To the victor go the spoils!

Scotiabank Arena, home to the NBA champion Toronto Raptors, is set to undergo a multimillion dollar “reimagination” to improve the fan experience.

Michael Friisdahl, president and chief executive of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the 19,800-capacity arena, said the championship success is “motivating” them to “keep improving the experience.”

Home also to the NHL Maple Leafs, Scotiabank Arena held a record number of events in 2018 with more than 110 live shows over and above NHL and NBA games.

“We’ve got to keep getting better, we’ve got to keep improving the experience,” Friisdahl told the Canadian Press new agency. “We won a championship – we’ve won four championships in the last three years. That, if anything, motivates us to do even more. Eventually when it’s all said and done, you will notice that everything will have be touched in one way or another to improve the overall (fan) experience.”

Friisdahl says MLSE’s investment is to ensure the arena is both a “gathering place” for fans but also a destination in the city.

A pedestrian bridge that will connect a new second floor to the galleria on the north side of the arena is currently under construction. Improvements to the galleria are scheduled to be complete in the next 12 months, and is part of a larger plan that will take four to five years.

The arena also has plans to install a new video board, which is 40 per cent bigger than its current screen. Scotiabank Arena will also add smaller video screens added near the west entrance of the galleria. The arena is getting new digital Scotiabank signage that can light up in different colors.

“We’re going to step that up another notch. There isn’t a stitch that isn’t being retouched in here,” Friisdahl said.

Banc of California Stadium announced that the world-class sport and entertainment venue has received LEED Gold Certification for its green building practices, commitment to environmental responsibility and overall sustainability. LAFC worked with Gensler during the design process to ensure that sustainable elements of the project were prioritized and retained to achieve this result.

“We are honored to receive the prestigious LEED Gold Certification seal from USGBC,” said LAFC President and Owner Tom Penn. “From the very beginning of this project, we were committed to building an environmentally-friendly stadium, using minimal resources with no environmental impacts. We are proud to be recognized for creating a responsible, sustainable and highly efficient venue in the heart of Los Angeles.”

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for recognizing best-in-class building strategies and practices in green building. Below is a list of notable sustainable accomplishments Banc of California Stadium received from USGBC:

The stadium project diverted over 97% of total construction and demolition debris, equating to 28,906 tons diverted from the landfill.

The building design consisted of 15% recycled materials; 10% sourced locally.

Low emitting materials were used for adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings.

All flooring was Greenguard certified; composite wood products were urea-formaldehyde free.

Design included increased numbers of thermal zones to allow for maximizing controllability and individual user comfort.

Ventilation rates were increased 30 percent to provide enhanced interior air quality and improved cognitive function.

The stadium is 100 percent smoke-free.

Mechanical conditioning refrigerants with low global warming potential were used.

Project reduced energy consumption by 30 percent.

Project reduced water consumption by 40 percent, equating to a savings of over 770,000 gallons of water annually.

Roof design mitigated heat island effect.

Catchment basins were designed to capture and treat rainwater for optimized stormwater management.

LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building, community and home project types, LEED provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.

Las Vegas-based travel company Allegiant has secured naming rights to the new stadium being built in the city for soon-to-move Oakland Raiders.

The team is still some one year away from relocating from the Bay Area to Vegas, but the deal gives the team the opportunity to market even better the venue and ballclub.

“We’re thrilled that our future home will be known as Allegiant Stadium,” Raiders President Marc Badain commented on the team’s website. “As the hometown airline, Allegiant is the perfect partner to showcase the incredible support we continue to receive from the Southern Nevada community. We are grateful to all involved who worked diligently to make Allegiant Stadium a reality.”

As with all naming rights deals, look for Allegiant to be prominent throughout the 1.75 million-square-foot, state-of-the-art domed stadium. Both the Raiders and Allegiant will have their name attached to a number of high-profile events set to come at the stadium, which will serve as the site of the Las Vegas Bowl in 2020 and beyond and will host the 2020 and 2021 Pac-12 Football Championship Game.

The team was approved to move in March 2017 and will featured on the upcoming Hard Knocks program that each year follows a different NFL team throughout training camp.

