Presents
The Pinnacle Q4 2019
30th Anniversary at the SDCC Wireless Upgrades in Phoenix Toyful Joyful at the DECC Houston Bike Build Event
Month of Service
Giving Back to Communities across the Nation
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The Pinnacle Q4 2019
Contents Presidents Corner 3 Farewell Laureen Cover Story 4 Smart City Networks’ 3rd Annual Month of Service Center Updates 7 Smart City Teams in Transition
Center Update The San Diego Convention Center celebrated its 30th anniversary on October 24th. Page 7
7 30th Anniversary for the SDCC 7 IDTechEx 2019
Center Update This past November, the Orange County Convention Center held Microsoft Ignite 2019. Page 8
8 WEWCC Name Best North American Convention Center 9 Halloween Decorations at SCCC 9 Microsoft Ignite 2019 9 What’s New in Downtown Columbus 10 TwitchCon and KubeCon + CloudNativeCon at the SDCC 10 TensorFlow World 11 Wireless Upgrades at the PCC 11 Team Building at Escape the Room 12 2nd Annual Holiday Open House
Center Update In October, O’Reilly Media TensorFlow World took over the convention center in Santa Clara. Page 10
12 Winter Wishes at the HCC 13 Tying a Bow on the Holiday Season
Center Update The Long Beach Convention Center hosted the city’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. Page 13
13 Happy Holiday from the LACC 14 Holiday Party at the Strat We Care and Give Back 15 Toyful Joyful at the DECC 16 Feast of Sharing at the WEWCC 17 Fall Feast at the DECC 17 Houston Bike Build Event Team Member Updates 18 Employee of the Month (September, October, November) 19 Tania Earns ACC EOM
We Care and Give Back At the Walter E Washington Convention Center our Smart City team members participated in the 20th annual Safeway Feast of Sharing. Page 16
19 Anniversary Milestones 20 Employee Anniversaries
We Care and Give Back The Duke Energy Convention Center hosted the Fall Feast on Thanksgiving Day. Page 17
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The Pinnacle Q4 2019
President’s Corner
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Farewell Laureen
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n December 31st, Laureen Boykin, our Senior Director of Products and Services, sailed off gracefully into a well-earned retirement after 20 years with Smart City. Laureen joined us as our General Manager of Telecommunications at the San Diego Convention Center when Smart City took over the in-house operation, back in 2000. Laureen moved into roles with ever-increasing responsibilities over the years and played a key role in a significant number of quality initiatives at Smart City including; the integration of the PNI and CCPI acquisitions, development of our Advanced Exhibitor Solutions team, tripling the use of our online ordering portal, and
Boosts Colorado Convention Center “Unbelievably attentive to all our requests for information (Wi-Fi usage) and changes (moving user counts to different SSIDs). All requests were delivered in timely and professional fashion. There was always follow up (most times in person) to ensure our requests were met to our expectations and all services were functioning without issue. Can’t say enough about Tommie Beltz (Customer Sales & Service Manager), Debbie Olivas (General Manager) and the entire Smart City team at CCC!” Aaron Schuette, GABF America’s Center Convention Complex “Daryl Olson (General Manager), I also want to make sure you know how much we enjoyed working with you and your
oversight of numerous successful RFP responses for both new and existing Smart City accounts. She did all of this while also running one of the larger regions within the Smart City operations team for five years. Laureen has been a true trailblazer as a woman in leadership both in Smart City and the meetings industry. She has always lived by the motto that there were consequences to a person’s actions and decisions. While it was difficult for some folks to receive that message from Laureen, they all knew she was right and delivered the message in the spirit of constructive criticism. Laureen leaves a team of excellent leaders who mentored under her and are ready to take on more challenges.
she carried the torch and completed the project. I could always count on her getting a project to its successful completion. Speaking to Laureen just two weeks after her retirement, she is easily transitioning into this new chapter. She is sleeping past 6 am and has embraced the beauty of an afternoon nap! Her plans for the future are to completely spoil her 10 grandkids in the Little Rock area and to never, ever answer another RFP. Sounds like a good plan. Congratulations Laureen, we will miss you.
