I recently attended a lecture at a performing arts center. The seats were great. The sound was great. The presentation was great. Everything was great, except for the eager usher who emphatically told patrons not to take photos with their mobile phones. A phone would go up, and the usher rushed with a wagging finger toward the person.

A show at a theater is not my first rodeo. I’ve heard the requests to turn off our phones and to not take photos many times. I know the drill. I understand, too, how taking a photo can be distracting to the performers on stage. However, not every show is equal. In this instance, it was a lecture, and people just wanted to take a photo to post on a social media site to prove or brag they were in attendance.

Not every theater is the same. Some encourage the use of photos and posting them on social media channels (it’s free marketing). Maybe the venue I visited had a house policy of no photos, never, at all. Maybe the speaker didn’t want photos taken. If that’s the case, then say that via the PA system (e.g., “So-and-So requests that you not take photos.”).

Let’s face it, mobile devices are not going away. In fact, they’re getting smaller, more wearable, and less intrusive. They’re a part of our everyday lives, inside and outside venues.

According to a recent study conducted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and InMobi, 89 percent of live performance fans conducted mobile activities in direct relation to performances they have attended in the last six months. These activities occurred during all stages of a live performance—before, during, and after.

“There is no question that mobile has become a central part of live entertainment events,” said Anna Bager, vice president and general manager of IAB’s Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence. “Whether learning about the next big rock concert to hit town or planning a trip to see the hottest show on Broadway, consumers who adore live performances are turning to mobile devices as part of the entertainment experience—signaling that marketers and agencies need to include mobile in their media strategy, if they want to successfully reach prospective ticket buyers.”

The study found that 22 percent of attendees check-in at a live performance via social apps, 31 percent use mobile devices to make plans before or after a show, and 41 percent purchase tickets directly through mobile devices.

“Clearly, the mobile experience at live performances has gone well beyond waving around a mobile screen with the image of a fired up lighter,” said Joe Laszlo, senior director at IAB’s Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence. “With live entertainment seekers leveraging mobile throughout all the phases of going to a show, marketers should pay keen attention to the insights offered in this research. Investing in mobile could be the difference between a full house and a flop.”

After the lecture I attended, I saw several photos from the event posted on Facebook. Some were posted during the event, and some were uploaded afterwards. Every single one, though, positioned the venue and event in a good light. Once again, free marketing.

How do you handle mobile phone photography at your venue? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section.

(photo credit: ShutterRunner via photopin cc)

A few brave souls from IAVM’s Region 6 took a very, very rare (only one other group has ever done this!) walk up the catwalks to the top of the AT&T Stadium dome. The group began making its way to the upper level as a part of an exclusive tour offered by IAVM colleagues at AT&T Stadium, the gracious host of the Region 6 Meeting Closing Reception.

Before climbing the dome, the tour ventured out onto the roof. Spectacular views of the nearby ballpark, rumors of a sunbathing celebrity, and a bonus peek at the HVAC system and the tops of the elevator shafts made the tour exceptionally geeky fantastic for this crowd of venue professionals.

Access to the roof began with a climb to the last row of seats, where we passed through the service doorway and onto a staircase leading up to the dome catwalks.

Once we had walked around the edge of the dome to the 50-yard-line, a new catwalk launched up the spine of the ceiling and began a steep ascent up toward the retractable roof. The transition from a flat surface to the steep grade of this catwalk was significant, and it was at this point that almost everyone tightened their grip on the handrails.

The end of the climb brought us 382-feet over the floor, providing a breathtaking view of AT&T Stadium and a memorable reward to everyone on the tour! A huge thanks to Paul Turner, CFE, and the team at AT&T Stadium for providing this fantastic end to the Region 6 Meeting.

I’m happy to introduce our newest IAVM members—a total of 171 members in March and April. Our network is growing, and our membership now totals 4,332 members. Once again, a huge thank you to those of you that referred new members to our ranks!

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Okay, the video is a couple of years old, but it’s still cool. Also, football season can’t get here soon enough for me.

Host Wendy Bounds speaks with several MetLife Stadium employees, including IAVM member Alan Kashian, about the process of changing from the Giants to the Jets (or if you prefer, Jets to Giants). For example, 1,100 manual elements need to be changed when transitioning from one team to the other.

Go ahead and watch the video above, and also check out our Super Bowl success stories feature from the February/March issue in FM magazine.

Richard Branson, chairman and founder of Virgin Group Ltd., recently invested $30 million in BitPay, a software program that processes Bitcoin payments.

“Bitpay has proven itself to process Bitcoin safely and reliably, growing the market and increasing adoption, which continues to build trust, legitimacy and momentum in this exciting currency revolution,” Branson told Business Insider.

Branson has always been a visionary, and he’s not the only one. Many venues and universities accept Bitcoin for payments, and event though the value has fluctuated over the past year, the digital currency appears to be growing in popularity. According to CoinDesk survey, approximately 60,000 businesses now accept Bitcoin, and by the end of 2014, there will be 7.3 million Bitcoin wallets (a service that holds your coins for you).

One of our features in the April/May issue of FM magazine is about Bitcoin and how some organizations, such as the Sacramento Kings, are using it to keep on the cutting edge in their industries.

“In the short time since announcing its Bitcoin program, the Kings organization has been approached by other professional sports teams as well as local businesses that are now interested in accepting the virtual currency…,” Michael Pinchera wrote. “Beyond the value of sales attributable to Bitcoins, the organization is reaping other benefits as a result of its bold move: It’s seen as an industry innovator while simultaneously gaining valuable experience transacting with the future of currency.”

Please read the story, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section about Bitcoin.

(Image: Flickr CC/Antana)