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Industry News Weekly Roundup

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rushing the court

There was a lot of news this past week you may have missed. Here are some headlines that caught our eyes.

Organizing a Safe Court-Storming Celebration
Athletic Business
“The issue of court-storming in college basketball was thrust back into the spotlight last spring after Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski criticized the handling of the situation after an upset loss to Virginia, claiming his players were endangered by onrushing fans.”

Boston Data Theft Protection Summit Slated
EXPO
“The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority will host a conference designed to help protect trade show and convention attendees from credit card information theft.”

Centerplate’s Hague is on Top of His Game
Stamford Advocate
“Hague, 46, knows all about the pressure and pride of creating an exciting Super Bowl experience. His company has hosted 12 Super Bowls, including three of the last four—New Orleans, Miami and Indianapolis. It has also serviced 20 World Series and 15 U.S. presidential balls.”

What’s Keeping Fans Out of Stadiums
FOXBusiness
“Most professional sports teams rely on filling stadiums as their main revenue source, but that’s not the case for football. Ironically, it’s the league’s biggest revenue source, TV, that has become its biggest competitor for getting fans in stadium seats.”

Carolina Panthers Running Back DeAngelo Williams to Make Cameo Appearance in Broadway’s Rock of Ages
TheaterMania
“Broadway’s Rock of Ages has announced that All-Pro running back DeAngelo Williams of the Carolina Panthers will join fellow NFL superstars Randall Cobb of the Green Bay Packers, Joique Bell of the Detroit Lions, and four-time Pro Bowler Ahman Green in making his Broadway debut in a special cameo role at the Helen Hayes Theatre.”

(photo credit: jmcmann via photopin cc)

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Sampling Kansas City’s Finest Performing Arts Venues

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time

IAVM’s 2014 Performing Arts Managers Conference is just weeks away. Since time is winding down to register, we want to remind members to make plans to take advantage of the conference and Kansas City’s vibrant performing arts scene while they are in town. Not only will you be inspired by the conference’s the great education and networking opportunities, but you’ll be energized by the rich array of venues and performances you can experience during your stay.

We will visit a few of these great venues as part of the conference, or you can plan to attend the following performances during your free time:
Kansas City Ballet’s Dracula at Kauffman Center
Kansas City Symphony with Indigo Girls at Kauffman Center
Kauffman Center Presents National Geographic Live at Kauffman Center
Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s When I Come to Die at Copaken Stage
Kansas City Irish Center Presents Paul Byrom at the Folly Theater
Carlsen Center presents David Finckel and Wu Han
Sprint Center Presents PBR: Professional Bull Riders at the Sprint Center

We’ll go back stage for behind the scenes tours during the conference and from 1:30 to 5 pm on Tuesday, February 25, so plan your departure flight accordingly.
Music Hall – an art deco theater that hosts Broadway tours
The Copaken Stage – a theater inside the HR Block headquarters
Midland Theatre – a Loew’s movie palace from the 1920s now manager by AEG Live
Starlight Theatre – an outdoor venue for 8,000 with a climate-controlled stage
Olson Performing Arts Center – performance home to the University of Missouri-Kansas City music, dance, and theater programs

Performing Arts Managers Conference
February 22-25, 2014
Kansas City, MO
Register today.

(photo credit: greenzowie via photopin cc)

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Let Cats Teach You a New Language

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Oh wow, what a game. Total nail-bitter down to the end. No, no, I’m not talking about the actual play on the field. I’m talking about the commercials. I watched them all, hoping to be impressed. I was less than impressed. Sure, the Doritos time machine ad was clever, the Budweiser puppy and horse ad was cute, and the Stephen Colbert pistachio ad was funny. There was one ad, though, I knew would irritate a few people when it aired.

Coca-Cola ran an ad in which “America, the Beautiful” is sung in a variety of languages. I believe it was done to showcase the melting pot that is our country. However, others took it another way, and you can check out some of their social media responses over on UPROXX.com.

My co-worker and I were talking about the commercial this morning, and we got into a discussion about learning languages. Okay, sure this intro is a roundabout way of getting to my point, which is that learning languages is beneficial to your brain. For one, learning a foreign language can help your brain grow.  It can also help with your memory and change the way you see the world.

