You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, When It Comes to Event Speakers
By R.V. Baugus
With your permission, please allow me if only for a minute to play the seasonal role of the Grinch with regards to the following:
According to a study by Bizzabo, the world’s leading event success platform, almost two-thirds of all event speakers are male.
Bah, humbug!
In its global analysis annual release on Gender Diversity & Inclusion in Events Report that analyzed the gender diversity of more than 60,000 event speakers over a seven-year period from 2013-2019, and spanned 58 countries across five continents, 45 industries and thousands of the world’s largest professional events, the final report is enough to make Cindy Lou Who look up with those doleful eyes and ask, “why?” And who could blame the little princess from Whoville? Not us, not in what is approaching 2020.
In its release Bizzabo CEO and co-founder Eran Ben-Shushan said: “Forward thinking business leaders, and marketers intuitively know that gender balance is important to the overall success of an event. We’re releasing this data to help more leaders and organizations realize that the gender gap is still large, and unfortunately, closing all too slowly.”
According to Bizzabo’s global analysis, on average more than two-thirds (66%) of all speakers between 2013 and 2019 were male, while just one-third (33%) were female. This is a three percent jump from last year’s analysis, which showed 69 percent of speakers to be male, and only 31 percent to be female.
Call it a jump if you must, but it still produces numbers that are far from flattering when a talent pool of speakers is more diverse and expert than ever.
“This year’s analysis has shown progress, when compared to last year’s study but, unfortunately, not enough,” 
added Alon Alroy, Co-Founder of Bizzabo. “The narrow three percent bump, even with taking into account the smaller dataset used last year, shows that we still have a long way to go before there is greater gender balance within events.”
This comes at a time when IAVM takes serious the notion of being “intentional” as it seeks speakers for its events. It is the same intentionality that our member venues are demonstrating in the hiring and promotion process. It is long, long, overdue, and a process that will not change overnight, nor really should it just for the sake of change.
But the time to move beyond talking about it to doing something about starts now, so going forward within our corner of the industry results can be demonstrated.
The analysis showed that when comparing the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, the U.S. and Canada tied for most diverse, with 64 percent male versus 36 percent female, respectively. In the U.K, 69 percent of all speakers were male, while 31 percent were female, making it the least diverse of the three.
Of the 55 other countries studied, 19 came in last with almost zero percent of speakers being female. Those 19 countries included: Turkey, Czech Republic, South Korea, Philippines, Cote D’Ivoire, Macau, Norway, Malta, Qatar, Indonesia, Poland, Bahamas, Austria, Malaysia, Finland, Uruguay, Peru and Slovakia.
The deep dive also found that the country with the highest number of female speakers was Kenya, at 40 percent versus 60 percent. Right behind Kenya was Mexico (38 percent female), followed by both the U.S. and Canada, which tied for third place at 36 percent female.
The year 2020 is around the corner, and so are some fantastic opportunities. This is one that should not only be embraced, but executed to demonstrate it is more than just us guys capable of being speakers and presenters.
And with that we now carve the roast beast …
Nashville’s Music City Center Hosts Risk Mitigation Training
By Elisa “Putt” Putman
The Music City Center had the privilege of hosting Mark Herrera, Director of Education for the International Association of Venue Managers on Dec. 11 to discuss situational awareness and crisis management to its entire team as well local law enforcement and other venue teams from across the state.
The training focused on risk mitigation which included enhancing your physical security measures in which the 
Music City Center has done with the addition of perimeter K12 bollards, increasing awareness, and mitigating risks through guest service interjection. Herrera stressed the importance of looking beyond the traditional security measures and identifying any suspicious behavioral patterns that are not conducive to the environment.
“This training is just another example of our constant commitment to enhance our safety and security measures at the Music City Center for our guests, our team members, and the hundreds of vendors that attend events and work in the facility each and every day,” said Charles Starks, President/CEO of Music City Center. “Mark Herrera provided a remarkable presentation, engaging with all attendees while offering invaluable tools to mitigate risk.”
Attendees left the session much better prepared to recognize behavior out of the ordinary and how to most effectively and quickly handle situations that may arise to help ensure the safety of all our guests and team members.
