Linda Deckard chronicles the events and personalities of this ‘relationship business’ Linda Deckard is the Triple Crown winner of venue awards. In January, she won the inaugural INTIX Impact Award in Dallas; on June 13 she...
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The Sunset Club, an open-air gathering spot at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, home of LAFC. (Courtesy LAFC) Concessionaires help design social experiences, wider range of offerings for soccer fans Already this Major League Soccer season, Minnesota United FC has opened $250 million Allianz Field and the Portland Timbers have pumped $85 million into expanding and renovating Providence Park. Both venues, plus 2017 newcomers Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles and Audi Field in Washington, D.C., came with a rethinking of the way MLS delivers premium hospitality, now that the league’s teams largely have their own buildings. Building venues specifically for the sport has allowed concessionaires to work with architects and design experiences into the construction. It also offers better programming to align with expanded ticket offerings, such as all-inclusive, open-air social gathering spots and a broader mix of higher-end clubs and suites. “We see an increase… Continue Reading New MLS Venues Renew Premium Hospitality
Continue Reading New MLS Venues Renew Premium Hospitality
Read MoreIdeas and suggestions on live event safety, security and crowd management from Prevent Advisors. As U.S. commercial sales of unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, rapidly rise and their capabilities evolve, organizations are beginning to strongly consider integrating the technology into security and safety operations. Such systems can serve as a beneficial tool for businesses, providing a reliable, cost-effective way to reduce risk to employees, improve operational efficiency and increase situational awareness. Although drones can provide benefits, U.S. intelligence and security officials have repeatedly warned about the cyber and data security risks associated with information or communications technologies designed, manufactured or sold by commercial enterprises operating under the control or influence of a foreign authoritarian state. While the risk of compromise is inherent in any technology that generates or collects sensitive data or otherwise has access to critical systems, the risk increases dramatically where the technology is made or sold by… Continue Reading Security Tip of the Month: July 2019
Continue Reading Security Tip of the Month: July 2019
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Kansas City’s Sprint Center opened in 2007 with a premium mix of 72 suites and about 1,400 club seats. (Getty Images) Loge boxes part of ‘wish list’ for upgrades at Kansas City arena Sprint Center could add new loge boxes as part of future improvements at the 18,972-seat arena, which has thrived for a dozen years in Kansas City without a primary sports tenant. It’s part of a “wish list” of upgrades pending approval by the city, which owns the building, said Brenda Tinnen, AEG’s general manager at Sprint Center. As of late June, no decision had been made on the project. AEG would share the cost of the retrofit with the city through the public-private partnership agreement they signed 15 years ago to develop the arena. Under those terms, the city pays for 65% and AEG is responsible for the remaining 35% of capital expenditures, Tinnen said. Sprint Center… Continue Reading Sprint Center Sailing Along Without an Anchor Tenant
Continue Reading Sprint Center Sailing Along Without an Anchor Tenant
Read MoreIdeas and suggestions on recruiting, interviewing and placement practices in the sports and entertainment industry from Prodigy Sports When Developing Your Skills, Don’t Leave Out the Most Important: Soft Skills Our industry is built on hiring and retaining employees who are technically proficient in their jobs. They must be able to close the sale. They must be able to manage the food and beverage operation. They must be able to come up with a creative marketing promotion. They must be able to handle security issues if they arise at an event. Being technically proficient in your role, however, is becoming only part of the job. In today’s world, soft skills are what separates out whether an employee can truly add value to the overall growth of an organization. Would you rather go to an event where the staff has trouble interacting with the attendees or one where the staff goes… Continue Reading Recruiting Tip of the Month: July 2019
Continue Reading Recruiting Tip of the Month: July 2019
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Beth Paul, general manager, Bon Secours Wellness Arena Community Asset Beth Paul’s efforts to connect with Greenville, S.C., have helped her arena thrive Giving back to the community and creating a more inclusive environment for those with special needs are only a couple of Beth Paul’s accomplishments as general manager of Bon Secours Wellness Arena for the past five years. Initiatives such as those aren’t just feel-good stories — they can also affect the bottom line. Paul helped double the operating profit of the Greenville, S.C., arena in 2017 and continued growing it after that. “The venue financially has improved tremendously. I would suggest that we’ve had a pretty solid plan in place for the last three years,” said Paul, who graduated from Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., with a degree in accounting. “We’ve been really engaged in the community as more than just a place to come enjoy live… Continue Reading Women of Influence: Beth Paul
Continue Reading Women of Influence: Beth Paul
