The San Diego City Council approved a partnership between the legendary and iconic San Diego Sports Arena’s management company, AEG Management SD, LLC, and Pechanga Resort Casino of Temecula, CA, for a new naming rights deal for the now Pechanga Arena San Diego. The venue, built in 1966 and able to hold up to 16,100 for certain events, was most recently named the Valley View Casino Center.

The venue has hosted the biggest and the brightest throughout its famed history, including artists Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, The Grateful Dead, KISS, Bee Gees, ABBA, Heart, The Scorpions, Van Halen, Dio, and hundreds more over recent years including Jason Aldean, Muse, Justin Bieber, Janet Jackson, Lana Del Rey, and Slayer.

Its sports history is as equally famed as the current NBA Los Angeles Clippers once called the venue home as the San Diego Clippers. It has hosted boxing, track and field, World Team Tennis, WWE, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, indoor football, and more.

The venue currently has three anchor sports tenants in the San Diego Gulls, San Diego Sockers, and San Diego Seals.

“We have several partnerships with organizations that are synonymous with Southern California entertainment including the Lakers, the Angels, and Staples Center,” Pechanga Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro said in a statement. “Believe it or not, the San Diego Sports Arena is the closest major arena to Pechanga, so when they reached out to us, we were excited by the opportunity to partner with this historic venue.”

“We are thrilled about this partnership with Pechanga Resort Casino,” added Ernie Hahn, senior vice president and general manager of AEG Management SD, LLC. “The Pechanga name and reputation carries a lot of weight in the entertainment industry. This partnership will afford us new opportunities and ensures that San Diego will continue to receive the best in premium entertainment and sporting events.”

“Large-venue naming rights opportunities rarely avail themselves within the Southern California entertainment landscape,” said Jared Munoa, President of the Pechanga Development Corporation. “We’re very pleased to have been considered for this possibility. We think it’s a reflection of the Pechanga brand and the refinement it carries. A lot of San Diegans are familiar with Pechanga and who we are, and this partnership helps us strengthen that connection.”

The five-year, $400,000-per-year deal gives the venue continued revenue for planned improvements. Branding for the arena was finished by December 21 and sets up an exciting 2019 with Justin Timberlake and Elton John already on the concert calendar.

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Welcome to 2019, a year that will continue the successes we have all collectively achieved recently.

As CEO of the IAVM Foundation, we thought it important to get the new year started with a brief recap of what the capable Board of Trustees have been up to and their fund-raising strategies for the coming year.

We finished 2019 with a successful program of offering CFP Semi Finals Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic tickets to our members and the general public. We surpassed our goal of $6,000 and generated approximately $7,600 in funds for the Foundation.

The Foundation strategic plan is broken into four initiatives, and I want to focus this letter on one of those initiatives.  Our Fundraising Initiative of Venues donating has begun, and with a quick start, has raised $20,000 in less than two months work. The goal to reach prior to the end of the current Fiscal Year (March 31, 2019) is $60,000.

Most of our venues have a budget for community investment; for example, purchasing fund raising banquets, sponsoring golf events, social clubs such as ROTARY, Kiwanis, etc. These donations are a sponsorship and raise funds for our young professionals, students, and IAVM professional development, which pays big dividends to the individual and the venue they work in, while creating a strong organization in the community they and the venue serve.

Many of our professionals have been positively affected by the IAVM programs including Venue Management School, Venue Data Source, Diversity Leadership, 30|UNDER|30, UpStart, AVSS, SES, along with scholarships, internships, and Grants to attend important and relative professional development programs.

Thank you to all who have donated, especially those who make recurring donations, you are making our industry stronger and paving the way for inclusiveness for the Association.

Happy 2019!

Brad Mayne, CVE
IAVM, President & CEO

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ParkWhiz Inc. announced that it is rebranding as Arrive Inc., capping its transformation into the leading provider of solutions for the last mile of connected mobility. Arrive’s fully integrated platform helps companies and brands easily offer parking and other mobility-related services to drivers, fleets, and connected vehicles. Using app, voice and in-dash technology, Arrive’s branded and white-labeled solutions can surface convenient parking options and additional services to drivers at various touchpoints. Arrive powers hundreds of partner-branded experiences in addition to the highly-rated ParkWhiz and BestParking mobile apps, which have millions of active users across North America.

“When we parked our first car in 2007, route planning and in-car connectivity services were luxuries. Today, these are essential components of consumer journeys, and we are excited to play an integral role in powering them,” said Yona Shtern, CEO and Executive Chairman of Arrive. “While our consumer brands are strong and gaining in popularity, we believe the future of parking lies within vehicles, navigation systems, and other touchpoints.”

More than 40 million customers in 230 cities across the U.S. and Canada have access to the largest transactional parking network in North America through Arrive-powered parking reservations and drive-up, friction-free parking. Arrive provides transactional parking services for hundreds of partners within their own apps, websites, and emails. Arrive’s partnerships include professional sports teams and venues, events, travel providers, airlines, hotels, automotive OEMs, and navigation systems.

