It was in 1990 that I first met Ed Cohen, then the man – THE MAN – responsible for routing and booking World Wrestling Federation (as it was known then) events at IAVM member venues around the world. I had just started working at IAAM (as we were known then) and had an early conversation with Ed. During the course of that talk, I mentioned a segment that aired from the company’s old Tuesday Night Titans (TNT) program in 1984 that was one for the ages. Before I could get another word out, Ed asked me if I would like a copy of that program and that he was only too happy to mail it to me.

A few days later, the old video arrived with a Post-It not from Ed telling me to enjoy the viewing.

Typical Ed.

Our friend passed away on August 25 at the age of 62, leaving countless in the industry to mourn the loss of a true champion and friend.

After getting the sad news, I decided to call one of Ed’s closest working colleagues, Sally Presutto, to get her thoughts on her former colleague and friend. Sally instantly came to mind if for no other reason that when you saw Ed at the IAVM Annual Conference & Trade Show (pre-VenueConnect), you saw Sally.

Ed, Sally, and the entire WWF family happened to be very good friends of the Association. They were mostly known for sponsoring the opening of the trade show. It was always a highlight to see which of their wrestling talent would be present to cut the ribbon to usher the beginning of the trade show. There were always hundreds of IAVM members standing outside the ribbon waiting for the cutting and the opportunity to enter the trade show to network and spend some time with Ed and the talent at their own booth to collect a Polaroid, an autograph, and a hearty conversation with Ed.

“There were a couple of times when people thought we were married,” Sally told me. “When I started it was a temp position. I never left. I started as Ed’s administrative assistant worked very, very closely with him. Ed eventually promoted me to manager for booking, so he and I worked together on bookings and routing. I learned a lot from him. Ed never went home until he returned the last phone call of the day. That’s just the work ethic he had. I’m thankful for that because he taught me that if somebody calls you then you return the phone call or send an email. He always thought not returning a phone call was disrespectful.”

In this instant era of communication, it is too convenient to “never receive the email,” “not have the call come through,” or any other myriad of excuses often found for delaying conversation. Ed Cohen would have none of it.

Sally shared that Ed would later be diagnosed with sarcoma, a tumor that occurs in the bones and soft tissues and is rare with fewer than 200,000 case per year in the United States.

“It was in his leg and also his back,” she said. “His first operation was in his spine. They actually took out a tumor the size of a baseball. It was tough because it was intertwined in the muscle. After that he went for treatments. He bounced back but in another two or three years it just came back and he had to have another operation.”

Even after operations and during treatments, Ed stayed strong and retired from the company, but made sure to attend a WrestleMania while undergoing treatment. “That just shows you the strength of his character,” Sally said.

Sally added that as hard as Ed worked, he played just as hard and loved just as hard.

“He was a very, very, generous man,” she said. “When it came to the company’s money he was cheap. But he was the first one to put his hand in his pocket when it came to his own money to help someone. He was as generous as they come. He had a heart as big as the Grand Canyon. If he trusted you and you were loyal to him, there was nothing this man wouldn’t do for you. Really, part of the reason when he called me to become a manager was that he did it so my husband and I could get a house. I mean, he knew I could do the job but he also did it to help us get our house.”

Sally said that when she married and had her list for where she was registered that Ed purchased all the china that was on the list for the new couple. “I was floored, I was so touched,” she said. “And to know his parents was to know that’s the type of person Ed was. I had the pleasure of meeting his mom and dad when they were both alive. We had private conversations after Ed was diagnosed. They would call me on the fly to find out how he was doing and make sure he was OK. I just adored them.”

Ed was also quite old-school in the kindest sense of the word.

“His word and his handshake were better than any written contract,” Sally said. “They don’t make them like that anymore. He also had a memory like you can’t imagine. He knew all the markets, who was going to headline the card. Phenomenal, phenomenal.”

It’s the best way to describe Ed’s life.

He is survived by wife, Cheryl; mother-in-law, Joan Schadone; brother-in-law Gregory Schadone; sister-in-law, Tina Schadone; niece, Danielle Schadone; nephew, Matthew Schnadone; and family friend Ryan Perry. Those wishing may make donations to the Providence Animal Rescue League, 34 Elbow St., Providence, RI 02903, or to the CharterCare Foundation, 7 Waterman Ave., North Providence, RI 02911.

SMG has named Chris Anderson as the new director of facilities. Anderson will have oversight at Van Andel Arena®, DeVos Place®, and DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Anderson has been with SMG since 2003 with progressive responsibility, first as a maintenance technician and more recently as chief engineer. Anderson has nearly 25 years of maintenance experience, beginning his career with Prince Machine and Jefferson Commons before coming to SMG.

“I’m excited to take on this new role and continue my career with SMG,” Anderson said. “I am appreciative of the opportunity ahead of me, and I am eager to continue working with the team here as I transition into and make this role my own.”

A native of Dorr, MI, Anderson is also involved in his local community holding various head coaching positions throughout the years as well as volunteer roles at Life Change Community Church and becoming a Youth Group Leader in 2016.

“We are very pleased that Chris has agreed to become the director of facilities,” said SMG Regional General Manager at Van Andel Arena, DeVos Place, and DeVos Performance Hall Rich MacKeigan. “He has been with us a number of years, and we look forward to his continued exceptional service in his new role.”

The Shenyang New World EXPO (“EXPO”) successfully hosted one of the largest Chinese international conferences ever to be held in northeast China. The 2018 Chinese Conference on Oncology was held on August 18-19.

