Unmanned aircrafts (a.k.a. drones) will be popular holiday gifts this year. The Federal Aviation Administration knows that and has partnered with the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, the Academy of Model Aeronautics, and the Small UAV Coalition to educate prospective users about the safe and responsible operation of unmanned aircraft systems.

Their campaign, Know Before You Fly, released the above short video explaining what you can and can’t do with your new drone. Check it out, and fly responsibly.

Maybe all you need to feel better is a hug.

According to new research from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), hugs act as a form of social support and help protect stressed people from getting sick.

“We know that people experiencing ongoing conflicts with others are less able to fight off cold viruses,” said Sheldon Cohen, the Robert E. Doherty University Professor of Psychology in CMU’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “We also know that people who report having social support are partly protected from the effects of stress on psychological states, such as depression and anxiety. We tested whether perceptions of social support are equally effective in protecting us from stress-induced susceptibility to infection and also whether receiving hugs might partially account for those feelings of support and themselves protect a person against infection.”

After questioning perceived support, interpersonal conflicts, and the frequency of hugs of 404 healthy adults, the researchers exposed the study participants to a common cold virus and monitored them for signs of sickness.

The researchers found that perceived social support mitigated infection risks, and hugs accounted for one-third of the “protective effect of social support.”

“This suggests that being hugged by a trusted person may act as an effective means of conveying support and that increasing the frequency of hugs might be an effective means of reducing the deleterious effects of stress,” Cohen said. “The apparent protective effect of hugs may be attributable to the physical contact itself or to hugging being a behavioral indicator of support and intimacy. Either way, those who receive more hugs are somewhat more protected from infection.”

(Image: GLady)

The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) Arena in Alabama is undergoing a name change. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2015, it will be known as Legacy Arena.

The Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority approved the five-year, $2 million agreement, and a new logo will be visible on the venue’s interior and exterior, as well as in ads, social media, and digital platforms.

“We’re proud to partner with a local institution expressing Legacy’s values, and we’re excited about the co-branding opportunities this agreement brings to both our organizations,” Dennis Lathem, board chairman of the Jefferson County Civic Center Authority, told the Birmingham Business Journal.

The 18,000-seat arena opened in 1976 and averages 36 events a year. The BJCC is home to two exhibition halls and three entertainment venues.

(Image: Facebook)

We venue managers share many similar issues, concerns, and goals regardless of our type of venue. The safety of our participants, ticket holders, partners, employees, and everyone else involved with our operations, as well as the security of our venue itself, are topics that concern us every day.

We worry about each and every event, regardless of size, location, and subject matter. We also worry if we are doing enough, and what the next big threat will be to our venue, or to any other venue—what happens to one of us happens to all of us.

And now, as we look forward to 2015 and beyond, we ask ourselves what’s missing from our venue management information arsenal. Safety and security specifically comes to the forefront as we look at how we can better protect our charges and further help our venue colleagues make better, more informed decisions.

What helps us make better decisions? Experience? Information? Both?

Nothing compares to experience, but that may not always be the case with safety and security issues. What happened in Boston during the marathon didn’t happen anywhere else previously. All venue managers took notice, and the people involved with that epic nightmare have shared their stories, response tactics, and more to help us all be better prepared should such a disaster repeat itself. They shared their experience so that we can all learn from them, adopt what might work for us, and improve our overall service and performance in new best practices. Mature industries share their knowledge.

It’s truly incredible what kind of information about safety and security is available online. You can Google just about anything, and in less than a second receive loads of results—however, BUYER BEWARE. How do you know if the information is reliable, accurate, or even applicable to venue management?

That’s where VenueDataSource comes in. How valuable is a mass of information that you must vet for yourself compared to information received ONLY from industry experts and professionals?

Shortly after you return to your offices after the holiday break, you will receive an opportunity to vet IAVM’s body of safety and security knowledge. You’ll receive an invitation to review the major security operating practices and issues every venue security professional faces and compare these to your own practices. Your security professional will be able to complete this survey in less than 15 minutes, and the results will give your team the ability to compare your venue’s practices with your peers and with the best in the business. And if your venue completes this brief survey, you’ll receive the report free.

This vitally important survey will help your 2015 to be your best year yet in the industry. You will be armed with the information and the tools to succeed.

And speaking of success—VenueDataSource has just released facts and findings from the 2014 venue industry Sustainability Report, available from IAVM headquarters. Just email VenueDataFrank at frank.ingoglia@iavm.org. This report is our final release for 2014, another great year for sharing industry research that helps you do your job.

As always, you can find us on this monthly blog, on Twitter @VenueDataFrank, in weekly newsletters discussing trends, facts, and asking poll questions, at the sector conference and VenueConnect—everywhere you VDS, you’ll find us. No matter where you go, there we are.

Our successful get-a-member campaign, iCommit, is under way. Reaching 5,000 members is within our grasp. Just a few years ago, who would have believed this was possible? With your help, we can get very close if we add 600 new members by March 31, 2015. More members means more collaboration, a bigger and more diverse network for you, and a greater pool of experts to create inspiring and motivating educational sessions at conferences.

Let’s look at it this way: If every member strives to add just one new member, we could DOUBLE our membership by March 31—certainly by the end of 2015. How exciting!

With the new IAVM Venue Group Membership gaining momentum, involvement is very easy and affordable. As of today, we have 22 venues that have signed up. So talk up this program also.

Will you commit to help IAVM build a stronger association and a bigger network of like-minded leaders? We hope so! You did an amazing job last year, so let’s continue working together to grow your association.

Click here for the new recruitment tool “Why IAVM?” This will be an excellent resource in encouraging new members to join.

What’s In It For You?

Besides feeling good about supporting the industry, for each new member you refer and who joins IAVM, your name will be entered into a raffle to win one of five, $500 Apple gift cards (generously provided by Ungerboeck Software Intl.) to apply toward the purchase of any Apple product! The more members you bring, the more chances you will have to win. The campaign ends March 31, 2015.*The gift cards will be mailed to the winners by April 30.

*To ensure you are eligible to win, make sure the new member who joins lists your name in the Application Section titled “Who Recommended IAVM To You?” and enters “iCOMMIT” in the Promotional Code field in the payment method section of the membership applications. By entering the promo code, the $150 one-time initiation fee will be waived.

If you have questions, please contact me or Summer Beday at 972.906.7441 or membership@iavm.org. We value and appreciate your support of IAVM!

(photo credit: SimpleSkye via photopin cc)