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When a candidate city is selected to host a mega-event, such as the Olympic Games or World Cup, it can trigger an almost instantaneous change in the city over night. Egidio Dansero and Matteo Puttill have put together a through research on the effects of the mega-event 2006 Winter Olympics on the host city of Torino. The games can require specialized arenas to hold the competitions and host thousands of spectators. The article explains how after the games have passed the buildings are endowments to the city. This is an occurrence that cannot be guaranteed. Sometimes the facilities can turn into vacant husks never to be used again. This can be seen in Greece where the buildings are no longer being used. In the article they grouped athletes in as sport tourists. Without the athletes the events would not be possible and should be considered event staff. The lasting effects of this economic boom usually do not have long term implications. Only very few cites are able to continue to effects into the future.

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It is important that buildings have several accessibility options, especially for those who with special needs or in a wheel chair. When walking about the Eppler area for class, I noticed several accessibility issues that may cause problems to those with special needs. They are as follows:

• There are no accessibility for those in wheelchairs in entrances to the entire building from the north, south, and east doors. The north and south doors need ramps.
• There is one elevator for the entire building. The elevator itself is very small and can only accommodate on wheelchair at a time.
• The grading in front of several doors are very steep and could be dangerous, especially when covered in ice, to those trying to use the entrances
• The classroom doors are heavier than the entrance doors, yet they have no automation system.

Eppler does have some redeeming accessibility factors however that make travel throughout the building manageable. They are as follows:
• Several handicap accessible restrooms are located throughout the building. This includes devoted stalls and private restrooms. The toilets are outfitted with railing to help those who need them.
• There is an automatic door opener for the main entrances into the building helping those needing to enter.
• There are curb cuts to help accessibility and people in wheelchairs to get off of the street and onto the sidewalk.
• The campus bus route drops off users relatively close to the building to minimize travel
• The halls of the facility are generally wide throughout allowing for easy maneuverability and passing.

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For a class period we had a guest speaker come in and talk to us about BGSU and their capital planning. Bob Waddle came to class with a well prepared presentation that went into detail on what the upcoming plans were for our campus. He discussed the new buildings that were going to be added to campus. The one building that particularly interested me was the new business building that is planned to be built on the parking lot across from the old business building. The college of education will then move into the old business building and the old education building will be demolished. This will open the center of campus and add to the flow of the area. This will add a significant amount of green space in which students and faculty can use to rest and relax during down time.

What Bowling Green has planned is pretty progressive compared to other universities in the area. Aside from Toledo, who has just added a new engineering and medical facility to their campus, there have not been many new additions to their campus. Toledo’s new buildings have strengthened their programs that they offer to students. Their new medical facility is a great area to learn and practice medicine. BGSU and Toledo both send students to this facility for educational program. Their engineering facility has helped make their program one of the premier programs in the state.

While reading other students blog post on this topic and saw how we differ in opinions. Brianna Cowart brings up a important issue that the capital plan might have overlooked. When the demolition of the the education building occurs, this will force many administration offices out of their respective spots. Finding a legitimate place to relocate these offices is important and that they do this in a timely matter so that they do not interrupt the flow of the University.

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On Tuesday October 25, 2011 Bowling Green State University hosted one of a four series of movies that provoked students to consider current environmental threats. The film session I attended discussed nonrenewable fuels, in particular back coal. Coal is one of the most widely used fossil fuels in our country and is used in everything from power plants to home grills. Not only does burning coal released dangerous pollutants when being burned, but very harmful to the environment when being mined, excavated, and refined. The documentary was a great presentation that reinforces the topics discussed in classed, such as the trend of new facilities trying to be environmentally friendly.

The movie takes place in West Virginia, more specifically the Appalachian mountain ranges that dominate the landscape of the state. Everyday each person uses on average 16 pounds of coal to be burned and converted into electricity to fuel their daily activities. Considering that 50% of the electrical power needed by the millions living within the United States is fueled by coal, there is a huge demand for coal. The West Virginian Mountains have a large supply of coal inside their three dominant mountain ranges. One way mining companies are extracting their coal is by literally blowing the tops off of mountains. This as you could imagine is very toxic to the surrounding environment and communities as harmful dust is shot into the air. This dust and runoff contains very harmful contaminants that cause many health problems for locals and animals nearby. When the mining company is finished mining a mountain they attempt to rebuild the mountain with the rocky soil unearthed from the explosions. This soil is a very poor substitute as it can barely support grass. Not only is the mining and extraction a harmful process, but the refining is just as harmful. The process produces a very toxic sludge that contains radioactive materials, heavy metals, and dangerous chemicals which is then stored in large manmade reservoir dirt pit. On several occasions walls of these sludge pits have given away, spilling thousands of gallons of harmful liquid into the surrounding areas. This mining process needs to be stopped before we cause anymore unnecessary damage to the environment.

