iCommit, IAVM’s new member referral campaign, is nearing its end! Now is the time to refer industry nonmembers to IAVM, i.e., venue professionals, companies who provide products and services to venues, faculty and students are encouraged to join.

Current members: for each new member you refer by the deadline, your name will be entered into a raffle to win one of five, $500 Apple Gift Cards. The more members you refer, the more chances you have to win!

• Prizes: The grand prize will be a complimentary registration to VenueConnect 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona (value up to $1,000).
• Win one of five, $500 Apple Gift cards – receive one raffle entry for each new member you refer.
• The IAVM Region that adds the most new members will choose one recipient to apply for the CVP designation by 12/31/2022; IAVM will waive the $125 application fee (the Region Director will choose the recipient within the winning region).

To ensure you are eligible to win one of the prizes, ask your applicant to do the following:

• List your name in the Application Section titled, “Who Recommended IAVM To You/How Did You Hear About IAVM?”
• Enter “iCommit” in the Promotional Code field in the online membership application.
• For new Professional or Allied members only, the $150 one-time initiation fee will be waived*

*Some membership types do not have an initiation fee; membership dues will not be discounted.

All winners of the gift cards will be notified in January 2022. Contact membership@iavm.org if you have any questions.

It makes me proud to see how close we are to meeting the 100+ Women of IAVM’s 2021 goal. Because of our strong member commitment for the past five years, 35 scholarships have been granted to support and educate our industry women.

You have embraced this initiative time after time, and the results speak for themselves

So today, I ask one more time, if you have yet to give your annual donation or have never chosen this initiative, please consider today making that donation.

We are within $1600 of success. Together, as always we can make this happen! Donate Here!

Kerry Painter, CVE, CEM, CMP
IAVM Board of Directors, 2nd Vice Chair

Thank you to the following who have donated to the 100+ Women of IAVM 2021 campaign:

By R.V. Baugus and Travel+Leisure

Travel+Leisure magazine recently came out with a list of the 10 Most Impressive Art Deco Buildings in the World. The list, we are happy to share, includes the Paramount Theatre in San Francisco (pictured, photo by Cathe Centorbe), and Fair Park, TX in Dallas. We congratulate both and share below the introduction from the magazine’s story. To see the full list, please click here.

It’s no surprise that the art deco movement was born around the conclusion of World War I. It was a symbol of hope, a new beginning that parted ways with the past’s opulent and overly ornate designs, and instead, put a stress on a more straightforward, functional, modern-day aesthetic. The trend emerged during the 1925 world’s fair in Paris, where exhibitors from around the globe were asked to build their pavilions in a brand-new style that made no historical references to other movements. Gone were the lavish religious and floral motifs of the past centuries. They were replaced by stylized shapes and geometrical elements, as well as chevron, sunburst, and zigzag patterns that are now emblematic of the art deco style.

This new design aesthetic caught on primarily on this side of the Atlantic. As our country was going through an economic and real estate boom, this modern design trend was wholeheartedly adopted by architects, inspired by its understated sense of grandeur. Art deco buildings started popping up all over the nation — and the world — forever changing city skylines in every corner of the globe.

By Teresa Franzen

The Town of Cary and ASM Global announcef the appointment of Jamie Curtis as the General Manager of Cary-owned and ASM Global-managed Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, NC.

Curtis brings more than twenty-five years of experience to the role with a variety of entertainment venues, record labels and more. Most recently she has served as the Director of Marketing and Sales for ASM Global managed Wintrust Arena and Arie Crown Theater in Chicago.

According to Dolly Vogt, ASM Regional General Manager, “Koka Booth Amphitheatre is a beacon in our portfolio of venues and we weren’t going to settle for anything but the very best. Jamie’s career accomplishments give us confidence she can lead the well-established team at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in continuing to provide outstanding entertainment in the region’s most beautiful venue.”

A seasoned entertainment veteran, Curtis is excited to part of something special in Cary. “It is a true honor to be selected for this position. Koka Booth Amphitheatre is an idyllic venue, highly regarded for its community involvement and quality entertainment,” Curtis said. “I look forward to joining the amazing staff and Town of Cary team and continuing the tradition of excellence. I can’t wait to become a part of such a wonderful venue and community.”

Curtis was selected after an extensive search of candidates within the facility management arena. “Among the deep pool of qualified candidates, Jamie Curtis rocketed to the top with the perfect mix of people skills and strong business acumen,” says William Lewis, Cary’s Cultural Arts Manager. “Under Jamie’s leadership and vision, Koka Booth Amphitheatre is not only positioned for continued success but also for transformation and growth.”

ASM, a leading provider of management services to a wide variety of facilities both nationally and internationally, has been contracted by the Town of Cary since 2001 to provide general management for Koka Booth Amphitheatre. Curtis replaces Taylor Traversari, who left in November to transfer to another ASM Global venue in his home state of Pennsylvania.

Teresa Franzen is Publicist/Marketing for the Koka Booth Amphitheatre.

By John Blake

Whether Texas Rangers fans realized it or not, prior to the start of the 2021 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season, significant steps were taken to further enhance their game-day experience and help improve their health and safety at Globe Life Field, the newest MLB ballpark. Specifically, the $1.2 billion ballpark became the first MLB facility to leverage GP PRO’s KOLO™ Smart Monitoring System. The KOLO system helps keep restrooms clean, in working order, and fully stocked with toilet paper, paper towels, soap, and hand sanitizer.

“This is a state-of-the-art facility that was designed for Rangers fans and event guests to have the best possible experience from the moment they walk through the entrance gates until the moment they leave,” said Mike Healy, senior vice president of venue operations and guest experience with the Texas Rangers and Globe Life Field. “Our own data suggests that how clean and well maintained our restrooms are directly and significantly impacts how fans perceive the rest of our facility, so it was very important to us to invest in a restroom solution that clearly conveys our facility-wide commitment to cleanliness and the guest experience.”

The KOLO system is a wireless communication platform that alerts facility managers, dispatchers or custodians when something in a restroom needs their immediate attention. Specifically, through connected GP PRO paper towel, tissue, soap, and sanitizer dispensers, the KOLO System sends notifications regarding dispenser issues and product levels to help avoid outages and ensure a positive restroom experience. Through a task management capability, the KOLO System sends alerts about specific enhanced cleaning and sanitizing tasks to be completed.

According to Chris Johnson, customer success leader of connected solutions with GP PRO, a division of Georgia-Pacific, a GP PRO survey from September 2020 shows that 59% of consumers are uncomfortable using a stadium or event venue restroom primarily because of hygiene concerns, and in another survey from April 2021, 60% of consumers said having a clean well-stocked event venue restroom enhances their overall experience. Johnson adds that the KOLO system can make a significant difference.

“Public restrooms, particularly in high traffic venues, are a major source of user complaints, whether it’s that there’s no paper towel, the soap dispenser is empty, or the restroom wasn’t properly cleaned. The good news is that the KOLO system helps facilities overcome these all-to-common issues with real-time information that helps ensure they’re addressed before they turn into complaints,” he said. “By leveraging the KOLO system, the Rangers and Globe Life Field are setting a new standard in restroom hygiene and in fan experience excellence. We’re thrilled to partner with them.”

The KOLO system is currently installed on 882 GP PRO dispensers in 26 public restrooms at Globe Life Field. The system went live in mid-May of this year.

Photo by Kelly Gavin/Texas Rangers

John Blake is Executive VP-Communications for the Texas Rangers & Globe Life Field.