Unobstructed

Mike Evenson was joined by Jonathan Boulter, the Associate Director of Patron Services at Virginia Tech's Moss Arts Center, on episode 22 of the Unobstructed podcast. A Virginia Tech alumnus, he began his career at Walt Disney World, but made his way back to the university in 2012.

They discussed how the staff at the Moss Arts Center has continued to serve their core demographic during the COVID-19 shutdown, their HomeStage Series, pricing strategy for virtual events and the complex nature of hybrid events. 

Jonathan also talked about his customer service philosophy, leadership approach, the importance of thinking safety first, ‘Zoom fatigue’ and more!

Mike Evenson was joined by Andrew Thomas on episode 21 of the Unobstructed podcast. Andrew is a South Wales-based ticketing industry consultant and Director of the Ticketing Professionals Conference. In a career spanning more than 20 years, he has worked as a vendor, venue operator and consultant in both the sports and performing arts sectors.

They discussed the future of virtual events, the irreplaceable experience of in-person events, the staying power of policy shifts driven by COVID-19 and the evolving skill set of ticketing professionals.

Andrew also talked about the need for customer ease and satisfaction to be at the top of our priority lists, offered advice for furloughed ticketing professionals and urged venues and organizations to use this unfortunate industry slowdown as an opportunity to experiment.

Mike Evenson was joined by Sean Moriarty on episode 20 of the Unobstructed podcast. Sean is a 30+ year veteran in the area of campus technology and currently serves as the CTO at SUNY Oswego.

They discussed the current climate on the SUNY Oswego campus, the Oswego Forward reopening plan, the need to adhere to low-tech safety protocols and the critical role of technology as part of a campus wide solution.

Sean also detailed how the leadership team SUNY Oswego arrived at the decision to implement AudienceView Campus Flow, which will serve as the core technology to help them re-open campus wide in the safest way possible.

The State University of New York at Oswego is a public college that is part of the SUNY system, the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States.

Our host, Mike Evenson, delivers a solocast for episode 19 of the Unobstructed podcast. The episode is focused on the potentially permanent changes that we may see in the live events industry as a result of COVID-19.

Mike talks about the need to re-examine your consumer experience, the importance of knowing the people that are attending your events, sweeping changes related to concessions, the increased reliance on personal devices in your venue and more!

Mike Evenson was joined by Jesse Cole on episode 18 of the Unobstructed podcast. Jesse is the founder of Fans First Entertainment and the owner of the Savannah Bananas, where their mission is Fans First, Entertainment Always.

They discussed the importance of getting people’s attention, making small bets, not fearing failure, obsessively focusing on the event experience and how the Savannah Bananas make every decision through the lens of “Is it fans first?”

Jesse also talked about how he focuses on creating long-term fans rather than making short-term profits, the need to get through ‘the suck’ and keep moving and how he’s been able to successfully operate his team by spending zero dollars on marketing.

Mike Evenson was joined by Kelsey Harmon Finn, CEO of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services, on episode 17 of the Unobstructed podcast. Kelsey, a 20-year veteran in higher education and association management, was on the campuses of UC Berkeley, UNLV and Illinois State University before joining NACAS as CEO in 2015.

Kelsey talked about the role of auxiliary professionals on college campuses, their impact on the in-person student experience and how NACAS supports the global sharing of ideas, information and insight.

They also discussed how colleges and universities are planning for the return of students this fall, budget shortfalls related to newly instituted safety protocols, the intentionality of the services available on college campuses and the need to take a “community first, revenue next” approach to achieve long-term success.

Founded in 1969 as the National Association of College Auxiliary Services, NACAS provides opportunities for higher education auxiliary service professionals to share ideas, enhance programs and revenues, and develop professional relationships. NACAS is the largest auxiliary services support organization serving higher education. Our membership includes colleges and universities throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia.

