Organizers of the inaugural Venue Operations Summit include, Russ Simons, seated, Venue Solutions Group, and, standing from left; Rich DiGiacomo, Samantha Le, Rob Ocampo and Linda Deckard, Venues Today; and Tom Williams and Mike Wooley, Venue Solutions Group.
REPORTING FROM NASHVILLE, TENN. — If there was a recurring theme throughout the inaugural Venue Operations Summit, it was the importance of having operations and engineering staff of sports, entertainment, performing arts and convention facilities on board and involved in every aspect of venue function.
The inaugural Venue Operations Summit was held April 12-14, at the Renaissance Hotel, Nashville, Tenn., and was co-produced by Venue Solutions Group and Venues Today. It was designed to fill the need for shared knowledge and best practices, recognizing that integral workforce element of operations.
Deemed a huge success in followup and onsite surveys, the decision has been made to hold VOS 2016 in Nashville again, May 8-10.
Craig Kaufman, principal, Populous, addressing the group of 125 in attendance, said it simply: “The earlier you guys get in the door, the better and the cheaper it will be for the owners.”
Kaufman was leading one of the informational sessions: “Architect: What do they mean when they say...?” He was referring to assessing needs with either new construction, and/or renovations and additions.
“You know what the needs are,” he said. “You are out there. Get into those meetings early and tell them what you need.”
Richard Andersen, Lighthouse Management, and Jeff Cogen, Nashville Predators, were opening and closing keynote speakers, advising attendees in operations how to get that message across. Andersen noted values drive behavior and everyone has a different set of preferences and behavior patterns. Self-awareness is a tool to be used when asking for a budget increase or additional personnel. “Change your outlook if you want to change the outcome,” Andersen advised.
“Sell your way to prosperity; don’t save your way to prosperity,” Cogen said. “Our conversations are about how to drive the top line.”
Even the purchase order system has that goal. Each request includes a checklist: Have all opportunities for trade been exhausted; can the purchase be bundled with other purchases within the organization; have three bids been solicited? The clincher question follows: Is the vendor a season ticketholder?
“Coercion is such a nasty word, we prefer leverage,” Cogen said. It works for the Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn. Sponsors include construction companies, a usually untapped source. “An expense created an opportunity,” and that’s what Cogen calls a top-line mentality.
VOS sessions addressed the challenges of operations and gave practical advice and tips on dealing with them.
Pat Patterson, president and owner, LAAP Inc., gave practical advice on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). He reviewed OSHA inspections and penalties and pointed out some of the more frequent hazards seen at buildings such as cracks in terrazzo floors; electrical plugs missing ground wires; damage to electrical cords; and access to exits, emergency equipment and electrical equipment. He also noted every fire extinguisher has to have a sign on it; it’s not enough to just have it.
Venues fall under general industry standards on a federal basis, Patterson said. In addition, 22 states have an OSHA-approved state plan. In 2015, standards have been refined to one Safety Data Sheet, which each user is required to have.
It’s important to realize standards are reactive, based on reports OSHA receives. Every business is required to provide reports on incidents. “If you don’t document it, you didn’t do it,” he said. OSHA has all the records and, frankly, Patterson said, “I’d rather learn from your accident than mine.”
During the session on “Seats and Telescopic Risers,” presented by Bill Waldo, Irwin Seating Co., he told attendees exactly what “screws up” telescopic riser units the most — “not following manufacturer's specifications.”
“In major buildings today, you are investing about $4 million in a seating package,” Waldo said. “And, the single most important thing you can do is just to properly maintain them.”
He spoke on the importance of alignment with the risers and recommended no bumps with a forklift. He suggested a goal for set-up, four hours with eight employees. And, he advised setting the middle riser first.
Waldo also advised against storing rails and other loose equipment under the telescopic risers. “I’ve seen so many mangled rails in my life,” he said of the end result.
“And you should have attic stock” of replacement parts, Waldo said, especially considering new equipment trumps older equipment and some parts cannot be found.
Most telescopic seating manufacturers build training and annual inspections into the sale. Irwin sends factory reps to oversee five transitions with a new purchase, he said. Problems erupt when the factory rep leaves and the locals start second-guessing the system. Even when pressed for time, do not go off recommended best practices, he begged. “Hit the marks. That’s all there is to it. And have the company you bought from do inspections.”
Bob Dye, a registered roof consultant, Overland Park, Kan., told attendees that as much as 90 percent of all water intrusion problems occur within one percent of the total building exterior surface area.
He gave suggestions on roof maintenance, roofing materials, and how geographic locations may determine the best materials.
Greg Poole, director of facility operations, Toyota Center, Houston, lead the session “Using Historical Trends to Improve Operations.” He showed images of the charts he created to do just that. He showed attendees how even the smallest tweaks can lead to energy savings.
Brett Conrad, senior vice president business development, Interstate, Fort Worth, Texas, spoke on disasters and how to avoid one. “Whatever plan you have, you can always make it better,” Conrad said. “You need to have a company that knows what you need, what your power requirements are, what's important to you.”
Mike Rogers, Smith Seckman Reid Inc., spoke on “Control Technology.” He gave attendees a lesson on the differences of dry heat, which causes a change in temperature but not in moisture content, and latent heat, heat that is absorbed or released by a substance undergoing a change of state, such as water. He gave suggestions on the best equipment to fit a building's needs and location.
Presentation information is available at www.venueoperationssummit.com.