PUSH Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 3

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3

s e t o N d l Fie

Typically, in May, we would be experiencing thrilling postseason play in the NBA and NHL. That alone gives fans something interesting to watch virtually every night.

The month of May also includes the first two legs of the Triple Crown, a portion of the French Open, the Indy 500, the conclusion of the English Premier League season, and occasionally features the Champions League final, as well. Overall, it’s a jam-packed month for the average sports fan.

Instead, we are currently in a COVID-19 quarantine mode. Soon, we will enter the age of post COVID-19 shelter in place. If your organization thinks it is still just a DMO, sports commission, national governing body, or a rights holder, you have some catching up to do. We all must adjust our mindset to boost customer confidence and build an information network that gives them a safe comfort level to leave the house for a sports tourism related experience.

Let us be honest, we have never experienced anything like this. The world today has been thrown a curve ball. And, as each State begins its phases of re-opening, one thing will be painfully clear in the tourism industry, everyone will not be returning at the same time.

Thresholds for mass gatherings will be established. Athletic events will be played without spectators. Hotels and restaurants will operate at a fraction of capacity. Directors and Managers of these businesses will hopefully survive with limited inventory and profits as we limp along through the phases

of re-opening.

What will it take for our athletes, spectators, volunteers and more to feel safe enough to take a trip? Hearing from National and State governments that it is safe to travel? Confirmation from hotels and tourism related businesses that they are ready with an aggressive, cleanliness plan? Only when a vaccine has been thoroughly tested and proved? Whichever turns the tide, one thing is inevitable; a new set of Standard Operating Procedures will become normal, and at what cost?

As an industry we must be ready to make visitors feel good about their decision to travel. How do we dive into the psychology of our visitors? As we tackle the concept of our new normal, what and how will you be communicating? Are you planning to video yourself cleaning water coolers, using anti-bacterial wipes to clean surfaces, wearing gloves to stuff packets and goodie bags, and will you post it notably on your website?

Be ready to tell your story, with extreme transparency, to showcase how your efforts are focused on making visitors feel comfortable about their decisions. This is what I believe every one of us needs to concentrate on now. Visitors are understandably scared and the faster we increase their confidence the better our recovery will be. Sports tourism organizations that are actively working on customer safety will have immediate success and come back faster than most.

So, be honest, how is your organization acknowledging that you are ready for customers?

X Matt Dunn

s t n e t n o C f le o

Tab 8

DMO/SPORTS COMMISSION PROFILE

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6 ZOOM MEETING TRICKS

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SIDE HUSTLES

TECH PROFILE

38 40

RIGHTS HOLDER PROFILE

DAILY QUARANTINE HEALTH STRATEGIES

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6 IDEAS TO HELP EMPLOYEES THROUGH UNCERTAINTY

EVENT REGISTRATION TECH

INDUSTRY CONFIDENTIAL

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What is your title and how long have you held the position with Visit Kingsport?

Frank Lett DM O/S P O R TS COM MIS S ION P R OFI L E

Senior Associate Executive Director, employed at Visit Kingsport since 2005.

What is your current organization structure?

Private non-profit contracted with the City of Kingsport. The City’s Board of Directors is made up of local hoteliers and community stakeholders that meet once a month. I report to Jud Teague, the Executive Director and provide quarterly reports.

What is the % breakdown of your revenue?

We are 100% funded by the City lodging tax.

Is your organization focused on quality of life events, room night generation or both?

We are focused on room night generation.

What would you say are your “bread and butter” sports?

Baseball, Basketball, and Wrestling. We have great facilities for each of those sports. In addition, we have invested in owning our own portable basketball courts and wrestling mats that we can set in our convention center.

Our retention rate for sports events is over 90%, so we are continuing to work on enhancing them year over year, by making the visitor experience the best it can be in Kingsport. In addition we own and operate a BBQ and Music Festival, “Racks by the Tracks.” This annual event is continually progressing and growing.

