U2 started off playing small venues. So did Belle & Sebastian, the Cure, the Police…you could literally add hundreds of big-name acts to this list. Small venues are the proving grounds for building audiences and polishing performances. It’s important, then, that they continue to operate, and that’s why the Music Venues Alliance in the U.K. was formed. The alliance—representing more than 100 music venues—will focus on creating policies that offer a more sustainable future for music venues.

“AC/DC, The Who, Talking Heads, Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Keane, Mumford & Sons, The Vaccines, The Libertines, Anna Calvi all relied on London venues to find their fame and fortune,” UK Music CEO Jo Dipple said in a statement. “As a result, they became part of a phenomenon that creates £3.8bn for the U.K. economy and defines us all around the world. The U.K. has an incredibly strong music heritage. It must have an equally strong music future. Our venues are a vital part of this.”

The alliance will have the Music Venue Trust work on its behalf at a national level, lobbying and campaigning to protect and assist it, including sitting on the UK Live Music Group and being the voice of venues at UK Music.

“We are delighted to start 2015 with such a positive opportunity for London music venues to discuss their needs,” said Mark Davyd, CEO of the Music Venue Trust. “The small venue circuit has come under a number of different pressures in the last few years, and cultural and city planning are key elements of a comprehensive action plan that is needed to ensure that the U.K. continues to enjoy the best live music circuit in the world, producing some of the best artists in the world. It is important to emphasise the role that these small venues play in the ecosystem of British music, providing the first performance platform for writers and musicians. This is the grassroots and bedrock of the U.K. music industry, which creates thousands of jobs and is one of our biggest export earners. These venues are the research and development department of that success.”

(photo credit: benmatthewreyes via photopin cc)

I do love a good large-scale projection, and the Toronto Maple Leafs produced one on the ice at the Air Canada Centre last week that’s pretty cool. Take a look at it in the video above.

Microsoft unveiled its HoloLens product during its Window 10 event. I’m sure you’re saying, “Oh great, another virtual reality device.” That’s where you’d be incorrect.

“Microsoft’s glasses are different from Oculus Rift goggles, which promise to transport you to a different world and open up numerous possibilities for film, TV, sports, and other entertainment,” Nick Statt reported for CNET. “HoloLens uses a technology called augmented reality, which overlays images onto real life and lets you interact with them.”

See, totally different.

The company is focusing on HoloLens as a new way to play video games. But Statt found something more practical for the device.

“Perhaps the most stunning demo, however, was the most practical: Skype’s videoconferencing software,” Statt reported. “Microsoft had us repair a light switch by video chatting with someone using a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet. Their face bobbed in front of my line of vision while I received instructions. To help us maneuver around the various tools, the Microsoft employee was able to draw on our line of sight in real time, using arrows and rudimentary diagrams to describe the best way to position electronics and how to piece everything together.”

From a venue professional perspective, imagine using HoloLens to interact with seating set-ups or safety procedures or facility construction. Go on. Imagine the possibilities.

(Image: Microsoft)

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) created an economic impact of more than $64 million for the Nashville community during its 2013-2014 season. That’s just one of four records the organization broke, according to its annual report. The other three records are

—A new record of $20 million in ticket sales, including tickets to the 2013-14 HCA/TriStar Health Broadway at TPAC season, Broadway specials, TPAC Presents, rentals, and performances of three resident companies: Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, and Nashville Repertory Theatre;

—A new record of $1,080,590 in fundraising, including contributions from sponsors, government agencies, corporations, foundations, and individual donors;

—And a new record for food and beverage sales.

The IAVM-member venue also saw growth in audience engagement on 13 social media platforms, volunteer participation, and outreach efforts.

“Like any non-profit charged with delivering mission-based programs, such as arts education and cultural programs, we deal with a fragile financial structure. We strive to manage within our resources, including outside funding and support, to provide exceptional programs and offerings,” said Kathleen O’Brien, TPAC president and CEO. “Sometimes the challenges are great, and we are mindful that not all years deliver this kind of financial result. That is why we’re especially excited to celebrate this record-breaking success, which ultimately benefits the arts and entertainment industry, the state and local economies, education, and communities.”

Performance venues managed by TPAC include the Andrew Jackson Hall, the James K. Polk Theater, the Andrew Johnson Theater, and the War Memorial Auditorium. The economic impact number is based on the nationally accepted formula from Americans for the Arts.

(Image: Rick McBride/TPAC)

Congratulations to IAVM member venue AmericanAirlines Arena for achieving LEED Gold recertification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Miami-based arena received its first LEED Silver for Existing Buildings certification in 2009.

“The HEAT Group is very proud to be a leader of the sustainability movement in both our industry and our beloved city,” said Eric Woolworth, president of The HEAT Group’s Business Operations. “Achieving LEED Gold is the fantastic culmination of our ongoing efforts over the past five years to behave in an environmentally responsible way that has a positive effect on our community and our planet.”

Examples of how the venue achieved gold status include ensuring 75 percent of its annual electricity use comes from renewable energy, having a solar reflective roof, and efficient plumbing fixtures, among other items.

“This is an extraordinary act of leadership and stewardship by The HEAT Group,” said USGBC CEO and founding chair Rick Fedrizzi. “Buildings are like people in that both can perform at their peak when they pay attention to their performance every day. It’s that attention to thousands of little details that helped this facility not only match but actually outperform its first certification. That’s a tremendous achievement and we congratulate them.”

(photo credit: locationsite via photopin cc. h/t FFMA)