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.

AEG Facilities, a stand-alone division of the world’s leading sports, venue and live entertainment company AEG, has been selected to by the City of Palm Springs to operate the Palm Springs Convention Center, the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism, the Palm Springs Visitors Center and the Welwood Murray Memorial Library.

As part of a comprehensive management agreement and effective September 26, 2019, AEG Facilities will be responsible for the management of the facilities’ operations and providing such services as event programming and content development, purchasing, vendor venue services, advertising, marketing and event-day operations for the convention center and Bureau of Tourism. Additionally, AEG Facilities will implement its industry-leading proprietary initiatives including AEG S.A.F.E., AEG 1Source, AEG 1EARTH, AEG 1Force, AEG Encore and AEG Energy Services.

“We are excited for the next chapter at the convention center and are confident that AEG’s vast network of resources and talent will be an incredible asset to the City of Palm Springs and will help attract more meetings, conventions and special events to the Palm Springs Convention Center, generating increased tax revenue and economic impact to our region,” said David H. Ready, Palm Springs City Manager.

In addition to providing venue services, AEG Facilities will provide management services to the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism to promote tourism to the City of Palm Springs by generating positive awareness of the City as a destination for leisure travelers, establish marketing plans and strategize the improvement of the Palm Springs Visitor Center.

“We are very pleased that the City of Palm Springs selected AEG Facilities to manage the convention center and Bureau of Tourism, and we are anxious to get started working with the hospitality stakeholders to attract more events to Palm Springs.” Said Brad Gessner-Senior VP of Convention Centers for AEG Facilities

The Palm Springs Convention Center is 261,000 square feet and features a world-class setting and showcases flexible, spacious and is uniquely positioned to maximize the benefits of its surroundings. Featuring more than 1,600 hotel rooms within walking distance, the location of the Palm Springs Convention Center is an ideal location for events and meetings of all types.

The recently renovated Welwood Murray Memorial Library is located in the heart of downtown Palm Springs and serves as a resource for tourists and residents. Originally opened in 1941, the Welwood Murray Memorial Library serves as a branch of the Palm Springs Library, a research library for the Palm Springs Historical Society and a downtown visitors center.

Charleston Gaillard Center announced the promotion of Therese Spaseff to director of entertainment and programming for the Charleston, SC performing arts center.

Spaseff joined the Charleston Gaillard Center in May 2014 prior to the reopening of the Gaillard Center in October 2015 after its $142 million renovation. She began on staff as booking coordinator, responsible for contracting rental engagements. Following that, she worked in the finance department and eventually found her home in the programming department.

In October 2016, she stepped up to be the primary talent buyer for concerts, comedy, family programming, commercial acts, and Broadway as the Gaillard Center’s entertainment programming manager. Since then, she has worked to secure the best artists for the Charleston community, including Tony Bennett, John Mulaney, TajMo: Taj Mahal and Keb Mo Band, TobyMac, Kristin Chenoweth, Reese Witherspoon’s Whiskey in a Teacup Book Tour, and most recently Tim McGraw with Jon Meacham on their Songs of America Book Tour.

She is a graduate of the College of Charleston with degrees in International Business and German, with a minor in German Studies. This fall, Spaseff will return to the College of Charleston as an adjunct instructor teaching “Presenting the Performing Arts.”

Ungerboeck announced the launch of Ungerboeck Connect in partnership with TIBCO Software, a global leader in integration, API management, and analytics. Ungerboeck Connect enables Ungerboeck customers to build simple to sophisticated integrations with other systems easily and rapidly.

Events and venues today rely on multiple systems for day-to-day operations. Yet, having siloed systems means businesses struggle to connect the dots. WIth TIBCO Cloud™ Integration, customers can elegantly bring all their data streams together and seamlessly connect the important applications they already use and trust all from an easy-to-use Integration Platform-as-a-Service (iPaaS).

“Improving the customer experience with data enrichment and personalization is a key requirement in winning the online buyer. We are excited to leverage our deep connectivity into the cloud’s best platforms to complement Ungerboeck’s event management software,” said Rajeev Kozhikkattuthodi, vice president, product management, TIBCO. “For Software-as-a-Service providers like Ungerboeck, TIBCO offers its customers one of the fastest ways to tap into the growing array of cloud applications that enrich the core of the Ungerboeck product.”

“Our partnership with TIBCO and the availability of Ungerboeck Connect in the TIBCO Cloud Integration marketplace mark an important milestone for Ungerboeck,” said Manish Chandak, president and chief executive officer, Ungerboeck. “For most of our customers, Ungerboeck is the core CRM, event management, registration, and financial system. This partnership with TIBCO will allow our customers to integrate our platform with their security, visitor management, point of sale, marketing automation, digital signage, ticketing, and any other system.”

For more information on Ungerboeck Connect, please visit ungerboeck.com.