Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am proud to be here today representing the International Association of Venue Managers, an organization that is headquartered in Coppell, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.
I've been a member of IAVM for 24 years. I have previously served on the board of directors as a district vice-president, as chair of the professional education council, and as chair of the board of education. I currently serve as chair of the membership committee. For the next 30 days or so, I'll continue to be the general manager of Lansdowne Park here in Ottawa.
The mission statement for IAVM states: to educate, advocate for, and inspire public assembly venue professionals worldwide.
The International Association of Venue Managers is an organization committed to the professional operation of amphitheatres, arenas, auditoriums, convention centres, exhibit halls, performing arts venues, racetracks, stadiums, and university complexes. The IAVM provides leadership development, education and research, life safety and security training, and networking resources for the industry.
The association currently serves over 3,800 members worldwide, with approximately 3,000 of those being in North America. We have approximately 150 active members in Canada.
For the purposes of this committee's review of national protocol procedures, it is expected that other contributors to this review will delve into the ceremonial components of such events. Accordingly, the IAVM will provide its comments from the broader perspective of the venue as the event host.
From the outset, it is critically important for all parties involved with the event to have a shared understanding of the environment in which the event is being staged. This would include such things as: cultural influences, whether they be local or regional customs or those having more national or international scope; religion; current events, those being the circumstances leading to the occasion; and the background or history of the key figures involved. This shared understanding puts the venue in the best possible position to contribute to the group's common vision of success.
Whereas some ceremonial components may lend themselves well to a more standardized official protocol manual, it is not practical to think in terms of a standard official manual for event planning. Event planning is a fluid process; it's not an end state. You work toward establishing a planning framework or a guideline, representing your best practices for planning and organizing all applicable venue services.
There are certain fundamentals, of course, that you would want to address, including such things as admissions, parking and traffic, communication, catering, and furniture and equipment.
From the venue perspective, the objective is to honour the ceremonial program and support it by providing a comfortable, safe, and secure environment. Regardless of the venue, the overarching key consideration at all times must be the safety and security of all participants and attendees.
IAVM is an acknowledged international leader in the world of venue management, perhaps most notably through its Academy for Venue Safety and Security, AVSS.
The academy is an intense five-day training school in security planning and life safety management for the public assembly venue management industry. Using classroom sessions and tabletop exercises, AVSS takes students through an in-depth approach to all types of emergencies that can occur at public facilities.
The program encompasses a clearly defined four-stage safety and security planning process: risk and threat assessment; emergency preparedness; security operations plans, procedures, and protocols; and training plans and activities for venue event and security staff.
Another example of the expertise IAVM has developed over the years is that following the events of 9/11, IAVM responded aggressively by developing three best practices planning guides: one for arenas, stadiums, and amphitheatres; one for convention centres and exhibit halls; and one for theatres and performing arts centres. These best practices form the principles for the Academy for Venue Safety and Security's emergency preparedness and planning for venues, teams, leagues, events, and activities.
IAVM readily acknowledges that Canada has successfully hosted numerous world-class sport and entertainment events. There is a wealth of experience across the country at the federal, provincial, and local levels.
IAVM has a strong, ongoing working relationship with national bodies in the United States, including the Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross, and would embrace any opportunity to work with Canadian officials in the development of a national event planning and security template that could support all types of official functions or events under the auspices of the Department of Canadian Heritage, as well as Public Safety Canada.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.