Learning a new language can be fun, too. I’m currently learning French, and there are two websites that offer free language learning courses—Memrise.com and Duolingo.com. Both offer smartphone apps, and Memrise goes one better by offering an app called CatAcademy. Yes, it’s exactly how it sounds. Cats will teach you a new language (see video above). Currently, the cats only teach Spanish, and the app is only available for iPhones (which rankles my Android hide). More language lessons are forthcoming, along with Android accessibility (I hear the cats have a fear of robots).

See, this blog post wasn’t so bad. We started off on a serious note and ended up talking about cats. That’s pretty much how the Internet operates anyway.

The post Let Cats Teach You a New Language appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

Why Telling Your Story is Important

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storytelling

It’s National Storytelling Week…well, in the U.K. at least. Still, whether you’re celebrating it here in the U.S., across the Atlantic, or anywhere else in the world, storytelling is an important part of the human psyche. It’s how we convey information, entertain each other, and comfort ourselves. Even in this age of listicles, storytelling is what drives creation and the desire for immortality . We’re drawn to stories in all types of mediums.

For example, a Johns Hopkins researcher conducted a two-year study of 108 Super Bowl ads and found that people rated commercials with dramatic plotlines (e.g., exposition, rising action, climax, denouement) higher than those without storytelling elements.

“People think it’s all about sex or humor or animals, but what we’ve found is that the underbelly of a great commercial is whether it tells a story or not,” Keith A. Quesenberry, a lecturer in the university’s Center for Leadership Education in the School of Engineering, told the Hub.

Quesenberry says that when marketers tell a complete story, an ad ranks higher in polls and causes more people to want to view and share it.

Let me take this chance to share with you, then, a bit of my editorial philosophy for FM magazine. As you may have guessed, it’s rooted in storytelling, and it’s what I wrote about in the Opening Words column in our latest issue. Too often, association magazines simply want to impart information and they neglect the humanity of the organizations. It doesn’t have to be that way. Association magazines can hold their own against time-honored, narrative-driven publications such as Harper’s, The New Yorker, or Wired, and my plan is to hold FM to that standard. If we focus on complete storytelling (e.g., exposition, rising action, climax, denouement), we’ll not only have a much richer magazine but a more memorable one, too, one that you can’t wait to share with your family, friends, co-workers, or employees. It’s an ambitious goal, sure, and I believe we can achieve it together.

“Consumers want infotainment, not information,” said author Gary Vaynerchuk in Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. “Information is cheap and plentiful; information wrapped in story, however, is special.”

As I concluded in my column, let’s together show how special the venue management industry really is. It’s definitely a great story to tell.

If you have a story idea, please feel free to email it to me at jason.hensel@iavm.org.

(photo credit: Eigappleton via photopin cc)

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The Importance of a Weather Preparedness Plan

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Atlanta Winter

The recent winter storm in Atlanta was a trying time for residents and visitors, such as the more than 1,100 exhibitors and 25,000 attendees at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), January 28-30. However, a well thought-out weather preparedness plan proved to mitigate problems.

“The winter storm presented us with some challenges staffing the event,” said IAVM member Patrick Skaggs, assistant general manager at GWCC. “We had over 100 employees stay overnight on rotating shifts to ensure that the sidewalks and roadways in and around our campus were cleared. We also had to perform all of our regular duties in cleaning and converting almost three million square feet of space that the event used within the facility. These monumental challenges would have been impossible for us to take on without the team members and equipment from the Georgia Dome and Centennial Olympic Park (also managed by the GWCC Authority).”

An “Inclement Weather Plan” was created more than three years ago, Skaggs said, and it’s an extension of the venue’s “Emergency Operating Procedures.”

“The plan came in very useful during this weather event, but it’s one of those documents that is constantly being improved,” he said.

At the time of the interview, the event was still moving out of the facility, so a comprehensive debrief hadn’t been conducted yet. The main goal, though, was to ensure a great guest experience, and Skaggs said he’s proud of the GWCC team for doing whatever was necessary to provide “best in class” service to attendees.

“I’m very pleased with how our team handled this winter storm and IPPE in general,” he said.

Do you have a current weather preparedness plan in place? How often is it updated? Please contribute to the conversation in the comment section below.

