A Warm Welcome To Our Newest Members
Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in February 2020. Thank you for being a part of the association! Also, let us get to know you better by participating in the I Am Venue Management series. Please visit http://www.iavm.org/i-am-venue-management-share-your-story to share your story and photo.
Kaitlin Abell, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND, United States
Ellie Amos, Sidekicker, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Grayson Austin, Trail Drive Management Corp./Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX, United States
Zach Bazemore, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, United States
Michael Bekolay, Venue Hospitality Solutions, Weston, FL, United States
Jochen Benarek, VenuesLive Management Services, Burswood, WA, Australia
Portia Benbow, Riverside EpiCenter, Austell, GA, United States
Christian Bilkovic, Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Stephen Brathwaite, Frank Collymore Hall, Bridgetown, , Barbados
Penny Briffa, Perth Concert Hall, WA Venues & Events Pty Ltd, Perth, WA, Australia
Anderson Brun, FedExForum, Memphis, TN, United States
Kelsee Bushell, Weber County Culture, Parks and Recreation, Ogden, UT, United States
John Caldon, San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
Irencarr Cartwright-Young, Houston Community College, Houston, TX, United States
Alessandra Chimienti Gibbs, Conservatory of Flowers, Alameda, CA, United States
Kristi Clarey, Austin Theatre Alliance, Austin, TX, United States
Mark Cogley, Butler Heavy Structures, Kansas City, MO, United States
Adrienne Cole, Civic Center of Anderson, Anderson, SC, United States
Mark Coughlan, Perth Concert Hall, WA Venues & Events Pty Ltd, Perth, WA, Australia
Danika Coulbourn, Rogers Arena | Canucks Sports & Entertainment, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Roy Covington, FedExForum, Memphis, TN, United States
Julie Cross, The Jerome Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH, United States
Jack Crozier, ASM Global Pty Ltd – ICC Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Pasquale Del Villaggio, Austin Theatre Alliance, Austin, TX, United States
David Delaro, Hoist Sales and Service, Inc., Sarasota, FL, United States
Elizabeth Dickson, UW-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, Milwaukee, WI, United States
Oliver Drakes, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Wharf, VIC, Australia
Nicole Epps, Trail Drive Management Corp./Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX, United States
Jenn Faulds, Rogers Arena | Canucks Sports & Entertainment, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Kole Ford, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND, United States
Cameron Furr, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA), Charlotte, NC, United States
Taylor Garren, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, United States
MaryBeth Gibbs, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, United States
Allyson Gilbert, Ector County Coliseum, Odessa, TX, United States
Chris Gilmer, Trail Drive Management Corp./Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX, United States
Jori Goodman, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA), Charlotte, NC, United States
Bob Gorham, VenuesLive Management Services, Burswood, WA, Australia
Patrick Green, AAA Flag & Banner, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Jonathan Greene, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND, United States
Chelsea Hambling, QPAM Ltd, Auckland, , New Zealand
Mariebelle Hansen, San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
Amy Harris, Austin Convention Center Department, Austin, TX, United States
Steven Hart, San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
Chris Hatcher, Securecy, Empire Bay, NSW, Australia
Amanda Hiatt, Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL, United States
Dawn Holiski, Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Mike Hollon, The Jerome Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH, United States
Justin Hopkins, Trail Drive Management Corp./Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX, United States
Michelle Howells, VenuesLive Management Services, Burswood, WA, Australia
Damien Jackson, Sport and Recreation Queensland, Townsville, QLD, Australia
Elyse Johnson, Trail Drive Management Corp./Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX, United States
Callum Johnson, Melbourne Racing Club, Caulfield East, VIC, Australia
Jeff Jones, Trail Drive Management Corp./Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX, United States
Paul Kanaan, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Wharf, VIC, Australia
Kearna Kemister, Venues NSW, WIN Sports & Entertainment Centres, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
Joe Keune, Ungerboeck Software International, O’Fallon, MO, United States
Marlene Kincaid, Spectra Corporate Headquarters, Bear, DE, United States
Lisa Knezovic, VenuesLive Management Services, Burswood, WA, Australia
Julian Knott, Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Brendan Korn, ASM Global Pty Ltd – ICC Sydney, Londonderry, NSW, Australia
Michael Lakkis, Guardian Venue Management International, Yagoona, NSW, Australia
Megan Lenertz, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND, United States
