Photo courtesy of LeeAnn Shewbart
IAVM offers a scholarship every year for one of our members to attend the Venue Management Association (Asia and Pacific) Leadership Institute in Australia.
VMA, which boasts over 1,000 members in over 16 countries, supports venue industry professionals in Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia. IAVM has enjoyed a long partnership with VMA, and we are proud of our commitment to support venue managers around the globe.
Kim Bedier, CVE, Venue Management Consultant and VMA Venue Management School and Leadership Institute faculty member, describes the program as follows:
“The Leadership Institute is an immersive experience for senior venue professionals. Those looking to enhance their leadership skills for today’s venue world come together in a classroom setting to learn through shared real world experience, energetic discussions and self-reflection.
The opportunity for a US VMS student to be awarded a scholarship to the VMA Leadership Institute is the chance of a Venue Lifetime. The scholarship recipient receives an all expenses paid, truly transformational week where they will learn more about themselves and step up their leadership game. Their participation with peers from Australia, New Zealand, and others from around the Pacific Rim fosters cultural awareness, a global perspective, and the understanding that venue managers all over the world share more similarities than differences. Former scholarship participants at both the VMA-LI and the VMS-LI point to special lasting connections with venue professionals from diverse backgrounds and a greater appreciation for the worldwide venue management profession.”
The VMA-LI scholarship process is extensive. In order to qualify, those interested must have attended IAVM’s Venue Management School (VMS) and must complete the following milestones:
- Achieve the top scores on the VMS Year 1 exam
- Write an essay
- Participate in an in-person interview during their second year at VMS
The award committee will also take into consideration the applicant’s VMS Year 2 exam score, as well as their classroom participation.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The 2024 VMA-LI Scholarship recipient was LeeAnn Shewbart, Director of Events at Memphis’ Renasant Convention Center.
“LeeAnn jumped in with both feet and was a delightful addition to the 2024 cohort of VMA-LI,” said Bedier. “She was able to bring a North American perspective to class discussion and assimilated well. She may have been calling everyone her ‘mate’ by the end of the week. 🙂”
We reached out to LeeAnn to discuss her experience at VMA-LI.
How did you become interested in the venue management industry?
I was working in hotels and not very happy, when a former boss and friend suggested I apply for an event manager position at the convention center. I fell in love with the energy of managing events, over time that developed into a passion for venues and everything it takes to keep them running at peak performance.
When did you join IAVM?
I joined IAVM about 10 years ago. I was using it as a resource before then, but it took some time to talk my boss into getting me a membership. I currently work for an organization that believes in IAVM and how important a resource it is. Now all my employees get membership and I encourage them to take advantage of everything IAVM offers.
What motivates you to continue learning?
I am a lifelong learner. The world is a fascinating, complicated, and ever-changing place. There is always something new to learn.
At the beginning of my career, I was motivated to learn by a need to do the best for my events and provide them with top level service. Now, I find myself motivated by my young team. I want to provide the best support and knowledge possible to help them grow in their careers.
How did VMS and VMA compare?
VMA’s Venue Management School is a lot smaller than IAVM’s. This made it a lot easier to get to know people not just from your class, but all the classes and years. The downside to the size is some limited diversity of venues. I was the only person from a convention center in LI. The other difference was more scheduled and structured events in the evening in Australia. This included assigned seating at some functions, making you mix and mingle with new people.
What are the biggest takeaways from VMA-LI in Australia?
I learned a lot at VMA-LI in Australia, but we started and ended the week discussing DiSC style and how to use that knowledge to build strong teams, enhance working relationships, and read people better. This complemented everything else I learned. So much of good leadership is about people skills and being able to get the best from your teams.
What would you say to IAVM members interested in attending VMS or VMS-LI?
To any IAVM members thinking about attending VMS or VMS-LI, I say DO IT! You will learn a lot about our industry, but more importantly you will meet other people passionate about it. People you will be able to call on when you have an issue or just need a little support. The Leadership Institute will teach and fine-tune those skills you need as a senior leader in any organization.
Do you have any advice for young professionals in the venue industry?
To the young professionals in the venue industry, I would say the same thing I tell my team. Be sure you are finding a work life balance/integration. We often work long, weird, and irregular hours. You need to balance that with a personal life, or you’ll burn out. I would also encourage them to take advantage of everything IAVM offers.
Stay on top of IAVM scholarship opportunities by following us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter), as well as keeping up with the weekly IAVM Newsletter and here on the Front Row News Blog.
