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By Carol Foley
The free exchange of information within our industry has been discussed and
elaborated on. Committees about it have been formed. Conferences about it
have been held. Still, despite all the discussion, I challenge everyone to
actively participate in this exchange of knowledge.
Recently I had an opportunity to participate first hand
in this information exchange. I learned a lot, as did the facility I work
for. We’re grateful that for once we didn’t learn things the hard way.
Who Let the Dogs In?
It was approximately five months ago when a potential client approached our
center regarding holding the Okaloosa Kennel Club Dog Show here at the
Emerald Coast Conference Center. Our center is almost four years old, and in
that time we’ve never had an opportunity to host a dog show. Therefore, when
our sales department approached me about hosting such an event my initial
thought was, “Dogs and poop and dander, oh my!”
A meeting was scheduled with the kennel club to further
discuss their event, but in the meantime I had to educate myself. Eager to
gain knowledge regarding all the nuances of dog shows, I searched the Web to
find a nearby facility that had some experience in this realm. To my
surprise, only a few short hours away, the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and
Convention Center had hosted several such events. Hopeful that I could pick
the brain of a facility manager who had direct experience with these shows,
I grabbed the phone and placed the call.
Sharing the Poop
I was transferred to Paula April, director of marketing for the Mississippi
Coast Coliseum and Convention Center. I’d never met April, and since this
entire phone call was a shot in the dark, I stated my reason for calling.
Although her facility was going through challenges of
its own due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, April embraced my
predicament as if it were her own. She was friendly but straightforward
regarding what it took to successfully handle a dog show.
While still being tactful, April explained that dog
show participants are very focused on showing their dogs, and therefore
often don’t take into consideration their effect on a facility. She
impressed upon me the importance of doing our due diligence to make sure we
protected our interests by incorporating specific clauses into our contract.
She suggested that we include things such as
prohibiting dogs from being washed in our restroom sinks, and portable
grooming tables from being erected in our pre-function areas. She suggested
we outline in detail where dogs were allowed and forbidden. It was in the
best interest of the facility to designate areas for washing, grooming and
crate storage, she added.
April also informed me that I needed to have a
conversation regarding whether or not animals would be left in the facility
overnight. The AKC requires certain temperatures for the dogs when dogs are
left in the center overnight, she said — and therefore, I should incorporate
an additional utilities fee into the contract.
More Doggie Do’s and Don’ts
We discussed at length the importance of assigning only two entrances
designated as dog entrances, and the need to post someone at each of these
entrances to act as a pooperscooper. Granted, I’ve charged for various labor
in my tenure, such as dock masters, stagehands and parking lot attendants,
but never had I listed a charge for a “pooper scooper.”
April said that she didn’t allow dogs in any carpeted
area of their facility. When I mentioned our entire facility was carpeted,
she advised that I be very careful about booking this show. She suggested
that if we decided to move forward with this event, we should incorporate
into our contract a professional carpet steam-cleaning fee.
In addition, she addressed how she handles the RV
parking and food service area situations, as well as many other aspects of
dog shows that I hadn’t considered. The conversation wasn’t extremely
lengthy, but I learned more in that short conversation then if I’d spent
hours researching the specifics of dog shows.
The Value of Sharing
I’m grateful for the time April took to assist me in my quest for additional
knowledge. Our meeting with the Kennel Club went much smoother because she
had helped me prepare. This free exchange of information was such a positive
experience for me that I challenge everyone to use other IAAM members as
additional avenues for research. It helps foster relationships, and it
provides an opportunity to learn something new.
Another avenue for the free exchange of information is
to participate in the new document exchange initiative being developed by
the Universities Committee and IAAM. This endeavor will allow facilities to
view documents submitted from other centers in an effort to help all of us
improve and learn from one another.
Don’t be afraid to make a phone call, introduce
yourself and pick someone else’s brain. Knowledge is only a phone call away.
Start dialing. fm
Carol Foley is events
manager at the Emerald Coast Conference Center in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.obyn Schon, CMD, is
assistant director of civic facilities for the Roanoke Civic Center in
Roanoke, Va. |
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