A scene from Bumbershoot music festival at Seattle Center.

AEG Global Partnerships has formed a new division called AEG Studios that will create, produce and develop original content for the company as a whole as well as its numerous brand partners. Veteran content strategist Raymond Leon Roker will oversee the new initiative as head of the division across music, sports and facilities.

"AEG Studios is a full-service, in-house production department,” said Andrew Klein, senior vice president, AEG Global Partnerships. “It’s basically a content house that will create projects for whatever our brand partner’s desire is. We will shoot long-and-short-form video content, still content, documentaries, photography, Virtual Reality (VR) and 360.”

Klein said the impetus for opening the new division was that content creation is now a standard part of AEG partners’ sponsorship needs. “It’s all about unique content that our partners can use on their social channels,” he explained. “They want experiential, they want signage, and they want access to talent that they can use to amplify the content itself.”

In many cases, prior to AEG Studios creation, the content was either being farmed out by AEG or their partners would use other entities to capture the content. With the studio formalized, AEG can now bring all this under their umbrella.

The physical AEG Studios is a space in Los Angeles that’s currently the home of AXS TV, which will stay in the location. Most of the production work, however, will be shot on location.

“If a client wants us to shoot at the Hangout Music Festival in Alabama, we’ll be on the beach in Alabama,” said Klein. “If content needs to be shot in Staples Center (Los Angeles), we’ll shoot there.”

Roker, who founded and ran Urb magazine for 19 years, founded marketing agency Rebel Organizations and moved on to Red Bull Media House before landing at Goldenvoice/AEG Presents four years ago, said his number one goal is to “answer the real and evolving needs of our partners around content. Everything about a brand’s marketing is their story, and we want to be in that conversation with them.”

“We want to leverage the opportunities these events create, and we want to engage our fans with stories,” he said. “Our first order of business is understanding the state-of-play with content in and around our events.”

Roker said he’s personally very excited about creative partnerships between brands, artists, storytellers and social media creators, and another goal is to expand AEG’s playing field in terms of collaborators.

“Video is the latest incarnation of storytelling as it pertains to brands,” Roker explained. “I’ve spent my entire career looking for ways to tell stories and produce content that’s engaging and relevant and bring facilitators along for the ride.”

Klein believes the creation of AEG Studios will “streamline the process for our partners and create cost efficiencies.” Clients are still free to use any production company they choose.

Klein used Renaissance Hotels as an example of how AEG Studios will operate. “We shot both short-form and long-form video footage in their various hotels and surrounding areas with musicians,” he said. He pointed to projects in and around AEG music festivals Firefly (Delaware), Panorama (New York City), and Bumbershoot as potential AEG Studios clients.

Klein thinks that the fact that AEG Studios is full-service and has the capabilities to shoot in VR and 360 will distinguish the new division from competitors. “We have VR cameras and are ready for the numerous brands that are looking for VR capability,” he said.

Klein said that in the first year AEG Studios will concentrate on working with existing partners and expanding relationships where appropriate. "In the future, we will evaluate with partners on an ad hoc basis," he said. "We want to create content that makes sense for us and the partner, content that is imaginative and creative. What we want to stay away from is creating content just for the sake of creating content.

“We’re going to provide solutions from concept to execution to amplification,” he said. “Our content will allow brands to engage their target audience authentically and tell their stories in more thoughtful and engaging ways. There remains a demand for content that is fresh, targeted and shareable.”

“This the culmination of all the work I’ve done in music and sports, and you couldn’t ask for a better playing field for creating content than under the AEG Studio banner,” added Roker. “It’s a very exciting time to fuse all that.”

The new home of the Braves, SunTrust Park, Atlanta. (Photo courtesy: Atlanta Braves)

The first ever Opening Day at SunTrust Park is in the books. April 14, 2017, home run king Hank Aaron threw out the inaugural ceremonial first pitch to thunderous applause before the Atlanta Braves defeated the San Diego Padres 5-2. The game was played in front of a sell-out crowd of 41,149.

SunTrust Park is located in the Cumberland neighborhood of Cobb County, about 10 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta. At an imposing 1,114,400-square feet, the stadium offers 4,000 premium seats and 19,000 seats for under $20. A massive canopy provides coverage to the majority of the seating bowl. Utilizing a cantilever design, the stadium’s seating configuration maximizes sightlines and places a higher percentage of seats closer to the field than any other ballpark in Major League Baseball (MLB).

From the beginning of design to the end of construction, the building of SunTrust Park took only 37 months, a remarkable feat as compared to the lengthy timelines required by similar ballparks. Structural precast allowed for faster installation and virtual reality mockups allowed construction to move forward as decisions could be made in advance. Incorporating seven miles of handrails, 6,800 tons of structural steels, 908 miles of wire, 57,312 cubic yards of concrete, and 156,000-square feet of sod, the creation of SunTrust Park demanded an eye-popping 5.6-million man-hours. Cumberland is projected to add $2 billion in real estate value by 2024 due to the economic boost from the stadium.

The most impressive aspect of the fan experience at SunTrust Park might be the MLB.com Ballpark app, available on Android and iPhone. Through this one-stop application, the Braves customize every aspect of game day. A designated drop-off/pick-up zone on Windy Ridge Parkway caters to ridesharing through Uber, while real-time navigation updates, delivered by Waze, ease the flow of traffic for fans and commuters. After uploading your ticket and/or parking bar codes, Waze can direct you to the parking lot nearest your seats.

Opening Day at SunTrust Park, Atlanta.

Inside SunTrust Park, the Ballpark app is your best friend, offering key features including ByPass, Fan Assist and Satisfi. Director of Digital Marketing for the Atlanta Braves Greg Mize highlighted the importance of the Braves’ partnership with Comcast Xfinity, which provides an astonishing 200 GB of bandwidth. In more tangible terms, the stadium’s network infrastructure can support more than 40,000 fans simultaneously posting selfies.

Through ByPass, premium ticket holders can order concessions directly to their seats. Through Fan Assist, patrons can alert the staff if they experience a subpar service (i.e. being served a cold hot dog or a warm beer). Using the “Remedy” feature, fans might be compensated with a concessions voucher or perhaps the opportunity to take photos on the field after the game. This in-depth personalization ensures that all aspects of game day add up to a perfect outing. The most forward-thinking aspect of the Ballpark app is Satisfi, an Artificial Intelligence assistant. Looking for the nearest H&F Burger? A concession stand serving Coors Light? The closest restroom? Instead of endlessly perusing a directory, just ask Satisfi.

The stadium’s built-in technology includes a 64 x 121-foot BravesVision LED scoreboard installed by Panasonic. In fact, throughout SunTrust Park, there are 1,300 Panasonic televisions. The ballpark also features a 90x30 sq.-ft. scoreboard at left center field and five new Grass Valley LDX 86 hard cameras for broadcasting purposes. In the name of modernization, SunTrust Park is lit by programmable LED Sports lights (as compared to the incandescent bulbs used at Turner Field).

Premium areas and suites in the ballpark include the SunTrust Club, Delta SKY360 Club, and INFINITI Club among a host of others. Fully padded seats, valet parking and a variety of premium dining options make these suites the height of luxury. Group spaces such as the Xfinity Rooftop, Patio, and Cabanas (each available for private parties) provide a more intimate experience with entertainment options including pingpong and foosball tables. In addition, the Hank Aaron Terrace displays the legend’s 715th home run bat and ball and features two viewing decks for large groups. The Home Depot Clubhouse, Coca-Cola Corner, Coors Light Below the Chop, Coors Light Chop House (a three story restaurant), the Konica Minolta Conference Center, and Batter’s Eye Deck round out the group spaces.

Delaware North Sportservice serves as the Braves’ concessions partner. The company is launching a “Farm to Fan” initiative at the ballpark, which sources from more than 40 Atlanta-area producers to serve seasonal dishes. In a prepared statement, president of Delaware North Sportservice, Carlos Bernal said, “The Braves envisioned and built a state-of-the-art ballpark so we wanted to design a food and beverage operation that was just as forward-thinking. The game day experience has evolved, and fans expect as much out of their food as they do their baseball team. This means incorporating food trends like locally-sourced ingredients and partnerships with hometown brands and companies.”

The Terrapin Taproom featuring Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, the First & Third Hot Dog & Sausage Shack by celebrity chef Hugh Acheson, King of Pops, Gu’s Dumplings, High Road Craft Ice Cream, Waffle House, and Chick-fil-A give the Braves a full dining roster.

For the Braves, a baseball game is truly a family affair. With Hope and Will’s Sandlot, the team offers youngsters interactive games ranging from a batting cage and pitch simulator to carnival games and a climbing tower. There’s even a zip line.

In all, SunTrust Park does a magnificent job of joining the old and the new. The venue has incorporated technology at an unprecedented scale, but still retains its baseball sensibilities. With curated memorabilia sections throughout the stadium paying homage to the franchise’s rich past and modernized fan experiences, the Braves have brought baseball into the 21st century while remaining true to the game’s humble beginnings.
 

Rendering of the Aberdeen (Scotland) Exhibition Conference Center.

SMG recently was named the management company of the Aberdeen Exhibition Conference Center in Scotland and will also oversee management of the new $416-million Aberdeen complex that is currently being built.

The existing Aberdeen convention center is 20-years old and ready for a new home. The new center is slated to open sometime in 2019.