Read MoreIt’s summer, or in other words it’s conference season! INTIX is on the road this summer and providing, via our members, content, workshops, education, best practices and thought leadership at conferences throughout North America. This is particularly exciting for us as it speaks volumes to the quality of the INTIX programming and our ability to tap into the great ticketing, technology, marketing and leadership brain trust in our industry. The best part of my day is when I get a call from a conference executive looking for ticketing and entertainment content and they look to INTIX to get it. This is a thrilling and ever-growing part of our programming and brand. INTIX will be presenting and/or sponsoring at IAVM (The Fast & the Fraudulent: Outpacing Fraud Attacks and Chargebacks) in Chicago; LHAT (Thriving in a Digital Age) in Philadelphia; Ticket Summit (Price Me Right) in Las Vegas; and ArtsReach (Let’s… Continue Reading Letter From Maureen: Hot on the Conference Trail
Continue Reading Letter From Maureen: Hot on the Conference Trail
Read MoreLeader and Hero Messina Touring Group’s Kate McMahon guides her company’s inclusive, unstoppable team Kate McMahon, executive vice president at Messina Touring Group, sometimes plays down her achievements. “I try not to travel too much anymore,” the industry lifer said. “I kind of see myself as the constant in the office, the person who is going to be here. There’s a little bit of HR, a little bit of approval of timesheets and expense reports and all that kind of boring stuff.” But McMahon, who has helped lead Messina Touring Group since its inception in 2001, and has worked with founder Louis Messina since the mid-’90s, is as eminent a figure in the music biz as any, overseeing the marketing and promotion of major MTG clients — starting with country heavyweights such as George Strait and Kenny Chesney, and then widening to include pop powerhouses like Ed Sheeran and Taylor… Continue Reading Women of Influence: Kate McMahon
Continue Reading Women of Influence: Kate McMahon
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Lady Gaga’s Las Vegas residency took four positions on the 5,001-10,000 chart with two productions, “Enigma” and “Jazz & Piano.” (Getty Images) Multiday runs from stars and festivals dominate charts for early 2019 — here are some highlights BTS charts on Hot Tickets with three stadiums, all with concert grosses topping the $10 million mark from two-show engagements. The top box-office counts were logged at the Rose Bowl, where the South Korean boy band drew 113,040 fans over both nights. Sales revenue at the Pasadena, Calif., stadium hit $16.5 million from sellouts on May 4 and 5. • Heading up the 15,001-30,000 category is the Bud Light Music Festival, a three-night event at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena leading up to Super Bowl LIII, which was played Feb. 3 at nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The music fest featured appearances by Cardi B, Aerosmith, Ludacris and others and produced a combined gross of $11.3… Continue Reading Midyear Report: Extended Success
Continue Reading Midyear Report: Extended Success
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A celebrated and diverse career garners IAVM’s McElravy honor for Mike McGee While working in broadcasting during high school and college, industry veteran Mike McGee had no aspirations of making his mark in this industry. Yet there may be no one more deserving of the International Association of Venue Managers’ Charles A. McElravy Award than McGee, founder of the Houston-based consulting firm Barmac Inc., which has served the industry since 1984. “Before I got into this business, I had aspirations of being in broadcasting,” he said. “I’m blown away by this recognition, since I never envisioned I’d be a recipient of this special award.” McGee will receive the McElravy Award, which recognizes professional, honorary or retired IAVM members who have made the greatest lifetime achievement to the welfare of the association or profession, during IAVM’s 94th annual conference July 21-24 in Chicago. “When you’re a part of an organization as… Continue Reading Making the Industry Better
Continue Reading Making the Industry Better
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Owner and principal, Pendulum Studio (Courtesy Pendulum Studio) Kansas City, Mo.-based architecture firm Pendulum, co-founded by Cole and Devan Case, has designed a number of ballparks. I thought I’d grow up to be My first passion was fine art. I was a freelance illustrator for a greeting card company while in high school and worked as a framer for an art supply store in college. First job in the industry With HNTB in their Irvine, Calif., office. Favorite part of job It is incredibly rewarding to nurture a design from lines on paper to a built and functioning facility. Least favorite part of job Devoting energy to projects that never get to make it beyond the drawing board. Mentors Henry Stickney, former CEO of Mandalay Baseball Properties. Hank taught me everything I know about designing sports facilities with operations and pro forma in the forefront which fosters economic sustainability.… Continue Reading Talking Points: Jonathan Cole
Continue Reading Talking Points: Jonathan Cole
Read MoreJuly at VenuesNow means Women of Influence, the awards program begun in 2007 to salute professional women for their contributions to the live event industry. As we introduce the honorees for 2019, it gives us a chance to look back at the names (and numbers) that are part of this proud tradition. 53 Women of Influence honorees, including the six featured in this issue. 5 Members of the first class in 2007: Donna Dowless, Robyn Williams, Carol Wallace, Kim Bedier and Barbara “Mother” Hubbard. 3 Smallest classes, from 2009 through 2013. 6 Largest class, 2019 1 Editors’ pick, Mel Raines in this year’s class. Readers have long cast the votes for Women of Influence, but we decided we wanted to get in on the fun! We’ll continue to do so in the coming years, so this number will be going up. 2015 The only year that each honoree was associated with a particular… Continue Reading Opening Number: Women of Influence
Continue Reading Opening Number: Women of Influence
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