VenueConnect24 is offering something new for Rising Leaders – a 6-part series designed to educate, inspire, and empower our members to be better managers.

Amber Clayton, SHRM-SCP, Senior Director of the Knowledge Center Operations for SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), will present, “Duties as Assigned: Training for Newly Promoted Managers” – a discussion on managing peers, performance reviews, and disciplining staff.

Amber leads a team of HR experts who field an average of 60,000 HR-related inquiries from members annually. Frequently sought after as a speaker for webinars, conferences, and media interviews, she co-hosts a podcast called Honest HR. She is SHRM-certified with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Baltimore, and holds specialty credentials in California law, inclusive workplace culture, and workplace investigations. Prior to joining SHRM in 2011, she had gained years of HR experience in healthcare and retail.

Read on for our Q&A with Clayton.

What can VC24 attendees expect to learn at your session?
During this session, you’ll learn how to build trust and communicate with your former peers. You’ll learn the main components of performance reviews, including setting goals and what you should and shouldn’t do. You’ll also learn how to handle policy violations and performance issues through disciplinary action.

What is the best advice you’ve received?
Always assume positive intent. Or, you can only control what’s in your circle.

What’s the last book you read?
I couldn’t tell you. I’m not much of a book reader. I have a short attention span 😊. I usually read articles online.

Please join us at VC24 for this session!

Duties as Assigned: Training for Newly Promoted Managers

• Monday, July 29
• 11:00 AM -12:00 PM

VenueConnect24 is offering a 6-part series for Rising Leaders. The sessions are designed to educate, inspire, and empower our members to be better managers.

Jessie States, CMP, CMM, Vice President of MPI Academy, will join us for a 4-part Stakeholder Management Session block that will teach you to develop your own dynamic leadership strategy.

At MPI Academy, States leads and advances MPI’s professional development strategy, developing and managing MPI’s portfolio of education including live and digital events, knowledge experiences, professional certificate programs and educational partnerships. Jessie earned the 2018 Pacesetter Award from the Events Industry Council and the 2023 IACC Award of Excellence. She has also earned spots on the lists of 25 Most Influential People in Meetings and Events (Successful Meetings magazine) and Trendsetters (Meetings Today magazine).

Read on for our Q&A with States.

What can VC24 attendees expect to learn at your session?
In a world that’s constantly changing, leaders must be as dynamic as the environments they navigate. Our series at the IAVM VenueConnect annual conference is designed to transform attendees into such leaders – adaptable, decisive and empathetic. You’ll learn to harness the power of business emotional intelligence to not only read and react to diverse situations but also to influence and develop others effectively. You will emerge with a personalized dynamic leadership strategy, equipped with the tools to inspire, empower and lead with resilience. Embark on a journey that will redefine your approach to leadership and amplify your impact.

What is the best advice you’ve received?
Criticism at work is not personal. It’s a compass. Feedback—positive and negative—is an opportunity for growth. Step back and view it objectively. It’s about the work, not your worth.

What’s the last book you read?
The Factory by Hiroko Oyamada

Please join us at VC24 for this series!

Stakeholder Management Series

• Module 1: Foundations of Leadership
  • Tuesday, July 30
  • 11:00 – 12:00 PM PT
• Module 2: Emotional Intelligence – The Leader’s Compass
  • Tuesday, July 30
  • 3:00 – 4:00 PM PT
• Module 3: Leading Others – Coaching and Management Dynamics
  • Wednesday, July 31
  • 3:00 – 4:00 PM PT
• Module 4: The Culmination – Crafting Your Dynamic Leadership Blueprint
  • Wednesday, July 31
  • 4:15 – 5:15 PM PT

Not yet registered? Visit venueconnect.iavm.org today!

We are thrilled to announce the Rising Leaders track at VenueConnect 2024! Specifically designed to empower the next generation of venue management professionals, the Rising Leaders education sessions are carefully curated to cover a range of topics including industry best practices and the latest trends shaping the future of our industry. You will have the opportunity to engage with industry experts, participate in dynamic discussions, and build valuable connections with peers.

Kicking off the track ahead of VC24 is Megan Henshall, CMP, DES, Global Events Strategy at Google, who met with IAVM’s Director of Education, Greg Wolfe, to discuss inclusivity for the neurodivergent workforce and the importance of understanding how to adapt to the needs of your peers.

Make the Invisible Visible

Neurodivergence encompasses a broad range of conditions, including ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, epilepsy, and mental health disorders. 

