Last week, saw a first for Major League Baseball and to my knowledge, major league sports in the U.S. The Baltimore Orioles played host to the Chicago White Sox at Camden Yards in front of a record crowd of zero fans due to the protests and rioting over Freddie Gray’s tragic death. As I read the articles online and watched the reports on TV, the stadium manager in me sparked what seemed like an endless list of questions.

I first want to admit that I’m not reporting on what actually took place between the City of Baltimore, the Orioles, and Camden Yards. The point of my post today is to use this scenario as a case study to start generating awareness of what you would do if this happened in your city and not to critique the execution of plans at Camden Yards. I’d encourage feedback from the community to help get the rest of us thinking.

Let’s start with the timeline of events. On Wednesday, the team met with local police and officials to determine the game that evening could not be played.  Messaging was sent out for ticket holders via social media (and I’m guessing email) to retain their tickets and parking until more information is available. The same message was sent out regarding the game on Thursday, followed by a press release stating that Friday’s game would be played at 2:05 p.m. and be closed to the public. With a series of messages like these being picked up and reported by every national media agency, I tried to put myself in the shoes of the stadium manager at Camden Yards. Here are some the questions that came to my mind:

• Does the Sports Information Director (SID)/Communications Department have all the information to report out to the media to control the messaging? We don’t want them reporting on items that aren’t true.
• Do we have enough staff here to answer the phones, and have we armed them with consistent messaging to give to our customers?
• Can we put our security staff on 12-hour shifts to secure the ball park? Keeping in mind that some staff may rely on public transportation, and there is a 10 p.m. curfew.
• What kind of resources will we be able to get from local law enforcement, and is there a possibility that they’ll leave their post if something were to happen elsewhere?
• Who are the essential staff that need to be at the ballpark to effectively manage a game played in front of empty seats, and possibly, a very full press box?
• Should we staff the full complement of external ballpark positions to be prepared for guests arriving for the game?

I then began to ask myself, are these questions answered in my emergency operations plan (EOP)? While I know our EOP’s cannot speak to every incident that may occur, these are real questions that I better be able to answer. After going back through my EOP, I realized that they aren’t answered but it generated a whole new set of questions based on what was in there.

• If something were to happen in the stadium while the 2:05 p.m. game was going on (in front of limited media, scouts, etc.), would we have enough staff in the building to properly manage an emergency situation?
• Would we have set-up Incident Command (part of the ICS structure) in advance to be prepared?
• Have we done enough up until this point to train the staff on how to handle items like talking to the press, being observant of suspicious packages, and what to do if you answer the phone to a bomb threat? All items that are possible when your event is under a microscope.

It turns out that the game in Baltimore went off, and there were no major incidents reported. There were some great interviews by the players on their experience. Great job to Camden Yards and the Baltimore Orioles organization for managing the threat and still being able to host the game.

Once the game was over, I did wonder if there were opportunities to reward the essential staff that were able to make it to work. Not saying that Baltimore didn’t do any of these things, but I had some thoughts on what I would do if faced with these issues. Who knows, it could be relevant to other scenarios.

• Could there have been a special autograph session after the game for the essential staff? I can’t imagine it would have taken any more than an hour, understanding that the team wanted to get back to their families during this time of turmoil.
• Should we make a commemorative t-shirt to give them once things get back to normal? I can see it now, a shirt that reads, “I worked the only game in history played in front of a crowd of zero.”
• Host a thank-you dinner where senior level leaders thank the team for its commitment.

It never seems like there are enough opportunities to thank your staff, and it really makes an impact when events like these take place.

As stated above, the intent of this post was not to play “Monday Morning Quarterback” and criticize Camden Yards. It was merely to get you thinking on what you would have done so you are prepared if it ever happens in your city. I hope that all of you look at what Camden Yards went through and ask yourself what you would do if the roles were reversed. I know I’m taking this as an opportunity during my off season to review my Emergency Operations Plan, make updates, and reinforce them to the staff in training. What will you be doing?

(Image: Baltimore Orioles’ Facebook page)

To paraphrase Ferris Bueller: Life moves pretty fast—if you don’t keep up, you could miss out. The venue management industry isn’t immune to the fast-pace of the world around it, which makes a new textbook that much more important.

Public Assembly Venue Management: Sports, Entertainment, Meeting, and Convention Venues is the latest publication from IAVM.

Built upon the legacy of IAVM’s previous publications (2004, 2009), the new textbook was written for undergraduate and graduate students within sport management, event management, hospitality management, and other related disciplines. It was written to assist faculty in teaching the important theoretical and conceptual issues within the context of public assembly venue management. And it was written as a resource for entry-level venue management professionals and to support IAVM and its professional development programs

“The objective of this book is to introduce the reader to the business of public assembly venue management,” the authors wrote in the book’s Preface. “Such venues are found throughout the world, and, while their purposes and goals may be different, the management, principles, and practices are fundamentally alike. The reader should be able to glean relevant information that applies to venues of all types, large and small, local and international.”

We asked the authors some questions to learn more about the book.

This is not a third edition of IAVM’s previous textbook, but rather an entirely new book. What factors contributed to the scope of the new content?
While we set out to simply update the second edition, our passion for the industry and our desire to support faculty in the education of students with an easy-to-use textbook and companion materials drove us to go deeper. In addition, the speed in which the industry is evolving, especially in the area of technology, required more extensive review and update of the content.

Are there any topics covered in the textbook that reinforce the pace of change happening in venue management?
The industry is constantly changing and advancing. As a result, we have updated existing content, and added content regarding social media, analytics, and ticketing advancements. We have also added a dedicated chapter for safety and security.