“The Arrive brand represents the culmination of our evolution as a company into an enterprise business that powers the full range of mobility services in collaboration with and on behalf of our partners,” Shtern said.

In April 2018, the company acquired Tel Aviv-based Codi Park and launched the Arrive Network, its powerful friction-free parking solution. Any driver using an Arrive-powered app or registered vehicle can experience seamless payments and frictionless entry and exit at participating lots and garages. The company recently completed its latest financing, raising $25 million in new equity funding from investors such as NewSpring Capital, Alate and Amazon’s Alexa Fund.

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In an age where the norm seems to be adding more and more seats and expansions run rampant, some renovations to Tropicana Field, home to Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, reverses the seating capacity trend.

The domed venue is undergoing a number of improvements and renovations designed to enhance the customer experience. For starters, a new social meeting area called the Left Field Ledge will arrive as a full-service bar with seated drink rails and ledge tables. That’s not all, as the playing surface will have new turf installed, LED lights will provide a brighter venue, and upgrades to two of the stadium’s entry gates are also scheduled. The team has pumped more than $50 million in renovations since 2005, including more than $15 million in just the past two years.

Oh, about that seating arrangement. The venue’s capacity for baseball drops from 31,000 to 25,000 with the biggest change closing off the upper level. Just think of it akin to what performing arts venues and arenas are often able to do when making their facilities more intimate depending on the attendance.

The team will hold a Fan Fest at the stadium on February 9 for season ticket holders to see the improvements and renovations at Tropicana Field in advance of the 2019 season. As for those who have season tickets in those upper levels, they will have the option to relocate to an upgraded location.

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By Jennifer J. Douglass, CTA, Communications and Marketing Manager

After an extensive nationwide search, Krystine St. Michael Bussiere, CMP, has been named Director of Sales & Marketing for the Baltimore Convention Center. Krystine will be responsible for leading a team of 14 who will be working with Baltimore’s hospitality partners to sell and service the Center.

Prior to coming to the Center, Krystine was the National Sales Manager for the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut. There she focused on various market segments within the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia association markets. She was awarded the 2017 President’s Award from the Waterford Hotel and Venue Services/Hotel Group for her efforts in securing new business for the facility. Krystine is a dedicated member of the Chesapeake Chapter of PCMA, where she served as President of the Board in 2017.

Krystine’s appointment as the Director of Sales & Marketing has brought her back to the place where she began her hospitality career. She began working at the Center 15 years ago after graduating from Towson University with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing. Krystine’s business acumen, strong sense of customer focus, and commitment to success were beneficial as she took on roles in management for convention services and sales within the organization.

“Krystine’s experience in both sales and services gives her a unique perspective for this role. Having someone who understands the type of business that is a good fit for the City of Baltimore and has the hands-on experience in servicing events in the Center is invaluable. We are pleased to have her back in this leadership role”, said Peggy Daidakis, Executive Director for the Baltimore Convention Center.

“I am thrilled to be back to serve in this important role. I have a real passion for the Baltimore Convention Center and the City of Baltimore. Our client experience, the development of our sales and services team, and the formation of meaningful industry partnerships are my cornerstone keys for success. My goal is to expand and broaden our reach as we build on our reputation industry wide,” Krystine said about her new role.

Jennifer J. Douglass, CTA, is Communications and Marketing Manager of the Baltimore Convention Center.

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Jeff Nickler, general manager of Tulsa’s SMG-managed BOK Center for the past six years, has joined the Oak View Group in the position of senior vice president of the Arena Alliance, where he leads the efforts of 28 professional venues working together to increase special events as well as sponsorships.

Before serving as GM at the BOK Center, Nickler was at the facility the previous five years in various capacities before earning promotions. In his new role, he works most closely with both National Hockey League and National Basketball Association venues to help drive business beyond their anchor tenants.

BOK Center earned numerous industry accolades during Nickler’s tenure, especially as a major concert venue in a secondary marketplace. The most recent honor came in October when the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) selected the venue as its Arena of the Year.

Now, Nickler looks to work much of the same magic in his new position.

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Jam Productions Ltd. co-founder Arny Granat announced that he is departing the company, and co-founder Jerry Mickelson will continue to manage the daily operations. Granat will remain the CEO and Founder of Grand Slam Productions where he continues to explore new opportunities.

“Over the past four decades, I have enjoyed a career that has allowed me to work with some of the biggest stars on the most

ARNY GRANAT

The legendary Granat is working on a number of projects with Outback Concerts and Jam Theatricals, which under Granat’s co-direction received a total of 10 Tony Awards® and managed subscription seasons in 27 cities. Granat is also producing a travelling circus featuring the famous wire walker Nik Wallenda; bringing a Christmas Light Show extravaganza from London to Chicago in 2019 before rolling it out nationally; and producing a movie based on the book, My Last Skirt. Granat is also writing a book, titled I Said This, But I Meant That.

“I am happy where I’ve been, I am happy where I am, and I am excited for everyone to see where I go next,” Granat said.

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SMG announced the appointment of Bob Sauter to general manager of Moscone Center in San Francisco. Sauter had been performing as acting general manager of the facility.

