Tulsa’s Cox Business Center and BOK Center are hosting the first IAVM Region 6 Future Industry Leaders Conference on Monday, January 30 and Tuesday, January 31. The Monday sessions will focus on various aspects of the venue management industry while Tuesday’s all-day sessions will cover Severe Weather Preparedness Training under the leadership team that will be conducting the same session in Dallas on March 17.

The significance of these two days of industry education?

“We have lots of younger enthusiastic staff members who want to do all these great things,” said Kerry Painter, CFE, assistant general manager of the Cox Business Center, host site for the two days. “It kind of started with some of our staff wanting to get their CVP’s and CMP’s and they needed courses. We had to figure out how do we get them committee work for the points that they needed, and how do we let them all be engaged when as mid-level managers many of them are not able to get to IAVM conferences?”

The solution was to create a conference, which is under the auspices of co-chairs and venue staff members Nathaniel Porter and Allie Stites. Attendees will receive credit toward their CVP if they are IAVM members, and Day Two attendees will receive a certificate of completion from the Academy for Venue Safety & Security Weather School.

“It has turned out great,” Painter said while noting that 75 have registered for Day One and 80 for Day Two. “There will be a wide variety of subjects covered that attendees are interested in. Allie and Nathaniel designed it, things like booking conferences and making events, security and a session on what it’s like to be the general manager, and a session on what keeps you up at night.

“On the weather piece, we have always wanted our people to get to the weather conference, but we can’t send everybody. But we live in a weather strip and thought if we could bring it to them how great would that be? Clearly, there was a huge interest in it. Mark Herrera (IAVM director of education) was helpful in getting us the same people the association uses in its session so our attendees could leave knowing they gained lots of knowledge that matters. Really, we just picked up the school for the day and moved it here.”

The weather team presenting includes Janice Bunting, executive director, The National Weather Association; Jeff Crilley, Real News Public Relations; Joseph Sampson, McCathern, PLLC; and Michael Smith, certified consulting meteorologist.

Painter said that once the initial interest was generated that she called the Region 6 office and asked about making the conference official. She indicated that the region board said that Painter could pick a chair to guide all logistics for the event.

“With our particular group, they don’t really think in terms of chairs,” she said with a laugh. “They think, ‘Why do we need someone in charge?’ because they’re all millennials, right? But it has been fascinating to me to watch how their brains think differently. In the end, of course, they ended up with co-chairs and kind of worked their way back to a traditional conference but still geared to them. It was a fascinating process.”

Painter said that she would like to see this type of initiative extend beyond her region.

“It would be great if other regions do this on this level for a conference,” she said. “We’re just thrilled that it turned out so well. These folks will be making connections that will last forever.”

SMG announced the selection of Fredia Brady as the new general manager for the Wilmington (NC) Convention Center.

“The selection of SMG veteran Fredia Brady as general manager, along with the high quality of services clients have grown to expect from SMG, will enable the facility to continue to develop as a key contributor to the ongoing economic development of entire community and in particular the continued growth of the hospitality industry in the region,” said Bob McClintock, SMG’s senior vice president/chief operating officer for the SMG Convention Center Division. “Fredia’s experience will be invaluable as the Convention Center positions itself to support the rebranding of the River District and the opening of an adjacent Embassy Suites Hotel this year.”

Brady is a hospitality industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience in convention sales and marketing, business development, facility operations and event management, including serving SMG as a regional senior director of sales & marketing for SMG’s Southeast Region from 2008 to 2014. She most recently was the senior director of sales & marketing for the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center and served that venue previously as director of sales & marketing from 1999 to 2008. She was the senior sales manager for the Hyatt Regency in Savannah from 1991- 1999.

A graduate of both Brewton Parker College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and South University with an associate degree in hospitality management, Brady is a board member of the Royce Learning Center and the Tourism Leadership Council of Savannah. She is a community adviser for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Student Leadership Program and member of the Junior League of Savannah and a variety of professional associations, including the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, Professional Convention Management Association and American Society of Association Executives.