“We’re excited to take the convention business, exhibitions and entertainment to an exciting new venue,” said SMG Executive Vice President of European Operations John Sharkey, who works out of SMG’s United Kingdom offices in Manchester.

The new venue will have more capacity, the latest technology and all the bells and whistles needed to compete in the global convention market.

The new complex will include a 12,500-seat arena equipped with a moveable stage, hospitality boxes, a club lounge, a total of 538,000 sq. ft. of flexible exhibition space, a conference center, three hotels and an energy center.

To top it off, the new exhibition and conference center will be located only six miles from Aberdeen International Airport, making it easy for conference guests to access events held at the complex.

“The insight that went into the design was amazing, which is what you want. You want a place where people like to go,” said SMG Executive Vice President Maureen Ginty. “We are very excited about it.”

Convention officials and the Aberdeen City Council have touted that the new complex is sure to have a huge economic impact on the area.

It’s projected to generate 600 new jobs during the construction period, add an additional 4.5-million visitors to the area, which includes $142 million in new visitor revenue that equates to a $78-million net impact to the Scottish economy by 2025. It’s also the “key element of Aberdeen City Council’s $1.25-billion transformational infrastructure and culture plans to grow the Granite City economy,” stated a press release.

“It’s so exciting for us to be part of a city that has made these kinds of investments and is moving it forward,” Ginty said.

The goal is not only to cater to the business class traveling to Scotland, but also the destination tourism market, Sharkey noted.

The entertainment aspect the new complex will offer is off the charts, he said.

The new convention center will host over 200 events a year, he added.

Funding for construction came from bond initiatives put forth by Aberdeen City Council.

“Thankfully, they’ve gotten to raise a lot of money in the bond market,” Sharkey said. “It’s a part of a citywide development plan.”

Included in the plan is new commercial and residential development.

“Right at the same time, there will be a new road network that will take a lot of traffic to and from the venues,” he said. “To access the current venue, you have to travel through the middle of Aberdeen where there’s a lot of transfer routes. You can probably make it much easier for people from the UK to fly into Aberdeen and do their corporate meetings and do the town hall meetings and also stay over for some entertainment.”

The new center will host meetings slated to accommodate anywhere from 50 to 50,000 people, Sharkey said.

“The venue versatility is most highlighted in the design process. We have banqueting space, we have conference space, we have entertainment space,” he added. “The whole idea of this building is to have more than one event running at one time.”

Managing the Aberdeen complex adds to SMG’s long list of venues it manages worldwide. In its 40th year of operation, SMG now manages more than 230 venues, over 15 million sq. ft. of exhibition space and more than 1.5million sports and entertainment seats globally.

Juan and Cari Rodriguez at the grand opening of Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, Calif.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Juan Rodriguez, who has accepted the position of executive vice president and general manager for BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, home of the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.

Rodriguez worked in Houston for SMG at NRG Stadium prior to moving to Sacramento to become senior VP and general manager of the then under-construction Golden 1 Center, Sacramento. The new home to the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association opened Sept.30, 2016.

His last day in Sacramento will be May 25. He and his wife, Cari, and their two children, ages 13 and 11, then move to Houston where he starts the new job June 15. It is bittersweet for the entire family, but it is close to grandparents, and it’s a city they know well from Rodriguez’ 14 years at NRG Stadium. Prior to that, he worked at Miami Arena and then what is now BB&T Center, Sunrise, Fla., for LMI/SMG.

He is replacing Paul Byrne who moved on two months ago, taking a job as VP, Operations at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., home of the Washington Redskins.

The friendships Rodriguez made during his three years in Sacramento will last forever, he said.

In Houston, he will answer to Chris Canetti, president of the Dynamos.

“It’s the right place and the right time,” Rodriguez said. The opportunity came about organically. He had dealt with the Dynamos organization when he was in Houston and the Kings season at Golden 1 Center has come to a close. He notified management Monday. The staff was told Tuesday. “It’s very emotional,” Rodriguez said.

A Department of Homeland Security advisory issued early this year provided dire warnings for live entertainment venues, in particular, suggesting that it’s not if, but when, terrorism attacks like those seen in Europe are repeated in the U.S.
Andrea Schultz, deputy director, Office of SAFETYAct Implementation, Department of Homeland Security, brought that point home to attendees of the Stadium Managers Association, illustrating how the landscape has changed and homegrown, backyard attacks are more prevalent.
There are several online magazines detailing how to make bombs and attack venues, all filled with praise for successful terrorism attacks, all written in English and many with articles specifically for women, she said. It’s a global problem.
Most people are aware of these magazines as a result of publicity following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. The 11th edition of Inspire magazine, in March 2013, praised Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev for their Boston attack, specifically commending the pair’s choice in targeting an iconic and “symbolic” race, which attracted international media attention and thousands of participants and spectators. It also applauded their placement of IEDs “near the finish line where large crowds cheer.”
ISIL and al-Qa‘ida messaging has emphasized attacks against large crowds in the West, using “all available means,” to inflict mass casualties, and specifically has suggested sports stadiums as targets, according to an unclassified government report. For example, the early November 2016 third issue of ISIL’s official magazine, Rumiyah, highlighted “large outdoor conventions and celebrations, pedestrian-congested streets, outdoor markets, festivals, parades, and political rallies.” The magazine’s inaugural issue also called for supporters to stab, shoot, poison, and run over Australians at multiple locations, including at the Melbourne and Sydney cricket grounds.
Schultz began her talk to stadium managers with some of those dire warning signs and with the admission that “I hope you come away with an interest in participating in the SAFETY Act.”
Though the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act (SAFETY Act) was part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, it is just now gaining traction with live entertainment venues and sports leagues. It provides incentives for the development and deployment of anti-terrorism technologies by creating systems of risk and litigation management. According the the DHS, the purpose of the Act is to ensure that the threat of liability does not deter potential manufacturers or sellers of effective anti-terrorism technologies from developing and commercializing technologies that could save lives. The program is managed by the Office of SAFETY Act Implementation within the Science and Technology Directorate. The Under Secretary for Science and Technology is the deciding official for SAFETY Act applications.
While the process for Safety Act certification is admittedly onerous, Schultz said her department is there to help. She advised interested venues should get DHS involved in the pre-application process, because once the application is submitted, the department is under mandate to push it through for approval or rejection in just 120 days. There’s no time to start over, so she wants it done right the first time. A site visit during the pre-application process is really beneficial, she advised.
Buzzwords  in the security world today are “evolving threat environment” and “homegrown priority threat,” she said. “The risk picture is really different today than it was then. We have to think outside the box to reduce that risk.”
“You need to know that the threat is not what it once was,” Schultz said. “This makes the job of law enforcement really, really difficult.” Clues are lost because the potential perpetrator is looking at how to build a bomb on his smartphone on the bus on his way home from work.
“There is a huge shift from big, complex attacks to small, in-your-backyard attacks,” Schultz said. After an event like the bombings in Paris, venue managers should be reacting by immediately changing their operational environment. “You should be asking questions about parking. Do you have a high speed avenue of approach in your queue or in your parking lot?”
“It never ends,” she said, and the time to act and react is every day.
To maintain SAFETY Act certification, venues would have to re-evaluate the risk every year, another advantage to being certified. She offered to help any venue manager interested to get access to the Homeland Security Information Network.
While protection from undue litigation is a lure of the SAFETY Act, it’s really about risk mitigation. DHS is certifying technology that can be deployed, testing and updating the offers consistently. And technology is loosely interpreted, including protocols, procedures and processes. They are always evaluating new technologies, like the person-borne explosive detection canine. Certification requires a track record.
“Don’t look at ‘green label’ [being evaluated] as less than ‘blue,’ [certified], it’s just that it is something newer,” she said. “Blue-designated has been around.”
Admittedly, for the SAFETY Act to apply in post-attack protection, the attack has to be designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security as an act of terrorism. But when it is, venues that are Safety Act certified have a liability cap should an act of terrorism occur. “If there were an act of terriorism, your liability number [from general insurance] would be blown out of the water,” Schultz said.
“The liability cap is a fantastic benefit, but other benefits are even more valuable,” she added. It takes all resulting lawsuits (and fans come from various states) to one federal court. And only the seller of the technology can be sued if you are purchasing SAFETY Act-approved technology, “like one of the security services or an actual widget; you’re dismissed from the suit. That’s a big deal too, you don’t have to fight.”
Litigation continued for almost 20 years after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York, she said. “And the judge can award damages with interest from the day the case was filed. You’re protected from that.”
When prepping a SAFETY Act application, Schultz advised crafting a technology definition, exactly what you want covered, with documentation and narrative description. Everyone on the venue’s team with a role in developing, evaluating or deploying its security program should participate in preparing the application.
“One NFL stadium had a meeting every Friday, dished out homework every week, and moved on to the next question” until the application was complete. The result was well put together and easy to evaluate, she said.
The National Football League and Major League Baseball are going through a cultural shift, embracing documentation, she said. “It’s such a healthy habit to have. Document what you do.”
Only one university, Southern Methodist University, is SAFETY Act-certified, she said, and that is a campus-wide program. “One of the things you need to think about – do you have statutory protection from the state already? And think about the other protections from the SAFETY Act — exclusive action in federal court, limited punitive damages —think about do you have these same protections?”
She also suggested stadium managers look beyond baseball, football or soccer to being sure all events are covered, even weddings or corporate events. “What is your risk for those kinds of events. What are you doing to make sure that’s not a potential for terrorism.”
The DHS does not have a template or checklist for SAFETY Act applications, she added. “We want you to think outside the box in how you tell your story.”
There is a financial evaluation component, which meets some resistance, she admitted. DHS will need financial data, like technology revenue, tickets sales, cost to implement the security program, insurance coverage, in order to place a liability cap per event. Rest assured all the information is confidential and sharing it is not only unethical, it’s illegal. “We do a good job of keeping it quiet, which keeps our applicants coming,” Schultz said.
With the new administration, there will be a new undersecretary in place soon, but Schultz is confident that President Donald Trump’s staff will be pro-SAFETY Act and supportive of DHS.
Chris Robinette, Prevent Advisors, noted “our peers overseas are treating this as though it is a matter of when, not if. The pressing trend here is it’s really a global problem. The DHS and Secret Service are looking at this as a pretty credible problem. It is worth our time to be much more vigilant.”
Tying in with the Department of Homeland Security gives participants closer access to reports and recommendations, Robinette concurred. “This is a very evolutionary-based threat and changing all the time, almost daily. It takes that type of pro-activity. You are always looking to make yourself an unattractive target.”
Rick Fenton, chief security officer for the Illitch organization in Detroit, was one of the first to have executed the SAFETY Act and spends a lot of time advising others, Robinette noted. “The SAFETY Act helps cap liability but also helps stadiums maintain best practices. Anyone who is doing that has to go through the process of asking what should we do or could we do to stay current and active. And you are constantly refreshing protocols to maintain that certification.”

