Due to the pandemic, the Education & Service and Venue Excellence awards were suspended to allow time for business to rebuild after the shutdown. We have reopened the award applications and awards will be presented during VenueConnect 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. We invite you to nominate an IAVM member or member venue that has exceeded expectations and risen above the rest.

The deadline to submit applications is April 14, 2023.  The application process is extensive, and we encourage venues and organizations to create an “award team” to complete the application process as well as gather photos, etc.  Detailed instructions are found within the application itself.

Education & Service Award

The IAVM Education & Service Award recognizes member involvement through community outreach, education opportunities, mentorships, and internships that demonstrate excellence within our industry as well as giving back to the community. Some examples that have been shared include: active in high school programs and career development; offering internships for local college students within the company/venue; mentoring through community outreach or within a university setting; educational offerings to staff within the company/venue; community involvement with youth and young adults.

IAVM takes pride in its members that excel in providing their communities with an enjoyable space for all types of events and educational opportunities. Professional members, university faculty, allied companies as well as retired members are encouraged to apply. The IAVM Education & Service Award is given annually to no more than two companies/universities/venues and one individual who meet the criteria outlined below.

NOMINATE NOW →

Venue Excellence Award

The Venue Excellence Award recognizes five IAVM venues of any type within the membership which demonstrate excellence in the management and operation of public assembly venues. This includes but is not limited to amphitheaters, arenas, auditoriums, complexes, convention centers, exhibit halls, fair/festival grounds, performing arts centers, racetracks, stadiums & university venues. IAVM takes pride in its members and member venues that excel in providing their communities with a safe and enjoyable space for all types of events and educational opportunities.

Any venue, publicly or privately owned and operated, that has demonstrated excellence within the last calendar year and has at least one current employee who is an IAVM member in good standing may apply. Venues are eligible to win multiple VEAs; however, previous winners are eligible to apply in the third year following their most recent award. As an example, a venue that wins in 2023 may apply for the 2026 award.

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By Monica Lewis

After a nationwide search, Mayor Brandon Scott has nominated Mac Campbell, CVP, as the Baltimore Convention Center’s new Executive Director. Campbell’s appointment comes following the September 1 retirement of Peggy Daidakis after 49 years of service to the City of Baltimore.

“I am excited to welcome Mac back to Baltimore and look forward to seeing him lead the Baltimore Convention Center,” said Mayor Scott. “Coming out of the pandemic, it’s clear that our city’s tourism industry is bouncing back better than ever and it’s important that someone with Mac’s experience and innovative approach to venue management be here to keep the momentum going.”

Campbell began his career at the Center in 2012 as the Director of Client Services, bringing years of experience from his previous role as Operations Manager at Strathmore Hall Foundation. As the Center’s Director of Client Services, Campbell managed over 70 employees in charge of event operations. He was promoted to Deputy Director in 2017 by then Executive Director Daidakis and was responsible for leading the Center’s senior staff team focusing on employee engagement, promotion, and sales. Additionally, Campbell aided the executive director by being heavily involved in making long-term decisions that would directly impact the organization’s mission, vision, capital improvement projects, and corporate social responsibility.

In 2021, Campbell accepted the position of Vice President of Operations at the Strathmore Hall Foundation and left the Center.

“I have watched Mac grow and mature at the Center since 2012. He has earned this opportunity, and I know that he is very excited to return and continue to work to move the organization forward,” Daidakis said.

Sustainable and community-based initiatives are a priority for Campbell at all venues he has worked. In Baltimore, developing new programs led to the facility receiving the APEX/ASTM Green Meetings certification in 2015 and the Maryland Green Registry Leadership Award in 2019. Campbell created opportunities for the Center to partner with local charities in Baltimore through staff volunteer work and the diversion of unused goods and food products from conventions. These efforts continue to allow the Center to support the mission of several local not-for-profit organizations.

His work in environmental and community stewardship led the Events Industry Council to award Campbell with their Pacesetter award in 2017 as a thought leader in the event industry.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to return to Baltimore and the Convention Center to continue our important work alongside a fantastic team. The economic impact the Center helps generate for the City and State is vital in supporting not only hospitality and tourism but assists in funding essential services that all Baltimoreans count on. I look forward to ensuring that the Center is poised to continue being ‘The Center of it All’ for decades to come,” Campbell said.

