VenueConnect is just around the corner and excitement is building. By now, you should have received your conference poster. Part of that mailing included a cut-out beard, and we’ve been asking you to send in photos of yourself wearing the beard. We received some pretty great photos from our members, as you can see above.

Please continue to email or tweet us more photos of yourself wearing the beard, and we can pretend to live the dream of the 1890s.

See you soon in Portland!

Samsung Electronics Co. and Under Armour Inc. are expected to partner together as part of move to expand its footprint in the worldwide wearable devices market, reported the Yonhap News Agency in Seoul, South Korea.

“The outlook came as Lee Jay-yong, the de facto heir of Samsung Group, reportedly met Kelvin Plank, the founder and chief executive officer of Under Armour here earlier this month,” Yonhap reported. “During the meeting, they have reportedly discussed ways of countering impact from collaboration between Apple Inc. and Nike Inc. in the wearable devices sector. Such speculations also rose as Lee was witnessed wearing an Under Armour shirt during his visit to the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference held last week at the U.S. state of Idaho.”

Neither company has confirmed the partnership, and Samsung has already entered the wearable market with the Galaxy Gear smartwatch it released last September. Apple is expected to release its first wearable device later this year, possibly in October. Under Armour entered the wearable market with its own Armour39 system last year.

However this plays out, expect to be awash in wearables by 2018, when spending is expected to reach $19 billion worldwide.

(photo credit: Keoni Cabral via photopin cc)

The Austin City Limits Music Festival is offering something of Willy Wonka magnitude—a golden toilet.

This crowd jewel of portable relief comes equipped with air conditioning, a phone charger, a TV, and so.much.gold.

The Golden Porta Potty will only be available to six winners who receive 10 free potty passes and 10 free single-day tickets to the festival. Be quick, the winners will be announced tomorrow, July 16.

Having my own restroom at event? Now, THAT’S the ultimate guest experience!

More info can be found in the video below, and you can enter at www.aclfestival.com/gpp.

(Image: Austin City Limits Festival. H/T: The Dallas Morning News)

The cost of losing an employee and hiring and training a new one can reach thousands of dollars (various findings in various studies). It makes sense, then, that companies would rehire a former worker in order to offset some of these costs.

Two studies from the University of Illinois focused on these “boomerang employees” and their benefits to organizations.

“In addition to understanding the organizational culture, returning employees might also be more committed to the focal organization upon their return because, in essence, they’ve learned firsthand that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side,” said T. Brad Harris, a professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois.

Harris, and his co-authors—Stacie Furst-Holloway (University of Cincinnati), Benson Rosen (University of North Carolina), and Abbie J. Shipp (Texas Christian University)—found that rehires have several specific experiences.

“After surveying and interviewing hundreds of employees, we were able to see that boomerang employees were more likely to originally leave an organization not because of dissatisfaction with the job, but because of some personal shock, such as a pregnancy, spousal relocation, or an unexpected job offer,” Harris said. “Somewhat unexpectedly, we also found that boomerang employees, compared to non-boomerang employees, typically had shorter original tenures with the focal organizations.”

In Harris’ second study, he found that harmony at the original employer played a key role performance success when rehired.

“Our latest research suggests that organizations should realize that not all boomerangs are created equal,” Harris said. “When evaluating potential boomerang hires, organizations should first, and most obviously, consider their previous performance histories at the focal organization and at their most recent employer.

“Second, organizations should be mindful that employees who originally left on good terms and of their own volition might be better suited for a return than those who left more acrimoniously,” he continued. “And finally, employees who are not gone for very long might possess more of the desirable attributes of boomerang employees, such as accurately recalling the organizational culture and understanding the social norms expected in it.”

How often do you rehire employees? Please let us know in the comments.

(photo credit: Keith Allison via photopin cc)

Among sports greening initiatives, efforts around water are often overshadowed by more visible efforts around recycling/composting, fan engagement, and energy efficiency and renewables. However, large swaths of North America have experienced record drought in the last several years, and water scarcity issues come into even greater focus as the summer heats up. While water issues (and prices) vary greatly by region, there are strategies that are broadly applicable to reduce consumption, waste, and monthly bills.

On this webinar, we will start with a “state of the state” assessment of fresh water in North America, and learn more about innovative ways to support restoration of depleted water sources. We will then hear two case studies: water conservation and efficiency efforts at a major NFL stadium, and an innovative approach to drinking water—sans bottled water—at a large, temporary spectator sports event. We hope you can join us to learn more!

AGENDA

1. Val Fishman—vice president of corporate partnerships, Bonneville Environmental Foundation & Board of Directors, Green Sports Alliance: Welcoming remarks and presenter introductions; the state of freshwater in North America and tools to address it.

2. Henry Rzemieniewski—cleaning operations manager, MetLife Stadium: Water-saving strategies at MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets, and signatory of an MOU with the U.S. EPA to asses and reduce environmental impact.

3. Jill Savery—former head of sustainability, America’s Cup Event Authority: Providing clean drinking water for spectators without bottled water or single use plastic at a large, international sporting event.

4. Discussion/Q&A

The webinar takes places tomorrow, July 16, from noon-1 p.m. (CDT). Register Now!

(photo credit: laszlo-photo via photopin cc)