By R.V. Baugus

Congratulations to our good friend Donna Miller-Brown, MFA, CVP, upon her new appointment as Director of Events and Operations with VenuWorks of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Miller-Brown most recently served as Production Services Manager at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, Missouri. She started her position there as a Production Services Supervisor in 2011 and helped open the building.

“I’m excited for this opportunity to grow my skills with a great group of people,” Miller-Brown said. VenuWorks is a stalwart of the industry and I feel lucky to join the team!”

Miller-Brown is also very active in IAVM. Yours truly holds her in special regard as the person who coordinates the outstanding Mentor Connector profiles that you read in every issue of Venue Professional magazine. In addition to serving as a member of the Mentoring Committee, Miller-Brown is also on the Performing Arts Committee and serves as the current Region 3 secretary.

By Anagelica Gonzalez

The Baltimore Convention Center has promoted Tyler DeBella, CMP, to Director of Operations. Her new role will consist of managing the Center’s entire operations team including planning and directing event setups, breakdowns, and facility housekeeping. Additionally, DeBella will be collaborating with service providers, Visit Baltimore, and other industry partners to execute successful events of all magnitudes.

DeBella began working for the Center in 2014 as a Convention Services Manager where she led 127 events over her four years in the role. She won CSM of the year by Successful Meetings Magazine in partnership with ESPA and earned her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation. In 2018, DeBella was promoted to Assistant Director of Convention Services in which she managed the Center’s team of CSMs. She has continued to work towards the betterment of the Baltimore Convention Center by developing a Virtual Filing System for the Sales and Services department as well as an extensive training program for new team hires. These two structures have resulted in a smoother onboarding process for new employees and enhanced the organization of client event planning. In August of this year, DeBella received an Honorable Mention for Supervisor of the Year from the City of Baltimore for the Fiscal Year of 2022.

She graduated from Virginia Tech in 2009 with honors in a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She majored in Hospitality and Event Management and has a double minor in Global Business and Business Leadership. She began her career in the hospitality industry in 2008 and worked for the Baltimore Orioles and Hershey Entertainment & Resorts prior to joining the BCC’s team.

“My love for Baltimore runs deep and that is something I try to share daily with the many visitors that come through this building each year,” DeBella said. “I’ve worked hand-in-hand with the Operations team for almost nine years executing client visions and am excited to transition into a role that is able to prioritize a group that has contributed so much to my growth in that time.”

“I am excited to see Tyler take on the role of Director of Operations,” said Phil Costa, Deputy Director. “Her passion for the Center’s success has been reflected in her hard work and has gotten her to where she is today. I am confident that she will do great things in her new role.”

Anagelica Gonzalez is Marketing & Communications Manager for the Baltimore Convention Center.

By Monumental Sports

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) has partnered with KultureCity to make Capital One Arena and all of the programs and events that the arena hosts sensory-inclusive. The partners cut the ribbon on The Costabile Family Sensory Room inside the arena in Washington, D.C., to further offer an inclusive and positive experience for all guests and fans who may need additional sensory accommodations during the 220+ games and events each year.

“Monumental Sports is proud to add this impactful feature for guests to the Capital One Arena experience and contribute another important moment to the arena’s rich history,” said Marina Soffer, Sr. Manager, Arena Administration, Monumental Sports & Entertainment. “We’re in deep appreciation of the commitment of KultureCity and sensory needs champion David Costabile in helping us to create the best possible experience for every guest at all times with this new space.”

David Costabile, actor, D.C. native and sensory room benefactor and family were joined by Capital One Arena and KultureCity representatives to display the sensory room features and cut the ribbon on the new space. Members of the Multi-Platinum, Grammy Award-winning band Imagine Dragons who sit on the KultureCity Board also participated in the event ahead of their headlining concert in honor of Capital One Arena’s 25th Anniversary.

