The IAVM community wishes to express its deepest sympathy to the family, friends, and colleagues affected by the loss of David Swain at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.

“We’re deeply saddened and shaken by the tragic accident that happened yesterday,” said Dave Holscher, North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center general manager. “David Swain has been a cherished member of our Coliseum family for many years. Our thoughts and prayers go out to David’s family, friends and co-workers.” (via WISTV.com)

The way to keeping lower-level employees happy is to keep middle managers happy, according to a new Vanderbilt University study.

“Middle managers’ treatment of employees reflects how bosses treat them,” said Ray Friedman, Brownlee O. Currey Professor of Management at Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management.

The researchers studied 1,527 full-time employees at 94 hotels in the U.S. and Canada and found that middle managers’ satisfaction with their supervisors was related in line to workers’ satisfaction with middle managers.

“If an organization wishes to address issues related to line employees’ work attitudes, it should address behavior and work attitudes from the top down.” Friedman said. “The focus should not just be on employees and their managers, but also on the signals being sent by senior managers every day as they interact with their middle-level manager subordinates.”

It’s imperative that middle managers have a good working relationship with their supervisors, because the effects trickle down to the lower-level employees.

“Despite the lack of direct contact between senior managers and line employees, senior managers can have a significant influence on those line employees,” Friedman said.

Friedman talks more about the study’s findings in the above video.

There’s a difference in expectations between a loyal sports fan and a first-time attendee, according to a recent Cornell University study.

More than 7,000 fans of a major U.S. sport were surveyed, and the researchers found that loyal fans took into account core services (e.g., the game itself, food and beverage) and supplementary services (e.g., parking, entrance gates) when they considered buying another ticket. First-time customer, though, focused on the core services mostly.

“This particular sport has a notably loyal fan base,” said Matthew Walsman, a doctoral student at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. “So, we wanted to know what aspects of the event services are most influential when the fans buy their next ticket. It turns out that all the services, both core services and supplementary services are important. They go for the full experience, starting from the moment they arrive and walk through the gates.”

Approximately 250 people where first-time customers in the survey.

“We found out that first-time customers are most interested in the core service—primarily the sporting contest itself and the services immediately connected with that event,” said Rohit Verma, a Singapore Tourism Board Distinguished Professor at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. “We also found out that these first-timers make something of a snap decision on repeated ticket purchase—either they enjoy all the services and buy another ticket or else the service package doesn’t meet their needs.”

The researchers suggest that an implication of the study is that organizations should focus on their fans’ full experience, but core services are critical for loyal and first-time fans.

“Most service businesses have control over their core experience, but this is not always true in sporting events,” Walsman said. “Sometimes the event includes dramatic moments and sometimes not. This is where the related services come in. If the venue managers provide a full event package, the customers will still have an enjoyable time even if their team or contestant had a tough day.”

The study, “It’s More Than Just a Game: The Effect of Core and Supplementary Services on Customer Loyalty,” is free to download.

(photo credit: as walmart turns via photopin cc)

Here’s one for history buffs: Renovation done at Rome’s Colosseum revealed red seat numbers. The seating system, according to Discovery News, was similar to how venues operate today.

“The 50,000 spectators had a ticket that said which numbered gate arch they were supposed to enter,” monument director Rossella Rea told Discovery News. “Inside the arena, there were other numbers to help people access their seats, which were assigned according to social class.”

Fans entered 76 public numbered (using the Latin alphabet, such as X, L, and V, for example) entrances and four special, un-numbered gates.

“Two were reserved to the emperor, senators, magistrates, wealthy patricians, and the Vestal Virgins, priestesses responsible for maintaining the sacred fire within the Temple of Vesta,” reported Rossella Lorenzi for Discovery News. “A gate was used for the dead—gladiators and wild beasts—while another was used by gladiators parading prior to the beginning of the combats.”

The seat numbers were cared in stone then painted red so people could easily see them from far away. The whole process allowed smooth and quick seating for thousands of fans.

What’s that saying? The more things change, the more they stay the same?

(photo credit: stevenJcarroll via photopin cc)

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 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.

Here is 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. 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. Please note that all committee assignments are for one year, but you may continue to serve for multiple years on one committee by responding to the call for volunteers again next year. Also, given the level of interest in service, we can generally only place you on one committee, with some exceptions, such as the Industry Affairs Advisory Council, which is partially filled by specified representatives (chairs of the sectors, for example).

This year, we are also seeking representatives (1-2 from each state) that are interested in ticketing legislation issues and are willing to actively advocate for IAVM and Fans First. You may request to represent your state as well as serve on another committee within IAVM, and you will see that the survey separates these two areas of volunteerism.

The deadline to respond to the Call for Volunteers is February 27, 2015; 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 assignments by the end of March.

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 Rosanne Duke.