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I am delighted to represent you as your
president over the next year. Being elected by my peers is a privilege and
an honor. It’s a position that I don’t take lightly, and I will strive to
meet the challenges ahead. I’m aware of what’s required: a great leader, a
visionary, an effective communicator, a person of passion and resources, a
friend and mentor — and a person who can move the association forward.
 During
my inaugural address in San Antonio I delineated my vision, goals and
objectives that I hope to accomplish during my term in office: business
development, international development, technologies, press and
publications, branding and mentoring, and networking. I’ll begin with the
latter, because it’s the power of networking that brings each IAAM member
into the fold, builds stronger relationships, and enhances our education and
skill set for the betterment of our professional and personal growth.
Talk with Larry and the Board of Directors.
For us to fully understand your needs, we must communicate — thus, “Talk
with Larry and the Board of Directors. ”We’re planning an audio
teleconference for you, your colleagues and associates to chat with us live
online. The teleconference will provide an opportunity not only to ask
questions, but also share your thoughts with others listening in from around
the globe. Moreover, your staff, contractors, community associates, and
service providers, such as police, EMS, and housekeeping, may sit with you
during the teleconference. We’ll announce the times, dates, rules and access
procedures no later than October 15, 2006. I encourage each of you to
participate, so please look for the announcement in the IAAM Front Row News
on the IAAM Web site.
The IAAM E-Network. Numerous incidents and world events affect what we do in
our venues and daily lives. With that in mind, the membership committee —
chaired by Marco Perez, vice chair Beth Wade, and IAAM headquarters
membership manager Gina Brydson — has established the IAAM E-Network, which
is an e-mail based networking group that helps you communicate in real-time
with industry colleagues. You can pose questions and often get immediate
responses. Networking groups are organized by venue and specialty meeting
types, allowing you to join the group that best fits the area of your
profession and interest. Should you wish to join a group, contact one of the
coordinators listed in Front Row News.
The IAAM E-Network will also help
us understand the status on issues such as natural disasters.We can then
provide information to groups such as DHS and the American Red Cross to help
our members and citizens in times of need — information such as damage
assessment/status, including the number of closed facilities and severity of
damage; restoration activities; and key issues/concerns.
Chapter Meetings. Through our new
partnership with House of Blues and Live Nation, IAAM’s Chapter Task Force —
chaired by Mark Mettes — will host more chapter meetings this year than ever
before. Steve MacFadyen, vice president of operations; Michael Enoch of the
House of Blues; and Ned Collett, executive vice president of venues, Live
Nation, have committed to hosting at least 50 meetings throughout the United
States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Mexico and Spain.
Chapters are community-based grassroots initiatives with District and
Oglebay Alumni affiliations. They are designed to foster career development
and provide networking opportunities for new, existing public assembly
facility professionals and those in your community who provide services to
your venue.
Chapters serve as a conduit to strengthen the industry and develop
membership in IAAM. HOB/Live Nation will assign a coordinator from each of
their venues to work with the IAAM appointed local host to plan the chapter
meetings in each location. In some cities the IAAM member facilities may be
used instead of the HOB/Live venues. We’re developing a complete list of
host cities. There are also very successful chapters that exist already —
and there are just as many members willing to spearhead chapter efforts in
their cities or areas of the country.
In addition to E-Networks and chapter meetings, you can also use the IAAM
forum to post global questions to any member of the association. We also
have an AVSS Network, where graduates can exchange ideas and information
among themselves on hot topics such as security and life safety. District
newsletters are another great way to connect with your peers.
I encourage you all to join me during “Talk with Larry and the IAAM Board of
Directors,” where we can discuss issues in an open forum to benefit our
entire industry. I also encourage you to participate in the E-Network — and
by all means, get involved in the chapter meetings. These meetings are free,
while others may have a nominal fee, so bring your staff and associates.
They’ll gain so much knowledge, and they’ll thank you for sharing — and for
your leadership.
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Larry
Perkins, CFE, CPP, CMP
IAAM President
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