“Bob is a long-term SMG and Moscone professional,” said SMG President/CEO Wes Westley. “He brings his years of experience to this role. He has done a fine job leading Moscone through its exciting expansion and I have every confidence that he will continue to put forward excellent results as Moscone begins its new era with the facility’s wonderful expansion in place.”

“The City of San Francisco is delighted with the appointment of Bob Sauter as general manager,” added John Noguchi, director of convention facilities at City & County of San Francisco. “He has been a valuable partner for our industry and we appreciate the leadership he and SMG have demonstrated for over three decades of exemplary management here at the Moscone Center.”

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The Academy for Venue Safety and Security welcomes Special Agent in Charge Aaron Rouse, Federal Bureau of Investigation, as the 2019 Opening Keynote.  Rouse will speak on one of the deadliest mass shooting incidents in the United States, the Route 91 Harvest Festival.

“Having Special Agent in Charge Rouse as the opening keynote for AVSS is an honor,” stated Mark Herrera, IAVM Director of Education. “His discussion on the Route 91 Harvest Festival incident and the coordinated law enforcement response that ensued in the weeks to follow is something that all who work in our industry should hear.”

Rouse began his career with the FBI in September 1996 and was first assigned to the Washington Field Office (WFO) where he worked violent crime and was on both the Joint Fugitive Task Force and the Violent Crime/Reactive squads.  During his tenure with the FBI, he has served as Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) in the Counterintelligence Division at FBIHQ, the senior liaison to the newly established Community HUMINT Coordination Center at CIA Headquarters, and Section Chief for the Clandestine Operations Section in the Counterintelligence Division at FBI Headquarters.  Currently, Rouse serves as Special Agent in Charge of the Las Vegas Division.

“The lessons learned from Rouse regarding the Route 91 Harvest Festival investigation will help set the tone for the week of AVSS classes, exercises, and activities,” noted Herrera. “It is important that venues of all types, across all sectors, hosting events small or large, hear the message that Rouse will deliver at AVSS, so as to better plan, prepare, respond, and recover from tragic events such as Harvest 91.”

AVSS will be held March 10-14, 2019 in San Diego, CA.  To learn more about AVSS or to register to attend, CLICK HERE.

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Topping Off Milestone

A major construction milestone in The Q Transformation to update and modernize the 25-year old publicly-owned Quicken Loans Arena was celebrated with a special topping off ceremony to hoist the project’s final steel beam into place atop of the arena.

Joining Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish, Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley, Cuyahoga County Council Vice President Pernel Jones, and Cavaliers & Quicken Loans Arena CEO Len Komoroski, were invited guests and project workers who gathered to sign the 21-foot, 650 pound beam before watching it being raised to its permanent position above The Q.

In keeping with the topping off tradition, in addition to an evergreen tree and an American flag, flags representing the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, along with flags representing the Iron Workers Union Local #17, Forest City Erectors, Whiting-Turner, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Cleveland Monsters were placed on the beam.

“As the final beam is raised on the Q Transformation project, I want to recognize the Cleveland Cavaliers for their commitment to the citizens of Cleveland. Through the financial, economic and community benefits the people of Cleveland gained through this project, the project continues to be a valuable investment in our city’s neighborhoods and our future,” said Mayor Frank Jackson.

“This topping off is a great milestone for this important project. Our investment in The Q is an investment in the future of this community,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Budish. “The Q is one of the key economic drivers of our county, bringing millions of fans to hundreds of events. These are people who then spend money in our restaurants and bars and in our shops. Add to that the almost 1,500 construction jobs that have been created by this transformation and this is a project we can all be proud of.”

As of December 2018, 1,457 union tradesmen and women that represent 24 local unions have clocked 173,868 hours on The Q Transformation job site. The Cavaliers are also proud to report that The Q Transformation minority, female, and small business and workforce inclusion efforts continue to exceed the project goals pursuant to the City of Cleveland’s Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), endorsed by the County, and adopted in resolution by Gateway Economic Development Corp.

Highlights as of December 2018:

54% of the workforce resided in Cuyahoga County, exceeding the project’s County workforce participation Community Benefits Agreement (C.B.A.) goal of 25%.
24% of the workforce resided in Cleveland, exceeding the project’s City C.B.A.’s goal of 20%.
The Minority Business Enterprise workforce participation level of 25% exceeds the C.B.A.’s goal of 16%.
The Female Business Enterprise workforce participation level of 6% also exceeds the C.B.A.’s goal of 5%.
The percentage of total construction contract dollars awarded thus far with minority, female and small business enterprise diversity is 59%.

“From the onset, our goal was to ensure that we provided opportunities for a local and diverse group of subcontractors, vendors, tradesmen and women to be a part of this major community project. Being able to exceed the project’s goals thus far is part of this milestone celebration today and something all of us can be very proud of,” said Cavs and Quicken Loans Arena CEO Komoroski. “We also want to commend and thank our general contractor, Whiting-Turner, for their partnership and commitment towards our diversity and inclusion efforts. We will continue to make that commitment a top priority as the project heads towards the finish line later this year.”

