Have you ever wondered why stadium designs frequently change? Tim Newcomb with Sports Illustrated recently dove right into that question with an emphasis on the constant change in designs of new soccer-specific stadiums.

Key factors include building excitement and engagement, architects bidding on the job, feedback from teams and ownership groups, budgets, developing a vision, in-venue programming, site or zoning constraints, and even a project’s age.

“Technology can change. Design or aesthetic trends can change,” said Jon Knight, a senior principal and architect at Populous, design firm developing soccer stadiums in Washington, D.C.; Minnesota; and Orlando, Florida. “Over the lifespan of a project, the rendering or the conceptual design that a firm used to do a study in 2005 is barely relevant in 2016, even though the project in technically the same project.”

As previously mentioned, characteristics for the new wave of soccer specific stadiums has changed quite a bit since the first was built in 1999 in Columbus, Ohio.

Don’t be surprised to see quite a few different renderings from cities looking to build a soccer-specific stadium in pursuit of an MLS expansion franchise such as Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, Sacramento, San Antonio, and St. Louis. Keep an eye out; one might just be your next workplace.

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

Disney Plans New Venue at ESPN Wide World of Sports (Orlando Sentinel)
“Plans say the gross square footage would be 286,000 and the building footprint would be 180,000 square feet. (In comparison, the Jostens Center gymnasium is 70,000 square feet.)”

Luke Bryan Talks Stadiums and “Stacked Up” Touring Schedule (Rolling Stone)
“‘That’s just where my bread is buttered,’ says the superstar entertainer.”

McCormick Place Stepping Up Security in Wake of Terror Attacks (Chicago Tribune)
“The 108th Chicago Auto Show will feature something new next month: roaming police-dog patrols.”

Philadelphia Could Make Musicians Register With the Police (Reason)
“New bill calls for performers to hand over personal information; cops could revoke venues’ performance licenses.”

How the Palais Theatre Changing Hands Could Affect Melbourne Live Music (Tonedeaf.com.au)
“The [Port Phillip Council] has shortlisted Live Nation Australasia and Playbill Venue Management to take over running the 89-year-old venue, which has become a controversial flashpoint for the area.”

(Image: Facebook)

Our friends, the Green Sports Alliance, are having their annual summit this June in Houston, Texas. Early-bird registration ends this Friday, January 29.

The annual Green Sports Alliance Summit is the world’s largest and most influential gathering for the sports community to unite around sustainability. The event brings together more than 700 industry stakeholders to learn and share better practices and the latest innovations in greening operations, advancing the supply chain and engaging fans.

This year, the Summit program will emphasize the power of partnerships and how they are helping amplify the sports greening movement across the globe and positioning the sports industry to make a significant change in the communities where we live and play. The 2016 Summit program will cover the day’s most critical topics in professional and collegiate sports greening via a dynamic mix of leadership plenaries, keynotes, breakout sessions, and networking events.

Click here to register to attend.

(Image: Facebook)

Welcome to 2016! For many of us, January is the month of making resolutions and reflecting on the highs and lows of the previous year. If 2016 involves new changes at your venue or the opportunity to revamp key processes, take a look at the research VenueDataSource (VDS) released in 2015 to help guide your ideas. Here are the most current VDS products available on our website on everything from safety to capital budgets.

2015 REPORTS

2015 Safety and Security Report: The actions taken in the initial minutes of an emergency are critical. A call for help to public emergency services that provides full and accurate information will help the dispatcher send the right responders and equipment. An employee trained to administer first aid or perform CPR can be lifesaving. In light of recent events, venue safety and security policies are being ramped up and revisited across the globe. This report provides insight into the most pressing concerns regarding the safety of your attendees. How often do you involve local or national authorities when assessing vulnerabilities? Does your venue regularly train staff to handle bomb threats? This powerful information will help you create organizational confidence in case of a critical safety issue on your campus or in your facility.

Capital Funding Report (NEW in 2015): Operating on a deficit is not unfamiliar territory in our industry. The 2015 Capital Funding Report obtained the answers to questions such as: Does your venue operate at a loss? How does your deficit compare with venues in your competitive set? Does your venue finance and budget for major construction or expansion costs the same way as other venues like yours? If you’re facing capital improvement projects in the next year or beyond, be sure to look at this report for industry comparisons. Results are categorized not only by venue type but also by market tier and management structure to create a more credible comparison.

2015 Technology Report: Presented at VenueConnect 2015 and complete with a corresponding webinar, the 2015 Technology Survey gathered data which provides insight to current and planned technology investments in venues. Find out how your peers are reimagining attendee experience with better Wi-Fi access and catering apps as well as answering questions about cyber-security issues and drone use policies.

