By Karen Brand

The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) has announced the implementation of two cleanliness and safety technologies in its venues: needlepoint bipolar ionization (NPBI) and thermal cameras. The CRVA manages the Charlotte Convention Center, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium, and provides back of house support to Spectrum Center.

The CRVA is among the first in the meetings and conventions industry to implement NPBI technology in its venues. Developed and installed by Charlotte-based Global Plasma Solutions (GPS), the patented technology plays a pivotal role in efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus when paired with the CRVA’s existing practices and cleaning technologies. NPBI technology delivers safer, cleaner indoor air by reducing harmful particles and pathogens like mold, bacteria, allergens and viruses, and is highly effective in eliminating disease-causing pathogens, such as those responsible for COVID-19.

The CRVA will use four thermal camera units — three in the Charlotte Convention Center and one in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The cameras work by continuously measuring body temperatures in large groups of employees and guests entering the buildings, with the ability to measure tens of thousands of readings per hour from up to 16 feet away. The thermal camera units will allow the venues to more efficiently conduct health screenings and safely welcome guests by reducing potential spread of the virus.

“The NPBI technology and cameras add an additional layer of cleanliness, help us mitigate risk and enhance the already-robust cleaning practices in place within our managed venues,” said Tom Murray, Chief Executive Officer of the CRVA. “The health and wellbeing of our guests, employees and visitors to Charlotte is always our top priority. We appreciate our partnership with the City of Charlotte and their commitment to using CARES Act funding for installation of the NPBI technology in support of the hospitality industry’s recovery.”

Prior to the NPBI technology and thermal cameras, the CRVA had taken great steps to provide the highest standards of safety and security for guests and employees to each of its managed venues. The Charlotte Convention Center, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Bojangles Entertainment Complex and Spectrum Center were some of the first venues in the state to receive the industry-leading GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation. The CRVA also developed and implemented “We Clean with Care,” a robust and comprehensive program created based on the guidance of the CDC, FDA and a contracted infection disease control expert.

The Charlotte Convention Center is currently undergoing a $126.9M expansion slated for completion this summer. The project will increase the convention center’s total leasable space from 550,000 to 600,000 square feet, including 14 new meeting rooms, two customizable 10,000 square-foot spaces and an overstreet pedestrian walkway to the 700-room Westin Charlotte hotel and a light rail station stop. Last year, the Bojangles Entertainment Complex (BOplex) opened a brand new 35,000 square foot connector facility, unifying the historic Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium and enhancing the visitor experience with additional space for hospitality, new concession options and an outdoor patio.

Karen Brand is Director of Communications for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.

By Mary Klida

TCF Center hosted its first event since March 2020, recently welcoming 1,000 athletes and spectators on 16 courts for a statewide volleyball tournament. Attendees were kept safe through rigorous application of regulations by TCF Center staff and coordination with the City of Detroit Department of Health and Safety.

“We were delighted to welcome our first event since last March – 1,000 attendees statewide to a safe and competitive in-person event at TCF Center,” said Patrick Bero, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority. “Our staff did whatever was needed to create a safe environment, including having our staff join in setting up the court, to make sure everything in the center was ready to accept its first visitors.”

The ASM Global VenueShield™ program, designed by the international management company that operates TCF Center, as well as the GBAC STAR Certification Standards the center has implemented for compliance to strict environmental hygiene guidelines made the event safe for all participants.

Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy, the event organizer, brought 1,000 participants to compete in this first event.

“Thank you to the entire team at TCF Center for all of their tireless work before, during and after our event which was instrumental in making the event a success,” said Steve Sack, Owner of Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy. “It was great to see people back in TCF Center.”

Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy is hoping to return to TCF Center in April of this year.

“We learned that each event that takes place in our building during this year will require a custom health and safety plan to be developed — taking into account the special needs of each group,” said Greg DeSandy, Director of Sales and Event Services and Interim General Manager, TCF Center.

The staff at TCF Center was focused on delivering this first-class event, doing whatever was needed to make sure the athletes and spectators felt comfortable.

Claude Molinari, new CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau and General Manager of TCF Center until December 31, said, “We are delighted about what this successful event says in regard to our readiness as a destination to host other events safely and effectively at TCF Center and in the Detroit area.”

Mary Klida is Senior Marketing & Communications Manager of TCF Center in Detroit, Michigan.

Hannah grew up in Tuscaloosa, AL attending events at The University of Alabama with her family sparking her lifelong love of college athletics. She began working in Athletics Facilities during her time as a student at Alabama introducing her to the idea of venue management as a career. Her love of Red Dirt Country stems from her time managing concerts at Fair Park in Dallas, TX and her love of the mountains began with her time at the US Olympic Committee. Hannah currently lives in Laramie, WY with her chocolate lab, Chief, where she works hosting a variety of events for the University of Wyoming Athletics Department.