(photo credit: jasonstaten via photopin cc)

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Beckham to Take His Talents & New Stadium to South Beach

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Photo: Matthew Paulson / Flickr CC

Photo: Matthew Paulson / Flickr CC

David Beckham’s recent announcement of plans to launch a new MLS soccer club in downtown Miami is raising hopes, doubts, and questions about the details of his plan. Included in the mix is the mention of a new stadium as a part of the launch. In the press conference on Wednesday, Beckham mentioned that the new stadium would be privately funded, addressing the known issue of Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimminez opposing the public funding of private sports venues.

As reported by Nick Madigan with the New York Times, “In an interview after the news briefing, Don Garber (MLS Commissioner) said that in the last month or so he had personally looked at three properties in downtown Miami that might be suitable stadium sites for Beckham’s team. ‘We want that stadium to be downtown,’ Garber said, mentioning in particular a site in Miami’s seaport near the arena where the NBA’s Miami Heat play.”

A rendering envisioning the stadium restored for an MLS soccer team

A rendering envisioning the stadium restored for an MLS soccer team

There is at least one interesting idea for a location floating around in Miami. It has been closed since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, but the historic Miami Marine Stadium at one time played host to premier boat racing; floating-stage concerts by Queen, The Beach Boys, Steppenwolf, Ray Charles, and Gloria Estafan; and perhaps most famously the Live at The Bay video recorded during a two-day Jimmy Buffett show in 1985. Jimmy Buffet joins the ranks of many that want to see the stadium restored as an active Miami venue, including the Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, and a group of soccer fans that would love to see a soccer pitch floating out where the stage once stood.

Is the Miami Marine Stadium a possibility? Who knows, but having a spectacular venue does seem to be a top priority in this latest effort to prove that MLS soccer can thrive in the Miami market.

The post Beckham to Take His Talents & New Stadium to South Beach appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

Industry News Weekly Roundup

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Winter Olympics

There was a lot of news this past week you may have missed. Here are some headlines that caught our eyes.

Vintage Photos: The Winter Olympics Through the Ages
Condé Nast Traveler
“The Winter Olympics in Sochi are on everyone’s mind right now, but we’re taking a trip back through Winter Olympics of years past, thanks to these charming vintage photos.”

Madison House Presents Joins AEG Live
CelebrityAccess
“AEG Live has announced the acquisition of festival, touring, and special events production company Madison House Presents. The deal will see Madison House Presents’ principal partners Don Sullivan, Mike Luba and Jeremy Stein joining AEG.”

A New Approach To Improve Networking at Conferences
Event Manager Blog
“Stimulating your audience to meet new peers and matching the expert with the non-expert leads to more effective and satisfactory meeting experiences.”

Japanese Companies Testing 360-degree VR Broadcasts for Live Events
Engadget
“Users can move their HMD [head-mounted displays] around to shift their view, and the cloud processes and machinations aim to maximize stream quality for where (and on what) you’re viewing, ‘as if you’re really there.’”

Storytelling Lessons from World Wrestling Entertainment
Harvard Business Review
“For anyone in entertainment, marketing, or storytelling trying to understand the way a company should (or should not) interact with its fan base, this is the bout for you.”

(Image: ITAR-TASS Photo Agency/Alamy)

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Sodexo Named a Top Company for Executive Women

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 Sodexo

Congratulations to Sodexo, one of our Global Partners, for inclusion on the “2014 NAFE Top 50 Companies for Executive Women” list! The National Association of Female Executives‘ list “recognizes American corporations that have moved women into top executive positions and created a culture that identifies, promotes and nurtures successful women.”

“Sodexo is proud to be recognized by NAFE as one of the Top 50 companies for women executives,” said Steve DiPrima, president of leisure services at Sodexo. “It further validates our commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion throughout our teams while also providing opportunities for professional development and growth.”

Key stats about this year’s list, according to the NAFE Executive Summary, include

  • Twenty-eight percent of executive officers at the NAFE Top 50 are women, up from 25 percent last year and 22 percent in 2012.
  • Women represent 35 percent of the top 10th of earners at the NAFE Top 50 Companies, and a full two-thirds at the NAFE Top 10 Nonprofit Companies.
  • Female participation in advancement programs increased significantly at the NAFE Top 50 this year, with almost a third (32 percent) of women using management/leadership training and mentoring programs, and 64 percent of women participating in career counseling.
  • Ninety-six percent of the NAFE Top 50 Companies now offer job rotation programs, compared with 80 percent last year; 60 percent support sponsorship programs, up from just 42 percent in 2013.