Vehicle inspections are a critical and necessary element for the execution of any heavily-attended gathering or event. These inspections must be both thorough and efficient in order to ensure smooth ingress and a positive customer experience.

Tip: During the initial assessment when conducting vehicle inspections, immediately look for any sag or signs of uneven weight distribution with the vehicle as it approaches the checkpoint. If identified, ensure the area on the vehicle in question is thoroughly evaluated. Such characteristics are often present in vehicle-borne bombs as they have been modified to deliver extremely large amounts of explosives to the targeted location.

Following up on last month’s column on severe weather preparedness, two operations staff at Fox Theatre, Atlanta, share what they do and what they’ve learned to prevent injury and protect guests.

Amy Smith, director of Production, Fox Theatre, Atlanta:
My focus is on the fact that we have an uncovered loading dock. We worry about the metal docks and wind. Wind is a danger because of the alley way that we load-in through. We make sure people are not careless about leaving equipment and materials on the dock. We keep a close eye on the loading and unloading process from a safety perspective.
  Proper attire for labor goes hand in hand with weather.  The high winds blow things over and our union does not require steel toe shoes. We have workers with soft shoes on a dock that is metal and an area that is windy. Canada is further ahead with hard rules on hard hats, proper shoes and personal protection equipment. It is coming to the U.S., but slowly.
With front of house, we work with the shows to ask for permission to open the doors into the lobby and theatre as early as possible. We have put this into place before, and shows are generally understanding because of the conditions.
And securing anything on the building exterior is a priority in these situations.
Fortunately, we have had a good deal of experience in a wide variety of situations. One of the benefits of an experienced staff is comfort and familiarity with radio protocols, who talks when. This allows us to communicate in a clear and concise manner to react to and solve situations as they occur. 

Jon Cooper, Guest Experience manager, Fox Theatre:
Many of our frontline employees don’t live in the city. The Atlanta population is spread out all over a metropolitan region, and it is truly a commuter city. I believe that over 70 percent of our Front of House paid staff and perhaps 85 percent of our ushers (volunteers) live outside the city proper. This makes staffing a real challenge when faced with severe weather. If the show is going on and conditions are poor, we see massive cancellations from staff and volunteers. I think many venue managers are so focused on the ways in which inclement weather affect the guest experience, they may overlook significant challenges related to staffing and the contingencies required to meet the show’s needs.
When we have a show going on during severe weather conditions, there appears to be a general resentment from the attendees that the performance/event was not canceled. This may be specific to our area, but we sometimes run into guests that are present but resent the fact they were ‘forced’ to attend.

A piece of advice for all facility types is to prepare for a full evacuation by recording how long it takes for the venue to empty under normal conditions at various levels of attendance. Because of the challenges in communicating a clear evacuation message to both staff and guests, additional time to conduct a full evacuation needs to be added to the normal amount of time it takes to empty the venue. Venue operators need to work backwards to calculate how much time is needed to make the decision to evacuate the venue, communicate with all of the key decision makers, get staff in place and ready for the evacuation, and communicate a clear execution message to all of the guests. 
 
THE BOTTOM LINE
Without proper planning and training, you are counting on luck to determine your outcome.

Russ Simons is...
managing partner, Venue Solutions Group, and has been in this industry for more than three decades, working in arenas, stadiums, design, construction, safety and security. Send questions about any aspect of venue operation to askruss@venuestoday.com or mail questions to Venues Today, P.O. Box 2540, Huntington Beach, CA 92647.

In the most robust of team apps, the conversation goes two ways, giving both fans and teams something a little extra special they couldn’t otherwise attain. For the fans, a quality app pulls back the curtain on players with behind-the-scenes video and photos and an opportunity to purchase everything from apparel to concessions. For the teams, they love fans having a new entry into revenue streams—such as merchandise sales and in-stadium concession purchases—but they also appreciate having real-time data on their fans, everything from purchasing habits to parking preferences.
The new wave of venue-driven, team-oriented apps gives everyone a little something. Now it’s a matter of finding the sweet spot to what works best.
In Orlando, the new Orlando City Stadium for the three-year-old Major League Soccer club offered the team a reason to launch the new Orlando City Soccer Club app, created by FanHero. South of Orlando, the Miami Heat have selected BeyondCurious and Built.io to launch a new fan experience via an update to the Miami Heat mobile app, and VenueNext has turned the National Football League’s two newest venues for the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings—not to mention the NFL’s largest venue, AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys—into gameday app destinations.
Christopher Cooper, co-founder of FanHero, said apps provide a two-way conversation between the fans and the teams filled with ecommerce capabilities to help teams increase revenue channels while building fan engagement.
At its base, mobile apps serve as a vehicle for mobile ticketing. But they extend beyond that with opportunities for teams to expand marketing, sponsorship and revenue reach. “Teams are always looking for added revenue vehicles. Whether the ability to sell merchandise via phone or tap into additional ad revenue from the ever-growing mobile ecosystem, teams are rapidly moving toward a 360-degree approach to their revenue model,” said Cooper. “Teams now see that mobile can not only be considered an additional revenue stream for them, but it could easily become their main revenue stream.”
As teams sign up fans into the mobile apps, they can then tie in loyalty programs and subscription-based memberships that unlock opportunities—either via a fee or a threshold of team engagement. Of course, teams can keep everything open to fans, such as the behind-the-scenes video of players walking out of the tunnel, pre-game routines or video replay of live action.
And while fans gravitate toward the all-access opportunities and rely on the mobile ticketing advantages, teams continue working to make the app a one-stop shot for all fans attending games. From digital ticket entry, in-seat ordering, stadium wayfinding, “the app has evolved the teams’ reach,” Cooper said. “They can now access users beyond the stadium walls by providing them gameday coverage, live streaming experiences, behind-the-scenes access only available in the app.” And it all comes with additional sponsorship opportunities.
Nikki Barua, CEO of BeyondCurious, said by rebuilding the Heat’s app, they can help fans “more effectively engage with the brand from home and at AmericanAirlines Arena through one seamless, easy-to-use mobile interaction.”
Already with an app that offers exclusive content and electronic ticketing, the new design anticipates personalized, paperless, cashless arena experiences that include exclusive in-arena content, post-game uses and fresh loyalty programs.
In Orlando, the live streaming of games, including angles unavailable elsewhere, team info and club-created content relating to the players, tries to draw fans in for more than mobile ticketing. By integrating with a user’s social networks, Orlando hopes fans start sharing app content via Facebook and Twitter.
FanHero has partnered with Ticketmaster in its platform, which currently offers paperless ticket entry into Orlando City Stadium. In addition, the app allows upgrades and ticket transfers and, in the coming months, will roll out the option to purchase tickets.
VenueNext, which can tell when a fan has entered inside a venue’s geofence, uses location info to unlock additional content and wayfinding. Then, adding in real-time data, offers a changing experience inside the stadium. In-app concession deals, for example, can tie directly to a section’s inventory. 
This past season, as a way to reward season ticket holders and encourage mobile ticketing at the 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., the app gave users a QR code and badge worth 10 percent off services in the stadium, redeemable at a concession counter or ordering within the app.
In the future, VenueNext expects an even more robust fan-engagement platform for its app with the ability to coordinate light shows using just the app. Imagine dousing the lights inside Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium and having thousands of fans lift the mobile device up—opened to the app—and letting the choreographed light show play out as everyone’s phones work together.
“Let’s make this purple, white, random, flash on the camera for a quarter of a second, and we can have this play during the light show,” said John Paul, CEO and founder of VenueNext.
But beyond the fun futuristic experiences, from Santa Clara to Orlando’s Amway Center, Paul said teams not only want to give fans something extra, but they also want to mine data to help boost revenues.
Sure, mobile ticketing saves cash by eliminating printing costs upward of $500,000 per year, but a paper ticket serves to create anonymous fans, something far more detrimental to the long-term revenue opportunities of a sports franchise. “Teams want to know who is in the stadium and how many games they went to,” Paul said. “If we get you to use the gameday app, we can know you came to five games and we should sell you a ticket (package).”
The mobile ticketing also alerts teams to who is actually using a season ticket. A fan may have purchased a package, but if they sold or gave away those paper tickets, teams have no way of tracking who’s in the building. Using mobile ticketing, teams can track that the season ticket holder may have only come to a few games and know that next season they maybe should sell a smaller package to that person at the risk of losing them altogether. But they can also track who used the tickets instead of the season-ticket holder, expanding the team’s database of fans and creating opportunities to sell new fans varying ticket packages based on tracked habits.
“It is fun to feel like you have control over the experience of the game,” Paul said. “They get the app and then what else does this have?” They find they can order food to their seat—and maybe order more since they don’t miss the action. They find they can easily explore the stadium via wayfinding and they discover video with the option to modify four different camera angles to show a replay from every play of the game.

