Skip to main content
  • Call Now
  • Request Info
  • Menu

Search form

  • JWU Main Site
  • jwuLink
  • Apply Now
  • Hide nav
  • Request Info
  • 1.855.598.1881

JWU

  • Academics
    Academics
    Academics Home Academic Calendar Online Catalog and Student Handbook On-Campus Programs
    • Business
      • BS – Accounting
      • BS – Advertising & Marketing Communications
      • Doctor of Business Administration
      • BS – Business Studies
      • BS – Digital Marketing & Social Media
      • BS – Fashion Merchandising & Retailing
      • BS – Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship
      • BS - Marketing
      • BSBA – Business Administration
      • BSBA – Entrepreneurship
      • BSBA – Human Resource Management
      • BSBA – International Business
      • BSBA – Management
      • BSBA – Operations & Supply Chain Management
      • BSBA – Enterprise Risk Management
      • MS – Global Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development
      • MS - Finance
      • AS – Business Administration
      • Accounting
      • BS – Finance
      • Business Communication
      • Communication for Change
      • Foundational Operations & Supply Chain Management
      • MS – Operations & Project Management
      • Operations & Supply Chain Management
      • Technical Writing & Editing
    • MBA
      • Master of Business Administration (MBA)
      • MBA – Finance
      • MBA – Hospitality
      • MBA – Human Resource Management
      • MBA – Information Security/Assurance
      • MBA – Organizational Psychology
      • MBA – Operations & Supply Chain Management
      • MBA – Organizational Leadership
      • MBA – Nonprofit Management
      • MBA – Sport Leadership
      • MBA – General (One Year)
      • MBA – Global Fashion Merchandising Management
      • MBA – Project Management
    • Criminal Justice
      • MS – Criminal Justice
      • MPA – Criminal Justice
    • Culinary
      • BS – Baking & Pastry Arts & Food Service Management
      • MS – Food Safety
      • BS – Culinary Arts & Food Service Management
      • Professional Craft Brewing
      • BS – Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship
      • BS – Food Industry Compliance Management
    • Engineering
    • Health Science
      • BS – Public Health
      • Public Health
      • Sports Nutrition
    • Hospitality
      • BS – Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship
      • BS – Food Industry Compliance Management
      • BS – Hospitality Management
      • BS – Hotel & Lodging Management
      • BS – Residential Hospitality Management
      • BS – Sports, Entertainment, Event – Management
      • BS – Tourism & Hospitality Management
      • MBA – Hospitality
      • MS - Hospitality Management
      • MS – Global Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development
      • MS – Sport Leadership
      • Food Compliance
      • Hospitality
      • Quality Assurance in Hospitality
    • HR Management
      • BSBA - Human Resource Management
      • MBA - Human Resource Management
      • MS – Human Resource Management
    • Liberal Studies
      • BS – Liberal Studies
    • Nonprofit Management
      • Nonprofit Management
      • MS – Nonprofit Management
      • MPA – Nonprofit Management
      • MBA - Nonprofit Managment
    • Psychology
      • BS – Psychology
      • MBA – Organizational Psychology
      • MS – Organizational Psychology
    • Public Administration
      • MPA – General
      • MPA – Criminal Justice
      • MPA – Nonprofit Management
      • MPA – Homeland Security
      • MPA – Human Resource Management
    • Political Science
      • BS - Political Science
    • Sport Administration
      • BS – Sports, Entertainment, Event — Management
      • MBA – Sport Leadership
      • MS – Sport Leadership
    • Technology
      • BS – Computer Science
      • BS – Digital Marketing & Social Media
      • MBA – Information Security/Assurance
      • MS - Data Analytics
      • MS – Instructional Design & Technology
    • Sociology
      • BA - Sociology
  • Admissions
    Admissions
    JWU Admissions
    • Admissions Home
    • Undergraduate Admissions
    • Apply Online
    • Graduate Admissions
    • Transfer Students
    • Doctoral Admissions
    • On-Campus Admissions
    • International Admissions
    • Career Coach
    • Returning Students
    • Tuition and Fees
    • JWU Military
  • Financial Aid
    Financial Aid
    JWU Financial Aid
    • Financial Aid Home
    • Tuition and Fees
    • Scholarships and Grants
    • Military Benefits
  • Student Services
    Student Services
    JWU Student Services
    • Student Services Home
    • Academic Calendar
    • Career Resources
    • Academic Resources
    • Commencement
    • Technical Resources
  • Corporate Partnerships
    Corporate Partnerships
  • Blog
    Blog
  • About
    About
    About JWU
    • About JWU Online Home
    • Read Student Testimonials
    • Tour an Online Classroom
    • Two JWU Grads, One MBA Journey
    • Learn from Experienced Faculty
    • Meet Our Team
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Discover the JWU Difference
    • JWU Athletics
    • Attend a Virtual Open House
    • Video Library
    • Priorities Survey for Online Learners
  • Apply Now
    Apply Now
  • jwuLink
    jwuLink
  • JWU Main Site
    JWU Main Site

You are here

JWU Online > Blog > Four Career Tips for a Future Venue Manager
Career Catalyst

Welcome to Career Catalyst, our blog featuring helpful continuing education and career-related articles written by our faculty and staff. From study and motivation tips to career planning and interview techniques, we cover it all. Make sure to check back regularly, because we’re always posting new articles designed to help you get more out of your education and career.