Campbell holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Elon University and received his Certified Venue Professional Certification in 2017. The Center staff looks forward to welcoming him back on January 3, 2023.

Monica Lewis is the Senior Director of the Mayor’s Office of Communications.

From Tixly News

Einar Ragnarsson and Jennifer Retschkowski have joined Allied Member Tixly as full stack developers.

Ragnarsson comes from the information technology company Advania and has already started working for Tixly. He has six years of experience working as a developer and holds a Bachelors’ degree in Computer Science from the University of Reykjavik.

“I am extremely excited to begin my new job at Tixly, where I will have the opportunity to work with a talented and dedicated team, learn from experienced colleagues, and contribute to the company’s continued growth and success,” Ragnarsson said.

Retschkowski joins Tixly from the Bio-Pharmaceutic company Alvotech where she has worked for two years as an IT Computer System Specialist. Prior to that she worked for seven years as a software developer for Origo and SoftMate GmbH. She holds a Bachelors’ degree in Computer Science from the University of Applied Sciences in Kempten, Germany. Retschkowski will start working for Tixly in the beginning of 2023.

“As an artist and an active concert-goer I am very excited to work at Tixly, where I can combine my software developer skills with my love for performing arts,” Retschkowski said.

“We are very happy to have Einar and Jennifer join the Tixly team,” said Head of Product Sindri Mar Finnbogason. “With their experience in building software solutions for different companies they will be great additions to the development team. Tixly has been growing fast recently and Einar and Jennifer will help us keep developing our software towards supporting and servicing our clients in the best way and for us to expand further into our current and new markets. We are thrilled to have them on our team.”

ASM Global has announced three new hires as it seeks to expand the leverage of its worldwide portfolio of stadiums, arenas, and other venues.

Bryce G. Townsend has been named senior vice-president of commercial partnerships, Kevin Dent will take up the role of vice-president of sponsorship sales and business development, and Emily Wilson has been appointed director of marketing solutions.

Townsend has previously held executive leadership roles at GroupM, Momentum Worldwide and the Drone Racing League, while Dent has had various sports and lifestyle corporate sponsorship roles with the likes of AT&T, NBA, MLS, the Olympics, and Host Communications.

Wilson joins ASM Global from Dotdash Meredith, America’s largest digital and print publisher, having previously worked at Time Inc. and Universal McCann.

By StadiumBusiness.com

The Kansas City Royals have maintained that a new ballpark is required, as opposed to renovation of Kauffman Stadium, while stating they are committed to remaining in Kansas City.

The Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise recently held its first public community meeting following last month’s announcement from chairman and CEO, John Sherman, that it had identified several sites to develop a proposed $1.62 billion downtown ballpark and mixed-use development that would be the largest public-private project in Kansas City history.

“We know this is a big, big decision and it’s one we aren’t taking lightly,” said Sherman. “We know making a decision for the next 50 years is the key thing. We want the Royals and Major League Baseball to thrive in this community for years to come.”

While there is no firm timetable in place for the project, Brooks Sherman, Royals chief operating officer, stated the earliest a stadium could go to a vote in Jackson County would be August 2023. Some 14 sites have been assessed in downtown Kansas City, with Sherman pledging that the team would not leave the city.

Populous has been engaged for the project and the Royals outlined that it would cost more to renovate Kauffman Stadium than it would to develop a new ballpark. Renovations are also projected to take a further two years to complete, with 70% of the stadium needing to be replaced.

The new stadium is expected to have around 35,000 seats with a capacity of 38,000, including standing views of the game. The Royals expect the projected $2 billion total cost to be split roughly 50/50 between the stadium and the mixed-use development, with the majority of this to come from investors and the team’s ownership group.

“The bulk of the capital will come from private investors and this ownership group,” Sherman said. “We’re still early on in this process, but all of that will be shared in great detail. It will be a far better investment to build new. Developing a new ballpark with high energy will bring many benefits to this community.”

Sherman acquired the Royals with a group of investors in 2019. In September 2021, he confirmed that the Royals were considering a move to downtown Kansas City, with the team conducting an internal process to evaluate its options of where to play.

The Royals have played at Kauffman Stadium since it opened in 1973 and the team’s current lease at the venue expires in 2031. Kauffman Stadium forms part of the Truman Sports Complex, which also includes GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are also currently weighing their stadium options.