The International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) is pleased to announce that they have partnered with The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, today to offer the GBAC STAR™ facility accreditation program on cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention to its members.

Ideal for facilities like offices, restaurants, hotels, airports, convention centers, stadiums, arenas, performing arts centers, and other public assembly venues of all sizes, the GBAC STAR program assesses a facility’s preparedness and provides staff with training for biorisk prevention and containment. The program also establishes a framework for communication and awareness best practices.

“GBAC STAR is the gold standard of safe facilities, providing third-party validation that ensures facilities implement strict protocols for biorisk situations,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “Accreditation empowers facility owners and managers to assure workers, customers, and key stakeholders that they have proven systems in place to deliver clean and healthy environments that are safe for business.”

GBAC STAR is the industry’s only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation and establishes requirements to assist facilities with work practices, protocols, procedures, and systems to control risks associated with infectious agents, such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.

“IAVM was searching for resources and external partners to support our members with the recovery process, and ISSA is considered one of the leading trade association for the cleaning industry worldwide,” said Brad Mayne, CVE, IAVM President & CEO. “GBAC is a third-party entity which has a government affairs and regulatory team that works with federal, state, and local regulators and policymakers to ensure that policies and regulations adopted allow the cleaning industry to be successful, while also providing their customers and the public with a cleaner and healthier environment. IAVM’s Events Industry Health & Safety Advisory Council has been working closely with GBAC and

ISSA to provide guidelines and resources regarding deep cleaning, sanitizing, team training and venue certifications to our public assembly industry so that our member venues can safely reopen and recover.”

IAVM’s Events Industry Health & Safety Advisory Council, which is comprised of representatives from all sectors and co-chaired by Frank Poe, Executive Director, Georgia World Congress Center, and Brett Mitchell, CVE, General Manager Overland Park Convention Center, support the use of the GBAC STAR portal by offering additional assistance for those member venues who sign up for certification.

GBAC STAR accreditation criteria and facility applications are now available at www.gbac.org. IAVM members who use the code IAVM2020 while registering in the portal will receive access to the Events Industry Health & Safety Advisory Council members to help guide and assist them with the process.

The announcement was made Monday, May 4^th, to students and faculty of Venue Management School that VMS 2020 will not be held, due to the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the ability for students and faculty to travel.  VMS will resume as planned in 2021. The final decision to not hold the school this year was difficult to make, but it was in the best interest of all students, faculty and staff. Our members are our top concern, and our priority is always to provide the best educational and networking experiences while keeping you safe and healthy.

All students currently registered have the option to either rollover their tuition, room and board to attend VMS 2021 or obtain a full refund without admin fee penalties. By rolling over these funds, you are guaranteed a spot in Year 1, Year 2, or GI for 2021 only, with no increase in pricing.

We hope to you at Saddlebrook for VMS 2021!

By R.V. Baugus

The other day I got a phone call from a long-time friend who wanted to just chat. He is one of the fortunate ones still employed who has a weekday off each week on his schedule. Early in the conversation, he threw out a line that I did not know whether to receive as a question or exclamation, so upon sharing it in the next sentence I will just close it with both punctuation marks.

“Man, you must love it not having any work to do?!”

Whatcha talkin’ bout, Willis?

I assured him that I would not be able to talk long as there were blogs to write and edit and Facility Manager articles and deadlines to assign.

I think I get where he was coming from. Because our venues are not open to the types of events they were created for, the assumption is that no one has anything to do. Silly him!

You are likely using your venue in some type of capacity to help those in your community during the coronavirus pandemic, and if you are not doing that, you are still booking events for the future, dealing with events on the foreseeable calendar that may or may not be canceling, and more.

You are likely well into a plan that you will utilize to help in your reopening. You are purchasing the materials and safeguards imperative upon your reopening. You are constantly following federal, state, and local guidelines.

You are, in essence, busier than ever in so many ways.

Hey, I am too, and to latch on to the McDonald’s slogan, I’m lovin’ it! Obviously, I wish this busyness was centered around something much more desirable than a devastating pandemic, but for me the good news is I get to share what our members are doing to help in all ways possible.

An editor’s dream is to have unsolicited valuable stories sent his or her way. I am getting those every day from venues all over the place. They are very moving stories, most often of what our members are doing to be a major resource in their community. We love these and want to share them. I know that they are NOT submitted so the member or the venue can get a pat on the back or an attaboy, but to illustrate from the heart that when we all get down to the basics, we simply need each other.

Other stories are full of tips and great suggestions about working remote, while others look ahead to what we need to know upon reopening. As a matter of fact, there are two such stories in this week’s Front Row News written by IAVM Young Professional Committee members.

