SETTING THE STAGE By Laura Sweet
Nestled among waterfalls and woods sits Cornell University. I’d nev- er been to the region, aside from regular trips to not-so-nearby New York City, which is a far cry from the landscape in this part of the - Center for the Arts. Phil encouraged me (and my PAMC boot camp a distinctive program that limits participants, the application process IAVM and Cornell University, the symposium seeks to “inspire execu- to interact with industry leaders from other sectors, and also to deepen our knowledge in key overarching areas of leadership. SES, at its core, is four days of training and discussion designed for senior-level venue managers to broaden and enrich executive perspectives on business oper- ations and culture. Curriculum rotates annually through three areas of focus: Visionary Man- agement, Strategic Planning, and Prior to traveling to Ithaca,
we were all assigned pre-course homework. The readings provid- ed solid context for what was to come in our sessions, and truly set the stage for the content we’d be diving into. Being deadline driven, for me the readings became good Getting to Ithaca from Des Moines, Iowa isn’t easy. It started with
“SES provided a great opportunity to expand my professional network. The new
relationships I was able to develop with peers from across North America have been very
rewarding. Getting away from the day to day of our jobs for a short time provided a great opportunity to learn new management concepts and revisit some that had been long forgotten.”
and then a car service ride of a little over an hour from Syracuse to Ithaca. While I was still groggy from the early morning, the car ride through the gentle green hills was a special treat. It reminded me a bit nearby lakes. I checked into the Statler Hotel, which is tucked into the campus,
- lished in 1950 as an experiment in hotel education, with over 200 stu- dents from Cornell’s world-renowned School of Hotel Administration working under the guidance of hospitality professionals. They receive a real-life educational experience while delivering exceptional service. throughout our time at SES. The group of around 50 industry leaders (plus IAVM Director of - fessors included Rob Kwortnik, Ph.D and Cathy Enz, Ph.D. from Cor-
28 8 Facility Manager Magazine Faciility yManag r Mag iniine ana na erM gaz n
nell as well as Michael Oshins, Ed.D. from Boston University. performing arts sector, it was particularly interesting to learn from the experiences of arena, stadium, and convention center professionals. Wayne Zronik, CPA, CA, senior VP music and live events for Maple great opportunity to expand my professional network. The new rela- tionships I was able to develop with peers from across North America have been very rewarding. Getting back into the academic environ- ment and away from the day to day of our jobs for a short time provid- ed a great opportunity to learn new management concepts and revisit some that had been long forgotten. It really provided a spark for some - tertainment.” It turns out challenges facing arenas and ballparks have direct correlation for those working on campuses or with performing arts centers. The days began with breakfast together at 8 am immediately followed by curriculum designed and presented by the scholars not- ed above. While primarily lecture based, there were plenty of op- portunities for group discussion and for us to connect the content directly back to our situations in our home venues. We were en- - eas of the operations we oversee to develop strategies for improve- ment upon our return home after the symposium. Many of us did
in our local zip codes. With the annual topic focused around strategic came to communication styles assessment and leadership strategies. We learned tactics to improve our work within diverse teams and were reminded of the importance of surrounding ourselves with individuals content was so relevant and abundant that it felt like the Cornell fac- ulty managed to deliver an entire semester’s worth of instruction into one week. I was truly inspired by the high level critical thinking, and I was able to immediately bring it back to Des Moines Performing Arts and put it to good use.” Evening activities allowed for less formal connections with industry colleagues. A special treat on Tuesday night began with a bus trip to - viding us into smaller groups—one toured the farm and learned the history of the business, while other groups were dedicated to learning a recipe and then following through with “making” the recipe for all the attendees. The delicious and cooked-by-us meal was paired with connection for all of us back to that special day and place.
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