I will miss Laureen personally, as she made me a better leader. She wasn’t shy in expressing her opinions and views. Still, once we made a team decision,
team over the years. You have always been very easy to work with and very responsive to our needs. I doubt we will experience the same with other vendors moving forward.” Doug Belew, Technical Services, NISC Show Management Virginia Beach Convention Center “Ryan McCart (General Manager) was great in facilitating and meeting any of our needs. The on-site rep, Justin LaPrad (Technician), was great as well.” Brian York, Sentara Heart and Vascular Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center “On the day of our event, we had some last-minute internet needs. Guillermo Huerta (Customer Sales & Service Manager) was very quick and responsive and able to take care of us right away. That was especially important and allowed us to not have to worry about this particular need of the
day. Guillermo was there through the whole event, to help answer questions and make sure we had what we needed. We very much appreciated him!” Texas Business Hall of Fame, Show Management Fort Worth Convention Center “Janae Tinsley (General Manager), the conference gets better every year, so we were very pleased with how everything went. It was great working with you again. Also, it was a pleasure working with Josiah Boone (Technician) again this year. He always does a great job and is readily available for my random requests!” Retail Now, Show Management Tampa Convention Center “Mitch Hughes (General Manager) is always awesome and goes above and beyond, but he has some competition in the service department with Madison Grimes (CSSR II) being just as awesome.” IBEX, Show Management
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The Pinnacle Q4 2019
Cover Story
Picture: Houston NRG & GRB teams at the Houston Food Bank
Smart City Networks’ 3rd Annual Month of Service
Picture: LA team at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
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MART CITY NETWORKS kicked off a nationwide Month of Service to give back to the communities surrounding our partner facilities. During November, Smart City team members from around the nation volunteered to assist local charity organizations. Each organization was thoughtfully selected by the local Smart City team to provide the greatest impact possible to those in need. Some of or our facility teams support organizations such as; Make-A-Wish’s Hot Chocolate 5K, the USO provide Christmas presents to military families and Ronald McDonald House Charities. One of which was asked to visit RMHC again in six months and is planning to do so. Several teams volunteered at foodbanks around the country, helping to sort, stock and package tens of thousands of pounds of food, create meals, and feed thousands of kids, seniors and families. Many of our teams participated in Thanksgiving celebrations to feed the homeless, including preparing and serving food. Some locations even hosted the meal in their facilities.
Picture: Seattle team at Ronald McDonald House Charities
Our corporate team supported the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. In mid-November, on Thursday and Friday, staff prepared meals and supplied food to homeless youth members of the southern Nevada community. Our staff members spent time interacting with them and playing games. It was an enjoyable couple of days and the opportunity to connect with part of our community’s youth was rewarding. “Smart City is a national organization, but our roots are in each and every community we serve.” Mark Haley (President). This employee driven program is a great source of pride for Smart City team members as an opportunity to support the cities that support Smart City.
Picture: Indianapolis team with Million Meal Movement
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Cover Story
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Month of Service Photos
Picture: Phoenix team at Society of St. Vincent De Paul
Picture: St. Louis team at the St. Louis Food Bank
Picture: Minneapolis team at Arc’s Value Village
Picture: Columbus team at the Make-AWish Hot Chocolate 5K
Picture: Tampa team at Feeding Tampa Bay
Picture: Anaheim team during We Give Thanks Picture: Corporate team at the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth
MORE PHOTOS ON FOLLOWING PAGE
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The Pinnacle Q4 2019
Cover Story
Month of Service Photos Continued
Picture: Fort Worth & Dallas teams at Dallas Life
Picture: Denver team at Volunteers of America
Picture: Cincinnati team during the Fall Feast Coat Drive
Picture: DC team during the Feast of Sharing
Picture: Miami Beach team at Feeding South Florida
Picture: Santa Clara team at Second Harvest
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Center Updates
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Smart City Teams in Transition
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R ANSITIONS abound at Smart City! We welcome new Senior Director of Product Marketing, Shawn Lowery. Shawn has spent the past three years with Smart City as the General Manager of the San Diego Convention Center, as well as bringing more than thirty years of past advanced experience in the areas of operations management, enterprise software oversight, strategic planning, and marketing management in a wide variety of industries in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Shawn is stepping into fill the role of retiring Senior Director of Products and Services, Laureen Boykin. Laureen, a well-respected company icon, leaves a highly successful and achievement filled legacy of 20 years with Smart City. As Shawn transitions into his new role, Smart City has hired Heidi Alcantara as
General Manager of the San Diego Convention Center. Heidi has spent over two decades in the hospitality and events industries. Prior to joining Smart City, Heidi held positions at Edlen Electrical as General Manager, and was later promoted to Director of Sales, where she was responsible for executing the electrical operations for large tradeshows such as; IPC APEX, OFC, and CEDIA. For the past four years, Heidi has served on the board of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, San Diego chapter. She is currently the Treasurer and a member of the Executive Committee. As we wish the best to Laureen in her new chapter of life, we are excited to see how high Smart City will go with Shawn in his new role and the addition of Heidi.
Santa Clara IDTechEx 2019 MART CITY is proud to provide WiFi and internet services each year for the annual IDTechEx Show at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The event covers several high growth emerging technologies, providing insight on the applications and latest technology and market progress of each.
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To the Top!
IDTechEx is a technology and market research firm that has served clients in more than 80 countries from offices in three continents.