As a summary, in typical years we host and/ or operate close to 30 sports events, 2 Festivals (Racks by the Tracks – 13th year, and Fun Fest – 40th year), an 8 week downtown concert series, and manage Hunter Wright Stadium, home of the Kingsport Mets, New York’s Single A Rookie Affiliate.

Describe the seasonality of Visit Kingsport tourism and how you use it in your approach to recruit and create new events.

EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

When I first arrived in Kingsport most of the sports events and special events were only held in the Spring and Summer. Over the past 14 years, we have made a very intentional effort to create and operate events more evenly throughout the year. We diversified the organizations we partnered with and successfully worked toward hosting events in shoulder times. Fast forward to 2020, we host events in nearly all 12 months of the year. We are always looking to add created events that we own and operate, that can moveus closer to 100% retention.

What are your goals in 2020 surrounding your work with the Tennessee state sports tourism effort and your Committee work?

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Chairman of Play Tennessee for 2020 & 2021, Sports ETA Board term expiring in April (hopefully I get renewed) Cattails Golf Course at Meadowview Marriott Advisory Committee, K-Play Sports Council Director (local non-profit for the betterment of youth sports facilities).

For Play Tennessee, our goal is to continue to build our brand and make sure we are top of mind with event organizers and rights holders. We have great leadership and support from our State Department of Tourism and we plan to continue carrying the momentum we currently have in making Tennessee the top destination for amateur and professional sports.

Is there an issue you are pushing for facility upgrade, new facility, new market, etc.

Continued support and funding are two things that are always in the forefront! We couldn’t do what we do without both of those items working in tantum. We have had some really great elected city leaders and city staff in Kingsport who have always seen tourism and sports tourism as an economic growth engine. We are a revenue generator for the city and create a great return on investment from the lodging tax, nearly $30 to every $1 collected.

reer. It’s giving me the chance to see some of the most beautiful places in the country with friends, colleagues and clients. It creates great fellowship and competition. And in some instances, you get the chance to host great golf events in your destination like we have done with Golf Channel hosting Tennessee Big Shots benefitting Niswonger Children’s Hospital.

Besides your hobbies, what do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Our community supports us in all tourism efforts, our hotels, restaurants, local business and community members truly make it a great place to work, live and play! This continued support and the option to bringing new facilities and assets online when needed is the key to our success in Kingsport.

Spending time with my family. Everyone in this industry spends a ton of time on the road and managing events.

Getting that quality time with family is precious and very important to me. Additional fun fact, probably one of my favorite things to when not playing golf or spending time with my family is cooking. Grilling, smoking meat, and spending time in the kitchen are things I enjoy doing as often as possible.

Golf has been a big part of your life outside of work and family responsibilities, how has the sport impacted your life and what positive attributes do you take from it?

What’s the most prized possession you have in your office?

Arnold Palmer said “ Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated.” I believe this translates directly to life.

The harder you work at it, the better you get. Also, the harder you work at it, more often than not, things tend to go your way…you get the breaks that you need.

Golf has provided me several opportunities during my ca-

Golf ball collection. I try to get a ball logoed ball from every significant golf course I play. I have to play it to display the ball, currently there about 60 on display.

What is your favorite sporting event annually?

The Masters! The history and beauty are amazing! Also, to me it means the beginning of Spring and beautiful weather.

EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

Start planning your trip today at VisitKingsport.com

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EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

6 Ideas to Help Employees Through Uncertainty PROVIDE THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT YOUR TEAM NEEDS NOW MORE THAN EVER The responsibilities of being a leader and manager are increasing right now. Your whole team is navigating unprecedented waters.

Working remotely is hard. Life, from grocery shopping to home schooling brings new stresses that can continue compound.

Yet life goes on and there’s still work to be done. As a leader, how do you best support your team while still moving workflow forward positively? Here are six ideas for leaders to help their teams work through an emotional time to develop resilience. Down the road, you will be a stronger team for it

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1. Be sure all virtual social gatherings are optional.

