IAVM and the IAVM Certification Board announced that effective February 1, 2018, the certification program known as Certified Facilities Executive (CFE) will be rebranded to carry the new name of Certified Venue Executive (CVE). The move comes following an October 2016 Certification Board meeting and a recommendation to IAVM President/CEO Brad Mayne, CVE, to make the name change to the more relevant title as it applies to the industry today.

“Several years ago, the Certification Board was asked to formulate and implement a certification program for mid-level managers in our industry,” said Jody Lake, CVE, chair of the IAVM Certification Board. “As we began the task at hand, one of the first and very important pieces was an appropriate title for this new program. It was an important decision and many discussions were held with several options considered. We talked at length to both current and past board members plus several respected IAVM colleagues both nationally and internationally. What quickly became clear by the majority was the term ‘facilities’ in any option of titles was outdated. Most comments were in favor of a reference to our industry title of ‘venue’ managers. It felt right and the board supported the term CVP, or Certified Venue Professional, for this new program.

“The question obviously followed of why then would we not want to update the reference to our highest and most prestigious of certification titles? We recognize and understand the deep and emotional ties to a title that has represented this pinnacle of designations for many years. We also acknowledge that if a title is no longer consistent with industry references, updating provides clarity and respect for this crowning point of achievement.”

Frank Bradshaw, CVE, IAVM Certification Board past chair, noted that in the proud history of the Association since its formation in 1924 name changes have gone from Auditorium Managers Association, then to International Association of Auditorium Managers, and later to International Association of Assembly Managers to its current name of International Association of Venue Managers.

“Before making a final recommendation on rebranding, the Certification Board wanted input from current CFEs as to their thoughts on renaming the program,” he said. “In 2016, a survey was sent to current CFEs who were asked for input on the proposed change. Of those who responded, 58% supported the name change, 22% were neutral, and 20% were against renaming the certification program. With so many young, mid-level professionals earning their CVP, coupled with an increased number of individuals pursuing the CVE designation and the potential expansion of IAVM’s certification programs worldwide, this rebranding will serve to enhance the reputation of IAVM as the premier organization for venue management professionals and the CVE designation, its crown jewel.”

Bradshaw emphasized that the process was thorough and comprehensive and not one pushed through without full input from impacted stakeholders.

“After our recommendation in October 2016, Brad asked for time to review and evaluate the Certification Board’s recommendation,” Bradshaw said. “After a thorough review of this recommendation, coupled with discussions involving fellow IAVM members and the IAVM Board of Directors, Brad informed the Certification Board of his approval of the renaming of IAVM’s certification program from Certified Facilities (CFE) to Certified Venue Executive (CVE).”

John Siehl, CVE, chief operating officer for VenuWorks and a past IAVM chairman, said, “The change to CVE seems very logical to me. All other references to our industry refer to the fact that we are venue managers. The top designation should maintain a consistent message. I applaud the work and research involved in this tedious process, knowing that the shift was not taken lightly, and was vetted through a survey to those directly impacted by the change.”

Julian Maha, M.D., founded KultureCity, the nation’s best reviewed disability nonprofit, with a special passion for his venture: his own son, who is now 10 and autistic.

“I had experience as an emergency physician and served as a medical director in Alabama,” said Dr. Maha, “but as the dad of a 10-year-old boy who is autistic and non-verbal, we started Kulture City as part of a way to help a huge population that is not able to partake of all the amazing things that our world has to offer to be able to do so.”

Maha will share some of that experience and much more as a presenter at IAVM’s GuestX, February 20-22, in Minneapolis. Specifically, the sensory inclusion initiative that makes public assembly venues inclusive for those with special needs and is being utilized today at NBA, NHL, and NFL facilities throughout the country.

“We started the company primarily because when you have a child with a disability, it’s a very fundamental isolating diagnosis,” he said. “A lot of times you are trying to figure out the right therapy for someone whose tendency is to withdraw from the community, not by choice.”

Maha shared that 1 in 5 individuals in the United States has a disability of some sort.

“Out of that 20 percent, only 16 percent have what you would call a visible disability by the Americans With Disabilities Act,” he said. “There is a huge 84 percent of the population that has what is called invisible disabilities such as autism. The list goes on and on … there is military anxiety, things like bright lights and smells that are not only overwhelming but because of a medical diagnosis can also sometimes be physically painful.

“Because of that, the tendency is to withdraw. By creating a sensory training initiative, you are basically providing venues the option to not only mitigate those things through the sensory training we provide to make their facilities more welcoming. The end result of that is from not only the social good aspect in ministering to a part of the population that has never been ministered to, but you are also enhancing the guest experience and marketing your events to 20 percent of the U.S. population that no one has ever thought about marketing to.”

Maha believes that venues are doing a good job “in the confines of what the ADA law is,” but that more can be done.

“When you look at disabilities as a whole, the fundamental challenge when you are talking about a venue is unless someone has a personal connection to the cause, why do I need to go above and beyond an ADA law?” he said. “Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. It is going to enhance the guest experience. You are going to create a much more welcoming environment. You are going to be able to understand why certain individuals are doing certain things and be able to minister to them and help them a lot better.”

Maha said a second point is that by being smart about the marketing the program, there is an opportunity to increase revenue.

“Ordinarily something might be a tough sell, but now you market it as sensory inclusive,” he said. “You can kind of cater to a population that would never be able to attend an event normally, but now because of this benefit they can buy tickets and you are enhancing your bottom line.

