Guest Post: A Roll of the Dice at Work and in Life
The theme of this year’s Performing Arts Managers Conference was “Risk;” fitting, as the location of the conference was in Las Vegas, which is probably one of the last places one wants to come down with the flu.
As we all know, the flu strains have been especially robust this year and massive outbreaks were happening throughout the country. As it turns out, reports came out February 21 that the flu shot was, in fact, only 56% effective, and even less so (27%) for those 65 years and older. Those statistics made me feel a bit better about not getting the flu shot myself. Catching the flu can sometimes simply be a matter of chance, regardless of whether you are vaccinated, but disappointing nonetheless when it causes one to miss a day and half worth of sessions at one’s favorite conference.
For Those Who Aspire to Transcend from Manager to Leader
This week we spoke to Cheryl Swanson, CFE, venue manager and IAVM member since 1994, about IAVM’s Senior Executive Symposium (SES), a program she has attended and for which she has acted as Board Chair. The window to apply closes in just 30 days, so we wanted to ask Cheryl why the program is an important addition to any venue manager’s to-do-list.
Cheryl Swanson, CFE, is currently employed by the City of Grand Forks, ND, as the executive director of the Alerus Center, an indoor football stadium, arena and conference center. She worked in health care administration and marketing for 15 years before becoming the Bookings Manager for the Sioux City (IA) Auditorium, Convention and Visitors Bureau. From there she opened a new arena at Eastern Michigan University, eventually moving up the state to the Breslin Center at Michigan State University before working at the Alerus Center.
Scoreboarded
In our Feb/March Issue of Facility Manager, we feature an info-graphic comparing scoreboards at NFL stadiums. The graphic was shared with us by designer Daniel Beaton, and originally was posted in Reddit’s NFL Subreddit and then featured on the FastCompany design blog.
It’s an amazing snapshot of technology’s increasing presence in venues and sparks thoughts on evolving guest experiences, live media, and the ongoing quest to satisfy a tech-charged crowd.
This is Cat Dragon – CFE Corner
Cat Dragon, CFE, Facilities Coordinator at Scottsdale Community College was profiled in CFE Corner in the most recent edition of Facility Manager. In this segment, Ms. Dragon shared with us her background and pursuit of IAVM’s Certified Facilities Executive designation.
In what facilities have you worked?
Los Angeles Theater Center; Mark Taper Forum; Old Globe Theater; The Herberger Theater Center; Phoenix Theater; Arizona State University School of Theater; UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television; Scottsdale Community College Performing Arts Center and over 100 more across the U.S., Canada and Europe.
January 2013 Leadership Report
As we approach the end of our fiscal year, the signs are very positive that we will achieve our budget surplus goal of $60K, a large swing from last year’s $250K loss. This success story is due in great part to strong attendance and sponsorship numbers from most of our events, most recently the Performing Arts Managers Conference earlier this month, and to a tight control of expenses. I know I speak for the board of directors when I say thank you to all of our volunteers and allied supporters who have made all of this possible.
We also continue to grow our membership numbers, with an increase of about 6% over last year, and the iCommit membership campaign is going strong and beginning to show positive results. This campaign is all about members sharing the value of IAVM with other potential members, and your efforts are making a difference. We hope to reach our membership goal of 4,100, but regardless, we will end the year bigger and stronger than ever before. Continue Reading →