 

This is Sodexo’s third year on the list, and of the company’s total employees, 59 percent are women. Once again, congratulations!

(Image: Sodexo Group Media Library/Stéphane REMAEL) 

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How Powerful is Home Advantage Really?

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home advantage

Richard Sherman may give you an askance look if you were to ask him about the notion of home field advantage. Then again, if you were to ask him that at CenturyLink Field, he may not be able to hear you above the roar of Seattle Seahawks fans in the stands.

It’s partially due to the fans that the Seahawks were so successful during their home games this past season. Sure, athletic ability and architecture also played roles, but home field advantage was definitely a key route in their playbook.

According to an interesting new research paper, home teams win approximately 60 percent of all athletic contests. Mark S. Allen (Department of Applied Science, London South Bank University) and Marc V. Jones (Centre for Sport, Health and Exercise Research, Staffordshire University) reviewed recent research on conceptual models about the phenomenon and discovered three ways home advantage affects—positively and negatively—players and officials.

“The decisions of sports officials appear to be influenced by the behavior of the crowd, athletes show a territorial response that is consistent with that shown by nonhuman animals, and home support seems to disrupt athletic performance in win-imminent situations of high importance,” Allen and Jones wrote.

Let’s consider the officials.

“Experimental studies have demonstrated that officials are more likely to award discretionary decisions that favor the home team (e.g., extra time) and harsher punishments for the away team (e.g., warnings) in the presence of crowd noise compared with a no-noise control situation,” the authors wrote.

That makes sense. It’s human nature to want to win over an audience.

A home field is also a territory that needs to be defended.

“In many non-human animal species, an invasion of one’s perceived territory invokes a protective response that is associated with heightened testosterone concentrations and a higher occurrence of overt aggression,” Allen and Jones wrote.

The authors suggest that higher levels of testosterone could contribute to increased “risk-taking behavior and the metabolic rate of muscles and by improving spatial ability.”

Finally, another hormone, cortisol, actually increases during home games and causes a negative response.

“The finding that cortisol levels are highest in home venues supports qualitative evidence that athletes can feel under pressure to perform in front of their own fans,” Allen and Jones wrote.

Cortisol, the authors wrote, “is associated with a ‘threat’ response to psychological stress and this response, in turn, has been linked to poor athletic performance.” In other words, the fear of failing in front of a home crowd is stressful. The athlete then becomes conscious of automatic movements, and this awareness then results in poor play.

The researchers say that more studies need to be conducted.

“For athletes, we need an integrative model that explains why a home environment can sometimes benefit, and at other times harm, athletic performance,” they wrote.

In the meantime, keep those cheers loud, even if it stresses out the athletes.

(photo credit: Joe Parks via photopin cc)

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Inspiring Greatness – It’s Never Too Late to Learn How

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washington crossing

Being exposed to, and influenced by, a great leader is one of the most important tools we can provide to young managers in our industry. To see first-hand an individual who demonstrates compassion and inspiration, leads with strength, grace, seemingly boundless energy, and a clear vision is a valuable experience for those looking to lead the next generation.

Sometimes leadership seems like an elusive trait, and the concept of a “born leader” versus a “learned leader” is highly debated. Emotional intelligence (EI) is just part of the recipe that makes a great leader. EI is the ability to express and control our own emotions, and it includes our ability to understand, interpret, and respond to the emotions of others. You can learn more about EI with a story recently posted on our blog, “Making Better Decisions Through Emotional Intelligence”.

I wanted to find out a bit more about leadership, so I reached out to Kate Walsh, PhD, an associate professor of organizational management at the School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University. Dr. Walsh is also an instructor for IAVM’s Senior Executive Symposium (SES), the association’s four-day, deep dive into leadership training held each year at Cornell University.

Kate Walsh“Really good managers control, direct, and manipulate,” Walsh said. “Outstanding leaders do the opposite. They create a shared vision, and through how they share their power and ideas, as well as rewards, inspire others to work toward that vision.

“Lots of individuals make wonderful managers, and as they are promoted to more senior positions, still act as managers! They fail to understand that their role is to gradually let go and stop managing. Instead, they need to guide their organizations through how they connect with others. Their emotional intelligence is key to their ability to do so.