Spontaneous after-work drinks and office catch-up chats are no longer possible. To maintain team camaraderie, planning a casual Zoom “Happy Hour” has been the norm. Not a bad idea but be sure to make it optional for all team members. Distractors are different for everyone and that can make it difficult to participate. Or your employees might need a break from Zoom.

Do not assume everyone in the group has the headspace, or time, for another informal Zoom call.

2. Provide flexibility during the workday and offer time off.

The sudden change to remote working and sheltering in place has interrupted day-to-day routines. We are all still adjusting.

Offer employees time during the work week to help smooth this transition. Maybe switch to half day Fridays? This would give employees time to figure out a new routine, contact family or free their minds by taking a few hours to relax. Another thought would be to not allow anyone to schedule Friday afternoon meetings.

Your time off approach will depend on your organization’s policies. It is likely you may not be able to issue a new policy for your direct reports to take a half day off. But you can use your oneon-one appointments with your employees to appreciate what is going on in their lives. Adjust to help them manage. Even some-

thing as little as letting them take time during a workday to take an essential shopping trip will be welcomed.

you. If someone sees multiple hours in a row blocked on your calendar several days a week, they most likely will not honor it.

3. Reduce meetings by 5-10 minutes.

5. Be mindful of your own emotions.

Calendars are filling up with back-to-back meetings, so try to effectively schedule in some down time in-between. People need a break, mentally and physically. Shorten half hour meetings to 25 minutes. A 60 minute meeting can become 50 minutes.

Supporting the emotions of your direct reports can be emotionally draining. You must take care of yourself too. One style of working through this is to contact other directors and leaders. Connecting with colleagues about common challenges can be very cathartic.

This approach might be easier said than done. A lot of meetings have a tendency to run long, so trying to build in down time may not work. The issue may be you, so this could be a good time to get more efficient with how you manage meetings. To begin, reduce the guest list to only to only necessary, select employees, create a clear agenda, and designate a note-taker to record action items.

You are not driving to work, not picking up dry cleaning, or headed across town for meetings. We all have the luxury of extra time right, in one way or another. Think about focusing on habits like meditation, getting daily exercise, and sufficient sleep. If time is restricted due to your circumstances, work to find small blocks of time and strategies to improve your well-being.

Keeping a journal to record all that you are grateful for takes just five or ten minutes a day and can lead to better sleep patterns and help with positive behavioral changes.

4. Support calendar blocking.

An alternative to stop meetings from taking over your day is to block out time for yourself. Encourage your staffs to schedule periods of time for in-depth work or free time to catch up on emails. Do so on your own calendar and encourage your team to do the same.

This can be beneficial, as long as you’re blocking out sufficient amounts of time. No more than an hour or two. Your coworkers still need scheduled time with

6. Get comfortable with over communicating.

Leaders should over communicate more so than they feel comfortable with. Send more emails with project updates, contact your team more often, create more opportunities for people to connect. No harm no foul when over communicating during a crisis.

EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

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EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

with CHAD HOOVER

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6 Meeting Tricks Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the latest household name is Zoom. An excellent platform used for videoconferencing and one that organizations have been using for years. It’s a critical resource for conducting daily, even sometimes hourly, remote meetings with coworkers in various locations.

One of Zoom’s best features is that it’s relatively easy to use. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll discover a ton of tricks and features that make for a fun experience.

Sidebar: These tips presume you’re using a paid account, so some features may be missing if you’re using the free version.

1. Look in a mirror people!

Before any video conference meeting begins, I like to give this mugshot an old looksee. I use Windows 10, therefore a simple way to do so is to type “Camera” into the search bar beside the Start menu. I then crank up the Windows’ Camera app and get my grill in order.

Otherwise, on either a Windows PC or a Mac, you can open the Zoom app, access the Settings menu by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right corner. Select the Video section, and you’ll

get a preview of what your camera will show.

Also, while in the Video section—and if you have a somewhat new computer and a lively internet connection—click the “Enable HD” option if available, and see what the “Touch up my appearance” feature does to your look. For some, it’ll smooth out wrinkles like mine; for others, it’ll make you look waxy.

