Even as a spate of recent devastating tornadoes have demolished communities and taken lives, FEMA’s Private Sector Division reminds that the 2013 hurricane season officially begins June 1 and extends through November 30. In anticipation, FEMA will be launching Hurricane Preparedness Week on May 26 continuing through June 1.

To help increase awareness of this week and beyond, FEMA encourages citizens to take the Pledge to Prepare. The Pledge identifies the critical elements of readiness by educating those in hurricane prone areas to know their risk, take appropriate actions to prepare, and inspire others to do the same. An informed and motivated public will greatly add to the organization’s ability to respond and recover from the potential devastating effects of a tropical storm or hurricane. Awareness can save lives and minimize property damage.

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The ink had barely dried on the press release announcement that the naming rights to the new stadium in Santa Clara, California, that will become the home of the San Francisco 49ers beginning in 2014 were awarded to apparel company Levi Strauss than the National Football League quickly piggy-backed with its announcement that the stadium would host Super Bowl L (or 50, for those more into numerals than the Greek alphabet) on February 7, 2016. Build it and they will come, indeed!

Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce and Convention-Visitors Bureau President & CEO Steve Van Dorn remarked that, “There is no better place than this brand new stadium to host the NFL’s historic Super Bowl L. Attendees are really going to enjoy the California sunshine and beautiful San Francisco Bay Area region. We expect a huge surge in hotel occupancy for the entire region for the week the Super Bowl is here. Overall, the economic impact will be in the millions.” 

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High school graduation is a time for celebration, but for the three graduating classes of 2013 in the Moore (Oklahoma) Public Schools, this Saturday’s ceremonies will be raw with emotion as the city south of Oklahoma City copes in the aftermath of the Monday, May 20 EF5 tornado that claimed the lives of 24 and injured hundreds.

The graduations for Moore, Westmoore and Southmoore high schools will take place as planned on May 25 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City in what will surely be a challenging day in many respects.

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It was an early morning breakfast in Phoenix at the 2011 VenueConnect, an occasion marked to welcome new members and new attendees to the IAVM annual conference and trade show.

After a series of speakers gave talks about IAVM, the program in Phoenix and how those new to the Association and industry could best benefit from their time at VenueConnect, it was time for Erin Jepson, director of events and patron services at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas and a wily veteran attending her second conference, to get up and speak.

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Every day, public venues around the nation assume responsibility for the safety of tens of thousands of people who walk through their doors to experience exciting live entertainment, events and conferences. While safety planning is not a revenue driver for venues, the results of the efforts, if put to the test, have huge implications. This information from a recent IAVM VenueDataSource report serves as a benchmark for venues assessing safety and security activities and opportunities. The complete report can be purchased here.

For venues unable to commit a significant amount of time and money to safety planning, developing a comprehensive action plan may seem like a daunting task. IAVM has numerous safety and security resources available to venues, such as conferences, courses, webinars, and reports. IAVM strives to help keep venues informed and connected, and we hope the information provided here is valuable to our member venues.