“The third and final thing is that you are doing it with almost no physical modifications to your venue. If there are no physical modifications, why not? Many we have worked with couple it with a nursing room. You are adding a lot more value in your whole process by doing that.”

Maha said that his company started with one arena in November 2015, but today is in 14 different NBA arenas and soon to be in five NFL stadiums. The program is also in four NHL arenas, zoos, museums, restaurants and a new contract was signed with the Pocono Raceway.

“That’s the evidence itself,” Maha said. “You look at the growth acceleration and it’s been huge. That is a testament in itself that venues have seen in partnering with us and learning more about sensory inclusion.”

The Los Angeles Convention Center and the Orange County Water District are among 13 recipients of the state’s highest environmental honor.

The Governor’s Environmental Leadership Awards, which were established in 1993, are given to individuals, organizations and businesses that have demonstrated leadership and made notable contributions to conserving the state’s resources, protecting the environment and strengthening the economy, according to the California Environmental Protection Agency.

“This year’s GEELA recipients are demonstrating exceptional leadership in addressing some of our most significant environmental challenges,” said California Secretary for Environmental Protection Matthew

Rodriquez. “Whether it’s fighting climate change, conserving our water supplies or reducing waste, they inspire us with their creative and collaborative approaches. Their success expands our view of what is possible. Collectively, they are proving that a healthy environment is inextricably linked with a vibrant economy.”

The OCWD was cited for its educational programs that inform the public about recycled water and its benefits, while the Convention Center was lauded for a sustainability program that has reduced waste, conserved water and cut its carbon footprint, according to CalEPA.

Other award recipients include BMW of San Diego, the only winner in the automobile dealer zero emission vehicle promotion category, for promoting the sale of zero-emission vehicles through a variety of partnerships and programs; and the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Barbara County for reducing its waste stream and lowering recycling costs.

South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa continues a long-standing relationship with Daktronics with the installation of a new state-of-the-art, four-sided video display system for the property’s Arena and Equestrian Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The new, 4-millimeter line spacing video displays replace the previous Daktronics centerhung technology installed in 2006 and nearly triples its size. The 4-millimeter spacing makes the new screen among the tightest LED resolutions of any centerhung video display in any arena in the country. The 13,797-pound display will be suspended from the ceiling of the 4,600-seat arena.

The two larger “sideline” screens measure 12.5 feet high by 21.5 feet wide while the two smaller “end zone” screens measure 14 feet high by 9.5 feet wide. In addition, the panels are comprised of 588 individual modules with a total of 2,718,912 pixels at three LEDs per pixel, totaling more than 8.1 million LEDs.

“Michael Gaughan and South Point’s relationship with Daktronics began well before the property opened in December 2005,” said Steve Stallworth, South Point Arena and Equestrian Center General Manager. “When Michael Gaughan first built the Orleans Arena he used Daktronics exclusively and purchased the first ‘ring beam’ LED fascia in Nevada at that time. When he opened the South Point, he purchased Daktronics screens for the Arena and his state-of-the-art tournament Bowling Plaza. Daktronics was the only company in the business that we trusted to provide us with the quality and experience we were looking to deliver to our guests.”

The new displays are each capable of variable content zoning, allowing each to show one large image or multiple windows of content. As a result, the system can show any combination of live video, instant replays, real-time event results and statistics, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages.

The Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority has named Michael J. Sawaya as president and general manager of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and executive vice president of the Authority. He succeeds Robert L. “Bob” Johnson, who retired on September 25 after 10 years of service.

“We could not be more pleased with the selection of Michael Sawaya to lead our Convention Center to its next level of success,” said Melvin Rodrigue, Authority president. “He comes to New Orleans with a skill set and experiences that are the right fit at the right time. He recently led the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center through a major renovation, including the development of a convention headquarters hotel, that has shined a bright light on San Antonio as a major convention destination. The Authority had an impressive slate of candidates to choose from in a nationwide search. The Selection Committee and my fellow Commissioners were very diligent in making the right choice.”

Sawaya, a 40-year veteran of the hospitality industry, comes to New Orleans from San Antonio, TX, where he served as Executive Director of the Convention and Sports Facilities (CSF) Department for the City of San Antonio. In his role as Executive Director, he oversaw operations of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Lila Cockrell Theatre, Alamodome, and Asset Management and ground lease management for the Nelson Wolfe Baseball Stadium, Toyota Field Soccer Stadium, and the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Sawaya’s career with the City of San Antonio began in 2003, when he was hired to merge the Convention Facilities and Alamodome departments. Most recently, he directed the $325 million expansion of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center – the largest single capital improvement project in the history of the City of San Antonio, and recently completed a $60 million renovation of the Alamodome. He served as Interim Aviation Department Director from 2008 – 2009 before returning to his role as Executive Director of the CSF Department in 2009.

Before joining the City of San Antonio, he served as General Manager of the Omni Severin Hotel in Indianapolis, IN, the Omni San Antonio Hotel, and 11 other hotels around the country. He also served as Chairman of the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Commission, President of the San Antonio Hotel and Lodging Association, as an executive committee member of the San Antonio Area Tourism Council, and on the board of directors of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

“I am thrilled at the opportunity to lead the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and to become a part of the New Orleans community,” said Sawaya. “New Orleans’ storied reputation as a world-class city and convention destination make it the ideal fit for me and my family, and I am excited about the vision for the future that together we will execute over the course of my tenure.”