The topping off culminates almost a year of structural steel work on the project, which began in February 2018. More than 4,750 pieces of steel, equivalent to 1,229 tons, have been installed to form the frame of the arena’s new north atrium and south entrance.

The dramatic new street-facing exterior glass façade and north atrium that will add 42,530 square feet of new public space to The Q is taking shape. When complete, 77,110 square feet of exterior glass curtain wall made up of 1,475 pieces of glass will have been installed.​

Work on the south side of the arena is near completion, adding 6,350 square feet to provide a more expansive and modernized Discount Drug Mart South Entrance along with the new “South Neighborhood,” a social gathering spot featuring a great lineup of new food and beverage offerings. Scheduled to be the first to open in mid-February is the new Saucy Brew Works Pub, and soon thereafter, two exciting food concepts from local chefs Jonathan Sawyer of the Greenhouse Tavern and Karen Small of the Flying Fig.

The Q Transformation is a private/public partnership between the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and the Cavaliers that will modernize the venue to maintain its world-class status and remain a cornerstone for the continued growth and momentum of a city and region on the rise. Since the arena opened in 1994 in the Gateway District, it has been a core catalytic part of the over $1 billion in development in the downtown neighborhood that has become a vibrant live, work and play destination.

The transformation project’s total investment scope has grown to $185 million from its original $140 million 50-50 private/public funding agreement. When Cavaliers Chairman Dan Gilbert and the Cavs organization committed an additional $45 million of private funding towards additional updates and improvements to The Q, it raised the team’s current private funding commitment from $70 million to $115 million. The Cavaliers’ portion of the funding covers all non-public, club, suite, team, premium space, AV/LED, lighting and multi-media upgrades, as well as a significant portion of the public space updates, which includes concourse improvements and square footage increases.

The Q closed for the summer of 2018 to begin renovation work on the interior of the building that included the suite level, five membership spaces and the Cavaliers and Monsters locker rooms, which were completed when the arena re-opened in October.

As work continues on the exterior and interior of The Q throughout the Cavaliers 2018-19 season, the arena will close again for the summer of 2019 to complete the transformation. The newly renovated arena will re-open for the start of the Cavaliers, Monsters, and entertainment season in October 2019.

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The Green Sports Alliance announced Roger McClendon as the new executive director for the organization. McClendon will lead the premier alliance of international sports and stadium executives, as well as sustainability experts, to use sports as a vehicle to
promote healthy, sustainable communities throughout the world.

“I am honored for the opportunity to lead the Green Sports Alliance. I look forward to taking the Alliance to the next level and ensuring sports plays a key role in the global sustainability movement, focused on measurable impact,” McClendon said. “Along with our Board, members and staff, we are poised to develop the Alliance’s vision, while leveraging global innovation and
strategic partnerships, to improve the social and environmental well-being of future generations.”

McClendon joins Green Sports Alliance with extensive experience in sustainability, business, and sports. McClendon was the first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer for Yum! Brands, whose holdings include Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC restaurants. He also led the development of Blueline, a sustainable design guide for restaurants built on the LEED certification program. Blueline was a
global standard implemented in approximately 5,000 Yum! Brand restaurants globally.

“We are very excited to have Roger take on this leadership role,” said Scott Jenkins, who serves as Chair of the Board. “His results-driven track record in sustainability and sports presents a unique opportunity for the Alliance to further innovate, influence and inspire the communities we serve.”

Due to McClendon’s efforts, Yum! was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in 2017 and 2018, as well as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Corporate Responsibility Magazine. Yum! Brands was also part of the inaugural class of the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions, U.S. businesses and organizations pledging concrete steps to reduce food loss and waste in their
operations 50 percent by 2030.

Prior to Yum! McClendon worked with Champion Paper, now International Paper, to automate and improve operational and manufacturing efficiencies that included water treatment, power generation, and production systems. McClendon studied computer and electrical engineering at the University of Cincinnati while also becoming the school’s number two scorer all-time, second
only to National Basketball Association Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.

McClendon was chosen after a thorough and highly competitive national search led by Weinreb Group Sustainability Recruiting, a boutique executive search firm that specializes in placing sustainability leaders.

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LA Convention Center Expansion

Los Angeles city officials have made critical initial-step approvals for a proposed $500 million transformation of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Part of an overall $1.25 billion project, LACC’s total useable space would grow to more than 1.2 million square feet — including 250,000 square feet of meeting space and a 51,000-square-foot ballroom — with total contiguous exhibition space between the existing South and West Halls expanding to 750,000 square feet.

The public-private proposal also calls for a $700 million addition to the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live hotel on Olympic Boulevard. A 40-story tower with 850 rooms would be built just south of L.A. Live’s Regal Cinemas complex, to be connected by pedestrian bridges to the existing JW Marriott and the West Hall of the convention facility.

