Since 2007, nearly 150 students have interned with the IAVM Foundation at VenueConnect, IAVM’s Annual Conference & Trade Show. Here is where some of them are today.

2007

Ricky Nichols, assistant director, Don Haskins Center – University of Texas at El Paso
Sara Schenck, sales services specialist – Ticketmaster
Joseph Rekowski, concessions manager – Levy Restaurants at Sprint Center
Lauren Simpson, events manager – Grand Ole Opry House
Matthew Collin, event director – Argust Event Staffing

2008 

Matt Parker, director, event marketing and sales –  FELD Entertainment
Jon Cowen, event manager – STAPLES Center
Mike Simonson, guest services manager – South Carolina Aquarium
Evan Holmes, director of business operations – Mercedes Benz SuperDome

2009 

Whitney Goulish, director of ticket sales – Collegiate Consulting at University of Missouri Kansas City
Nate Hayden, director of business operations – Fiesta Bowl
Ashley York, event manager – Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center
Philip Costa, senior event coordinator – Stephen C. O’Connell Center
Kevin Burgess, assistant director of production – Stephen C. O’Connell Center
Philip Carpenter, operations manager – Liacouras Center
Steven Rodriguez, account executive, ticket sales – Collegiate Consulting at Rice University
Kathryn Carlson, guest services & security manager – American Airlines Center
Alaina Meissbach-Patton, event support specialist – Ticketmaster

2010

Jaclyn Sadler, director of corporate events & sales – International Bowling Campus
David Bennett, associate director of facilities and operations – Clemson University
Amber Stolley, event coordinator/house manager – Eureka Lodge
Caitlin Volpe, event coordinator – AT&T Performing Arts Center
Ryan Cross, box office manager – TicketsWest

“I wouldn’t have gotten as far as I have without the help of the Foundation.”—Ryan Cross, TicketsWest

“If it wasn’t for interning with IAVM, I would not have been able to network and connect with so many professionals and have the opportunities that I have had.”—Caitlin Volpe, AT&T Performing Arts Center

2011

Kenneth Gaudinez, assistant director, event operations – Wake Forest University
Bob Hotaling, event manager – The Ford Center
Aaron Batson, event manager – Orange County Convention Center

“I am a HUGE believer in this program and believe that it has helped me greatly get where I am today!”—Aaron Batson, Orange County Convention Center

2012

Justin Aquino, event coordinator – Orange County Fair and Event Center
Danny Sujanani, event prep supervisor – Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Ginny Van Doren, marketing coordinator – Cedar Park Center
Andrea Wherry, meeting planner – University of Florida
Melanie Hellmann, assistant suites manager – Delaware North

“The opportunities through the Foundation will help any aspiring venue manager fulfill their goals.”—Justin Aquino, OC Fair and Event Center

2013

Courtney Dotts, event services coordinator – Philadelphia Eagles
Jason LoRusso, development associate – IAVM Foundation
Clara Sackey, senior product consultant – CrowdTorch by Cvent
Tyler Smith, Adidas field agent – Axis of Awesome

2014

McKell Bennett, assistant marketing director – University of Montana Athletics
Laura Sherman, assistant food and beverage manager – U.S. Cellular Center
Meryl Hershfield, event services coordinator – Florida Panthers

“Attending IAVM’s VenueConnect has been one of the best decisions I have made to date. The opportunity was unforgettable, and the friends I met are some of the best people I know.”—McKell Bennett, University of Montana Athletics

The IAVM Foundation offers several scholarships and internships for our many programs. Visit our website to learn more and to apply.

(Image: Orange Photography)

The best gift you can give your customers consists of two words: Thank you.

According to a new study from Michigan State University (MSU), satisfied customers who were acknowledged by a company president for filling out a satisfaction survey increased their patronage to the business by more than 50 percent.

“Sweetening the pot with rewards really didn’t matter,” said Clay Voorhees, MSU associate professor of marketing and lead author of the study. “These findings suggest that simple, sincere gestures are enough to drive feelings of gratitude among consumers.”

