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 I wasn’t doing this I’d be a: coach.

Most impressive person I’ve ever met: Eddie Robinson.

I unwind by: doing nothing.

On my desk right now is: a newspaper, a gift from my daughter, and a bowl of peppermints.

If I were on the other side out on the arena field concert stage I’d be an: agent.

One trait an up-and-coming venue manager should have is: a willingness to learn.

One up-and-coming venue star in the arena industry is: Kevin Welch / Curtis Culwell Center.

One of my goals for this year is to: re-sign all graduation tenants to five-year agreements.

Where do you see new growth opportunities in the profession? High school venues.

How do you stay current with industry trends and developments? Reading industry publications and newspapers from different regions of the U.S.

Who are three people you’d invite to a dinner party and why? President Obama, Michelle Obama, and my wife. The reason is because it will make my wife very happy.

John Wilborn is the director of the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.

(Image: Orange Photography)

The Charles A. McElravy Award may be awarded annually to a Professional, Honorary, or Retired member of IAVM who, in the opinion of the Board of Directors has made the greatest lifetime achievement to the welfare of the Association or profession.

The following criteria are established for the McElravy Award nominees:

1. The nominee must have been a Professional, Honorary, or Retired Member of the IAVM in good standing for at least fifteen (15) years total (though not necessarily consecutively).
2. The nominee needs to meet the minimum service to IAVM requirements for Honorary Membership, but is not required to be retired. The following criteria must be met for a member to be eligible for consideration for Honorary Membership:  1) Attendance at no fewer than 10 Annual Conferences (VenueConnect) during the past 15 years; 2) Attendance at no fewer than five Region Meetings during the past 15 years;  3) Service as chair of at least three international or two Region committees during the past 15 years;  4) Service as: Director of IAVM or officer in a Region at least once during the member’s tenure with IAVM or b) Program chair for an IAVM venue-specific or specialty meeting during the member’s tenure with IAVM or c) Member of Board of Regents, Board of Trustees, or Board of Governors during member’s tenure with IAVM.
3. Any member in good standing may make a nomination, which must provide, in writing, a minimum of three examples of the nominee’s outstanding contributions to IAVM and/or the industry (for example: leadership, accomplishments, professional service/activities, projects/results).
4. At least three letters of recommendation must accompany the nomination letter.
5. No Chairman of the Board (or Past President) of IAVM is eligible for consideration until the third Annual Conference (VenueConnect) following his/her term of office.
6. Previous recipients are ineligible (and may be found on our website under Legacy of Leaders).

The nominations and letters of recommendation should be written to Vicki Hawarden, CMP, IAVM president and CEO, and submitted to me, Rosanne Duke, electronically. The nomination letter and all letters of recommendation must be received by close of business Nov. 16, 2015.  If you have any questions, please me at (972) 538-1025.

These are selected news articles that showed up in our inboxes on Monday morning that we want to pass along to you.

Homes Near New Arenas and Stadiums Can Expect Bumps in Real Estate Value (Calgary Herald)
“The report said housing values increase on average 1.75 per cent for each 10 per cent decrease in distance from a stadium, with the positive price increase being highest for homes in closest proximity to the stadiums and decreasing gradually outward within the radius.”

Finding Your Way Inside the Convention Center is Now Easier (Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce)
“The wayfinding, branding and signs in the six-story, 530,000-square-foot main [Washington State Convention Center] complex were outdated until a recent upgrade.”

These are the Most and Least Expensive Things at NFL Stadiums (Money)
“NFL teams have invested millions in their stadiums, which now have unimaginable amenities such as poolside cabanas, world-class art collections, on-demand cheerleaders, apps that tell you bathroom wait-times, food that’s literally local, and much, much more.”

Constellation Brands Joins TEAM Coalition (GlobeNewswire)
“TEAM Coalition provides employee training in effective alcohol management. Annually the organization certifies more than 60,000 facility employees in its training program.”

California Bans Smokeless Tobacco from MLB Stadiums (KRCRTV.com)
“This ban includes smokeless tobacco in the form of cut, ground, powdered or leaf tobacco.”

(Image: Rogers Place)

There’s a saying in improvisation that a scene is not about things, it’s about relationships. New research suggests the same can be said for humor between a supervisor and a subordinate in the workplace.

“Generally, people think that positive humor, which is inclusive, affiliative, and tasteful, is good in leadership, and negative humor, which is aggressive and offensive, is bad,” said Christopher Robert, associate professor in the management department of the University of Missouri’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business. “In our study, we found the effects of humor depend on the relationship between leaders and subordinates. Specifically, both positive and negative humor use by leaders is positively related to their subordinates’ job satisfaction when the relationship between the leader and subordinates is good.

“However, when the leader-subordinate relationship is bad, both negative and positive types of humor are associated with lower job satisfaction—in other words, for leaders, sometimes good humor has bad effects and bad humor has good effects on subordinates.”

Robert and colleagues tested the theory by analyzing questionnaire responses from 70 leaders and 241 subordinates in 54 organizations.

“The findings suggest that if leaders wish to integrate humor into their interactions with subordinates, they should first assess whether or not their subordinates are likely to interpret their humorous overtures positively,” Robert said. “If a good relationship between the leader and the subordinate exists, then humor—be it positive or negative in tone—will only help to maintain the good relationship.”

These findings may have implications for supervisors’ strategic use of humor, Robert said.

“Instead of using humor to build relationships, leaders should work to build strong relationships through other means such as through clear communication, fair treatment, and providing clear and useful feedback,” Robert said. “Humor then can be used to maintain those strong relationships.”

(Image: Reddit. Story source: Jeff Sossamon from the University of Missouri)

Launched in August 2015 at VenueConnect in Baltimore, IAVM’s new certification, the Certified Venue Professional (CVP), recognizes the competence of middle to senior level managers of public assembly venues as well as assisting the managers in creating a professional road map in the venue industry.

If you haven’t yet reviewed the materials on our website, please take a moment to complete the “CVP Checklist” to ascertain if you have earned the 100 points needed to apply and start the formal process.

Mark your calendars for Nov. 4, 2015 at 3 p.m. (ET) and register for the “How to Become a CVP” webinar. Ask the experts questions about the certification and the process.

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.

Now’s the time to take the step and join the elite group of men and women to receive their Certified Venue Professional designation! Remember – Applications and references are due no later than Dec. 1, 2015.

Don’t delay, apply today. Make 2016 the year that you earn one of the first CVPs!