Please keep those stories coming, and when you send them please include high resolution pictures to help illustrate your content.

But wait, you say! Baugus, if you just have stories falling into your lap, how does that make you busy? The answer, my friends, is that we also take the initiative to find the stories out there that do not just magically appear. I have been fortunate over the past two months to talk to many people in the venue world who are on their own front lines and with stories to tell. We will continue seeking those, and if you have any leads for stories that we might consider, please share those with me as well.

Just know that we are here for you as you are always here for us. It does not go unnoticed, and I thank you for your desire to contribute and make a difference in the world.

By Ashley Peacock, CVP

In the age of a global pandemic shutting down many businesses and events to keep people safe, venue managers as well as event planners and promoters are looking toward the future of live events and the light at the end of the tunnel. Although many executive and top level leaders in venues must travel and work from the road periodically, many venue managers have found themselves and most, if not all, of their staff working remotely for the first time. They are navigating new waters in an industry that has largely always taken place in person.

No one person can shoulder the burden of managing an entire venue themselves, so those fortunate enough to still be working must band together to keep their team afloat. Most teams are still learning and adapting to these changing circumstances daily to find ways that work best for them and their events. In order to do this, many of us who have never had the opportunity to work remotely are having to quickly master a skill that can take a lot of time and effort to truly hone. There are a multitude of articles and webinars available online which can teach methods and best practices but figuring out how to bend these ideas to work for our face to face industry can be difficult. Not every tip will work well for every venue, but below are some gathered from various venue professionals who have been kind enough to share their experiences thus far in remote venue management.

Set up a designated workspace for yourself.

To echo many other articles on remote work, it is imperative for most people that they set up a workspace of some kind, or even get dressed for work, in order to get in the right headspace. If you can, make it separate from your normal home relaxation and entertainment spaces or even set up in a private room where you can keep away from distractions during working hours.

Use a remote desktop if you can.

There are many remote desktop applications out there like Team Viewer and Google Remote Desktop which allow the user to view a computer they can’t physically access from a screen at home. Be sure to check with your venue’s information technology or risk management departments first to ensure this is allowed and done safely per your organization’s policies.

Know your important websites URLs and log-in information.

Especially if you are unable to access your work computer remotely, it is imperative to know the website link and your log-in information for all sites required to get your work done. Much of venue and event management software is cloud-based and accessed online, so thankfully this is very conducive to being able to continue work from home computers and devices without necessarily needing to access a work computer remotely.

Feel free to take breaks throughout the day.

Many of us in this industry are inundated in work constantly when we are physically in the venues and continue to be available 24-7 when not there as well. Take advantage of working remotely to be available by phone or email, but still taking that time to step away from it when you’re not being called on. Don’t feel like you have to sit down at your computer exactly at your work start time and stay there until close of business. Make sure to get a lunch and take a long one if you can. Go for a walk around your neighborhood block with physical distancing or spend some time in your backyard when weather permits. Take time to play or read with your kids if you are at home with them. Having that time to breathe away from work will help to clear your head of stress so you can go back to work more productively again.

Let your venue clients and partners know what is going on.

Obviously you don’t want to air any of your organization’s dirty laundry, but be transparent where you can. Let them know if you are working from home and apologize for any potential delays in response. Make them aware of any weird schedules that may inhibit communication temporarily due to circumstances like furloughs or layoffs. Be up front with them about exactly who they need to get ahold of when you are unavailable and provide them contact information.

Don’t quit booking your venue and advancing events.

Seeing your calendar booked full of events in the future can provide hope for a path forward as well as ensure revenue returns. Most clients want this too, and they are happy to continue planning future events.

Stay connected with your coworkers.

Whether you’re checking in on the ones not currently working or keeping in a groove with those who are, make sure not to lose your connections. Group texts are an easy way to achieve team communication as well as the multitudes of tools out there like Microsoft Teams, Samepage, and other applications which allow you to communicate in a way that works for your team. Staying connected with your coworkers will help keep business moving while booking and advancing events as well as maintain a sense of normalcy for all involved.

Do some professional development and networking in your down time if you feel up to it.

Everyone is coping with this quarantine in their own way. Those who are feeling up to it, regardless of whether they are still working remotely, should consider doing some professional development and networking with this newfound downtime. Organizations like IAVM, CSPI, IAEE, MPI, USITT, and so many others are offering webinars and training free almost every day. Many of these even qualify as credits toward professional designations if you are registered to do so. Companies such as Ungerboeck Software International, EventBooking, Cvent, and many more are offering industry summits, webinars, networking happy hours, and even free or discounted certification and training programs in event industry software and fields. Don’t worry if you’re not ready for this yet – but keep it in mind to add on when you are!

