From Washington Commanders Public Relations

The Washington Commanders announced upgrades to the video boards and audio systems at FedExField for the upcoming 2023 NFL Season. These upgrades will benefit Commanders fans across the DMV and beyond, giving them the technology and information they need to immerse themselves in an enhanced, fan-first gameday experience and atmosphere at FedExField. When in attendance at a Commanders game next fall, expect better visibility to game footage and improved audio, statistics, play-by-play engagement, updated graphics, and more.

The Commanders worked with Technology Consultant Anthony James Partners (AJP) to manage the design, procurement, and implementation of new, high-definition LED video displays and a state-of-the-art distributed loudspeaker system for the 2023 NFL Season.

ANC, the technology integration partner selected for the video displays at FedExField, has extensive experience in providing digital signage design, installation, game-day operations, and support services across numerous professional venues. ANC currently has four NFL contracts, ten MLB venues, ten NBA arenas, additional NHL and MLS crossover locations, and over seventy collegiate sports venues over the past decade.

“The upgraded video displays and audio systems are the next steps in modernizing our stadium to create an exciting and immersive gameday experience. The upgraded resolution will immediately improve the in-game experience for our fans by providing crisp views of video content and game information, as well as immersive play-by-play engagement,” said Trista Langdon, SVP of Operations & Guest Experience for the Washington Commanders.

For fans in the seating bowl and suites, the new LED Endzone and Game-in-play displays will showcase the Commanders’ action on the field at a higher resolution providing incredible image quality.

“The Washington Commanders have been such a great team to work with and we appreciate their dedication to giving their fans the best possible experience,” said Michael Rowe, AJP’s CEO. “With the newest technology in audio, plus 8mm LED Displays, you’ll be able to both hear and see a noticeable difference. FedExField will have superior sound and some of the tightest pitch screens in the NFL.”

Harnessing the potential of all these improved displays, the Commanders also will reveal an upgraded graphics package designed in collaboration with ANC Studios’ graphics department, ensuring that the upgraded screens deliver energetic, dynamic visuals alongside real-time stat updates, sponsored content, and more gameday action.

“We are very excited to be working with the Washington Commanders as they modernize the venue to improve the atmosphere for fans,” said Jerry Cifarelli Jr., CEO of ANC. “The immediate impact of the higher quality visuals and streamlined new technologies provide endless opportunities to feature more robust and entertaining in-event content and the flexibility to reconfigure this quality 8mm product when they find their new home. We can’t wait to see them take it to the next level.”

The audio system designed by AJP features a new Fulcrum Acoustic distributed loudspeaker system and full-range loudspeakers powered by the brand new Powersoft Unica series digital, multi-channel, high performance audio power amplifiers. A new Digico digital mix package will be installed, featuring updated source devices, including wireless microphones, streaming audio, Bluetooth, traditional analog program music, and FM radio sources. The awarded audio system vendor will be announced in coming months.

By Andra Bennett, APR

Fort Worth’s iconic Will Rogers Memorial Center, anchor of the city’s famed Cultural District, will receive an $8.5 million facelift to its original centerpiece, the historic art deco Coliseum.

At its February 14th meeting, Fort Worth’s City Council approved the allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Revenue Recovery funds to renovate the Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC) Coliseum concourse and restrooms, grand lobby entrance, and the Backstage Club.

“The Will Rogers Coliseum is beloved by millions of visitors who have created memories here for 86 years,” said Mike Crum, director of Public Events for the City of Fort Worth. “We are investing in the facility to ensure its historic charm and elegance continue to impress millions more in future generations.”

The Coliseum concourse supports concessions and product vendors as well as foot traffic to the historic arena, where more than 30 equestrian events are held annually for an average of 260 event days. The combined economic impact of those shows in 2021 was $74.2 million.

“Will Rogers is a premier equestrian facility that welcomes horse lovers from around the globe,” said Billy Smith, executive director of the American Paint Horse Association headquartered in Fort Worth. “As a longtime client, we’re pleased to know the historic Coliseum will represent Fort Worth as a Best-in-Class asset and draw even more visitors here.”

Prominent Fort Worth business leader Amon G. Carter commissioned the facility for the 1936 Frontier Celebration during the Texas Centennial.

