FANCENTRIC TOWN HALL - What's Going on with Fan Behavior?
2021-12-15 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
REGISTER TODAY!
IIFX is hosting a virtual Town Hall on “What’s Going on with Fan Behavior? Challenges and Solutions” on 15 December 2021 at 11:00 Central Time. The Town Hall is part of our FANCENTRIC series of podcasts and forums. FANCENTRIC features visionary industry thought leaders, advanced practitioners, authors, technologists, and fans from around the world.
Mark McCourt, author of Snow Day: Lessons in Leadership and Resilience from Crisis and Mass Casualty Events will host the virtual town hall. The audience will pose questions to leading executives producing sports and entertainment events. They should provide insight into challenges and solutions to address fan behavior. Save the date and join us!

FANCENTRIC International Conference & Expo
2022-05-24 08:00 - 2022-05-26 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Caesars Palace, 3570 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV, 89109, United States
Innovative Changes for the Sports & Entertainment Industry
The world has learned that a low-probability, high consequence incident is possible, highly disruptive, and devastating. Since January 2020, our world has been altered by an insidious virus and its cascading impacts; the human and financial costs were crushing. It has changed how we live, work, and play in ways most could never anticipate or imagine.
A national Return to Work, Play, and Spectate Task Force was established. The task force recognized early the risks posed and opportunities available to the sports and entertainment industry. Task force members included a cross-section of thought leaders, technical experts, medical experts, technologists, futurists, lawyers, insurance experts, and representatives from: entertainment, professional sports, endurance events, intercollegiate athletics, interscholastic athletics, youth sports, and parades and festivals.
Through leveraging the knowledge and experience of thought leaders in the sports, entertainment, and safety and security industries, identify key learnings, questions, and decisions that are made during the “Great Wait” to safely return to work, play and spectate. During the deliberations, the task force identified four core areas as an organizing construct and as a means of identifying key principles that drive the sports and entertainment industry. They are people, policy, partnerships, and platforms.
In intent of the conference is to assist C-suite executives, managers, supervisors, and staff ask hard questions to determine whether their structure, plans, policies and processes and people are ready to restart operations, much less full capacity operations with INNOVATIVE CHANGES.
Taking a “FANCENTRIC” Approach to Presenting Sports and Entertainment Events

Strategies that give fans confidence to attend live events
Anticipating changes to fan expectations
Future trends for fan engagement and retention

Changes to Threat and Vulnerability Profiles for Venues & Events

Addressing ongoing concerns about public health risk and mass gatherings
Understanding crowd behavior in today’s social and political climate
Guarding against cyber-based attacks and building a more resilient operation

The Post-Pandemic Labor Force – Recruiting / Training / Retaining Personnel

Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and a way forward
What part-time employees expect from your workplace?
How distance learning has changed the way we train event and venue personnel
Improving your organization to get, grow and keep the best talent

Technology Solutions for Live Event World

Venue and event technologies deployed in response to the global pandemic
Determining priorities: how to best use your technology investment
How new venues are using technology to provide safe and enjoyable fan experiences

TOWN HALL – “Digital Transformation Enhances the Fan Journey”
2022-11-09 13:00 - 16:30 (America/Chicago)
On Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 1:00 PM Central Time, the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX) will host a virtual town hall titled “Digital Transformation Enhances the Fan Journey”. This event will be presented live from the Axis Communications Experience Center in Chicago, IL.
Complimentary Registration: https://iifx.org/events/town-hall-digital-transformation-enhances-the-fan-journey/
The Town Hall panel will consist of:
Harry Hynekamp, Vice President of Fan Experience, AMB Sports and Entertainment
Todd Harple, PhD, Director of Innovation at Intel Corporation