2. Test, and then test again While in the Settings menu, tap on the Audio section to choose your preferred audio setup. If you’re only using your laptop speaker and microphone, there’s not much to adjust here. But if you’re using a microphone headset combo, be sure to select both the Speaker and Microphone options before you begin a call.

You can also choose other audio devices while on a call by clicking the small symbol to the right side of the Mute button, which brings up a menu of alternative devices. Be sure to review the other options on the bottom of the menu. If your computer audio is creating problems, click on “Switch to Phone Audio…” to dial in from your

EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

ST YLE TIPS

home, office, or cell phone as a substitute. Or use the “Audio Settings…” option to launch the full audio menu.

3. Unmute quickly Solid Zoom etiquette standards include that if you are not speaking, you should leave the mute option on. Though, you’ll customarily be called on to contribute and, after being jolted wide awake from your day dream of walking on the beach or in the mountains, you’ll stumble around for what seems like a week to ten days trying to unmute yourself. There is a better way! Presuming your Zoom window is live, hold the space bar down to unmute yourself.

While holding it down, respond, and then once you are done, release the space bar and you’ll be muted once again. Otherwise, pressing Alt + A will switch the mute function on and off without forcing you to hold the keys down.

4. See everyone The default setting will display whoever is actively speaking. However, in one click, you can view all active participants by clicking “Gallery View” in the top righthand corner of a live meeting. Once selected, your screen will display a grid of all participants up to a maximum of 49 per page, depending on your CPU. If you’d like this view to become your default setting, you can click on the Settings menu from the Zoom app, then under the Meetings item, switch to “Display up to 49 participants per screen in Gallery View” on.

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5. Watch some videos together When you are trying to show a video to the entire call, share your screen by using the larger, green Share button in the middle, bottom of the Zoom window. But, prior to choosing what to share from the selection pane that pops up, be sure to check “Share computer sound” in the lower-left corner.

So that, when playing a video, the rest of your colleagues on the call will hear what you hear.

6. Record and edit a meeting Many great ideas come out of Zoom meetings, but you may have invitees show up late or with scheduling conflicts. Possibly you are hosting a webinar and you will want to record it to use later, maybe as a digital asset. Whatever the scenario, Zoom makes recording calls simple. In the Settings menu before starting a call, under the Recording section, make sure “Optimize for 3rd party video editor” is selected. That will provide you an MP4 video file that is basic to work with while using editing software.

Then, when starting a meeting, let’s assume you’re the host of the meeting, click the Record button at the bottom of the window. You will then see two options: “Record on this Computer” and “Record to the Cloud.” If you have the storage capability, choose “Record on this Computer.” The Cloud recording option is good but is also limited to a gigabyte of storage on your account.

When finished, have patience and let Zoom take over. Locate an MP4 file of your recording in the Zoom folder under Documents on your computer.

From birdies to beaches, every visit is a hole in one

When it comes to sporting events, St. Augustine | Ponte Vedra is a guaranteed win. With state-of-the-art sports facilities, world-class accommodations, and fun-filled attractions around every corner, your athletes will not only enjoy some friendly competition, but also a lifetime of unforgettable memories.

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Discover natural peace and your perfect battleground.

With top-notch facilities and expert support staff, Tallahassee is the perfect destination to host your next athletic event. In-between competitions, dine at world-class restaurants, take in some live music or explore one of our many local adventures.

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EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

TRAVEL GUIDE & TIPS

Ben Ford RI GH TS H O L DE R P R O FI L E

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Perfect Game has been contributing to the sport of baseball for so long, how are you working with your partners to grow the game?

From our inception, we’ve worked hard to expand our reach into various communities throughout the country as currently roughly 80% of our events take place at facilities we don’t own. We’re focused on ways to make the game more available to a wide variety of participants and creating an experience of competition amongst

athletes. All the while, specifically emphasizing the importance of academics and athletics.

