expenses, and cost of living. The evaluator is only three easy steps, but may help you feel at ease making a hard decision.

Please check out the Job Offer Evaluator and let us know in the comments if you find the tool useful.