When watching the film I reflected upon what I had learned and class and the environmental issue being discussed in the movie. This movie basically described in detail why it is important to build environmentally friendly recreation facilities. Facilities that go after a LEED certification generally need less energy in daily operations than those without LEED certification. This means that less coal will be needed to be burned, which will lower the total demand for coal and eventually slow the need to mine coal via mountain top mining.

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On Thursday October 20, 2011 I had the opportunity to take a tour of Bowling Green State University’s Perry Field House by Lona Leck. Her tour of the facility was very through as we did not leave a single space with questions unanswered. She was really able to work in the key components of what the class was currently learning, since after all she teaches the class. During the tour we were giving real life examples of storage spaces, court planning, indoor track space and equipment, and bleaches are used and able to think critically about the positives and negatives of their facility set up.

BGSU’s Perry Field House contains four basketball courts, track, sand pit, and pole vaulting area in one section and an Astroturf room in the other half. The sports courts and track area have been planned in tight quarters. The basketball court section however has enough room to allow competitors to comfortably use the area. Each court is separated by about seven feet from side line to side line. There are dividers that can drop down from the ceiling that create four separate compartments to catch stray balls from entering play going on in adjacent courts. The courts can be used for volleyball and tennis (on composite court only) which have special holes where poles can be dropped in to hold up nets. This avoids the need of weighted posts which can be dangerous to players and spectators alike.

The storage situation in the Perry Field House is one that requires careful management in order to hold the necessary supplies. The facility only holds what it needs for daily operations, small sporting events, and team practices. When the facility is to hold larger events, they have rental companies or use other BGSU building equipment. The space in storage rooms are specially organized to give each department its space while doing it an effective manner.

Indoor track lay out suffers in the fact that it is squeezed into a smaller than normal area. Durring a track meet the basketball courts will hold spectators while events will occur on the track. However due the crowded design, only one event can take place at a time. When the pole vaulting area is in use the landing mats overlaps two of the four running lanes. While the sand pit is in use officials and players will be walking around the area and would be very difficult to avoid crossing into the track area. The sand pit also lacks a realistic way of being properly covered when not in use. There are special hard metal track covers, but are quite heavy and difficult to place. Currently a soft mat covers the pit preventing people from falling in.

The Perry Field House faces several problems when it comes to seating spectators when attending BGSU sponsored events. The facility relies on portable bleachers when hosting sporting events which must be carefully planned in order to avoid crowding. This it particularly hard to do in the Astroturf room where there is very little room between the sidelines and wall. This room however isn’t ideal for competitive games, but for team practices when the conditions are poor outside. The track room has enough room to accommodate visitors that attend events. When the courts are in use, bleachers are set up on the track and vice versa.

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The completion of several new buildings to the Bowling Green State University landscape was spear headed by the Stroh Center, a state-of-the-art sports arena for the varsity basketball and volleyball teams. Walking up to the front entrance, a three story tall wall of glass covering the width of the building which will immediately grab your attention and make you want to see what more lays inside. Immediately in front of the main entrance visitors will be welcomed with the largest bronze falcon ever created swooping down in attack position letting visitors knows that this we mean business.

Upon entering the facility you are invited into an open lobby where crowds can gather during events. Bowling Green’s Hall of Fame is also located in this lobby display portraits of exceptional athletes and memorabilia from championship seasons. To enter the sports arena, one must walk up a set of stairs leading to the “Falcon’s Nest” offering a great view of the entire court. On this level there are several concession stands, restroom facilities, and club seating. The club seating offers a dedicated bar, a specialized food services, and mid court seats. The court is outfitted with a large high definition screen used to display important game information, ads, or anything that would be of importance for those attending the event.

The Stroh center is full of several different projects that help make the arena sustainable. The center will be applying to the LEED certification program for the silver award. The open glass area will be able to provide the center with natural light when the sun is out. The toilets in use are special low flow stalls that use significantly less water than standard toilets. The HVAC air system for heating and cooling are LEED approved which uses less energy more efficiently. The roof of the center is painted entirely white so that it will reflect much of the sunlight and heat keeping the center cooler in the hotter months. Using the domestic water generation system to collect rainwater to use on surrounding landscape will help cut down on water consumption. These are only but a few of the systems used in the Stroh Center that will help get its LEED silver accreditation.

