Eagles Sending Bags for Stadium Use to Season Ticket Holders
–NBC Sports

The NFL altered its policy on what kinds of bags fans are allowed to bring into stadiums last week, banning just about everything other than clear bags made of plastic, vinyl, or PVC with dimensions that do not exceed 12 inches by six inches by 12 inches.

There was a wide range of reactions to the change in policy. Some said it was a necessity to minimize the amount of bags to inspect at the gate, others argued that it was an inconvenience that didn’t ensure the safety of crowds and still others noted that NFL teams don’t seem to have any problem selling bags to fans at their stadium stores that they wouldn’t allow inside their own stadiums the next time a purchaser came to a game.

See also: Faster Entry, Better Security the Rallying Cry Behind NFL’s New Bag Policy
And: For NFL Fans, When is Enough, Enough? Continue Reading →

John O’Leary is a wanted man (in a good way). He began speaking in 2005 to a total of eight organizations and since then has partnered with more than 850 organizations in 46 states and nine countries.

O’Leary is wanted because his message resonates and impacts, motivates and drives. His personal story is one of overcoming a 100% burned body at nine-years-old to achieve success in sharing a message of will, spirit and determination. Those are also the same attributes he talks to audiences about in their professional lives and how they can attain success and significance.

IAVM is fortunate to have O’Leary as a keynote speaker at VenueConnect in July in New Orleans. In advance of meeting and addressing the IAVM audience, O’Leary spent some time visiting on a number of topics.

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The AVSS Severe Weather Planning and Preparedness Conference is not until March 4-5, 2014, but it is one meeting that based on some of the content in the new Man of Steel movie, Superman and even his dad might want to attend.

When it comes to action, taking out bad guys, rescuing damsels and other such acts of bravery and heroism, the mild-mannered-reporter-turned-Superman (hey, I could go for that life!) is your guy. But in the movie when it comes to directing folks where to go when a tornado roars across a highway, meh, not so much.

Technically, it is Clark Kent’s dad, played by Kevin Costner, who urges his family and motorists to seek shelter on the highway underpass. Bad idea, dad, unless you want to be part of a wind tunnel effect.

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As general manager of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Carl Adkins understands that everything else takes a back seat to safety and security at public assembly venues of any kind. If he did not believe that way then chances are good he would be working in another profession.

Over the years, I have found Carl to be one of the most interesting IAVM members to talk to because of his refreshing candor that is not meant so much to debate or challenge as simply to ask, “What if?”

There is nothing wrong with questioning and in fact by asking questions the lines of dialogue and communication expand and better and better measures and outcomes are often the positive end results.

In addressing the NFL’s new bag policy, Adkins foremost dwelled on his role as a venue leader while at the same time posing some intriguing “What if” questions shared by many on message boards concerning the policy.

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The National Football League is all about statistics and numbers. So many millions watch the Super Bowl. Stadiums have various capacities. Teams have certain amounts tied up in player salaries.

Add to the around-the-corner-and-out-the-door list the following for 2013: 12 inches by six inches by 12 inches.

Those are the dimensions that are the legal maximum for fans to bring bags into NFL stadiums beginning with the 2013 season. Not only that, but the bags can be only clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags. In essence, leave the purse at home, but the small clutch bag is allowed provided they are no bigger than “the size of a hand.”

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