Just like last year, October 10 is International Stage Management Day.

The day celebrates stage managers and the work they do to ensure smooth operations. Past ways companies have celebrated stage management day have been letting stage managers take over social media feeds, catering special lunches for them, and promoting them in programs.

“It seems to be a chance to network and celebrate all the backstage really,” Andy Rowley, executive director of the Stage Management Association told The Stage last year. “Stage managers are such a lynchpin backstage that they could hardly do it without all their colleagues—so it’s becoming more of a celebration backstage full stop.”

Please let us know how you’re planning on celebrating International Stage Management Day this year. If you want to follow the celebration on Twitter, the hashtag is #StageMgrs15.

(Image: University of the Fraser Valley/Creative Commons)

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

Congress Ready to Ban “Pay for Patriotism” Salutes at Sports Events (NJ.com)
“The bill also seeks a study of all existing sports sponsorships and advertising deals.”

Donald R. Seawell, Founder of Denver Center for the Performing Arts, dies at 103 (7News Denver)
“He was first to bring the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) to America. In 1962, he directed and presented the RSC production of The Hollow Crown on Broadway and on tour and, in 1964, to celebrate Shakespeare’s 400th Anniversary, he imported the RSC’s King Lear and The Comedy of Errors, which opened the New York State Theatre.”

Kentucky International Convention Center Reveals New Design Plans (WLKY.com)
“The new designs for the convention center focus on adding more exhibit space, renovating meeting rooms, and a re-designing a 40,000 square-foot ballroom — all within the building’s existing footprint.”

Independence Events Center to be Renamed Silverstein Eye Centers Arena (KSHB.com)
“…the deal will bring new exterior and interior signage and a new partnership with the Missouri Mavericks and Missouri Comets.”

Contemporary Services Corporation Partners with American University (PR Newswire)
“CSC’s services for American University, a client since 1985, are provided under the direction of Jordan Tobin, assistant athletic director for facilities and operations.”

(Image: The National Guard/Creative Commons)

Travel site Busbud wanted to know what the most Instagrammed places were in the U.S. and Canada. It did a little investigating and awarded places as winners for each state.

“Using the location type and name of the popular locations on TripAdvisor across the United States and Canada, we looked at which locations produced the most hashtags for Instagram posts and ranked them in every state, province, and territory,” the company wrote. “Destinations to satisfy virtually every interest exist – from sports arenas to theme parks, race tracks to universities – and the locations are distributed throughout the country.”

Congratulations to the several venues that made the list:

Coors Field (Colorado)
Atlanta Motor Speedway (Georgia)
Wrigley Field (Illinois)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hall of Fame Museum (Indiana)
Churchill Downs (Kentucky)
Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Maryland)
Fenway Park (Massachusetts)
Charlotte Motor Speedway (North Carolina)
Circuit of the Americas (Texas)
Bell Centre (Quebec)

Please visit Busbud for more locations and information about the research.

(Image: Circuit of The Americas)

The Frisco, Texas, city council and school board has approved a $39 million upgrade for Toyota Stadium, home to FC Dallas. That approval also brings the National Soccer Hall of Fame Museum, which will be part of a newly constructed second level of the stadium.

“Other improvements to the 10-year-old stadium are designed to better accommodate the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title game, which will be in Frisco in January for the sixth year,” Valerie Wigglesworth reported for The Dallas Morning News. “Those upgrades include two 100-person locker rooms, more restrooms, more concession stands, a team store, a suite-level expansion, and better audiovisual technology. Crews will also build two access tunnels from the locker rooms to the field level.”

Toyota Stadium currently seats 20,500 guests and regularly plays hosts to concerts in addition to sporting events. It attracted more than two million visitors to Frisco in 2014.

The National Soccer Hall of Fame Museum houses more than 80,000 artifacts and records, including the world’s oldest soccer ball.

A press conference is set for October 14 to present more details.

(Image: FC Dallas)

TED talks are simply the best, and here we have one from Jason Wexler at TEDxMemphis. Wexler is the president of business operations for the Memphis Grizzlies and the FedEx Forum. In the video, he talks about how a team helps generate social connectivity and how you can measure the social value of that connectivity. The talk is 11 minutes and well worth your time.