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Technology is always changing and finding new ways into our daily routines. It can make our lives easier, help us improve communication, and build our networking. When looking at how technology can assist in event planning, the strengths and weakness can be seen. Technology can improve the pace of communication. This means easier access to information about event facilities, new trends in events, local networking and access new customers. Another strength with technology improving, so is our ability to build brand equity and market awareness for events.

Sometimes technology is not always a good thing when it comes to event planning. When you use newer form of technology such as the internet and travel websites, you lose the personal feel and one on one interaction directly with the customer. This makes it difficult to build relationships with clients for repeat business. Technology is also very expensive and time consuming to learn how to properly use it. Sometimes the resources spent on integrating brand new technology are not the best way to use those resources.

There are software programs available to event planners that can assist them in organizing their schedule of events to program for. CVENT is online base software systems that will assist in nearly every task an event planner will face when going over the details. The software is able to search a number of different venues, select one to send a request for proposal, and then compare supplier quotes for your event that you are planning. Once those details are set, you can begin to get the word out using their e-blast systems set up on popular social media websites. This software can be used for multiple businesses from non-profit organizations to restaurants to large venues. Once the event is completed, the billing software will help with the monetary transactions between the organizations. The software however does not have the ability to plan the actual programming. It lacks detail scheduling of activities to be available at an event. The software does not provide the ability to create floor plans and event layouts for the venue.

To check out the software for yourself click here

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At 12:00 pm in Eppler room 223, a man by the name of Brian Freeswick gave his audience a glimpse into to the life of a man who works directly under the real estate mogul, Donald Trump. Brian was a graduate of the class of ’96 and graduated with a degree in Sports Management.

Brian is currently the general manager of the The Trump National Golf Club in Hundson, New York. This course is part of the world wide Trump National Golf Club, with 13 worldwide. At Brian’s particular golf course, he oversees about $40 million revenue at his operation. He is currently working with the construction and planning comities on the addition of pool, lounge, and aquatics center. This project will be a major addition to the surrounding community. Brian is the direct human link between The Trump National Golf Course in Hudson, New York and Mr. Donald Trump himself. Brian can expect to talk with Donald at least 2-3 times a week expecting to hear details of how the course is performing and discuss future decisions. Brian’s job is truly a stressful and rewarding opportunity working for Donald.

In Brian’s presentation he recommended a couple courses that really helped him get to where he is now. He recommends taking accounting classes so you may better understand the language of business to check an operation’s vital signs. Another important class was business communication to learn and practice the way to speak and create in a professional manner. Principals of organization and management will help one learn how to establish their own leadership style.
Brian then finished his presentation by giving advice on how to prepare for an interview for Donald Trump. The three things Donald looks for in an employee is for them to have is confidence, conviction, and to look him in the eyes during the conversation. If you do get hired in, you will be expected to know at all times a number of things such as; knowing market, knowing business numbers, represent brand proudly, be able to back opinions with facts, wisely spend money to make money, and always be yourself. These are just a few tips he gave to us that afternoon during his presentation. He wrapped up with a Q & A session to give the audience a chance to patricpate. I enjoyed the event as it was well worth my time to listen to man who works closely with Donald Trump.

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1. Do you feel an entity or individual demonstrated negligence in the facts presented in Steinbach article? Justify your answer by using the definition and the requirements of negligence as presented in class.

Risk management is a procedure most organizations forget to plan for and is very important to be prepared for incase the worst situation happiness. Sometimes a crisis can happen even to a trained veteran. For instance Steinbach discusses with us about an incident at a U.S. Track & Field event that ended in a tragic fatality. A man by the name of Paul Suzuki, a 30 year referee veteran, walked out onto the field as an athlete threw his shot striking him in the head. It is the duty of both athletes and referees to follow safety procedures in place to protect them. Any time you are dealing with sports, especially when there are heavy projectiles being used, there is going to be a certain amount of risk naturally inherited. The cause of this tragic event was the lack of attention Paul was giving to the athletes that had already stepped into the box to practice. There was not a designated spotter for the athletes to give them the field. The damage of this accident was quite high as Paul lost his life that day. With this information I do believe that Paul ultimately was at fault as he should not have entered the playing field when he did.

2. What role do you think the facility itself plays in this case and how can risk management and the prevention of negligence be included in the facility or area design process? Include at least two examples from the text to support your answers. (Chapters 2 or 7). These examples are the references for this assignment. Additional outside references are not required but are welcome.

The facility hosting the event, if did its risk management properly, should not have received complaints of negligence from the victim’s family. The fields should have had the necessary safety equipment and the staff had proper training. Paul was a 30 year veteran proving that he knew exactly how to behave at a track and field event. In the article Fishers describes the chaotic situation:

“You have a whole bunch of kids out there for a track meet. All it takes is for somebody to space out a little bit and run across the throwing sector.”