“EI is comprised of four components: Self-awareness, self-control, an understanding of one’s environment, and mostly importantly, relationship management skills,” she continued. “All these skills can be learned. And it’s exactly what we discuss in the Senior Executive Symposium. As these executives progress in their careers, they need to let go of some of the behaviors that got them to their success today. Instead, we focus on how these leaders can use their unique skill set to authentically lead in many of the ways discussed in the Forbes article. The class I facilitate is completely focused on the participants and through surveys, experiential exercises, applied discussions, and action plans, we have a lot of fun, developing meaningful takeaways that participants can immediately apply to their own venues.”

Senior Executive Symposium curriculum covers leadership culture, ethics, diversity and conflict management, and loyalty and brand management. It’s ranked as one of IAVM’s most valuable tools for leadership training. There is still time to apply for the Senior Executive Symposium taking place May 12-15 at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Apply today.

(photo credit: Brian Warren via photopin cc)

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Interdepartmental Collaboration is Critical During Challenges

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Kauffman Center

Boot camps are a great way to learn new skills or beef up the ones you already have, and at this year’s Performing Arts Managers Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, Feb. 22-25, attendees will learn about crisis communication. Here’s the teaser description:

Tickets have been sold, the reception is planned, artist contracts are in hand. Suddenly, you and your staff are faced with significant changes to the original plan – the artist is no longer available, the menu requires a complete overhaul AND an unexpected guest is creating all sorts of challenges. Everything is turning upside down!

Through a series of table-top strategy sessions and active hands-on activities, participants will explore how various departments interact when major challenges come down the road. Assisted by industry professionals and experts, participants will explore the interdepartmental collaboration critical to the success of a performing arts venue.

Millie Dixon, principal at Theatre Projects Consultants Inc., and Don Fassinger, manager of the Tempe Center for the Arts, are leading the boot camp this year.

“The initial conference theme was ‘crossroads,” Dixon and Fassinger said. “As the Boot Camp team began the planning process, we discussed how projects often involve multiple departments within a facility operation and how a decision in one department impacts all others. For example, a last minute artist change ripples through all departments with necessary changes resulting in marketing, ticketing, hospitality, production, concessions, etc.”

Dixon and Fassinger said that effective and complete communication is probably the greatest challenge in getting different departments to work together in times of crisis. To supplement how to manage that, attendees will participate in several hands-on activities.

“The Boot Camp focus is all about hands-on activities throughout the afternoon—that’s what makes the Boot Camp exciting,” they said. “Participants will be involved in change overs with lighting and audiovisual equipment, front of house logistics, technology, etc.”

It sounds like it will be a great camp, and there’s still time to register for the conference if you haven’t already.

(Image: Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts | Tim Hursley)

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Industry News Weekly Roundup

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Mark Cuban

There was a lot of news this past week you may have missed. Here are some headlines that caught our eyes.

Mark Cuban Wants You to Put Away Your Phone at NBA Games
Bloomberg Businessweek
“[Vivek] Ranadive and Cuban represent the two poles in a debate about how to keep fans coming to games when it’s cheaper, easier, and maybe better to stay home and watch on a big-screen TV and Twitter.”

Vote for Best Convention City
10Best.com/USA Today
“You have until March 10 at noon to vote on your favorite convention city. What makes you happiest about anticipating or attending a big show?”

Sochi’s Lego-like Stadiums Can be Moved to Other Cities
Metro
“The Russians have looked at the struggles of former Olympic host cities that have built massive, expensive arenas for specialized sports that often make them irrelevant after the games leave town.”

Manager’s Box Puts Red Bulls Fans in the Driver’s Seat
Association of Luxury Suite Directors
“The last few years have seen the proliferation of loge boxes, theater boxes, patio suites, and many other variations on the premium seating theme, all packaged with unique benefits and amenities.”

Veteran Theater Executive Richard Baker Will be Starlight’s Next President and CEO
The Kansas City Star
“One of the first things on his to-do list will be to book the 2015 season. Baker said he was impressed by Starlight’s technical facilities as well as the enthusiasm of the staff and the board’s open-mindedness when it comes to Starlight’s future.”

