Cheryl and Brad Mayne before the announcement he is the new president and CEO of IAVM.
Brad Mayne officially becomes president and CEO of the International Association of Venue Managers July 19. He will arrive at the annual conference and trade show, VenueConnect, July 23-26 in Minneapolis with just a few official days in office. Even so, he is armed with a long history as a member of IAVM, as well as a current position as dean of the Venue Management School Graduate Institute, a job he may or may not be able to continue in the months to come.
Interviewed by Venues Today just an hour after the annoucement was made Wednesday, July 6, Mayne discussed his history in the business, including his recent post as CEO of MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J., and his return to Dallas where he used to manage American Airlines Center. The contract Mayne signed will see him serving as president and CEO of IAVM and the IAVM Foundation for three years.
We discussed this position with you before, Brad, and you didn’t seem to be interested.
When I was first contacted I did say no, but thanks for asking. I’ve always been focused on my venue management career in major markets. But Cheryl [his wife] and I discussed what was important, and that was family. Nine of my grandchildren live in Dallas. We moved back here and I began seriously considering IAVM. I’ve always been passionate about IAVM. I would not have had the success I’ve had in my career without IAVM. It’s time to give back and go in a different direction.
What is your first order of business, new hires?
Right now, I feel like I’m drinking from a firehose. I am catching a plane to Alaska for a planned, week-long fishing trip on Saturday, then I come back and head to Minneapolis for VenueConnect. As volunteers, we think we know what IAVM is all about but we will do a SWAT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats and Opportunities) assessment first. I am under the direction of the board of directors and there is a staff already in place that has put together some plans for the future, a rebranding and new programming that will be unveiled in Minneapolis.
There is talk of moving the sector meetings – performing arts, arenas, convention centers and new sectors, stadiums and fairs – back under the one big umbrella of VenueConnect. Is that the plan?
When I joined IAVM in 1987, membership was limited to the top or second in command in venues only. I was second in command so I became a member. It seems those in the top position are not as active as they were, so we need to find relevancy to get them re-engaged and back. With the prevalence of private management and tighter purse strings with municipalities, they are no longer free to volunteer because of the time and travel commitments. They are focused on their own venues. But top people in the industry are still active, like Michael Marion [Verizon Arena, North Little Rock, Ark.] and Bob Hunter [Air Canada Centre, Toronto] and myself. We need to find people who have that willingness to commit a couple of hours a month. I need to reach out one-on-one. There is a lot of competition, a lot of conferences in all sectors all over the world. We need to create our niche and provide what our members need. There is change in the air. It’s a good time to be the new CEO. The plan is well thought out.
Will the change take effect immediately?
The blueprint for a successful opportunity is not 100-percent complete. Sector meetings would certainly continue through the next budget cycle, April to March. Rebranding is more a new look which Gensler helped put together. I have a book here Rosanne (Duke) printed out for me. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. Stay tuned. You’ll hear more in Minneapolis.
What do you see as IAVM’s major accomplishments to date?
In the 80s, we didn’t have standards. You would call another venue manager and ask what they paid their event coordinator and they’d say what is an event coordinator? Now everyone speaks the same language. We get together and talk about GuestX and AVS and TCM and everyone knows that last one is a trained crowd manager. Professional development is IAVM’s strong point.
What is your management style?
Integrity and transparency is my leadership style. For the last three decades I’ve been focused on arena management, and for the past four years, stadium management. Sometimes you have to look back in order to move forward. Who are we? Who have we been? And remember, we have 5,000 members – that’s relevance.
Name a highlight of your membership in IAVM.
When I first became an instructor at Oblebay (Venue Management School) you had to have been a student to be a teacher, so for the first two years we were all attending classes while we taught classes. One lunch, I sat down with a gentleman who started talking to me about volunteering at IAVM. It was Ray Ward, the incoming president at the time, who talked me into serving on one of his committees. My first assignment was to chair the awards-review committee. Ray Ward is a servant leader and one of my mentors. That was the beginning of my true involvement.