Patience, dear young professionals, patience. It is natural to want to do too much too soon, but by following these five valuable tips as outlined by Zach Sloman, booking and marketing manager for the John Paul Jones Arena/SMG at the University of Virginia, you will be on the road to success in no time.

Understand The Big Picture

If there is one thing above all else that I truly believe is key to success, it is understanding the big picture. Understanding how you fit in the overall operation of your office or in most of our cases, how an event happens from booking to settlement will give you the knowledge necessary to take your work to the next level. Stay late after a show to see the load-out, understand the revenue streams each event creates, look into the finer details of the ticketing world (service charges, facility fees, rebates). The earlier you develop a greater understanding of the big picture, the better off you’ll be.

Find A Mentor Outside Your Office

Your direct supervisor can certainly be a mentor and steer you down the right path. However, finding a mentor outside of your office allows for a new perspective and different experiences. Topics that may feel uncomfortable to talk to your supervisor about are easier to discuss with someone that is completely removed from a situation in the office and allows for a bias-free conversation. While finding a mentor outside the office is certainly harder, IAVM has a wonderful Mentor Connector Program (shameless plug) that I have had the pleasure of completing. While no longer in the program, I still talk with my mentor on a regular basis as if nothing has changed and cannot recommend it enough.

Read/Listen To What Others Are Doing

There is no better way to learn than from first-hand experiences. You will only be subjected to so many different situations in your career and thus the ability to learn from others about the ones you have not yet run into is invaluable. Besides spending a significant sum of money going to conferences, industry publications are the next best way to hear and learn from the experiences of others. There are many different outlets currently reporting on the entertainment and facility management industry. Whether through print publications such as FM Magazine or Pollstar, online publications such as Amplify, or podcasts such as Promoter 101, a plethora of options currently exist that you should be taking advantage of. You’ll look like a hero when a situation you read about occurs and you’re the only one with a solution.

Voice Your Opinion When Appropriate

Just because you may not be in a position of power does not mean you should stay quiet. I believe there is a time and place that one, no matter the position, should speak up if done in a respectful and intelligent manner. There is certainly going to be a time in your career when you do not agree with a decision being made or a task you are asked to complete, yet every decision should not be questioned or argued. Every situation is different and navigating these seas can be tricky. However, knowing when to speak up and present a meaningful opposition to something can lead to meaningful takeaways. On the flip side, be prepared for things to not go your way.

Enjoy The Freedom At The Bottom

While most likely taken for granted, the ability to not have to deal with the stress of an upcoming big decision or great responsibility makes it easier to leave work at work and have a social life. You’re young and still able to hit the bars until close. Don’t cash that ability in so fast in lure of money and power. Certainly, you can have a social life at the director level and above but it’s easier to do when you’re at the bottom with very little baggage to take out of the office.

IAVM member, Mac Campbell, CVP, has been named as the Event Industry Council’s (EIC) 2017 recipient of the Pacesetter Award in the Young Professional’s category. Campbell was nominated by IAVM for his commitment at the Baltimore Convention Center in furthering sustainability and community outreach, as well as for his dedication to the association’s Young Professionals Committee.

“Mac is very deserving of this award for his accomplishments and service,” stated Brad Mayne, IAVM CEO and President. “I appreciate EIC’s recognition of one IAVM’s outstanding Young Professional members and his positive impact on so many areas of our industry.”

Established in 2012, 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.

Campbell has spent the past five years as the Director of Client Services with the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD, and has provided an ongoing commitment to the center’s green initiatives and improving client services. “We are elated that Mac has been recognized by EIC for the 2017 Hall of Leaders Pacesetters Award,” commented Peggy Daidakis, Executive Director for the Baltimore Convention Center. “He is committed to improving and advancing ideas with better trained staff, better ways to serve our customers and better techniques to care for our facilities.  His leadership and involvement in IAVM demonstrates that he driven to produce positive outcomes and quality programs.  I am very proud of Mac.  He is very deserving of this honor.”