Melding the expanded convention center with the new hotel tower, Staples Center and L.A. Live would create a 100-acre campus with multiple meeting spaces, lodging, theaters and restaurants, said Ted Fikre, vice chairman of Los Angeles entertainment giant Anschutz Entertainment Group, which operates the LACC and owns L.A. Live. “This is not just about competing with Anaheim, San Diego, and San Francisco,” he noted. “The bigger opportunity here is to create this unrivaled destination.”

This past December, the city had thus far approved nearly $98 million for AEG’s convention center/hotel project. AEG hopes to begin negotiations immediately to secure construction approvals so the expansion and hotel can be completed as early as 2021.

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Adam Straight Hired

After a nationwide search, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has named Adam Straight as vice president of operations. In this capacity, Straight will be tasked with the oversight of plans and strategies for convention center event operations. Departments reporting to Adam will include Production Services, Food and Beverage, Public Safety, Environmental Services, and more.

Straight brings more than 19 years of facility operations and management experience to his new role. Before joining with the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Straight served as the senior director of campus operations for the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) in Atlanta, Georgia, which includes the Georgia World Congress Center, Mercedes Benz Stadium, and Centennial Olympic Park. Under his leadership there, he and his team on the GWCC Authority oversaw the planning and management of multiple NCAA Final Fours, Super Bowls, and the National College Football Playoff Championship Game.

Straight’s career in the events industry includes four years as director of facility operations at the Georgia Dome, which played host to hundreds of sporting events and concerts, bringing approximately 1.9 million guests to the building per year. Straight also served 12 years with the University of Maryland, where he oversaw the daily operations of 14 athletic facilities that saw about 750,000 visitors annually. During this time, Straight also oversaw the planning, construction, and opening of a $13.5 million football stadium renovation.

“Adam is a great fit in both experience and personality and I am confident he is a perfect addition to our staff,” said Michael Sawaya, President of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

“My family and I are very excited to join the New Orleans family and plant roots in such a historic and vibrant city,” Straight said. “Through my unique experiences in venue management, my commitment to hospitality excellence and use of Quality Operating Standards, I look forward to help solidifying the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center as the #1 destination center in the #1 destination city.”

A nine-year veteran of the United States Coast Guard, Straight received numerous accolades and commendations for his service. Straight is also an IAVM Certified Venue Manager and received his Safety Certification from the National Safety Council.

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Good morning, everyone, we are looking into umbrella stands for our facility. I am curious what type of stands other venues are using. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Do you know where the above comment came from? No idea, you say. Let us fill you in if that is your answer. Bob Eslick, operations manager of the south hall of the Von Braun Center posted it Friday morning on IAVM’s VenueNet.

If you did know the answer, hats off to you as you are someone who takes advantage of the public and interactive member forum known as VenueNet. One of IAVM’s true jewels, VenueNet is the place where industry questions are asked and then answered by peers in the know. We might add that if you are an Allied member but not taking advantage of VenueNet, you are likely missing out on something even greater — potential dollars. Many of the questions posed have to do with products and services, which is where you, the Allied member, come in.

Regardless of membership category, VenueNet is here to help you.

“The thing I like about VenueNet is that everything that’s on your mind shows up there and you can get answers and people’s opinions on everything. It’s fabulous!” said Robyn Williams, CVE, Portland’5 Centers for the Arts.

VenueNet works best when there is participation. Many members begin their day by browsing VenueNet to possibly not only answer a question but on occasion to even find a question that they thought of asking but someone else did first.

“There is always somebody there that can answer a question for you,” said Dusty Saine, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. “The interaction is important but talking to somebody who understands the problems you have and has solved this problem before saves you a lot of time and stress.”

“VenueNet is a huge benefit to members who do use it,” added Tammy Koolbeck, CVE, Iowa State Center, IAVM 1st Vice Chair.

Members are also encouraged to download and use the MemberCentric app in order to access VenueNet on the go through mobile devices, which many are already doing.

Regardless of how you use VenueNet or where you use it from, the bottom line is to participate to help your colleagues and to get answers for your own questions or offer comments, suggestions, or recommendations.

“It truly is one of the hidden treasures we have,” said Michael Marion, CVE, Verizon Arena, IAVM Chair of the Board.

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Mercedes-Benz Stadium to keep hot dogs at $2, beers at $5 for Super Bowl LIII
12:26 PM CT
Vaughn McClure
ESPN Staff Writer

Fans coming to see the Los Angeles Rams face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII will pay thousands for game tickets, but at least they can fill up on $2 hot dogs and some $5 beers once inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Atlanta Falcons president and CEO Rich McKay reiterated the stadium would have its “Fan First Menu Pricing” for the 75,000 spectators expected to attend the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. Just like at a Falcons game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, concessions will feature 12 popular food and beverage items — including $5 cheeseburgers, $3 nachos with cheese, and $2 refillable soft drinks — at lower prices than any other major professional American sports venue, plus without tax for easier concession-stand transactions.

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A glance at last year’s Super Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis shows a hot dog is $4 less expensive at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and beer is $1.10 less per 20 ounces.

Increasing the prices based on the magnitude of the Super Bowl was never an option, McKay said.