Delegate attendance on the opening day of the Conference exceeded 18,000. The event maximized the use of all areas of the venue including the 24,000 sqm (258,000 sq. ft.) of exhibition/multi-purpose space and 4,000 sqm (43,000 sq. ft.) of meeting space.

During the two-day event, the venue provided F&B services as well as venue safety and security services to ensure efficient crowd management and transportation logistics. Shenyang’s Security and Traffic Bureaus were also outstanding in their support of the staff and event.

EXPO General Manager Diane Chen said, “This extraordinary mega-conference was a real challenge due to the attendance and technical details. Its success is a credit again to the tremendous commitment of our EXPO staff and the superb cooperation received from our government bureaus. We have shown again how valuable EXPO can be to the community in hosting such events which will only add significantly to the positive economic impact of the city and Liaoning Province.”

Shenyang New World EXPO Venue Management Chairman Cliff Wallace, CVE, acknowledged the leadership provided by EXPO’s management and the standards by which the organizers planned and executed the Conference. It was an endorsement of the venue, the city and the government. With such ongoing cooperation, Wallace said, “The meeting and exhibition industry of Shenyang and Liaoning can only expect healthy growth.”

The Conference was sponsored by China Anti-Cancer Association (CACA), and organized by Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute and Liaoning Anti-Cancer Association. The Conference also enjoyed the highest number of attending academicians, collected papers, and participating experts of any of its previous conferences.

The Conference set-up included one main venue, eight theme venues and 77 parallel sessions holding academic forums with 923 renowned scholars and experts specialized in oncology across the world. The number of people watching live broadcast online reached 1.08 million, involving 210 media outlets.

The Conference included parallel sessions to discuss new ideas, new techniques and new methods concerning common treatment like radiotherapy and chemotherapy, anti-cancer drugs, Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), therapeutic endoscopy, biotherapy, nutritional oncology, nuclear medicine, and psycho-oncology and oncologic nursing, as well as exchange opinions on development of pathology of neoplasia, tumor markers, epidemic diseases, and etiology of cancers.

Educators from Title I schools and programs will pick up free books on Sept. 6 for the Pennsylvania Convention Center’s Big Book Giveaway.

In honor of their 25th anniversaries, the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority (PCCA) and the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit social enterprise First Book are teaming up with Philadelphia-area hospitality partners to donate 40,000 brand-new books to programs serving children from low-income families in Southeastern Pennsylvania. PCCA Vice Chair Heather A. Steinmiller championed bringing First Book to the Philadelphia region with the goal of helping to eliminate one of the many hurdles to learning – access to books. Up to 300 educators and program directors, who are registering in advance, will receive 100 to 150 free books for children in preschool programs through high school. The books will be distributed directly to the educators through the efforts of more than 100 volunteers from across Philadelphia.

Those involved in the project include Gregory J. Fox, Esq., Chairman, PCCA; Heather A. Steinmiller, Esq., Vice Chair, PCCA; John J. McNichol, President & CEO, PCCA; Anna Anderson, Senior Director, Strategic Alliances, First Book; and educators from schools and children’s programs across Southeastern Pennsylvania.

The community effort is possible through the generous efforts of PCCA’s hospitality partners including Aramark Corp., Elliott-Lewis Corp., International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (Local 8), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Local 98), International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers (Local 405), Laborers’ District Council of the Metropolitan Area of Philadelphia and Vicinity L.I.U.N.A., Laborers International Union of N.A. (Local 332), and facility manager SMG.

First Book transforms the lives of children in need. Through a sustainable, market-driven model, First Book is creating equal access to quality education – making everything from brand-new, high-quality books and educational resources, to sports equipment, winter coats, snacks, and more – affordable to its member network of more than 375,000 educators who exclusively serve kids in need. Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 175 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families in more than 30 countries. Eligible educators, librarians, providers, and others serving children in need can sign up at firstbook.org/register. For more information, please visit firstbook.org.

When the Golden Eagles fans of Tennessee Tech University return to Tucker Stadium, they will be greeted by new LED displays engineered and installed by Daktronics. The company will also install a new sound system to add to the game-day experience at the stadium. Installation is wrapping up in Cookeville, Tennessee, and will be unveiled when the football team kicks off their home schedule on Thursday, September 6.

“The game-day experience for Golden Eagle fans will be enhanced significantly with the video and audio system from Daktronics,” said Mark Wilson, Tennessee Tech Director of Athletics. “I appreciate the work of everyone involved in this project and share the excitement of our student-athletes, coaches, recruits, and fans.”

The new end zone display will measure 30 feet high by 80 feet wide and an upper ribbon-style display mounted above the end zone display will measure 5 feet high by 83 feet wide. Both displays will feature 16-millimeter line spacing to bring excellent image clarity and contrast to fans throughout the seating bowl of the stadium.

“We are excited for Tennessee Tech to unveil the new system this fall at Tucker Stadium,” said Kyle Adams, Daktronics region manager. “It will be a very dynamic addition to the stadium and the fans all over Tennessee will be able to enjoy it for years to come.”

The main display is capable of variable content zoning allowing it to show one large image or to be divided into multiple windows. It can show any combination of live video, instant replays, statistics and game information, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages.

A custom outdoor audio system will be integrated with the video and scoring system at Tucker Stadium. It will provide full-range sound reproduction and deliver clear and intelligible speech for a powerful audio experience.

Fixed-digit scoreboards are included in the installation to ensure fans receive all the pertinent game-day statistics they expect throughout the game. Locker room clocks are also being installed to keep players and coaches informed while away from the field.