From jaguars.com

The Jacksonville Jaguars introduced conceptual designs for the Stadium of the Future, a design project nearly three years in the making intended to inspire a transformation of Downtown Jacksonville and secure NFL football in Northeast Florida well into the future.

The video visualization and renderings were unveiled on 1stdowntownjacksonville.com and across Jaguars’ social media channels.

“We have reached the end of this important and initial phase of this project, the design of the stadium we envision will be the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars and serve our entire community for generations to come,” said Jaguars team owner Shad Khan. “From stadium discussions starting in 2016 to the formal process launched in July 2020 and now concluding, our objective has always been the same – lock in a promising future for the Jaguars and help our downtown become an economic engine to lift all of Jacksonville, particularly areas that have been underserved. Being able to share the video and stadium design highlights with the people of Jacksonville is a significant step forward in that effort.

“This is also all happening at a fantastic time for everyone. Jacksonville is red hot. Just check out all of the recent rankings — best places to live, best housing market, hottest job market, best place to start a business, Jacksonville ranks within the top five in all of those lists. Add the fact the Jaguars are coming off a playoff season, and positioned for even better days ahead, and it all points to better and hopefully our best days just ahead in Jacksonville.”

The Jaguars and City of Jacksonville officials began work toward a long-term stadium solution in July 2020 with a thorough engineering assessment of the current stadium, TIAA Bank Field. The assessment concluded it was possible to solve stadium challenges via a renovation of the city-owned facility versus new construction.

In-depth surveys of fans and other key stakeholders followed along with a comprehensive selection process for a design partner. After its selection as architect for the project team, HOK’s Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice then collaborated with the Jaguars on turning concepts into more definitive renovation plans.

“This transformation transcends the stadium’s boundaries. The design creates an iconic, accessible community nexus that ties together the surrounding neighborhoods and riverfront,” said Peter Broeder, HOK’s design principal. “The venue will celebrate Jacksonville’s natural landscape and climate, offering a park-like ambiance enriched by the latest amenities, engaging social spaces and state of the art technology. This unprecedented project will position Jacksonville as a premier destination for top-tier sports and entertainment events for decades to come.”

In addition to HOK, the project team includes Impact Development and Management as the owner’s representative, with AECOM Hunt and Barton Malow serving in the role of preconstruction manager.

The Stadium of the Future design meets the evolving needs of all stadium stakeholders, which include the Jaguars, the annual Florida-Georgia college football game, the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, international sporting events, major music festivals/tours, and the thousands of fans and guests in attendance at each event.

From theticketingbusiness.com

North American gaming group Great Canadian Entertainment has announced an exclusive partnership with Live Nation to bring leading music and comedy acts to its venues across Canada.

Great Canadian, which operates 25 properties in Canada, including casinos and racetracks, has named Live

Nation Canada as its exclusive booking agent, and the two companies will jointly promote the programming.

Among Great Canadian’s properties is the under-construction 5,000-capacity The Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, which will open at the new $1 billion Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto later this year.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Live Nation Canada, the premier live entertainment promoter in the world,” said Gavin Whiteley, chief marketing officer at Great Canadian. “This partnership will bring some of the biggest and most exciting artists to our exceptional venues, providing guests with unforgettable experiences they will cherish for years to come.”

The partners claim this strategic alliance is one of the first of its kind in Canada. The deal will also cover the new The Arena at Pickering Casino Resort, River Rock Casino Resort, Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, Molson Canadian Centre at Casino New Brunswick and The Schooner Showroom at Casino Nova Scotia.

By Margo Madden

APPI Energy, a national energy consulting firm specializing in comprehensive energy management strategies for commercial, industrial, government, and non-profit clients, announced that it has merged with Environ, an energy management company specializing in sustainability consulting services. The partnership aims to strengthen APPI Energy’s current sustainability and efficiency offerings to both the APPI Energy client base and their Affinity Partners.

Established in 1996, APPI Energy was one of the first firms to provide advisory services on the procurement of electricity and natural gas, launching a unique go-to-market strategy and business model that would in time be endorsed by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and national and state trade associations and their more than half a million member companies. The Affinity Partnerships were designed to educate trade associations and chambers of commerce on deregulation in the early years, evolving over time alongside the industry to include more in-depth education on energy management strategies, including sustainability and efficiency technologies and solutions.

With a foundation in assisting commercial, industrial and government entities in deregulated states with the procurement of their electricity and natural gas, it was a natural next step for APPI Energy to expand their services, launching the Energy Solutions Division in 2019. Today, their holistic approach to energy management aims to provide clients with a full suite of energy solutions, an initiative that will be complemented and further strengthened by the new partnership with Environ.

“By merging with APPI, Environ’s suite of leading-edge sustainability solutions has found a powerful new market channel consisting of 160 national and state trade associations and their more than half a million member companies,” said Mark Mininberg, CEO of Environ. “We could not be more pleased with the APPI team or more excited about the future growth of our combined enterprise.”

Being data-driven has also been pivotal to the success of APPI Energy. APPI maintains a proprietary database of more than 250 million pricing data points, enabling their energy consultants to compare historical and real-time prices in every deregulated energy market. Environ’s commitment to data-centric, innovative technologies was appealing to APPI leadership, along with Environ’s steadfast commitment to providing optimal service while guiding clients through the energy transition.