“I am so proud to be involved with the great work that Kulture City does across our country in so many different venues to not just raise awareness but create avenues for inclusion. Having a sensory room in our family name is a tremendous honor. This room and others like it give families an oasis of calm in what can be a very chaotic environment for anyone dealing with sensory issues. As a parent who has searched for just this kind of haven to reset, it is a godsend. Without even the possibility of a room like this many families would be excluded from participating in all of the great sporting and entertainment events Capital One Arena offers. Thanks to them and thanks to KultureCity for all of the work they do to offer an inclusive, calming spot for all, “said David Costabile.

KultureCity-developed sensory rooms provide a dedicated space designed by medical professionals for those who may need a quieter and more secure environment. This is imperative to ensure fans have the highest quality guest experience. The sensory room at Capital One Arena is outfitted with custom door and window treatments by SelectBlinds, bean bags from Yogibo, the visual light panels by Nanoleaf, activity panels, Sparkle Interactive Light (by NunoErin – a therapeutically fun furniture embedded with soft glowing lights that respond to motion), bubble walls, and a custom tactile artwork created by an autistic artist. The space is located at the Administrative Entrance on Level 1 across from section 115/116 and is available for all games and events.

As a Sensory Inclusive™ certified venue, Capital One Arena staff are trained each year by leading medical professionals on how to recognize those guests and fans with sensory needs and how to handle a sensory overload situation. Since 2019, sensory bags equipped with noise-canceling headphones (provided by Puro Sound Labs), fidget tools, verbal cue cards (produced in conjunction with Boardmaker) and weighted lap pads have been available to all guests at Capital One Arena who may feel overwhelmed by the immersive audio and visual experience.

“Our communities are what shapes our lives and to know that Monumental Sports & Entertainment is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that every guest at Capital One Arena, no matter their ability, is included in their community is amazing,” said Uma Srivastava, Executive Director, KultureCity. “We’re honored to collaborate to provide a truly inclusive experience for all fans and guests!”

Sensory sensitivities or challenges with sensory regulation are often experienced by individuals with autism, dementia, PTSD, and other similar conditions. One of the major barriers for these individuals is sensitivity to overstimulation and noise, which is an enormous part of the immersive environment at large sports & entertainment venues.

Before attending an event at Capital One Arena, families and individuals can download the free KultureCity App to view locally available sensory features and how to access them. Also on the App is the Social Story which will provide a preview of what to expect while enjoying a game or event.

By Kai Hattendorf

A lingering pandemic in China and elsewhere. War in Europe. Inflation rates not seen in a generation in major markets. Droughts, hurricanes, and record temperatures. It’s certainly not “business as usual” as we write the closing chapter for 2022. And 2023? Not all will be black and white, and economists are using endless types of grey in their outlooks for the next year.

What will this mean for our industry? As with every year, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) team has been listening and chatting with our members and industry leaders from all around the world to get their views on next year. Here, in five concise themes, is our view on what will shape the next 12–18 months.

Doubling Down on Customer Focus

It is easy to become distracted by the big picture, but it is important to stay focused on what we do best as an industry: build and operate marketplaces. In the coming year, we will (re)learn what we applied in the recession 15 years ago—focus on the customers, make sure they have a successful show, and make the right connections. We will learn other industries, other colleagues, other geographies, plans for dealing with inflation, strategies for adapting operations, and other workflow adjustments that are needed. But don’t let the pressures of the day distract you from that essential mission.

The Climate Crisis Will Hit

This will impact us on multiple levels. Extreme weather conditions will lead to show cancellations or postponement more regularly, and they will prevent some people from participating. Our customers increasingly have their own net zero targets to achieve, and that will shape the way they participate in our shows. We will also need to tangibly demonstrate our own “race to zero” plans for our events, which need to become a greener option for business each year. We will have to show that business events are part of the solution to the climate crisis. We have to compare the carbon impact of participating in our events to the carbon footprint required to generate the same amount of business without two or three days at a trade show. We can do this. We have the tools. Part of our Net Zero Carbon Events initiative is to develop the carbon aggregate measurements for events.