Boosts San Diego 30th Anniversary for the SDCC HE San Diego Convention Center celebrated its 30th anniversary on October 24th with an employee luncheon. The center invited all staff and partners to celebrate the people who make the center run. Mark Haley (President) and Julia Slocombe (Senior Director Western Operations) attended this milestone event, as well as all the Smart City San Diego team.
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Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas “Working with Kasandra Williams (Customer Sales & Service Manager) is always a pleasure. She has great Before the program, guests enjoyed an customer service!” art exhibit that displayed the story of Jane Evans, Southwest Dental Conference the Convention Center. One part of the presentation highlighted staff, part- Tampa Convention Center ners, and customers, while another “Madison Grimes (CSSR II) is such a showed their history and involvement pleasure to work with throughout this in the local community. It also featured whole process. Truly appreciate her an interactive wall in which guests guidance and support it was spot on wrote their own personal Convention with our needs.” PPMD Live! Tampa, Show Management Center stories on small hanging cards.
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The Pinnacle Q4 2019
Washington DC WEWCC Named Best North American Convention Center VENTS DC, the official convention thank our clients and EXHIBITOR’s and sports authority for the District readers for their confidence and trust,” of Columbia, announced that the Wal- said Gregory A. O’Dell, president and ter E. Washington Convention Center was chief executive officer of Events DC. named one of EXHIBITOR Magazine’s “We don’t want to rest on our laurels 2019 Centers of Excellence. These pre- and are ready to serve our current cusmiere venues were identified and rec- tomers in new, innovative ways as our ognized as the best convention centers industry continues to transform.” in North America for trade shows and events. “It is an honor for the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to be recog“While individual exhibit managers nized as one of the best convention cenrarely have a say in where their trade ters in the country. This demonstrates shows are held, they are often the ones the dedication and tireless effort of our most impacted by that decision. This is staff and service partners in providing their opportunity to give credit where a premier hospitality venue for our clicredit is due and celebrate the exhib- ents and their attendees,” said Samuitor-friendly venues that do their part el Thomas, senior vice president and to make trade shows and events as general manager of Events DC’s Walter smooth, successful, and painless as E. Washington Convention Center. “We possible,” said Travis Stanton, editor have a world-class team and their comof EXHIBITOR magazine, noting that mitment helps support the fact that the everything from the number of nearby District of Columbia is truly the perfect hotel rooms to the cost and quality of destination for a meeting or convenWi-Fi access can have a significant im- tion.” pact on exhibiting companies’ experience at events. “Simply by virtue of be- The cornerstone of Washington, DC’s ing included in this list, these facilities downtown renaissance, the 2.3 milhave proven their ability to host trade lion square foot Walter E. Washington shows and events of all shapes and siz- Convention Center is as functional as es while providing world-class service it is artistically impressive. Equipped and state-of-the-art accommodations.” to handle events of all sizes, from small groups and break-out meetings “We appreciate the recognition and to events for 50 to 42,000 attend-
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Center Updates
ees. Hosting over 3,000 events since its 2003 opening and averaging over 1 million attendees each year, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center has generated over $6 billion of direct spending economic impact for the District of Columbia. The Walter E. Washington Convention Center also showcases the largest public collection of art in the District of Columbia outside of a museum, with more than 130 pieces by 93 different artists. The convention center boasts the largest digital signage displays located throughout the convention center, including a two-story curved video wall at the concourse rotunda, video walls above the exhibit halls and digital flags in front of the salons. The venue also partners with DC Central Kitchen and Capital Area Food Bank, recovering up to 35,000 pounds of food annually, and recycles an average of 50 pallets per month that are left over from trade show freight deliveries. Committed to leading in design, technology, break out space and neighborhood allure, the Walter E. Washington Convention center kicked off a series of renovations in fall 2019, including upgrade of the Grand Lobby featuring new dining concepts, retail, and kiosks, enhanced digital signage, and a streetscape plan that will transform the façade of the convention center. Improvements are expected to be completed by December, 2020.
The Pinnacle Q4 2019
Center Updates
Santa Clara
Orlando
Halloween Decorations at SCCC OR Halloween, our Santa Clara team decorated their office and celebrated spooks and goblins in style this year!
Microsoft Ignite 2019 HIS past November, the Orange County Convention Center held Microsoft Ignite 2019. More than 25,000 people were in attendance to learn innovative ways to build solutions to migrate and manage infrastructure while focusing on software development, security, architecture, and IT.
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In the third year of the Ignite event in Orlando, the Smart City team of 36, allocated 10 Gbps of fully redundant vention business in Columbus has seen substantial growth, paving the way for a $200M renovation and expansion of the Convention Center and the $220M expansion of the Hilton. With 1,000 rooms and 75,000 square feet of meeting space, it will be the largest hotel in the state of Ohio.
