By R.V. Baugus
IAVM is sending out a survey this week to attendees from last year’s VenueConnect in Chicago asking for your reply to recommend education sessions you would like to have take place at this year’s VenueConnect.
“We are pushing out a survey this week with the simple question, ‘What type of education would you like to see?” said Mark Herrera, IAVM Director of Education and Life Safety. “Everything will surround itself around the current health crisis, and it is important for the sessions to speak to what is going on today. We want to take in the information and put it back out in sessions so members can apply it to their facility during this pandemic.”
Herrera said some relevant topics include leadership in a crisis, working in remote teams, business continuity plans, regulatory and procedural issues, and legal pitfalls and ramifications, among others.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Herrera said that many of the sessions originally planned have been taken off the table to make room for providing the most needed sessions for attendees.
“It is very important to deliver a conference to continue with a focus on today’s health crisis,” Herrera said. “We want to provide cutting-edge educational offerings that are tailored and structured to your professional development but also as it pertains to the current pandemic.”
Herrera added that the deadline will likely be this Friday and stressed the urgency and importance for those receiving the survey to participate and meet the deadline.
“We are garnering feedback to take in information we might have overlooked,” he said. “VenueConnect is moving forward to deliver to our members in whatever form the conference takes place.”
The importance of being prepared to act to today’s changing environment is one that also has to be considered. Faced with novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we all know that unforeseen circumstances can get in the way of any event, including VenueConnect 2020.
“IAVM understands that our members come first as we work collectively with our federal and association partners, industry working task forces, sector committees, and certifying entities to assure reasonable efforts are made to host live events safely for the entire industry,” Herrera said. “IAVM is prepared to shift to a virtual conference that will allow us to create valuable professional connections, explore new and innovative ideas in the venue management industry, and provide impactful learning opportunities in a safe and healthy environment.”