2015 Food and Beverage Report (NEW in 2015): Second only to the event itself, a guest’s food and beverage experience is the most memorable takeaway from the overall venue experience. VenueDataSource’s new report compiled responses from 313 venues to get a first-ever look at the current state of venue food and beverage operations and partnerships. The 2015 Food and Beverage Report presents information about agreements, sales commissions, and how F&B affects the bottom line.

2015 WEBINARS (all accessible online):

Sustainability: Everybody’s doing it, can we? Implementing sustainable business standards is a daunting task for any venue manager. The inaugural VenueDataSource webinar presented IAVM’s 2014 Sustainability Report and showed that sustainability programs are now fully baked into many venues’ operations—and there are some venue managers who are still unsure of the benefits from these programs. Hear a panel of experts from all venue types and sizes—including Lindsay Arell, Colorado Convention Center; Jim Ibister, Xcel Energy Center; Tim Tretzer, Georgia World Congress Center; Creon Thorne, Portland Center Stage (Gerding Theatre)—discuss the report’s key findings.

Technology: To accompany the 2015 Technology Report, this webinar focused on the latest trends in technology and how venues remain on the cutting edge of the competition. Think cyber-security, better Wi-Fi access, and drone policies. Discover from a panel of arena, convention center, stadium, and PAC managers about how venues across the country are implementing new technology and what they are learning along the way.

Food and Beverage: A distinguished panel of venue managers shared their thoughts on the F&B trends identified in the NEW VenueDataSource Food and Beverage Report. During this webinar hear from a panel of leading venue professionals including Lorin Shepard of the Straz Performing Arts Center; Michele Swann of the Cobb Galleria Centre and Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre; and Lee Zeidman of the STAPLES Center discuss how venues are maximizing their food and beverage revenues and their food and beverage agreements.

UPCOMING WEBINARS 

Benchmarking 101: This webinar will help venue managers get started with setting up practical benchmarking for their venues. We’ll talk about what can be benchmarked, how to identify appropriate competitive sets, and how to identify reliable sources of data—including IAVM’s own VenueDataSource. We’ll also talk about the difference between when benchmarking can be effectively used as a management tool and when “benchmarking” can actually be misleading. Join our panel of experts in late March.

Advanced Benchmarking: Deep-dive into IAVM’s venue operations database to see how the information developed in the VenueDataSource Operating Revenue/Operating Expense surveys and reports can help you. We’ll look at some specific operating and financial metrics common to all venues and show you how you can use these metrics to measure your venue’s performance, set future goals, and track your progress along the way. Look for this webinar in late May.

The VenueDataSource reports, presentations, and webinars give you the best practices of professional venue management at the click of a mouse—and gives it to you free as an IAVM member benefit. If you haven’t joined the leaders of our profession in participating in and using VenueDataSource yet, it’s not too late to make one more new year’s resolution. VenueDataSource connects information with practice, and drives to results.

VenueDataSource — We Connect the Dots.

Like many others, I felt such a strong sense of belonging at the 2015 IAVM VenuConnect conference that I was disappointed it had ended so quickly. However, since then, I have had incredible opportunities to continue learning more about my industry from leaders whose footsteps I intend to follow.

In the last few months, I have shadowed and have set up informative interviews with multiple professionals from institutions and venues such as the University of Delaware, Citi Field, Stony Brook University, Prudential Center, MetLife Stadium, and Wagner College. These experiences have allowed me to see the operations of multiple collegiate and professional organizations, which I can bring with me as I begin my new job as the operations supervisor at the VenuWorks Bridge View Center in Ottumwa, Iowa.

IAVM conferences are great ways in which young professionals can demonstrate their passion, gather knowledge, and prove their commitment to the industry. For me, it led me to my new job within VenuWorks and it has allowed me to become involved with the Young Professionals Committee where I’m able to promote the industry I’m so passionate about while creating networking and educational opportunities for myself and the members of our group. In addition, the conference gave me the opportunity to become a trained crowd manager, which I can proudly display on my resume and LinkedIn profile.

In the sports and entertainment industry, things are never quiet and being a member of IAVM I have multiple outlets to ensure I continue the upwards climb in my career. I have become a mentee in the Mentor Connector Program, and I soon plan to check items off my checklist to pursue my Certified Venue Professional designation. To all college students and/or fellow young professionals contemplating whether or not to join IAVM, attend a conference, or become further involved by joining a committee, I hope my article can help you see all that IAVM can offer you and more. Trust me, your future self will thank you.

(Image: Orange Photography)