I have so much information this time around, that I am again not quite sure where to begin. Maybe I should mention that my report spans two continents this time. My journey takes me to Sydney and its Acer Arena and to Los Angeles to the Convention Center.
Let's start in sunny Sydney. When I arrived at the vast grounds of the Summer Olympic Games in 2000, I called Tim Worton, who guided me in the right direction. Tim Worton, Group Director Arenas for AEG Ogden, took some time to show me the Acer Arena with all its particularities. At first I thought, “It can’t really take that long, after all it’s “only” an arena! Afterwards I should still have some time for sightseeing in the Olympic Park!” But obviously I slightly underestimated the size of the location and Tim Worton’s know-how, as we had about 1.5 hours time to chat about the characteristics of the Arena and the live entertainment industry in Australia.
First and foremost the Acer Arena (capacity of up to 21,000 people), with its approximately 30 meter high ceiling, is used for concerts, as indoor sports in Australia aren’t very popular. National and international productions also come to the Arena - Pink actually holds a record for giving the most shows in a row, with 17 concerts during a single tour. Small features which Tim Worton showed me are the air-conditioning system, which is located under each seat, the sound-absorbing “curtain” between the Hall and the adjoining area that has a gala hall, the curtain storage space, which hides the screening curtains, in the top rank, or the business boxes, which are rented to companies over several years using a rebate system.
In times when sustainability is becoming more and more important, AEG, as a global organization in the Arena Management industry, is committed to bringing the operation of its centres into accordance with economic, environmental and social components using its program “1Earth”, Tim Worton explained to me.
Sustainability also plays a significant role in the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC). As a result, the LACC only recently received gold status for LEED-EB (Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings) from the USGBC (United States Green Building Council).
Due to a shortage of municipal funds and a recruitment freeze for new staff, the LACC has become very successful in sharing its employees with various departments when needed and if the required know-how is present, Phillip Hill, Assistant General Manager & COO told me. During our my one and a half hour conversation, the four present department heads told me about sustainability issues such as accessibility, social media and funding. Mary Jane Aquino, Acting Assistant General Manager, explained the LACC’s financial situation in more detail: “Due to a share of the bed tax, which every hotel guest is required to pay, loan repayment and financing of the LACC are guaranteed. Operating costs are borne one hundred percent by the Convention Center itself.” Phillip Hill adds: “Time and again we negotiate with the city in order to be flexible in what we do and get more freedom of choice. This safeguards a positive result in the operational area.”
During a guided tour of the LACC, Event Manager Myrna Pietri shows me how the individual departments of the LACC work. She leads me past the three great halls to the 48 loading docks, past the in-house plumbing, painting, carpentry, mechanics, headquarters of in-house security and the technician, who leads us directly to the catwalk in about 18 meters height. During our tour, I stumble upon the slogan of the LACC, which I agree with straight away: “World-class facility, world-class service!” I would like to thank Myrna for her detailed guided tour and even more for the unexpected present during my visit.
See you soon,
Marko Roscher