Voorhees and his colleagues focused their study on restaurant customers, tracking their visits for 12 months after a thank-you email was sent from the company president upon completion of a satisfaction survey. They found that repeat visits increased 50 percent for men and 57 percent for women.

“In the restaurant industry, where 5 percent is a big deal, 50 percent blew our minds,” Voorhees said.

Also, the size of a customer’s party increased, with an increase of 79 percent for women and 42 percent for men.

“So it wasn’t just that they came back,” he said. “They came back and brought more people with them.”

The key is not to send an immediate automated response.

“Delaying the acknowledgement is critical to ensure it comes across as being more personal and sincere,” Voorhees said.

(photo credit: MjZ Photography via photopin cc)

Our drive to improve ourselves moves into high gear as we look toward a new year. And one of our first places of improvement starts at work, where we should always seek to better ourselves.

According to Kitty Boitnott, PhD, NBCT, a certified life strategies and stress management coach, there are immediate ways we can be better employees. She lists them in “5 Bad Work Habits to Break in 2015” on the website Careerealism.com. Here are three of her suggestions.

1. Be on Time
“It is much better to be known as the guy (or gal) who is always 10 minutes early for everything as opposed to being known for always being 10 minutes late for everything,” Boitnott wrote. “Being late is disrespectful of the people who are waiting for you.”

2. Avoid Office Gossip
“People may enjoy your stories for a while, but eventually they will start to wonder what you are telling other people about them given your penchant for not being able to keep a secret or hold a confidence.”

3. Stop Saying “It’s Not My Job”
“While it may be true that a particular job that you are asked to perform is outside the actual letter of your contract, by doing it anyway you demonstrate that you are a team player.”

Check out the article for the other two suggestions, and please let us know how you plan to improve your career next year in the comments section.

(photo credit: Whiskeygonebad via photopin cc)

The Bleacher Report released what’s sure to be a much debated article: “The 25 Best Cities to be a Sports Fan.”

“We broke each city down into eight categories: the number of teams there, the success of those teams in the past five years, how nice the stadiums are, fan passion, how good the media is, [star power], tradition, and general fan experience,” reporter Matt King wrote.

Here are the top nine cities to get you started.

1. Boston
2. Los Angeles/Anaheim
3. Philadelphia
4. Dallas
5. St. Louis
6. New York
7. Seattle
8. Pittsburgh
9. Chicago

Please visit the Bleacher Report for the rest of the list and to see if your city made the cut.

(photo credit: andrewmalone via photopin cc)

The 5th Annual Lights All Night Festival just packed 40,000 citizens of EDM nation into the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. Al Rojas, assistant director at the convention center, invited IAVM’s magazine team to attend the 2013 festival where we saw first-hand the attention placed on the safety and security of everyone involved in the event. Last year, Rojas commented that knowing a festival’s history is key to being a prepared host:

“The event staff looks at previous show reports and interviews with venue staff. The 2012 event was held at Dallas Fair Park and Daniel Huerta (IAVM member) and his staff were very helpful in the planning process. They also interview the event’s promoters to determine estimated attendance, arrival pattern of attendees, and the flow of attendees in the event. In addition, meetings with Dallas Police, Dallas Fire & Rescue, and event security were conducted.” (From the IAVM blog on 12/23/2013)

Knowing the unique dynamics of an event like an EDM festival is essential and results in a few customized procedures. Ingress at Lights All Night seeks to ensure that every attendee is screened consistently, and includes a few unique items that cannot be brought inside the venue. The Dallas Morning News recently shared the following list of banned items from the 2014 event:

• Pacifiers
• Vapor rub
• Large chains
• Massagers
• Spiked jewelry
• Kandi masks
• Dust masks
• Totems “of any kind”
• Stickers
• Stuffed animals
• E-cigarettes
• Open packs of cigarettes
• Open packs of gum
• Unsealed cosmetics, chapstick, and eye drops
• Over the counter meds
• Perfume
• Marker pens
• Spray paint

Read more about the 2014 Lights All Night festival.

(Photo: Lights All Night 2014 / Highland Concerts)