“The committee couldn’t be more pleased with EIC’s selection of Mac for this honor,” said Neil McMullin, IAVM Convention Center Committee Chair and Vice President-Shared Services at Fern Expo and NexxtShow. “This is well-deserved, as Mac epitomizes the type of leader who is helping to create a bright future for our industry.”

Brad Gessner, CFE, Senior Vice President and General Manager at the Los Angeles Convention Center, AEG Facilities stated, “Mac represents the best of the young professionals in our great industry, and we couldn’t be prouder or more pleased to have one of our own recognized for their talent by the EIC.”

“It was an extreme honor to be nominated for the award, even more so to be selected as this year’s recipient,” said Campbell.

He will receive his award at the EIC’s 2017 Hall of Leaders and Pacesetters Gala in Las Vegas, NV on October 10^th.

The Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) has approved renewal of SMG to continue management of Cobo Center. The agreement is for another three year term, continuing a long-standing relationship between SMG and the DRCFA.

“We are pleased to have finalized this agreement with the authority,” said Claude Molinari, general manager of Cobo Center for SMG. “We’ve come a long way in rebuilding the brand, reputation and operations of Cobo Center and look forward to continuing in the next chapter of Detroit’s historic comeback.”

“The renewal of the SMG contract to manage Cobo Center is a well-earned vote of confidence by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority Board. They have been a strong partner in rebuilding Cobo Center and taking it to the best in class. It is not an overstatement to say that the entire region has benefitted from SMG’s extensive experience in managing convention centers. The DRCFA Board is appreciative of Claude Molinari, Thom Connors and Bob McClintock for their strong leadership,” said Larry Alexander, DRCFA Chairman.

The DRCFA first entered into a contract with SMG to manage center operations in 2010, at the start of the facility’s recently completed $279 million renovation. Cobo Center remained open during the five-year construction period, and rebuilt the business model, resulting in a $20 million reduction in operating deficit, quadruple the number of major events held annually in the center, and a complete transformation of the customer experience to one that is “centered around you,” the new tagline of the brand.

During the prior SMG contract periods, Cobo Center achieved many milestones in reinstating the convention center’s world class status. In 2015 Cobo Center was the ninth U.S. convention center to receive the GMIC ASTM/APEX certification for sustainability, and was re-certified in 2017 prior to hosting the Sustainable Brands 2017 conference in May. A new Technology Services Department was recently formed to create a complete technology offering to customers that includes facility-wide free WiFi, 10Gb Internet, a full-service broadcast studio with fiber network, and more than 100 digital signs. Cobo is also now known in the industry for its top-notch security service because of its partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to create a collaborative security effort for all major events, such as the North American International Auto Show, hosted annually.

The recent, almost daily, terror attacks all over the world — from France, the United States, Iraq, London and everywhere in between — have shown that terrorism has arrived at all sectors of public assembly management. There has never been a more compelling need or time for enhanced levels of safety and security for all guests, staff, and venues than NOW! With more than 15 sessions focused on the emerging security trends and threats of our industry, IAVM’s VenueConnect 2017, held August 7-10 in Nashville, TN at the Music City Center, will provide all sectors with educational sessions detailing how to enhance venue procedures, develop critical infrastructure protection best practices, and mitigate risk.

“IAVM, through various committees, has developed educational sessions that provide the tools to enhance safety and security awareness,” stated Mark Herrera, Director of Education for IAVM. “The educational sessions will be delivered by engaging and impactful safety and security experts under one roof at VenueConnect in Nashville. Based on the current threat level, the demand for prevention, protection, and preparedness couldn’t come at a more appropriate time than now.”

The Stadiums Management Conference will host Special Agent Stephen Rees, Deputy Assistant Director, Directorate of Intelligence, Federal Bureau of Investigation as its keynote speaker. Rees, who has worked investigations in organized crime/drug matters, white collar and violent crime, as well as counterterrorism, will speak about protecting our venues critical infrastructures, collaboration between venues and law enforcement agencies, and technology usage as it pertains to security.