Columbus What’s New in Downtown Columbus HE convention district in downtown Columbus has been undergoing a major overhaul over the past several years, and the momentum doesn’t seem to be stalling any time soon. The changes started with the construction of the Hilton Columbus Downtown, which opened its doors in 2012. The 532-room hotel almost didn’t exist. The city, wanting to boost convention business in Columbus, tried unsuccessfully to find a private company to build the hotel. Still, when that didn’t work, the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, along with the City of Columbus, took the lead in securing the funding to make the project happen. Because of that gamble, the con-
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Along with these projects are several other hotel projects underway nearby. In July of 2019, the Canopy by Hilton, a 12-story hotel with 167 rooms, opened just across Nationwide Boulevard on the south end of the convention center. About a block east of the convention center will be the AC Hotel, a 160-room hotel opening in early 2021. Just a few blocks north of the convention center is the just-opened Graduate Columbus, a college-themed hotel featuring 171 rooms, 4,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, a 2,500 sq. ft. lobby and connecting to the new Shake Shack restaurant. Right next to the Graduate is the Moxy Columbus Short North, a 116-room hotel featuring a 10th-floor rooftop bar. The hotel has a unique bar-oriented theme and artwork that gives a nod to Columbus’ fashion industry. If all this construction isn’t enough, the
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bandwidth to more than 600 main drops in support of the show’s wireless initiatives, keynotes, sessions, exhibit floor, and registration. The Smart City team also built out a substantial fiber network in support of numerous video streams both locally and available for online viewing. With the help of Mike Prosser from the Smart City Networks NOC and our partnership with F1 Consultancy and Microsoft, the 2019 event was again a huge success. building of the North Market MixedUse Project is slated to begin in early 2020. This project will have a 200room boutique hotel, 150 residential units, over 11,000 sq. ft. of north market expansion, 90,000 sq. ft of office space and 352 parking spaces. The estimated completion will be late 2022. Once completed, these projects will add over 1,000 additional rooms within walking distance or directly connected to the convention center. With the wonderful feedback the city received after the successful ASAE event, Columbus will be poised to bring in some of the larger, more high profile/national conventions to the city. PCMA has already announced that Columbus will host its 2023 convention, and this will only help to boost Columbus’ standing as a convention destination city. Added to all of this will be the $300M Columbus Crew’s new downtown stadium, giving convention goers the option of attending a Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game, a Columbus Clippers baseball game, or a Columbus Crew soccer game, all within walking distance of the convention center.
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The Pinnacle Q4 2019
San Diego TwitchCon and KubeCon + CloudNativeCon at the SDCC HIS past quarter was bookended by two major shows, TwitchCon and KubeCon + CloudNativeCon, at the San Diego Convention Center. These shows ended up being much more similar than expected. Both events were highly technical and extremely bandwidth-intensive. The exhibitors at both shows needed dedicated lines to handle their booth needs. In addition, there was the sheer number of exhibitors who placed orders as well, putting critical pressure on both the tech and the customer service teams, which allowed them to display their strength.
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TwitchCon filled four halls, the Sails Pavilion, and a large ballroom with exhibits completely dedicated to video games and streaming. The ballroom showcased a pyramid stage dedicated to a FortNite tournament and a “Hackathon.” The key to ensuring Twitch was successful required plenty of discussion with the customers ahead of time to find out what download speeds were
Center Updates necessary for each booth. Understanding the customer’s needs helped guide them to the best services for their presentation. The customer service team in San Diego was hard at work from the start, following up with exhibitors, making sure they had a clear idea for what they were going to be doing in their booth and then making sure their order reflected that. The amount of alterations to each exhibitor order – whether it was the speed of a dedicated line or the number of patch cables in their booth– kept the San Diego team on their toes the weeks leading up to the show. There were still a few exhibitors who changed their order once move-in began, but the amount of advance prep work that went into the show kept these exhibitor changes to a minimum rather than adding more strain to a show’s rapid move-in. “As this was my first time working with Twitch and TwitchCon, there was bound to be a slight learning curve, and the Smart City team was always patient and quick to respond when things needed to be changed. This is integral to the production of any event and was much appreciated!” Scott Weinberg of BaAM Productions
If TwitchCon highlighted the customer service team’s abilities, then KubeCon highlighted the strengths of the San Diego tech team. KubeCon + CloudNativeCon was based in the Sails Pavilion and ballrooms on the top floor of the convention center. Due to this location, our technicians were able to get a head start on hardline drops and VLAN programming. The extra time was especially crucial considering the number of drops and the show’s somewhat complicated floor plan and movein process. Being that this is a rapidly growing show, the installation brought out new challenges never encountered by the KubeCon team. Working closely with KubeCon technicians, the SCN San Diego tech team was able to respond to every need rapidly. They were able to anticipate issues and fix problems before they materialize. Trouble tickets were kept to a minimum, and the exhibitors and show management were pleased with the success of the show. While the customer service and tech teams in San Diego are always operating at a high level, it’s shows like these that highlight how important communication is between the two.
