News Portal

SMA News

For Release 10:00am  |  Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Roadmapping the Future of SMA
Hollywood Beach, FL— Wednesday, February 16, 2022 — Today, during the 2022 Annual Seminar, the Stadium Managers Association (SMA) unveiled the guiding thoughts and initiatives surrounding their 2021-2022 strategic plan. Ongoing projects will be launched throughout 2022, with the initial focus on membership expansion. A new Stadium Membership level has been introduced, making it easier for stadiums to make the most out of a membership investment while also encouraging participation across multiple departments. SMA’s ongoing mission is provide an avenue to exchange ideas and receive stadium-specific education & information on emerging trends, so stadium managers can create the ultimate brand experience for fans, stakeholders, owners, vendors, employees, etc. at their stadiums.

“It’s in our DNA to adapt, change, and overcome as stadium managers on game day, and I think this strategic plan is an important part in our next step with our organization; to live up to that. This is something we should always be striving to do, to make ourselves better, to make ourselves more educated – that’s the point of an organization like this, and with this new strategic plan, we’re doing exactly that.”, said Titus Queen, Membership Committee Representative; Stadium Managers Association.

Network, Educate, Involve
This strategic initiative focuses on the three pillars for SMA and aims to increase membership access for managers of all departments, as they are essential in creating the ultimate brand experience (Network); create educational materials and opportunities that are relevant, valuable, and delivered via a variety of mediums for maximum impact (Educate); develop opportunities for vendor engagement that align with activities and strategy, providing greater value to sponsors and members (Involve).

“The combination of all three strategic pillars will allow us to continue providing you resources and become a forum for you to improve your businesses, especially post covid, when our businesses restart, and we look at ways to reconnect the fan experience with an effective operation.” said Mario Coutinho, President, Stadium Managers Association.

A video regarding this unveiling is available for viewing here.

About the Stadium Managers Association (SMA)
Formed in 1974, SMA promotes the professional, efficient and state-of-the-art management of stadiums around the world. SMA addresses relevant issues facing today’s stadium managers, and provides educational and networking opportunities throughout the year.
Members include managers, operations and security personnel from stadiums and teams, as well as government entities, colleges and universities and suppliers to the industry. For more information visit http://www.stadiummanagers.org.
###
For more information, please contact
Jeana Schultz, SMA Executive Director
515-282-8192 x415

Partner News

SMA IIFX Partnership 1200 x 600 px1

December 2021 -- SMA is pleased to announce a new strategic partnership with the Innovative Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX)!  SMA’s ongoing initiatives of Network, Educate, Involve are core values at the center of this partnership that will allow SMA members access to:

  • webinars, podcasts and other member resources hosted by IIFX;
  • additional in-person educational opportunities at discounted pricing;
  • networking circles that expand your expert knowledge pool for unique and meaningful fan experiences at your venue

As we roll out this new communication and educational resource, we’ll be sure to highlight opportunities to engage with SMA and IIFX members. You can find out more about IIFX and how they serve the sports and entertainment industry here.

“This partnership is another example of how organizations can collectively work together to ultimately enhance our guest experience and improve operational efficiencies” - Mario Coutinho, President, SMA

“I am very excited about this opportunity as it is a good move for our industry. It provides enhanced opportunities to assist our profession’s thought leaders to continue to grow and provide innovative ideas for their venues.” - Dr. Lou Marciani, Director and Co-Founder, IIFX

More details will be coming from the SMA Office regarding this partnership and how you can make the most out of these new resources, but for now, please browse their website for more information about their organization.

Member News

August 16, 2021

Sport Law Expert Gil Fried joins University of West Florida Faculty

Pensacola, FL

The University of West Florida (UWF, Pensacola, FL) is pleased to announce that Gil Fried has joined the faculty in the College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS), starting in the fall 2021 semester.  Professor Fried will not just teach sport management courses, but will also Chair the Administration & Law Department, which includes sport management, construction management, public administration, and legal studies. 

