The Show Goes on for Convention Center Events in Boston
With three events scheduled and over 20,000 attendees expected at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, the tragic events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing had little immediate effect on operations at the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA). With increased security measures and a joint communication effort, MCCA officials and event organizers worked together throughout a chaotic week to keep convention center activity on track, with safety at the forefront and with little impact to event attendance.
NFL Boosts Security for Draft at Radio City Music Hall
The National Football League draft is always a big-time attendance draw at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. When the next installment of the draft takes place beginning on Thursday night and running through Saturday, it will do so under increased security, a move made in acknowledgment of the Boston Marathon.
Security Firms’ Messages Resonate Louder Following Boston Marathon Attack
When a tragic situation unfolds such as the deaths and injuries following the bomb explosions at the Boston Marathon last week, it is only natural for those cities which have upcoming marathons to show extra vigilance in preparing for their events. It is a common spike in attention to detail that, while always present, goes up an extra notch.
Mentor/Protégé Profile: Rob Henson and Chandler Merritt
Rob Henson, Deputy Director PAF, GM, Tacoma Dome
What is your formal education?
ROB: Bachelor of Science, Music Business Program, Belmont University, Nashville, TN. I am currently pursuing a CFE designation.
CHANDLER: I graduated in 2005 from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts major in Economics and minor in Spanish and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology major in Sport Management and minor in Business.
In what facilities do you/have you worked?
ROB: I was an artist manager prior to entering the facility business. I have worked at BancorpSouth Arena (Tupelo, MS), the Tacoma Dome and Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center (Tacoma, WA).
CHANDLER: Cowtown Coliseum, Cedar Park Center, Dr Pepper Arena, American Airlines Center and Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. These were all in the Dallas/Fort Worth area except for Cedar Park, which is near Austin.
Exactly What Are Your Guests Doing?
Illustration by Thomas Porostocky for TIME
New technology that provides real-time analytics of crowd behavior made its debut at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference earlier this month. Named as one of TIME Magazine’s 10 Ideas That Make A Difference, the software is able to instantly scan an event crowd to identify major behaviors (cheering, using a mobile device, staring at media screens…), providing valuable, accurate data back to venues craving such precise feedback.
From a marketing standpoint, TIME writer Sean Gregory points out that “a company can measure, for example, how many eyeballs are attached to the Jumbotron ad (are fans looking?) and how well it’s being received (are they laughing? smiling? fiddling on their phones and ignoring it?).”
Powerful insight into your guest experiences, and a helpful way to decide where to aim those t-shirt cannons. Read the full story over at TIME Magazine.