The Performing Arts Managers Conference (PAMC) will take place February 22-25, 2014, in Kansas City, Mo. Along with great opportunities to network and learn about the latest trends and fresh ideas emerging in the performing arts sector, venue managers can tour one of the region’s newest gems, The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

The Kauffman Center began as a simple sketch on a paper napkin, broke ground in 2006, and became a reality in 2011. The facility quickly defined itself not only as an architectural icon for the skyline of Kansas City, but as a focal point for the region—delivering enriching experiences for both artists and audiences alike. Designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the building’s most distinctive features are its curving, shell-like exterior, superior acoustical design, and the facility’s accessibility.

We wanted to provide a sneak peek into some of this venue’s striking features and inspire performing arts managers to attend the conference and take in this spectacular new venue for themselves. So we spoke to Patrick Donnelly, local host for PAMC and the director of theatre operations at the Kauffman Center, about the new facility and asked him a few questions about the construction process.

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Stadiums and arenas were some of the top searches this year, according to Google’s 2013 trending overview. Let’s take a look at the Top 10 searches in that category:

You can get more trending info about each venue by clicking on its name and then explore. Once you’re on the explore page, if “news headlines” are available, check that box and hover your mouse over a letter on the timeline to see what stories led to the venue being searched on Google. For example, one of the top headlines for AT&T Park this past year was “Kim Kardashian, Kanye West Get Engaged at AT&T Park” from the San Jose Mercury News. There also seems to be a gull invasion at the park, according to the Ottawa Citizen.

And just because I know you’re curious. The most searched for question this past year was “What is twerking?” Stay classy, 2013.

(photo credit: boltron- via photopin cc)

Event hosting for others is nothing new for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA). Now, though, it’s doing something different. It’s co-producing its own events.

“What if we redefined…the relationship between the (convention center) building and the event?” James Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, told MeetingsNet.  “Why can’t a dimension of our business be show production?”

MCCA’s first co-produced event will be with the Sitarian Corp. for the Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange (A3E), “an international trade show, conference, and social network exchange focused on the exploration of new technologies that are transforming the music industry and the creative processes of musicians and audio professionals.” The Hynes Convention Center in Boston will host the event Sept. 23-24, 2014.

“Events are about creating connections and synergy, and our partnership with A3E will do just that with the unveiling of this new, one-of-a-kind, inclusive event that allows a myriad of interests to discuss, debate and learn about how new technology is changing the way people make and record music,” Rooney said in a press release.

Please visit Associations Now and MeetingsNet for more info about MCCA’s new economic model and what it means for the convention center industry.

(Image from the MCCA Facebook page)

Most people begin exercising at the start of the new year in order to lose any weight gained over the fall holidays. But a new study, which tracked the health habits of 2,235 men over 35 years, found that exercise does more than slim you down. It decreases your risk of dementia, too.

Cardiff University researchers identified five healthy behaviors that are important in living a disease-free lifestyle. They are regular exercise, non-smoking, healthy body weight, a healthy diet, and low alcohol consumption.

There was a 60 percent decline in dementia and cognitive function for the participants who followed four or five of the behaviors. More important, exercise was the leading mitigating factor.

“The size of reduction in the instance of disease owing to these simple healthy steps has really amazed us and is of enormous importance in an aging population,” said Principle Investigator Professor Peter Elwood from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine. “What the research shows is that following a healthy lifestyle confers surprisingly large benefits to health—healthy behaviors have a far more beneficial effect than any medical treatment or preventative procedure.

“Taking up and following a healthy lifestyle is however the responsibility of the individual him or herself,” Elwood continued. “Sadly, the evidence from this study shows that very few people follow a fully healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, our findings reveal that while the number of people who smoke has gone down since the study started, the number of people leading a fully healthy lifestyle has not changed.”

Dr. Doug Brown, director of research and development at the Alzheimer’s Society, said that what is good for the heart is also good for the head.

“This study provides more evidence to show that healthy living could significantly reduce the chances of developing dementia,” Brown said. “These large, longitudinal studies are expensive and complicated to run, but are essential to understand how dementia can be prevented. We are calling on the G8 Summit next week to commit to greater funding of important studies such as this one, which give us hope for reducing the impact of dementia in the future.”

Exercise, then, is the true fountain of youth. Not only does it boost creativity and help you maintain a healthy weight, it looks like it now helps keep your brain sharp. And keeping our wits about us is something I think we can all agree on.

(photo credit: oenvoyage via photopin cc)

Hiring frontline employees who represent ethnic groups can help businesses succeed with minority customers, according to a recent University of Texas at Arlington study.

Elten Briggs, associate professor of marketing at UT Arlington, and Detra Montoya, clinical associate professor of marketing at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, wrote the paper, “Shared ethnicity effects on service encounters: A study across three U.S. subcultures,” and it was published in the Journal of Business Research.

Briggs and Montoya conducted an experiment and a survey to analyze the influence of shared ethnicity on consumer behavior and found that since Asian and Hispanic cultures, for example are more collectivist than individualistic, they may be more susceptible to shared ethnicity effects in the marketplace.

“The study showed that culture plays an important role in the interaction between businesses and customers,” Briggs said. “Customers may feel like they have some common ground with the service representative or sales person if there is a shared ethnicity.”

As businesses continue to diversify, it’ll be more and more important to consider the influence of culture, especially between customers and employees.

“The future of business will involve an increasing diversity of the customer base of many firms, both within the U.S. and internationally,” said Rachel Croson, dean of the UT Arlington College of Business. “The businesses that succeed will be those that understand how to customize the experience they give these customers. Dr. Briggs’ work identifies how to do this effectively, and will have important implications for both the practice and theory of marketing.”

Briggs hopes the research will help businesses improve marketing outreach.

“The study shows that if I work for a service or sales company, my company should reflect the audience I am seeking,” Briggs said. “When customers share the same ethnicity with their salesman or customer service agent, they generally have a more favorable perception of the business.”