March 2013 Leadership Report Available
For this fiscal year, which ended March 31, we had 5 major goals to achieve:
– Achieve the operating budget surplus goal of $59,985
– Grow membership to 4,100 and $1,159,000
– Create new digital content
– Create a new staff organizational structure
– Develop a 5 year capital plan
– Support board development of a new governance model
I am very pleased to report that thanks to our dedicated volunteers and staff, we have met or exceeded all of those goals. While our CFO, Steve Flamm, tells me we have to wait (and wait) for final audited numbers to report in any detail, we expect to nearly double the operating budget surplus goal. Membership is the true star of the show, as we have achieved a historical high of 4,103 members, up from 3,808 at the end of March last year. We are very grateful to those who helped make this happen, from our membership committee, to the iCommit campaign participants, to the conference volunteer leaders who impressed non-member attendees who in return, joined IAVM. We also surpassed the membership revenue goal of $1,159,000, bringing in $1,250,000. Continue Reading →
Fans Caught Napping in the Outfield, But it’s Okay
When a baseball player has just been described as “napping in the outfield,” chances are good he has missed what should have been a catchable fly ball. But last Saturday night at The Ballpark in Arlington, home to the Texas Rangers, some 2,000 paying guests actually had an opportunity to grab a night’s worth of z’s in the outfield thanks to a Fan Sleepover event.
The team had been heavily promoting this most non-traditional revenue event during its broadcasts on Fox Sports Southwest, and the result was an advance sellout that somewhat surprised but certainly thrilled the team and venue.
Industry News Weekly Roundup
IAVM is excited to introduce a new weekly blog post highlighting some of the most important, interesting and entertaining pieces of industry news from the week. We encourage your news submissions; just email your recommendations to Lauren Kubicki, IAVM’s Interactive Marketing Manager. We hope you enjoy!
Manchester City FC announces stadium WiFi for fans, with live video & stats streamed direct to mobile
–The Next Web
One month after Liverpool Football Club became the first top-tier British club to roll-out WiFi in its stadium, Manchester City has announced it too is to start rolling out WiFi, in addition to a real-time mobile-video streaming service.
The Manchester, England-based football club has a history of innovating in the digital realm. For example, it has previously partnered with Foursquare, broadcasted fans’ tweets during games, signed a YouTube content deal, and introduced pre-match Google hangouts. Continue Reading →
Top 5 VC13 Sessions for Exhibitors: An Inside Look at Your Potential Customers
VenueConnect, IAVM’s annual conference and trade show, is a must-attend event for exhibitors targeting venue managers from the complete range of venue types. Our Allied community probably already knows about most of the benefits and access available to VenueConnect exhibitors, such as the local NOLA entertainment at our one-of-a-kind, high-energy trade show; a QR Code scavenger hunt that brings venue professionals directly to your booth; DirectConnect, a hosted buyer program connecting exhibitors to pre-qualified buyers in one-on-one meetings; complimentary tickets to the Closing Night; and access to the Award Luncheon ($50).
We’d like to remind our exhibitors of another VenueConnect benefit, one that is all too often overlooked and available at no extra charge – access to educational sessions.
There’s no better way to communicate with your potential venue customers than to be familiar with the new industry challenges and opportunities they face. Take advantage of the complete VenueConnect educational program to keep up with what’s going on in your customers’ world and better speak to their needs.
Here are the top 5 VenueConnect sessions exhibitors shouldn’t miss:
Session #1: Crowded Markets for Public Venues
Attend this session to: Learn about venue managers’ top concerns regarding staying financially sustainable in an increasingly crowded venue market, and consider how you can better speak to those concerns. Continue Reading →
St. Charles Convention Center Finds Non-Traditional Revenue in Mother’s Day Brunch
Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 12, and for the fifth consecutive year the St. Charles (MO) Convention Center will host a brunch to not only celebrate moms but to turn some extra non-traditional revenue as well.
“This event provides a great opportunity to showcase the capabilities of Global Spectrum (the venue’s management firm) to the local community and the overall beauty of the space itself,” said Joe Capitanelli, marketing manager at the venue that opened in 2005. “If you haven’t attended a wedding or other meeting or conference here, it’s possible the general public probably hasn’t had a chance to experience what we can do. This event allows the community to enjoy the Center in other ways than just attending public and consumer events.”