“The merger of APPI Energy and Environ is the perfect combination of advanced energy solutions and national market access” said Walter Moore, APPI Energy Founder and CEO. “Aligning decades of experience, expertise and corporate cultures built on success and integrity brings a truly holistic set of energy solutions to our clients.”

The acquisition was made possible with support from 424 Capital, a growth capital investor that works in partnership with founders and management teams to accelerate and scale for long-term growth.

Margo Madden is Chief Strategy Officer for APPI Energy.

OVG360, operators of the Swiftel Center in Brookings, S.D., announced a new 10-year multi-million-dollar partnership with Dacotah Bank, a state-chartered bank in all of South Dakota and North Dakota as well as counties in neighboring states, whereby Dacotah Bank will become the new naming rights partner of the Brookings 6,000-seat arena, effective immediately.

The public can expect to see name transitions gradually from the Swiftel Center to its new Dacotah Bank Center naming rights across all platforms and media completed by the end of the fourth quarter of 2023. Dacotah Bank previously partnered with OVG360 in past sponsorship capacities at the center.

By Mary Klida

With the return of events, Huntington Place in Detroit is transforming public safety and guest experience. To enhance guest experience, the Public Safety Department in Huntington Place has broadened its reach to include improved union communications and relations. The center is rolling out measures designed specifically to improve union relations in the venue including participation in future workforce development, quarterly meetings with union leadership, and a new position of Public Safety Operations Manager among others.

“Union relations is always a top priority for me as a General Manager, but also for ASM Global overall as we understand the critical nature of working with all the skilled trades,” said Karen Totaro, CVE. “Our team focuses on communication as a key aspect of any successful relationship. The more correct info we can share, the more positive impacts for our clients.”

Serving as liaison between union labor and venue management for day-to-day operations in event labor services concentrating on exhibit hall floors and dock locations, the new Public Safety Operations Manager is part of the Public Safety department. Supervisor Matt Lancaster was promoted to the position, coming into it having strong relationships with union labor in the venue already established.

In his new position Lancaster focuses on monitoring exhibit halls and dock areas during events; educating contractors on show move-in and move-out processes; quality control of exhibit hall floor space and dock areas; and facilitating collaborative relationships between customers, contractors, and vendors among other duties. He works closely with union labor to develop strategies and policies associated with maintaining a safe and secure environment in Huntington Place.

“Matt recently told me the union teams are all starting to call him directly now when they need help with something on the show floor or on the dock . . . SUCCESS!” Totaro said. “We are already way ahead of all I hoped for by simply hearing that the communication is indeed happening and that Matt respects their roles and they respect Matt’s role, and both are optimizing that communication. Love it when we make magic happen (through a lot of hard work).”

Quarterly meetings including collaborative agendas with labor and management are now held regularly. Several new amenities for labor have been established in the venue including renovated offices back of house with a break room and smoking areas with benches and heaters outside the exhibit hall docks in two locations. Additionally, a new protocol for trouble reports includes a response requirement from management within 24 hours or the next business day.

But the new program that excites Huntington Place staff and union labor the most is the student group tours in Huntington Place coordinated by various union trades along with Lancaster. Recently the IBEW Local 58, Detroit Workforce for the Future, and the Operating Engineers Local 324 brought in students to give them exposure to the skilled trades and encourage them to see trade work as a possible career.

On May 18, a group of 16 students toured of the Automate 2023 event move-in at Huntington Place. Conversations were facilitated between students and laborers from IBEW, Operating Engineers, Iron Workers, and Carpenters setting up the event, letting students see the construction of Automate’s 800 exhibits firsthand. Students also enthusiastically watched demonstrations of robot programming. The show ran May 23-25 in Huntington Place with 28,000 attendees and was the largest trade show to date in the 22= year history of Automate.

“The relationship that has been established in such a short period of time between Matt and our partners in union labor exemplifies how we operate as unified team here at Huntington Place,” said Marlon Wilson, director of public safety for Huntington Place/ASM Global. “We are all focused on one mission, to provide our visitors and clients with the very best guest experience. Matt has played a critical role in the success of Huntington Place for many years and in his new position, allows the center to continue to improve upon the strong relationships within our community.”

The Detroit Workforce for the Future is a sixteen-week free training program that introduces high school students to the construction industry. For the sixth consecutive year, the program is available to Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) at Cody, Osborn, Pershing, Chandler Park Academy, Covenant House Academy, and Randolph High Schools. Detroit Workforce of the Future is made possible by the partnership of construction industry associations, unions, schools, other local agencies that work together to create incentives and inspiration for a cohort of students. Graduates receive tools, work boots, and safety gear at no charge and are paid an hourly wage as part of the program.

“We see the value in exposing the next generation to a career in the skilled trades,” Totaro said. “It is so much fun to watch their faces as they see a show being built and start understanding the organized construction by various local union laborers working together to accomplish a successful event. It is the best way to get them excited about considering a career here.”

Mary Klida is Senior Marketing & Communications Manager for Huntington Place.