Promoters, Talent Buyers & Special Event Planners) of Facilities—recognizes Venue Excellence, a criteria that includes the structural dynamics of a building, the level of technology of its sound, lighting, staging—and the quality of the venue staff. All these components are integral to the success of the performance and audience experience. The Prime Site Awards acknowledge those venues that have work smarter. The other content in this issue—a regionalized directory of North American venues, a Product & Services Directory, a spotlight interview with Greg Diekroeger, former Chair of the Board of the National Association for Campus Activities, and Industry Perspective columns on customer service and event service—are all focused on enabling industry members to work smarter. In addition to print, facilitiesonline is the fastest growing website in the industry. Facilitiesonline features news, industry links, a fun-to-readblog, and the industry’s most extensive online database of Arenas, Theaters, Coliseums, Theaters, Civic Centers, PACs, Amphitheatres, University Venues, Fairgrounds, Convention Centers and Special Event Venues. Thousands of Booking Agents, Promoters, Talent Buyers and Special Event Planners use Facilitiesonline every week to stay informed about industry issue and specific events The way to meet the challenges of 2009? Work Smarter! The 2009 Facilities SuperBook (and Facilitiesonline) has been designed to be your first essential tool in achieving that goal.
VIEW P O I N T
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Research Manager Amber Tavarez
Live Entertainment Industry Optimism Seems Contagious
sTimothy it justHerrick me, or is optimism contagious? I hope it’s not Editorial Director Therrick@facilitiesonline.com just me, but optimistic
Business Operations Leo Oh
is certainly how I felt after
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MEMBERS OF:
party still will be celebrated in Nashville, October 3-5, coinciding of course with IEBA’s Annual Conference.
completing the Spotlight Interview in this issue –“IEBA
In addition to Davis, especially as the Facilities Media
ON THE COVEREconomy” – which begins on Keeps Upbeat in a Downbeat
Group assembled our annual Facilities SuperBook, myself
page 8.(Clockwise) As everyone in theCivic liveCenter; entertainment industry A) Charleston
and my colleagues conduct many discussions with a wide
B) Giant Center (interior); is aware, the International C) Coliseo de Puerto Rico; Entertainment Buyers D) Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza; Association turns 40 this year, and as the association E) River Center/Adler Theatre (interior); F) and Toyota Center.
cross section of industry members. There is no sugar coating the fact that everyone in the industry is working with severe
and the industry it serves gears up to celebrate the significant
cuts in budget and staff. Everyone is finding new ways to do
milestone, I conducted an interview with Tiffany Davis,
more with less. Even if the economy has entered a recovery
2 Director of the organization. Executive
Facilities SuperBook phase, as many experts claim, those on2009 the front lines are still
In this comprehensive Q&A, with a combination of intelligence, insight and a refreshingly positive outlook, Davis
uncertain as to when or how to clearly identify that recovery. When will the tide rise high enough to lift all the boats
examines multiple facets of the live entertainment industry.
of the live entertainment industry? Nobody seems ready to
She pointed out a counter intuitive fact: 2009 was the most
hazard a prediction.
profitable year for IEBA. This is not some Pollyanna-speak,
Nonetheless, from Facility Managers to Booking Agents,
upbeat for the sake of being upbeat. Davis does not underplay
Promoters, Talent Buyers and Special Event Planners, just
the seriousness of the impact the still sluggish economy is
about everyone we talked to expressed optimism about the
having on the entertainment industry. She is well aware
industry. Is that optimism more cautious than usual? Most
that the health and welfare of the entertainment and music
definitely, but it’s optimism plain and simple, and optimism
industry depends on all other economic indicators moving
based on the fact that demand for the live entertainment
higher and faster in an upwards direction—and moving soon!
experience remains high and the providers—both onstage
Nonetheless, Davis expresses a feeling that seems shared
and backstage—of that experience are doing a better job at
by other industry members and observers—not to mention
bringing that entertainment to audiences than ever before.
economists and even some politicians—that the worst may be
There may be no better proof of the industry’s resiliency
over in terms of the so called Great Recession that has come
and determination than the fact that one of its leading
to define much of our recent economic lives.
associations turns 40 this year and has never looked better.
What made her positive attitude even more notable is that the final portions of the interviews were conducted after the flooding that devastated Nashville this spring. Luckily, IEBA offices sustained only minor damage and their 40th birthday 4
Let’s hope that optimism is not just contagious, but that more people begin catching it. –Timothy Herrick, Editorial Director Therrick@facilitiesonline.com
Facilities 2010 SuperBook