Follow Us
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Google Plus
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • PinInterest

Four Career Tips for a Future Venue Manager

search_icon

Search

mail_icon

Subscribe

 

Four Career Tips for a Future Venue Manager

November 13th, 2019
by Annie Shalvey
SEEM conference
Image Attribution: 
JWU
SEEM conference

Here is a hospitality career you may not have ever considered: venue management. When you attend a sporting event, concert, conference, or convention, you are stepping into a world that mixes operations with facility management, food and beverage management, event management, and more.

During the Sixth Annual SEEM Leadership Conference last month, keynote speaker Frank Russo discussed venue management as an industry and what future professionals in the field need to know to get ahead. “The expectations of managing a venue are very high,” he explained. “Managing a civic center is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week operation that never shuts down.”

Russo is the executive vice president of business development and client relations at Spectra, where he develops new contracts for arenas, convention centers, stadiums, and other public venues. Prior to joining Spectra, Russo had a more-than-30-year career working in venue management, including executive roles at the Hartford Civic Center in Connecticut, the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. Russo is also actively involved with the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM).

Based on his long career in the industry, here are four key pieces of advice he has for future venue managers.

1.       Seize every sales opportunity.

Venue managers need to make sure their team—and those who work on every other team—are making every sale possible to keep the revenue stream alive. According to Russo, there is a saying in the business: there is nothing that smells so rotten as an empty seat. “If you didn’t sell a ticket to an event last night, you will never get a chance to sell that ticket again,” he explained. “So the pressure on managers in our building to get the most out of every event is critical.”

2.       Create an environment that brings people in.

Additionally, competition in the venue management industry is very high. Therefore, you need to be creative in making decisions that set your venue apart from other venues and find what makes your building profitable. According to Russo, one of the best examples of a standout venue operation is a casino like Mohegan Sun. Casinos, as opposed to public event spaces and convention centers, have massive entertainment budgets and can pay to have top-tier talent come perform in their spaces. They also offer free, on-site parking. These factors, in turn, bring in customers to shop, eat, and play in the casino.

3.       Consider the guest experience and make it better.

As a venue manager, Russo said it is also important to act as the manager of the city within the venue. Consider all of the ways your guest has an experience and continuously work to make it better. His advice? “Take your management team, hop in a van, go 30 or 45 minutes outside the building, turn around, and come back in on the night of an event. See what it is like and what your customers are going through,” he said. Consider all possible issues: traffic, ease of arriving at the venue from the highway, signage that directs you to available parking lots, safety, and so much more. By doing this, you will find things that need improvement and make the overall experience better and more memorable for your customers.

4.       Grow your network and make connections. 

Even if someone is not working for the same company you are, it is important to make connections in the industry. Russo said he has a number of professional rivals or those who worked at competitor companies. Nevertheless, through their shared connections at IAVM, he has come to respect his competitors and root them on when they are successful. “IAVM really does help you form a common bond. You’re friends but you respect each other,” he said. “You always remain friendly with your competitors.”

If you are considering a degree in hospitality and need to stay current on these modern trends in the industry, Johnson & Wales University College of Online Education offers an exciting array of hospitality degree programs to help you achieve your goals. Complete the “Request Info” form on this page, call 855-JWU-1881, or email [email protected] to learn more.

 

Blog Categories: 
Hospitality
Sport Leadership
November 13th, 2019
by Annie Shalvey
Back to Blog
next
Next Post

Announcing our Thankful Essay Contest

Read More >
prev
Previous Post

Black Friday Shopping: Tips, Tricks, and Apps to Use

Read More >
Featured Blogs

What is a DBA Degree (and Why Should You Earn One)?

January 15th, 2021 – For business professionals who are looking to give themselves a competitive edge, an advanced degree... Read More

7 Ways to Prepare for Your Post-Grad Career

January 14th, 2021 – Graduating from an undergraduate program is a huge achievement! But as graduation inches closer, many... Read More

Want Job Security? Consider These 8 Careers

January 14th, 2021 – Could the job of your dreams also be a job with a steady paycheck, even when the economy is at its... Read More

Fall 2020 Dean's List Announced

January 8th, 2021 – The Johnson & Wales University College of Online Education is pleased to announce our summer term... Read More

COVID Chronicles: Is It Safe To Eat Out?

December 18th, 2020 – JWU professors, like students, are experiencing the “new normal” during the global pandemic, COVID-19... Read More

Older Stories
Annie Shalvey's picture
AuthorAnnie Shalvey
Annie joined the College of Online Education in September 2016 as a communications coordinator. A native Rhode Islander, she received her BA in English from Providence College. Before joining Team JWU, Annie worked as a digital producer and social media gal at a local TV station. She enjoys rainy days, suspense novels, concerts, and writing blogs for Career Catalyst. Annie is currently pursuing her MBA at Johnson & Wales.
  • Now accepting applications
  • Apply now
  • Admissions

Career Coach

Continue to Career Coach

You are now leaving Johnson & Wales’ (JWU) site and going to a site not operated by us. We are not responsible for the content or availability of any site other than our own.The information provided on the site is provided by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI). EMSI has indicated to us the information provided is fair and reasonable. We do not make any representations or warranties, nor do we accept liability or responsibility, as to the accuracy or use of the information.  Additional links may also be provided, including those relating to employment opportunities. 

You are responsible for performing due diligence, such as ensuring the listings are for actual jobs and that your private and personal information are protected, when using or relying on information from any site.

 

Johnson & Wales University
115 Cedar St.
Providence, RI 02903
855.598.1881

© 2020 Johnson & Wales University
Privacy Policy  Nondiscrimination Policy

 

  • Contact Us
  • Accreditation & Approvals
  • Online Student Consumer Information
  • Catalogs
  • Handbooks
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
Back to top