Diane Liberator, Weber County Culture, Parks and Recreation, Ogden, UT, United States
Darcy Lipsey, Royal & McPherson Theatres Society, Victoria, BC, Canada
Lindsey Loscher, Weber County Culture, Parks and Recreation, Ogden, UT, United States
Simone Macleod, Brisbane Racing Club Limited, Hamilton Central, QLD, Australia
Natalie Maksimovic, Grand Pacific Group, Chowder Bay, NSW, Australia
Paul Marquez, Excel Dryer Inc., East Longmeadow, MA, United States
Eve Mathis, IHS Global Alliance – The Americas, Santa Monica, CA, United States
Paget McCutcheon, QPAM Ltd, Auckland, , New Zealand
Felicity McGlinn, Sidekicker, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Kevin McGlone, UCSD Recreation, La Jolla, CA, United States
Randy McKay, Cascade Theatre, Ashland, OR, United States
Rosanna McNeal, Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Nathan Miller, Tyson Events Center/Orpheum Theatre, Sioux City, IA, United States
Natalie Miller, Western Kentucky University, Elizabethtown, KY, United States
Patty Monaghan, Sertifi, Chicago, IL, United States
Nick Montpetit, BC Place, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Stephanie Morgan, BC Place, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Stephanie Myers, Trail Drive Management Corp./Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX, United States
Kyle Norris, UW-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, Milwaukee, WI, United States
Dani O’Callahan, The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Hartford, CT, United States
Dennis O’Gara, Smart City, Las Vegas, NV, United States
Justin Oh, OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa, CA, United States
Lee Oliver, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, United States
Sam O’Rourke, Sidekicker, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Chris Page, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, United States
Gilberto Palomera, Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Elyse Partee, Scott Family Amazeum, Bentonville, AR, United States
Nick Patton, UTA Special Event Facilities, Arlington, TX, United States
Thomas Posavac, UTA Special Event Facilities, Arlington, TX, United States
Alissa Ramsay, SOLID Surface Care, Inc., Charlotte, NC, United States
Scott Rendell, Trail Drive Management Corp./Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX, United States
Dianne Rigg, Venues NSW, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, Australia
Tracy Roberts, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, KS, United States
James Rogan, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Boston, MA, United States
Paul Rosanoski, Oracle Food and Beverage, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
Dwaine Rundle, Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, Madison, WI, United States
Jodie Salisbury, Townsville City Council, Townsville, QLD, Australia
Emily Salmond, ASM Global Pty Ltd – ICC Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Zoe Sanders, VenuesLive Management Services, Burswood, WA, Australia
Emily Scoville, Weber County Culture, Parks and Recreation, Ogden, UT, United States
Polina Selinevich, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND, United States
Matthew Sharman, Australian Turf Club, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Darla Shaw, Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
Morgan Shaw, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND, United States
Alex Sherf, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, KS, United States
Brian Siffermann, Trail Drive Management Corp./Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX, United States
Barb Silin, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, KS, United States
Michelle Simonsen, USC Thornton School of Music, Pasadena, CA, United States
Dwayne Smith, The Jerome Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH, United States
Anita Sodhi-Cavezza, BC Place, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Allison Sousa, The Venue at Lenoir City, Lenoir City, TN, United States
Jessica Stark, UMBC Event Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
Matt Steinmetz, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND, United States
Alex Stroth, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND, United States
Bradley Styba, Tradex (Fraser Valley Trade & Exhibition Centre), Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Micaela Talbot, Crown Melbourne Ltd, Southbank, VIC, Australia
Melanie Taylor, EventBooking, Hunters Hill, NSW, Australia
Shannon Trujillo, Levy Restaurants, Las Vegas, NV, United States
Patrick Urekar, Rogers Arena | Canucks Sports & Entertainment, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Jenna Visram, BC Place, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Tim Walker, Melbourne Sports Centres, Albert Park, VIC, Australia
Azlan Wan, Brisbane Racing Club Limited, Hamilton Central, QLD, Australia
Britaney Wehrmeister, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, KS, United States
Ryan Westover, Weber County Culture, Parks and Recreation, Ogden, UT, United States
Marcus White, Trail Drive Management Corp./Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX, United States
Amy Worden, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, KS, United States
A Special Message from IAVM President & CEO Brad Mayne, CVE
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times.