Boosts
Santa Clara TensorFlow World N October 28–31, O’Reilly Media TensorFlow World took over the convention center in Santa Clara. TensorFlow World needed intensive bandwidth requiring reliable networks to bring together the vibrant and growing ecosystem that drives today’s powerful neural networks—and impacting everything from healthcare, finance, IoT,
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Washington State Convention Center “I wanted to thank you very much for sending us Michael Bowser (Technician) to assist with the TensorFlow World Conference. Michael was an asset to the and beyond. success of the show. His knowledge This first-time event attended by 2,000 and professionalism helped us conferees was full of creativity, net- successfully navigate through show management’s various requirements. working, collaboration, and fun. Plus, he worked well with the Santa Clara Team!” Dan Conception, Smart City General Manager Santa Clara
The Pinnacle Q4 2019
Center Updates
Houston – NRG Team Building at Escape The Room
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HERE is no “I” in team, but there is in Dinosaur! As in dinosaurs we were trying to escape! The whole NRG team visited the Escape The Room Jurassic Quest for our quarterly team building excursion. It was an adventure of Jurassic proportions!
Phoenix Wireless Upgrades at the PCC
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HE ability to have access to a wireless network and connect to the internet at all times is expected in today’s society. Providing access to a reliable Wi-Fi network is essential for convention centers and a key component to a successful event. Attendees, vendors, event managers, and those who visit convention centers expect to have a reliable Wi-Fi connection. The center’s infrastructure is vital to the network, and access points play a significant role. The Smart City Phoenix team completed a wireless upgrade in the Phoenix Convention Center’s North and West buildings this summer, eliminating the need to engineer and place temporary access points for large events. The team completed the six-month project in September 2019. The upgrade consists of 64 wireless access points, 30,000 feet of cable, and over 2,000 feet of conduit. The completion of the wireless upgrade will ensure a better connection and an overall better wireless experience. The Phoenix Convention Center sales team was very excited to hear the news of the completed project and have used this as a major selling point. This project was important for the Phoenix team and expressed the level of commitment they have to provide the best technology experience possible to those visiting the Valley of Sun.
Upon arriving a rather pleasant employee explained she would be overseeing our escape and ushered into a room. As the large steal door closed behind us you could hear the screeching of the velociraptors in the nearby cages waiting for their opportunity to have us a mid-day snack. What was the first thing we noticed in the room? Dino Poo! What was the first thing we did with the dino poo? PICK IT UP AND PASS IT AROUND!!! We
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were off to a great start… Puzzles led to puzzles, and clues led to dead ends. As we ventured into three different rooms of challenges. We became versed in laser guns, thermal technology, and DNA scanners. At one point we were at a computer terminal where I am almost positive someone typed “conf t.” Then we scanned the last egg, adjusted the temperature on the boiling beakers of green bubbles, connected the jumper cables to the tape player, and heard a loud click. The door was ajar. We had escaped. It was the most memorable team building exercise. Our team members got to shine in ways we don’t always get to at work and see each other’s skills without a tool bag and a Lan-Scaper. If I was ever to be locked in a room full of dinosaurs again, I would want them by my side!
Picture: Houston NRG team at Escape the Room
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Center Updates
Santa Clara 2nd Annual Holiday Open House
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HE Santa Clara Team kicked off the holiday season on December 6th with its annual holiday celebration. Everyone enjoyed cookies, hot cider, candy canes, festive music, and snacks culminating with a tree lighting ceremony bringing the holiday spirit to all. ages, Santa photo location, craft workshops, and entertainment. A special opportunity arose for Smart City Networks during this event. Our partner and General Manager of the Hawaii Convention Center, Teri Orton, offered us the chance to sponsor a Christmas tree to be displayed in the winter forest as the attendees enter through the front of the Kamehameha Exhibit hall. The proceeds of our sponsorship will benefit Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation, which supports Hawai’i schools.
Hawai’i Winter Wishes at the HCC
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HE inaugural Winter Wishes Holiday Festival, where the convention center has commissioned an ice-skating rink to be shipped in from California, took place from November 29th to December 24th. Along with the indoor skating rink, the event also features a marketplace with approximately 50 local vendors, seasonal food and bever-
The fun and games didn’t stop there! Amidst the donors, there was tree decorating contest, of which, the SCN Hawaii team was one of the two finalists! The Hawaii team could not have made this possible without the support of our leadership. On behalf of everyone here in Hawaii, we say thank you and Happy Holidays!
