I n 1965, a 16-year-old John Siehl went to the Hara Arena in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio, and applied for a job as an usher.
He got it.
Still in high school, Siehl worked nights and weekends, moving from that position to being on ice patrol at the building’s ice rink. After high school, he continued at the 5,500-seat arena, but worked full-time, stretching his collegiate career at the University of Dayton over some years.
Those years did count, though, in many ways. He received a BA in general education and psychology, and then later a masters in educational counseling.
Those years also took him from the usher and ice patrol years to a variety of other jobs at the arena.
“As different jobs became available, I thought, ‘I can do,’” Siehl said.
He could, too, as it turned out.
He became the general manager at Hara Arena in 1978. In 1989, he left that building and was hired by Ogden Entertainment for the head position at Wright State University Nutter Center, still staying in his hometown.
He retired from the Nutter Center in 2009 and relished in retirement for four days. Then, he became part of the team at VenuWorks, a company that provides full-service venue management, food and beverage, and programming solutions to arenas, theatres and convention centers throughout the U.S.
That is where he is today.
Steve Peters is the founder of VenuWorks. He also is the same person that interviewed Siehl in 1989 for the Nutter Center position.
This year, Siehl accepts the International Association of Venue Managers’ prestigious Charles A. McElravy Award, an award named after one of the founding organizers of IAVM and given annually to a member of the industry to honor the recipient’s extraordinary contributions to the association and the profession of public assembly facility management over a number of years.
He couldn’t be more humble in accepting this honor.
“It has been very nice,” Siehl said. “Everything that everybody has said...it’s just been really nice.”
His colleagues have been more forthcoming.
Peters said: “John is my ideal of the servant/leader, that is one who leads by setting an example of humble service himself and supporting those around him. He has unselfishly served the IAVM for decades. He is a marvelous storyteller, and one of the most charitable people I know. I love him like a brother.”
Jim Brown, Wright State University Nutter Center, said: “John is very well deserving of this recognition and this award. He not only is a veteran of the industry, but what a super mentor he has been to so many that have come up through this industry. He has given his time and talents to the association. He is a great friend, great facility manager and a great mentor.”
Tammy Koolbeck, Iowa State Center, Ames, said: “John, simply put, is an icon in our industry. His knowledge of every aspect of venue management, particularly in safety and security, has made him an invaluable resource to all of our VenuWorks locations and to all IAVM members. Personally, he has served as a mentor and friend to me for several years. From him, I have learned how important training is to building a great team and some finger jokes.”
Misty Cox, Nutter Center, said: “John gave me my first full-time job in the industry right out of college after I spent nine months working as an intern. From the beginning, he was a supportive boss who always looked out for my best interests and empowered me to go above and beyond. His encouragement and mentorship continues to play an important role in my career. It was an honor to work for him for 13 years.”
John Cox, Nutter Center, said: “I was lucky enough to work for John for 25 years. It’s honestly hard for me to put into words what he means to me. Without a doubt, John has single handedly made me the facility person I am. His concepts and ideas of the business are second to none. He treats his employees more like family. To just say that he was my boss would be a disservice as he is also my cheerleader, sounding board, mentor and dear friend.”
Brad Mayne, IAVM, said: “John is somewhat the exception to the rule. People will come and put their time into the association and, then, many move on to other things. The incredible thing is that John continues to give to the association and the industry. He is still very active on boards, with venue safety and security and instruction. He continues to give his time and his passion. He is genuine and straight forward.”
Through the years, there seems to be only one moment when Siehl thought seriously about leaving the venue industry. That was after leaving Hara Arena in 1989, where he had become disheartened at the way it was being run. That arena was shuttered for good in 2016.
“I had actually gone to a head hunter for help in looking for another job and then ended up working for the head hunter for about four months,” Siehl said.
But, then, Ogden Entertainment began hiring for the new 10,000-seat plus Nutter Center and the next 20 years is history.
Siehl didn’t enter back into the industry in 1989 lightly. He knew the days would be long and he had two young children. He sat down with his wife, Patty. The decision they finally reached was predicated on finding the balance between work and family and that if he did go back into the industry, he would be the best he could be.
“I realized that I was in the position to help others in the industry,” he said. “I wanted to make sure I provided a safe environment for people to enjoy themselves.”
Siehl has seen many changes over the years and, of course, technology has been the most significant. But, there have been others — some that have actually come back around.
About technological changes, Siehl said: “Starting back in the dark ages, essentially when the U.S. Postal Service took a hit with the advent of faxing, our industry has evolved essentially into the immediate gratification mode. Email and instant messaging have given us the opportunity to book, contract and refine agreements instantly. I still prefer a phone call to initiate a conversation, but have become very comfortable with the technological advances leading to immediate gratification.
“The initial phone call is so very crucial, in my opinion, because in live entertainment, live person to person contact in other venues is crucial to our industry. We must always remember to grasp the human touch as the touch that brings our customers back. I challenge us not to lose sight of the human factor.”
Siehl said he would like to see an integration of technology coupled more firmly with the service aspect.
“The public has every right or expectation to look for the newest and best in new facilities,” he said. “Our job is to firmly integrate the personal touch with the touch of technology,” he said.
Maintaining the integration of humanity, no matter how comprehensive is an important goal, Siehl said.
He has seen the pendulum swing back slightly with facility operators taking a second look at the balance of the personal touch with technology.
Siehl also is seeing a change in the demographics of industry management.
“I have no hard statistics, but I do have the distinct feel that there is a generational gap,” he said. “In my view, this gap exists in the higher mid-level manager positions — short and sweet, the next generation of general managers and directors. With no hard data, I see that the industry lost an inordinate number of ‘newbies’ to the industry about 15-20 years ago. We literally burnt them out and they left the industry.”
But, he is seeing that change. He feels management is more responsive to the needs of the younger generation, and education and training of the new work force has matured with more management courses on the collegiate level.
“This is creating what I see as a new work force, with differing expectations from the generations that I feel we ‘burnt out’ in the 1990s,” he said. “They come to us with higher expectations related to technology and service.”
Siehl also feels the successful venue will be the one that offers everything.
“But, therein is the conundrum,” he said. “What does that really mean? I have artificially set the transition of the century as the hard stop, and restart. It surely is not that simple, but there has to be a general line of evolution. Competition is huge. The number of all facilities built or renovated in the past 20 years is phenomenal.
“This number far surpasses the increase in product or patrons,” he said. “So in the end, many are fighting for the allegiance of the same people. We need to be responsive, and quick to adjust and meet the ever changing expectation of our patron. Keeping up with that expectation is a full time job, in every aspect of every facility. Facilities not willing to accept this evolution will be left struggling to keep the lights on.”
Even with his full time hours at VenuWorks, he said he is “probably not working as hard as my dear friends still in the buildings.”
He does find time to spend with his two grown children and his three grandchildren. He tries to take care of his health and he walks many miles.
He also is a bereavement counselor for his local hospice organization.
“I know that is a heavy thing to volunteer my time to, but when my wife was dying (1992), hospice helped us so,” he said. “I decided I wanted to give back.”
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THE HUMAN TOUCH
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