Billboard magazine published a great story yesterday in which several arena executives were asked what it takes to run a successful venue in today’s competitive touring business. One of the executives was IAVM member Sean Saadeh, senior vice president of programming at the Barclays Center and a speaker at the upcoming Arena Management Conference (AMC). Other IAVM members interviewed for the story include Lee Zeidman, president of the STAPLES Center/Nokia Theatre; Brock Jones, vice president of booking for Global Spectrum; and Hank Abate, senior vice president of arenas and stadiums for Global Spectrum.

Here’s a sample from the article, written by Mitchell Peters:

What trends do you see shaping the arena business?

Zeidman: One of the things you’re seeing that affects the business of arena management right now is that there are a tremendous amount of stadium shows. There are more stadium shows this year than I’ve ever seen in my 25 years in the business. It’s cyclical. You’re finding a lot of artists right now that can actually fill stadiums—not only once but doing multiples, like a One Direction. I’m hoping the trend moving forward is not trying to put everyone into stadiums, because that has a tremendous amount of impact on arena shows. One of the [other] trends is that there are a lot of people asking us, “What more can you do for us?” We’re coming up with ways to use our marketing assets and our social media more. We believe that sets us apart from other venues in our marketplace. For instance, we can tap into our teams. We have four teams that play here [NBA’s Lakers and Clippers; NHL’s Kings; and WNBA’s Spark]. We can cross-promote with them. We have [the surrounding restaurant and entertainment district] L.A. Live and our hotels that we can cross-market with. We believe that will hopefully set us apart from other venues in the Southern California marketplace.

Saadeh: My perspective is that we need to continue to develop more content at the arena level. We have known this for some time, and last year’s touring results prove that the industry is getting stronger and moving in the right direction. However, there is still more that can be done.

Abate: The need for robust wi-fi systems in facilities is a growing factor and trend.

As I mentioned, the article is great. Please read it when you get a chance. Also, registration is still open for AMC, September 14-16, in Long Beach, California. See you there!

(photo credit: Marianne O’Leary via photopin cc)

The National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, played host to the first Professional Windsurfers Association indoor competition in eight years last weekend. To accommodate the event, 792,516 gallons of water was poured into a specially built pool. It took approximately 40 hours to fill it up. In the end, the pool was 295 feet by 108 feet. To create waves, 34 fans generated winds up to 43 miles per hour.

Here are a couple of photos of the event and pool, which could accommodate 20 M-16 figher planes, according to PL 2012+, the company that manages the stadium. Continue Reading →

Scientific American runs a series of posts by Sunny Sea Gold that are thoughtful, helpful, and interesting, such as “How to Be a Better Negotiator,” “How to Be a Better Boss,” and “How to Be a Better Friend.” Gold’s latest in the series is “How to Be a Better Time Manager.” And since we all value our time, I thought I’d share her tips and few quotes from her piece.

1. Meditate Mindfully
“There may not be any research linking meditation directly to time management, but mindfulness meditation has been shown to speed up information processing in the brain, improve memory, boost concentration and make tasks feel easier.”

2. Figure Out Why You Waste Time
“Everyone procrastinates, at least a little bit. And researchers have theorized that we have different reasons for it: arousal procrastinators get a rush from waiting until the last second, avoidant ones don’t want to face an undesirable task, and indecisive procrastinators are somewhat paralyzed by how to even start.”

3. Be a Little More Grateful
“In one study at the University of California, Davis, participants who kept a daily journal of things they were thankful for showed more enthusiasm, energy and determination than people who wrote neutral entries or kept track of annoyances.”

4. Try Pomodoro
“The basics: Set a timer and work for 25 minutes straight, without any interruptions or distractions, then take a five-minute break. After four cycles, take a longer, 15- to 20-minute break. Repeat until your task is finished.”

Please check out the article for more content about each tip, and please share with us how you manage your time well.

(photo credit: MattysFlicks via photopin cc)

Danielle Paquette, a reporter for The Washington Post, posed an interesting question today: Can indie music save your neighborhood?

“Art, however we define it, has long helped transform cities. It’s a moneymaker, too,” Paquette wrote. “In December, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Endowment for the Arts tried for the first time to estimate arts and culture’s economic impact. The report found that in 2011, 3.2 percent, or $502 billion, of current-dollar gross domestic product was attributable to arts and culture.”

Paquette focuses her story on Omaha, Nebraska, and a music venue there named Slowdown, co-financed by the city to help revive development in a run-down part of town.

“It’s an experiment in arts investment for other mid-sized cities to watch, a government-backed indie rock weapon against urban decay,” Paquette wrote. “Nowadays, as people and resources surge back into cities, a drive through Omaha reveals bustling retail corridors, brand new apartments, and stretches of broken-down industrial buildings. Officials banked on the Slowdown project, in particular, to bring young people to the once blighted North Downtown neighborhood.”

Stadiums, arenas, performing arts centers, convention centers, etc., open every year in almost every city worldwide, and their promotion and presence can foster lively debates. You don’t see that with music venues much. Perhaps because of their sizes and scoops they’re often overlooked in conversations about budgets and the well-being of communities. A good, local music scene driven by music venues, though, can change a whole city’s future.

“My research finds that local music scenes help attract and retain the educated, highly skilled that drives urban economies by working for established firms or creating their own,” said Michael Seman, a senior research associate at the University of North Texas’ Center for Economic Development and Research, in a separate interview by Paquette. “It’s important to remember that music scene participants are often also educators, chefs, graphic designers, computer programmers, college students, entrepreneurs…They’re dynamic people with a lot of creative energy.

“Music scenes can act as branding agents, spur urban redevelopment, and emerge as industries in their own right,” Seman continued. “I’ve also found that music scene participants are civic-minded and often become involved in philanthropic pursuits, run for political office, and seek employment in city departments.”

Paquette’s story is well-written and worth reading, and I encourage you to do so. And when you’re done reading it, please let us know: Can indie music save your neighborhood?

(photo credit: Silicon Prairie News via photopin cc)

Well, football season is well under way and my beloved Dallas Cowboys are off to another start of predicted mediocrity. Since it’s what expected, I’m not stressed out. But maybe you have high hopes for teams and they’re not playing up to par. That might cause you a little anxious eating or drinking.

“Some people are stress eaters, and others tend to eat more when watching TV,” said Jody Gilchrist, a nurse practitioner at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Heart and Vascular Clinic at the Kirklin Clinic at Acton Road. “They are distracted by the entertainment and don’t realize how much they’re eating, and they don’t listen to their brains telling them they are full.”

Stress from overeating, drinking, and being on the edge of your seat can lead to increased heart rates and high blood pressure, too.

“The body doesn’t distinguish between ‘bad’ stress from life or work and ‘good’ stress caused by game-day excitement,” Gilchrist said. “It impacts your health either way.”

There are some things you can do, though, to help mitigate stress, and they’re illustrated below.

“Even the smallest choices can have a positive impact on your health, so make a point to incorporate many small changes rather than setting unrealistic goals, such as staying away from fun foods altogether,” Gilchrist said.

(top photo credit: davidsteltz via photopin cc)

(infographic: University of Alabama at Birmingham)