How is Perfect Game looking at being part of the process to transition to other tourism metrics in addition to room nights?

We value our strength of creating a significant impact on tourism. Most importantly, this comes from our focus on being a partner with destinations, not just a client. Whether it be from our kids clinics, involving at-risk youth or our inclusion of Major League Baseball player appearanc-

es at our events, there are a wide variety of ways to incorporate the value of local citizen’s participating in our projects.

We’re extremely proud of our part time employee program across our event weekends and the value it creates within a local community. Also, with room nights being the primary indicator of success for many of our partner communities, we are working with our host communities to outline an additional direct spending component and to share the estimated economic impact of our events.

EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

RIGHTS HOLDER

Fun personal questions Where would you most like to live?

On some remote tropical island somewhere.

What’s the most prized possession you have in your office?

A photo of my son when he was a newborn.

What is your favorite sporting event annually?

Probably the Super Bowl just because I appreciate all of the work it takes to put that together and how hard it is for the teams to not only get there but to actually win it.

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From the outside looking in, it seems that athlete development has been the main key to your success, what activities contribute to that effort?

We are confident our digital footprint has a significant impact on our ability to drive athlete development. Our athlete demographic is between the ages of 10-18 years old and they are enormously engaged with various technologies. 65% of our participants are from from out of market, so we must maintain a consistent level of outreach that stimulates their interest. This year, we’re looking into several methods to continue that digital outreach from working to live stream every game of every tournament on our PerfectGame.TV channel to exploring eSports platforms, we’re hoping to lead our space in new technology, if it’s the right fit.

What goes into facility selection for Perfect Game to “push the button” on tournament placement?

There will be a combination of criteria based on flight service, roadway infrastructure, lodging partners and facility development.

What’s impressive about Perfect Game is your focus beyond tournament play, how did you build the scouting division and how do you measure its success?

Our scouting department has been built with great pride from our founder Jerry Ford, who himself was a scout and coach. It was his vision and dedication that created Perfect Game and has grown it to what it is today. He helped handpick all of the scouts in our organization. Above all we are baseball guys who have a passion for growing the game and helping players achieve their success. The biggest way we measure its success is by the popularity and reliability of all our reports and rankings.

They are the most trusted scouts in the business.

Our core values start with a handshake. Once our Perfect Game Operations Team has an understanding where we in partnership with a host can mutually benefit, the solutions start to become evident. Signature facilities are always preferred for our various Perfect Game Showcases and certainly baseball and softball fields that are in clusters are preferred. Some of our signature events utilize as many as 60 baseball fields.

Facility development and management seems to be an area of growth for Perfect Game, what are your plans for expansion in 2020 and beyond?

Our plans are to incorporate regional strategies to drive events to our National Headquarters in Hutto, TX, outside of Austin. Our efforts to expand into more cities throughout the country and develop the appropriate facility partnerships will be part of that growth.

EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

Outsiders

WELCOME

See the stories: PureFlorida.com/play

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EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

IN GREATER LANSING— WE ALL LOVE THE GAME Did you know that over the last 10 years the Greater Lansing Sports Authority has grown sports events in our area by 272%? The GLSA is a full-service sports commission with a passion for bringing in and supporting sports events of all kinds. Offering premium venues, team-friendly dining and convenient lodging the Greater Lansing area is the best choice for your next event. Contact us and work with the GLSA today!

517.377.1411 lansingsports.org #LANSINGSPORTS

e n i t n a r a u Q y l i Da s e i g e t a r t S h t l a He 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Wake up before 7:30 am & make your bed before leaving the bedroom.

Drink a glass of water before your morning coffee.

Eat breakfast, be sure to include at least 15g of protein.

Take 1,500 steps before 11:00 am.

Add 1 more fruit or vegetable to your daily intake.

Eat 1 salad daily.

In bed by 10:30 pm.

EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

SIDE HUSTLES

SIDE HUSTLES If becoming financially independent is what you are looking for, or if you need extra income during the pandemic, you will need to find methods to reduce your debt and spending. However, increasing your income is also advantageous, and side hustles can provide significant relief toward that end. Some of the best side hustles involve everything from digital marketing to proofreading.

Fortunately, today’s technology has produced more opportunities to make money on the side than ever 30

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MANAGE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A LOCAL BUSINESS This is one of the best side hustles, though it will take initiative. Reach out to local businesses in your area, as social media can be a weekly task they are willing to let go of. Be sure to research an appropriate, monthly price for your services. As this is a digital business, you can do it right from home.

B E A N A F F I L I AT E M A R K E T E R Are you a blogger, or have your own website? Affiliate marketing is a style of marketing where you link to other company’s products on your website. You will collect a commission from sales generated through those links.

BECOME A TUDOR Are you a whiz at any school subjects? Put that knowledge to your fiscal advantage by becoming a tutor.

Fortunately, teaching and learning never go out of style.

before. Though, some opportunities can include earning passive income while not doing much work at all. Others require a more involved role but can still be rewarding. Check your organization’s policies and procedures before starting a new income stream to ensure you are not creating a conflict of interest.

Whether you are hoping to drive people to the grocery store, rent bedrooms in your house or participate in marketing solutions, there is a side hustle out there for you.

PROOFREAD ONLINE My talented and wonderful editor here at PUSH Magazine is a hero when it comes to proofreading. If you are a detail-oriented person and good with the English language, consider becoming an online proofreader for hire as a side hustle.

EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

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play here. and here.

Give your tournament the ultimate game plan – the new world-class, 160-acre Panama City Beach Sports Complex. Nowhere else combines sugar-white beaches and turquoise waters with the Southeast’s best state-of-the-art facilities. Which explains why when the game’s over, the fun is just getting started.

PlayPanamaCityBeach.com or contact Chris O’Brien, Director of Sports Marketing & Special Events, at 850.233.5070

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When the game’s over, the FUN is just getting started.

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Success is When Space Meets Style.

Visit Central Florida is able to accommodate your sporting event, no matter the scale. The Winter Haven Field House and Conference Center is now open, adding 60,000 square feet of multi-use gymnasium to Polk County.

Plan your next sporting event at CentralFloridaSports.com

KNOXVILLE. WHERE CHAMPIONS ARE MADE

USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships return to Knoxville June 18 - 21, 2020

Sports.VisitKnoxville.com

EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

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Greg Guzzetta TECH P R O FI L E Greg, tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to your current role, it’s a great story…one our readers would love to hear.

It has been a circuitous route…I started working on the Associated Students concert program in 1982 and was hooked.

Everything about producing live music events was interesting and fun to me. I left college without graduating to go on the road with bands. The 80’s were a great era for music, and I experienced all of it.

Becoming an audio engineer really got me into technology, but oddly enough I got off the road and moved on before everything turned digital and mixing a band became more like playing a video game.

I had to get off the road. It was time to attempt to live a more ‘normal’ life.

Got a job at Saban Entertainment (Power Rangers) and attempted to apply my production skills in video and film production. It was a great gig! I got to cut sound effects for cartoons, I taught myself on some of the original Avid editing systems and ended up producing kids’ TV specials for a while.

Live music was calling me back though, and I had the opportunity to work with some friends and design and produce multi-screen video content for large ra-

dio station music festivals…think Summer Jam, Jingle Ball and Wango Tango.

I was able to use skills from both live event production and the video production. It was perfect for me and the fun factor went way up again.

Once radio industry consolidation happened in the late 90’s these great festivals with big budgets became ‘Alternative Revenue Events’ for the radio groups instead of fun marketing events…I was out.

After all the radio business dried up, I took a job at a company that produced Action Sports events. Another well-funded project, I was able to drop a 45’ half pipe at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and in various arenas around the US. Fun factor was high (see the trend?) and the work was very satisfying. Things really got fun when a corporate monolith bought the company and we had the ‘magic check book’ that would never overdraw. I was not savvy enough to understand that this would never last but me and my accomplices were able to build a good size Action Sports event and content production house that created some of the most well produced Action Sports events and network television ever.

