Convention Centers

By Rick Palmer

“Welcome back, welcome back to the show that never ends, come inside ….” These are the opening phrases to a popular song by Emerson Lake & Palmer. In an industry where the most significant resource we develop is the people that work within our venues, our success depends on the proper care and feeding of knowledge to each and every team member. This principal must start with the volunteer usher and the parking attendant that initially greets our guests.

Just as important are the front line supervisors, which are the first to respond to client and/or patron issues. This principle of developing and maintaining a strong training program should move throughout the organizational structure, all the way to the top management. The show that truly never ends is the development and implementation of a strong training program.

It is evident that the primary focus of an effective training plan is to provide our staff with the ability to “maximize the presentation of successful events,” which is a core principle within the mission of Compass Facility Management, Inc. When proper operating policies and procedures are incorporated with a commitment to training, the end result of most events will be positive, impacting everything from bottom line performance to increased sales. Most events can be produced with minimal issues and complaints as a direct result of an effective training program. This alone should justify the resources of budgets and time allocation towards the instruction and education of all levels of staff. Ultimately, the more significant factor for administering a competent training program is to supply your staff with the means to address critical issues that develop during the production of an event.

Case in point: The sales staff, through a number of site visits and negotiations with an experienced meeting planner, books a food show. The event has been properly advanced and planned and load in goes as expected. The next morning the meeting planner arrives early to find a laptop is missing and a couple of hours later natural gas service is shut down in the kitchen with only a few hours until show time. Additionally, the contractor is not responding to the service call.

In an industry where the most
significant resource we develop
is the people that work within
our venues, our success depends
on the proper care and feeding of
knowledge to each and every
team member.

Comments the meeting planner following the event: “I wanted to let you know we appreciate the credit that was put on our account for the stolen laptop. It’s unfortunate that it happened but no way does it tarnish the outstanding service that we were given for our event. Staff made this show one of the easiest and stress-free events I’ve had to plan in over 10 years. Hopefully we’ll be able to work together in the future.”

Standard event support functions where staff provided exceptional customer service certainly factored into a positive review. However, the decisive aspect for this event was the ability of the staff to immediately and professionally resolve some critical issues. A part-time supervisor when notified of the laptop responded with proper documentation and assurances the matter would be addressed. The event coordinator and sales associate were immediately notified of circumstances prior to being approached by the client. The operations staff resolved the natural gas issue by placing a call to our mechanical contractor for immediate support and notified management of the non-response from the responsible contractor. Gas service was re-established in a relatively short time frame and the remainder of the food show resulted in an overall successfully produced event.

Standard training procedures begin with the new hire; orientation programs and tours of the facility, the issuance of proper handbooks and code of conduct criteria are acknowledged. This sets the tone of management’s expectations for new employees before they have started working on the floor. In-house training is ongoing and is presented in formal classroom settings and on the job.

Our venue utilizes the opportunity for trade in room rental or price reductions for staff attendance when professional meeting sessions are booked with the meeting facilities. Areas of development in which staff have attended include: customer service, human resources, safety and emergency management and accounting. Customer service is emphasized throughout all of the in-house training programs; moreover, a professional speaker is hired to address this topic with staff prior to the fall season of bookings.

IAAM provides considerable resources for the development of management personnel. Fortunately, previous and current mentors within the organizations that I have served encouraged my development through atten dance at various venue specific conferences, as well as a number of the IAAM Annual Conference and Trade Shows. I look back to my graduation at the Public Assembly Facility Management School at Oglebay as a turning point in the overall development of my career within this industry.

Currently, my participation in the Senior Executive Symposium program continues to expand my knowledge in this dynamic business. I certainly value each and every one of these opportunities. However, perhaps my most memorable IAAM conference was my attendance in Cape Girardeau for a District III Operations Seminar. I joined this industry as an experienced maintenance supervisor; however I soon learned there is nothing typical about operating a public assembly facility. As a front line supervisor this conference provided me with a basis for beginning to understand the operational functions within this business. More importantly, I was able to establish peer relationships to utilize as resources for the many obstacles that I have faced along my journey in this challenging and exciting career path I have chosen.

From my experience within a couple of different IAAM Districts, we have been up and down in terms of hosting this conference. The reasons are significant; currently, the Operations Seminars are strictly a District endeavor. A host facility not only must commit to the conference, but must be the fund raiser, marketer, and conference planner. Allied members are already relied upon for an important number of financial sponsorships. National headquarters has turned the corner on the finances of our Association, yet funds are limited. Venues are dealing with shrinking budgets and staff resources, making it difficult to commit the time and funds for sending personnel.

In spite of these challenges, the issues that we face within the industry provide us with all the more reasons to train and develop the skills of those that are part of our organizational structures. I have no easy solution to the dilemma of sustaining the Operation Seminars. However, I believe in its significance as a viable mechanism to continue the development of our front line staff members.

I would like to thank the staff at The Mark of the Quad Cities for hosting this year’s seminar for District III and hope for the best for next year. The program that should never end, no matter what level we are currently at within our venues, is training and education.

Rick Palmer is general manager of the RiverCenter Adler Theatre in Davenport, Iowa. He may be contacted at rpalmer@riverctr.com.