(photo credit: dannyb via photopin cc)

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How to Dress for Success

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dress style

There’s always that one person at work or a meeting that stands out from the crowd. It’s not necessarily what he’s saying. It’s more what he’s wearing. Or maybe not wearing.

For example, say there’s a group of men all wearing long ties. However, there’s one who decides to wear a bow tie, or (gasp!) not wear a tie at all (that would be me). What is your opinion of this nonconformist? High? Low?

Well, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, non-conformity can increase a person’s perceived success .

“We proposed that, under certain conditions, nonconforming behaviors can be more beneficial to someone than simply trying to fit in,” wrote study authors Silvia Bellezza, Francesca Gino, and Anat Keinan. “In other words, when it looks deliberate, a person can appear to have a higher status and sense of competency.”

Five lab and field studies were conducted across different populations. One study, for example, had students rank the professional status of a professor employed at local collage or a top-tier university and was either clean-shaven and in a suit or had a beard and wore a t-shirt. The students attributed more status and competence to the unshaven professor at the top-tier university. In another experiment, luxury shop employees thought a woman dressed in gym clothes was more of a celebrity or had a lot of money when compared to another woman dressed in a fur coat.

Take that woman in the fur coat, though, and put her in a shop that isn’t luxurious. Then she’ll be perceived as having a higher status. The point is, you have to know your audience and your environment. (For the record, I don’t like wearing ties because I find them suffocating.)

Do you tailor your dress style for certain situations? How so? Please contribute to the conversation in the comments.

(photo credit: The James Kendall via photopin cc)

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Opportunity Worth Sharing: VMS Internships

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west va image

The following article covers much of what our members already know—that their jobs are incredibly complex. They live them every day. So, why are we writing this story? Hopefully to inspire the next generation to take up the charge, and experience a venue manager’s life for just a few days, by becoming an intern at IAVM’s Venue Management School and the Graduate Institute in picturesque Wheeling, West Virginia, at Oglebay Resort.

With that, we encourage you to share this story with your college contacts, interns, Facebook followers, or through your own channels, to help us encourage students looking to enter our industry to take advantage of this opportunity.

If you are one of those people who love to multitask, keep all the balls in the air, and like to bring people together for amazing once-in-a-lifetime moments, venue management might be for you. Venue managers are cool and calm under pressure with the ability to change hats at a moment’s notice. They have a passion to learn about each area of their industries and to keep learning throughout their careers.

The variety of tasks, and the breadth of understanding each venue manager has, is quite impressive. They help handle their facility’s operations, maintenance, manage tenants, assist with performer and event contract negotiations, hire staff, manage human capital, consider legal liability, plan events and productions, oversee sales and marketing, safety and security, food service, and customer service to name just a few of their talents.

One way venue professionals expand their understanding across the entire venue spectrum is to attend IAVM’s Venue Management School and the Graduate Institute. At VMS, venue managers from all levels of their careers learn the skills and topics they need to succeed in our industry.

VMS and the Graduate Institute is a great place for students to see first hand what a venue manager is responsible for. To connect with the other people who have chosen this professional path. To network, and more importantly, to be reminded why  we have all chose this business in the first place—to entertain, educate, and inspire others through joined experiences.

We asked Richard Andersen, CFE, past president of IAVM’s board of directors and a VMS instructor, what makes the school so special and why someone should intern for VMS.

Why is VMS a great place for someone looking to enter the venue field?
The VMS curriculum provides for a strong general overview of the “101 basics” related venue management. However, maybe even more importantly, the school’s leadership intentionally plans opportunities for interaction for all participants, including the interns, to build lifetime connections with a network of renowned industry leaders and like-minded future leaders. There is simply no better opportunity anywhere in our industry to accomplish these two desired outcomes.

What is VMS and what will the interns help with?
The Venue Management School is the IAVM’s premiere educational offering, combining presentations from industry leaders covering the latest in information and insights on 40 various industry-specific topics and themes. The schools interns are actively engaged in supporting classroom activities and all other aspects of the school’s operations. While the work required of the intern does not necessarily contemplate a need for any special skill set, the applicant should be clearly focused on pursuing a career in some aspect of venue management. As a highly valuable outcome for the participating intern, the school leadership does incorporate into its planning the focus of completely immersing the intern into all aspects of the school’s activities and curriculum.

