The ICCC Committee is currently accepting nominations for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Please think about someone who comes to mind when you think of outstanding, innovative leaders in the convention center industry and submit a nomination for them by April 15. We appreciate you taking the time to showcase our exceptional colleagues who have made an impact on our industry!

Please consider these criteria when considering who you would like to nominate. Nominees must:

1) Have a minimum of 20 years of service to the convention center industry.

2) Be an IAVM member in good standing for at least 10 years, which need not be consecutive. (IAVM staff can assist in confirming this information.)

Other important considerations are:

3) Leadership contributions, committee work, and outstanding service to the IAVM or other industry related associations. Please give specific details regarding years of service, positions held, involvement in initiatives or programs, and any other accomplishments or awards.

4) A passion for the industry through participation in VenueConnect and ICCC throughout their career by being a contributor of lasting value to the industry as a lecturer, planner, presenter, mentor, author, innovator, or catalyst for positive change.

5) Certifications, specialized training, distinguished achievements and awards of significance to our industry, as well as exemplary work experience with convention centers, exhibit halls, and/or supporting industry related companies.

6) Personal and professional attributes that reflect favorably on the leadership and character of the nominee.

7) Any other thoughts or information you would like to share with the committee about this nominee.

During game breaks on the arena floor below, there’s action on the screen above—the kiss cam. In this short video, Vox takes you behind the scenes to show you the hard work that’s done to make memorable moments for those who happen to find themselves on jumbo displays during games.

A few months into my new position as the operations manager at the Bridge View Center, there has not been a single day that has gone by in which I have not learned something new. Day after day, event after event, there are so many pieces and variables that go into an event regarding the pre-event, event, and post-event process that individuals outside of our industry do not know about. The number of hours, employees, communication, and logistics special events require in order to make an experience guests will never forget is monumental. Before entering this industry, as an event attendee, I would have never thought about the particular layout of chairs (classroom style, theater style, etc.) or how often trash and restrooms must be checked, the means of egress, the guidance and training each part-time and full-time employee needs, and the skill set needed to ensure that all staff members have the tools and information they require in order to do their jobs successfully.

As a young professional, I am sure many of us feel that impatient feeling of wanting to know everything at this exact moment and sometimes feeling a little foolish for not understanding why certain things are done. However, I am now beginning to realize that this is our rite of passage. Every expert was once a beginner. Every venue management professional has made the mistakes necessary to learn and eventually improve their trade. Speaking to colleagues and mentors has helped me realize that I have to enjoy the present. The knowledge necessary for the next step of my journey will come with time. These tough learning experiences must come first in order to have a better understanding of the larger picture. I truly believe that if one is willing to work hard, be willing to learn from mistakes, and ask questions in order to understand larger processes, not simply complete the tasks assigned to them, young professionals will achieve as much they can dream.

(Image: Facebook)

Congratulations to the following individuals who recently were awarded the Certified Venue Professional (CVP) designation during the Performing Arts Managers Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

Thanks to the generous funding and support from the IAVM Foundation, the CVP program was launched in August 2015 at VenueConnect in Baltimore. It recognizes the competence of middle-to-senior-level managers of public assembly venues as well as assisting the managers in creating a professional roadmap in the venue industry.

The CVP designation says three important things about an individual: he or she is a capable professional, is committed to the industry, and is pledged to continued professional growth and development. Venue professionals who earn the CVP designation are recognized, by those inside and outside the industry, as skilled in their profession.

Once again, congratulations!

David Daly, CVP
Director of Programming & Facilities
Bailey Performance Center
Kennesaw, Georgia

Sarah Fieger, CVP
House & Volunteer Services Manager
Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
San Antonio, Texas

Nick Zazal, CVP
Director of Events & Patron Services
Walton Arts Center/WalMart AMP
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco—these cities aren’t just rich with baseball history. They’re also the first three to ban smokeless tobacco in their ballparks and any ticketed ballpark event. New York, Chicago, Oakland, Anaheim, San Diego, and Toronto are on their heels and the rest of Major League Baseball may not be far behind as they aim to act as a positive role model to young fans. While many articles focus on the impact on the players themselves, it will also have a huge impact on fans and as a result, an impact on venue managers. How do these bans affect us and how do we help enforce something that is as much a part of baseball history as peanuts and Cracker Jack?

Venue managers have a responsibility to enforce their prohibited items policy and in this instance, ensuring that venues stay smoke-free including the use of tobacco. In speaking with local venue managers, there is some concern as to how we enforce something that is done so frequently and, often times, discreetly. However, it should be easy! Whatever your venue’s policy is in enforcing non-smoking, prohibited items or unruly guests, just do the same thing for tobacco users. If your ushers give a warning for the first offense and ask guests to leave after the second offense, do the same thing with tobacco. Just because it’s entrenched in baseball history doesn’t mean we can’t enforce and spearhead change.

An important aspect in enforcing any new policy is getting the message out early and often. Venue managers can work with their marketing, ticketing, and social media staff ahead of time on content and information to send out to season ticket holders and guests informing them of the new policies. Have your staff ready to explain to guests not just that the policy has changed but why. Guests are much more responsive if they understand why something is happening as opposed to telling them that they simply just can’t do something they’re accustomed to doing. We’ve seen this recently with walk-through magnetometers and soon we’ll see it with protective netting. Both are good examples of how change can be enforced and ultimately embraced by fans.

These tobacco bans can also serve as a reminder that new policies can actually help us as they are good opportunities to “get back to basics” with our game-day staff. This allows the opportunity to refresh and reinforce our training, clarify any confusion on current policies, and set a standard moving forward to include the new policies. This will also help keep your front-line staff sharp and ready to handle any incident that comes up.

For more information on the tobacco-free initiative across cities, visit this website http://tobaccofreebaseball.org/content/.

(Image: Eric Kilby/Creative Commons)