Picture LEFT to RIGHT: David Bachler (General Manager), Larissa Franzen (CSSR I), and Devin Wolery (Technician)
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Center Updates
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giant Christmas ornaments that made for the perfect selfie opportunity. They decorated the giant Plaza fountain with floating LED Christmas Trees. Holiday songs could be heard playing from the permanent speaker system, playing music synchronized with dancing water fountains. A small train for children, a Choir, and a brass band were also brought in for the celebration. The latest addition to the décor was a giant 80-foot long LED lit red bow that was placed atop the theater and lit up at the same time the tree and fireworks went off. Santa, Mrs. Claus, and several elves also made appearances to take pictures with the many children in attendance. Mayor Robert Garcia hosted the well-attended free annual event sponsored by the LBCVB and ASM Global.
Long Beach Tying a Bow on the Holiday Season
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HE Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center hosted the city’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting cer-
Los Angeles Happy Holiday from the LACC
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ITH the new year upon us, our team at the Los Angeles Conven-
emony on the Terrace Theater Plaza. The 50-foot tree, billed as the tallest tree in Long Beach, was covered entirely in decorations and lights, which turned on to the backdrop of fireworks launched from the top of the Terrace Theater. The entire plaza was deco- Minneapolis Convention Center rated for the Holidays, which included “Thanks, so much for bringing your fantastic team to volunteer at Arc’s Value Village last month! We enjoyed working with you! You helped kick off our process of condensing and rearrange our holiday “Merry Thriftmas” shop which helped maximize the space & stock more clothing racks on our floor. If we hadn’t had your help, this project would have been left to our assistant manager Dan on his own and what you completed in your shift would likely have taken him a couple of days to complete! We are all thrilled (and especially Dan) and so appreciative of the gift of your time! Please relay our warmest thanks to your entire team. Please convey a special “thank you” to Tim Taylor (CSSR) as well for suggesting & encouraging Arc’s Value Village as your volunteer site! We hope you’re willing to come and volunteer with us again in the future! Thank you for your support of The Arc Minnesota and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families!” Molly Lindblad, Volunteer Development tion Center hopes everyone had a wonManager, Arc’s Value Village derful holiday season!
Boosts
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Center Updates
Boosts Indiana Convention Center “The people at Smart City are WONDERFUL. Jennifer Roeder (CSSR) and Ben Behnkendorf (General Manager) are knowledgeable, very pleasant to work and courteous, and I know we have NEVER had a problem with the service.” Jeff Lawson, Indiana Trial Lawyers, Event Management
Corporate Holiday Party at The Strat MART CITY’S send off to 2019 was a throwback to 1950. Our corporate holiday party was held at the Stratosphere and featured great music and some “nifty” attire. The Strat was kind enough to provide several food stations including a donut bar. With a panoramic view of Las Vegas from the 107th floor, a wonderful evening was had by all. After everyone was stuffed with pastas and seafood our president, Mark Haley, raffled off various holiday gifts. The night ended with everyone showing their poodle skirts, leather jackets, and pompadour.
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Miami Beach Convention Center “We would like to extend our sincere thanks for your role in making the 18th edition of Art Basel in Miami Beach such a success. The show attracted an attendance of 81,000 visitors, once again proving to be an essential platform of exchange for the international artworld. Thank you again for your vital contributions to another outstanding Art Basel week.” Maureen Bruckmayr, Art Basel Show Management Atlantic City Convention Center “Ryan McCart (General Manager) went above and beyond in helping me with set up of the printers on the day we arrived on site. If it wasn’t for him, I’m not sure we would have figured it out. Absolute lifesaver!” Heather Courtney, NRCC / Northeast Regional Carwash Convention Charlotte Convention Center “Vanessa Cauthen (Customer Sales & Service Manager), thank you so much for all your help during these past few weeks to get the Charlotte Knights to the 2019 Charlotte Auto Show. We greatly appreciated how quickly you were able to setup internet services for our time during the show! Thanks so much again!” Tanya Steven, Charlotte Knights Colorado Convention Center “Thomas Beltz (Customer Sales & Service Manager) was awesome! We had some problems with AV and Thomas helped with all his stuff and helped us solve some things with the AV. He is a great asset to Smart City.” Patricia O’Connell, NGAUS
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We Care & Give Back
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Picture: Arnold Chavez (General Manager) serving children during Toyful Joyful
Cincinnati Toyful Joyful at the Duke Energy Convention Center RNOLD CHAVEZ (General Manag- and J.P. Parker (Madisonville), were er), participated in the annual Toy- served a Christmas buffet luncheon, ful Joyful event at the Duke Energy Con- treated to a Christmas program with vention Center on December 11. During Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus and presented the event, kids from inner-city schools, with several Christmas gifts. Rothenberg Academy (OTR), Frederick Douglass Elementary (Walnut Hills) There were over 600 students and 60 teachers and staff in this year’s celebration. The Duke Energy Convention Center personnel and its partners, including Smart City Networks, got to see the impact their efforts have on underserved children in the city of Cincinnati. The generosity of donated gifts, as well as everybody’s time and positive, professional energy at the event, contributed to an exceptionally festive experience for these children.
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Boosts Tampa Convention Center “Madison Grimes (CSSR II), Mitch Hughes (General Manager), and Caleb Carro (Technician II) are very personable, friendly, and dedicated to making customers happy. I appreciate all their efforts!” Tampa Boat Show, Show Management
Colorado Convention Center “Our event is a unique, community focused event serving folks experiencing homelessness. Smart City goes above and beyond in offering to volunteer staff time to help with set-up & tear down for the event, beyond the donated Wi-Fi services. This year, Tommie Beltz (Customer Sales & Service Manager) reached out in advance to schedule time for his team to come and help. Where many
donors & vendors are content to just provide a service - Smart City goes beyond to get their heart involved & serve our community with their time & effort. We value this partnership so much and thank you for the donation of Wi-Fi services, and the professional support services that go along with them.” Angie Nelson, Project Homeless Connect
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We Care & Give Back
Washington DC Feast of Sharing at the WEWCC T the Walter E Washington Convention Center our Smart City team members participated in the 20th annual Safeway Feast of Sharing. Volunteers worked to provide; Thanksgiving dinner, medical clinics and free flu shots, haircuts, manicures, a visit with the Washington Nationals President Mascots and warm clothing to 5,000+ needy individuals and families in the Washington, DC area.
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Smart City has participated in this annual event since 2016. The Washington, DC Mayor and Council Members, Events DC Board and Executive team and staff, and hundreds of other volunteers help in this event.
Picture RIGHT: Jim Erickson (General Manager) with Washington Nationals President Mascot Since the Smart City team knows the facility so well, we serve as the welcoming team to assist guests in finding their way through the Walter E Washington Convention Center. Smart City also provides the network connections for the local news stations to broadcast the event.
Picture LEFT to RIGHT: Marlon Brown (Technician) and Jim Erickson (General Manager)
Picture LEFT to RIGHT: Donnita Butler (Customer Sales & Services Supervisor) and Ayeshiea Ferguson (CSSR)
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Houston – GRB Houston Bike Build Event
Cincinnati Fall Feast at the DECC URING the Coat Drive, Smart City joined Spectra personnel in soliciting donations of adult and children’s coats, mittens, and scarves for the Fall Feast event held in the Duke Energy Convention Center on Thanksgiving Day. Fall Feast is a meal and celebration hosted by Give Back Cincinnati and City Gospel Mission event.
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Fall Feast is an event focused on community. After guests enjoy a great Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings, they can take advantage of services such as the healthcare clinic. There are free books for all ages, live music, a kid zone (games, crafts, Inflatable play areas, petting zoo and more), and big-screen TVs everywhere to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade and football games. All meals and services are free courtesy of the kindness and generosity of the people and businesses of Cincinnati. On Thanksgiving Day, there was no shortage of volunteers helping to serve more than 5,000 attendees. The mission behind Fall Feast is to change the community for the better through celebration, connection, and the passion to serve others. This calling has led to
the rapid growth of one of the largest Thanksgiving meals in the region. With the support of local businesses, neighbors, and community members, the event has blossomed into a true community celebration that offers more than a meal. Give Back Cincinnati is the largest young professionals and volunteer organization in Cincinnati and operates with zero paid employees and no office space. They simply ask that volunteers show up prepared to work hard and have a great time doing it.
Picture RIGHT: Arnold Chavez (General Manager)
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N December 9, Smart City and GRB employees volunteered to join dozens of other organizations at the George R. Brown Convention Center to build bicycles benefiting Child Advocates at the 20th Annual Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Houston Bike Build event. Since 2004, the program has donated over 1,250 bikes and helmets to children throughout the Houston community at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
The Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Houston is a non-profit organization that represents 300 members comprised of general managers and owners of hotels and motels as well as suppliers, service companies, and consultants who sell and service the hospitality industry.
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The Pinnacle Q4 2019
September Michael Ferreri, Operations Supervisor Las Vegas – Corporate Office
Employee of the Month
to guide a steady course for the team, in order to calmly navigate any unforeseen circumstances. His preparation makes resolving the unexpected seem routine. Mike has earned the respect and trust of team members, and the confidence that he always has the best interest of the customer and company in mind.
October
not produce the results I had thought that it would. Madison took notice of this, and she did what great employees do…she spoke up. It is so vital that we have individuals like Madison at Smart City. People that are not afraid to speak up when something does not work or needs improvement. People that take pride in their work and understand that the work they do is important. People that come with ideas and suggestions, and a willingness to be part of the solution. I am nominating Madison Grimes for Employee of the Month…. I appreciate her work over the last 2 months and encourage others to take notice of what needs improvement and to provide honest feedback like she did. TEAMS WORK!!!
November Angelica Grant, Event Coordinator George R. Brown Convention Center
Madison Grimes, CSSR II Tampa Convention Center
Picture LEFT to RIGHT: Mark Baratti (Operations Manager) and Michael Ferreri (Operations Supervisor) “I’ve been thinking how we can make this better” “We’re ahead of schedule and double checking our work” “Remember to verify all work completely, all the way to the AESOP level, no exceptions” “No problem, we’ll make it happen” These are common statements from Operations Supervisor Mike Ferreri at San Diego Convention Center. Every day he comes to work, motivated to make it another great day. As Operations Supervisor Mike organizes the San Diego technician team on projects big and small, bringing attention to details that make the difference to every customer’s experience. He keeps out in front of every project
Picture LEFT to RIGHT: Angelica Grant (Event Coordinator) and Chris Wharry (General Manager)
Picture LEFT to RIGHT: Mitch Hughes (General Manager) and Madison Grimes (CSSR II) One of our Business Principles is “Continually Improve Processes”. In today’s fast pace business world, this is more important than ever. I recently worked on a project that redesigned the show management survey process. From my perspective in the corporate office, I felt good about the result and was excited to roll it out to the field. However, once released to the field, it did
Angelica has been an instrumental asset to our team. Not only when interacting with customers, but also with the building and the convention service team. When training new team members, she has been an important part of the process. She has shown great poise and professionalism in stressful situations and has become a leader in the department. This is why I choose, “in a hectic world, we provide a peace of mind.” I always know that her events will be taken care of and I always know she has the customer’s best interest in mind.
The Pinnacle Q4 2019
Team Member Updates
Team Member Updates
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Anaheim Tania Earns ACC EOM
S
MART CITY’S Tania Ramos (CSSR) earned the Anaheim Convention Center October 2019 Employee of the Month! This is a very special honor for her and Smart City. Tania has been employed with Smart City for just over a year and has already proven herself a valuable asset to the team. Great job Tania!
Picture LEFT to RIGHT: Joaquin Quesada (ACC Deputy Director) and Tania Ramos (CSSR)
Picture LEFT to RIGHT: Tom Morton (ACC Executive Director), Kevin Patch (General Manager), Tania Ramos (CSSR), Joaquin Quesada (ACC Deputy Director) and Dan Lee (CSE Deputy Director)
Anniversary Milestones Smart City’s Director of Northwest Regional Operations, Jim Snook, pictured with Julia Slocombe (VP West Operations), celebrated his fifteen-year anniversary with the company in November. We want to thank him for all of his hard work and dedication with Smart City for the past 15 years!
Smart City Los Angeles’ CSSR, Tydeesha Bush, celebrated her one-year anniversary with the company in November. We want to thank her for all of her hard work with Smart City for the past year!
20 The Pinnacle Q4 2019
Employee Anniversaries
October - 2019
Albert Janak Kevin Patch Christopher Wharry Timothy Wortman Christopher Pendleton Melinda Hernandez Mohammed Nouwass Brian Fairbanks Joshua Poston
24 years 21 years 18 years 17 years 13 years 13 years 7 years 5 years 4 years
James Zarharchuck Pedor Arias Michael Bowser Dan Castleberry Matthew Toledo Liliya Piskunova Apollo Tee Terrell Collins Deyvid Diego
4 years 4 years 4 years 3 years 3 years 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year
21 years 19 years 18 years 15 years 13 years 11 years 9 years 8 years 8 years 4 years 4 years
Roberto Ramos-Burgos Alvaro Zapata Orianna Mendoza Jimenez David Bachler Amy Stone Angelica Grant Tydeesha Bush Weston Pillera Padmanaban Nagaraj Davinnson Escobar-Ruiz
4 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 2 years 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year
25 years 13 years 10 years 7 years 5 years 4 years
Jacki Miller Marina Joyner Duane Law Richard Mendoza Genesis Lozano
3 years 3 years 3 years 2 years 1 year
November - 2019 Joe Melancon Jr Patrick Nelson Dennis O’Gara Jim Snook Marlon Brown Todd Zuccato Jessica Torres-Cruz Matthew Chavez Carolyn McDonald Matthew Yauch Robert Bonville
December - 2019 Henry De La Rosa Yanderis Lodos Benjamin Behnkendorf Darryl Galmon Aaron Kahn Billy Bischof
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