It was a record-breaking Super Bowl for National Football League food and beverage in Houston, as Aramark, NRG Stadium’s concessionaire, reported a per capita of $95.41 for food and beverage. The number includes general concessions, premium dining and portable stands in the fan plazas outside the stadium. Attendance for the event was 70,807. Delaware North Sportservice held the previous record at $91.45 from the 2014 Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
“Obviously, the game itself provided a lot of excitement on the field but, off the field, we were able to keep fans and guests engaged and excited with the wide array of dining options,” said David Freireich, corporate communications,  Aramark. “Beginning with pre-game tailgate parties and activities on fan plaza all the way through the game, we provided guests with food and service to complement their game day experience.”
The concessionaire had 300 more points of sale than a typical Texans game, with a number of specialty items and a couple of team-themed items created specifically for Super Bowl.  The team-themed items were the Beantown Griller, a slow-cooked tri-tip pot roast with caramelized onions and Cabot cheddar cheese on whole grain bread, served with a side of bacon-infused baked beans. For Atlanta, the ATL fried chicken steak was a bed of waffle fries topped with buttermilk fried chicken, peach marmalade barbecue sauce, sour cream and green onions.
Aramark leaned local for much of its menu items, offering barbecue items throughout the stadium. The concessionaire correctly anticipated that barbecue would be highly sought-after, according to Freireich. “The signature menu items we rolled out for the game were also well received, especially the Texas short rib grilled cheese,” he added.
James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd, local barbecue pit master Ronnie Killen and Texas celebrity chef Grady Spears also contributed to the day’s menus. All have existing partnerships with Aramark at NRG Stadium.
Another highlight: Aramark’s partnership with the Houston Independent School District—also an Aramark client—to develop a specialty item. The students worked with Aramark’s team at NRG Stadium to create the Bayou City banh mi 51, a Vietnamese-style sandwich with grilled fajita steak, avocado spread and pickled vegetables.
Typical stadium fare was also served alongside specialty items, including chicken tender baskets, $13; regular hot dogs, $8; souvenir soda, $11 and domestic beer at $12.
Aramark Senior Executive Chef Mark Cornish—who was also involved with the Super Bowl the last time it was in Houston—led the culinary team. About 2,400 Aramark associates, including visiting executive chefs from Arrowhead Stadium, FirstEnergy Stadium and U.S. Bank Stadium, assisted with sourcing, preparing and serving on Feb. 5.
Based on reported attendance and per caps, gross revenue at the stadium for Super Bowl 2017 was $6.75 million for food and drink. Feb. 5, 2017, was reportedly the single-largest food and beverage and retail sales day in Aramark’s sports entertainment history.
“We had a good plan in place,” Freireich explained, adding that it took months to develop staffing plans, streamline the menu and map food preparation and cooking times. “We added points of service throughout the stadium—focused on serving the right menu items in the right place—maximized fan plaza activations, introduced unique signature items, offered an innovative suite package, and generated a lot of buzz in the days leading up to the game that informed fans about what they could find and expect to eat at the stadium.”
That buzz included food service at the NFL Experience at George R. Brown Convention Center, where Aramark Executive Chef Edward De La Garza helmed a team to feed players, fans, media and private party-goers from Jan. 28 through Feb. 5. More than 175,000 attended the seven-day event.
Aramark also holds the food contract at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, which will host the 2018 Super Bowl.
Freireich did not give any details about the upcoming event, except that planning is already in the works, adding: “We are having conversations and working with our partners in Minneapolis to ensure Super Bowl 52 is a success.”

Otto Benedict has been appointed SVP & GM of facilities at Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). Previously, Benedict was director of operations for AEG’s StubHub Center, Carson, Calif., where he worked for over nine years. Following his tenure at StubHub Center, Benedict took on the role of VP of Operations for Choura Events. He also teaches a facilities management class for the Sports Management Master’s program at California State University, Long Beach.

Western Specialty Contractors has promoted Justin Berndt to region manager of its Chicago Concrete Restoration, Chicago Facade Restoration and Indianapolis branch offices. Berndt was previously senior branch manager of the two Chicago branches. Berndt began his career with Western in 2004 as an assistant project manager.

GES has hired Dax Callner as chief strategy officer, events. Prior to joining GES, Callner was chief strategy officer with Sparks. Before that, he founded Crux, a strategic marketing consultancy specializing in digital, social and experiential initiatives.

SoundExchange has announced that Richard Conlon will join the company as chief external affairs officer. For the past three years, Conlon has served as a senior advisor to CEOs and senior management at major music publishers, record labels, collective rights management organizations and financial institutions. Previously, he was senior VP, corporate strategy, communications and new media, at Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) for more than 20 years.

Comcast Spectacor announced promotions for several key members of its Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement team. Kim Damron has been named president of the division. Previously, Damron was the chief operating officer. Prior to Damron’s 12-year tenure at Spectra (formerly Paciolan), she served in leadership positions at Tickets.com, Buy.com and Paramount Studios. Steve Demots has been promoted to chief revenue officer. He was formerly senior VP of business development. Craig Ricks has been promoted to SVP of marketing. Ricks has served in a strategic marketing role with the company for 14 years. Christian Lewis is the new VP of business development. Lewis has been at Spectra for more than three years and served in leadership roles at Terrapin Sports Marketing at the University of Maryland, College Park; CBS College Sports Properties and at Cardinal Sports Properties, Stanford (Calif.) University.

Rey del Valle is the new chief financial officer at DTI Management. Previously, del Valle was SVP of finance at AXS Ticketing, where he oversaw the successful acquisitions of Veritix and Transticket. Prior to AXS, del Valle was Ticketmaster’s SVP of finance for eCommerce and technology.

VenuWork’s-managed Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet, Ill., has hired Valerie Divine as executive director. Previously Devine was VP of production for Paramount Theatre, Copley Theatre and RiverEdge Park, all in Aurora, Ill.

Greg Janese has joined UTA as head of corporate and special events. Janese comes to UTA from Paradigm, where he was employed for 12 years and headed the corporate and special event division. Prior to joining Paradigm, Janese was president of TBA Entertainment Corporation. He joined TBA after selling Avalon Entertainment Group, a company he co-founded, to the entertainment group.

Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) announced the hire of Heather Brooks Karatz as executive VP of legal and general counsel. Karatz joins the LAFC team after working at Independent Sports and Entertainment (ISE), formerly known as Relativity Sports, where she served as general counsel and SVP since March 2013.

John Graham has announced his retirement from his position as executive senior associate athletics director, Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas, after 28 years at the helm, effective Aug. 31. Graham got his start in the arena industry in 1980 as the events manager of Assembly Hall (now State Farm Center) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He spent nine years at Assembly Hall, working his way up to assistant director and then associate director, before moving to Austin to join the Frank Erwin Center as associate director in May of 1989. He was then promoted to director in October of 1990, succeeding Dean Justice.

Mike Guirguis is joining UTA, where he will focus on creating new opportunities for artists, including establishing new partnerships across all areas of entertainment and building new businesses around clients. Most recently, Guirguis was the founder of NiteVision Management where he managed artists Chris Brown, Teyana,Taylor, DJ Sourmilk and Dave Aude among others. Guirguis also was a member of the management team for R&B artist Akon.

The Center for the Performing Arts at The Woodlands (CPAW), Texas, has named Cameron Klepac the new director of marketing & education. Most recently, Klepac served as assistant director of public relations and education for CPAW’s Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Prior to The Pavilion, Klepac oversaw brand management and events for The Woodlands (Texas) Convention and Visitors Bureau and Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas.

UK agent Bex Majors has joined UTA’s international booking department. Majors began her music industry career as a promoter in Cardiff, Wales. She then went on to become the in-house promoter at Cardiff Barfly, followed by a stint as booking agent at UK dance music promoter Helter Skelter in 2005. In 2006, she joined CAA. Majors will be based out of the agency’s Beverly Hills, Calif., office.

Brad Saks has been named talent buyer for Knitting Factory Presents. Saks was most recently talent buyer and concert promoter at Skyway Theatre, Minneapolis. Previously, Saks opened AEG Live’s Minneapolis office after a four-year stint in New York and Mexico, booking for Ocesa Presents and Metropolitan Talent Presents.

KAI Design & Build has hired Michael A. Scott as a senior project architect. Prior to KAI, Scott worked as an architect at HOK, KAI Design & Build; Kwame Building Group and Grice Group Architects. He has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Kansas State University, Manhattan.