“The Coliseum grand lobby and concourse create an important first impression,” said Kevin Kemp, WRMC general manager. “When visitors arrive, we want them to experience the grandeur of the structure that Amon G. Carter envisioned and built years ago.”

The oval concourse surrounding the arena was last renovated substantially in the 1970s. Plans for the 27,608 square-foot space include new flooring, ceiling tiles, energy-efficient lighting, water-saving restroom fixtures, wayfinding signage and decorative upgrades that complement the original modern architectural detail.

The Backstage Club, frequented by politicians, movie stars, and other celebrities, overlooks the arena from the second floor and is a popular restaurant during the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. The 5,203 square-foot space will be reconfigured to serve a broader spectrum of event needs while respecting its historical significance.

A Request for Quote (RFQ) will be issued immediately for design and construction bids. Work inside the coliseum is expected to begin within a year.

Andra Bennett, APR, is in Marketing Communications for the City of Fort Worth Public Events Department.

Photo credit: City of Fort Worth

JustOne officially begins now! The Membership Committee created this annual campaign to encourage IAVM‘s volunteer leaders to bring on one new member, including your coworkers, employees, Allied suppliers, interns, stakeholders, and more.

Who makes up the IAVM Leadership? Boards, Committees, and Task Forces.

Why is this endeavor important? As you spread the word about the importance of joining, our membership grows and becomes more diversified, which encourages new ideas and smart business practices. Your referral might become the next trailblazer in the industry.

GOAL: Our objective is for all 294 of our volunteer leaders to participate.

RECOGNITION: The board, committee, task force, and individual that refers the most members will be recognized at VenueConnect in Pittsburgh.

SAVINGS: Instruct your referral to use the following promotion code, JUSTONE, to save the $150.00 one-time initiation fee*. The savings apply for new Professional  and Allied members.

For you to receive credit for your new member, ask your applicant to list you as a reference. Also, under the payment information, they should enter the promo code: JUSTONE. The system will remove the $150.00 initiation fee; the remaining balance will be the dues only.

With JustOne, you have the chance to encourage someone to realize their potential and have access to tools that will guarantee their success. Get your competitive juices flowing and help us achieve our goal of 294 volunteers connecting 294 new members to IAVM.Refer your one new member today. Contact membership@iavm.org if you have any questions.

The campaign kicks off now and runs through June 30, 2023.

*Some membership types do not have an initiation fee; the dues will not be discounted.

The 2023 IAVM Call for Volunteers launched January 31, 2023 with an email message from First Vice Chair, Kerry Painter, CVE, CMP, CEM and President & CEO, Brad Mayne, CVE.

Volunteers are at the heart of what we do, and it is only because of the time and knowledge our volunteers contribute that we are able to fulfill our purpose. We hope, therefore, that you will consider responding to this Call for Volunteers for the term August 1, 2023, through July 31, 2024.

As a volunteer, you will be making a difference to this industry, and giving back to other members. You will get value out of your service, making connections with other IAVM leaders and learning about the issues that face us all. If you have not served before, please consider making the commitment as your diverse thoughts, ideas, and viewpoint are greatly appreciated and needed to keep the Association moving forward.

Among the many volunteer opportunities is service on one of the Association’s committees. IAVM has two types of committees: board committees and management committees. A board committee helps the board do its work, of oversight, strategy and member engagement. Management committees help IAVM’s management do its work, of meeting the board’s goals and effectively operating the Association to deliver benefits to our members.

The deadline to respond to the Call for Volunteers is March 20, 2023; reminder emails will be sent later today to any member who has not completed their application.  If you do not see the reminder email in your INBOX, please check your SPAM FOLDER.  If neither folder shows your personalized link to the application, please reach out to Rosanne Duke or Tyson Gingery for assistance.

Volunteers will be notified of their management or board committee assignment no later than the end of June. 

By R.V. Baugus

I really am not writing more obituaries than normal to share with IAVM members. It just seems that way because most of them that I write are of people I came to know as friends in this amazing industry. Tom Liegler is an anomaly, the man who stood as a pillar in this industry for decades but one that sadly for me I did not really get to know well for one reason or another.

Know ABOUT Tom? That of course is quite a different story and certainly from others I knew about the man and his impact on the public assembly venue industry. It is rare to admire someone from afar, but Tom is indeed for me that exception, someone I would always know as an industry giant.

