Guests. Fans. Attendees. Whatever you choose to call them, they’re all the same: humans. And a human’s experience during an event is paramount to your venue’s success. We want to help you be successful, and that is why we focus on people so much at our annual GuestX conference.

“IAVM is pleased to announce a conference built on ‘smart practices’ regarding the guest/fan experience,” said Mark Herrera, IAVM’s director of education. “We are honored to have a session that will highlight what our guests from the professional leagues are doing to monitor the fan experience and ensure consistency across their organizations.”

The session Herrera mentions will feature representatives from the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer (MLS) who will discuss the most important element of any event day: the human element. When the unpredictable happens, your people, your team members, are the ones who will respond based on your proper, and prior, planning and training. During this panel session, attendees will hear about and discuss incidents from all types of venues related to guest service recovery from the perspective of those having to deliver it.

Larry Bowman, vice president of stadium operations and security for the Atlanta Braves, will moderate a panel that includes Robert Gallo, vice president, club business development, NFL; Paul LaVeau, stadium director, stadium operations, Oakland Athletics; and Jeff Stonebreaker, security advisor, MLS. More panelists will be named later.

“League representatives attending our past GuestX Conference were able to also take back ideas from the venue industry that were incorporated into their respective business plans,” Herrera said. “Again, the focus from this session will be on fan/guest interaction and also how to plan for the unpredictable and assess options in the moment to create an immediate recovery when issues arise. The session is focused on creating a winning fan experience.”

Other GuestX content includes a session on creating successful front line supervisors, excellent customer service the Ritz-Carlton way, and an off-site exercise for attendees at American Airlines Center. Check out the GuestX for the full schedule and to register to attend.

Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in November and December 2015—a total of 221 new members. Thank you for being a part of the association!

Also, let us get to know you better by participating in the I Am Venue Management series. Please visit http://www.iavm.org/i-am-venue-management-share-your-story to share your story and photo.

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We all know it’s tough to get away from the building to attend IAVM functions when you’re still low on the totem pole. We know funds are tight, especially when you’re still in school. No worries. IAVM is bringing the networking to you.

The Young Professionals Committee is dedicated to finding new and innovative ways to engage the under-30 membership base. One of these ways is by hosting quarterly “Hangouts” with industry veterans. This quarter, we’ll be having a conversation with John Siehl, CFE, vice president and COO of VenuWorks, on Wednesday, January 20, 1-1:45 p.m. (EST). From current security trends facing our industry to what he looks for in job applicants, John will chat with us for 45 minutes with the opportunity for everyone on the call to ask a question. We’ll also be simulcasting conversation on YouTube if you’re unable to get into the video chat.

Please sign-up here to join the hangout and let us know if you want to be one of the eight face-to-face participants. You can also choose just to view the interview. We hope to see you there!

(Image: Joe the Goat Farmer/Creative Commons)

Volunteers are at the heart of what we do, and it is only because of the time and knowledge our volunteers contribute that we are able to fulfill our mission. We hope, therefore, that you will consider responding to this Committee Call for Volunteers.

As a volunteer, you will be making a difference to this industry and giving back to other members. We hope you will also get value out of your service, making connections with other IAVM leaders and learning about the issues that face us all.

IAVM has two types of committees: board committees and management committees. A board committee helps the board do its work of oversight, strategy and member engagement. Management committees help IAVM’s management do its work of meeting the board’s goals and effectively operating the association to the benefit of our members.

On the website, you will find the list of opportunities available and the volunteer roles and responsibilities for each. To volunteer, please follow the link to complete the survey and tell us where your interest, skills, and abilities will allow you to make the greatest contribution. Even if you currently serve on a committee and wish to continue, you must indicate your interest on this application to be considered for renewal, as all committee appointments have one-year terms and term limits. You may indicate your interest for no more than three committees, so please make sure that you rank your choices with 1 being your highest preference. Finally, given the level of interest in service, we can generally only place you on one committee with some exceptions, such as the Industry Affairs Committee, which is partially filled by specified representatives (sector directors of the board, for example).

The deadline to respond to the Committee Call for Volunteers is Feb. 26, 2016; appointments to board committees will be made by the First Vice Chair, while appointments to management committees will be made by the CEO in consultation with the committee chairs and vice chairs. Volunteers will be notified of their committee assignment by the end of April/first of May.

IAVM welcomes your expertise and commitment to our active and talented group of volunteers. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

The City of Louisville took a major step in supporting Louisville City FC’s goal of building a soccer-specific stadium by announcing a $75,000 feasibility study conducted by CSL International that will examine four potential stadium sites in the Louisville, Kentucky, area.

“Professional soccer is off to a great start in Louisville, and a new soccer stadium could have many positive impacts on our economy,” Mayor Greg Fischer said. “This new investment in soccer will contribute to our authentic and vibrant community and give citizens one central team to rally around.”

Louisville City FC currently plays at Louisville Slugger Field, a minor-league baseball stadium where they averaged more than 6,000 fans per game for the inaugural 2015 season. Louisville City FC took over Orlando City’s USL Franchise after Orlando was awarded an MLS Expansion team in 2015 upon showing similar success at the lower level. As a member of the United Soccer League (USL), Louisville City FC must be in a soccer-specific stadium by 2020 per league policy, but Louisville City FC officials may be looking to follow Orlando’s lead and pursue MLS expansion rights to give Louisville its first team in one of the five major leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS).

The study’s results will provide the city an understanding of the potential to support a new 8,000- to 10,000-seat stadium that would have the ability to attract an MLS franchise to an expanded 20,000-seat stadium in the future.

(Image: Twitter)