Major League Baseball has named BrightView Landscapes as its official field consultant to support its expansion to play more games internationally.

Under the agreement, the Sports Turf Division of the commercial landscaping services company will oversee various MLB field development initiatives domestically and abroad. BrightView also performs numerous site and ballpark reviews.

“Our role as field consultant to Major League Baseball covers various functions for the many initiatives the Commissioner’s office manages both domestically and internationally,” said Murray Cook, BrightView Sports Turf president. “The core of our involvement is renovating and managing fields for international events, which can also include designing and coordinating construction projects.”

The MLB’s international department will collaborate with the firm to evaluate potential sites proposed by federations seeking to host games, often featuring future MLB stars. Over the years these site reviews have included the Olympic Games and Olympic qualifying tournaments.

“Through our relationship with BrightView and Murray Cook, Major League Baseball has expanded our efforts to play games in different parts of the world on big league calibre baseball fields,” said Jim Small, MLB senior vice president, international. “That relationship will continue this summer when we work with Murray and his team on bringing MLB games to London for the first time ever.”

The landscaping firm has consulted with the league for many years, most notably on field design and construction for games outside the league’s 30 existing ballparks. The projects include the 2016 Cuba Game of the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa., as well as a two-game series in Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium, and MLB’s 2019 Mexico Series in Monterrey.

“Major League Baseball has exacting standards for field design, construction, and maintenance,” Cook said. “These requirements offer a top quality competitive product to baseball fans, while providing a safe, consistent, and high performance playing surface for its athletes.”

The company is currently planning field operations for MLB’s first series in London, scheduled for June 2019, at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

In response to resident and visitor demands for simpler and more convenient parking, the city has partnered with ParkWhiz to power event parking in Las Vegas, including the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center.

“Over the last few years, downtown Las Vegas has experienced significant growth, especially when it comes to events, and one of our biggest complaints is how to find convenient parking,” said Brandy Stanley, Parking Services Manager from the city of Las Vegas. “We wanted to identify a partner to help simplify parking and make it easier for everyone to get to where they need to go.”

ParkWhiz will kick off work with the city around events at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, including this weekend’s Punk Rock Bowling concert series from May 25-27. Attendees can purchase event parking in advance through the ParkWhiz mobile app or on ParkWhiz.com and escape the hassle of trying to find parking. All of the city’s garages are now available for reservations through ParkWhiz, so even if someone is not coming downtown for an event, it is easy to reserve a parking space in advance and know exactly where to park. For any event that is powered by Ticketmaster, people will have the option to book parking along with their ticket purchase.

“We realize that parking is really a means to an end – the thing you have to do before doing what you want to do. We’re excited to partner with the city of Las Vegas to make parking much easier and hassle-free for residents and visitors alike,” said Dan Roarty, President and COO of Arrive, ParkWhiz’s parent company.

In accordance with IAVM policies and bylaws, the slate for the 2019-2020 Board of Directors is now available online. As in previous years, members will have an opportunity to cast their votes electronically in advance of VenueConnect in Chicago.

Members can read about the candidates online during their leisure in preparation of casting their votes.

The ballot box will open June 17, 2019 and will close on July 12, 2019.  In the interim, take advantage of the opportunity to read all about those individuals slated to lead the Association during the next year.

The International Association of Venue Managers has named Devon Carter as its new Membership Sales Specialist. Devon joined the Membership team in April, and is already making an impact on membership retention and acquisition. Prior to joining IAVM, he was with the Frisco RoughRiders, a Minor League Baseball team and Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, where he coordinated partnerships between the Frisco RoughRider’s Foundation and local charitable organizations, as well as organized community events.

“I am definitely a people person,” stated Devon, when asked why he chose to join IAVM. “I love working directly with people. When I saw who comprised the membership and researched what IAVM stands for, what this association does for its members, I was very intrigued.  I saw a lot of myself in the IAVM mission.”

Devon’s primary focus will be to generate new business and new members across all sectors, as well as help drive revenue growth.

“We are thrilled that Devon has joined IAVM,” said Gina Brydson, IAVM’s Director of Membership. “His sales background, great personality and charm, and initiative will help us achieve our goal of making IAVM even stronger in the years to come. He is already bringing in new members! We can’t wait for you to meet him. Please welcome him to the IAVM family if you haven’t done so already.”

“A lot of my prior professional accomplishments have revolved around getting communities involved and building relationships,” noted Devon. “My dream is to just be able to connect people in ways that they can grow professionally and personally, and to be someone who gives them the means to do so.”

Welcome to IAVM, Devon!

Devon can be reached at devon.carter@iavm.org

There’s still time to register for the Columbia (SC) Metropolitan Convention Center’s Emergency Preparedness and Risk Mitigation Safety Training on June 18. Maybe you’re still deciding, which is why we want to let you know FIVE reasons you should attend this summer’s training:

1. Receive your Trained Crowd Manager (TCM) certificate from IAVM.

It’s a great addition to your resume and proof that your organization is taking necessary steps to prepare for the risks that events face in today’s world.

2. Listen to industry experts, including IAVM Director of Education Mark Herrera.

As part of his duties, Mark teaches situational awareness-mindset training aimed at giving venues the tools to be more safe and secure. The training emphasizes on exceptional focus, performance, and control in extreme situations.

In addition, as the Director of Education for IAVM, Mark represents the Department of Homeland Security Office of Infrastructure Protection on the Public Assembly Facility Sub-Sector Council. As a representative, he works in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and the Protective Security Advisor to assure that information is provided to protect our public facility assemblies and all critical infrastructures.

3. Network with your peers and other security professionals.

Whether networking over lunch, during breaks, or after the training concludes, you will have the opportunity to meet individuals who do what you do in their respective communities. Swap business cards or contact information to keep the conversation going!

4. Bring back knowledge and information to share with your team.

There are plenty of challenges that face today’s meeting planners and security professionals from crowd management to active shooter risks. Be ready with the latest in industry best practices so you and your team are prepared.

5. Make a difference in the safety of your organization in case of emergency.

At the end of the day, we all just want to keep our events and communities safe, and we hope you will join us to learn more ways to do so.

To register, click here.