Integrity In Sport and Gaming Conference
2023-03-06 11:00 - 16:00 (America/Mexico_City) | Northern Michigan Univerisity, 1401 Presque Isle Ave, Marquette, MI, 49855, United States
On Monday March 6, 2023 from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM, the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX) will host the Integrity In Sport and Gaming Conference. This event will be presented live at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan.
Complimentary Registration: https://iifx.org/events/integrity-in-sports-and-gaming-conference-2/
Venue: Meade Auditorium in the Science Building on the campus of NMU. Building 130 on the map below.
Parking: Lot#29

Town Hall - Women In Sports & Entertainment Security - Taking Charge and Making a Difference!
2023-03-15 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Chicago)
On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, join us for the first in a series of IIFX Town Halls featuring women in sports and entertainment security. You will hear from an impressive group of women who are leading the way in sports security for the next generation of women. Our distinguished panel will talk about experiences, the pressing security challenges that women leaders are addressing today, and the future view of sports and entertainment security, including the importance of diversity and inclusion with an emphasis on helping the next generation of young women who may be interested in becoming security professionals and future leaders.
Complimentary Registration: https://iifx.org/events/town-hall-women-in-security/
Kasia Hanson, Moderator
Kasia Hanson, an award-winning security leader at Intel, leading Global Security Ecosystem Development and Partnerships. She leads the strategy and development of physical and cybersecurity ecosystem partnerships, go-to-market, and sales acceleration strategies across Intel’s security portfolio (IoT/Edge, Endpoint, Zero Trust, and Confidential Computing). Kasia is a passionate and dynamic security leader with over 23 years of experience driving digital transformation across IoT/Edge, AI, Physical and Cybersecurity, Datacenter, and Storage. She is well-versed in security software and hardware that drives business outcomes from data protection to physical infrastructure. She thrives on developing long-term, trust-based industry relationships and is passionate about helping diversify and advance women in security. Kasia is the Chair of the Security Industry Association Women in Security Forum, the 2022 SIA Progress Award Recipient, a Women in Security Power 100 honoree, ISJ Top Security Influencer, a Distinguished Fellow for the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience in Sports (IIFX) and was named the #3 IFSEC Security Influencer in 2021.
Muriel Howell, Panelist
Muriel is a private security consultant providing her expertise to national organizations. After retiring with 20 years of honorable service in the United States Air Force, her past 18 years of security management and leadership has spanned the globe. Having a demonstrated knowledge of security assessments and protocols, executive protection, security logistics as well as corporate health and safety; she has earned leadership positions as Event Security, Team Security and Executive Protection within organizations such as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Hornets Sports & Entertainment (Charlotte Hornets) and Crowd Management Group, Inc. (Miss America Organization)
Buffy Payne, Panelist
Buffy is CSO for Novelis while also managing a Risk Resiliency Firm. Her experience over the past 25 years includes managing Event Security, Physical Security, Investigations, Protection details, and Crisis Management and Emergency response for a variety of organizations to include: McDonald’s, JPMorgan Chase, Equifax, and Epic Games… and the Superbowl ATLANTA security project team. Buffy servers on the Board of directors for the ISF (International Security Foundation) and is an active member and leader in OSAC.
Eileen Williams, Panelist
For more than 20 years Eileen has been working in the event industry, and specializes in safety, security & service delivery at major sporting events and music festivals. Her portfolio includes key operational roles in stadium event management, mass recruitment, workforce management, training and development with the extended skills of the design , Implementation and delivery of national and international qualifications. Her experience ranges across in country global events -FIFA World Cup and Rugby & Cricket World Cup events and multiple site global tournaments – Olympics & Commonwealth Games, and planning and design of freestanding festival and concert locations At present, Eileen is the Senior Safety Officer at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This stadium was opened in 2019 and is a multi purpose venue where she has been leading on the mobilisation of the stadium since 2019 to present. Eileen is the Lead the safety planner Football, boxing, NFL and concerts.
Adrianne Wynne, Panelist
Adrianne Wynne is the Sr. Director of Security at Chase Center, the state-of-the-art sports and entertainment arena located in San Francisco, CA, and home to the 2022 NBA Champions the Golden State Warriors. In 2018 Adrianne was hired as one of the first employees on the Golden State Warriors Arena Operations team. A year before opening Chase Center, she developed standard operating procedures for all event staffing, budgeting, and hiring. Adrianne is currently responsible for executing all safety and security protocols for Chase Center, Thrive City, and the surrounding retail areas.
Adrianne is a 16-year veteran in the venue and event management industry having previously worked as the Director of Guest Experience for the NJ Devils / Prudential Center and left as Acting Event Security Director for Madison Square Garden. She managed the Security & Guest Experience teams for a variety of events including the Grammy Awards, Papal Mass, MTV Music Awards, Stanley Cup Finals, and the NCAA Regionals.
Some of her biggest accomplishments include being a part of the teams responsible for opening the Prudential Center and Chase Center. She was also part of the team responsible for the reopening of the LA Forum in 2012. Adrianne’s top accomplishments with the Golden State Warriors include opening Chase Center, preparing Chase Center to close and re-open to fans during the pandemic, and preparing the security team for the 2022 NBA Playoffs and Finals. Since having moved to Chase Center in 2019, the Warriors have received three consecutive top-level security audit scores from the NBA.