But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Now, more than ever, we need to stay healthy and take care of our bodies, minds and spirits. Fear and anxiety are spreading as quickly as the virus, and we as industry leaders are committed to helping our industry stay present, grounded and empowered through this uncertain time. We will continue to take the lead in offering resources and member involvement while using common sense to stay safe and healthy. Though this virus is placing physical distance between all of us, let this be an opportunity to continue to investigate the inspiring principles and spirit of IAVM safely in the ways we can during this time.
Ways to Remain Connected
IAVM membership affords you numerous ways in which you can remain connected during this trying time. The following tools will provide you with access to your fellow industry leaders and colleagues, to ask questions, read information on how others are succeeding and learning, not just during the trying times of COVID-19, but in all aspects of venue management:
- VenueNet – IAVM’s popular industry discussion forum
- Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
- Front Row News – IAVM’s industry blog
Build Your Expertise
You can continue to build your own knowledge of the industry and enhance your professional development by utilizing the online resources IAVM offers.
- IAVM’s COVID-19 Clearinghouse Webpage – clearinghouse for updated information related to Coronavirus from CDC and World Health Organization, as well as other materials and links that you may find useful.
- IAVM Webinars – Sign up for upcoming webinars and access recordings of past ones.
- Learning Library – the searchable repository for IAVM’s online educational content (conference recordings, articles, etc.) that covers a variety of topics.
- Facility Manager Magazine
Impact of COVID-19 on IAVM Scheduled Events
IAVM is closely monitoring advisories and updates regarding COVID-19 from the CDC, DHS, the WHO, other associations, as well as healthcare and regulatory organizations. Decisions regarding each IAVM event are being determined independently, as factors affecting one event may not affect another. The following is what we have determined as of today:
- Senior Executive Symposium (SES) is being rescheduled for the week of October 18th – 22nd and will remain on the Cornell campus. Those currently registered will be automatically rolled over to the new dates. If you are unable to attend, IAVM will refund you 100% of your registration fee and room and board up until August 1st. Registrants unable to attend the new dates can also choose to roll over fees paid to the 2021 SES event. All necessary cancellations will need to be submitted in writing noting the reason for your cancellation to meetings@iavm.org.
- Venue Management School and GI (VMS) remains on its current schedule while we continue our due diligence to determine next steps.
- VenueConnect 2020 remains on its current schedule in July. We will continue to monitor the situation and make changes as they evolve. Members will be informed should any changes be made.
What Our Members/Member Venues are Doing to Serve Communities
One of the things that our membership does best is to volunteer to give back to their local communities. During the recent town hall webinars, many of those in attendance volunteered how they themselves, or their venues at large, were giving back to those who need it during this difficult time. A few examples included:
- Venues using food previously ordered for events to provide items needed to their furloughed staff and the less fortunate in their local areas.
- Venues offering their staff and on-site security personnel to assist with the delivery of supplies to those who need it.
- Coordinating with local authorities and health officials to explore how to best serve their communities’ needs during this unique situation. As events are rescheduled or cancelled, exploring alternative uses for their venues based on their community needs.
- Becoming makeshift centers for the elderly, and potentially even overflow for local healthcare facilities as needed.
These are just a few examples of how you and your colleagues are giving back. We want to know what your venue is doing as well! Please let us know by posting your stories of how you are helping out in VenueNet so that others can see how they too can use this difficult time to serve others.
We all need inspiration and super heroes at this time. We know you will follow and engage with the whole of venue professionals through VenueNet and social media channels. IAVM is not just an association, it is a family of 7,000+ colleagues. Keep reaching out to each other, and do not hesitate to reach out to your IAVM staff and leadership, should you need assistance.
While the timeframe for this chapter is uncertain, let’s take heed from Gandalf: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
Brad Mayne, CVE
IAVM President & CEO
Fort Worth Convention Center Among Many Stepping Up in Wake of COVID-19
By R.V. Baugus
The Fort Worth (TX) Convention Center is entering uncharted territory as the venue serves as a temporary shelter for the community homeless. Mike Crum, Director, Public Events Department for the Fort Worth Convention Center | Will Rogers Memorial Center | Office of Outdoor Events, took time out of a hectic schedule to share how the venue is being utilized as a resource and result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Your venue obviously gives greater opportunity for social distancing than the shelters where many stay. What is 
the ideal social distance you are implementing?
Cots have been placed approximately six feet apart on the Fort Worth Convention Center Arena floor, an adjoining exhibit hall, and in selected meeting rooms that are part of the Arena venue. The concept is to provide this type of social distancing in the FWCC shelter, as well as the shelters that permanently operate to serve the homeless in Fort Worth.