He was seen right before the incident of having a “lapse of awareness.” Although there is not much the facility can do to protect officials, participants, and spectators from these types of incidents, there are still things. A spotter would have been helpful and ultimately could have prevented the situation all together.

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When designing buildings in the modern era, to most people it is important to have different sustainable designs built in to the complex. The best way to show that your complex has effective sustainable technology is to gain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This group conducts certification surveys of building to determine how “green” a building is awarding bronze through platinum merits. The Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center (CMMCC) are pursuing a silver merit through LEED during the construction of this new complex in Cleveland. The plant life around the complex will help the surrounding environment as well as manage storm runoff. In the interior, the building will be outfitted with efficient lighting systems.

The plants and vegetation surrounding and on top of the CMMCC will have specific duties in managing the impact of the building to the environment. On the top of the build there will be constructed a “green roof.” This project will specifically help the building reduce energy cost as the plants selected to be on the roof will help keep the building insulated. Parts of the roof without the “green roof” are to be painted white as to reflect the sun away. The landscaping surround the CMMCC will feature drought-tolerance plants so they will not require heavy watering. Even the soil is specifically engineered as to filter the storm water runoff and prevent further contamination.

The light of the CMMCC was made a top priority to reduce the energy consumption of the complex. The Lakeside Avenue entrance and several other places such as the Grand Ballroom, and the Lake Erie Overlook will showcase giant windows to let natural light into the complex. The CMMCC is also attaching motion sensors to most lights so the will only be on when triggered by someone walking by. The lights itself are state-of-the-art LED lights that use minimum energy. The entire facility will be retrofitted with dimmers and light reduction systems to maximize the efficiency of the fixtures.

I am a real big supporter of buildings going after LEED certification and understand its importance. With the construction of the CMMCC, the investment in to these sustainable technologies in the long run can save the complex money and help the environment, a win-win situation. As long as the sustainable projects are within financial and practical reason, a building designer should go after them. It should be made a requirement that all new buildings being constructed should be able to pass at least the bronze certification. This movement could really show positive environment impacts.

Follow the link to see the progress of the CMMCC and its sustainable technologies.

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1)   The purpose of this program statement is to discuss and declare the potential renovation projects for the BGSU Eppler Complex. The building was dedicated in 1939 and has seen several significant restoration and renovation projects through its life time. To see more about the history of the Eppler Complex, please follow this link. The building will again need to be upgraded so it may say current, effective, and stay operational. Here listed are several projects that are expected to take place during this time of renovation. They are as follows:

2)   Broaden the openings of the north and south entrances of the building. By simply adding a second door, the traffic can now flow smoothly. The current situation, with only one door, gives visitors trouble when trying to enter and exit the building.  These entrances both receive high traffic and are the most commonly used portals into the building, building an additional entrance improving traffic flow.

3)   Bring updates and improvements to the sports courts inside the Eppler Complex. The courts could use several enhancements such as:

• New energy efficient lighting fixtures
• Replacement of basketball rims
• Refurnishing of the courts floor boards
• Upgrade scoring system
• Creation of entrance directly to outside

4)   Renovations of the central air system. In the current situation, the building suffers from great temperature fluctuations throughout. Usually the lower levels are noticeably colder than the rooms on the upper floors.

5)   Improvements to the classrooms in the complex add to the educational value. These improvements enhances a professors effectiveness:

• SmartBoards are great tools to have available for a professor. By following the link, details of the instruments are available. SmartBoards are large interactive projection screens. Instructors can now write, draw, and mark on slides and presentations.
• Replacement of the individual desks to double desks and office chairs improves the comfort users’ receive from the furniture.
• The addition of a full functioning permanent instructor desk at the head of the room with a computer, component inputs, and dedicated monitor.
• In order to save on energy costs, a green roof can help save money. Green roofs offer many financial benefits which can be seen upon following the link. There is serious energy saving benefits to a green roof which are to be taken advantage of.

6)   With the addition of solar panels on the roof, the Eppler Complex can reduce the energy needed to be brought in externally.  This addition is going to help cut down energy cost created through daily building operations.

7)   The landscaping around Eppler Center is going to be enhanced so that it is aesthetically appealing to guests. The vegetation around the building offers a colorful and bright surrounding. A small outdoor lounge area with a picnic table for users to rest and relax.

8 )   The strategic placement of maps throughout the center are going to assist new guests navigate throughout the building. It is common for new visitors to get lost trying to find the gyms, classrooms, or offices within the building.