Mike Evenson was joined by Marc Middleton, founder and CEO of Growing Bolder, on episode 16 of the Unobstructed podcast. Marc is a media entrepreneur, Emmy Award-winning television journalist, author, filmmaker, speaker, activist and consultant who focuses on the changing culture of aging.

Marc discussed his organization’s mission to re-brand aging, how organizations should communicate with older generations, his distaste for the term Boomer and ageist stereotypes that need to be retired.

Growing Bolder is a team of award-winning journalists, broadcasters and creatives all focused on sharing the inspirational stories of ordinary people living extraordinary lives — men and women who are redefining the possibilities of life after 50. Growing Bolder not only provides the inspiration to live a healthier and more active life, it delivers the tools, tips, resources and community support necessary to make it happen.

Our guest for episode 15 is Rob Williams, Chief Product Officer at AudienceView. Rob joined our host, Mike Evenson, to discuss the changing landscape and continued evolution of the live events industry.

They talked about the acceleration of AudienceView’s strategic innovation plan, the transition from a product view to a platform view and the ability to more efficiently build and release features that benefit all clients.

Rob also shared how AudienceView is now in a better position to maximize its investment in resources to rapidly offer solutions designed to help venues reopen based on new procedures that may need to be introduced due to COVID-19 and other future challenges or opportunities in the industry.

Mike Evenson was joined by Michael D. Fox on episode 14 of the Unobstructed podcast. Michael, the Chief Operations Officer at Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy, Utah for the last 18 years, says that his passion is to turn the public into regular patrons and current patrons into raving fans of Hale Centre Theatre.

Michael discussed his organization’s journey from venue shutdown to their reopening in late June. He shared all of the items that were considered by his team, the logic used to decide what protocols to put in place and the important things he’s learned along the way.

This is a must-listen for any live events professional that is on the path to reopening their venue.

TheaterMania’s Publisher Rosemary Maggiore joined Mike Evenson for episode 13 of the Unobstructed podcast. They discussed the key findings from the recent survey of more than 5,000 members of the TheaterMania community.

The Patrons’ Perspective: An Overview of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Behavior of Theater-goers, a report generated from the survey results, will be released the week of June 29. The report uncovers new behaviors of theater-goers, including the appetite for virtual events, opinions of incremental procedures to increase public safety, motivations and timelines to return to live events, near-term ticket buying intentions and more.

Our host, Mike Evenson, delivers a solocast for episode 12 of the Unobstructed podcast. The episode is focused on spring cleaning for live events professionals, offering listeners ten things they can do to improve their business.

Mike talks about the importance of getting to know your customers better, the need to periodically examine your tools and processes, defining (or redefining) loyalty, revisiting your physical spaces in a post-COVID world and more!

Antonia Hock, Global Head of The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center, joined Mike Evenson on episode 11 of the Unobstructed podcast. They discussed Ritz-Carlton’s status as a culture-first and customer-centric organization that empowers its employees to create unforgettable experiences. Antonia shared why all staff members carry the Ritz-Carlton Credo Card and how it represents the heart and soul of their culture, values and service strategy.

They also talked about opportunities for surprise and delight, anticipating customer needs, strategies to cultivate loyalty and why you should avoid asking, “How can I help you?”

Mike Evenson was joined by Derek Mitchell on episode 10 of the Unobstructed podcast. Derek has spent nearly 15 years working in the higher education industry, a career that began as a student worker at the University of Maine and continues in his current role as the Product Manager for AudienceView’s Campus and Grad solutions.

Derek talked about the current challenges being faced by the higher education community, specifically related to the management of campus facilities like dining halls, libraries, labs, student unions and recreation centers. These spaces, which have traditionally been first-come, first-serve, will now require technology to help assist with capacity management, student flow, contactless access and other newly adopted safety protocols.

They also discussed the recent launch of the AudienceView Campus Flow solution, a new packaged offering designed to help higher education institutions manage capacity in spaces where students congregate, enhancing safety and supporting physical distancing measures. They highlighted the critical role that technology will play in helping bring students back to campuses across the country in the safest way possible.