Elisa “Putt” Putman is Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Three Promoted to Senior Vice President at PMI Entertainment Group
By Terry Charles
PMI Entertainment Group Chief Operating Officer Brendan Bruss announced the following promotions:
Paula Kirchman has been promoted to Senior VP of Administration and Organizational Resources. Kirchman oversees finance, information technology, human resources, and PMI’s Lambeau Field operations.
Kathie Mickle has been promoted to Senior VP of Marketing and Strategic Communications. Mickle oversees marketing, ticketing, and strategic communications.
Brad Foytik has been promoted to Senior VP of Revenue and Operations. Foytik oversees food and beverage services, facilities, conversion, housekeeping operations, and security.
Through its mission, PMI Entertainment Group generates economic impact and enhances the entertainment offerings in Northeastern Wisconsin. PMI Entertainment Group manages the Meyer Theatre, Resch Center, and owns the Green Bay Gamblers hockey team. PMI Entertainment Group also produces several shows and events including Nicolet Bank Tall Ships, The Wedding Show, WBAY Home & Garden Show, Boat Show, RV & Camping Expo and Pet Expo. PMI Entertainment Group will also manage the new $91M Brown County Expo Center upon completion in January of 2021.
Terry Charles is senior corporate communications manager for PMI Entertainment Group.
Kentucky Venues Announces New General Counsel
By Ian Cox
Kentucky Venues announced Carrie Bauer was hired as the organization’s General Counsel.
Bauer brings years of experience to the role. In her most recent position, she spent more than five years as the Associate General Counsel for Farm Credit Mid-America. There she worked with various business partners, from agricultural lending to facilities and real estate management to government relations, advising the organization on a broad range of business and legal matters.
Since graduating from the University of Kentucky School of Law, Carrie has worked in the Louisville community as 
an associate attorney then as a partner at Adams Law Group before joining Farm Credit Mid-America.
With her experience as a lawyer and business partner, Bauer will be able to guide Kentucky Venues in building collaborative relationships, improving processes and enhancing the customer experience. During her tenure at Farm Credit Mid-America, Bauer developed a passion for agriculture that will serve her at Kentucky Venues.
“With our many clients, exhibitors and guests, it’s important to have someone with the knowledge and experience that Carrie brings to our organization. We’re excited to have her on board,” said David S. Beck, President and CEO of Kentucky Venues.
With two different facilities, the Kentucky International Convention Center and Kentucky Exposition Center, Kentucky Venues hosts more than 280 events, all leasing space, each year. Those shows generate $360 million in estimated economic impact for Louisville and the surrounding area.
“I am excited to join the Kentucky Venues team to serve Kentucky and the local Louisville community. I’ve loved working as part of a team and look forward to working with everyone,” Bauer said.
Ian Cox is assistant director Of communications at Kentucky Venues.
A Warm Welcome To Our Newest Members
Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in November 2019. 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.
Jennifer Abplanalp, Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Jen Adams, Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, FL, United States
Roberto Alabat, Centro de Convenciones y Poliforum Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, , Mexico
Fabiola Aldave, ICC Baja Sur, Los Cabos, , Mexico
Andrew Allen, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX, United States
Nicole Andrews, Matrax Inc., Columbia, MD, United States
Luis Angeles, Expo Santa Fe Mexico, Mexico City, , Mexico
Ashley Aspinwall, Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Gerardo Avina, Expo Chihuahua, Chihuahua, , Mexico
Chelsea Baker, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia, SC, United States
Cari Baker, St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St Augustine, FL, United States
Linda Baldonado, Expo Reforma, Ciudad de México, DF, , Mexico
Kim Bledsoe, Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, Raleigh, NC, United States
Hayley Burkhardt, Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, Raleigh, NC, United States
Meghan Carannante, Tyson Events Center/Orpheum Theatre, Sioux City, IA, United States
Enzo Carannante, Tyson Events Center/Orpheum Theatre, Sioux City, IA, United States
Martha Castellanos, WTC Veracruz, Boca del Rio, , Mexico
Marisela Cordero, Poliforum Leon, Leon, , Mexico
Ben Craig, MassMutual Center, Springfield, MA, United States
Chris Culpepper, St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St Augustine, FL, United States