How did VMS help your career?
While much of the information I learned attending VMS shaped my thinking and ultimately a great deal of philosophy behind delivery of venue management services, the biggest impact for me has been the network of associates I have developed as a result of participating in the school. In today’s rapid-paced world, the need to make decisions seems to come more and more quickly and solid information is obviously the core component we all need in this process. Having so many direct connections to my VMS classmates has given me a great advantage by allowing me to use this network as my “go to” tool.

What is the biggest thing an intern can learn from VMS?  
Obviously the key here is how an intern embraces the opportunity. Those that have come to learn, connect, and grow have seen it become a launching pad for their careers. I’d be hard pressed to find a faculty member at the VMS that isn’t completely giving of their time and energy toward assisting others to learn and grow. After all, every member of the faculty is a volunteer, is at VMS because they want to give back, and each is in some way strongly connected to the industry.  Over the years, any number of interns that have thoughtfully worked the opportunity to serve at VMS have ended up being hired directly from the contacts they made at the school.

Any other words of wisdom?
Education and networking are always going to be important to all of us. Early career development is no exception to this truth. However, and especially to anyone starting a career, I suggest you consider three other important concepts. Work hard, be enthusiastic, and embrace change. When you think a bit about this, none of these three require any special education, experience, or background. So, back to the opportunity IAVM provides potential future industry members/leaders through the VMS intern program. Let me strongly suggest if you have interest, make every effort to participate at the VMS as an intern, and then when you are there, consider executing those three simple “other” concepts.  I promise, if you do…. you will be “discovered.” Hope to see you at Ogbleby soon!

There are 8 slots available for the 2014 VMS Internship program. Apply today to be a VMS Intern.

Register to be added to the waiting list to attend VMS and the Graduate Institute.

(Image: West Virgina. Credit: Alaskan Dude via photopin cc)

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Do Our Winter Weather Woes Suggest a Severe Spring Season?

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puxatonyPerhaps, when Puxatony Phil emerged from his hiding place this past February 2, someone should have shot him (with an elephant dart and gently set him back to sleep in his nest of twigs and leaves, of course). With reports coming in of record snowfalls across the country, many of us are really ready for this winter to end!

Much of the country has suffered serious winter weather woes, from the bitter temperatures in the Northeast and Central U.S. to the freezing rains and sleet experienced by Southern states from Texas to Georgia.

In fact, many news channels are projecting that the 2013-2014 Season may turn out to be one of the worst on record. Here are some snow stats from the major cities:

Philadelphia is in the midst of their 3rd snowiest winter ever with a current total of 58.7 inches and counting.

New York is reporting the 7th snowiest winter at 57.1 inches.

Chicago is digging out of its fifth snowiest season with 66.8 inches.

Detroit is coming in with its 3rd largest snowfall report of 76.4 inches.

Washington, D.C., is reporting that their 15.2 inches of snow reported at Reagan National Airport is roughly the equivalent of the past three winter accumulations put together.

All of this winter weather is just a pre-cursor to the real severe weather season, which begins in April, when snow and ice turn to straight-line winds, lightning, tornadoes, and rain. And, if the extreme winter is any indication, our spring season could be quite challenging for our venues. With this, we want to remind you to be prepared, take out your severe weather preparedness plans, dust them off, and bring them with you to IAVM’s Severe Weather Planning and Preparedness this March 4-5, in Norman, Oklahoma. The experts at the National Weather Center will help you ensure your venue is ready for what we will all hope is a mild one.

Register today for IAVM’s Severe Weather Planning and Preparedness

(photo credit: Gilles Gonthier via photopin cc)

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Why Leadership Training for Influential Employees is Good

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 leaders

Every organization has influential employees, but because they don’t have a role like “manager” or “director” as part of their titles they are often overlooked for leadership training.

“It may be someone in product development who without any direct reports, plays an essential role in the selection and development of new products,” Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman wrote on the HBR Blog Network. “It may be a key salesperson, who because of some unique connection with customers exerts a powerful influence on the organization’s go to market strategy.”

Zenger and Folkman believe that these employees are true leaders, too.

“They often get overlooked for any kind of leadership development because they don’t manage or supervise anyone and aren’t thought to need training in management basics like budgeting,” they wrote.

If you have these types of influential employees, it’s wise to invest in leadership training for them. Zenger and Folkman offer four reasons why:

1) Investing in their leadership development will make these valuable people feel highly valued.

