Some of you may have seen the YouTube series “College Life Presents” in which vlogger Jesse Weiland visits universities across the nation to capture the unique qualities of each respective university. Upon finding out that my alma mater, Kansas State University (KSU), was added to his collection, I was more than thrilled.

This video had captured K-State just as I remembered it. My favorite part comes in when Weiland highlights the heart of our K-State “Family,” Bill Snyder Family Stadium (BFSF). One student describes our football program as “where it all started” and others reference the electric atmosphere of the town and BSFS during football season. In watching this, I found myself reflecting on my first experience at the stadium.

In 2008, my junior year of high school, I had a friend invite me on my first real road trip to Manhattan, Kansas, for the KSU v. Nebraska game. Before this, I had only been there for a campus visit with my parents, still unsure whether this would be the place to spend my undergrad career. Gameday morning, we woke up early and prepared ourselves, decked out in purple with hand warmers at the ready. I remember showing up almost two hours before kickoff, finding our seats near the visitor section on the far south end of the field, all the way at the top. As more people filled the stadium, I felt as though the excitement became palpable. Despite the freezing cold, the energy and warmth of the fanbase amazed me. I had never been to a sporting event where I felt such a strong sense of belonging. The funniest part about all of this is that the ‘Cats were losing the game that day, but to me that didn’t matter. The stadium and “Family” had won me over.

Throughout my five years in Manhattan, I returned to that stadium every fall, ready for my “Family” reunion. I will never forget the memories made in that place, and I will go back each season, with as much excitement as my first.

The 2015 Venue Industry Awards Luncheon—sponsored by Ungerboeck Software International and emceed by Chris Bigelow, founder and owner of The Bigelow Companies—took place during the 2015 VenueConnect Annual Conference & Trade Show in Baltimore, Maryland. The awards, hosted each year by IAVM, honor exceptional venues and professionals in several categories.

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A new episode of our monthly podcast, The Venue, will air this Friday, August 28, at 2 p.m. (CST).

You can register at this link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/50090377894186342

Our guest host will be Jeremy Huelsing, director of finance at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, and a Young Professional Scholarship recipient for this year’s Arena Management Conference. We’ll discuss a variety of topics culled from VenueNet and beyond.

We hope you join us on Friday by calling in or listening!

More than 30 students from all over the U.S. were in Baltimore, Maryland, for IAVM’s 90th VenueConnect. We asked them to share their experiences with us. Here are some responses.

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There was a sold-out event this past weekend at Madison Square Garden and it had nothing to do with music, hockey, or basketball. The event was the regional championship for the video game “League of Legends.”

“The dimly lit stadium was arranged around a stage featuring 10 chairs specially designed for gamers,” Sarah E. Needleman reported for the Wall Street Journal. “The historic arena began to look and sound more like a major league sports event as fans started pouring in, waving blue and red plastic batons and munching on popcorn and other snacks. Their cheers overpowered blaring music, as they shouted the names of their favorite teams and players.”

We’ve written a couple of posts (here and here) about the increasing popularity of eSports, and if you’re interested (and have 10 minutes to spare) to learn more about the phenomenon, watch the video below.

(Image: Business Insider Australia)