More Data, Less Hype

More and more, data insights and intelligence drive the development of shows and portfolios. We are done with debating whether or not “the future is digital.” It is, and we are creating it as an industry. What some still call “hybrid events” is really just the smart adoption of technology and data to make the face-to-face marketplaces we run more successful for the buyers and sellers on and off the show floor. In 2023, the hype around “hybrid” or “metaverses” that has been fueled by marketing spent from startups or Silicon Valley based conglomerates will lose steam. People will use what actually works for them. It will be less glamorous but more efficient.

Staffing Stays Key

Everyone is hiring. Still. And it will stay like this. We need new skills, new talent, and new perspectives. We now understand that we need to better “sell” our industry to the people who we want to work with us. Our Next Generation Leaders say that we are the industry that builds and serves communities. We give purpose, and as a result, we are one of the most attractive industries in the world. Let’s take this new staffing narrative and roll it out globally. Let’s be at the forefront of people’s minds as they are entering the workforce! Let’s work to bring in the most diversely talented and educated people that make—and keep—our industry a true melting pot of different talents.

Accelerating Change

During the pandemic, we learned how to flex our adaptability muscles. We had time to experiment and learn from both our successes and failures. Since then, we have had a bit of a return to normal where our customers are back at our shows, and they are generally happy. But we cannot just “play out greatest hits.” We need to push the envelope. We need to do more, and we can do more. We now have teams that are seasoned at fast adaptation. They are making more data-based decisions and are open to learning from each other. Expect this to lead to more new ideas, new formats, new launches, mergers, acquisitions and other developments that will drive the eternal engine of our industry.

Kai Hattendorf is managing director and CEO of UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.

By Molly Rosenberg

Affiliated entertainment booking and consulting companies Venue Coalition and ArenaNetwork, Inc. (VCAN) added eight new arena members to their roster in 2022 and now represent more than 100 independent arenas across North America. Some of the newest venues in the VCAN portfolio include State Farm Arena in Atlanta, H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, the brand-new Hero Arena at Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls, and the recently renovated Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham. Including theaters, stadiums, and convention centers, the organization now represents over 150 independent venues in more than 80 markets across North America, totaling over two million seats.

“Arena Network and Venue Coalition working together has become the ideal resource for independent venues and content providers who route national and regional tours throughout North America,” said Andrew Prince, CEO of both organizations. “Focusing on touring events between 2,000-25,000 seats, we often collaborate with decision makers to help narrow down which venues they will play based on the parameters of the tour. VCAN can provide preferred deals, dates, traffic, and more as needed, to help make it a seamless booking process for the agent, promoter, producer, and artist.”

Kim Carr, Entertainment Manager at DECC, AMSOIL Arena and Symphony Hall in Duluth, MN, says, “We are excited for our complex to be the newest member of the VCAN family. The staff has been incredibly generous with their guidance and resources. In our short time as a member, we have been connected to similar venues as well as new promoters and agents, already resulting in additional bookings. With the help of VCAN, we look forward to growing our entertainment calendar and knowledge.”

Michael Marion, CVE, General Manager of Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, and long-time ArenaNetwork board member, is very pleased with the results of the collaboration between the two organizations. “Both ArenaNetwork and Venue Coalition have always been about communication and information. By joining forces, the experienced staff can continue to help venues attract talent they aren’t always aware is available, and advocate for why our venues are the best choice to play. The ability to share information with over 100 buildings provides helpful operational assistance and insights into the latest trends. Having access to the resources within the group is a real asset in these changing times. This partnership has created a significant and positive impact on Simmons Bank Arena and the other members of VCAN, and we look forward to continued success together.”

Molly Rosenberg is Director of Administration and Special Projects for Venue Coalition, Inc.