The International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) is pleased to announce Jimmy Earl, CFE, senior associate director of the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, as the recipient of the 2016 Charles A. McElravy Award. The McElravy Award, named in honor of one of IAVM’s founding organizers, Charles A. McElravy, was initiated in 1963 and is granted for extraordinary contributions to the Association and the professional venue management industry it serves.

“Receiving this award is very special to me. To be recognized by peers is the highest honor one can achieve; however, it takes an incredible amount of support from many to accomplish this,” Earl said. “I wish to acknowledge all who have helped along the way—family, mentors, staff, colleagues, friends, and countless others who have been so generous with their time, wisdom, and knowledge. I am humbled and grateful beyond measure to receive this award.”

The award will be presented during IAVM’s annual conference and trade show, VenueConnect, July 23-26, 2016, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“Jimmy Earl, CFE, is a man with a giant heart and a giant passion for IAVM. He inspires me and so many of us in the industry each and every day,” said Karen Totaro, CFE, general manager of the Atlantic City Convention Center and 2015-2016 IAVM Chair. “A huge highlight of my year as Chair for IAVM was having the opportunity to advise Jimmy of the unanimous vote by the Board of Directors to extend the McElravy Award to him. Join me in a toast to one of our most esteemed colleagues, Jimmy Earl, CFE!”

The IAVM Executive Committee continues to work with SearchWide, our selected executive search firm, to forge the path for selecting IAVM’s next president/CEO. I want to thank the members for reaching out and sharing their thoughts and ideas as it reassures me of the importance this decision will have on our future. The entire board is committed to ensuring we find a leader that will be the right person to embrace our passion for this industry and maximize deliverables for the members. SearchWide not only has the experience in conducting executive searches within our industry, they have also conducted searches with other member-driven industry associations and have first-hand knowledge of our association.

To understand more about finding our next president/CEO, we spoke with Mark Gnatovic, senior vice president at SearchWide, who will lead the search efforts with the executive committee.

What is SearchWide’s background?
Mark Gnatovic: We are an executive recruiting firm that partners with our clients at a very high level. It is not just about moving talent, but understanding our client’s expectations and aligning that with a candidate’s experience and career aspirations. We seek those that are happy but curious to their next career move through a very proactive approach.

Our experience touches the convention, event, travel, and tourism industries. We are aligned within the greater segments IAVM and their members serve. We have partnered with convention centers, performing arts facilities, arenas, and stadiums to find valuable talent at many levels. We have also worked with partners and suppliers of venue managers such as destination marketing organizations, hotels, chamber of commerce, and those that sell a service or product within this industry. Within IAVM and other “industry” associations we hold volunteer leadership positions at the Board level, continue to speak at conferences, host career fairs and sponsor 30|UNDER|30 programs to retain young professionals.

This is an exciting time for IAVM. We are honored to earn the opportunity. We consider our partnership with IAVM a privilege and look forward to working with Karen and her committee.

How is this search different from other searches you’ve done in the past?
MG: Each search is unique in its own right. There are different circumstances that create a mold of the ideal candidate. With all search, we conduct assessments and speak to many people (board of directors, members, and Allied) to understand the dynamics before we make our first candidate call. We look for consistent feedback on what’s working and what’s not, what are the ideal experiences and characteristics needed to be successful. Most importantly what are the immediate priorities the next president/CEO will face on day one.

Whether the search is for a publicly traded company or a 501(C)(3) or (6), each is a bit different in their own space but our goal is to align the expectations to a manageable list of candidates.

What kind of role does emotional intelligence play in finding candidates?
MG: The IAVM president/CEO has to be very collaborative, able to build consensus, and an exceptional listener. I think it’s somebody who listens from the heart, asks a lot of questions, experienced in developing and then executing strategies. This type of position can be very political. The person’s DNA will have to separate personal interest and make decisions that can contribute to the greater audience and create relevance for IAVM as a whole. There are many personality assessments available, we have used most but most clients like DiSC. This behavioral assessment will help the executive committee with their final decision as they compare and contrast a slate of candidates.

How important is diversity in searching for a candidate?
MG: Very important. We strive to identify a diverse slate of candidates in both gender and race. Diversity in the work force is real and we take this very seriously. Our brand and reputation is at stake with the success of this search process and placement.

SearchWide™ is a full-service executive search firm, placing hundreds of executives, primarily for companies in the convention, trade association, and travel/tourism industries. Specializing in C-Level and director-level executive searches for companies ranging in size from Fortune 500 corporations to mid-sized public and private companies and associations. Headquartered in the Twin Cities and several regional offices, SearchWide is able to serve clients and candidates nationwide. Founded in 1999, they have remained focused on four core values for almost two decades: INTEGRITY, ETHICS, PASSION and RESPECT. Find more information at www.searchwide.com.

These are selected news articles that showed up in our inboxes on Monday morning that we want to pass along to you.

Talking U.S. Bank Stadium With Yahoo! Sports Radio (SB Nation)
“This show is all about the stadium, folks. We talk about some of the features that will make U.S. Bank Stadium unique, as well as a few other topics like the recent advertising dispute between U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo around the stadium area.”

Paradigm’s Chip Hooper, Agent for Dave Matthews Band, Phish & More, Dies at 53 (Billboard)
“Hooper, a fixture in the concert business, joined Paradigm when the firm acquired Monterey Peninsula Artists in 2005.”

Snapchat MLB Partnership Brings Snapchat Day, SnapBat To Stadiums for Live Game Coverage (International Business Times)
“Snapchat users can expect to see more player contributions this year. Players are now permitted to use smartphones in dugouts and bullpens during live games.”

How Airbnb is Working With the Meetings Industry (Convene)
“We recently caught up with Jonathan Mildenhall, Airbnb’s chief marketing officer, for an update on how the sharing-economy giant is courting the events industry.”

What Arts Managers Can Teach Business (ArtsHub.com.au)
“Arts managers have plenty to teach business managers, as Macquarie Graduate School of Management has just recognised.”

(Image: Minnesota Vikings)

Talk about a great fan experience. Airbnb partnered with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors to host two fans at Air Canada Centre. The winners, Lucas and Maddy, had special access to back-to-back games and spent a night in a customized suite in the venue. Check out the video above for the full story.

Congratulations to the following individuals who recently were awarded the Certified Venue Professional (CVP) designation during the AVSS/GuestX conference.

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.

The next exam for a CVP designation will take place at the Performing Arts Managers Conference in San Antonio, Texas, March 7-9.

Once again, congratulations!

Mike Cronin, CVP
Associate Executive Director
Sanford Center
Bemidji, Minnesota

Jeff Davis, CVP
General Manager
College Park Center
Arlington, Texas

Carol K. Foley, CMP, CVP
Convention Services Manager
Emerald Coast Convention Center
Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Karen Hoffman, CVP
Director Event Services
Madison Square Garden
New York, New York

Ricky Nichols, CVP
Assistant Director
UTEP Office of Special Events
El Paso, Texas