Town Hall - The Future Role Of Policing In The Sports & Entertainment Industry
2023-04-26 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Chicago)
On 26 April 2023, the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX) and its Xperience Consortium will host another in its series of Virtual Town Hall and webinar events, The Future Role Of Policing In The Sports & Entertainment Industry.
This 90-Minute Town Hall Event begins at 1 PM Central Time.
Complimentary Registration: https://iifx.org/events/town-hall-future-role-of-policing-in-sports/

Town Hall - The Future Role of Policing in the Sports & Entertainment Industry
2023-04-27 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Chicago)
On April 27, 2023, the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX) and its Xperience Consortium will host another in its series of Virtual Town Hall and webinar events, The Future Role of Policing in the Sports & Entertainment Industry
This 90-minute event will begin at 1 PM Central Time/2 PM Eastern. You will receive your ticket with a link to the free event the night before, and again on the morning of the event via email.
REGISTER TODAY!

Town Hall - Face Off: The Good and Bad Of Biometrics In Sports and Entertainment
2023-05-01 - 2023-05-31
In May, the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX) and its Xperience Consortium will host another in its series of Virtual Town Hall and webinar events, Face Off: The Good and Bad Of Biometrics In Sports and Entertainment
Complimentary Registration: https://iifx.org/events/town-hall-face-off/

Town Hall - Women in Sports & Entertainment - Taking Charge and Making a Difference
2023-09-27
On 27 September 2023, the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX) and its Xperience Consortium will host another in its series of Virtual Town Hall and webinar events, Women in Sports & Entertainment – Taking Charge and Making a Difference. This series of IIFX Town Halls features women in sports and entertainment in security, safety, guest services, parking & transportation, event operations, and more.
You will hear from an impressive group of women who are leading the way for the next generation of women. Our distinguished panel will talk about their industry experiences, the pressing operational, safety, and security challenges that women leaders are addressing today, and the future view of sports and entertainment security, including the importance of helping the next generation of young women who may be interested in becoming sports & entertainment professionals and future leaders.
This 90-minute event will begin at 1 PM Central Time/2 PM Eastern. You will receive your ticket with a link to the free event the night before, and again on the morning of the event via email.
Complimentary Registration: https://iifx.org/events/town-hall-ticketing-future/

VIRTUAL TOWN HALL EVENT - Women in Sports & Entertainment - Taking Charge and Making a Difference
2023-09-27 13:00 - 15:30 (America/Chicago)
On 27 September 2023, the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX) and its Xperience Consortium will host another in its series of Virtual Town Hall and webinar events, Women in Sports & Entertainment – Taking Charge and Making a Difference.
This 90-minute event will begin at 1 PM Central Time/2 PM Eastern. You will receive your ticket with a link to the free event the night before, and again on the morning of the event via email.
REGISTER TODAY!