2) Talented individuals are more inclined to stay with organizations when they feel they are progressing.

3) They will enjoy increased success.

4) Some of them could well develop into excellent managers.

Please read their article on the HBR Blog Network for the complete story. And while you’re thinking about leadership training, consider applying for the IAVM Senior Executive Symposium, May 12-15, at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Applications close March 31.

The post Why Leadership Training for Influential Employees is Good appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

Polly LaBarre Named as VenueConnect Keynote Speaker

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Polly LaBarre
We are pleased to announce that Polly LaBarre will be our keynote speaker at VenueConnect in Portland, Oregon, July 26-29.

LaBarre is co-author of the book Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win. She is also co-founder and editorial director of the MIX (Management Innovation eXchange), an original team member of Fast Company magazine, and a CNN correspondent focusing on business ideas and best practices.

Her specialties include helping shape the future of organizations, work, and success, with recent research centering on social innovation and sustainable capitalism.

Check out the upcoming February/March issue of FM magazine for an exclusive interview with LaBarre, and please sign-up to be notified when registration opens for VenueConnect.

The post Polly LaBarre Named as VenueConnect Keynote Speaker appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

Watching a Training Video Can Change Your Brain

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video training

In December 2013, 188.2 million Americans watched 52.4 billion online content videos. And they weren’t all about cats. In fact, I bet some of them were instructional videos. And just watching these types of videos can change your brain structure and increase your motor skills, according to a study from the American Academy of Neurology.

Researchers had 36 right-handed adults participate in a 40-minute training session five times a week for two weeks (I know, a lot of numbers there, but stick with me). Videos of a specific task (e.g., handling coins, cutting with scissors, etc.) were shown to half the group, who were then asked to complete the task themselves. The other half of the group watched videos of landscapes before being asked to complete the same tasks as the other group.

The groups were tested for strength and hand skills at the start of the study and two weeks later, as well as having their brains scanned to measure brain volume changes.

Researchers found that the participants who completed the training and watched the activity on the video had 11 times greater improvement of motor skill abilities, primarily in strength, compared to the landscape watching participants. The activity video watching participants also had an increase in gray matter volume. Gray matter contains the brain’s cell bodies and is often attributed to intelligence.

“Our study lends credence to the idea that even as an adult, your brain is able to better learn skills just by watching the activity take place,” said study author Paolo Preziosa, MD, with San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy. “With a dramatic increase of videos available through mobile phones, computers, and other newer technology, this topic should be the focus of more research. The results might also contribute to reducing disability and improving quality of those who are impaired or who are undergoing physical rehabilitation.”

Do you use videos to help train your staff or yourself? How effective do you find them?

(photo credit: amanky via photopin cc)

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Learn a Persuasion Trick in Less Than a Minute

Industry News Weekly Roundup

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Soccer Baseball

There was a lot of news this past week you may have missed. Here are some headlines that caught our eyes.

Baseball Stadiums to Host European Giants in Friendlies
EuroSport.com
“Baseball will give way to football at Yankee Stadium on July 30 as Premier League contenders Manchester City and Liverpool clash in the Big Apple, three days after The Reds face Greek side Olympiacos at Soldier Field.”

Immersive, All-Night Macbeth to Play in East Tower in London
Playbill
“The production, which will begin at 8 PM and conclude the following morning at 8 AM, will require audience members to go to bed after the first few scenes of Shakespeare’s tragedy of ambition and murder are performed. Audience members will be visited by the play’s characters throughout the night.”

Texas A&M Adding Largest Video Board Among Colleges
Athletic Business
“The 7,661-square-foot board will be about twice the size of A&M’s previous video board.”

The Neuroscience of Networking: Why Networking Matters To Your Conference
Midcourse Corrections
“In 1997, researchers at Washington University discovered that our brains default to social cognition when not focused on other cognitive tasks. In other words, when our brain is at rest, it starts making sense about our self and our relationships to others.”

Getty Images Photographer Breaks Down Olympic Hockey Assignment
SportsBusiness Daily
“Getty Images has been the official photo agency of the International Olympic Committee since 1988. The company has 69 photographers and a team of editors uploading 2,000-plus images a day in Sochi.”

(Image: AFP)

The post Industry News Weekly Roundup appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

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