Brady will arrive in Wilmington February 6, 2017.

The International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) announced the nomination of Tammy Koolbeck, CFE, for 2^nd Vice Chair of the IAVM Board of Directors. As 2^nd Vice Chair, Koolbeck, the VenuWorks-managed Iowa State Center’s executive director of the C.Y. Stephens Auditorium, Fisher Theater and the Scheman Building, will become a senior officer of IAVM and serve a four-year term culminating in the board chair position in 2019-2020.

In announcing the recommendation, Karen Totaro, CFE, chair of the Leadership Development/Nominating Committee and IAVM Immediate Past Chair, said, “Tammy Koolbeck brings such a unique combination of experience to the table, having worked in multiple venue types, private management, executive leadership, multiple IAVM committee chair roles and instructor experience from the Venue Management School. On top of all that, the committee believed she truly had this amazing ability to relate to our young professionals as easily as our seasoned pros. Tammy is the whole package.”

Koolbeck has worked in the venue management industry for over 20 years and most recently served as chief marketing officer/senior vice president for the VenuWorks corporate office. Before joining the VenuWorks corporate staff, Koolbeck was assistant executive director of marketing and programming for the U.S. Cellular Center Arena/Paramount Theatre and general manager of the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. Koolbeck started in the public venue management field as the director of marketing for the Five Seasons Center and Paramount Theater. Her past work experience includes hotel, convention and visitor bureau and professional sports.

“It’s a very special feeling,” Koolbeck said. “IAVM is an important part of my life, both professionally and personally. This organization has helped me grow as a venue manager. It has opened doors and given me access to many brilliant, hard-working people in our industry, many of whom are friends. I am grateful and honored to have the opportunity to follow those that have preceded me and taken on this responsibility. As part of the leadership team, I will continue the work to grow member-based initiatives and explore new ways of furthering our industry. At this point, I am still doing little happy dances throughout the day.”

Koolbeck is a past president and current member of the board of directors for the Event and Arena Marketing Conference, the premier gathering for arena marketing professionals from the United States, Canada, and Europe. In 2007, she was awarded EAMC’s highest honor, the Gigi Award of Excellence. Koolbeck also received the prestigious Women of Influence Award from Venues Today in 2010. In 2014, she was honored with IAVM’s Chairman Citation. Koolbeck currently serves on the Board of Regents and is a past Graduate Institute’s Assistant Dean. She currently sits on the Convention Center committee. Koolbeck was the past chair for the 2015 and 2016 VenueConnect Planning Committees and is past Chair of the Industry Affairs Committee. On the Region level, she is a past Region 3 Director and Scholarship Chair.

“Tammy Koolbeck has proven worthy to step into the officer role as 2^nd Vice Chair through her phenomenal volunteer work for IAVM,” said Brad Mayne, CFE, IAVM president and CEO. “Tammy’s IAVM successes on multiple levels have proven her passion to delivering return on investment to the members of our Association.”

“I am very excited about Tammy being recommended for the 2^nd Vice Chair,” added Mark Mettes, CFE, IAVM board chair. “I have worked with Tammy for many years on many different committees and she has always done an outstanding job and has a strong passion for our industry and for our Association. She will make a great leader for us.”

IAVM members will vote electronically on this nomination, and, if elected, Koolbeck will take office in August during VenueConnect, IAVM’s annual conference and trade show, August 7-10, in Nashville, Tennessee.

About IAVM

Representing public assembly venues from around the globe, IAVM’s 5,100 active members include managers and senior executives from auditoriums, arenas, convention centers, exhibit halls, stadiums, performing arts centers, university complexes, racetracks, and amphitheaters. IAVM’s mission is to educate, advocate for, and inspire public assembly venue professionals worldwide. More information about IAVM is available at www.IAVM.org or via @IAVMWHQ on Twitter.