IAVM member Barry Smith, CMA, is among several individuals who will be honored after the Events Industry Council announced the 2019 Hall of Leaders inductees and Pacesetter award winners. The recipients will be honored at a celebration as part of IMEX America on September 10 from 6-10 p.m. at LIGHT Nightclub at MGM’s Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Hall of Leaders is the premier recognition program in the events industry that recognizes a lifetime of achievement by meetings and events leaders. This year’s inductees join 131 previous honorees who have had an integral role in shaping the industry.

The Hall of Leaders 2019 inductees are:
 Michael Dominguez, CHSE, President and Chief Executive Officer, ALHI (Nominated by Events Industry Council Board of Directors)
 David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA, President and Chief Executive Officer, IAEE (Nominated by International Association of Exhibitions and Events)
 Anne Daly Heller, Publisher, USAE (Nominated by Searchwide Global)
 Carole McKellar, MA, CMM, Vice President EMEA, HelmsBriscoe (Nominated by Meeting Professionals International)
 Barry Smith, CMA, Executive Director, Convention Centres Canada (Nominated by International Association of Venue Managers)
 Ellsworth Milton Statler (posthumously), Owner, Statler Hotels (Nominated by USAE)

The Pacesetter Awards recognize the valuable contributions individuals are making to impact the events industry today, as well as charting the course for a thriving future. The 2019 Pacesetter Award recipients are:
 Young Professional: Robyn Davis, Trade Show Strategy Specialist, WINH (Nominated by Robyn Davis)
 Sustainability and Social Responsibility: Desirée Knight, CAE, CMP, Director, Education and Meetings, AREMA (Nominated by The Kilman Group)
 Sustainability and Social Responsibility: Chance Thompson, Senior Manager, Sustainability and Public Relations, Salt Palace Convention Center (Nominated by AZano, Inc.)
 Innovation: Frank Yang, PMP, CMP, CEM, Director, Convention Marketing, KINTEX (Nominated by International Congress and Convention Association)

“These distinguished industry pioneers and emerging leaders demonstrate a deep commitment and passion to advancing the events industry in meaningful ways,” said Amy Calvert, CEO, Events Industry Council. “Steeped in more than three decades of history, these recognitions celebrate the individuals who have redefined our industry and left an impactful legacy. This year’s esteemed inductees exemplify the influence, altruism and innovation commensurate of this renowned recognition. We are privileged to welcome them into the prestigious group of past
honorees and celebrate the collective contributions of all our Hall of Leaders. This year’s Pacesetter Award winners represent a group of emerging leaders in the events industry with a steadfast commitment to innovation and sustainability. We are thrilled that the selection committee decided to award two Sustainability and Social Responsibility Awards in 2019. This decision reflects the Events Industry Council’s desire and commitment to establishing a unified voice to drive significant change.”

For information about sponsorship and purchasing tickets to attend the awards celebration, please visit eventscouncil.org/hall-of-leaders-celebration.

Staff at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center made a long-lasting memory for a 13-year-old boy scheduled to perform at Delta Sigma Theta’s 54th National Convention after the show was suspended because of the threat posed by Hurricane Barry.

Originally, Kaleb Motley, a 13-year-old vocal student at LaVilla School of the Arts in Florida, was scheduled to perform on Friday in the New Orleans Theater to more than 3,000 Delta Sigma Theta sorority sisters. However, during a Thursday rehearsal, event organizers suspended the conventions proceedings because of the threatening weather.

As a soloist in the youth choir of his school, and a hobbyist singer, dancer, and drummer, Motley was disappointed that he did not get a chance to show his skills during the Delta Sigma Theta National Convention after traveling from all the way from Florida.

Sensing his deep disappointment, the staff of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center gave Motley a rehearsal to remember despite the cancellation. Convention Center staff dimmed the New Orleans Theaters’ house lights, put the spotlights on Motley, and gave him a microphone for the full show effect. Motley performed in front of his friends and family, along with a few Delta Sigma Theta and Convention Center staff members.

“Kaleb and his family were so happy that he got VIP treatment from the Convention Center,” says Ceara Labat, Event Coordinator at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. “We were also able to record his performance, so he will always have a memento of his time here.”

After the show’s cancellation, Delta Sigma Theta officials also donated more than 17,000 meals to the Second Harvest Food Bank, who distributed the meals to those effected by the severe weather.

Kaleb Motley’s full audition can be found here.