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Aligning Organizational Structure to Provide Valued Membership Services and Sound Fiscal Management is at the core of the IAAM’s recent shift in organizational structure. While the association is devoted to Delivering Substantive Business and Commerce Systems, Processes, and Guidelines that Enhances Industry Venue Performance, it remains firmly committed to Providing Unparalleled Professional Training and Leadership Development to the Industries We Serve. Guiding Industry Affairs through Affiliations and Effective Government Relations effectively rounds off the four strategic directions that IAAM’s leadership has identified.

Managing our resources and assets is critical if IAAM is to achieve these four strategies. To accomplish this effectively required condensing some 28 committees into a more manageable structure. The council format is the resulting method for better coordination by the President and Executive Director, enabling the leadership to quickly disseminate information for immediate action. It allows IAAM to focus various organizational resources together in a “laser beam” like approach for greatest impact.

Among these notable efforts is until recently one of the more obscure, yet critical efforts. Known as the Life Safety Council (LSC), it is IAAM’s newest weapon in our activist arsenal. The group’s focus covers an array of issues devoted to the health and welfare of public assembly patrons. From rigging safety to emergency evacuation, alcohol consumption to fan violence, IAAM’s Life Safety Council is actively engaged in positioning our industry with solutions.

NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)—IAAM is represented at the important assembly occupancies committee that manages sections of the NFPA Life Safety Code dealing with public assembly facilities. IAAM’s representatives on the committee have had significant impact on committee deliberations in the aftermath of the Chicago and Rhode Island nightclub deaths.

TEAM (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management) involvement is IAAM’s commitment with other industry partners to actively participate in initiatives that encourage responsible alcohol service. As an extension of the LSC, members will be represented with proactive leadership in shaping public awareness through publicity and employee training programs.

ICMC (International Crowd Management Conference) now in its 21st year is IAAM’s premier effort to address contemporary issues of crowd safety, security, emergency planning and life safety issues. Ever since the fatalities at The Who concert in Cincinnati in 1979, IAAM and the IAAM Foundation have supported this conference and the development of related products and training materials such as video training programs and publications.

SSTF (Safety and Security Task Force) was formed in the fall of 2001 to lead IAAM’s industry response to new security challenges created by the terrorist threat. SSTF formed alliances with important industry partners such as sports leagues and the Department of Homeland Security and developed a broad range of “Best Practices” planning guides and educational programs. Currently being planned is the initiation of a National Training Academy for Safety and Security. This week-long program will provide our industry with an intense certification program for professional safety management.

Advocacy for IAAM’s professionals and the industry they serve is a large part of what any organization like ours can do to enhance the value of membership. Speaking as one voice brings significant leverage to bear on any issues that threaten public assembly facility management and industry partners. Shaping legislation through concerted lobbying efforts will continue to yield a positive impact on our sports and entertainment environment.

Whether it is active involvement with the major leagues in producing a security video training series, active participation with the Department of Homeland Security to brief the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), proactive design consulting with architectural firms, or monitoring the SARS epidemic, the LSC is already in full swing with industry partners.

These specific areas are by no means the limit of LSC’s potential involvement. In fact, I believe it only signals the beginning of what may prove to be one of the most profound influences on the world of public assembly facility management. It certainly heralds the commitment IAAM has for enhancing the industry we all love.

Managing our resources and assets is critical if IAAM is to achieve these four strategies.

Speaking as one voice brings significant leverage to bear on any issues that threaten public assembly facility management and industry partners.

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