Public Relations veteran Cristyne Nicholas joined Mike Evenson on episode 9 of the Unobstructed podcast. They talked about Cristyne’s role in rebuilding New York City’s $27 billion tourism industry following the tragic events of September 11th and the methodology that can be applied to our current economic crisis.

They discussed the need to over-communicate so that people understand the new rules and expectations, along with the importance of the health confidence factor of businesses as we begin to re-open. Cristyne also shared the positive things she’s seeing in her community, including support for essential workers, the surge of creativity of artists and the general generosity of people.

Darren Rovell joins Mike Evenson on the Unobstructed podcast to discuss the changing landscape of sports business. Darren has covered the industry for more than 20 years, with stops at ESPN and CNBC before joining the Action Network in 2018 as a Sports Business Reporter & Senior Executive Producer. His unique approach and personality has earned him 2 million+ followers on Twitter.

In this episode, they discuss remote fan engagement, the future of the in-venue experience, the role of ticket revenue in the decision to re-start college athletics, his bold approach on social media and more.

You can follow Darren Rovell on Twitter at @darrenrovell.

James Mackenzie-Blackman, CEO of Eden Court, joins Mike Evenson on the podcast to discuss how his organization has continued to engage with its patrons, re-vectored staff and technology to help their community and collaborated with peer arts groups in the Scottish Highlands. James stressed the importance of blocking out all of the noise and clinging to your values to best serve staff, customers and the community at large.

James also shared bright spots that he’s experienced during these otherwise gloomy times, like uncovering staff skills that were not known and taking advantage of the gift of time to reflect on a set of scenarios that haven’t had the proper attention paid to them.

You can connect with James on Twitter at @jamesmackblack.

Mike Evenson was joined by Byron Harrison, the leader of Charcoalblue’s global acoustics practice. They discussed Byron’s recent paper, Performance Buildings in the Post-Pandemic World, which focuses on the changes venues will need to consider when artists and audiences return. They take a look back in history at how theaters confronted the challenges presented by the 1918 flu pandemic and what we can learn from their actions. Topics of conversation also included the increased scrutiny of the health-worthiness of venues, the need to quickly learn from the canaries in the coal mines, the psychology of social distance seating and the increased opportunities to leverage local talent when doors re-open.

We invite you to learn more about Charcoalblue and to follow them on Twitter at @Charcoalblue.

Dr. Bill Sutton joins Mike Evenson for episode 5 of the podcast to discuss the current state of the sports business world. A self-described “prac-ademic,” Bill's career has been a mix of teaching, consulting and high-profile sports marketing positions.

They discuss the attributes needed to be a great leader remotely, how sports organizations can continue to engage with fans, the concept of a virtual season ticket and a prediction for the 2020 college football season. Bill also talks about how organizations need to increase buyer confidence and to adequately address the number one question being asked: When is it safe to attend sporting events again?

Disruption often leads to innovation. With stay-at-home orders in place for many parts of the world, businesses and communities have turned to live streaming as a conduit to reach their customers. Rudy J. Ellis, founder and CEO of Switchboard Live, joins the Unobstructed podcast to discuss how organizations can leverage live video to share their content, engage with their audiences and generate revenue. He shares his thoughts on how to approach this new initiative, stressing the importance of getting going and then getting better. This is a must-listen for any live events professional that is considering or has recently started live streaming their content. 

Broadway theaters went dark on March 12 when government officials enacted new restrictions in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19. Our friends at TheaterMania, Rosemary Maggiore (@RoeMaggiore) and David Gordon (@MrDavidGordon), join Mike Evenson to share their viewpoints on how theater is staying alive during these uncertain times when the shows can’t go on. The trio discusses how this business interruption is impacting the theater industry globally, highlighting the heartwarming moments that have happened as a result.

TheaterMania is the place for those interested in live theater and the performing arts to connect with like minded people to learn about what's going on and understand how they can engage.  TheaterMania delivers a combination of news that people need to know and fun, lighthearted content – which is needed more than ever.