9)   The current lighting situation in the building is in need of improvement. The hallways throughout the complex are very dim and in need in brightening. The new light fixtures are also more energy efficient.

10)  The addition of a student resource lab dedicated to students in the KNS and TLEP majors giving students the resources needed to be successful. The lab includes computers, scanners, printers, copiers, and other important equipment. Desks and monitors are also be available for students who wish to hold group meetings in the lab. A resource desk is set up to cater to the needs of the lab.

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On Thursday September 8, 2011 I had the pleasure to have had a personal behind-the-scenes tour of Bowling Green State University’s Student Recreation Center. Throughout the tour I learned several facts that I had no known before. The center had its grand opening on January 2, 1979. It was designed to house exercise, activities, sports, and other recreation activities. From above the building incidentally looks like a Falcon, our schools mascot. The center has been through many changes over its lifetime. Most of these changes were made internally to adapt to the rapidly changing face of recreation. The current weight area was not always the weight area, was originally basketball hoops for pick-up games. In order to stay current, the racquet room had a climbing rock wall added to add to their activity repertoire. Throughout the tour I was able to see areas of the Recreation Center that most people do not normally get to see. We were taken downstairs to the lowest level and looked out through giant pool window. The Center is looking to the future and planning on ways to cater to the changing needs of BGSU student body. The squash courts downstairs, once extremely popular, now sit in the dark dormant basement. Some of the rooms have been repurposed as storage rooms, but the staff is looking for new ways to refresh the area. If the staff can find a cost effective way to bring use to this unused area, the center will benefit as a whole bringing more visitors to the center. Through listening to the tour guide, I was able to get an inside perspective on the thinking of a recreation staff member. I really enjoyed the experience and am looking forward to the next recreation facility, The Stroh Center.

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In order to keep the spirit of a city from becoming going stale, it is important to create projects and restoration programs to revitalize an area. For instance Brooklyn New York is in dire need of said projects and programs. This area, before the Barclays Center was given the green light, was old, rundown and in some cases uninteresting to tourist that know very little of the area. The new arena is currently being built on top of the old Atlantic Rail yard which traditionally is an area with high traffic, but did nothing to help the surrounding area or the city of Brooklyn. The new center is going to improve the value of the city and bring in new tourism to the area. The Barclays Center is to host the home games of the New Jersey Nets, or soon to be the Brooklyn Nets (BarclaysCenter.com). The 42+ games (with a possibility to host additional games if team makes the NBA Playoffs) is a major attraction to arena tourists around the area and fans of NBA from around the country to watch these high intensity competitive basketball games. Once the center opens restaurants, bars, hotels, and other leisure business is going to witness an increase in tourism traffic to the area. The impact of the new tourism traffic can be represented best by “The Fiscal Impact of NBA Team and Arena” developed by the Memphis Grizzlies.

The total value of new (incremental) expenditures made each year in the local economy at NBA games and by team/arena operations will be approximately $103 million.  This will generate almost $2.1 million in local government revenues and $1.9 million in state revenues (Gene Pearson).

This project has virtually unlimited positive benefits for local businesses. The increase in tourism is going to be a major contributor to the funding of this major city restoration project. The Center is expected to open for the 2012-2013 NBA season (Kaminski, 1). The date for new change is rapidly approaching and is going to really help Brooklyn return to glory yesterday.

This particular project interests me as I am a big fan of the NBA. Personally I am a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. Due to their recent lack of success, I have been forced to be a fan of the entire NBA in order to fulfill my need for competitive basketball. The Barclays Center is very appealing to me as I am very interested to work in NBA arena and this brand new state-of-the-art facility. Working in an arena with new technology would be a very satisfying experience as I would expect to learn a lot about event planning that I might not have learned from an older arena. I will be keeping a close eye on this project and the success of the Barclays Center going into the future.

References Used

Kaminski, Tom. “Barclays Center Construction Progressing At Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards.” CBS Sports. CBS, 26 May 2011. Web. 29 Aug. 2011. <http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/05/26/barclays-center-construction-progressing-at-brooklyns-atlantic-yards/>.

Pearson, Gene, Luchy Burrell, Steve Redding, and Sonya Schenk. Fiscal Impact of NBA Team and Arena. Memphis, TN: The University of Memphis Regional Economic Development Center, 2001. N. pag. The University of Memphis. Web. 12 Sept. 2011. <http://planning.memphis.edu/NBAmarket.pdf>.

The Barclays Center. The Barclays Center, 2011. Web. 29 Aug. 2011. <http://barclayscenter.com/>.

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