There was a lot of news this past week. Here are some stories that caught our eyes.

Historic Wrigley Field Wins Approval For A $575 Million Renovation
—Co.Design
“Two major aesthetic updates are on deck for the Friendly Confines, which turned 100 years old earlier this year: Expanding seating in the bleachers and along the infield, and installing seven new signs in the outfield.”

Inside Slant: $1 Billion for ‘Fan Experience’
—ESPN
“…nine stadium renovation projects of varying scope are underway at a projected total cost of more than $1 billion. They range from a $7 million concession update in Tampa Bay to a $350 million facility overhaul in Miami, but in each case, the bulk of the work is targeted toward amenities that improve the fan experience.”

University of Missouri Purchases Downtown Columbia Theatre for $3.7 Million
—University Herald
“The acquisition of Missouri Theater will save the university an estimated $57.8 million in future construction costs.”

Los Angeles Convention Center to Undergo US$10M Renovation
—Exhibition World
“The year-long transformation will begin next month where work will occur around shows and events scheduled in the venue.”

Rodeo, Texans Devise $66 Million Proposal to Demolish Astrodome, Turn it Into Outdoor Park
—KTRK
“If the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the Houston Texans get their way, the Astrodome may soon be a structure that can seen only in the history books.”

(Image credit: Restore Wrigley Field)

A championship pedigree and skills honed at one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment holding companies are hallmarks of Chris McGowan. Named Trail Blazers President & Chief Executive Officer in October 2012, McGowan migrated to the Pacific Northwest from Los Angeles-based AEG Sports, where he spent 16 years, including a final assignment as Chief Operating Officer, before becoming one of the NBA’s youngest CEOs.

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German doctors recently treated a man who had blood on the brain after a Motörhead concert. He came to them after complaining of worsening headaches for two weeks. The doctors conducted a cranial CT scan and saw that he had a chronic subdural haematoma on the right side of his brain. They removed the haematoma (blood clot), and he’s recovered.

While headbanging can cause whiplash, neck fractures, and carotid artery dissection, this is the first case showing how it cause bleeding in the brain.

My favorite part of this story, though, is this quote from Dr. Ariyan Pirayesh Islamian, who obviously loves Lemmy’s band.

The IAVM Sustainability Committee is hosting three fantastic presentations for you at VenueConnect. Our booth will be located at Booth 2743 by Theaters C & D.

1. SESSION 1—Sunday, July 27, 10:45-11:15 a.m.
How OCC Achieved LEED Platinum in 2014. By Matt Uchtman
The Oregon Convention Center (OCC) recently achieved LEED Platinum in March 2014. Learn more about the steps OCC took to go from becoming the first LEED Certified convention center in 2004 to achieving LEED Platinum in 2014.

Matt Uchtman has been the director of operations at the OCC since June 2012, overseeing the facilities technical services, operations, sustainability and capital projects. He also served as OCC’s operations manager of technical services, supervising the facility’s engineering, electrical, maintenance, grounds, telecommunication, and audiovisual services for national convention, consumer tradeshow, and special event clients. Prior to joining the OCC, Uchtman worked at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio, in multiple roles in the operations department and the university’s arena and sports complex. Matt has a Bachelor of Science degree in sports management from the University of Dayton and is a graduate from the International Association of Venue Management’s School of Venue Management.

2. SESSION 2—Sunday, July 27, 11:30 a.m.-Noon:
How Pritchard Sports and Entertainment Group Earned Florida Marlins Best Diversion Ratio Recycling Award. By J. Roland Hayden
This presentation will cover the recycling efforts at Marlins Park that earned the team an award for the best diversion ratio in the NL East. The creation of the recycling plan will be discussed, along with the resources and partners involved, the procedures they enacted, and the results of their efforts. Join us to learn how your venue can start or improve your current recycling efforts.

Roland Hayden has 30 years of experience in facility maintenance services. The past 22 years were specifically dedicated to the public assembly facility market segment. Roland currently serves as president of Pritchard Sports & Entertainment overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company throughout the country. Pritchard Sports & Entertainment provides full service turnkey cleaning maintenance to public assembly facilities, metal and marble restoration, and energy efficient lighting retro fits to include approved playing surface lighting. Roland is a long-term member of IAVM, the Stadium Managers Association, and the Building Service Contractors Association International.

3. SESSION 3 — Sunday, July 27, 12:30-1 p.m.
By Green Sports Alliance

Look for this exciting session announcement at VenueConnect!

You may have been told more than once to stand up straight. Well, if you’re seeking to make a big-picture decision, then you should take that command to heart.

A new study by Pankaj Aggarwal and Min Zhao, professors at the University of Toronto Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management, shows that when people believe they’re physically higher up, they take more broad-minded approaches to decisions.

“Consumers perceiving themselves to be physically ‘high’ or elevated are more likely to adopt a global perceptual processing and higher level of conceptual construal, while those perceiving themselves to be physically ‘low’ are more likely to adopt a local perceptual processing and lower level of conceptual construal,” Aggarwal and Zhao wrote in the study’s abstract.

“Mental construal” can be loosely defined as “where your head is at” when making decisions.

“This difference in level of construal also impacts product choices involving trade-offs between long-term benefit and short-term effort,” the authors wrote.

For example, a higher-level of mental construal results in “why” questions, whereas a lower level mental construal aligns with “how” questions.

In other height news, please consider another recent study that shows people are more excited and creative when they stand during meetings. Now, if we could all have standing meetings on the top floor, then all the world’s problems would be solved, right?

(photo credit: Arjan Almekinders via photopin cc)