http://www.utah.com/olympics/

The Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002 was extremely helpful to the area for increased awareness and promotion. Taken directly from the link above, ?The 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City were an astounding success. Now, Utah residents and visitors alike can enjoy Olympic legacy facilities — Utah Olympic Park, Soldier Hollow and Utah Olympic Oval — which offer an array of activities for people of all ages, abilities and aspirations. Whether you are a recreational enthusiast, developing athlete, spectator or tourist, we encourage you to “Get Up & Go!” for a unique Olympic experience.” Obviously, since these facilities were created tourists of all types from around the world will be excited to see the legacy left behind from the Olympics. However, the Olympics in Beijing almost did the opposite. The facilities were made, used and then plateaued out after all was said and done. It seems that a lot of times the Olympic cities get extreme influxes in revenue and attention and then can not survive once they are gone.

The Perry Field House is a unique facility in the fact that there is half a football field and an indoor track under one roof.  Two things that the Field House meets or surpasses within the book is storage units and flooring.  Within the FH there is a large room for storage of recreational objects such as boats, score boards and nets.  The flooring within the FH is diverse and useful.  On the basketball courts, three of them are hard wood, and one is a multipurpose flooring.  Around the track there is a special rubber flooring that the indoor club uses.  However, these are both things that can be seen as inadequate.  The space for storage is very small for the large pieces that they keep.  The flooring, especially around the track, is hard and outdated.  Students who frequent the track have noticed injuries to their legs because of the hardness.  The basketball courts should be made out of a multipurpose material because of the damage hard wood faces with different types of shoes, especially track shoes. 

Check out Chelsea Dobbs’ blog about the Perry Field House. She makes good points about the tour and how it helped us all understand the FH and it’s operations a bit more.

Sustainability Article

After reading this sustainability article, there are two ways of looking at the word sustainability and it’s usage with tourism.  Does sustainable tourism mean that the businesses within the industry sustain themselves over time, regardless of the impact made on the community?  Or does sustainable tourism mean that the environment is used respectfully and resourcefully so that there is minimal impact made by tourism?

I believe that the best way to use sustainable tourism to it’s highest potential is a mixture of the two.  Drawing customers/tourists to a location is difficult if the area is soley based on the environment.  There has to be a business aspect to bring potential clients into the area.  However, going completely overboard with retail and buildings in an area that it’s not needed is irresponsible.  In each different location there is a happy medium that should be met.

Part 1 – Examine the flooring and surfaces in the BGSU Ice Arena (locker rooms, hall ways, lobby, lounge, walls, ceilings, etc.) for their efficiency based on projected use of the facility and recommendations in Sawyer, Chapter 8.

As stated in Audrey Bunn’s assesment of the facility the flooring is sufficient for the uses of the facility. However, with the renovation, there were many recommendations made my the administration that were looked over.  Having the skaters (of any kind) able to walk around the facility, in all rooms, is essential.  With the flooring they have now, this is possible.  Within the locker rooms and team personal areas, the facility has used appropriate flooring and wall coverings to provide a safe and useful area for users.   The lounge allows teams and administration to gather in an appropriate setting, and the hallway allows large amounts of people to enter the building.  These rooms have been created and designed (now and with future renovations) to accomodate larger groups.

 Part 2 – What is your overall impression of the BGSU Ice Arena?  Does it meet the needs of BGSU and the Bowling Green community or are other updates necessary?

My overall impression of the BGSU Ice Arena was not good.  I am in complete agreeance with Brooke Chernisky and her blog  when she states that it needs renovations and updates.  Currently, I believe it does meet the needs of BGSU and the BG community, however, updates are necessary in order to compete with existing and future facilities.  Now that the STROH Center is almost done, and the Sebo Center is across the field, the Ice Arena looks very poor and greatly lacking life.  Updates will be necessary in the future in order to survive within the two communities.

With technology constantly changing there are many options for software programs in the event planning field. Benefits of technology in the field of event planning, tourism and leisure are:

1. people from all over the world can connect visually and through audio to go over information or plan events
2. large amounts of people can be contacted via mass email blasts
3. using event planning software such as EventPro Planner can be very useful in planning large events

However, with all things, there are some drawbacks to using technology within our field.  Drawbacks include:

1. technology and its components can be very costly
2. people tend to get caught up in front of their computer, instead they should be doing business face to face
3. in case there is no backup, technology faults can result in all information lost

After looking at the EventPro Planner website I have made a list of 5 strengths and 5 weaknesses of the product.
Strengths:

1. before purchasing, you can request a free trial package
2. there are many chances for demonstrations and tours within the package and online
3. manage venues, budgets, and clients easily in one package
4. EventPro Planner runs on all new computers using Windows
5. program is highly customizable

Weaknesses:

1. not compatible with Apple products
2. potentially too high tech for some users
3. potential loss of information if malfunction occurs
4. may be spending too much time on the program instead of with the client
5. potentially too many functions of program

Since the building of the Sebo Center, it seems to have become an essential piece in athletic training here at BGSU.  The building and its unique architecture is visually enjoyable.  Once walking inside, this does not change.  Instead, the interior decor creates a feeling of importance or prestige that overwhelms you as you tour the building.  I wonder if the athletes get this feeling each time they enter the building.  Possibly, this feeling was intended to help with the mental training that each athlete must go through to improve attitudes.  I suppose that each faculty, staff or coach does get this feeling of “better than” other faculty or staff at the University because of the building in which they work in.  Never the less, this building is unique to BGSU because of its location, architecture and modernness. 

