We’re not the only ones excited to visit Baltimore this year for VenueConnect. So is Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

“Thank you for supporting Baltimore. We appreciate all the love the IAVM family has shown Baltimore in the recent weeks,” Rawlings-Blake said. “We’re excited to host the 90th annual VenueConnect convention, and we look forward to welcoming you and your families in August.”

Please watch the video above to hear the mayor’s personal welcome and to learn more about the city.

See you Aug.1-4 in Baltimore!

We debuted our new live, call-in podcast, The Venue, last week. We had a blast interacting with members, and we’ve already upgraded our equipment (to get rid of those pesky echoes) for the next episode.

In case you missed the live version, you can listen to the recording above and hear what the Wolfe, myself, and members had to say about live-streaming, selfie-sticks, and comedians.

A shout out, also, to Chuck Tate—house manager and event supervisor at the Luther F. Carson Center for the Performing Arts in Paducah, Kentucky—for being our first call-in member. Thank you for participating.

We plan to have The Venue up on iTunes soon, and we’re looking at recording an episode at Venue Management School next week. Stay tuned!

I think I figured out why Millennials are being talked about again in such quantity—it’s because it’s graduation season. They’re entering the workforce. Or maybe they’re already a part of your organization. Nevertheless, you, as a venue manager, will be working with them, so it’s imperative you understand how to motivate and engage them.

However, it’s not just Millennials you have to consider. The Baby Boomers are still working, and more people from that generation are retiring later in life. Then you have the Gen X crowd to accommodate.

One of the ways we’re helping you manage different generations in your organization is through a training session at VenueConnect 2015 in Baltimore, Aug. 1-4. Jack Messenger, vice president of instruction and a certified trainer at Dale Carnegie Training, will lead a discussion on “Motivating and Engaging Different Generations.”

For example, Millennials want a workplace environment that offers flexible hours to allow a work-life balance, managers who trust them to do their work, and the availability of incentives for higher performance, according to a Dale Carnegie Training white paper.

And since more Millennials are in the workplace, that means more of them are in leadership roles. For young professionals, we’re offering a seminar called “From Friendship to Leadership,” led by Lindsay Adams, CSPGlobal, a principal at Teamocracy in Australia. Attendees will learn the essential traits of leadership, the must-do actions of leaders, and the critical items new leaders must avoid.

But wait, there’s more.

U.S. Navy SEAL Curt Cronin will present a session titled “Building Unstoppable Teams,” during which he’ll introduce to attendees an integrated leadership framework that identifies the key values, tasks, actions, disciplines, and attitudes required for success for any generation.

Then we’ll also offer more leadership training with the session, “You Can’t Make Omelettes Without Breaking Eggs: The Messy Work of Refining Your Leadership” Attendees at this session—led by Adams and Paul Bridle, CEO of Excellence Squared Limited—will learn how connecting people, processes, and performance creates profits and how identifying the right measurements and engaging people drives better results.

Whether you’re a current leader or a leader on the rise, VenueConnect offers several sessions to help you be successful. Register now, and we’ll see you in Baltimore!

Our latest recipient spotlight of the IAVM Foundation’s inaugural class of 30|UNDER|30 is Dani Cole, sales manager at the Tacoma Dome and the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center in Washington.

“We’re in an industry where there are always new trends, new technology, and new expectations that the clients are bringing us,” Cole said when asked what she feels is necessary for future success in the venue management industry. “It is imperative that we are continuing to educate ourselves, that we aren’t allowing ourselves to become complacent or stale, that we are always learning what all these new trends are so that we can create new and exciting experiences every time someone walks in our door. If we can do this, I know that we will stay relevant, we will be competitive, and that we will be remembered.”

One of the benefits of being named a 30|UNDER|30 recipient is a full complimentary registration to VenueConnect in Baltimore. However, Cole will not be able to attend because her two-year-old daughter, Emmy, was recently diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a form of cancer.

Cole created a CaringBridge page to help friends and family stay up-to-date on Emmy.

“If you would like to leave words of encouragement for Emmy or the family on social media please tag #TeamEmmyCole so that when she grows up and looks back at this time in her life she can easily find your messages online,” Cole wrote the page. “Many people have asked how they can help our family, here are two sites that that have been setup by loved ones. If you would like to make a monetary donation please visit http://www.gofundme.com/teamemmycole, or if you would like to provide a meal please visit http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=HSMZ2586.”

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cole family and for Emmy’s health.