I woke up the morning of the last day with the hopes that day would last forever. One thing I could count on was the experience I had and the relationships I made would echo into the future.
As the first intern at IAVM’s Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS) from the Joseph A. Floreano Scholarship + Internship program, my experience was nothing short of amazing, and the following words, as I try my best to describe the experience, will come short of what I really felt, learned, valued, and experienced in a week-long event.
I arrived to the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, where AVSS and GuestX was co-located, after a long trek to Dallas from Springfield, Missouri. My internship started with assisting at check-in/registration, where as the intern I got the first hand look on a handful of different companies and venues that would have an attendee, speaker, or guest for AVSS or GuestX. Soon after registration was Opening Night at Austin Ranch, where a networking opportunity immediately started. It took a little warming up to start meeting some strangers; I had a little help from the great Kim Bedier, CFE, chair of the IAVM Board of Directors, to start off, introducing me to some key individuals.
The next morning started with Welcome & Introduction where Bedier; Vicki Hawarden, CMP; Randy Vogel; and John Siehl, CFE; took the time to give a few welcoming notes to everyone at AVSS and GuestX, as well as introduce Kevin Henry, the scholarship recipient, and then me, the internship recipient. This was one part that I greatly appreciated, because it was a helpful ice-breaker for the conversations that were to come later. I also appreciate Kim’s mention that I will be graduating soon—a handful of conversations ended with open doors to so much opportunity!
So as the intern, I was there to assist in small tasks to make sure classes would run smoothly. I helped in setting up the projectors, pass out papers, collect surveys, and more. The best part of it was that when I was not working on these small tasks, I was able to sit in along with the other students of AVSS Year 1. Let me tell you, the speakers for each session knew how to make this a fun time. A favorite of mine was attorney Steve Adelman, who told hilarious stories to example his content, stood on desks, and had an overall great personality that helped deliver his information.
Adelman, standing on desk tops and talking about the four parts of a tort.
Sitting through the classes of AVSS Year 1 was very interesting for me. I say this because it was an eye opener on my part. My focus and experience comes in working with bands and playing in bands, so the little venue experience I have is really just loading in and out of shows and playing on stages. The venue industry is quite new to me, and I am currently in a venue management class at Missouri State University, taught by Dr. Philip C. Rothschild, who is also an IAVM member. At AVSS, I was able to reinforce several items I’ve learned in my venue management class, get introduced to new ideas and concepts, as well as really take an in-depth look at safety and security. Safety and security is really one thing that a lot of people look past… so to have sat in with a great number of directors of security and the like, it’s really brought my attention to the little things. Even if I don’t stick to specifically the field of venue management, I think I’ll be closely linked in when I’m taking care of artist and talent when bringing them into a venue. I’ve been on the lookout for all visible, and non-visible, exit signs, Paul Villotti.
IAVM and the Hilton really took care of us with excellent hospitality. My hotel accommodations that IAVM had for me were perfect. I slept in both beds, one every other night, throughout the week of my stay. Breakfast, lunch, the nights we all had dinner together, the three-or-four snacks we’d all grab between breakfast and lunch… they treated us like kings and queens.
At one point of the week, AVSS was given a tour of AT&T Stadium, partake in an active shooter exercise, and given a drone demonstration. Thanks again, Paul Turner, CFE, and the AT&T Stadium staff! Being the tech geek, adventure seeker, and action connoisseur I am, this experience was too cool.
I’d have to say that one of the most memorable parts of my AVSS experience was being a part of War Games. War Games is kind of like the “final project” next to the exam, in which you are split into two groups—the Aggressors and the Defenders. It was up to the Aggressors to come up with a list of “actions” to attack a venue, and the Defenders were the venue owners (given a real-life venue, scenario, etc), coming up with the Emergency Action Plan that will defend against the Aggressors. I was on the Defenders side. It was an excellent way to implement everything we’ve learned throughout the week and put it into action, as well as work in a team. The fun part of War Games was that each group had their own classroom to work in and brainstorm, but within the hallways you had to be on watch because spies and espionage lurked the halls, attempting to discover information that would help their team succeed in War Games. The actual part of the game, when action plans were read between the two teams and a “Judge,” lasted about an hour-and-a-half to two hours. It was full of suspense, debate, laughs, jokes, and overall a fun time. Of course, the Defenders won, because we’re just that good at implementing everything we learned that week and the best at what we do!
War Games
All in all, my experience at AVSS and GuestX was one I will never forget. My biggest takeaways were the importance of safety and security, all the things teams can do to keep venues safe for guests, and the quality networking and relationships I’ve started with amazing and hardworking people. I hope and wish that all IAVM student members get inspired by this internship reflection and strongly encourage everyone to apply for the internships and scholarships available. I look forward to being a part of more IAVM events in the future and growing with IAVM.
