We recently wrapped up our Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS) and GuestX programs, and they were a resounding success! Let’s take moment and view some of the highlights via photos.

Several students attended our GuestX conference March 1-3 in Dallas, Texas, and found the experience valuable. Brandie Jenkins (left, in photo), a student at Kennesaw State University, provided the following thoughts about the conference.

I am currently a part-time, student employee for Kennesaw State University’s Sports & Entertainment Park in Kennesaw, Georgia, for an organization called Night Owl Productions. Night Owl Productions is a very unique work experience in which we are a majority student-lead organization. We host an array of different events such as our annual Owl-O-Ween hot-air balloon festival, the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series, collegiate soccer and lacrosse games, concerts, and our recent addition, the two-day Shaky Boots country music festival coming May 16-17. With that being said, we as students are able to gain experience working in departments such as hospitality, event/guest services, and productions, as well as facilities.

Each year, we as part-time students are given the opportunity to attend the annual IAVM VenueConnect conference to gain a better knowledge of the ins and outs of an entertainment venue while also getting a chance to network with companies and organizations that are often beneficial to us when we graduate. However, the GuestX conference was my very first IAVM conference, and I must say it was an amazing experience!

I first heard about GuestX because of my new job title as the event services lead that I obtained in August. At the beginning of January, my colleague and I came to the conclusion that we just were not fully satisfied with the amount of knowledge we had in our department so we began looking up different conferences that would be beneficial. We soon discovered the newfound GuestX conference, geared specifically toward any and everything guest services. After browsing through the guest speakers and the topics at hand, we knew we were sold and thought PERFECT!

Even though GuestX was my first conference, I still believe the agenda and overall course of topics for the conference were very informative not only to me but also for everyone else in attendance. My favorite session was Jennifer Blackmon’s “Memorable Customer Service.” Although her session was two hours, she was such an intriguing speaker that she kept everyone engaged with her witty, charismatic attitude and approach to presenting information. I’m huge on customer service, not only how I show customer service at my job but also how I receive customer service from people and places I come into contact with on a daily basis. I’m always looking for ways to elevate my customer service skills by “wowing” the fans as much as possible, and Jennifer’s take on making the customer’s experience a unique and personal one helped me to see how I can take the experience from just “nice” to a memorable one with ease.

My favorite aspect of the conference as a whole was definitely the AT&T Stadium tour! I had heard great things about the stadium but to get a behind-the-scenes, personal tour was by far the most memorable moment of the conference and I think everyone else can agree with this. I think the tour was the perfect ending to a great conference, and the food provided was unique in its own. The menu consisted of buffalo chicken bites on top of creamy white cheddar mac-n-cheese along, mini tacos, fried Wonton shrimp dipped in orange sauce, and an array of of delicious bites. I was more than impressed with the conference overall and I hope that I will get a chance to attend next year to see what new aspects you all come up with!

(Lara Anderson and Rich Singer, CFE, at AVSS 2015 in Dallas, Texas)

Rich Singer, CFE, teaches the AVSS Year 2 class “Dealing with the Media in a Time of Crisis.” During the class, Singer transforms the room into a volatile press conference and persuades one brave student to take on the role of the venue manager in front of the mic.

Lara (Leh-Ra) Anderson, event manager at the Encana Events Centre, took the bait. Here’s her take on the experience:

It started off as an exercise on paper. Imagine there was a death in your venue. How would you respond?

The instructor took it to another level by asking the class for a volunteer to get up and participate in a mock press conference regarding the scenario. Singer wrote a few notes about what he was looking for in the volunteer (including but not limited to);

1. The person cannot be very good.
2. The person must have a willingness to learn.

I felt pretty confident that this was an exercise that I would not excel in, as I have not had any training in this area, but I knew that I wanted to learn how to navigate the scenario and improve upon my skills.

I was given a few minutes to review my statement while Singer briefed the class, and I have to say, did he ever prepare them!

I was terrified to walk back in. A lot of things were running through my mind, “What did I get myself into?!” being one of them.

I walked to the podium and read my statement. After I was finished, I opened the floor to questions from the “media” (my classmates.) They were very angry about the incident and asked some difficult questions that I was not entirely prepared to answer, but at the same time I felt like I should be providing them with something. That was mistake No. 1. Lesson learned? Do not give information that you do not have. If you have to repeat that you are fully cooperating with the police while they are handling the investigation, and that is all you can say for now, then continue to say it in answer to similar questions until you get your point across.