Did the city come to the venue for this need and purpose and when did they do so?
The FWCC is managed as part of the City of Fort Worth’s Public Events Department. The department was notified of the City’s intent to use the FWCC as an overflow shelter to provide social distancing for the homeless on Monday, March 16. The venue’s management team, led by Cynthia Serrano, then engaged with City officials, Tarrant County Health Department officials, Fort Worth medical professionals, Fort Worth Police, Fort Worth Fire, Fort Worth MedStar, and local shelter management personnel to develop a shelter operations plan. The shelter was opened for guests at 4 pm on Wednesday, March 18. The shelter operates daily from 4 pm to 7 am.
With it being the first time for the venue to be used in a shelter capacity, what are your expectations for this particular need knowing we really do not have a true finishing line at this point with the coronavirus?
The shelter will operate as long as our community needs it. Currently, the term of shelter operations is open-ended. When shelter operations terminate, we believe there will be adequate time to prepare the venue to resume hosting conventions and meetings.
Will your staff be involved in any way with this particular group while they are at the venue? T
he day-to-day management of the shelter is the responsibility of local shelter management personnel. Staff from the City of Fort Worth and Tarrant County Health are serving shelter operations in a support capacity. The FWCC team is responsible for general venue management; we have an event coordination team assigned to the operation. Our Engineering team is responsible for lighting and HVAC maintenance. Our Facilities is providing daily janitorial services.
IAVM Signs, Supports Coalition Letter to Rescue American Event Workers
In supporting American Event Workers, IAVM has signed and supported the following letter.
THE COALITION TO RESCUE AMERICAN EVENT WORKERS
March 19, 2020
The Honorable Steven T. Mnuchin
Secretary
Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20220
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
The Speaker of the House of Representatives
United States Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Secretary Mnuchin, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader McConnell:
The Coalition to Rescue American Event Workers includes companies involved in the operation of public assembly venues and the presentation of events at those venues, together with labor unions representing the interests of employees in this sector who are being significantly and adversely impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. The public gathering spaces covered by our Members include arenas, stadiums, theaters, amphitheaters, music clubs, convention centers and festival sites which collectively employ over one million full- and part-time employees around the nation. We applaud the ongoing efforts of the Administration and Congress to pursue much-needed relief for the American people as this country endures an unprecedented crisis stemming from the fallout generated by COVID-19.
The devastation from these unfortunate circumstances is being felt far and wide across all sectors of the 
economy. However, certain businesses and employees are being hit disproportionately hard given the need for stringent social distancing measures, which are a necessary centerpiece of the public health response to mitigating the spread of the virus. Public assembly venues and the employees who earn their livelihood in those facilities have been hit hardest, as the measures implemented started impacting parts of our industry weeks ago and have now brought the sector to a complete halt. It has been estimated that the impact to this sector over a six-month period will be in excess of $10 billion. There remains great uncertainty over the duration of these measures, but it appears likely that they will last for a minimum of several months and potentially beyond, causing great uncertainty for impacted businesses and workers.
Unfortunately, Members of our coalition are suffering greatly as the extent and severity of this crisis has become apparent. Most immediately, the wide-scale postponement and cancellation of events has put countless event employees immediately out of work, with no revenue to support the continuation of their pay or benefits. Affected employees include ushers, ticket takers, ticket sellers, concession stand workers, food preparation and serving staff, event set-up and conversion personnel, janitorial staff, security officers, parking attendants and countless other working men and women who ensure the safe and successful operation of facilities hosting a wide variety of sports, entertainment, and other public assembly events at these venues.
Further, the indefinite cessation of the event business at public assembly facilities poses risk beyond the large population of immediately impacted event staff. Venues and their contractors employ a large workforce of full-time staff needed to operate these businesses. Operations, management, ticket sales, finance, marketing, human resources, risk management, IT, payroll, and a variety of other important administrative and business functions provide many employees stable jobs and good benefits. As the current extraordinary shuttering of the business continues through the spring and likely beyond, the massive loss of revenue suffered by venue and event employers creates an untenable situation that threatens the security of these employees and would have additional far reaching implications to the broader economy.