Kasia Hanson leads Intel’s Global Security Ecosystem Development and Partnerships for physical and cybersecurity. She leads the strategy and development of security ecosystem partnerships, go-to-market, and sales acceleration strategies. She is a 23-year veteran of Intel with deep technology expertise across IoT, AI, Computer Vision, Cybersecurity, Datacenter, and Storage. Kasia is the Past Chair of the Security Industry Association Women in Security Forum, the 2022 SIA Progress Award Honoree, a 2x Women in Security Power 100 honoree, and a Distinguished Fellow for the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX) and was named the #3 IFSEC Security Influence in 2021.

Sheryl Pinckney-Maas is the CEO and Founder of Guardian Zone, LLC, technology company in Texas that is a leading provider of crowd-sourced security solutions. Her company is the first in the market that addresses the public-private challenges at large public venues. The Guardian Zone solution includes an innovative security mobile app and software platform that bridges the communication gap between on-site security, law enforcement, and the public during an emergency. Sheryl created Guardian Zone by leveraging her 25 years’ experience as a U.S. Diplomat living and working in six international countries. As a Senior Foreign Service Officer, she was a member of the U.S. Embassy’s Emergency Action Committee and the U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration’s local representative on the Overseas Security Advisory Council. Sheryl is an active member of ASIS, SIA, WISF, IIFX and NCS4. She is a recipient of the SIA Woman in Security Forum Power 100.

Mariah Barber is from Hammond, IN, and has made Indianapolis, IN her home over the past decade. Mariah attended IUPUI for both undergraduate and graduate school receiving degrees in Public Safety Management. She currently serves as the Director, Safety and Security for Pacers Sports and Entertainment (PS&E). In her role, she helps maintain the safety and security posture of the PS&E campus and supports the countless events hosted at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Additionally, she has served on the Local Organizing Committee for some of the city’s largest sporting events including: March Madness, Men’s and Women’s Big 10 Basketball Tournaments, and the upcoming 2024 NBA All-Star Game.

As a black female business leader and champion of diversity and inclusivity efforts, Holli Draines helped Elite Strategy Global (ESG) to break beyond barriers that were created by dated thinking, prejudices, and social inequality. Holli has led her team’s efforts on several major security and risk management projects through formulating effective security protocols that align with business and safety standards; successfully mitigating risk and business disruptions and saving organizations time, money, and resources. Her solid track record as a Security Professional is supported by nearly two decades in law enforcement with the majority of her tenure in executive protection, including high-asset facility protection / control and personal security of national/global government officials. By having such a diverse mix of talented security and information technology professionals as part of the ESG brand, this has been actively changing the security industry narrative from being less diverse to a more open and inclusive field for individuals who are judged by their talent and experience, versus just their appearance.

