The 2016 International Convention Center Conference takes place next month, October 27-29, in Pasadena, California. Attendees will experience high-level educational content along with captivating keynote speakers.

One of those speakers is Ed Corey, chief operating officer of the Tournament of Roses. We recently spoke with him to learn more about his keynote address and his thoughts on the industry.

IAVM: Your keynote will address how the Tournament of Roses continues to evolve. Can you speak to that a bit and share a couple of ways the organization stays fresh and forward in people’s minds, especially with so much entertainment competing for attention nowadays?

Ed Corey: Any event that has 128 editions has to continue to look at ways to continue drawing attention to the event. We are fortunate in that the history of the Tournament continues to bring in generations of new viewers. To continue to evolve and attract new viewers, we are enhancing our digital offerings on all platforms, including social and our website. We continue to work with float participants in creating floats and entries that are relevant to wide and diverse audiences such as attracting entrants such as the Lakers, the NHL, Downton Abbey, and others who have natural followings. We are aware of the available entertainment options but we continue to brand ourselves as the place to be to welcome the New Year.

IAVM: What experiences best prepared you for your current job as COO?

EC: My track to this position was actual Tournament experience. I started with the Tournament in various functions more than 30 years ago and continued to learn. My background in various operations provided a good foundation for this role. This job, and many others, requires that you try not to micro-manage the event. There are far too many moving parts. Our sheer number of conflicting events makes it impossible for any member of our staff to attend them all. Success requires a grasp of the big picture. My training as a lawyer has also certainly helped navigate some of the issues being addressed in our business.

IAVM: What’s the biggest story in the industry at the moment?

EC: The biggest story in this industry and with anyone who runs events or venues is security. As will be discussed at the meetings here in Pasadena, the events around the world dictate the measures that need to be taken. How we respond and how we handle the considerable expense associated with the effort consumes a great deal of time. This is an area where event and venue managers and producers are not in control and our actions typically become responsive.

IAVM: Who has influenced you the most in your career and how?

EC: Many people here in the Tournament have been great examples but one in particular, Bill Lewis, was a great influence. Bill was a former member and ran our Game as a volunteer for many years. He was the consummate leader. He took everyone’s opinion but you knew he was in charge. We became great friends and was a great influence.

Register now for the International Convention Center Conference. See you there!

ParkHub is a parking management system, and several parking operators have recently adopted its technology. These operators include Parking Company of America – Dallas Inc., Ultimate Parking Management, ImPark (West Coast Operations), Denison Parking, and LAZ Parking. With these companies on board, ParkHub now lists the most premier venues in its portfolio.

“We’re thrilled about the newest partnerships and integrations with these leading companies and ParkHub,” said George Baker, Sr., CEO and founder of ParkHub, in a statement. “We want to take the pain out of parking with our multiple products and API-driven solutions to connect various parking systems to help our partners fulfill their commitment to provide the guest with a smooth event experience starting in the parking lot.”

ParkHub provides its partners support with such items as payment options, inventory management, and theft deterrent.

“The primary goal when servicing Levi’s Stadium or AT&T Park San Francisco is to expedite a better experience of getting people parked and in their seats as efficiently as possible,” said Michael Rescigno, director of operations San Francisco, IMPARK, in a statement. “Working with ParkHub is another way we can enable each individual guest to customize their experience by enabling parking lot attendants to accept payments and validate QR/bar codes from pre-purchased parking reservations, all while speeding up the process for parking customers.”

(Image: ParkHub)

Levi’s Stadium unveiled the first-ever rooftop farm on a sports venue last week. Named the “Faithful Farm,” it features 40 rotational crops and herbs that will be used for meals at the stadium’s club spaces and during private events.

“We’re proud to reinforce Levi’s Stadium as an industry leader in environmental sustainability with the addition of the Faithful Farm,” said Jim Mercurio, San Francisco 49ers vice president of stadium operations & general manager, in a statement. “Our 27,000-square-foot green roof successfully helps reduce heating and cooling requirements within our suite tower, and carving out this small portion to grow crops for use in the stadium further minimizes our carbon footprint by reducing our reliance on outside food sources.”

The Faithful Farm is 4,000 square feet and is located on the NRG Solar Terrace. Some of the crops grown since July include tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. The farm is managed organically by Farmscape, and it’s expected to yield 150 pounds of produce per week.

“The Faithful Farm represents the strongest commitment an NFL team has made to local, organic produce,” said Lara Hermanson, principal at Farmscape, in a statement. “The farm will educate the community on how many items can be grown in their own backyard while providing local jobs and great food.”

(Image: Levi’s Stadium)

The latest Hong Kong’s Economic Impact Study—conducted by KPMG Advisory (Hong Kong) Limited—reveals that the exhibition industry contributed HK$52.9 billion (US$6.8 billion) directly and indirectly to the city’s economy in terms of expenditure in 2014. That’s equivalent to 2.3 percent of Hong Kong’s total gross domestic product for the calendar year. In fact, the industry’s expenditure effects increased 29 percent from 2012.

“We welcome this study and the results because, once again, it highlights just how important our industry is for Hong Kong,” said Stuart Bailey, chairman of the Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Industry Association, in a statement. “The study shows in great detail the many ways in which exhibitions fuel Hong Kong’s wider economy—for example by spinning off economic benefits and extensive workforce to supporting industries and attracting high-spending international business visitors to the city. The study also reveals that overseas exhibition exhibitors and visitors continue to spend more than international overnight tourists. We should put efforts in making them visit the exhibitions in Hong Kong regularly.”

According to the study, international exhibitors and exhibition visitors spend 61 percent more per visit in direct spending than an average overnight tourist visitor. The study also showed that the exhibition industry provided approximately 83,500 full-time industry jobs, a growth rate of 6.5 percent from 2012.

“To continue providing Hong Kong with benefits at this level, our exhibition industry needs to remain attractive, efficient, and competitive,” Bailey said. “We must continually be looking for ways of differentiating ourselves from regional competitors, in terms of things like providing premium exhibition space, ample capacity, and exceptional value-added services. I hope our policymakers will take the findings of this study into account as they plan for the infrastructure and facilities that Hong Kong needs in the years to come.”

(Image: Khush N/Creative Commons)

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).

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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