STRI Group is strengthening its management team with the addition of new business development manager, Mark Stidwill, who previously worked for PGG Wrightson Seeds. Stidwill will be based out of STRI’s Brisbane office. Sam Myott has been added to STRI’s agronomy team in Melbourne. Michelle Dickinson is STRI’s new senior agronomist. Previously, she worked at Ground Science.

Thomas Trevethan has joined Shaw Conference Centre (SCC), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, as food & beverage director. Trevethan brings 15 years of leadership with luxury brands such as the Ritz Carlton, Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Marriott Autograph Collection, Caesars Entertainment and the Paris Casino and Resort, Las Vegas. He has received US Senate and Congressional recognition from former presidents Barrack Obama, George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, and he was invited to the White House by first lady Michelle Obama in 2010.

Shaw Conference Center (SCC), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, has hired Jason Wang as executive pastry chef. Wang previously worked at SCC and rejoins in the leadership role. Wang developed his culinary skills at the Italian Bakery and SCC beginning as a pastry demi chef de partie and subsequently moving into pastry chef de partie, senior pastry chef de partie and pastry sous chef roles.

UK music agent Billy Wood has joined UTA and will book international dates from UTA’s London office. Wood began his talent agent career in 2007 at Create Music.  He moved on to Mission Control Artist Agency in 2009. In 2010, Wood joined William Morris Endeavor (WME).

When the House of Blues Anaheim closed its doors in Downtown Disney in May 2016, it wasn’t a swan song. The venue reopened in February in a new location just east of the Disneyland Resort — the Anaheim GardenWalk — to much fanfare, an exciting lineup of acts and a re-energized culinary team. “It’s a breath of fresh air,” said House of Blues Corporate Executive Chef Robert Sarstedt. “My team is really exhausted, but they’re getting their feet under them. They’re doing a great job and the food that’s coming out has been great.”
The venue has refocused on showcasing its food and drink lineup alongside the musical acts, and one of the stars of the menu is the Voodoo shrimp. It’s one of the House of Blues’ best sellers, due to the tasty twist the staff puts on a Louisiana classic, according to the chef. “Traditionally, Louisiana barbecue shrimp is made with Worcestershire sauce and butter,” Sarstedt said. “We added an Abita amber instead of Worcestershire sauce to give it a bite.”
The dish starts with a base of jalapeno cornbread. While that’s cooking, the chef makes the Voodoo sauce by taking a Louisiana beer, Abita amber, and adding herbs, spices, cream and butter. Shrimp are cooked in the sauce with diced Roma tomatoes and minced chives.
Once the cornbread is done, it’s time to plate. Shrimp is arranged around the cornbread and then the Voodoo sauce is spooned on top. To complete the dish, the chef garnishes it with green onions, more chives and more Roma tomatoes.
While Voodoo shrimp is a menu highlight, Sarstedt is quick to point out other made-from-scratch items that House of Blues guests can look forward to. Pimento cheese dip with garlic flatbread; a smokehouse platter comprising ribs, brisket and pulled pork with baked beans and coleslaw; and short rib tacos all make up the Southern-inspired offerings that are available nightly—whether or not there is a show—and now during lunch, happy hour and late nights as well.

Corporate Executive Chef Robert Sarstedt
House of Blues, Anaheim, Calif.

House of Blues Corporate Executive Chef Robert Sarstedt is no stranger to preparing food for the stars, but he traded the Hollywood elite for rock stars when he came to his current employer.
Le Cordon Bleu-educated, Sarstedt worked at a number of renowned LA institutions — including BOA Steakhouse, Spago Beverly Hills, Il Soleil and Craig’s in West Hollywood — before exploring the corporate world and joining Cheesecake Factory. “I was there for a little bit, then got an executive chef position at House of Blues Sunset Strip,” he said.
Three years later, he finds himself as the corporate executive chef anticipating shows from the likes of Billy Idol, Lil Wayne and Common in the upcoming weeks. “The standards at the House of Blues are just as high as any other restaurant I’ve worked at,” he said. “The culture is amazing. … My favorite thing is the staff and the camaraderie. We allow tattoos; we allow people to express themselves however they want. It’s a great place to work.”

> Two coordinated attacks in Istanbul, Turkey, on Dec. 10, 2016, that resulted in at least 38 dead, mostly police officers, and more than 160 wounded. The first attack targeted a police bus, leaving the Besiktas Vodafone Arena, using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), following a Turkish league soccer game. Moments later, a suicide operative detonated his vest at a nearby park after being stopped by police, according to press reports. The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), a splinter group of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), claimed responsibility for the attack.

>  Kosovo police disrupted a Nov. 12, 2016, plot on Shkoder, Albania, directed by ISIL, possibly involving as many as 19 operatives, to target a 2018 World Cup qualifying match between Albania and Israel at Loro Borici Stadium. The alleged plotters reportedly discussed “synchronized terror attacks,” which included attacking the Israeli national team or sports fans with firearms and explosives, or smuggling explosives into the stadium, according to press reports citing unnamed police investigators.

> Saudi Arabian police disrupted on Oct. 11, 2016, ISIL-directed plot involving four operatives who planned to detonate a VBIED inside a parking garage next to Al-Jawhara Football Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during a World Cup qualifier match between the Saudi and UAE national teams, according to official statements issued by the Saudi government.

>  Belgian police arrested three suspects on June 18, 2016, in connection with a likely ISIL-affiliated plot to attack fans gathered in either a public square or bar in Brussels to watch a Euro 2016 soccer match scheduled to take place in France on June 18, 2016, between the Ireland and Belgium national teams , according to press reports citing Belgian officials.

LUIS VALDIVIA
MULTICULTURAL MARKETING SPECIALIST, DEL MAR (CALIF.) FAIRGROUNDS
CURRENT CITY: San Diego.
HOMETOWN: Tijuana, Mexico.
UNIVERSITY: University of Mexico City and Iberoamerican University, Tijuana, Mexico.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Hispanic information officer at Del Mar Fairgrounds.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR CURRENT JOB: I used to work for a Hispanic marketing firm and Del Mar Fair was a client. Del Mar offered me a position. In 2012, I became the marketing manager and, then, in 2016, I stepped down as marketing manager but they created a new position where I would focus on minority markets.
MENTOR: Jose Ciccone, the owner of Medicis. He helped shape my career in marketing.
FREE TIME PURSUITS: I have a property in Tijuana I rent out; I have a weekly show on Facebook Live in Spanish and I spend time with my family.
THE TOP SONG ON YOUR PLAYLIST RIGHT NOW: “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” by Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand.
ONE FAMOUS PERSON IN HISTORY YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET: Walter Cronkite.
WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU: I learned English by watching ‘The Electric Company” on TV.
BEST ADVICE EVER RECEIVED: Respect your mother.
IF YOU COULD HAVE AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE: Avocados.
BIGGEST GUILTY PLEASURE: Chocolate.
FAVORITE LIVE EVENT YOU’VE ATTENDED: A Donna Summer concert at Del Mar Fair.

LJ MALBERG
EVENTBRITE MUSIC STRATEGY, NORTH AMERICA
CURRENT CITY: Astoria, Queens, N.Y.
HOMETOWN: San Francisco.
UNIVERSITY: College of Marin, Kentfield, Calif.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: I started out as a Brazilian jazz singer, dancer, choreographer and performer. Eventually I opened up a boutique agency in Berkeley, Calif., and started booking more music than anything else.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR CURRENT JOB: I helped lead the charge for TicketWeb, which is the club ticketing platform for Ticketmaster. I had been in conversations with Julia Hartz and Greg Patterson from Eventbrite and the team here is so great I came aboard.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB: Relationship building; understanding ‘why’ people do what they do in their job and how I can help them.
MENTORS: Stormy (Shepard) Vehnekamp and Michele Fleisehle, who are both strong women’s voices in the music business; Bill Ashton; Chuck D. and my dad, Aaron.
FREE TIME PURSUITS: I’ve been in a meditation class for the last 15 years; I study French; I love all kinds of music and I take belly dancing classes.
TOP SONG ON YOUR PLAYLIST RIGHT NOW: “Making Plans For Nigel” by XTC and “Alone With You” by deadmau5.
FAMOUS PERSON IN HISTORY YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET: The Dali Lama.
WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU: I am the number one Cure fan in the world.
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED: Don’t ever let anyone define your value, except for you.
BIGGEST GUILTY PLEASURE: Dark chocolate with pink Himalayan salt.

KEVIN DONNELLY
SENIOR VP OF VENUES & ENTERTAINMENT, TRUE NORTH SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT, MTS CENTRE, WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA
HOMETOWN: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
UNIVERSITY: University of Regina
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Putting up posters on street poles for music events.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR CURRENT JOB: I was a VP at House of Blues when I heard about a job opening at MTS Centre. I got the job and rose to the position I’m in today.
MENTORS: Donald K. Donald, Michael Cohl, Arthur Fogel and Riley O’Connor.
FREE TIME PURSUITS: Anything where I don’t sit, like running, cycling and cross country skiing.
THE TOP SONG ON YOUR PLAYLIST RIGHT NOW: Anything by Crowded House.
THE MOST EMBARRASSING SONG ON YOUR PLAYLIST RIGHT NOW: A  spoken word song by William Shatner called “Common People.”
ONE FAMOUS PERSON IN HISTORY YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET: Pierre Elliott Trudeau
BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED: Don’t lie to Immigration.
BIGGEST GUILTY PLEASURE: Vodka and Cranberry juice.
FAVORITE LIVE EVENT YOU’VE ATTENDED: Any Bruce Springsteen concert; I’ve seen eight.
DREAM SUPER POWER: To fly.