FANCENTRIC - Why Sports & Entertainment Venues Need to Prepare for Protests and Security Threats
2024-04-24 11:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)
JOIN IIFX FOR THE NEXT EPISODE IN OUR FANCENTRIC SERIES
JOIN US HERE TODAY AT 11 AM CENTRAL TIME!
When: Apr 24, 2024 11:00 Central Time (US and Canada)
Topic: FANCENTRIC – Why Sports & Entertainment Venues Need to Prepare for Protests and Security Threats
Register in advance for this webinar.
Join Dr. Lou Marciani, Director & Co-Founder of IIFX, and Jim Mercurio, former Executive VP & General Manager @ Levi’s Stadium and President of JCM Events Management & Consulting, LLC, for our free FANCENTRIC podcast. Fans, Sports & Entertainment leaders, and anyone with an interest in safety, security, crowd management, and the fan experience should join the IIFX Live Stream event on 24 April 2024 at 11 AM Central time.
Learn how sports and entertainment leaders prepare their venues and staff to protect their fans and staff by preparing for protests and security threats long before any event. Sports and entertainment events are about the spectacle, something that protestors and malevolent actors seek to use to their advantage.
Join Dr. Lou and Jim as they query their guest panel about their experiences in preparing for protests and security threats, including developing action plans and training their staff to respond to almost any protest or threat condition. Are you and your venue staff prepared?
Are you and your venue staff prepared? Learn from the safety and security experience of our guests:
MODERATOR: MIKE HARTNETT, VICE PRESIDENT OF VENUE SECURITY FOR ILITCH SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
MIKE HARTNETT currently serves as Vice President of Venue Security for Ilitch Sports and Entertainment. In this position, he is responsible for leading the daily security operations and event-based security for Little Caesars Arena and its office buildings, Comerica Park, Michigan Lottery Amphitheater at Freedom Hill, Pine Knob Music Theater, Meadow Brook Amphitheater, the Fox Theater and Fox Office Centre, Little Caesars Global Resource Center and throughout the District of Detroit. Mr. Hartnett is focused on creating a safe and secure environment for guests, colleagues, clients, athletes, and performers across all venues in the Ilitch Sports and Entertainment family. Prior to joining Ilitch Sports and Entertainment, Mr. Hartnett served as a Special Agent in the FBI for over 21 years. He retired as the Unit Chief of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group, Crisis Management Unit. In that assignment, Mr. Hartnett managed and oversaw the FBI’s Crisis Management and Special Events Programs.
In this capacity, he planned, coordinated and supervised the FBI’s response to critical incidents, major investigations, and terrorism events. In addition, SSA Hartnett managed the FBI Special Events program, with specific attention to counterterrorism preparedness, intelligence, tactical response and critical incidents. SSA Hartnett’s crisis response and major event experience includes the 2016 Republican National Convention, the 2016 Democratic National Convention, the 2018 FIFA Championships in Moscow, the 2018 Winter Olympics, the Boston Marathon Bombing and numerous mass casualty shooting events.
PANELISTS
LAURIE GOODELL serves with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Office of Security Programs, focusing specifically in the Active Assailant Security branch on preparedness resources, training, and assessment for stakeholders within the critical infrastructure of the United States. As team lead for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation, she has been integral to the development and release of the Vehicle Ramming Self-Assessment Tool and CISA’s Vehicle Incident Prevention and Mitigation Security Guide, scheduled for imminent release.
POLICE LIEUTENANT KENDALL BELL oversees arguably the busiest, most successful, and professional events planning section in the world. Each year this section plans over 8500 events. The events range from our New Year’s Eve celebration, the NFL Draft, and Pro Bowl, the NHL All Star Weekend, the Electric Daisy Carnival, Life is Beautiful, Allegiant Stadium (Raiders, Concerts, and other events), T Mobile Arena (Vegas Golden Knights, Concerts, Sporting Events), Conventions (CES, SEMA, JCK Jewelry Show), Music Award Shows (Billboard Music Awards, the Grammy’s, the Latin Music Awards), Parades, Presidential visits, and many more.
SENIOR COMMANDER BRAD HAZELETT has been with the Saint Paul (Minnesota) Police Department for 27 years. He played key roles in planning, operations and leadership during the 2008 Republican National Convention, 2018 Superbowl, and the riots related to George Floyd and Daunte Wright. In 2023, he was promoted to Senior Commander and took charge of the SPPD Special Operations Unit. SOU provides public safety planning and staffing for all large public events, parades, festivals, protests, and demonstrations. In 2024 he rejoined the SPPD SWAT team as a team Commander. He is also a lead instructor for two private companies that teach modern strategies and tactics to SWAT officers as well as teaching Firefighters, EMS, and police to collaboratively respond to an active shooter, mass casualty incident, or act of terrorism.
FOLLOW THIS LINK TO OUR LIVESTREAM TODAY!