When the downsizing occurred, I had the pleasure of having one of the highest salaries and was one of the first to go. One

EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

of my good friends was COO at the time. To this day I give him shit for laying me off‌it’s been more than 12 years and I still call him out on it after a few cocktails.

Festivals here in the US were becoming a thing so I decided to make a play in technology in this growing market. I learned about RFID and saw the potential in thwarting counterfeit tickets, which was a serious problem at the time. I flew around the globe several times working with partners to beat Intellitix to the market but alas our money guy went bonkers and I bailed on that.

While pursuing RFID, I spent quite a bit of time in the UK and Scotland at festivals and discovered temporary CCTV systems and the Command Center concept. Nobody had tried to open the CCTV market in the US so I bought some cameras learned the tech and was deploying the first temporary wireless CCTV system at ACL that Fall and Coachella the next Spring and we were off.

We have come a long way since then and the tech just keeps getting better and better.

As we started to become an integral service provider in these Command Centers, I began the development of GigAware to manage all of the incidents and dispatchers in those Command Centers.

You have an extensive career covering a wide variety of event management tools and software solutions. How did you get started down this path and what helped create your passion?

When I was a touring production manager, I had to build my own software tools. I would get into FoxPro and build advance forms and that sort of thing. The reason for creating GigAware was born out of all of the time that we spent in these festival Command Centers where all of this data was coming in and going out and there was not a real solution for that in the festival space.

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Lots of folks were still in spreadsheets and legal pads. There was one solution that tried to make its way into these events, but it was old and clunky. Everyone complained about it, so everyone was cranky. I started to ask questions and take notes and decided that I could possibly build a real solution to gather all that data and make it easy to use and more enjoyable to use. So, I did what anyone would do and went online and found a developer dude in Pakistan and started down the road of building the framework of GigAware.

I would build a version, take it out to events and get input and then go back and make changes. It is completely built on user and client input. The more I would do with it the more I could see what it could become. I had the idea of incorporating GPS data from Motorola radios 2 years before I was able to achieve that.

When did Event Intelligence Group merge with TOURtech? What led to those decisions?

Event Intelligence Group (EIG) merged with TOURtech last June. Al Cook, CEO of TOURtech, and I had become friends and colleagues over the years of working on the same festival sites. We always knew that our companies had a lot in common.

Both companies offered related services in the same markets. We shared similar values in regard to running a business. I decided that if I was going to scale EIG and GigAware to its potential, I needed more resources and I needed more collaboration. I could have very easily taken venture capital money for EIG, but it always scared me to have to perform to metrics that I would not be creating.

So now, I run EIG as the Public Safety Division of TOURtech.

Tell us about the software and how it helps safety and security measures at events.

Public safety management is all about data. The more situational awareness that you can create the better the response. You can create situational awareness through collecting data. Whether it is from CCTV cameras, radio traffic, GPS tracking, from dispatchers taking calls or ticketing systems, weather services or traffic data, or LiDAR detectors or Thermal Scanners…the list goes on and varies from event to event and venue to venue. My goal with GigAware has always been to collect as much data as possible and turn it into something that will create a more efficient Command Center which will enhance incident response, thus creating a safer event.

What are the key elements that differentiate GigAware from other solutions available?

There are a couple key differentiators between GigAware and the other solutions. One of the most important is that GigAware is location

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based. Location based data is key. It does you no good if you know that something happened, and you cannot get a good location on the incident. When you are in the dispatch dashboard in GigAware, you don’t see a list of locations, you see a map of your venue, you have landmarks to help navigate, you have data surrounding the venue, so that you can have a complete picture of what is going on. The other key differentiator is that we can create a custom solution that will integrate with systems that you may already be in use. Whether it be a ticketing system to acquire gate counts, or a drone detection system or all of the technologies that we are working with to assist in getting everybody opened back up after the Pandemic. We have the overt systems such as thermal screening and we have the more covert systems like LiDAR detectors to assist with enforcing social distancing. We are always coming up with new integrations.