Another lesson to take away is that if a reporter gets you to say something, they can use it in an article. If you do not say it, they cannot print it. For example, one of my wonderful “reporter” peers said “death trap” multiple times to try to get me to say that the venue was “not a death trap.” Fortunately, I did not bite, but we talked about this point in review of the exercise and it was definitely something to remember.

(Lara, unaware that her mock press conference was recorded, endures a play-by-play critique from her classmates.)

The craziest moment was when someone asked if their son, who goes to school with the person who passed away, would now be bumped up to the Varsity Team. I thought this was a joke, or a way to break the ice; however, the rest of the “media” did not think it was funny and got a little more irate as I told her I would keep my fingers crossed for her son (I was obviously joking!).

All kidding aside, this was an invaluable exercise for me. I believe that with practice and perhaps a little bit more coaching, I will have no trouble dealing with the media in the time of crisis; however, I hope that I—and everyone reading this—am able to avoid unwanted situations to the best of our abilities as we educate ourselves with the training provided at opportunities like the Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS) and put what we learn into practice.

I am so happy to have been able to attend AVSS again this year and to have had this amazing experience. A massive thank you to the class for their extremely tough questions and judgmental responses to my answers—you know who you are!

“I have been doing this session for about 15 years,” Singer said. “I always get a willing volunteer to stand up in front of the class and get grilled by the ‘press core.’ Lara was no exception. She bravely kept her cool through the whole experience. Great job, Lara!”

In my short career, I’ve learned that nothing is more important than hard work and dedication. Success in the sports industry is about being the first one in and the last one to leave and maintaining that mentality through your career. My realization of this came at a young age when I was playing competitive soccer. Growing up on the West Coast of Canada (Vancouver) there were little opportunities for women soccer players beyond youth level. When I was 16 years old and a junior in high school, I transferred to a new school in Scottsdale, Arizona, in order to pursue my dream of training with an elite U.S. soccer club and ultimately playing NCAA Division 1 soccer. Since I had to leave my family at such a young age and live with another family, I was forced to grow up and mature extremely fast. After two years of hard work, I was offered a full athletics and academic scholarship at New Jersey Institute of Technology. As a student athlete, it is extremely difficult to balance countless hours of practices, games, team meetings, and athletic events. Athletics together with classes, school work, and social life can become stressful. However, through hard work and strong time management skills I was able to succeed.

As my soccer career came to a close, I knew I wanted to gain professional growth in the industry while getting an MBA in Sport Management at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). The great aspect of FAU’s program is it requires you to have an internship or employment during the entire length of the program. This was the key element that separated the program at FAU from others schools. I held internship and employment with the Vancouver Whitecaps, the New York Red Bulls, the Miami Dolphins, and the Florida Panthers. I knew that if I wanted to succeed, I had to get my foot in the door in every way possible. At one point at FAU, I had three internships while managing a full course load. Certainly, it wasn’t easy. But overcoming challenges and obstacles is what makes the most successful individuals. I could tell countless stories of lugging tables, chairs, tents, and anything else I could get my hands on at all hours of the night during my internships. I wanted to show that I was willing to do any task no matter how tedious it may be.

I was proud to join IAVM in order to continue to network in the industry. The sporting industry is so small that it is important to have connection within. The internship program at the annual conference helped me network with successful individuals that I look up to. I hope to someday return the favor to aspire young individuals.

As I aspire to have a successful career in the industry, I will never forget the countless hours of hard work and dedication. In order to be successful, it’s about doing any task that comes your way no matter how unexciting it may be. It is about taking risk and bouncing back after you fail. The greatest triumph is not in never falling, but rising after you fall.

(Image: Orange Photography)

We’re ready to launch the next “class” of venue professionals, allied partners, students, faculty, or young professionals and wanted to let you know how to get involved. To kickoff these spring partnerships, the Mentor Connector Program webinar is this month, Wednesday, March 18, 3-4 pm EDT.

If you are interested in signing up as a Coach, Mentor, or Mentee, please register by entering this address in your browser: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4723610069813115393.

Did you know you can earn CFE points? Learn all you need to know about the program by signing up for the free webinar.

To participate in the program, you must be a current IAVM member. Please submit your Mentor or Mentee application by Wednesday, March 25. This will allow the IAVM Mentoring Task Force time to pair you with a mentor and coach. Please return your form to me, your member care manager, by email to summer.beday@iavm.org. Feel free to email or call 972.906.7441 if you have questions.

Download the application form from www.iavm.org/mentor-connector-program. We look forward to your participation in this incredible FREE benefit of IAVM membership!