Karen Totaro is in a much different place this year, literally. Totaro accepted a position as GM for new Global Spectrum-contract Atlantic City Convention Center in March, moving from the assistant GM position at Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati. On top of settling into her new job, Totaro has been serving the International Association of Venue Managers in the first of her three-year term that will see her rise to the chairman spot in 2015. It’s traditionally been the job of the second vice chair to plan the annual VenueConnect meeting, taking place in Portland, Ore., this year. It’s somewhat of a homecoming for Totaro, who spent more than nine years as assistant executive director of Oregon Convention Center. Venues Today caught up with Totaro before the conference to preview the July 25-29 event.
As someone who spent so much time in Portland, did you feel like you had the inside scoop on some interesting things to incorporate into the programming?
Absolutely. I just lucked out by getting Portland because it’s rare that you get a city that you actually know something about. I knew what would be of interest and where we fit.
You’re kicking off get-togethers with the help of a local event, the 27th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival.
Years ago we used to do something at the convention where on Friday night it was the first night everyone hit town, the golfers had come back and showered — thank God — and it was the most fun because it was the first time you saw everyone after the year. I wanted that sense of arrival again. What’s nice is Brewers Festival is that Friday night. We’ll have our own canopy tent area, which will be kind of that meeting place where everyone can take a breather, see all their old friends and enjoy the beverages. It’s just a little something new that’s so perfectly “Portland.”
Any Portland favorites you can recommend for free nights?
We did something different this year and created a personal Portland guide. We asked tourist-type questions to the people who work at all the venues in Portland, so attendees are going to get that for lots of good ideas. It’s really from our venue people in Portland to all of our venue people worldwide.
Planning a conference of this size is always such a huge undertaking. Who made up the host committee and what is its main role?
Robyn Williams, who’s GM of Portland’5 Centers for the Performing Arts, was a co-chair along with Scott Cruickshank who is the GM at Oregon Convention Center. The rest of the committee was made up of locals in Portland who were part of one of the venues. We had representation from the arena, the stadium, performing arts center, and local allied members who are based in Portland. Where they became involved was recommendations as we started looking at where to host the leadership dinner, what kind of entertainment to have at the closing night reception, and things like that.
Why was it so important to allocate time for a Q&A on the upcoming member vote?
We always have the annual meeting but it’s filled with a lot of information about what have been the successes this year, where are we moving forward in the next year, and where the new chair’s focus will be. We added the special meeting because there were definitely some passionate opinions on both sides about the upcoming member vote, so we wanted to set some time for it so members know we want to hear their thoughts and voices. It’s a 30-minute slot right before the trade show opens. We want to hear everybody who has thoughts on it, but also want to answer their questions.
Have there been any changes made to the member vote?
Over the course of the year as we got information from our members at different sector and regional meetings, we went back to the board and actually changed how the vote is worded and separated it. Before it was about allied members being able to vote and hold offices as kind of one thing. We heard from many members that they wanted it separated so they could potentially vote for one item and not the other. There was also a concern about criteria. The members wanted somebody who had experience actually running a venue if they were going to serve as chair, so we went back again and changed that to include that allied members have to have at least seven years experience running a venue.
It’s the second year of the legacy project. What do you have planned?
We’re doing a bike build. It’s so Portland. We’ll be building 25 bikes for kids who have never owned one. At the end, the kids are actually going to come in and get their bikes and it’s going to be a surprise for them. I think it’s going to be fun to participate, team build, and to have that experience where these kids are going to have something to take home that day.
Last year’s conference was shortened one day. Did you stick with the shorter schedule?
Arrival day is pretty much Friday, with the trade show opening reception on Saturday, while Sunday and Monday have all the sessions. Tuesday is simply committee meetings and venue tours, so it’s a similar time frame to what we had last year. What we heard was there were too many choices during the sessions last year, with sometimes five or six going on at one time. We narrowed it down to four, but squeezed in more time periods. There’s going to be an opportunity for people to attend about 40 education sessions during their time at VenueConnect. Of those four sessions each time period, we wanted to make sure there was something to interest an executive, a midlevel manager, and something to interest somebody who’s more Ops-heavy.
Who is your keynote for this year’s Women in Leadership program?
Former Governor of Oregon Barbara Roberts. She’s a member of the county commission that oversees the performing arts center and convention center. She is funny and feisty and has had this amazing career. We’re going to do it kind of like women of “The View,” so she’s going to be on stage with Kerry Painter (Asst. GM of Cox Business Center in Tulsa, Okla.), Leslee Stewart (GM at Paramount Theatre in Oakland, Calif.) and Stephanie Curran (Asst. GM at Spokane [Wash.] Convention Center). They’re going to ask her questions and have it more of a dialogue and conversation, which will make it a more fun and intimate interview.
How has that been as a segue into Venues Today’s Women of Influence reception?
One of the things we wanted to make sure is that this ends leading right into the Women of Influence reception. It was important to us that the whole evening is celebrating women in the industry. I thought it was a great connection to segue right into Venues Today’s awards ceremony, which has become such a big thing in our industry. I don’t think what Venues Today has created to really highlight women in this industry can be compared to. I think you’ve hit on a niche that means a lot to all of us. I love seeing that ceremony every year and getting the list of everybody who’s nominated. It matters and it’s recognition that I think is well deserved.
What are the plans for the trade show floor and opening?
We’re trying something new this year. It came from something we heard from a lot of our allies: How do we keep people more engaged on the floor? On Sunday, we’re going to have all the meeting rooms on the trade show floor. We’ll have four temporary meeting rooms set up and you can come and go from the sessions right to the trade show floor.
Tell me about the Direct Connect program?
It’s a program we have that allows both our allied and IAVM members to really add value to their time and provide one-on-one time with qualified potential clients. What I wanted to do was participate so I have one-on-one time with service providers I’m looking for. They know the people coming in have been qualified and do have money to spend and aren’t just window-shopping. We tried to get the information to allied members at least a month out so they can do their homework on these buyers. It adds value to the time experience so when they do meet they’re ready, the client is ready, and they can do a nice presentation. This is only the second year we’ve done it and the program has grown compared to last year.
Tell me a bit about IAVM and the International Association of Exhibition & Events’ partnership?
We’re actually doing two sessions with IAEE this year, whereas last year we had one. IAVM President and CEO Vicki Hawarden is going to do a session with the president of IAEE talking big picture what’s going on between the two organizations. There is also a session talking about convention center lease agreement best practices that they’ve been working on. We usually do a session at IAVM’s International Convention Center Conference, too.
How will you incorporate the younger generation at VenueConnect?
There’s something new we’re trying this year with the Next Steps for Emerging Leaders panel. The program has been created for our emerging leaders coming up, but it’s also created by them. They, as a committee of young professionals, put together a panel. They’re going to end it with an ‘app share,’ where it’s cocktails and sharing the favorite apps that have really helped them in their careers.
If this is someone’s first VenueConnect, what do you hope they walk away with?
I hope they walk away with some great “ahas” in terms of education. For me that’s what it’s all about. I hope they have something they can take back to work and use on Monday. Also, I hope they walk away with five business cards and have that experience where they meet someone that they can click with, talk to and can use as a resource or mentor. That’s what it’s all about with IAVM: the networking and education. I think we do both really well at VenueConnect.
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