If you have other tips for how to do your best work while going remote in venue management, please feel free to comment and add it here for others.

Ashley Peacock, CVP, is Senior Event Services Manager of ASM Tulsa – Cox Business Convention Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

By Jessica Beckmann

Quarantines and social distancing mandates caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have forced physical separation, but venue teams and IAVM members are uniting to close the gap between the guidance our government has provided and executing reopening the industry.

Reopening America is on the agenda. State and Federal Government officials alike are announcing new guidelines for reopening the economy in phases, but will venue managers be the last to unlock our doors?

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear unveiled a 10-point Healthy at Work Plan that mirrors that of the White House. The plan’s purpose is to guide businesses as they prepare for a gradual reopening.
The 10 rules to reopening a business under the Healthy at Work plan are:
• Continue telework where possible
• Phased return to work
• Onsite temperature/health checks
• Universal masks and other necessary PPE
• Close common areas
• Enforce social distancing
• Limit face-to-face meetings
• Sanitizer/hand wash stations
• Special accommodations
• Testing plan

As officials take the first steps toward restarting our economy, venue managers are now challenged with preparing to follow sometimes vague and wavering guidelines for safely reopening our workplaces. State and Federal guidelines like the Healthy at Work Plan are trickling out in phases that aim to return life to normal, but where does that leave us?

According to WhiteHouse.gov “Opening Up America Again,” all three phases of reopening that are specific to large venues include some level of physical distancing.
• Phase 1: Large Venues can operate under strict physical distancing protocols.
• Phase 2: Large Venues can operate under moderate physical distancing protocols.
• Phase 3: Large Venues can operate under limited physical distancing protocols.

Large Venues reopening and lifting restrictions on public gatherings are falling in line in the last phase of most plans. After managing the closing or repurposing of our buildings, virtual staff meetings, corporate task forces, and IAVM sector town halls have shifted their focus to plans for reopening.

The pandemic created physical distance, but if you are fortunate enough to continue working remotely, I encourage you to connect regularly with your team and other industry professionals during this time. The IAVM network is strengthening over digital platforms. IAVM discussion boards, blogs, town halls, and webinars are a great place for pooling resources. Venue managers are brainstorming, sharing, confiding, advising, and connecting with one another about executing their plans to reopen. We are problem solvers and we thrive in challenging atmospheres. We are going to get through this, and we can do it together.

So where do we go from here?

Our regular operations are expected to change.

Based on current mandates, we should be preparing our venues for staff to return safely. For each venue, this phase could look very different, but all of our plans should prioritize facility sanitizing, stocking cleaning products, and utilizing health screening and personal protective equipment.

As capacity restrictions are lifted and venues are made available to the public for smaller gatherings, venue managers will be focused on providing spaces that still accommodate social distancing. Small meeting room layouts will be expanded into full ballroom floorplans where guests can maintain suggested spacing. Larger venues will be looking at drastic capacity reductions as well. Venues that seat 75,000 people are currently evaluating seating capacity reductions to 5,000-10,000. In this scenario, phased reopening may not be feasible until acceptable physical distances are decreased and capacity restrictions are lifted completely.

Meetings, trade shows, and exhibits may be able to continue with modifications that maintain physical distance, but there are events such as sporting events, wedding receptions, and concerts that crowds and close proximity to one another are an intrinsic part of the atmosphere. With physical distancing at the core of these phased openings, is that not the very opposite of the atmosphere we strive to create for a financially successful event and memorable guest experience?

If our largest venues are the last to phase back in, arenas and stadiums may be wasting their time and money, planning and purchasing for the first couple of reopening phases. If the core concept remains to retain a level of physical distance among our patrons, without a drastic reduction of artist guarantees or skyrocketing of ticket prices when large scale venues are allowed to reopen, these facilities may not be able or willing under the new guidelines.

Will venues ever truly return to “normal” or will we be faced with a “new norm” with social distancing at its core? Staff, client, guest, and industry expectations are changing. I think we can all agree that whether we are reopening to small gatherings in oversized spaces, or delaying until all capacity restrictions are lifted, we cannot proceed as we did before. As our plans take shape for reopening, now is the time to contribute and lean on one another in the industry as we manage and shape the new norm.

Jessica Beckmann is Assistant General Manager of Spectra-managed Owensboro Sportscenter and a member of the IAVM
Young Professionals Committee.