Angel Diez, Centro Expositor Puebla, Puebla, , Mexico
Eleonora Ferrell, Expo Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, , Mexico
Mickey Francois, Wisconsin Union, Madison, WI, United States
Magali Fregoso, Centro Internacional De Convenciones De Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, , Mexico
Gustavo Garcia, INFORUM Irapuato, Irapuato, Guanajuato, , Mexico
Thelma Garcia, Centro Internacional de Congresos Yucatan, Merida, , Mexico
Joel Gerrits, Wisconsin Union, Madison, WI, United States
Mauricio Gil, CIEC WTC Cd. de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, , Mexico
Tyler Gilmore, UTA Special Event Facilities, Arlington, TX, United States
Elizabeth Glasgow, St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St Augustine, FL, United States
Shannon Goffe, Portland’5 Centers for the Arts, Portland, OR, United States
Mark Gruber, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Kara Guambo, Valencia College School of Arts and Entertainment, Orlando, FL, United States
Eduardo Gutierrez, CIEC WTC Cd. de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, , Mexico
Laura Hadley, Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center, Wichita, KS, United States
Krista Hansen, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
Connor Hansen, Wisconsin Union, Madison, WI, United States
Mark Hanson, Wisconsin Union, Madison, WI, United States
Emilie Hatch, Wisconsin Union, Madison, WI, United States
Natassia Hernandez, Stadium People By Innovative, Dallas, TX, United States
Shawn Hill, Merestone, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
Marlee Jessen, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
Blake Jones, Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, Raleigh, NC, United States
Blanca Juarez, Centro de Convenciones Morelos, Xochitepec, Morelos, , Mexico
Samantha Kerr, Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Deborah Kime, Kime Advantage Consulting, London, ON, Canada
Richard Kostopoulos, NewGen Business Solutions, Warrenville, IL, United States
Joshua Levy, SUNY Delhi, Delmar, NY, United States
Jolina Li, BuzzyBooth, Culver City, CA, United States
Sarah Lucas, Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, Raleigh, NC, United States
Luz Maciel, INFORUM Irapuato, Irapuato, Guanajuato, , Mexico
Nicolette Manning, Wisconsin Union, Madison, WI, United States
Dianya Markovits, St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St Augustine, FL, United States
Nigel Marshall, Walter E Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC, United States
Brandon McAllister, Florence Center, Florence, SC, United States
Nestor Medina, Centro de Convenciones Morelos, Xochitepec, Morelos, , Mexico
Ryan Murray, Omaha Performing Arts, Omaha, NE, United States
Jose Nunez, Baja California Center, Tijuana, , Mexico
Amber Parker, AE International, San Diego, CA, United States
Alejandro Parra, CIEC WTC Cd. de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, , Mexico
Gabe Pellicer, St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St Augustine, FL, United States
Luis Pichardo, Centro de Convenciones y Poliforum Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, , Mexico
Derek Pinnock, Freeman, Dallas, TX, United States
René Flores Ríos, Expo Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, , Mexico
Alejandro Rodriguez, Centro Citibanamex, Mexico, D.F., , Mexico
Patricia Romero, Centro Internacional De Convenciones De Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, , Mexico
Jacqueline Salazar, Centro Cultural y de Convenciones de Durango, Durango, , Mexico
Stella Salyer, Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Rosalie Sanchez, GRAMMY Museum, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Sara Shevlin, Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA, United States
Alli Slater, Honey Training Center, Playa Vista, CA, United States
Paige Smith, Monterey Conference Center, Monterey, CA, United States
Fernanda Snellings, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
Tiffany Stephens, St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St Augustine, FL, United States
Christopher Stockton, Bert Church LIVE Theatre, Airdrie, AB, Canada
Shelbi Stofer, Allen Event Center, Allen, TX, United States
Federico Trevino, Centro Internacional de Congresos Yucatan, Merida, , Mexico
Luis Valdez, Expo Chihuahua, Chihuahua, , Mexico
Andrea Vargas, Palacio De Convenciones Zacatecas, Zacatecas, , Mexico
Eric Velander, EMSEAL Joint Systems, Ltd., Folsom, CA, United States
Catherine Walsh, Portland’5 Centers for the Arts, Portland, OR, United States
Melissa Werner, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
Bjorn Westlund, Pepsi Center, Denver, CO, United States
Vincent White, Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Nancy Whitman, Monterey Conference Center, Monterey, CA, United States
Tanner Wyse, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States