As you make travel plans for VenueConnect, please be sure to book your hotel as early as possible. Summer is a popular season for Portland, Oregon, and hotel blocks are filling quickly with housing deadlines fast approaching.

We recently added the Crowne Plaza Portland Downtown-Convention Center as another hotel option near the Oregon Convention Center. Rooms start at $189/night and include complimentary airport transportation. The reservation deadline for this hotel is Thursday, June 26, 2014.

There are still a small number of rooms available at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Portland, and the Red Lion Hotel Portland Convention Center. The reservation deadline for these hotels is Monday, July 7, 2014, and rates start from $143 to $199.

Remember, you will receive a complimentary MAX Light Rail pass at registration, which will allow you to easily move between downtown, the convention center, and the airport.

For additional housing and travel information, or to make a reservation, please visit our VenueConnect Travel Information page.

Six World Cup stadiums have achieved LEED certification, awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The stadiums include Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro (LEED Silver), Castelao Arena in Fortaleza (LEED Certified), Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador (LEED Silver), Mineirão in Belo Horizonte (LEED Silver), Arena da Amazônia in Manaus (LEED Silver), and Arena Multiuso in Salvador (LEED Silver).

“Even as the world’s top teams take the field, the venues themselves are also in the spotlight, demonstrating not only the worldwide applicability and adaptability of the LEED green building rating system, but also Brazil’s leadership position at the forefront of the movement to high-performing green buildings,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair of the USGBC. “FIFA and the Brazilian government have shown great leadership and commitment to mitigating the environmental impact of these World Cup facilities and for making them a showcase of sustainable construction for the international community.”

Each stadium incorporated multiple sustainable features that contributed to its LEED certification, reported the USGBC in a statement.

“For example, Castelao Arena features a 67.6 percent reduction in drinkable water consumption, a 12.7 percent reduction in annual energy consumption, and a 97 percent of the project waste was diverted from the landfill,” the USGBC reported. “Arena Fonte Nova, meanwhile, used 20 percent of its building materials made from recycled content, diverted 75 percent of the project’s construction waste from the landfill, and purchased 35 percent of its power from renewable sources like solar and wind.”

“The entire country of Brazil is making history with these LEED stadiums,” said Felipe Faria, managing director of Green Building Council Brasil. “We are grateful for the leadership demonstrated by the professionals in the marketplace and applaud their achievements. The many green elements incorporated into these stadiums will reduce the environmental impact of the games on Brazil from improved transit access to lower water and energy consumption.”

(photo credit: facebook.com/elissonriosfotografia via photopin cc)

It was 20 years ago today that a nation watched a white Bronco SUV drive up, down, and around L.A. freeways. O.J. Simpson was in the vehicle, and the former football standout was wanted by the police for questioning in a double murder. It was gripping television, as O.J. sat in the back of the Bronco with a gun in his hand, leaving many wondering if it would all end tragically.

The police chase wasn’t the only thing happening that day. Arnold Palmer was playing in his last U.S. Open, the New York Rangers were celebrating their Stanley Cup win with a parade down Broadway, the World Cup opened with a game at Soldier Field in Chicago, and the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets were playing game five of the NBA finals.

None of that mattered much once that Bronco starting rolling. ESPN Films’ 30 For 30 series captures the day’s events perfectly in Brett Morgen’s “June 17th, 1994.” Unlike many documentaries, Morgen’s doesn’t include cutaways to interviews. He presents archival footage of the day’s events chronologically to tell the story. It’s similar to watching TV and changing the channels, with each channel contributing to the narrative. It’s a marvelous piece of work, and I encourage you to watch it below.

(Image: martinsvillechat.com)

The June 2014 issue of The Meeting Professional features a good story about convention centers and the creative things they’re doing to help keep their spaces filled. The issue also features IAVM member Rémy Crégut, general manager of the Montreux Music & Convention Centre in Switzerland, on the cover (that’s him in the photo above).

Crégut said that one way his venue worked to fill space during the recent economic downturn was by diversifying the client base.

“We hosted more local cultural events, more national congresses and more local assemblies,” he told author Peter Gorman. “Anything that didn’t require the expense of travel.”

He also suggested long-term agreements and guaranteed rates for repeat clients and international bookings.

“Now, even though we are back to regular business here, we are ready for the next crisis and prepared to react immediately,” he said. “That’s something we learned this time.”

Crégut wasn’t the only IAVM member featured in the story—Maura Gast, FCDME, executive director of the Irving CVB, also weighed in.

“Weddings and amateur sporting events are recession proof,” Gast said. “And while we didn’t envision being in the market for those sorts of things, well, they’re now staples for us. We’ve had large weddings, judo events, and gymnastics competitions. We recently had a wheelchair motocross event. We aim to build weekend demand for our hotels and restaurants.”

Please read the rest of the article for more ideas, and let us know in the comments section some new ways you’re helping to keep your venues filled.

(Image: Studio Bôregard)

The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued its opinion in the United National Maintenance vs. San Diego Convention Center appeal last month. Previously, a district court had determined that the San Diego Convention Center’s (SDC) decision to implement an exclusives policy for cleaning services was immune from antitrust scrutiny under the state action doctrine. For the appeal, the IAVM Foundation submitted an amicus brief that supported the district court’s reasoning, arguing that the legislation authorizing the SDC must be understood as carrying with it a delegation of authority for management to structure and manage the SDC’s internal operations, even if competition to perform those operations is displaced.

The Ninth Circuit agreed and affirmed the district court’s conclusions on this point. The appeals court applied reasoning that draws from IAVM Foundation’s brief, including the observation that legislation authorizing the SDC necessarily contemplated a broad delegation of managerial authority.

“This is an important and very favorable opinion for any public convention center or similar space that has (or is contemplating adopting) exclusives policies,” said Cortlin H. Lannin, an associate at Covington & Burling LLP. “Assuming those facilities operate pursuant to authorizing legislation that is similar in character to SDC’s authorizing legislation, this opinion suggests those exclusives policies are immune from antitrust review.”

This case was a landmark win for the venue management industry, said Jason Rittenberry, CFE, as it set the precedent for venues to be able to operate and manage their buildings as they see fit.

“As a Foundation, this is what we are about, having the resources on hand to fund something that makes a significant difference to the industry when an urgent issue arises,” said Rittenberry, the IAVM Foundation chair. “We are honored that we were able to step up quickly and support our members.”

Part of IAVM’s mission is to advocate for its members, said Vicki Hawarden, CMP, president and CEO of IAVM.

“We felt the issue facing San Diego was one that could have far reaching consequences for our entire industry,” Hawarden said. “Thanks to the support of the IAVM Foundation, our voices were heard, and we are pleased with the decision.”

(photo credit: Justin in SD via photopin cc)