I don’t think there are enough words in the English language to describe how much our mentor/mentee relationship has meant to me. Enrolling in the IAVM Mentor Connector program is one of the greatest decisions I have made as a young professional in IAVM. In today’s world, there are many people that will tell you what you want to hear. To me, that is not what a mentor is. A mentor will tell you the truth, even when it isn’t pretty. A mentor will push you to pursue opportunities you didn’t think you could obtain because in reality – no one really knows when they’re ready until they take that step. A mentor will share their advice, ideas, experiences, and allow their mentee to confide in them.

Our relationship has not only allowed me to grow as a professional but as a human being. It was such a wonderful experience to have had a mentor that I could share pieces of my professional and personal life with. From our love of Bob’s Burgers, to our fondness of cute little hedgehog YouTube videos, to our passion for a good reading on women in leadership, and our discussions on what is going on in our industry – I hope our mentor/mentee relationship benefitted you as much as it did me.

Mentor, you are so appreciated and so loved – our industry is extremely lucky to have someone like you. Seeing you on the Women In Leadership panel at the IAVM VenueConnect Conference was so inspiring, I had to hold myself back from whispering to everyone at my table, “that’s my mentor!” I learned so many things from you; I sincerely hope you have also learned a few things from me. Please know that just as you have always been there for me, I will always be there for you. I love listening to you, your ideas, your dreams, and your passions. I hope to continue to follow you in your footsteps and who knows, maybe one day I will be asked to speak as a panelist in the Women in Leadership panel and perhaps you will look to the person sitting next to you and say, “that’s my mentee”.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (L.A. Tourism) President & CEO Ernest Wooden Jr. announced Los Angeles welcomed 47.3 million visitors in 2016, surpassing mid-year forecasts and breaking visitation records for the sixth consecutive year. The new record is 1.7 million visitors higher than 2015’s total, an increase of 3.8% from the previous year.

New tourism records were set for overall domestic and international visitation. Total domestic visitation reached 40.2 million, a 3.8% increase over 2015, and 7.1 million international visitors made Los Angeles their ultimate destination, a 3.5% increase over the previous year. 

In 2016, Los Angeles also became the first ever U.S. city destination to welcome more than 1 million visitors from China, the destination’s number two international market behind Mexico. China alone accounted for 75% of the destination’s overall international growth, derived from the market’s year-over-year growth of nearly 22% – the seventh consecutive year of at least 20% visitation growth for China. L.A. Tourism will continue to invest in the market with plans to expand its footprint:  Chengdu will become L.A. Tourism’s fourth China office when it opens by the end of June 2017, joining Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

India was L.A.’s second-fastest growing international market, an increase of 10.2%. L.A. Tourism established official representation in this market in 2016 as well as the Gulf/Middle East, an important connection point for visiting Indian travelers.  

“Tourism is booming in Los Angeles, and it’s helping to drive our whole city’s economy forward,” said Mayor Garcetti. “My goal is to welcome 50 million tourists to our city by 2020, and new attractions like the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will have even more people from around the world lining up to come to L.A.”

“Global desire for the Los Angeles experience is at an all-time high, a fact largely attributable to our city’s celebration of diversity and creativity, from which thriving culinary, cultural and lifestyle scenes have emerged,” said Ernest Wooden Jr., president & CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. “Fantastic new hotels are opening their doors with frequency, chefs are exploring innovative creative territories, noteworthy cultural institutions are choosing to call L.A. home and people want to be a part of the L.A. lifestyle. We are thankful for all of these individuals and entities which make Los Angeles the place that record-setting numbers of people want to visit.”

L.A. County’s average occupancy rate for 2016 reached 81.3%, surpassing 80% for the first time in County history. A record 29.2 million hotel room nights were sold countywide with ADR reaching a new high of $171.95, an increase of 8.6% over 2015. L.A. County is the only U.S. market to reach double-digit RevPar growth at nearly 11%. 

Tourism is among the largest and healthiest contributors to the Los Angeles economy, supporting an average of more than 500,000 jobs in the Leisure & Hospitality sector last year. 

For more information, visit the official visitor information website of Los Angeles at discoverLosAngeles.com, join the more than one million people who follow L.A. Tourism’s Facebook page at facebook.com/LosAngelesFan, or follow @discoverLA on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.