Besides your hobbies, what do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

When I am not working, I enjoy travelling with my wife, Lisa. I’ve always found it odd that folks that travel for work so much also enjoy travelling when not working…probably all those frequent flier miles. Our two favorite places are St. John, USVI and Flathead Lake in Bigfork, Montana.

What is the most prized possession you have in your office?

I have two prized possessions in my office. One is the Challenge Coin that I received for producing the second inaugural parade for President Obama. The other is a Fender Telecaster signed by Bruce Springsteen.

What is your favorite sporting or entertainment event annually?

I’m a long time Green Bay Packers fan. Any day the Packers are playing is my favorite sporting event.

EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

RACE REGISTRATION Adaptable registration solutions. Since opening it’s doors in 2013, RaceHawk has kept this simple brand mission. Now under new ownership, this registration platform is working to create a unique experience for event owners and a new approach to the event/platform relationship.

Think boutique service meets industry experience. Events on this platform are offered a catered experience with a team that is dedicated to doing their part to make each event a success.

Started by event owners and still owned by event owners, this background provides a powerful think tank that isn’t afraid to get creative and work to find solutions.

Easy to set up and get started, RaceHawk allows users to create an instant landing page for their event details, build customized registration options and pricing, drop in sponsor logos and craft welcome messaging and links for social. Day to day numbers and data are easy to access through the backend dashboard and event owners can download participant data or send event com-

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munication through the platform to their athletes at any time.

In registering your event on the platform, you instantly receive a “Welcome Kit” including a marketing package on RaceHawk channels. Registration checks are cut every 2 weeks, allowing owners access to the cash they need to keep event plans rolling. These are among a few features that have made this platform popular with owners.

In a time when adaptability is king, this platform is doing what it takes to keep it’s clients moving forward. Pulling in virtual race solutions has allowed May events on the platform to stay connected with their athletes and soften the blow of postponements and cancellations.

There is no one size fits all solution, but for events looking for real partnership from their registration platform and are excited to get creative, this company offers a great start.

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EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

“This is not the first time you have survived a major obstacle and it likely won’t be your last.”

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One should never assume. But, in this case I am confident in assuming that during each any every strategic planning session you’ve ever sat in on, not one of you included “Traversing a Global Pandemic” as one of your 2020 goals. However, here we are, almost two months in and many of those strategic plans you worked so hard to craft have all been placed on a shelf. I do not need to remind you of the challenging hardships that many organizations are facing. Your organization is most likely included in the mix.

And now, regardless of whether we are ready, we are all preparing for a new normal while the country opens back up in phases and it’s time to start making preparations.

Still before we begin slashing away at our current strategic plan or quickly throwing together next steps, let’s be sure to focus. Here are three things you and your organization can do before you start planning for activity in a post pandemic world.

Find your calm. Locate and accept where you, your employees, and your organization are at emotionally, financially and structurally. Then accept this as fact, without judgment.

You will be more efficient and effective in your planning efforts if you are acting from a place of calm and acceptance rather than conflict or resentment.

Review your strengths. Take time individually and as a group to look back through your history, and the history of your organization, for other times when you endured significant adversity. This is not the first time you have survived a major obstacle and it likely won’t be your last. Remember your tenacity. It’s in there.

Get interested to get creative. We all need to think differently right now, drawing on creativity, originality, and imagination. Creativity is not fostered when coming from a place of fear but rather it thrives when it orginates from curiosity. To get yourself into that mindset, start by getting truly curious about what comes next for you and your organization.

As you enter into this post COVID-19 phase, making the time to get yourself and your team in the right mindset, accepting life as it is right now and assessing your current state will set up your approach to determine a strategy with precision and certainty.

EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

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EXPERIENCE. COMMUNITY. PERSPECTIVE.

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Long days can still feel like they’re not long enough.

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