“We said this in our negotiations with the SEC, the college football championship, the Super Bowl, and the Final Four … what we basically said is every customer that comes through that door is our customer,” McKay said in a phone interview. “So we want to treat all those customers the same and give them the same experience in food and beverage.

“What was interesting with the SEC negotiations, [late] commissioner Michael Slive kept telling me, ‘Hey, I want a provision in this contract that talks about the pricing and prohibits you from being able to raise the prices for our game.’ And I said, ‘Commissioner, we want the same provision.’ It was interesting that we had a common goal yet two different mindsets. So we put that in the bids for all the major events, including the World Cup.’ ”

Atlanta Falcons
Officials introduced the “Fan First Menu Pricing” when the $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened in August 2017. It was a vision brought forth by billionaire Falcons owner Arthur Blank, a vision resulting in immediate success in the eyes of stadium executives. McKay said that from the last year of the Georgia Dome through the first year at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the spending per customer went up 16 percent despite the 55 percent drop in prices.

“So that just shows you the amount of volume that took place,” McKay said.

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A meeting took place two weeks ago with concessionaire Levy to make the final preparations for the Super Bowl. One last-minute alteration was to add another walk-in cooler. There are 12 walk-in food coolers and 29 for keg storage. Fans will have more time to spend, so the stadium can’t afford to run out of items. To illustrate, the stadium will have 75,000 bottled waters and 55,000 hot dogs stocked for the Super Bowl.

“Traditionally, we open the door two hours before, but for this, we’ll open four hours before,” McKay said. “So there’s no question, from a food standpoint on hot dogs, chicken tenders, whatever it may be, we’re going to be well-stocked, because we know that we’re going to face a high-volume event just, for no other reason, the amount of time it’s going to be open.”

As for any congestion at concession stands, McKay is confident the 680 points of sale that include at least one of the items from the fan-first menu will alleviate any issues.

“It does you no good to charge $2 for a hot dog if it takes an hour to get it,” McKay said.

McKay said it’s like comparing “apples to oranges” in trying to break down how every single item sizes up with other stadiums. Compared with Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida — the site of next year’s Super Bowl — a hot dog at Mercedes-Benz Stadium is $4.75 less, and beer is $2.80 less per 20 ounces.

McKay was hopeful that other franchises would introduce the lower-priced model, and they slowly have. Thirteen professional and college sports teams followed the Falcons/Mercedes-Benz Stadium lead in announcing the lowering of concession prices, including the Atlanta Hawks, Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions.

“The one in the NFL that really adopted a program similar to ours is the Baltimore Ravens,” McKay said. “And what we like is at the end of the year, in the NFL fan ratings, we finished No. 1 in all food-and-beverage categories. And from how I understand it, the Baltimore Ravens are now No. 2 in many of those categories.

“What I like about it is [the Super Bowl] gives us a chance to further tell the story nationwide. We still have people that come to our venue for their first event, and they’re surprised by it. You’re going to have a lot of fans coming from all different parts of the country, whether it’s the two teams’ fan base or it’s just fans that are coming to a Super Bowl. We like the fact that No. 1, they’re going to have a great experience, and No. 2, they’re going to take the story back and continue to push the story.”

More NFL franchises certainly seem open to following the Falcons/Mercedes-Benz Stadium lead.

“Everybody has to study what the Falcons did,” Kevin Demoff, CEO and executive vice president of the Rams, told ESPN. “I think it goes beyond just cutting the prices. It’s how they managed to increase volume, increase service. Their fans responded. You do the homework not only on the prices but the quality and the speed of service and the lines.

“It’s a great credit to the organization and everything they did around the concession program, the hospitality, the game-day experience. The concession piece is important. And clearly, the headlining element is the prices. But nobody would be talking about the prices if the food wasn’t good and the service wasn’t good.”

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There is a staggering statistic that over the course of a year, 16 of the largest container ships, or super-vessels, can emit as much sulfur into the atmosphere as all of the cars in the world running during that same year time frame. If you stop for a minute to think about that fact, it becomes difficult to even wrap your mind around it. The same amount of sulfur as ALL of the cars in the world over the course of an entire year! And the sulfur pollution is only the beginning of this story.

Almost everything we purchase as American consumers is produced in Asia. This requires a constant flow of cargo ships back and forth between continents. There are an estimated 100,000 container ships on the seas and this number continues to grow. Some of the larger vessels can carry 14,000 full sized containers! The larger cargo ships have engines that are the size of a house! So just imagine the pollution created by an engine that large.

Couple this with the fact that, because of zero international regulations, these ships are allowed to burn the cheapest, filthiest, high-sulfur fuel only compounds the problem. This “bunker fuel” as it is called is the lowest grade of liquid fuel in use and contains 2,000 times the amount of sulfur as automobile diesel fuel. Its basically what’s left over after all of the cleaner fuels have been extracted from crude oil.

Environmental organizations across the globe have tried to ban this type of fuel but for now it is still in use. The United States itself has tried to impart regulations on these ships once they are within a certain distance to our shores, but the ships are no longer liable once they are in international waters.