Has the war against scalper bots met its match? Ticketmaster likes to think so. With the official roll-out of the company’s Verified Fan initiative, the ticketing giant believes it has scored a huge win for the average fan who is powerless in the battle against lightning-fast programs that result in seats for their favorite artist’s shows ending up on the secondary market for two, five or 10 times their face value.
“Verified Fan is a concept that works in any onsale context,” said David Marcus, head of Music for Ticketmaster. “At its core is the question: ‘are you a fan or are you in the arbitrage business? How big a fan are you?’” Verified Fan uses TM’s technology platform and massive live event database to help fans get the best chance at landing tickets for the shows they want to attend the most.
The process begins when an artist announces a tour, with directions to a responsive registration page where the fan identifies that they are a real person by providing information such as an email address, phone number or Ticketmaster account before selecting the shows they want to attend.
Following the registration period, TM uses its proprietary data technology as well as automated and manual processes to make sure ticket orders are from real fans, who then receive a unique code that provides them access to buy tickets at a predetermined onsale time.
“This is not limited to fan club members or anyone with a pre-existing membership,” Marcus said, pointing to the “hundreds of thousands” of Ed Sheeran fans who registered for the “Shape of You” singer’s upcoming North American tour during an early March onsale. “When we put these tickets on sale we promise we won’t invite bots to the party.”
The official wide rollout — Verified Fan was earlier employed for tours by the Dead & Co., Muse, the 1975 and Ryan Adams — comes a month after Eric Church and his Q Prime South team used their own logarithmic methods to scan ticket sales for suspicious activity and clues that tip them off to scalper buying patterns. Their team claimed an accuracy rate at or near 99 percent on scans conducted explicitly on pre-sales for Church’s fan club.
Sheeran’s tour got the big push because Marcus said it had the most risk of fans being disappointed because of the huge demand and limited supply of tickets. Unlike the Church clamp-down on bots infesting fan club presales, VF was created to work in any context. It is not limited to fan clubs or anyone with an existing membership — though it was initially rolled out in connection with artist-driven presales promoted in artist tweets or posts — as evidenced by what Marcus said was the “hundreds of thousands” of registrations for the Sheeran sale.
The Verified Fan window was open to any fan interested and willing to register and anyone who qualifies through that process will get a windowed opportunity to buy tickets at a later date. TM claims nearly one million registrants for VF to date, though Marcus said he was unable to reveal how many of those tickets for Sheeran and the other tours were allotted to VF sales and what percentage of the total ticket pool they represented.
Asked if the data collected will be used in any other manner, say, for marketing purposes, Marcus said the information will lead to opt-in marketing opportunities. But the goal in collecting it is to match those data points against verifiable information to ensure that the tickets are being purchased by a real fan. “With Verified Fan we do analysis in advance without the pressure of the sales environment where tickets sell out in a minute and a half and we can really sift through and apply what we know about consumers and give consumers invitations to buy tickets they want,” he said.
In part, VF is a way to slow down the ticketing process and fundamentally alter the way the business distributes tickets now, which rewards speed. “If we distribute tickets in a way that rewards speed, especially tickets priced below market, we invite arbitrageurs to invest in speed, i.e. bots,” he said. “It’s an epidemic that’s a creation of our industry’s making. VF is the beginning of our initiative to take the speed out of the equation so we can reward people who are fans.”
Asked how VF is different from other methods of ensuring tickets get in real fans’ hands, like paperless ticketing, Marcus said unlike paperless, the burden is not on the fan in VF. “That [paperless] worked, past tense, but brokers found a way around it by just using prepaid cards to get tickets and selling that prepaid card on StubHub so the ticket becomes a piece of plastic, which puts a restriction on fans,” he said.
VF is not intended to restrict or prohibit resale entirely, but to encourage fans to value the experience of scoring tickets to their favorite artist’s concert more than a couple hundred extra dollars they could make by flipping them, Marcus said. “We believe in resale — a fan should have that right,” he said. “When we do a better job of distributing tickets the first time, at the right price, that resale becomes what should be a marketplace for fans to trade tickets with other fans. It should not be a secondary market of arbitrage that takes advantage of inefficiencies in first distribution. If we can serve fans on first distribution, then the secondary market should have value to the artist as well.”

Renovated, customized sleeproom at Fenway Park, Boston.

(Editor's note: This story previously appeared in SportTechie.com)

The MLB season is off and running as the Atlanta Braves, in particular, open technology-infused SunTrust Park. SportTechie recently broke down the most important storylines to follow for the 2017 MLB season and with that, we also wanted to highlight some of the baseball technology companies to watch during the year.

From wearables and virtual reality training to digital media, there are a number of companies making headlines at the intersection of sports and technology.

1) The Boston Red Sox recently partnered with Bedgear for the company to become the team’s Official Performance Bedding Partner, even helping equip the clubhouse with a sleep room designed to improve performance and recovery. Each player was fitted for a customized pillow for optimal sleeping. While Bedgear only has one official MLB partner, it has also worked with the New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers, among other organizations. The question remains, will the dedicated sleep room translate to more Ws in the win column?

2) WHOOP, which is a wearable and performance technology company, recently conducted the largest performance study with a U.S. professional sports league in Major League Baseball. It then came as no surprise when the league approved players to wear the WHOOP Strap during regular season games this year. As wearables continue to make appearances, how will they improve an individual’s performance, if at all, and could they potentially become a distraction as well?

3) Major League Baseball Advanced Media is upping the ante with its Statcast system as it integrates more advanced metrics into MLB Network and game-day broadcasts, further helping fans better understand what is taking place on the field via a numbers and percentages breakdown.

4) Sports data and wearable company Catapult Sports just announced its first baseball analytics product, which will help decrease players’ risk of injury. One of the industry leaders in the category, Catapult has worked with hundreds of companies across football, basketball and rugby, among others. Expect them to make some headwind in MLB soon as well.

5) 15 Seconds of Fame, a social sharing platform, inked a multiyear partnership with Major League Baseball Advanced Media where it will help deliver video footage and highlights directly to fans. The new MLBAM relationship for the New York-based technology company adds to existing partnerships it has with other professional sports teams and collegiate programs

6) A baseball pitch-training solution developed by Rapsodo entered the marketplace earlier this season. Rapsodo Baseball, as it’s formally called, combines radar and camera technology to capture data in real-time so coaches can review a pitcher’s mechanics and offer immediate feedback.

7) How Twitter’s season-long live streaming partnership with Major League Baseball Advanced Media performs from a viewership standpoint is something to keep a close eye on. Granted, the deal is different from the social platform’s prior relationship with the NFL, but what type of audience will the games attract? 

8) Dubbed the “next generation of Moneyball,” TrinityVR is hoping its DiamondFX platform can transform how pitchers and batters train, except without the added physical stress. For a five-figure investment, TrintyVR outfits an MLB batting cage with the system, giving players hundreds of extra repetitions which equals thousands of new data points for them to analyze. Virtual reality is a tool that is already being leveraged in the U.S., especially football. Perhaps baseball could be the next frontier for alternative VR training.

9) Wearable technology company Motus Global, which has been approved for in-game use during MLB games, partnered with the Baseball Factory this year. The latter company focuses on player development at the high school level and with the new relationship, will utilize the motus THROW device for injury prevention and performance analysis.

Elegant glass railings highlight the Valhalla Club experience in U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis.

What was once considered a requirement—railings—simply for fall protection has turned into an opportunity to showcase design within new stadiums and arenas.

“It was once an afterthought and I think in recent years architects are using the guardrail to further specific design elements within the building,” said Dan Stachel, vice president of SC Railing Company, the Minneapolis-based firm that has handled railing needs for roughly 80 percent of all new professional stadiums and arenas built in the last decade. “We can serve a structural purpose for a building and allow architects to show off creativity.”

Traditional railings at the new SunTrust Park, Atlanta.

Take SunTrust Park, Atlanta, with its black and steel railings in a premium area behind home plate, bronze stainless steel cables across other premium spaces or inlay glass. “Anytime we get an opportunity to work on something unique,” Stachel said, “every one of our 25 engineers enjoys the challenge.”

SunTrust Park, which opened in April, includes 41,000 linear feet of railing, equating to more than seven miles of aesthetically driven railing design. The building includes 20,000 linear feet of aluminum vertical picket and track for clear views of the field, LED-lit handrails on the Chop House bridge and mezzanine, 5,500 linear feet of clear-tempered laminated glass and 3,300 feet of drink rail to set ballpark concessions on while still in full view of the field.

Outdoor venues provide the most opportunity for railing work as railings cover the field-facing direction and behind the fans, but no matter the location, SC Railing puts a focus on custom, working with architects to pick materials and combinations that can result in up to 40 different railing styles in one stadium. As architects have started to turn to railings as another way to infuse design into the venue, Stachel said material choices can help give off the right aesthetic, whether a renovation—such as Madison Square Garden—or a new build.

Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota, for example, opened in 2010 and created a new style of rail in MLB. “Nobody wanted to see a railing, but when you sit down at Target Field it has a crimped mesh infill,” Stachel said. “When you sit in the seating bowl and watch a game you see silver rails pop against the green seats. It certainly provides a design element to the building and gives the patron the feel of higher end. If you are sitting by glass and expensive mesh, you know you are not at a high school baseball game.”

Railings provide an opportunity for designers to “dress up venues where structures are more budget-driven.” At Avaya Stadium, San Jose, California, the use of ornamental metal and perforated panels give the building a higher-end feel despite its budget-conscious bones.

Using glass infill can also help reduce the look of other materials. In Madison Square Garden, New York City, the sandblasted glass helps conceal precast concrete to give the impression of a more “finished space.”

The obvious big trend in railing systems right now, Stachel said, comes in the use of stainless steel systems that accommodate glass, with or without graphics and sponsorship built in. With point-supported glass, venue designers no longer have to rest it in a channell on the floor and can get creative with the finishes.

LED lighting provides another growing trend, as seen recently in the NFL at Levi’s Field, Santa Clara, California, and U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis. “People are getting more creative beyond a light inside of a pipe,” Stachel said. “You will see some progress there.”

And as WiFi becomes more important, railings play a key role in placing technology in and around the seating bowl.

For SC Railing, the next big projects include everything from Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, to Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, and DC United’s new soccer venue in Washington, D.C., to future major professional venues coming online in California.

Each venue will bring a specific requirement, not just in safety, but also in aesthetics. Railings now work to meet both those needs.

Legislation like the BOTS Act of 2016 [Better Online Ticket Sales] in the U.S. will not solve the increasingly intrusive problem of robots gobbling up primary market seats on the internet, but it’s a start. However, before the BOTS Act even has a bite, ticketing companies and venues must put deterrents in place. Without something the ticketbuying software called bots must circumvent to score tickets, no law is broken.
Rami Essaid, Distil Networks, talked about the BOTS Act during INTIX this year and followed it up with a free webinar on bots and what to do about them. His most attentive audience was from theaters that have booked “Hamilton” for its summer run.
Press releases and conferences heralding the BOTS Act and the fact it is illegal to purchase performance tickets online using robots is a start. Essaid recommended that avenue. Wharton Center for the Arts, East Lansing, Mich., is one that took a PR approach to the problem.
“My biggest recommendation is exactly that — venues and artists need to continue to talk about this and say it’s a big issue,” said Essaid.
Beyond that, venue managers need to be well informed on the issue and the potential solutions, though it’s generally the ticket broker who has the power to put deterrents in place. Essaid and Niels Sodemann, CEO of Queue-it, conducted the webinar on how the BOTS Act impacts premium on sales and the ticketing industry’s ecosystem, revealing that anytime they hear about a show selling out in a minute or two, they know there are bots at play.
It’s not possible to process those orders on the fastest, most robust ticketing site in less than about 20 minutes, Sodemann said.
During the webinar, they defined the various methods used by bots today, warning that the minute one avenue closes, another is found. Methods of buying up tickets before the general public makes it into the queue include scalping, which is buying multiple tickets multiple times with bots, as many as quickly as possible; sniping, which is when a bot sits and watches the inventory, waiting till the end to grab what it wants; and spinning, which they called the “absolute worst.” With spinning, the robot can hold the tickets in its shopping cart and export them to the secondary market without ever buying them until they are resold.
It’s all done at superhuman speed.
Legislation to combat bots has passed in the U.S., is being addressed in the U.K. and is under consideration in Canada. But the problem is global. If someone is scalping, spinning or sniping tickets in China, the laws can’t stop them.
The goal in ticketing is that real users are able to buy tickets and are happy with the transaction. To accomplish that, ticketing companies and venues have to be forever vigilant, ahead of the curve and nimble in reacting.
Legislation could even add to the problem. If, for example, CAPTCHA (a manually entered code to prove the user is not a robot) is required of every customer who buys a ticket, transaction time would slow dramatically. And CAPTCHA can be bypassed in seconds by programming a bot with 30,000 different words.
More and more artists are demanding ticketing companies have anti-bot protection in place. But it’s not illegal to buy and resell tickets. Sodemann said he can find 10 websites that teach the technology needed to spin tickets. The price of learning is down to about $1,000. Go to TicketBots.net, he suggested, or look up “technology broker spinnerbot.”
“It’s not an expensive endeavor for the bad guys; there are pre-made tools and open-source solutions to defeat you,” Essaid warned.
One of the major issues is account takeovers, Essaid added. Estimates suggest there are over 1.5 billion compromised user names and passwords out there, which can be run against your site. Breaches are at an all time high, and 50 percent of bot attacks start with stolen credentials.
Queue-it has developed a tool to prevent spinner bots by taking everybody into a pre-qualifying queue where they are assigned an identifier and random number. They then have a fair chance of getting the ticket.
Whatever ticketers do, the key is to not ignore the issue. “You have to take a multi-faceted approach to address every angle; there is no silver bullet,” Essaid said.
Distil offers a Hi-Def Fingerprint option that profiles the actual machine being used, not the IP address or cookies, which means scalpers must buy a new computer to make another purchase.
Today, venues are writing language into RFPs for ticketing services that require bot mitigation solutions, Essaid said. Companies like Ticketmaster have launched Verified Fan, an attempt to identify human buyers from bots.
“If the artists and venues start clamoring about bots, we will see those ticket brokers and technology platforms take it more seriously,” Essaid said.
Meanwhile, “just get something in place,” Essaid said. Go beyond protection from the site going down to protection against bots buying all the tickets. “If the bot is written well enough, it’s not going to take down the site but will beat out all the humans to get the tickets. Bots today are as clever and incognito as possible.”
“At the end of the day, this is an arms race,” Essaid said. “You don’t build it once and forget about it because the technology of the bots keeps advancing and there’s enough money in this it’s worth investing in.”
Education is a big part of dealing with this issue, he added. Both the industry and the public need to understand what’s going on. While Essaid admits to being somewhat critical of the BOTS Act of 2016 because the law has minimal bite and the problem is  global, he is looking forward to a few high profile prosecutions, just to increase awareness.

We all have an “elevator speech” for those moments when someone asks us “what do you do?”  I am sure, that like me, you have probably honed and distilled the speech into something like “ticketing for live events…entertainment…show biz,” then followed by even further explanations as they look at you strangely like a quizzical cocker spaniel.
This happened to me over the weekend when I struggled to explain to a good friend what INTIX does and is; what this association represents and what I did for my career, our life’s work. It dawned on me that keeping it simple is usually best. I turned to my friend Steve and said, “Well yes, when you first bought a ticket it might have been at a Ticketron outlet like I did at the Peaches Record Warehouse when I was young. But it is more than that now….we have evolved. For every legitimate ticket that someone buys to a game, a show, a concert, you have to remember that we are the professionals who make it all work.  We are the ones who set it up, create it, engineer it, who make it all work right…the professionals behind it all. We are the specialists.”
The truth is that no one thinks much about the tickets or the mechanics of it all, except when something goes wrong. It is quite the testament to the enduring transparency and trust of our industry that no one notices for the vast majority of their entertainment ticketing transactions.
The INTIX Code of Ethics promotes the success of the industry and its members by encouraging the highest standards of conduct for entertainment ticketing professionals to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the profession and the industry. As our long-time member and ethics champion Jack Lucas said, “Many years ago, I felt that there was a need to create ‘the code,’ because of the type of work that ticketing professionals do. We have always conducted ourselves in a professional, ethical and honest manner, but no one had actually taken the time to create a Code of Ethics.”
No one cares or pays attention until they are affected and the public is being affected. Countless states, cities, municipalities and countries are now grappling with the legalities, technology, fairness and access issues around the ticket transaction. It is incumbent that we, the ticket professional, continue to adhere to our road map and our code of honest, transparent and ethical behavior. And thanks to my friend Steve for the simple “what do you do” question on a Sunday afternoon. 

Please visit www.intix.org or call +1 212.629.4036 for further information on becoming a member and INTIX’s 36th Annual Conference & Exhibition including sponsorship, exhibiting and advertising.