I was incredibly excited to open the email and learn I was being honored as a part of this year’s 30 Under 30 list. IAVM is an amazing resource for young professionals in the event industry and I have enjoyed introducing colleagues who are unfamiliar with the organization as a result of being awarded.

Join your Foundation in congratulating Hannah on being honored as one of the 30|UNDER|30 Class of 2020 and don’t forget to come back each Thursday as we spotlight another honoree!

By R.V. Baugus

In any interview, it is just as important for the employee to ask questions of a potential employer as it is for the employer to ascertain during an interview if a candidate is a possible job fit. Today, it is important that diversity, equity, and inclusion enter these interviews. If an employer does not ask for a candidate’s stance on the subject matter, it is important for the candidate to make certain to know his or her potential employer’s adherence and promotion of such.

The following questions were posted on the University of Southern California Career Center website and adapted from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE’s) article on Questions Students may Ask to Assess your Organization’s Commitment to DEI by Chelsea C. Williams, Founder and CEO of College Code. Any company that works to support DEI should be prepared and able to answer these questions from any candidate.

From the formal interview to a networking night to an informational interview, is a great opportunity to ask questions about the organization. As a candidate, you are also interviewing the organization to ensure this is somewhere you want to work, or intern so ask questions to better understand the company. Below is a list of questions posted on the University of Southern California Career Center website and adapted from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE’s) article on Questions Students may Ask to Assess your Organization’s Commitment to DEI by Chelsea C. Williams, Founder and CEO of College Code. Any company that works to support DEI should be prepared and able to answer these questions from any candidate about an organization’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

· How does your organization define diversity? What lenses of diversity has your organization made a direct commitment toward?
· What social causes does your organization support?
· Has your organization made any formal commitments in support of racial equity?
· How does your organization center diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging?
· Does your organization offer any formal employee training around biases, anti-racism, or general DEI?
· Does your organization have any affinity groups or committees to support diverse populations? If so, how do these groups contribute to the culture of the organization?
· Does your organization complete annual compensation equity analysis?
· What resources has your organization provided to its employees in support of COVID-19 and racial injustices?

By Ashley Keen, CVP

Like almost all of us, it has been nearly a year since I have been involved in a live event and it has been longer since I have been on the front lines, directly dealing with the public. A few weeks ago, I was given the amazing opportunity to work at a vaccine distribution center. It is rather fitting for the times that we are in, that my first reintroduction into the live events world would be an event such as this.

Due to the position I was assigned to, I quickly realized that I was the first face of the distribution center for our “customers.” I had been trained on the job, but had not been given all the information to answer specific questions not directly related to my job.

This made me think about front-line workers in a way that I have not thought about in a long time; probably since I was on the front lines myself. I have been reflecting on our front-line employees. Specifically, I thought about how we train them and how we set them up for success. Below, I have compiled a list of some do’s and do not’s of training front-line workers and volunteers as they come into your facility or on campus for your event, especially if it is their first time performing their job duties.
• Get to know your employees and volunteers.
o This can be a quick introduction! Even if you do not have time for lengthy intros, this can be achieved quickly by introducing yourself, asking their names, and getting some basic information about them. I found that the supervisor knowing and remembering even basic information about us as volunteers made us feel that our team was valued.
• Provide thorough training.
o One of my favorite training methods is the method of I do while you watch, we do together, and then you do while I watch.
o At this specific event, volunteers were tasked with training the volunteers on the next shift. I was struck by the complicated game of telephone this caused. Remember, an employee’s or volunteer’s training is only as good as the person training them. It is important to build in quality control and checks throughout the training and the shift, to help alleviate bad habits.
• Provide detailed written instructions.
o These can be referred to anytime after the initial training. This is especially important if the task your employees or volunteers are performing are varied throughout their shift.
• Periodically check in with your employees and volunteers.
o Checking in with your employees lets them know they have not been forgotten about. It also helps to remind the volunteers that the work they are doing is important and valued.
• Check out with your employees and volunteers at the end of their shift.
o Use this time to ask them about their shift. This can be a valuable way to gain feedback. This interaction will be the final way that you can leave your employee or volunteer with a sense of accomplishment. It can also help set the tone for the next time you see them.

Overall, this experience was extremely rewarding for so many reasons and I am so thankful I was given this opportunity to participate in something as important as public vaccinations. I was reintroduced to events in a way that I will remember forever.

Ashley Keen, CVP, is Production Supervisor for the Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona.