The Pinnacle - Q2 2015

the Q 2 2 015

OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE

SM A RT CIT Y TE A MS WORK TO PROV IDE OUTSTA NDING TECHNICA L SUPPORT IN HOUSTON More than 94,700 visitors from 130 countries gathered in Houston, Texas to attend the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) at NRG Park, held May 4-7. The annual event provides a forum for energy professionals to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters. One of the largest 200 tradeshows in the country, the 2015 event was made up of nearly 2,690 exhibiting companies representing 37 countries. It was the largest in show history at 695,000 square feet, including outdoor exhibits.

TEAMS WORK: To prepare for an event of this magnitude, the local Smart City team put in many hours of planning, organizing, analyzing, and communicating, both internally and with the client. Anticipating the attendees’ critical need for fast, reliable wireless connectivity at OTC, they enlisted the help of additional Smart City technical and customer service team members across the country, including those from Columbus, Cincinnati, Dallas, San Antonio, Orlando, Kentucky, and Phoenix.

THINK FAST, MOVE FAST: Making our presence known during a mega-event like OTC can be a challenge. Technicians and customer service representatives can easily blend into the crowd of attendees, exhibitors, and event staff. Cue the WiFi Geeks - Smart City team members dressed in bright red shirts that advertised their technical expertise. The WiFi Geeks walked the tradeshow floor and provided a mobile customer service experience for OTC attendees. Static help desks in both NRG Center and NRG Arena provided additional technical support for the show. In the event that customers were using devices not equipped with the proper hardware for an optimal WiFi experience, WiFi Geeks directed them to the help desk for further support. USB WiFi adapters and installation assistance were made ready for any customer experiencing technical difficulties. The WiFi Geeks were such a hit that they became an instant staple for OTC and the future.

CUSTOMERS DEFINE QUALITY: The real measure of Smart City’s success with OTC lies in customer feedback. Highlighted below are some of the comments that were shared with our local team.

“Smart City’s performance for OTC 2015 was stellar! I couldn’t have asked for anything else from a vendor. Everyone was attentive and service-oriented. Smart City has really raised the bar at NRG. Jessica, Ike, Chris, and Chris are all to be commended for their great service, knowledge, and determination for OTC to have a great experience.” Leigh Ann Runyan, SPE “I want to thank you so much for all of the help and attention you gave us in the press room. We received many thank-yous from the media as they left Thursday! They really liked the new set-up of the room, and they were also pleased with the Internet speed which is so critical to their job as journalists covering OTC.” Dana Otillio, SPE “Your Technicians were indeed very helpful, one of them coincidentally helping us out at the Houstex 2015 Show just 2 months earlier.” Angus Hogarth, Alloy Wire

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CONTENTS

PRESIDENT’S CORNER

02 P R E S I D E N T ’ S CORNER

TEAMS WORK

FOCUSING ON THE TEAM’S SUCCESS

Quarterly overview from Smart City’s president, Mark Haley.

There was a lot of honking going on in Houston, Texas last month at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) at NRG Park. As you can see from our cover story, Smart City assembled a great team to handle this sprawling event that covered almost every square inch of NRG Park, both inside and out. The honking, as heard when geese are flying, was the sound of teamwork at its best.

06 W E CARE & GIVE BACK

Highlighting the community service efforts of our Smart City teams across the country.

08 C E N T E R U P D A T E S What’s new in our buildings? Special updates from the field.

16 E M P L O Y E E O F THE MONTH

Recognizing this quarter’s outstanding employees.

18 T E A M U P D A T E S Team member milestones and new arrival announcements.

20 A N N I V E R S A R Y LIST

Anniversaries of team members throughout the company.

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When you see geese flying along in “V” formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly Teamwork means focusing on the team’s success, and easily because they are realizing ultimately that the team’s success is traveling on the thrust of your success. It also means that you succeed by one another.

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helping other members of the team to succeed.”

When a goose falls out of Smart City Business Principle #7 formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone — and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.

It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying south. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Our “gaggle of geese” assembled in Houston last month did a great job during a challenging event to deliver the best technology experience at OTC to date. As related in our 7th Business Principle, Teams Work is a core principle necessary for the successful execution of events like OTC. HONK! HONK! To the Top.

the PINNACLE • Issue 2, 2015

O T C ( c o n t ’d f r o m c o v e r ) S M A R T C I T Y B O O S T - N A T I O N W I D E S H O W S U P P O R T F O R O T C

The Smart City Columbus team - “Bill, this was the second year that I had the pleasure of working with Amanda Hammaker (Technician). She was always calm and never flustered while on trouble calls. She managed to correct any issues in a timely and effective manner with our customers. We would welcome the opportunity to work with her on future events. Thank you for sending her out.”

The Smart City Cincinnati team - “David, we would like to thank you for sending Arnold Chavez (Technician) out to support OTC 2015. He was very eager to assist in any way that he could and volunteered to be one of our “WiFi Geeks.” He worked well with the rest of the team members and on solo projects as well. We would welcome the opportunity for Arnold to assist us with any future events should the need arise. Thank you for sending him out.”

The Smart City Dallas team - “Chris, thank you for sending Derrick James (Technician) out to OTC 2015. He is one of the main reasons why OTC install ran smoothly. Had he not been there we would have had many more late nights. He showed leadership with new team members who were assigned to him, which was on a daily basis. Not only did he install the lines, but he also mentored other technicians and showed them the correct way to install lines and perform other duties. He was quick to volunteer for any projects, and his professionalism and charisma helped to keep our spirits up during a few long days. We would welcome him back to assist us with any future events.”

The Smart City Orlando team - “Tim, I want to inform you of the outstanding job that your technicians did during the OTC 2015 event. Michael Hampton’s expertise and can-do attitude helped with the pre-work of the event. There were times where we had him working on several projects simultaneously, which he managed well. We would not have been able to have a smooth install without Michael. Jose Vasquez was great as well, volunteering to stay late and come in on our scheduled days off. He also volunteered to work as a “WiFi Geek.” He went above and beyond with our customers by walking them to our service desk and providing information that had nothing to do with WiFi. Thank you for sending them out, we would like to work with them on future events if the need should arise.”

The Smart City Kentucky team - “Dan, thank you for sending Michael Terry (Technician) to assist us with OTC 2015. It was a huge success and we could not have done it without him. He is very knowledgeable when it comes to fiber. He was able to find a solution with issues that we were having with our fiber in the arena. He always stayed late and arrived early and volunteered to help with any special projects. We would welcome the opportunity to work with Michael in any of our future events.”

The Smart City Phoenix team - “Todd, thank you for allowing Neftali Mendoza (Technician) and Laura Acosta (Customer Sales and Service Representative) to assist with OTC 2015. We were able to leave Laura at the service desk with minimal supervision and had no issues. (Actually, she was able to correct some of our administrative issues before they became problems.) She was willing to work at the main service desk, which allowed us to deal closely with show management. Neftali wore many hats during the event and was assigned to various teams, sometimes in the same day. He worked tirelessly on projects and ensured they were complete before ending his workday. We would welcome them back with any future events.”

Guillermo Huerta, Customer Sales and Service Manager, Smart City San Antonio

S M A R T C I T Y B O O S T - S A N A N T O N I O T E A M

“Keith, I wanted to let you know how much we appreciate you letting us have Guillermo Huerta and Sandra Garcia (Technician) here in Houston. Guillermo’s solid teamwork, can-do attitude, and ‘go above and beyond’ mentality made all the difference at OTC (as it always does). Every year that Guillermo comes to Houston to support OTC, he stays late at night, comes in extra early in the morning, and lends a helping hand to each and every department with whatever is needed. Guillermo did not hesitate when asked to work the wireless help desk. His great customer service and technical knowledge show that he is versatile and can do well in a variety of roles. Sandra’s contributions to OTC were also very valuable to our team efforts. Although she was at NRG Park for the first time, she adapted very quickly, and even helped to show some of the other techs locations within the facility. Her humor helped boost the team’s morale, especially on those extra long days, and she always helped out her fellow team members when asked. Both were a huge part of our success. We would welcome both of them back for any of our larger events.

Thank you!”

Jessica Hoover, Customer Sales & Service Manager, Smart City Houston Region

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BOOSTS G E O R G E R . B R O W N C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“We had issues with wireless in our general session last year. Chris Wharry (General Manager) was able to provide a solution that made this experience a lot better. The customer service that was provided was outstanding. Kyoko Clark (Customer Sales and Service Supervisor) was always available to deal with last minute changes. She always followed up and even assisted with setups when others were busy. Andy West (Operations Manager) went above and beyond to assist with a very demanding sponsor. He was available and addresses their concerns. Jesse Gallegos (Technician) did an outstanding job with the setups and installations. He had things in place for us to begin our setup Smart City has come a long way over the years. We have had our challenges, but the last couple of experiences have been good. This time, Smart City was GREAT! This is the best Smart City team that I’ve worked with.”

Troy Gooden, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

H E N R Y B . G O N Z A L E Z C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“I was onsite at the SAWC conference last week, and had the absolute pleasure of working with Patrick Nelson (Operations Manager). I have been in the trade show and exhibit business for the past nine years and have had the privilege to work with some extremely talented and helpful people at shows - but Mr. Nelson ranks at the top of this list. Our exhibit presence at SAWC evolved from a simplistic exhibit experience, to a theater with multiple presenters and presentations, as well as a custom lead retrieval system. This type of technology would generally necessitate a dedicated IT person from our team. However, since the technology experience expanded quickly there was not enough time to schedule someone in for this show. I met Mr. Nelson by chance, as I had a simple Internet issue and he came quickly and solved the problem. As I was talking through the technology inside the booth - and quite frankly, my concern with having multiple presenters…Mr. Nelson asked about the presentation times, and told me he would stop by the booth to make sure there were no hiccups. Being a veteran of the trade show world, I understand tech support is very busy during shows and I was not sure if I would see him prior to the presentations. Not only did Mr. Nelson drop by the booth prior to the first presentation (where he did assist me) - he actually stopped by prior to each of the presentations to make sure everything was progressing smoothly. To me this is way over and above my expectation - and a service level that needs to be recognized.

I am sure you already know this - but you have a talented professional on your team who truly understands the value of client service.”

Greg Lindsey, ExhibitPro

S M A R T C I T Y B O O S T - N R G P A R K T E A M

“I’d like to just take a second to commend our Customer Service Manager, Jessica Hoover for her dedication to our team. She allowed me to accompany her on the morning walkthrough to ensure our clients had no issues with connection prior to the start of the convention. Not only did she provide cheerful salutations upon greeting, she also established herself as the main contact if any issues were to come up. Her smile and personality helped ease our customers concerns.

Awesome job of accountability and console to our customers while problems were dealt with. And when I asked one of our clients if they had contact info just in case any other issue came about; she replied, ‘Yes, Jessica has been here to assist us, and I’m sure she’ll be back.’ Service with a smile. Jessica is always ‘PP’ - patient and persistent.”

Chris Jones, Technician, Smart City NRG Park

M INNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER

“George (Cagle, General Manager), thanks for all of your help last week. It was a pleasure to work with you and Brian (Clear, Technician) and the rest of the Smart City staff.”

Christian Teresi, Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP)

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the PINNACLE • Issue 2, 2015

GM INSIGHT THE VALUE OF CROSS TRAINING:

TODD ZUCCATO | GENER A L M A N AGER, SM A RT CIT Y PHOENIX

For a week in May, our team in Phoenix hosted Leona Lee (Marketing Associate) during the IEEE Microwave Symposium.

Leona works in the marketing department at the corporate office in Las Vegas, where she remotely supports the field operations for Smart City locations across the country.

During her time in Phoenix, Leona got a first-hand look at a day in the life of a field team member. She followed our technicians out to the show floor to install lines, worked with our customer service representative to input orders into AESOP, and staffed the service desk during show move in. This process gave her a better understanding of the day-today operations that those of us onsite carry out.

The cross training experience was valuable for both Leona and our local team. One of Leona’s primary job responsibilities is to create marketing collateral for us to share with show management and exhibitors. In working with our team at the Phoenix Convention Center, she was able to see a real world application of the items she has produced. Our team, on the other hand, benefited from the presence of having a member of the corporate marketing department on site. We were able to discuss practices that work and practices that need improvement, and find new ways to market our services to customers. Additionally, the visit opened up the lines of communication between us. We feel more comfortable reaching out to Leona for assistance, as she is no longer just a voice on the other end of the phone.

Cross training is an important extension of our fifth business principle, “Continually Improve Processes.” No process is perfect, and we should always strive to help each other do our jobs better and produce the high quality work that our customers have come to expect from us. We look forward to sharing our knowledge with other team members and welcome the possibility of hosting other employees in the future. To the top!

BOOSTS C O L O R A D O C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“Thank you so much for all your time and effort in making our convention a success. We look forward to coming back and working with you in the future!”

AAPG Staff

A M E R I C A ’ S C E N T E R A N D C O N V E N T I O N C O M P L E X

“Smart City did excellent work with the increased phone line demand.”

Robin Monnot, State Beauty Supply 2015

C O L O R A D O C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“Thank you for all that you did to make our conference a success. You have been a pleasure to work with.”

the AIR Forum Team

N R G P A R K

“Jessica (Hoover, Customer Sales & Service Manager, Smart City Houston Region) - Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progress. Working together is what made the OTC a success! Your individual commitment to your team (SmartCity) received high praises from our senior management team. Your hard work has been recognized and is truly valued. Most importantly, you can train anyone to do a good job, but you can’t train people to have a good attitude and/or personality. Thank you for always being such a pleasure to work with and keeping a smile on your face! Your smile is an instant mood changer.”

Michelene Everette, SPE

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AND GIVE BACK

WE CARE LOS ANGELES:

S M A R T C I T Y W O R K S W I T H L A C C T O B R I G H T E N U P C E N T E R ’ S “ C U R B A P P E A L” The Smart City Los Angeles team members (pictured bottom right) participated in the center’s beautification event on April 22 in celebration of Earth Day. The Los Angeles Convention Center upgraded their current recycling facility and renamed it the C.U.R.B. (Committed to Using our Resources Better). Smart City and LACC staff painted, planted trees, sorted trash, and attended sustainability classes, closing the day’s hard work and activities with a barbeque.

COLUMBUS:

SMART CIT Y TEAM SUPPORTS SUSAN G. KOMEN COLUMBUS RACE FOR THE CURE

2015 marked the 23rd year for the Susan G. Komen Columbus Race for the Cure, the largest Komen race in the country. Columbus boasts the largest corporate and civic Komen teams in the country with Team LBrands having 9,805 participants and Team Perez at 805. This year’s event included more than 1,700 breast cancer survivors; nearly 800 corporate, civic, and individual teams; and more than 300 Harley Davidson riders that made up the “Thunder Tunnel” to cheer on race participants. The event raised over $2 million, and included a total of 31,755 participants either running or walking to raise awareness for breast cancer. Despite a few raindrops, members of the Smart City Columbus team helped join the fight against breast cancer.

General Manager Bill Duke, Technician Amanda Hammaker, and their families (pictured top right) were participants in the Race for the Cure’s Family Fun Walk.

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the PINNACLE • Issue 2, 2015

WE CARE AND GIVE BACK LAS VEGAS:

CORPOR ATE TE A M R ACES FOR A CURE IN DOW NTOW N L AS V EGAS The Smart City Columbus team wasn’t the only one to lace up their walking shoes and raise money for breast cancer awareness. On May 2, members of the Smart City Corporate Office team gathered on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas to participate in the Susan G. Komen of Southern Nevada’s Race for the Cure event. In addition to having team members that walked and raced for a good cause, Smart City was also a corporate sponsor of the event. The Las Vegas area raised over $194,000 for breast cancer research.

BOOSTS S M A R T C I T Y B O O S T - C O R P O R A T E L A S V E G A S T E A M

“I have a boost for Mike Prosser (Network Administrator). Today during a very hectic show opening in which our Data Manager was out of the office, he was instrumental in assisting us with an abundance of wireless issues. (Not to mention his patience working with me and my limited knowledge of sponsorships.) It would have been a disaster without his assistance. Thanks, Mike!”

Dean Johnson, Operations Manager, Smart City Anaheim

M INNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER

“It was great meeting you and an absolute pleasure working with you and your staff last week. I have never had a better experience.”

Matthew Spoor, BBI International

S M A R T C I T Y B O O S T - C O R P O R A T E L A S V E G A S T E A M

“A boost from the Santa Clara team goes out to the to the Advance Exhibitor Sales (AES) Team, and additional support from Customer Service Representative, Tammy Clark.

Their efforts were instrumental to the success of “Velocity 2015” in which took place in May at the Santa Clara Convention Center. AES worked tirelessly with exhibitors for several months, managing increased exhibitor orders, which rose by approximately 60% over 2014. Tammy was of great assistance to Santa Clara customer service operations, gathering the required booth details several weeks prior to her travel to support our onsite service desk.

The show was smooth and went off without a hitch. We are sincerely grateful for our home office team’s dedication, professionalism, and ongoing assistance with Velocity and all other events we support at the Santa Clara Convention Center.”

Emiliano Fernandez, General Manager, Smart City Santa Clara

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CE N T E R U PDAT E S ORLANDO:

G E A R IN G U P F O R C I T R I X S Y NE R G Y 2015 AT O R A N G E C O U N T Y C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

The Smart City Orlando team (pictured left) worked around the clock to prepare for Citrix Synergy 2015, which took place in Orlando May 12-14. The show brings together Citrix customers, prospective customers, partners, and industry influencers from around the world for professional networking and to share strategic insights. Pictured here are some of the dedicated team members who worked well into the night, exemplifying Smart City’s seventh Business Principle, “Teams Work.”

MIAMI BEACH:

CLOSING TIME FOR N ASDAQ AT MI A MI BE ACH CON V ENTION CENTER

On May 4, the Nasdaq closing bell was remotely rang from the Miami Beach Convention Center. NASDAQ was a sponsor of the Startup Showcase at eMerge Americas. In honor of the occasion, Manuel D. Medina, Founder and Chairman, eMerge Americas and Founder and Managing Partner of Medina Capital, rang the Closing Bell. Medina was joined by Mr. 305 himself, Pitbull, as well as other special guests.

LOS ANGELES:

A EG AGREEMENT REBR A NDS NOK I A THE ATER TO MICROSOF T THE ATER Software developer Microsoft Corporation has entered into a multiyear agreement with AEG to rebrand former Nokia Theater near the Los Angeles Convention Center as the Microsoft Theater. The theater comprising more than 7,100 seats has hosted events such as the EMMY Awards, BET Awards, American Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and the Grammys.

The Microsoft rebranding won’t be restricted to the theater. The 40,000 sq. ft. arena complex will be similarly rebranded as the Microsoft Square, with plans to rebrand the nearby Club Nokia in the future.

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the PINNACLE • Issue 2, 2015

CE N T E R U PDAT E S SAN ANTONIO:

HENRY B. GONZALEZ CONVENTION CENTER RENEWS CONTRACT WITH SMART CIT Y

The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio has extended its contract with Smart City for an additional 10 years, effective July 1, 2018. The contract extension, which was approved during a city council meeting, will allow Smart City to provide additional services and upgrades for the venue. Smart City has served as the facility’s technology provider since Jan. 14, 1999.

“Smart City has enjoyed a long-term partnership with the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, and we look forward to providing the facility with high-quality technology as the convention center’s expansion is completed early next year,” said Mark Haley, president of Smart City.

“With the help of the convention center team, we have crafted a business model that ensures continued upgrades throughout the term of the agreement.”

The City of San Antonio, which owns and manages the facility, extended the contract, which will allow Smart City to immediately upgrade the center’s Category 6 cabling to enhance voice and data distribution services while more than tripling the density of its wireless coverage. In addition, the center’s primary backbone will be increased from 1 to 10 gigabit capability. This upgrade will allow for a greater number of guests and their wireless devices to access the Internet at ever-increasing speeds.

“Our current expansion will ensure that San Antonio can attract new, larger events to our city,” said Michael Sawaya, Director of Sports and Convention Facilities for the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. “Our partnership with Smart City and the proposed network upgrades will enable our much larger venue to be a ‘smarter’ venue capable of handling any event’s technology needs.”

Under the extended contract, Smart City will offer a full suite of services at the venue, including high-speed Internet access, network cabling, telephone services, WiFi and turnkey data networking services.

The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center opened in 1968. The transformed facility, scheduled for completion in early 2016, will feature four exhibit halls with 514,000 square feet of prime, contiguous exhibit space. The center hosts approximately 350 events per year, including the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, Texas Dental Association Annual Meeting and Texas Bandmasters Association Annual Convention. Other highlights of the building’s expansion include 87,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space; 72 meeting rooms; a new 54,000-square-foot ballroom, which will be the largest in Texas; and an eco-friendly design that uses energy reduction measures.

BOOSTS S M A R T C I T Y B O O S T - A T L A N T I C C I T Y , A N A H E I M , A N D O R L A N D O T E A M S

“I would like to boost Joe Aponte (Technician, Smart City Atlantic City), Kevin Walker (Technician, Smart City Anaheim), and Omar “Caleb” Carro (Technician, Smart City Orlando). All played key roles in making the Digital Dealer Conference in Tampa a successful event. They are all exceptional team members and are to be commended for a job well done. Gentlemen, thank you!”

Mitchell Hughes, General Manager, Smart City Tampa

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CE N T E R U PDAT E S ANAHEIM:

BRE A K ING GROUND ON THE A N A HEIM CON V ENTION CENTER E XPA NSION PROJEC T

The City of Anaheim broke ground on the seventh expansion to the Anaheim Convention Center on April 21 for a significant construction project that will add more meeting space to the facility. The expansion to the LEED-certified building will add 200,000 square feet of leasable, flexible space to the building, making it the largest convention center on the west coast. The expansion site covers the exisiting Car Park 1 area that fronts Katella Avenue, east of the Convention Center Arena.

“The Anaheim Convention Center is one of the City’s premiere venue destinations, and on April 21, 2015 we were pleased to celebrate the groundbreaking of Betterment VII, the seventh expansion of the largest exhibition facility on the west coast,” said Tom Morton, Executive Director, Convention, Sports and Entertainment for the City of Anaheim.

“The Betterment VII expansion is a reality. Betterment VII is about securing Anaheim’s future.”

Kevin Patch (General Manager, Smart City Anaheim); Julia Slocombe (Smart City’s Vice President, West Operations); and Tom Morton (Executive Director, Convention, Sports and Entertainment for the City of Anaheim) celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony on April 21.

The planned completion date for the project is Summer of 2017.

FORT WORTH:

22ND PA RT Y IN FORT WORTH HELD AT FORT WORTH CON V ENTION CENTER A REN A This year’s Party in Fort Worth was held at the Fort Worth Convention Center Arena on April 25. Hosted by Waste Management, the theme for the 22nd annual event was Keep Fort Worth Green. Smart City hosted a table that included show managers, community leaders, and Fort Worth Convention Center staff.

The Party in Fort Worth is an annual event that benefits the Fort Worth Promotion & Development Fund. The fund, which is governed by a 13-member board, invests funds to promote the city to cultural, business, sports, and government organizations, either locally, across the country, or internationally. The Promotion Fund also provides resources for the development of local events, attractions, and exhibits that enhance Fort Worth’s ability to recruit business and leisure visitors.

Michael Barks, President, Our Mother of Mercy Catholic School; Marie Barks; Stephanie Butler, Event Coordinator, Fort Worth Convention Center; Feleshia Cochran, Assistant Director, Fort Worth Convention Center; Janae Tinsley, General Manager, Smart City Fort Worth; Boyd Stewart; Bitsy Burns, Operations Director, Southwest Veterinary Symposium; Jen Smith, Catholic Charities; and Amanda “Missi” Cowart, Catholic Charities, pose for a photo during the Party in Fort Worth on April 25.

The Fund has assisted the world-renowned Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, supported the Fort Worth Zoo, financed the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra’s Carnegie Hall Tour, and implemented a comprehensive plan to showcase Fort Worth to dozens of national and international corporations, media writers, and celebration events during the 2011 Super Bowl. “Touchdown Fort Worth” was the largest effort to date by the Promotion Fund. Additionally, the Fund supported the opening celebrations for the newly renovated Seventh Street Bridge.

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CE N T E R U PDAT E S WASHINGTON, D.C.:

H AV ING A B A L L W I T H T HE L EUK EMI A A ND LY MPHO M A S O CIE T Y

On March 28, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center hosted the annual Leukemia Ball in Washington, D.C. Smart City sponsored Internet services for the event, which was put on by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Over 2,000 guests were in attendance and enjoyed entertainment by Michael Cavanaugh and comedy by Howie Mandel. Representing Smart City were Necayla Brice (Event Coordinator, Smart City Washington, D.C.), SeKisha Brown (Customer Sales and Service Manager, Smart City Washington, D.C.), Lena Ketterling, and Jeff Ketterling (former General Manager, Smart City Washington, D.C.). The evening featured dinner, a silent auction, and the Mercedes-Benz raffle. In total, the 2015 Leukemia Ball raised $3.15 million to benefit LLS and aid the fight against blood cancer.

ANAHEIM:

CON V ENTION CENTER CELEBR ATES SM A RT CIT Y TECHNICI A N AS EMPLOY EE OF THE MONTH

We recently celebrated one of our technicians, Bill Heyer, as the Anaheim Convention Center employee of the month. Bill is a valuable asset to the Smart City Anaheim team. His enthusiasm, dedication, and passion for both his job and coworkers is what makes him such an exceptional employee and role model. This award is well-deserved. We echo David Meek’s comments during the recognition ceremony: “Every time I see Bill around the building, he is always smiling and greeting everyone.” We are proud to call Bill an Anaheim team member and honored that we were all there to celebrate in his success. To the top, Bill!

-Kevin Patch, General Manager, Smart City Anaheim

INDIANAPOLIS:

NOTHING BUT NET FOR THE NCA A FINAL FOUR

On April 4, the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium hosted the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four Tournament. Mark Haley (President) and Tim Wortman (Vice President, East Operations) were in town during the setup of the event and posed for a team picture with Dennis O’Gara (Director of Regional Operations, Mid-West). The 2015 tournament was Smart City’s 23 national mega event in over 15 years.

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BOOSTS S A N D I E G O C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“I would like to express my gratitude for an outstanding job that you and your team have done. ENDO 2015 was a true success! I appreciate the tremendous amount of effort of your team members, all of whom have worked day and night to make this year’s ENDO successful.

ENDO 2015 was orchestrated and executed flawlessly by you and your team and the contribution and dedication of your team is greatly appreciated. Furthermore, I truly appreciate you working with us under pressure of the very tight timeframe yet providing the high quality services.

Thank you so much for all your hard work and for being a great partner!”

Ayuko Kimura-Fay, Endocrine Society

T A M P A C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“Mr. Hamilton, I just wanted to send you a quick note to express how much I appreciated the support Mitchell Hughes (General Manager) with Smart City provided to our ACPA client this past week at your facility. Mitchell and Ivan Gutierrez (Technician) were very proactive during the set-up of ACPA’s network drops and checked-in daily with the client to insure their needs were met and service was seamless. Mitchell’s expertise and efficiency were incredibly welcome in tailoring service to the networking needs of our client and in communicating daily to them about their usage and bandwidth. It is refreshing to come to a facility with not only the skilled technical support for Internet access but also the people skills that Mitchell and his team possess. He helped make our experience in Tampa a success.”

Luke Alquizola, PSAV Digital Services “Luke, thanks for your nice comments! Mitchell and his team are a tremendous asset at the TCC and I will commend them for a job well done.”

Rick Hamilton, Convention Center and Tourism Director, Tampa Convention Center

A N A H E I M C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“Mark, I wanted to drop you a quick email to let you know that Kevin (Patch, General Manager) and staff came to our rescue during a City technology upgrade. If not for Smart City’s assistance, we would not have made our payroll.

Thanks again for the partnership.”

Tom Morton, Executive Director, Anaheim Convention Center

I N D I A N A C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R & L U C A S O I L S T A D I U M

“Denise (Pina, Customer Sales and Service Representative), I just wanted to say thanks again for your help last night.

Internet was up and rolling and nobody has had a problem all day. I really appreciate you going above and beyond for us last night.”

Jonathan Morgan, Indiana Trial Lawyers

S M A R T C I T Y B O O S T - N R G P A R K T E A M

“I would like to give a big boost to Chris Jones, one of our technicians here at NRG Park, for his strong, team-focused work ethic and determination to provide excellent service to our customers. Chris did not hesitate to come in early this morning and do a walk-through for the HISD Leadership Conference. He was excited to start the day with a smile on his face. As we checked on our customers and assisted them with any of their needs, Chris was knowledgeable and courteous. He is always polite and professional, and willing to go the extra mile for our customers. He exemplifies our business principles “Teams Work” and “It’s the People.” Thank you, Chris, for always being such a pleasure to work with. You are a dedicated team member, and your hard work and willingness to go above and beyond are noticed and truly valued.”

Jessica Hoover, Customer Sales & Service Manager, Smart City Houston Region

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BOOSTS O R A N G E C O U N T Y C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“Good afternoon Patrick and Kim. I would like to take this time to thank you for all the assistance and services you provided over the last several months to make this event possible. To make an event of this scope and complexity happen, it takes an enormous amount of planning. Frank Loyke (Senior Event Coordinator) with his 3-ring binder of past events reads like a chronological account of the previous year’s event and is an invaluable asset. Institutional knowledge of a client is so important in the planning stages of an event of this size. We came to OCCC with a wonderful plan and I walked in on day one with a very high level of confidence in our collective abilities to be successful.

Planning is only one component of building an event like this. The second is on-site flexibility. Your team from top to bottom responds to every move, add and change with both speed and accuracy. Our two companies collaborate very well to deliver a superior product to the client. Some other venues possess one of these qualities. The list of those venues who can consistently provide both components is very small. Smart City OCCC is truly a first class organization and we enjoy coming to the Center to work with you. All the best the rest of this year. I look forward to coming to OCCC next and working with the best Smart City crew in the country.”

Ron Bartusik, Signal Share

Tim Overall, General Manager, Smart City Orlando; Gary Wyatt Jr., SAP Global IT Services; Michael Campbell, SAP Global IT Services; Michael Ratliff, SAP Global IT Services; Patrick Sarcinella, Smart City’s Senior Director Regional Operations, South East Region; Jef Rolette, Vice President Signal Share for SAP; Kimberly Dvorscak, Manager, Sales and Marketing, Smart City Orlando; Ron Bartusik, Lead Technician Signal Share for SAP; Frank Loyke, Senior Event Coordinator, Smart City Orlando; and Barry Barnett, SAP Director IT Services

F O R T W O R T H C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“Daniel & Aaron Kahn (Technician) were very helpful and courteous. I really appreciated the extra effort they made to provide a faster Internet connection in spite of my outdated laptop. Appreciated Janae Tinsley’s (General Manager) follow-up calls on-site. Great customer service!”

Annette Hicks, Texas Food & Fuel Association

A M E R I C A ’ S C E N T E R C O N V E N T I O N C O M P L E X

“Very happy with the facility and the service we received from America’s Center. It was a great meeting and we hope to come back. Daryl Olson (General Manager) and his team were great. We told them what we needed and they facilitated it very well. They even helped us with a few internal issues that interfered with staff being able to use the internet, so that was appreciated.”

Tim Cullen, DTRA

M IAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER

“I just wanted to thank you very much for all of your hard work and dedication for our AARP Life@50 event. To be our last event, things could not have gone any smoother. The AARP TEK area was handled the best it has ever been in the last 3 years. Thank you for working with us to put forth the best 2.4GHz wireless network for our Realpads.”

Will Hunting, AARP Life @50

M INNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER

“Thank you very much for your patience with us this year. You managed it pull it off for us and we are very pleased with the results.”

Barbara Voorhees, Director, The Forum on Workplace Inclusion

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BOOSTS O R A N G E C O U N T Y C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“I wanted to thank you and your team for another smoothly run event at the center. We have been providing registration services for Global Pet Expo for over 10 years, many of them at the OCCC! It is always assuring to work with the same staff - Nila, Frank, etc.

More than just being people, I know they always go the extra mile to make our show flawless.

For the last two years we have been using the Smart City Event Path system to host remote registration counters in three hotels.

This year we added a station in the lobby next to the back parking lot. All four stations worked beautifully. Frank and the Smart City team were very punctual in getting the connections set up on time and they all worked without issue. We also have four additional Members of the Smart City Orlando team pose for a photo with the Global Pet link points to bring communication from the window area and the Expo team during the show in March. According to the show’s website, 2015 islands. For us, just as important as a stable computer connection was a record-breaking year for Global Pet Expo. is the great service we receive from the Smart City staff. They are always responsive to our needs and a pleasure to work with.

Registration is a very detailed process, and I appreciate working with others who feel the same way. The Westwood Entrance station was so successful we are enlarging it from two stations to six next year.

Nila is a wonderful Event Manager at OCCC. Knowledgeable, efficient, and creative, we’ve never had a situation she could not work out. Having someone who knows the facility and how others have solved similar issues is invaluable.

While not the biggest registration company in the country, I feel we receive the same excellent service as the very largest. Doing shows in other cities, I am always worried about who we will work with and the quality of service.

When coming to Orlando, working with Frank and the Smart City team, and Nila, these are things we don’t have to worry about.

Looking forward to 2016!”

Thomas Haney, Registration Technology Inc.

A M E R I C A ’ S C E N T E R C O N V E N T I O N C O M P L E X

“On behalf of NACM, please accept our sincere thanks for everything you did before AND during our conference in St. Louis!

Daryl – thank you so much for your patience and education with the proposal. We appreciate you taking the time to make sure that we had everything that we needed for our Internet/WiFi onsite.

Corey – thank you for your patience onsite. I hope we didn’t drive you too crazy! You were always available to us and helped us put out a few fires. You made us look good!

It so nice to work with people like you guys – you make our job easier!”

Darnell Foster, NACM

K A Y B A I L E Y H U T C H I S O N C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“Rey Crespo (Operations Manager), thank you for working with us on the 2015 Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo. You went above and beyond onsite and we sincerely appreciate all of your hard work and assistance. We look forward to coming back to Dallas in October, and for you to be a part of another great show!”

Kimberly Klonoski, ACT Expo

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BOOSTS G E O R G E R . B R O W N C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“Alexis Mayfield (Event Coordinator) was great to work with both on-site and during the planning process. She was very thorough and has a great attention to detail.”

Samantha Krich, DBC Pri-Med, LLC

W A SHINGTON STATE CON V ENTION CENTER

“Tim, thank you for all your support in We Day. Your team was great to work with and made our lives easier. We look forward to working with you in 2016!”

Courtney Frizzell, We Day

S M A R T C I T Y B O O S T - C O R P O R A T E L A S V E G A S T E A M

“I want to give Leona Lee (Marketing Associate) a big boost for her work and guidance for the uniform task force. I was the newly appointed leader, and she reached out to me and offered some much-needed help. Her assistance with the surveys and polls that were sent out to the group was great, and her availability is a big part of why the task force was successful. Thanks, Leona!”

Andrew Gutierrez, General Manager, Smart City Reno

T A M P A C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“We are very grateful for all that you and the Smart City team do for our TCC events. Thank you Mitchell (Hughes, General Manager) for ensuring that our events are successful and that the service level is always stellar! We are so happy to have Smart City representing the Tampa Convention Center. Thank you for going above and beyond for us every day!”

Robert Rose, Chief Operating Officer, Tampa Convention Center

K A Y B A I L E Y H U T C H I S O N C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“Kasandra (Williams, Customer Sales and Service Representative), thank you for working with us during the 2015 Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo. We appreciated the onsite attention from the Smart City team, especially Rey (Crespo, Operations Manager) and Ryan (Stephens-Myles, Technician), who went above and beyond.

We look forward to coming back to Dallas in October, and for another great show!”

Kimberly Klonoski, ACT Expo

S M A R T C I T Y B O O S T - W A L T E R E . W A S H I N G T O N C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R T E A M

“I would like to boost Marlon Brown (Technician) from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for stepping in and helping out with the install of NDIA-SOFIC. He played a key role in getting this event off of the ground and making it a success. Thanks for all of your help Marlon, and we look forward to the possibility of working with you again in Tampa!”

Mitchell Hughes, General Manager, Smart City Tampa

K E N T U C K Y I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R & K E N T U C K Y E X P O S I T I O N C E N T E R

“Karen (Nelson, Customer Sales and Service Representative) and Corey (Anderson, Technician), I’d like to thank you all and your team for all of the help with commencement. I’m glad the event was a success. Again, thanks so much!”

Basil Mumaw, UITS Indiana University Southeast

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EMPLOYEE OF COURTNEY BRANNON

Assistant Manager, Marketing & Sales - Orange County Convention Center

MARCH

Courtney has been a shining star since her first day on the job!

Within the last 11 months as an Event Coordinator with the Sales and Marketing team in Orlando, Courtney has literally risen with initiative to all occasions. Within weeks, she was running at full speed and fully functioning within her role.

Courtney has successfully managed the extensive needs of events like the American Academy of Otolaryngology, The Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (CAMX), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), PowerGEN, FETC, and most notably and recently Orgill this February.

Some highlights of these events include when Courtney carefully listened to IACP, and expertly consulted with show management. During IACP Courtney gained a solid understanding of their wireless needs and expectations, and she developed a custom WiFi solution comprised of five unique wireless hotspots. Not only was the customer extremely thankful and pleased after the event, but Courtney’s skillful approach increased expected revenues by approximately $40k! Courtney truly comprehends and exemplifies that the “customers define quality.”

Most recently, Courtney illustrated how she “continually improves processes” by managing and overcoming obstacles set in previous years with the FETC and Orgill Events. Both events presented large challenges due to some opportunities for improvement from previous years. Courtney steadily built trust and respect with both customers which led to very positive outcomes with both customers.

In addition to her superior knowledge and dedication to the core responsibilities of an event coordinator, Courtney has gone above and beyond to help her team in any other area she can be of assistance. Whether it’s sending out meeting minutes, updating the MEL, acting as the Safety Coordinator when her team member is on leave, bringing creative ideas and scenarios to our weekly meetings, or traveling with OCCC sales to add support to a client visit, she jumps in and helps! Courtney exemplifies that “teams work” and operates as a team player everyday!

Due to Courtney’s accomplishments and leadership, she was promoted to the position of Assistant Manager of Marketing and Sales this March. For these reasons and many more, we are so grateful for Courtney and know she deserves to be the March 2015 Employee of the Month!

Nominated by: Kimberly Dvorscak

BOOSTS I N D I A N A C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R & L U C A S O I L S T A D I U M

“Just wanted to say thanks again for your assistance with helping make our conference a success! Everything went great with the Internet and network connections and your team was very helpful!”

Gene Connolly, Vertafore

N R G P A R K

“Jessica (Hoover, Sales and Customer Service Manager), just wanted to say thank you for your assistance and generosity yesterday regarding the issues with my breakout room. The session went on without a glitch and the video worked perfectly!”

Annette, Keeping Our Communities Clean event

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THE MONTH JOE APONTE

Technician - Atlantic City Convention Center

APRIL

Joe Aponte started with Smart City in mid-January and has quickly become an asset to the company. He is a quick learner and always works to get things right the first time. With no wireless infrastructure and an aged but soon-to-be-upgraded building infrastructure, the Atlantic City Convention Center can be a bit hectic. In regard to this, he completely represents our motto: “In a hectic world we provide peace of mind” to our clients at the Atlantic City Convention Center with great customer service and quick resolution of complaints. Joe’s thirst for learning new technologies, willingness to travel at a moment’s notice to help other centers, and diligence have lead to high praises from many team members and customers at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

Nominated by: Craig Fulem

GABE MENDOZA

Supervisor, Data Operations - Phoenix Convention Center

M AY

Gabe Mendoza has been an invaluable asset since he began with Smart City. Earlier this year the City of Phoenix hosted Super Bowl XLIX, and the Phoenix Convention Center was the home of the NFL Experience and Media Center.

During the events, one of Gabe’s many duties was to handle fiber optics for media broadcast. During this time, Gabe exemplified “Think Fast, Move Fast.” Many of these media requests were made with short notice, and Gabe delivered such a high quality of service that the media shared their appreciation with the PCC staff.

Additionally, each media request was different from the next. Each time, Gabe spoke, listened, and responded by delivering the service the clients needed, even when the client couldn’t necessarily describe their needs in technical terms.

It is during high profile events like these that we count on our stars to shine the brightest. For several weeks during these events, Smart City expected the best from Gabe Mendoza, and he consistently exceeded those expectations.

Nominated by: Todd Zuccato

BOOSTS M INNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER

“Thanks for all the help you and your crew gave us. Brian Clear (technician) was always so conscious and handled every situation promptly and professionally. He was awesome. We certainly enjoyed doing business with you.”

Sandy Brom, Director of Auto Show and Special Events Minnesota Automobile Dealer Association

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TEAM MEMBER MILESTONES

Emiliano Fernandez, Smart City Santa Clara’s General Manager, celebrated his 10-year anniversary in March. Thanks for all of your hard work over the last ten years, Emiliano!

Smart City Los Angeles Technician Adolfo Ramirez celebrated his 10-year anniversary with Smart City in June. Congratulations, Adolfo, and thanks for all that you do!

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Smart City Tampa’s General Manager, Mitchell Hughes, celebrated his 10-year anniversary with the Smart City in March. Thank you for a decade of service, Mitchell!

Smart City George R. Brown Electricians Keith Hale and Dan Noska recently celebrated their 20-year anniversaries with Smart City! Thanks for two decades of dedication, Keith and Dan!

BOOSTS S M A R T C I T Y B O O S T - C O R P O R A T E L A S V E G A S T E A M

“A huge thanks and a big boost from our San Diego team for all of your efforts on CISCO Live. We appreciate all of the help from you in making this event not only a huge success for Smart City, but also the highest revenue event ever in San Diego. The event was virtually flawless in every way and the clients couldn’t be happier!”

Donna Kacmarcik, Customer Sales and Service Manager, Smart City San Diego

WA SHINGTON STATE CON V ENTION CENTER

“Joe Melancon and Robbie Garner, thank you so very much for your time and expertise to talk through some tips on mobile security for the monthly employee newsletter. Robbie, you deserve a medal for your patience in working through the verbiage about using WiFi in public until we got it just right – and for your eagle eye for devise versus device! And thanks to Smart City’s tech bulletin that helped to spark the idea and shape our piece for employee use.”

Susan Newcomb, Account Executive, Washington State Convention Center

N E W A R R I VA L S

SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER

Smart City San Diego Technician Jonathan Wooding and his wife Stephanie welcomed the arrival of a son this April. Jackson (Jax) Isaiah Wooding was born on April 2 at Kaiser Zion Hospital. He weighed 6lb, 3oz and was 19.3 inches long.

Congratulations, Jonathan!

K ENTUCK Y INTERN ATION A L CON V ENTION CENTER & KENTUCKY EXPOSITION CENTER

Smart City Kentucky Technician Rider Perez and his wife welcomed a baby boy this April. Lucas Ismael Perez, born on April 6 at Norton Suburban in St. Matthews, weighed 8lb, 8oz and was 19 inches long. Congratulations to you and your family, Rider!

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ANNIVERSARIES

EMPLOYEE APRIL 2015 Robbie Bridges Louis Reyes Abel Soto Eleazar Martinez Michael Newton Paul Legrande Samantha Heller Sandra Garcia

19 years 17 years 11 years 11 years 11 years 10 years 9 years 5 years

Kelli Bonds George Hunter Harvey Rivera Nicholas Gwinn Andrew West Ramon Sanchez Juan Lopez Ivan Gutierrez

4 years 3 years 3 years 2 years 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year

36 years 20 years 20 years 15 years 12 years 11 years 10 years

Stephen Jordan Carlos Reyes Kasandra Williams Jonathan Wooding Jackelin Gonzalez Janay Benson Courtney Brannon

9 years 7 years 3 years 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year

15 years 10 years 10 years 9 years 8 years 7 years 6 years

Omar Carro Carey Dvorak II Gabriel Mendoza Rani Bush Kristen Halliday Laura Acosta Codey Eichenour

5 years 3 years 3 years 2 years 2 years 2 years 1 year 1 year

MAY 2015 Keith McNeely Dan Noska Keith Hale Patrick Sarcinella Peggy Cooper Anthony Taylor Tim Overall

JUNE 2015 Laureen Boykin Antonio Delgado Adolfo Ramirez Paul Brown Patricia Johnson Mark Haley Paula Ruiz

Jawanza Willis

BOOSTS T A M P A C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

“On behalf of SQA, we thank you and your team for making our annual meeting successful. Our attendees really enjoyed Tampa and the convention center.

Internet is always a challenge for our groups but we had the best experience ever with Smart City. Mitchell Hughes (General Manager) and Jackelin Gonzalez (Customer Sales and Service Representative) were awesome. We never experienced any issues. They worked with us to have the best experience and to guide us for future conferences with the information that they provided to us. Hats off to their team.”

Lynne Valentic, Conference Director, Society of Quality Assurance

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