In the US, it’s estimated that about 10% of adults are neurodivergent, and an estimated 25% of the global population is neurodivergent.

“There’s not a room that you’re in where there’s not someone who has a hidden disability of this type,” Megan said.

During the conversation, she emphasized the importance of making invisible disabilities visible to foster a more inclusive and accommodating workplace environment, highlighting the unique challenges faced by individuals with specific conditions.

Watch their interview here.

• Note: During the interview, Megan references this resource.

Keep an eye on the blog for more information on our 6-part Rising Leader track!

James “Jim” Spellos, President of Meeting U., will be at VenueConnect24 to present “Everything You Need to Know About Artificial Intelligence…But Didn’t Know to Ask.” For over 20 years, his mission has been to help people become more productive and comfortable with technology.

Jim has won many awards throughout his career. A faculty member at New York University for 25 years, Jim received both their Award for Teaching Excellence and their Outstanding Service Award. In 2015, he was named one of the Meeting Industry’s trendsetters by Meetings Today magazine, and Meeting Professionals International included him on their “Most Influential” list in the hospitality industry in 2022. In 2021, Glisser named Jim one of the most influential people in virtual events.

On the Board of Directors for Rock and Wrap It Up – an anti-poverty, anti-hunger organization which recovers excess food from films, tv productions, concerts, sports and other events – Jim co-created their Whole Earth Calculator app. He also speaks about food recovery and sustainability to groups around the country. In 2018 & 2019, BizBash named Jim one of their top 500 people for his work in sustainability.

Jim is an accomplished musician and songwriter and released his first solo album, Stroke of Genius, in 2020. He has a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutritional Studies, is a certified Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine’s Food for Life Instructor, and supports Plant Powered Metro New York in educating people about a healthy diet and lifestyle, which helped to save his own life.

Read on for our Q&A with Spellos.

What can VC24 attendees expect to learn at your session?
Attendees will be able to understand the how and why of how generative AI works, and how it applies to their jobs. They’ll also learn how to best prompt the generative AI tools to be able to obtain the best, most accurate information. And, they will be able to see external services that extend the use and functionality of generative AI across all of the tasks they perform.

What is the best advice you’ve received?
Question everything.

What’s the last book you read?
I’m too busy devouring content on AI to read many books, though the last one I read was Dr. Michael Greger’s How Not to Age.

Please join us at VC24 for this session!

• Everything You Need to Know About Artificial Intelligence…But Didn’t Know to Ask
• Tuesday, July 30  |  3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Not yet registered? Visit venueconnect.iavm.org today!

Brooke Adamson, VP of Tourism and Destination at JLL, will be presenting “Venue Data Analysis Best Practices: How to Get Started” at VenueConnect24. 

Read on for our Q&A with Adamson.

Short Bio:
Based in North Carolina, Brooke Adamson is a Vice President with JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group specializing in tourism strategy, destination development, and tourism asset development advisory. Brooke was Director of Business Systems at the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority for 10 years where she was responsible for strategic planning, KPI management, and business intelligence. She assists clients with strategic planning, tourism readiness and sustainability, convention center asset management, public facility feasibility and overall destination positioning.

Brooke has extensive experience in Destination and Venue Management Organizations managing strategic planning, cultural initiatives, and business systems. She is an expert in data and system analysis, KPI management, and creating and implementing strategic plans. Brooke has also worked closely with industry associations including IAVM serving on the Diversity and Inclusive Leadership Committee Impact Study Working Group, Mentor Committee, and Strategy Committee.

What can VC24 attendees expect to learn at your session?
The session will walk through how to get started along your data and business intelligence journey to fully utilize your data and reports to drive a culture of data driven decision making, explore best practices and common venue analysis examples, and showcase how to tie this work into your long-term strategic plan.

What is the best advice you’ve received?
One valuable lesson I’ve learned is the power of reframing change and new decisions. It’s important to remember that just because you may have new information that could lead to a different decision now, doesn’t mean that your previous choice was wrong or a mistake. At that time, you made the best decision based on the information available to you. As someone with a background in mathematics and business analysis, I can over-analyze everything. However, this advice serves as a reminder of the practicalities of decision-making and the significance of approaching practices and policies with a fresh, data-focused perspective.

What’s the last book you read?
I recently re-read Multipliers by Liz Wiseman. It focuses on how leaders can amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them, and I try to re-read it every few years. 

Please join us at VC24 for this session!

• Venue Data Analysis Best Practices: How to Get Started
• Tuesday, July 30  |  8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Not yet registered? Visit venueconnect.iavm.org today!