The city is about to give the 34-year-old Tacoma (Wash.) Dome a $21-million facelift and Matt Balk, operations manager, is eager to take on the challenge.
Having handled operations at various venues through his 20-year career, Balk is the epitome of an excellent operations professional. He’s passionate about the industry, experienced in working with clients and customers and in love with the logistical aspects of operations. He is also the first Venue Operations Summit Excellence in Operations Award Winner and will be so honored during the 2017 VOS in Nashville April 30-May 2.
An operations award is long overdue in this industry, Balk agreed. “The operations department is usually the largest department in a venue. It’s great to have some recognition, as embarrassing to me as it is personally.”
Balk entered this field in college, while majoring is sport management at Iowa State, Ames. He worked his way through school specializing in conversion at Iowa’s multiuse basketball arena, Hilton Coliseum, managed by SMG.
He is very much a sports fan, with athletics being his initial drawing card, but it’s all about operations for Balk. “I’ve always been that person who likes the logistical aspects,” Balk said. “Obviously converting facilities spoke to me because that’s really just an exercise in logistics.”
Upon graduation, he decided to indulge another passion, seeing the country, so Balk was ready and willing to travel. SMG sent him to Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., then back to Des Moines, Iowa, to open Wells Fargo Arena. Then he moved to Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif,; CenturyLink Center, Bossier City, La., and back to California to Stockton Arena. In Louisiana, he met his true love, married and committed to settling down soon.
The settling takes place in Tacoma, which is an aging facility and right up Balk’s alley. “I appreciate the challenge of working with older systems. Don’t get me wrong. I like new shiny things as much as the next person. But there is an allure of extending the lifecycle of equipment in facilities for me.”
“We call him Mr. Fixer,” said Kim Bedier, director of Public Assembly Facilities for the city of Tacoma. Bedier cited Balk’s ability to be “very consistent and super fair,” handling the day-to-day while keeping his eye on the big picture, the future. He’s helped “fix” several older venues and Tacoma Dome is the newest feather in his cap. “He knows change is a journey and he knows how to get there.”
Balk also likes the management side of operations, especially working with such a diverse group — custodial, conversion, maintenance, HVAC, IT — a group that invariably brings demographic diversity. “I love learning the differences of cultures and viewpoints from my crew.”
Operations is a challenging profession, and Balk enjoys rising to the occasion. One of the most gratifying was in Des Moines, when Paul McCartney and Bon Jovi were playing back-to-back dates and both needed a load-in day. “We ended up pre-rigging a lot of Bon Jovi and having McCartney come in and hang a lot of their stuff right below Bon Jovi’s. They were both Live Nation shows; everyone worked well together,” Balk recalled.
From a rigging standpoint, the challenge was to be sure the building and the roof were safe. The grid in Des Moines could hang 150,000 pounds. In Tacoma, he can hang 250,000 pounds if it’s done correctly, meaning everything is balanced and weight loads are correct.
Rigging shows is becoming more and more of a challenge because venues are tightening their programming and operations has to deliver a positive client and customer experience in a condensed timeframe. “I’m always in awe of the facilities that are able to do two events in a day,” Balk said. “It’s such a feat of coordination and teamwork to make that happen.”
In Tacoma, Balk oversees six facilities — the dome, the convention center, three theaters and a Triple A ballpark. He likes being able to put on a different hat for each, but his main baby right now is renovation of the Tacoma Dome. The venue opened April 21, 1983, and is in need of some tender, loving care.
He’s been able to make modifications on a shoestring, like sprucing up the back entrance and dressing room hallway. Now, he’s got a budget to do bigger things.
The big targets are improved technology and customer comfort. To that end, the dome’s 23,000 seats will be totally renovated. “The big thing is seat width and leg room,” Balk said, quite satisfied with the designs in progress. A contractor has not yet been selected. Work will start late this year with an October 2018 finish line.
With two decades in operations, Balk has learned some valuable lessons. One is to communicate well with all stakeholders. Early in his career, he had to deal with a power outage in a facility that damaged the ice plant the day of a hockey game. “So we were trying to fix the ice plant and keep the game as well. But I was trying to be covert and not keep all the stakeholders informed of the situation. People are very understanding as long as they feel they are involved. If you close those lines of communication and leave people in the dark, that’s rarely a good solution.”
In this particular case, Balk certainly should have done a better job communicating with GM and ensuring lines of communication were open with the team and box office and anyone else involved in the potential canceling of an event, which is exactly what eventually happened. “We got through two periods but the ice couldn’t make it through the third,” he remembered.
One of his triumphs happened in Tacoma, shepherding the DAS and WiFi upgrades. “It was a big undertaking. We had to figure out a solution with no capital investment on our end,” Balk said. “We were able to get some WiFi providers to recognize they could recoup upfront capital investments with some of the carrier dollars that came our way later. We installed a neutral party and then Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint all pay to access our equipment.” Mobility is the neutral party.
Though the preferred method would be for the facility to invest the upfront capital, the challenge is the workaround if those funds aren’t available. Just understand the tradeoffs, Balk advised. That upgrade was completed in 2016.
It is important to keep up with the Joneses when operating an older facility. To entice the city to fund those upgrades, Balk makes sure he produces well-researched supporting data, like client surveys, the cost of antiquated systems and cost reduction after an investment. “And telling a story about the role our facilities play in the community and the quality of life and growth of our community is important,” he said.
In managing people, Balk likes to listen and refuses to fixate on past issues. He oversees a fulltime staff of 24 in operations. “You have to be able to have a short memory when things don’t go right. If someone doesn’t show up for work, and even though it might put you in a bind, you can’t fixate on that. It’s about figuring out a solution to ensure our clients or facility don’t suffer because of someone’s absence.”
He also refuses to be complacent. “Put yourself on our customers’ shoes. It’s sounds basic, but it’s easy to slide into ‘this is the way we’ve always done it.’ I’m constantly pushing myself and my crew to challenge ourselves to not always do things the same way.”
To facilitate fresh approaches, he cross trains staff, requiring everyone to have a diversified skillset. “Then the people doing new things started asking, ‘why do we do things this way, how about that way?’ And it often makes sense,” Balk said.
For example, at Tacoma Dome, the staff had always set up portable seating left to right. Then along came a new idea with a fresh set of eyes on the subject. “Now we do it from center. It’s a little thing, but it ends up shaving 15 minutes off a conversion with two people working in two directions. Fifteen minutes matters.”
So does 20 years.

Project management is a big part of the job for Jan Szabat, engineering services director, Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, Alberta. Whether it’s flood mitigation or vertical transportation, his expertise and knowledge of the city’s iconic venue is legendary. Nothing stops the show with Szabat in charge.
Szabat, who never gives up, is the perfect choice for the inaugural Venue Operations Summit Excellence in Engineering Award, which will be presented during the 2017 conference in Nashville, Tenn., April 30-May 2. Notified on his birthday (March 29) that he had been selected for the award, he “wasn’t sure this was actually real. That was a gift for me. I’m honored. This is so awesome.”
He describes his job as “making sure the building looks attractive, is functional, and everything works – smells good, looks good.” To do that, he watches the aging infrastructure closely, with frequent equipment lifecycle reports and carefully planned upgrades and maintenance projects.
“We’re thrilled that Jan is being recognized for his outstanding contributions to Edmonton’s convention center,” said Lisanne Lewis, general manager, Shaw Conference Centre. “His leadership over the past 30 years has been instrumental in ensuring one of our city’s most iconic assets continues to be seen as a premier meetings and conventions destination.”
Szabat has been at the convention center almost from day one, starting there in 1983 after immigrating to Canada from Poland, where he was a land surveyor. He started in the maintenance and engineering department in 1986.
Switching professions, Szabat chose engineering because he likes the variety and the daily challenge. “Every day looks absolutely different. You don’t know what the challenge will be,” Szabat said. It helps that he is tenacious.
“In this type of business, you don’t have the comfort of giving up. The only option is to find different solutions. You can’t walk away and say I don’t know how to do that.”
Szabat’s biggest engineering challenge was in 2012, when the convention center was hit with major, major flooding by water and raw sewage. The flood was due to poor design of the city’s sewage system, which has finally been fixed, but not until three flood episodes.
Belfor Restoration was brought in to oversee recovery the first time and, just as work was near completion, they were hit again. Twice in the summer of 2012 (July 12 and July 23) and a third time in 2013. “We’re okay now, but that was a huge challenge,” Szabat said.
Amazingly, throughout the flood mitigation process, the center continued to operate, moving some functions to upper levels and scheduling work around events.
Coming up, Szabat will hire a project manager for the $10-million endeavor to replace 696 glass panels on the center’s roof. His role will be to provide documentation, schedule work and assess business interruption in the building. Construction is to start in 2018.
“Any project, even ones I sometimes don’t manage, I have to work to make sure they are successful,” Szabat said. Success depends upon his organizational skills.
As he prepares for the roof work, he’s wrapping up the two-year,  $12.6 million escalator replacement project. It was very complicated because the venue, which slopes down to the river, is totally dependent on vertical transportation for clients and customers. “We never closed,” Szabat said. “A big part of my role was scheduling and business interruption. I had to make sure noise was not interfering with our clients. It’s a constant battle to stop contractors from making too much noise so we could allow business to roll. That was very challenging.”
Szabat oversees a fulltime staff of 13 in engineering. For large jobs, he brings in an outside contractor, but when possible he acts as project manager himself.
A big believer in long-term planning, Szabat contracts for equipment lifecycle studies and keeps them current. “We know what to expect in the near future,” he said.
On a regular basis, about every three years, the center applies for capital funding. Shaw Conference Centre belongs to the city of Edmonton and is operated independently by Edmonton Economic Development Corp.
But Szabat never goes to the city saying, “I think this needs to be replaced.” Every request is well documented and planned for via the lifecycle reports. The facility is aging and this is the thinking required to keep it functioning.
“It helps that I’ve been here this long. I feel the beat of this building. I know the facility well. I know what’s involved. I know the equipment in place, and I understand the process,” Szabat said.
That would be his best advice to the next engineer in charge, when he retires. “Maintain the basics, upgrade the infrastructure. When I was hired, the facility was relatively new. But I knew what would come next. I’d advise that person to keep a close eye on an aging facility. Architecturally, it’s still a very attractive building, but the infrastructure is aging.”
It takes a team to maintain a venue like Shaw Convention Centre and Szabat believes it’s worth taking the time to find people with the right chemistry to be on that team. Whether it’s good engineering or a successful sports franchise, the team must be dedicated, understand the job and take it seriously.
“You need to have your heart in this work. It’s very interesting and challenging. You are never bored on this job.”