After walking through some of the training and weight lifting areas, I do believe that the Sebo Center meets the needs of student needs and BGSU football.  Simply put, I don’t believe the facility makes the team.  Attitudes, talent and abilities are only as good as the student athlete and coach.  Although we did not get a chance to look at the locker rooms or many behind the scenes areas, from the hallways and rooms we did see – the building is much more sufficient than necessary.  As a student at BGSU, I am happy that we have buildings such as the Sebo Center to attract potential student athletes in order to possibly increase team winnings.   However, with only being a student at BGSU, I would greatly appreciate the private donation given to the Sebo Center, instead, be given to the BA Buidling or the Eppler Complex. 

Comparing the Sebo Center and Doyt Perry Stadium to the Cincinnati Bengals Training Camp stadium is very comparable.  This is because they use the Georgetown College Stadium and Complex.  Taken directly from the Cincinnati Bengals Website, “The centerpiece of the complex is Toyota Stadium, which offers permanent stands for 5,000 and is built in a bowl shape that can accommodate seating for up to 20,000 fans. The stadium is designed to provide fans with a festival-like atmosphere, concessions, merchandise, interactive pavilion areas and promotional activities developed by corporate sponsors. For the team, it features locker rooms and showers, weight and aerobic rooms, training facilities, a press box and guest booths, as well as a field with a natural grass playing surface. The facility, an hour’s drive south of downtown Cincinnati, also includes a conference center used for coaches’ classroom instruction and meals, two additional full-size practice fields, apartment-style resident quads for player housing and executive guest townhouses. The complex joins the college’s already existing tennis courts, soccer field and baseball field.”  Because of this description, I might almost say that the Sebo Center is a step ahead of the Toyota Stadium because of the new and high tech facility the Sebo Center offers. 

Compare for yourself!  Check out the Cincinnati Bengals and Toyota Stadium. Watch a video on the Sebo Center here!

Easton Corbin and Justin Moore, both Country singers, performed on October 23rd, 2010 in Troy, Ohio at the Hobart Arena. Due to the size of the arena, any seat had a great view.

I updated the How to Navigate page… Here is a picture from our trip to GA.

We had a great time on our vacation!

It’s a beautiful day 🙂

Develop (part of) a program statement for use during a feasibility study for a potential renovation of the BGSU Eppler Complex.  Include at least 10 specific elements and explain why program statements are critical to the success of any construction project.  Use a minimum of two external links.

Eppler Complex                                                                                                                                                            

BGSU's Eppler Complex

1. Purpose and Scope – to establish a functional, educational and safe renovation for BGSU students to continue their learning process
2. Policy – the Eppler Complex provides information and regulations for specific purposes such as safety.  All should abide by the policies and regulations to reach maximum learning and athletic potential.
3. Notice of Non-Discrimination – all BGSU students are welcome within the walls of the Eppler Complex.  However, failure to follow campus wide/building rules and regulations during class or athletic programs will result in dismissal from the building.
4. Program Objectives – along with BGSU, the Eppler Complex strives to ensure all students, faculty and staff members are safe, secure and able to participate in recreational and educational programs. 
5. General Requirements – in order to rent out educational class rooms or recreational gyms in Eppler you must have some sort of affiliation with BGSU
6. Restrictions – those banned from BGSU main campus are also not allowed to use the Eppler facilities
7. Program Coordination – All program questions and decisions are to go through the Dean’s office and their secretaries.  Please find more information regarding this at our home Website.
8.  Recreation Coordination – All recreational questions and decisions are to go through the Assistant Dean’s office and their secretaries.  Please find more information regarding this at our home Website.
9. Education Coordination – All education questions can be answered by School Department Chairs and/or your professors.  Please do not hesitate to ask.
10. Special Needs – all ADA requirements are to code and up to date.  Those still in need of other accommodations can visit Eppler Center 101 or call 419-372-1111 for those.

Program statements are critical to any construction plan so that contractors know what they can and cannot do without while building in regards to rooms within the facility.  Some rooms are meant for multiple purposes.  Review the links provided to compare the District of Columbia Department of Corrections program statement and the U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisonsprogram statement.  Both statements are very similar to mine for BGSU’s Eppler Complex, even though the target audience is completely different.