The Swiftel Center was awarded the 2015 Venue Excellence Award by the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) at the Venue Industry Awards Luncheon in Baltimore earlier this month. This is the highest award in the venue industry given by IAVM, which is the world's largest professional association dedicated tot he management of public assembly venues.
"We are incredibly honored to receive the 2015 Venue Excellence Award from our peers who represent some of the best arenas in the world. Thanks to the city of Brookings, our building sponsors, our strong community fan-base, and VenueWorks for the continued support," said Tom Richter, CFE, Executive Director. "The Swiftel Center truly is Midwest hospitality at its best!"
The Venue Excellence Awards recognize excellence in the management and operation of public assembly venues including arenas, convention centers, performing arts centers, and stadiums. The award winner is determined based on excellence in each of the following: operational excellence, teambuilding and professional development, safety and security, and service to the community. Out of all arenas worldwide, the Swiftel Center was acknowledged as the best of the best in the Arenas category.
This prestigious award is a significant accomplishment for any venue but comes with even greater reward considering the size of the Swiftel Center facility, staff, and city population. To-date, no arena award winner has been located in a city with a population less than 380,000.
Past arena award winners include:
At the Venue Industry Awards Luncheon, Richter accepted the award along with the entire Swiftel Center full-time staff (except for one member on personal leave). This was the first time in the history of the awards that an entire venue staff was present to accept an excellence award. Including Richter, the staff consists of 11 full-time employees. Thanks to the support of VenuWorks, the staff was able to accept the award in-person as a team.
"We all were part of winning this award!" said Molly Nagelhout, Box Office Manager. "IT was important and a great honor to be able to accept it together."
Stand-out activities performed by the Swiftel Center were noted at the awards luncheon, including the simulated mass casualty exercise held at the facility in coordination with local emergency authorities. Other highlights included the annual "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" campaign and recent award received by the in-house catering for its dedication to fulfilling the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A team-first attitude was reflected in the Swiftel Center's Venue Excellence Award application: "We have an 'all-hands-on-deck' attitude which means staff are ready, willing, and able to jump in to sell concessions, clean bathrooms, take tickets, and whatever else it takes to get the job done."
Read the full release here.
The Venue Excellence Awards recognize excellence in the management and operation of public assembly venues including arenas, convention centers, performing arts centers, and stadiums. The award winner is determined based on excellence in each of the following: operational excellence, teambuilding and professional development, safety and security, and service to the community. Out of all arenas worldwide, the Swiftel Center was acknowledged as the best of the best in the Arenas category.
This prestigious award is a significant accomplishment for any venue but comes with even greater reward considering the size of the Swiftel Center facility, staff, and city population. To-date, no arena award winner has been located in a city with a population less than 380,000.
Past arena award winners include:
- 2014: Orleans Arena; Las Vegas, NV; Current population: 613,599
- 2013: INTRUST Bank Arena; Wichita, KS; Current population: 388,413
- 2012: Sydney Entertainment Centre; Sydney, Australia: Current population: 4.84 million
At the Venue Industry Awards Luncheon, Richter accepted the award along with the entire Swiftel Center full-time staff (except for one member on personal leave). This was the first time in the history of the awards that an entire venue staff was present to accept an excellence award. Including Richter, the staff consists of 11 full-time employees. Thanks to the support of VenuWorks, the staff was able to accept the award in-person as a team.
"We all were part of winning this award!" said Molly Nagelhout, Box Office Manager. "IT was important and a great honor to be able to accept it together."
Stand-out activities performed by the Swiftel Center were noted at the awards luncheon, including the simulated mass casualty exercise held at the facility in coordination with local emergency authorities. Other highlights included the annual "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" campaign and recent award received by the in-house catering for its dedication to fulfilling the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A team-first attitude was reflected in the Swiftel Center's Venue Excellence Award application: "We have an 'all-hands-on-deck' attitude which means staff are ready, willing, and able to jump in to sell concessions, clean bathrooms, take tickets, and whatever else it takes to get the job done."
Read the full release here.
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