A recent study by the NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that the particulates expelled from container ships contribute to over 60,000 premature human deaths each year. These health risks are most prevalent in areas in the Mediterranean, India and China because they are heavily trafficked by containers. However, winds can push cargo ship exhaust anywhere, including our own Florida coast, where the ecosystem and air are being polluted because of these ships.

Bottom line, the impact that overseas shipping has on our environment is a serious issue. Many seating manufacturers contribute to this air pollution everyday because of their their non-US based sourcing and manufacturing.

Made in the USA makes a difference. Please consider where products are being manufactured before you make your next buying decision. 

Eileen Kulish is an Allied Member and the National Accounts Manager for MTS Seating

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The National Parking Association (NPA) and Women in Parking (WIP), long-time collaborators and peer organizations, announced their plans to unite.

With NPA’s reputation as the premier association for parking professionals and WIP’s increased momentum, the combined organization will have the leadership, reach, and voice necessary to amplify the advancement and achievement of women in the parking industry.

“The strategic union with WIP will solidify the parking industry’s commitment to diversity and workforce development,” said NPA Board Chair Nicolle Judge. “By combining Women in Parking with NPA’s expanding member base, we can align our efforts to develop even more parking professionals.”

NPA and WIP have collaborated over the history of both organizations, including hosting WIP conferences and events alongside NPA conventions. Nicolle Judge also served as a Women in Parking Board Director.

“Women in Parking and NPA have been long time partners. The reputation of NPA, coupled with the momentum of women in parking movement, makes this the perfect time to officially unite,” said WIP Board Chair Marcy Sparrow.

Ruth Beaman, Executive Director of WIP said, “We’re confident that joining forces and focusing our efforts will mean that we can provide our parking leaders with the best practice tools, research and peer network the parking industry has to offer.”

Over the course of the year, NPA and WIP will work to transition to a single operational structure. The entire membership of WIP will become a part of NPA’s membership and will begin receiving NPA welcome materials and access to NPA benefits.

NPA will host a welcome call in March for all WIP members to learn more about the organization and transition. NPA President Christine Banning, IOM, CAE said, “We are very proud to join forces with Women in Parking and take the transition process very seriously. NPA leadership will do everything in its power to ensure the transition is seamless, and all WIP members continue to play an active role in the organization.”

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Heymann Performing Arts Center, a Lafayette, Louisiana-based 2,100-seat venue, has selected Ungerboeck For Performing Arts to help digitally transform its businesses customer relationship management, performance operations, financial accounting, and reporting needs.

“We may not be located in New York City, but we have all the complexity of venues in larger markets,” said Brian McGrath, Heymann’s general manager. “For example, we’ve created unique pricing and rate structures that help us better cater to our customers, making it easy to do business with us. As a result, our event pricing, contracts, and billing needed to be done in Excel sheets. That was not a sustainable solution. After reviewing several packages, we found that Ungerboeck addressed our businesses needs without customization or workarounds.”

Manish Chandak, President and CEO of Ungerboeck added, “We are very excited to welcome Brian and the team to the Ungerboeck community. Only 30 days into their onboarding, Heymann is up and running and already benefiting from their digital transformation.

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Lee Zeidman, President of STAPLES Center, Microsoft Theate,r and L.A. LIVE, announced the hiring of Hallie Yavitch as the Vice President of Booking for STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater. In her new role, Yavitch will focus on the booking and organization of talent, touring artists, and shows for STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater. She also will be responsible for sourcing talent, negotiating and securing deals with high priority clients and promoters, creating new original content, as well as leading the booking and marketing departments for both venues.

“We are incredibly excited to have Hallie join our team at STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater,” Zeidman said. “She brings years of experience and knowledge of booking and event creation to our venues and to the market, along with strong industry relationships. We are looking forward to her hitting the ground running here in Los Angeles.”

“I am thrilled to take on this new position and join the amazing team that is in place at both STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater,” Yavitch said. “I look forward to jumping right in with both the booking and marketing teams and working with all of the promoters, agents, and managers throughout the country and in Los Angeles, representing these two iconic venues.”

Prior to accepting to new position with STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater, Yavitch worked for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena organization since October 2008. In 2017, she was promoted to Vice President of Event Booking where she was responsible for maintaining the event booking for Quicken Loans Arena including budgeting, event production, promotion, and negotiation. Prior to working at Quicken Loans Arena, Yavitch spent 14 years with Playhouse Square in Cleveland, leading in various booking capacities including Assistant Director of Programming, Concerts Manager and Contemporary Programming Coordinator. She has also spent time working with Magic Arts & Entertainment as the Associate General Manager of Touring for shows including Mannheim Steamroller, David Copperfield, and Lord of the Dance.

In addition to the hiring of Yavitch, STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater have announced several internal promotions for both venues. Ignacio Guerra has been named Vice President of Operations and Parking and will be responsible for overseeing back-of-house operations as it relates to facility operations, conversions, housekeeping, and loading dock operations during event and nonevent times. In addition, he will continue to oversee parking operations for the entire L.A. LIVE district and its surrounding tenants such as the Los Angeles Convention Center, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott Los Angeles and Microsoft Theater. In his previous role Guerra served as the Vice President of Parking working his way up from Parking Manager and has been with STAPLES Center and AEG for 19 years.