Other sessions focusing on safety and security across sectors include:

– Alternative Security Measures and Trends that Impact Your Emergency Preparedness Planning

– The Rise in Fan Violence and How to Contain It

– Drone Technology: Intelligent Safety and Security

– When Protests Take the Field

– Patron Safety – Being Prepared for Medical Emergencies at Your Venue

– Ticketing Security: Bots, the Law & Reality Presented by INTIX

– Exhibitions & Meetings Safety & Security Initiative (EMSSI) Update

– Safety & Security: What’s in Your Bag

– Mindset: Situational Awareness Training

– …and more!

VenueConnect is the must attend industry event of the year providing the largest amount of targeted venue education while bringing attendees together to create lifelong relationships. Don’t miss out on all of this year’s informative life safety & security education along with more than 80 venue specific sessions at VenueConnect 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. Register Now!

Sarah Trahern jumps on a conference call with some IAVM staff along with Convention Center Chair Neil McMullin and Vice Chair Matt Hollander. Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association (CMA) based in Nashville, has every reason to have a tired voice fresh off the conclusion of a very successful CMA Music Festival that ran from June 8-11 in the city and included artist performances at venues such as the Music City Center, Nissan Stadium, Bridgestone Arena, and Riverfront Park. Instead of weary, the voice is instead cheery.

“Here in Nashville, we have strong relations with all the venues because we just got off of Music Fest where we were at all of our city’s major facilities,” Trahern said.

Trahern will share some of that experience along with much more when she serves as the keynote speaker for the Convention Center sector meeting on August 9 at 10:45 a.m. during VenueConnect in Nashville. As an association executive, Trahern understands the importance of working with not just her local venues but those around the country wherever the CMA goes.

“I worked with Charles Starks (president and CEO of the Music City Center) for some events they did that went with the National Hockey League All-Star Game in 2016,” she said. “I brought my team over and there were a lot of things they did that we then adopted for our Music Fest to make our signage better, for example. We all learn from each other to make events better.”

Nashville was the hub of activity in early June not only with Music Fest but also with the NHL Nashville Predators playing in the Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“We kicked off last week in Nashville with the Music Fest, where we usually average about 80,000 to 90,000 fans per day on a regular year coming into town,” Trahern said. “We also had the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“All of us are in event management, whether it’s your members or our folks. You go to an event like we did at Music City Center to look at how the hockey folks had laid out their Fan Fair experience with hockey, and you take in best practices. They do well, but frankly there is always a little pride of ‘What do we do better? Do we handle physically challenged people better?’ We learn some from these folks.

“So we thought that the hockey folks did a particularly good job on how they set lighting levels and how they handled the columns in the convention hall to make it feel warmer and less ‘conventiony’ and to make it a warmer event space. These were things that we subsequently did to add a bit into our footprint and certainly this year in a larger way at Music Fest.”

Trahern noted that convention centers have an advantage of being multi-functional to be able to host just about any type of music programming and before audiences ranging from the thousands to those in the hundreds.

“I think that there are more opportunities for these types of shows in convention centers,” she said. “Many have formal arena-style venues attached to the convention center. There are more opportunities for private engagements to fall often at convention centers. Certainly, there is a rich market for private shows and talent to fall more within the convention center realm sometimes than the traditional labels.

“The quality of the infrastructures that are offered today by convention centers is so improved over the last 15 to 20 years. I think if you are an artist that good sound is what is foremost important as your brand is represented. I know that when I go to book an act for something the first question usually has to do with the quality of the sound. The quality of audio offerings that are coming out of different kinds of convention center spaces today is so superior to what it was years ago, so that is really off the table as a concern than it might have been years ago.”

In booking, Trahern also understands that competition is keen amongst venues. Still, she has participated in collaboration with other venues and knows that there is still a need for competitors to also work together.

“All venue communities tend to be competitive with each other,” she said, “but all of ours also have to work together like last week where we had things happening all over town. I’m very proud of our national music industry and how closely we work with the venue community, but also how the venue community works very proactively with us as well.”