Birmingham is set to host a convention of sports event professionals, and it could mean millions of dollars in future bookings for the greater Birmingham area.

The National Association of Sports Commissions announced at their meeting this month in Minneapolis that Birmingham has won the bid to host their 2021 Annual Symposium.

As the only non-profit trade association in the U.S. sport tourism industry, the NASC is considered the most essential resource for sports commissions, sports destinations, vendors, and sports event owners. Nearly 800 member organizations lead, manage and execute sports events of all sizes.

“Hosting the NASC will be a rare opportunity for us to promote area sporting facilities and to meet one-on-one with industry professionals who plan sports events,” said J. John Oros, Jr., Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau president and CEO. “From the Birmingham Crossplex and the Hoover Metropolitan Complex to the BJCC Legacy Arena, we have a lot to show off.”

More than 1,000 attendees are expected for the 2021 Annual Symposium, resulting in about 4,000 room nights. Direct visitor spending during the event is estimated by NASC officials to be more than $1 million.

“While the economic impact of this convention is important, it is bookings in the aftermath that can benefit us for years to come,” Oros said.

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has received a “Safest 70” award from the Louisiana Workers Compensation Corporation (LWCC), the largest workers’ compensation carrier in the state. The award acknowledges excellence, outstanding performance, and commitment to workplace safety, and is given to the top 70 of over 16,000 entities insured by LWCC.

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center was recognized based on the effectiveness of their safety efforts in preventing injuries and maintaining a consistent workplace safety history in 2017.

“It is an honor for our facility to be recognized by LWCC,” said Michael J. Sawaya, President and General Manager of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. “Providing a safe work environment is our highest priority and is a team effort. We consider our employees internal customers and value their input while collaborating on ways to continuously improve our facility. Philosophically, this in turn results in a safer environment for our patrons/external customers as well.”

Left to right: Brett Slocum, Assistant Director of Public Safety; Tim Tumminello, Director of Human Resources; Tanya Smith, Human Resources Coordinator; Darren J. Kimball, Lead Safety Services Consultant, LWCC; Susan Paisant, Client Relations Representative, LWCC; Mark Kaufman, Director of Public Safety.

It has been a few years since the Los Angeles Convention Center was expanded, 20 of them to be exact. Now, following a proposal by venue owner Anschutz Entertainment Group, that could change to the tune of a $1.2 billion to the facility, one that would definitely change the financial landscape for the venue and the city.

For the full scoop and story on the proposal, click here.

The International Association of Venue Managers has named Amy Duncan as its new Membership Sales Specialist. Amy joined the team on April 23, 2018. She was previously the Membership and Fitness Benefits Coordinator for the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center of Dallas, where she increased membership sales by over 18% during her tenure.

“I was at a point in my professional career where I wanted more of a challenge,” stated Amy. “When I saw the opening on LinkedIn, it literally felt like everything I had been wanting and praying for!”

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

“The nerd in me is looking forward to the globalization aspect of our association,” she noted. “Being able to communicate with people from different cultures, backgrounds, and socioeconomic points of view is really awe-inspiring. The geography of the Earth is so massive but with technology our tangible world has become really small. I mean, I had to Google what time it was in New Zealand this morning to see if it was an appropriate time to send an email. How cool is that???”

Amy is originally from Louisiana, but she called Dallas home in 2001 when her family moved to Texas. She is wrapping up her Associate of Science in Business Administration at Richland College. An avid live concertgoer, she is looking forward to seeing events at our member venues!

Yesterday was a difficult and sad day at IAVM with word received of the passing of two of the greatest men to serve in the history of the public assembly venue industry and within the Association in Ray Ward, CVE, and William “Bill” Cunningham, CVE.

Ray Ward passed away on May 2 while Bill Cunningham passed on May 8. Ward served as an assistant to Cunningham and eventually followed Cunningham in guiding the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Cunningham served as president of IAAM (as both were known at the time) in 1973-74 while Ward held the reins in 1988-89. They were both in their positions in Oakland at the time they served as the top volunteer leaders in the Association.

Both share a massive list of accomplishments within the industry. For brevity at this time, Ward’s legacy will carry on after the establishment of the Ray Ward Award bestowed annually at his beloved Venue Management School at Oglebay Park. The award recognizes an individual associated with VMS whose dedicated service and extraordinary contributions over a period of at least six years have resulted in significant and long lasting improvements to the overall success and quality of the school. The award was created and initially presented to Ward in August 1996. Those who have earned the award over the years cite Ward in their remarks for his contributions to the school and the industry.

Cunningham began his industry career in 1957 as an assistant director at the Philadelphia Trade & Convention Center before moving to Oakland in 1964 to help open the Coliseum. He was among the first 27 recipients to receive the newly created Certified Facilities Executive (now Certified Venue Executive) designation in 1976. In an article that appeared in Facility Manager magazine, Cunningham cited as his most tangible accomplishment during his term as president the publication of the Industry Profile Survey, a compilation of the most comprehensive statistical analysis ever published in the public assembly field.

Those who knew the icons best expressed their sadness upon hearing the news.

“Bill was simply a mentor beyond mentors while Ray was another dear, dear friend,” said Cliff Wallace, CVE, who served as Association president in 1984-85. “Goodness, a tough day.”

Mike Kobluk, Association president in 1990-91, said upon receiving the news about Cunningham that, “Bill was a fine gentleman, an ultimate professional with a wonderful sense of humor. In many ways I considered him to be a major part of the backbone of our industry, one who was always willing to share his thoughts, ideas, and procedures, and was always there when you needed answers or just a smile and a word of encouragement. Though I haven’t been in contact with Bill since my retirement from the industry some years ago, I will always have fond memories of my times with Bill.”

While I did not personally know Cunningham, I certainly knew of him from what his friends shared throughout the years about a man almost bigger than life. In this profession, it is safe to say that he was larger than life.

Ray Ward will always be memorable to me for not just occasionally calling to the office to tell me that I was doing a good job with the magazine, but for his presence at VenueConnect in the later years of his life when he used a cane to walk around. While many utilize the benefit of networking at the annual conference, Ward would do that, but he was also always a constant presence on the front row of education sessions, a man who by example proved you are never to old to want to learn.

With the news of the passing of Ray Ward and Bill Cunningham fresh, we will update with information about services, memorials, and donations as they become available in the next few days, along with additional comments from industry colleagues and friends.