Against that backdrop, I felt as though I had lost a long-time dear friend when news came of Tom’s passing on February 20 at the age of 94 in Palm Springs.

Chris Bigelow, an industry icon in his own right, summed up Tom beautifully: “An amazing guy. Mentor to many of us. Father of the convention center and stadium management associations.” Not much more needs to be said, but then by not doing so I would be depriving many of our readers of the same knowledge of Tom Liegler that I grew to know and respect.

“Most of us have had mentors in our lives that took us under their wings and helped guide our careers,” said Brad Gessner, CVE (pictured alongside his mentor). “Tom Liegler was one of those leaders that I was fortunate to have worked for and learn from during my tenure at the San Diego Convention Center. Mr. Liegler’s career spanned 50 years which began at the original Comiskey Park in Chicago and progressed to helping oversee the design and construction of the Colt Stadium in Houston and managing the Houston Astrodome. From Houston, he moved to Anaheim, CA, where he held the position of general manager of the Anaheim Stadium and Convention Center and where he developed one of the first (and best) service programs titled “THE ANAHEIM WAY”.

“In 1984 he became the general manager of the planned San Diego Convention Center, saw it through its design, construction, and successful grand opening and the first year of operation. He developed the service program “THE SAN DIEGO SPIRIT” which is still considered a model for client and customer service in the convention center industry.

“I encourage everyone to take the time and effort to mentor the next generation and be sure to appreciate and thank those that have mentored you. Thanks Tom!”

To Gessner’s point, Tom was acknowledged as the first recipient of the Convention Center Lifetime Achievement Award, one of his many accolades.

Daughter Tracy Liegler Albrecht said that a service is not yet scheduled but penciled in as Saturday, April 8 in the Rancho Santa Margarita or Irvine area. Further information can be found here.

Tom was born in Racine, Wisconsin, on March 24, 1928, growing up amid four generations of the Liegler family. He enlisted in the Navy in May 1945 at the end of WWII and was stationed in Oakland, California at an airlift base whose mission, “Keep ‘Em Flying”, was to keep men, machinery, and supplies moving across the Pacific. After returning home, he enrolled at Grinnell College in Iowa, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Euthenics. At Grinnell, he was a member of the football and debate teams.

Tom married the love of his life, Joyce Langmade, in January 1955 and shortly afterwards began his career with the Waterloo Whitehawks, the Triple A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox (very shortly indeed; Tom and Joyce spent their honeymoon preparing the White Sox spring training facility in Florida, giving Joyce an early initiation into how Tom would combine his love of work, baseball, and family into the energetic and enthusiastic ethos that defined his life). Tom later moved into the management suite of the White Sox, focusing on stadium operations. In 1962, he was hired by the Houston Colt 45’s baseball team, and became a central participant in the club’s transformation into the Houston Astros and the building of the world-famous Astrodome. The peak of his career came in 1965, when he was lured west by Gene Autry, owner of the then Los Angeles Angels, to oversee the design and construction of the team’s sparkling new home, Anaheim Stadium. For more than twenty years – as Anaheim and Disneyland helped make Orange County one of the world’s leading destinations for vacations, conventions and sporting events – Tom directed operations not only at the Big A, but also Anaheim Convention Center, and the city’s two golf courses. Later in his career, he worked as a consultant around the world, on stadium and convention center projects in San Diego, Ontario, Sao Paulo, Sydney, and Paris.

Tom’s love of family and faith was of utmost important in his life. He and Joyce raised three children, Scott, Teri, and Tracy. The Liegler home was lively with pets, scout activities, skit nights, and the family rarely missed an Angels game. His children continued to bless him with spouses and grandchildren. He is survived by his son Scott (Hilary), daughter Tracy Albrecht (Lance) and son-in-law Terry London, as well as grandchildren Laura, Lindsay, Emma, Mhairi and Spencer. He was preceded in death by his wife Joyce and his daughter Teri.

Tom was grateful for his Creator and his strong Catholic faith, his family, and his country which continues to be a land of opportunity.

He will be buried alongside Joyce at Ascension Cemetery 24754 Trabuco Rd, Lake Forest, CA 92630 at a date to be determined.

“May you live all the days in your life.”

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.tridentsociety.com/location/palm-desert-ca for the Liegler family.