What are you most proud of regarding this new project?
We are very proud of the time and dedication invested to produce a textbook that accomplished the goals we set. We are especially appreciative of the many industry colleagues that assisted us in a variety of capacities. This textbook provides a comprehensive look at public assembly venue management and covers topics noticeably absent in other facility management texts. In addition, the textbook and companion materials can be used by faculty for undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as used by practitioners.

This textbook is part of a new collection of education tools being produced for venue managers and students. What else is available, and what is in development?
The textbook is just one element of the collection of educational tools available for faculty. We have also compiled extensive companion materials for faculty including a sample syllabus, PowerPoint presentations, test banks, case studies, class discussion topics/class activities, and four sample class projects.

Simultaneously, the IAVM eBooks Task Force has been working on their first eBook, which will also be released this year. While the textbook provides a comprehensive look at public assembly venue management, the intent of the eBook is to take one topic/chapter from the textbook and expand it with significantly greater detail and an enhanced focus on the practitioner. Event management within a public assembly venue is the first topic to be addressed in an eBook, and to help ensure consistency, Dr. Kimberly Mahoney is working on both projects.

Public Assembly Venue Management: Sports, Entertainment, Meeting, and Convention Venues is now available for faculty to preview. It will be released to the public in July 2015.

We brought up the issue of live-streaming apps a couple of weeks ago here on the blog, and now we have a real-work example of them being used to broadcast a sporting event—the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight on May 2, 2015.

“Rather than pay the $100 pay-per-view fee to watch the fight at home, many people watched streams of the fight on video-sharing apps such as Periscope and other technology,” Stuart Pfeifer reported for the Los Angeles Times. “Some boasted on social media that they were using Periscope to watch the fight for free.”

Pfeifer wrote that Top Rank, co-promoter of the fight, plans to pursue legal action against the streaming companies and individuals who broadcast the fight. Many of the streams came from people pointing their phones at their TVs.

“The number of streams was almost overwhelming,” Christina Warren reported for Mashable. “Some Periscopers were shooting in portrait mode (as is standard for Periscope), while others were shooting in landscape to capture more of a TV screen.”

Warren wrote that the stream she ended up watching the fight on had more than 10,000 people tuned in at the same time. And that’s what made it exciting.

“The experience of watching the fight on Periscope was inherently more social—and frankly, more interactive—than watching via one of the many pirate PPV or HBO streams available on the Internet,” Warren wrote.

Yes, an event is a much better experience in person, but we’re seeing now that live-streaming apps can create a new version of sociability. It’s a new twist in the sofa vs. venue front, and one venue managers, promoters, organizations…basically anyone that has a finger in this industry should be paying attention to.

(Image: Marketingland.com)

Artist rendering showing how fans can view live events from different angles on personal monitors at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

The Asahi Shimbun is reporting some interesting news about the National Stadium in Tokyo, which is the main facility for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The paper wrote that the Japan Sport Council invited several companies to participate in seminars about new technology for the stadium.

“Among the proposals at the latest seminar were toilets that will record a user’s blood pressure and body temperature simply by sitting on the seat, and dedicated monitors mounted to each spectator seat in the venue that will provide multi-angle views of the action on the playing field,” the paper reported. “Other ideas presented were providing information using a multilingual translation system; creating a Wi-Fi connection that would enable 80,000 people to use the Internet at the same time; the use of hydrogen energy; and the utilization of the stadium as an evacuation center in the event of a disaster.”

Think about that. Use the bathroom AND get your blood pressured check. Dang, I love technology.

(Image: Japan Sport Council)

“On behalf of all of us in Baltimore, I would like to extend my heartfelt thank you to all of my IAVM colleagues and friends. We are strong and committed to overcome the experiences that we are going through,” said Peggy Daidakis, executive director of the Baltimore Convention Center. “There is so much good about Baltimore that the media is not showing. Citizens cleaning up their neighborhoods after the destruction; children handing out water to the police; students organizing peaceful protests; food, beverages, and words of appreciation to the National Guard and other law enforcement officers for keeping us safe and maintaining order.”

IAVM is going to Baltimore. We are supporting a vibrant city, great venues, and inspiring members. Through your attendance at VenueConnect, through our events in the city (including our meet-up at Camden Yards!), and through the Foundation Legacy Project, we are preparing to bring the best of who we are and what we do to a wonderful host city.

“When you visit Baltimore for VenueConnect, we will show you the Baltimore filled with wonderful attractions, cultural events, great restaurants, the Baltimore Orioles, and friendly people who want you to have the best experience while you are here,” Daidakis said. “You will not be disappointed.”

The opportunity for meaningful connections is bigger than ever, with our two-day trade show and six networking events—at Camden Yards, the National Aquarium, the Baltimore Convention Center, Bulle Rock golf course—and more.

“Our friends and colleagues in Baltimore need our support now more than ever. We can all be part of the solution and the healing for this wonderful city,” said Kim Bedier, CFE, chair of IAVM. “I look forward to attending VenueConnect in Baltimore in August and hope you will join us for an outstanding professional development experience.”

“VenueConnect is shaping up to be a tremendous event for everyone that attends, and it could not be more important than now for all of us to commit to making IAVM’s 90th conference a resounding success for our association and the city of Baltimore,” said Vicki Hawarden, CMP, president and CEO of IAVM. “Our support from local members and the city of Baltimore has been fantastic, and it will be on full display when we all arrive this August.”

This summer’s conference marks the 90th year for IAVM, and plans are well underway for a celebration that truly embodies the association’s legacy of enduring support to the people, companies, and venues that bring unforgettable experiences to cities throughout the world.

“I am so lucky to be a part of an industry with so many good and caring people,” Daidakis said. “I have been overwhelmed with the personal emails from many of you. I cannot thank you enough. All the best to all of you, and see you this summer. We want you to come and experience a great city!”