In the face of this unprecedented crisis and the economic downturn it has triggered, facility owners, operators and contractors will be under great duress to reduce costs and curtail business investment. In the absence of government assistance, many of their workers are facing curtailed wages and benefits, furloughs, layoffs, and similar hardship, as employers cannot sustain current levels of employment and compensation in the absence of revenue. Further, businesses seeking to protect their financial security must now reassess the prudence of continued business investment as they confront tremendous uncertainty regarding both the duration of the current emergency measures and poor economic prospects facing the business community once the immediate crisis subsides.
We commend the Department of the Treasury for recognizing in its recent Stage Three Proposal the need for additional financial support for other (non-airline industry) sectors of the U.S economy that are also severely distressed. In the face of the circumstances described above, we submit to you that the members of The Coalition to Rescue American Event Workers represent precisely such a sector. With a massive employee base across countless facilities and events serving every community throughout the country, there is little doubt that this sector is both critical and severely impacted.
With that background, we are seeking your support to explicitly identify public assembly venues and events as a critical sector severely impacted by this crisis and to designate up to $10 billion in grants to these businesses structured to allow them to continue to compensate their event employees in the absence of events, to avoid large-scale layoffs and to make continued business investment critical to preserving existing jobs and creating new jobs in the future. We are prepared to work with you to ensure that the government’s policy interests are protected in connection with these grants, including the imposition of conditions in determining eligibility for funds, criteria governing amounts disbursed to recipients and requirements imposed on the use of funds by recipients.
We believe such support is particularly warranted given that the venue closures and event cancellations mandated by current circumstances have been implemented to achieve a broader social objective of curtailing the spread of infection. The circumstances we find ourselves in are truly extraordinary and unprecedented and, as a result, were neither foreseeable nor susceptible to insurance coverage or other traditional means normally utilized by businesses to manage and mitigate their risks.
Since the beginning of time, individuals have gathered together to experience live entertainment communally. The same is true of Americans, who receive such joy from our industry. Though saddened by events that have unfolded in recent weeks, we remain committed to doing everything in our power to support our employees. As the backbone of this industry, they work every day to create an escape and lasting memories for our loyal patrons.
We greatly appreciate your consideration of our request for much needed assistance that would alleviate the hardship felt by workers, stimulate spending in the near term, and position our businesses to quickly ramp back up and act as a catalyst for growth as this crisis subsides.
Sincerely,
THE COALITON TO RESCUE AMERICAN EVENT WORKERS
Joint Message From Global Industry Leaders in Support of Our Global Community
By Amy Calvert and Paul Van Deventer
The reality of COVID-19 reminds us that we are a global community representing a rich and diverse fabric of talented and dedicated professionals. We are also reminded of our common humanity in our vulnerabilities. As individuals, now is the time to focus on what matters most: the collective wellbeing and safety of our workforce, event participants and communities.
These circumstances are deeply affecting our society as a whole. As stewards of our industry, we lift up and 
hold in our hearts all of those who have lost loved ones and who face new struggles as a result of this crisis. We know that our 26 million industry professionals are part of a global collective and that we are seeing disruptions that are unprecedented.
This is the time to support one another as best we can while the world health and economic systems work toward the path of recovery. We commend event professionals around the globe for maintaining their continued focus on supporting safe, healthy, and inclusive communities.
We do not yet know with any degree of certainty what the total impact will be on communities and the global economy; we do know that it will be significant. While we navigate this uncertainty, we counsel responsible, fact-based decision-making, grounded in empathy, delivered and received with kindness. We are a community that depends on one another, and indeed together we are stronger. Let us work together to the best of our abilities to honour our commitments to each other and the communities we serve.
As we have learned through experience, when we face these times together, we show our resilience and our resolve. We are with you. We stand with you at this time. We will bring our hearts and minds together with a steadfast commitment to focus on recovery and to continue offering resources to lift up this industry.
EIC, on behalf of our industry and in collaboration with our 33 members, has focused on sharing and delivering relevant educational resources, insights, and advocacy. We will continue to look for ways to serve, offering a unified voice in support of our industry, stakeholders, and mission.
EIC’s vision is to enrich lives and drive economic growth through the power of events worldwide. Our mission is to be the global voice of the business events industry on advocacy, research, professional recognition, and standards. With a mindset focused on our values, collaboration, and empathy, we are well positioned to focus our energies where they are best placed: in support of each other.
On behalf of the Events Industry Council’s member organisations,
Amy Calvert is CEO of the Events Industry Council (EIC) and Paul Van Deventer is Chair of the EIC Board and CEO, of MPI. IAVM is one of the supporting members of the EIC.