WE DON’T NEED NO EDUCATION - CONTINUED
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey
Since today’s student wants to hear, see, touch, and breathe
what they learn, I created a component of the class where we take our class on the road. Twice a semester the class gets on a bus and travels to other venues where the students are able to interact with various industry professionals, from ven- tours and comparing it to the Jordan Center or other venues they’ve been to and/or learned about. They learn from the industry and not just from a textbook. It gives the students hand. It also challenges them to take what they are learning in the class and see actual application of those processes. Since I’ve started this class, students have had opportunities to visit venues in Hershey, Wilkes Barre, Pittsburgh, Philadel- phia, Newark, and New York City. They have also learned from and networked with industry executives from AEG Live, APA, Live Nation, NFL, and MLB, just to name a few.
“When you know better, you do better.” – Maya Angelou
One of the most recent classes had the opportunity to trav- el to New York City for a two-day learning adventure. After NJ, where Director of Event Operations Joe Altenau and his venue. Joe walked the class through his typical day, what it’s like to work with an NHL team, and what it takes to succeed in this business. Nothing was sugarcoated - it was all real life and it hit home with the students. Brian Gale, executive vice president for entertainment programming) then shared how he books the Center, what it’s like to be in a highly-compet- itive market with other venues like Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center, to name a few, and what his vision is for the future of the Center. After soaking up all they could from the Prudential Center team, the class took a pit stop at the GRAMMY Museum connected to the Center to see the exhibits, hear amazing music, and play with some of the interactive displays. The next day’s sessions were fast and furious. We started
currently working in various aspects of the entertainment in- our current students the opportunity to interact with some successful alumni who are one year removed from gradua- tion. Alexandra Franklin (Blackbird Presents), Jackie Nunes (MSG), Jeremy Book (NYCB Live), and Justin Charschan (MLB) all jumped at the chance to share their short profes- sional journey to date. They showcased all of the internships,
34 Facility Manager Magazine
volunteer experience, and networking it took to get their foot in the door. These young professionals shared the frustration of entry-level position and what they are currently doing to pre- pare themselves for career advancement. The next industry “professors” to take the stage and share
their wealth of knowledge were Vice President Wayne Gold- berg and Director of Ticketing Scott Holtz from Live Nation - NYC. Both gentleman shared what they look for in a hire and how important it is to have experience. They also shared some great stories and talked about the challenges of promoting and the competition and future of festivals. Our next stop was to the busiest intersection in the world, Times Square. Here, the class had the opportunity to tour the PlayStation Theater, where General Manager James Minella showed us around as they were preparing to host Kelsea Balleri- some of the challenges of loading in a show in Times Square. They witnessed security measures and also got a special treat when Penn State alumni Mark Shulman stopped by to share how he went from running the student festival at Penn State to becoming a Principal at AEG/The Bowery Presents in NYC.
State running back Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants. Coordinator of Special Event Operations and Services Nick level and heard about the strategy of working with two NFL the summer.
“I am still learning.” – Michelangelo “Site visits are important because I believe they take the
learning experience to the next level,” said one student, who summed up the trip best. “It is one thing to talk about how arenas operate, but it is an entirely other experience to see it before your very own eyes. As an experiential and visual learner, this really helped me to understand and apply what I learned in class to what was being explained to me while on tour of an arena.”
While I know the students got a lot out of these visits, I also
know that myself and those who presented and spoke with the students learned quite a bit too! It’s always a blessing to be able to interact with some of the very best in our business, trade ideas and experiences and share our knowledge with the next generation of venue management professionals. FM
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