Bill Garner has been promoted to Senior Director of Parking for STAPLES Center, Microsoft Theater, and L.A. LIVE. Within his new role Garner will oversee the parking department and manage all parking operations staff including contractors Classic Parking, Classic Protection, Classic Transportation and Sweeping Concepts for all events held at STAPLES Center, Microsoft Theater and L.A. LIVE. Additionally, Garner will also manage all the parking operations of The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Los Angeles. He began his career at STAPLES Center with Five Star Parking and was part of the original STAPLES Center opening team in 1999. In 2007, he joined AEG as STAPLES Center’s Parking Manager and most recently he was promoted to Director of Parking in 2012.

Armen Dembekjian has been promoted to the newly created position of Vice President of Event Production for STAPLES Center. In his new role Dembekjian will oversee the event management of an event once it has been booked and will provide leadership and support to the team of event managers. Additionally, he will be responsible for the supervision and coordination of the union stagehands as well as the production elements for all STAPLES Center events. Dembekjian will also collaborate and work closely with Yavitch to nurture relationships with tenants and clients. Dembekjian began his career at STAPLES Center in 2005 as a Parking Coordinator rising through the ranks to Assistant Event Manager, Senior Event Manager, Director of Operations, and most recently as the Senior Director of Operations since September 2017.

Wendy Funes has been promoted to Senior Director of Booking for STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater. She will be responsible for the day-to-day oversight of booked events for both venues from an overall business and client perspective and she will manage the venues’ relationships with promoters. In addition, she will assist in the leadership of the Booking Department and work closely with the Event Production teams at both venues. Funes began her career at STAPLES Center in 2002 within the Box Office department before moving to the booking department where she most recently served as the Director of Booking for Microsoft Theater.

Christina Mikhail has been promoted to Senior Manager of Booking & VIP Services in a newly created role and will work closely with the Senior Director of Booking and the Vice President of Booking to maximize space usage at STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater by vetting and booking events around the entire facility to ensure maximum operational efficiency. Mikhail will serve as the primary liaison for events and is also responsible for preparing all necessary event documents including event license agreements, estimates and insurance certificates and will be responsible for submitting all dates to the NBA, NHL and WNBA for the arena’s tenant teams. Additionally, she will continue to be responsible for the oversight of VIP ticket distribution for both venues. Mikhail began her career at STAPLES Center in 2010 as an Executive Assistant.

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By Mark Herrera, IAVM Director of Education

As we begin 2019 we must be aware that emergencies can happen anywhere at any given time and we must be prepared to act to prepare for emergencies in the event something unexpected happens. No one can guarantee zero risk; however, what we can guarantee is that we will continue to prepare, plan, and recover from crisis.

I would like to acknowledge and thank those organizations to include Mexico who requested Live Training on behalf of the International Association of Venue Managers and provided their staff with training that is critical to awareness, crowd management best practices, and emergency preparedness.

We are also excited that many organizations below will be attending the Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS) in San Diego, California on March 10-14. I look forward to continuing providing organizations with exceptional focus, performance, and control in extreme situations for 2019!

Here’s to the organizations below who have taken pride in making every effort to provide a safe environment for all those attending events for 2019 and beyond!

• Association of Performing Arts Professionals Conference (APAP)-New York City
• Rocky Mountain Dental Convention Center-Denver, Colorado
• Charles Eisemann Center-Richardson, Texas
• State Farm Arena-Atlanta Hawks Staff-Atlanta, Georgia
• Congreso Nacional Ameref-Guadalajara, Mexico
• Levitt Outdoor Amphitheater-Los Angeles, California
• Dulles Expo Center-Chantilly, Virginia
• College Park Center UTA-Arlington, Texas
• Levitt Shell Amphitheater-Memphis, Tennessee
• Denver City for the Performing Arts-Denver, Colorado
• Levitt Amphitheater-Arlington, Texas
• California Presenters Conference- San Diego, California
• International Association of Exhibition & Events (IAEE)-Midwestern Chapter
• Greater Richmond Convention Center, Richmond, Virginia
• Levitt Outdoor Amphitheater-Dayton, Ohio
• Mesa Arts Center-Phoenix, Arizona
• Walton Arts Center-Fayetteville, Arkansas
• AMC Engaged Conference-Chicago, Illinois
• Oregon Convention Center-Portland, Oregon
• X-LIVE- Las Vegas, Nevada
• Cox Center-Tulsa, Oklahoma
• International Association of Exhibitions & Events-Austin, Texas
• Johnson Controls-Las Vegas, Nevada
• GSX-ASIS-Las Vegas Convention Center
• Anaheim Customer Advisory Board-Anaheim, California

For more information about AVSS or any of IAVM’s live training, contact Mark Herrera at mark.herrera@iavm.org.

To find additional information about the training opportunities, please

click here.

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