Orange County Convention Center Achieves New International Standard Certification
 The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) has become the third convention center in the world to be certified to a new international sustainability standard. The OCCC achieved Level One certification with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard pertaining to the Evaluation and Selection of Venues for Environmentally Sustainable Meetings, Events, Trade Shows, and Conferences. The venue standard is one of nine standards introduced by the meetings, conventions, exhibitions and events industry in 2012 to provide event planners and suppliers with specifications for producing events in a more sustainable manner.Jan Addison, deputy general manager of the OCCC, said, “Achieving certification to the industry’s global standard is further evidence of the Convention Center’s commitment to sustainability. We are proud to take the lead in advancing responsible environmental and social practices in the meeting industry and hope this will encourage our hospitality partners to join us in making Orlando a more sustainable meeting destination.”
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John Bolton, CFE, Interview Excerpts
In just another month, John Bolton, CFE, will assume the chairmanship of IAVM, taking the gavel from Richard Andersen, CFE, as well as continuing much of the work (namely the IAVM governance model shift from a management board to a policy board) done by Andersen and others before him.
A telephone interview with Bolton for the conference issue of Facility Manager magazine yielded many of Bolton’s plans for the upcoming year, but stood out most for the genuine excitement in Bolton’s voice as he smoothly covered a variety of topics.
Here are some snippets from that interview: Continue Reading →
Calgary Flooding Inundates Scotiabank Saddledome; Stampede Set To Go On
The first Calgary Stampede took place in 1912 and never has had a show canceled despite two wars and a Great Depression. So why should floods that deluged Calgary last Friday prevent the 101st edition of the Stampede from taking place July 5-14? The short answer: it won’t.
Bob Thompson, president and chairman of the board of the Stampede, said as much when he noted “We will be hosting the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, come hell or high water.”
Take the last part of the sentence literally, for T-shirts are on sale that read, “Stampede 101: Hell or High Water.” It should be noted that proceeds are going directly to the Southern Alberta Flood Relief.
May 2013 Leadership Report Available
VenueConnect is rapidly approaching, and of course, our fiscal year is heavily impacted by our success at this event. I am happy to report as of end of May that our registration and sponsorship numbers are tracking ahead of last year, but unfortunately, our exhibit numbers continue to lag. The good news is we have closed the revenue gap somewhat, from about $200K down to approximately $100K. And we are in the process of identifying some expense reductions we can implement to offset a potential shortfall, without sacrificing any member value.
Further positive news is that we are actually now up to 20 approved hosted buyers for the pilot program, DirectConnect, and we are beginning to see unbudgeted revenue from this source. I would like to thank all of you on this leadership distribution list for spreading the word, as we had an uptick in hosted buyer applications after the email to all of you asking for your help. The June report will reflect those increased numbers.
I’d also like to highlight the fact that we added two new partners this month, AEG/AXS and Daktronics. We’d like to express our appreciation to them, as their support is invaluable to our mission here at IAVM. These new partners join Freeman, Ungerboeck, Sodexo and Ticketmaster in the partnership program.
And if you have a moment, please be sure to take a close look at the Marketing & Business Development section of this report. Our incredible marketing and creative services team has been working diligently with staff and volunteer leaders to elevate the quality of all our marketing materials, and to begin creating a branded look and feel. Since some of these materials are directed at different segments of our membership (or to nonmembers), you may not have noticed the changes. We’d love to hear your feedback as we continue to evolve our outreach.
And last, but certainly not least, please note that the hotel cutoff date for the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans is July 5, and the block is filling up fast! Please make your reservations soon, as we really hope to see you there.
Regards,
Vicki Hawarden, CMP
IAVM President and CEO
Green Partnerships Grow Strong Connections for Members
As an association, we know there are many areas where our members are best served through tapping into our large network of subject-matter experts – and unlike the sustainable philosophy of conservation – this is one resource we encourage our members to consume in abundance.
With that in mind, this summer IAVM members are encouraged to take advantage of the sustainability experts they’ll find at IAVM annual conference, VenueConnect; as well as the deep dive into sustainability one can find at the Green Sports Alliance’s Green Sports Alliance Summit. IAVM’s VenueConnect will be in New Orleans, July 27-30, and the Green Sports Alliance Summit for sports venues, stadiums and arenas will take place a month later on August 26-28 in New York.
Elaine Aye IIDA, LEED Fellow
Principal Green Building Services
Last year, IAVM formed a partnership with Green Sports Alliance (GSA), so we thought who better to speak to about both programs than Elaine Aye, IIDA, LEED Fellow and President of Green Building Services – and an IAVM member for the past 6 years. With over 30 years in the industry Elaine can clearly see the path taken thus far; and help us in our efforts to move towards a greener future for the industry and our planet.
How are you involved with IAVM’s sustainability education efforts?
Elaine: I am working with the team to establish potential training opportunities for our members, facilitating some training and exploring opportunities to bring additional education to our members around environmental best practices for their building operations.