Here’s where we spotlight some of our favorite Instagram photos we’ve seen from the past week. The photos are from members and venues worldwide and lean more artistic than marketing. If you haven’t followed us on Instagram yet, now is a good time. We may just include your photos in a future post (please make sure your account allows us to embed your images, and you also might consider not making your profile private…just saying).

By following us, you’re also entered into our monthly drawing where you can win such prizes as conference registrations, full-page ads in FM magazine, and textbooks. Congratulations to Bridgestone Arena, who is our recent winner. The next drawing will be in October.

Behold, this week’s top five!

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The senior management team at the Shenyang New World EXPO.

The new Shenyang New World EXPO (EXPO) will play host to more than 7,000 delegates attending China’s Annual National Planning Conference 2016 (ANPC) September 24-26.

“To host this prestigious event as EXPO’s opening event while celebrating the 60th anniversary Urban Planning Society of China (UPSC) as a part of the event is very special for our professional management team,” said IAVM member Cliff Wallace, CFE, chairman of the EXPO’s private management and operating company.

Shenyang’s City Planning Bureau organized ANPC, and the venue welcomed the opportunity to host the major national event, which meant opening EXPO six months before its scheduled formal opening on March 1, 2017.

“We have a strong senior management team and staff in place to meet the challenges of the early opening and care for the annual event’s record attendance anticipated,” said IAVM member Diane Chen, EXPO’s general manager.

The EXPO features 24,000 square meters (258,334 square feet) of gross exhibition space and 4,000 square meters (43,056 square feet) of multifunctional meeting and event space. It is located in Shenyang on the Hunhe River and is part of a multi-use complex.

Imagine all the people walking in your venues. Can you tell which ones are angry just from their strides?

You may now, thanks to a new study—”Evidence of Big Five and Aggressive Personalities in Gait Biomechanics“—from the University of Portsmouth in England. Researchers in the Department of Psychology analysed the personalities of 29 study participants and then filmed them walking at their natural speed on a treadmill. The researchers discovered that exaggerated movement of the upper and lower body suggested aggression.

“When walking, the body naturally rotates a little; as an individual steps forward with their left foot, the left side of the pelvis will move forward with the leg, the left shoulder will move back and the right shoulder forward to maintain balance,” said Liam Satchell, the study’s lead researcher. “An aggressive walk is one where this rotation is exaggerated.”

Part of a good security plan is situational awareness, which includes sensitivity to behavioral actions.

“People are generally aware that there is a relationship between swagger and psychology,” Satchell said. “Our research provides empirical evidence to confirm that personality is indeed manifest in the way we walk.

Satchell suggested that the findings could help prevent crime.

“If CCTV observers could be trained to recognize the aggressive walk demonstrated in this research, their ability to recognize impending crimes could be improved further,” Satchell said.

(Image: Ernesto De Quesada/Creative Commons)

You, as an IAVM member, are our most important asset. Without your commitment to the association and to the venue management industry, we wouldn’t be here. Because of your support, we are featuring member profiles in our I Am Venue Management series. If you are interested in participating in the I Am Venue Management series, please visit http://www.iavm.org/i-am-venue-management-share-your-story.

If I wasn’t doing this I’d be a: carpenter or generally doing home renovations. It’s something I discovered along the way, but I really enjoy building things and seeing the transition that evolves during a renovation. I was enthralled watching our log home building built, and admired the craftsmanship and dedication of our builders.

Most impressive person I’ve ever met is: Kent Kirkpatrick, the former City Manager in Ottawa. He’s a really bright guy, good with people and numbers, a strong negotiator and able to deal with the politics of his job like no one else I’ve ever seen. He recently left his position because of the advancing effects of Multiple Sclerosis. His tenacity and work ethic were always very impressive and inspiring to me.

I unwind by: after a hard day of golfing, I like to sit on our deck and watch the river flow by or cradle a good book. There may also be a refreshment involved, but not always (don’t want to get too much of a good thing).

On my desk right now is: My home office is small but neat. On my desk now is my IAVM meeting notebook, a calendar (because my memory is lousy and I’m surprisingly busy in retirement), and there’s a binder of campfire songs. I keep it there so that when inspiration strikes, I can print out the words to a new song and add it to the binder.

My favorite IAVM event I ever attended was: probably my first District 2 meeting in Fort Lauderdale at the Marriott Marina (at that time, we met outside of our boundaries every three years, to help bolster attendance). Everyone was so welcoming, and I found the sessions very informative. I was hooked immediately. That was 1988 or 1989.

If I were on the other side of the seats, I’d be a: I have no talent for entertainment, so I’d probably be a hockey player, eh? I played varsity hockey but I never had the full skill set to get any higher. If that didn’t work out, I would have been a hockey referee. I did that before university and really enjoyed it, but as a career, it’s hard to say. That’s a tough lifestyle for anyone with family ties.

One trait an up-and-coming venue manager should have is: be humble. Confidence is essential, too, but know what you don’t know, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or guidance along the way. You simply can’t do it all on your own.

One up-and-coming venue star in the arena industry is: I can’t think of just one individual, but I know I’ve been fortunate to work on committees with several strong, talented young professionals from all sectors.

One of my goals for this year is: I was in the Mentor Connector fall session as a mentor … but the partnership collapsed for some reason. It was terribly disappointing for me, but I want to try again and hopefully get through the full session. How rewarding would that be??!! I’m also going to make a stronger effort to learn to play guitar (see previous answer, re: no talent).

How do you plan to help elevate the profession? At this stage, I can try to be an example of doing things the right way: work and live with integrity, dedication, and values. In retirement, I’ve continued to be involved with IAVM committees – membership and governance – and I think both of those groups are working hard to ensure member value and good governance for the benefit of our members.

Where do you see new growth opportunities in the profession? Growth opportunities in the profession are everywhere. We continue to raise the bar of professionalism with both the CFE and the new CVP designations, and building on the strong foundation laid by earlier generations of venue managers. We owe them a lot. I would also like to see stronger ties between our practicing members and academia.

How do you stay current with industry trends and developments? I can’t get to as many meetings as I would like, so I rely on Facility Manager and VenueNet to try to keep up. But there is always so much going on, particularly with the integration of technology in the event experience. That is something I struggle with.

Who are three people you’d invite to a dinner party and why? I would consider Gordon Ramsay, Oprah, and Jon Stewart. With this group, we would be sure to have outstanding food, great conversation, and lots of laughs.

Richard Haycock, CFE, is retired. He was formerly general manager of Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, Canada.

The IAVM Foundation is proud to announce the Joseph A. Floreano Scholarship + Internship Program recipients for the 2016 International Convention Center Conference (ICCC), recognizing deserving individuals who demonstrate leadership, character, community involvement, and the potential to be future leaders in the venue management industry. The Foundation also offers scholarships + internships to a variety of other IAVM conferences and schools, click here to learn more and to apply. Thanks to the support of committed donors, together we are Building Amazing Futures. Click here to learn more about the Foundation’s annual campaign.

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