Professor Fried Joins UWF after spending 22 years at the University of New Haven (UNH). While at UNH, Professor Fried became a major national figure in the sports safety area working on topics such as foul ball safety, crowd management best practices, and buffer zone safety in various sports. He has taught thousands of students in classes such as sport law, sport facility management, sport finance, and event management.  Professor Fried is also prolific author. He has written over 12 textbooks on topics such as sport law, sport facility management, sport finance, sport analytics, and even Esport business management. His textbooks are currently used at over 140 universities throughout the United States as well as being translated into various language such as Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. 

While Professor Fried has had a strong academic focus, he is often best known for his work outside the classroom.  He has served on various boards both with for profit corporations and nonprofit organizations. For example, he is on the Executive Board of the National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS) where he helps lead over 60 million young Americans who participate in youth sports.  He also has worked on some of the most important sport law cases over the last 30 years ranging from deaths at stadiums to nationally regarded cases involving assaults and injuries at both major and minor sports, entertainment, and recreation venues. 

“I am so happy to be part of a team where I can leverage not just my sport management background, but also my legal background with UWF’s nationally ranked legal studies program, my facility management background with our construction management program, and my experience working with cities/counties for UWF’s public administration degree,” said Professor Fried.

CEPS Dean, Dr. William Crawley said, “[W]e are so excited to have someone with Professor Fried’s knowledge, experience, and background joining us.  He can leverage our existing resources and faculty, and help grow stakeholder engagement and partnership opportunities to help our students and the programs thrive.”

For additional information or to reach Professor Fried directly you can reach him at gfried@uwf.edu or 850-474-3246.

SMA News

Stadium manager members in both SMA and ESSMA benefit from reciprocal membership. 
 
July 2021 --The Stadium Managers Association (SMA) and the European Stadium & Safety Management Association (ESSMA) are proud to announce a new partnership between the organizations.  Starting July 2021, all stadium manager members will receive a complimentary dual membership in the adjacent organization.  With this alliance, stadium managers will receive member benefits and have the opportunity to exchange best-practices and to participate in events.  Moving forward, any new stadium manager member will receive membership in both associations immediately when joining one association. 
 
“On behalf of the SMA Board of Directors, we welcome the opportunity to partner with ESSMA as we connect our sports and facility members globally. This is an example of how we can work together and share our knowledge as we strive to provide our fans with the best live experience possible,” said Mario Coutinho, SMA Board Chair. 
 
"ESSMA has a longstanding tradition in bringing the European stadium industry together. We are now excited to take this next step and support the bridge building between European and American stadium managers. We look forward to the knowledge sharing that can arise from this partnership," said John Beattie, President ESSMA.
 
SMA former Corporate Director/ESSMA liaison, Nicole Andrews, was the main driving force for this partnership.  Her vision for bringing the two organizations together began with small conversations and evolved over time into a more structured program as she came to fully appreciate the mutually beneficial impact for both stadium managers and commercial members.  
 
“The formal partnership between SMA and ESSMA marks a significant milestone for both organizations as we strive to break down the geographical barriers that have separated us in the past,” Andrews said.
 
Members in both groups will receive a list of full membership benefits from SMA and ESSMA with details on how to access these new perks.
 
Any questions about the new partnership, can be sent to Jeana Schultz, SMA Executive Director (jeanas@stadiummanagers.org) or Nathalie Lenaerts, ESSMA Communications Manager (nathalie@essma.eu).
 
About SMA
Since its establishment in 1974, the Stadium Managers Association has provided educational information and industry resources to assist stadium managers in the day-to-day management and operation of their facilities.  Its vision is to support operational excellence and personal development by facilitating networking and best practices between facility managers and industry partners.
 
About ESSMA
ESSMA, the European Stadium & Safety Management Association, unites the stadium industry. Over 350 European stadiums contribute to the creation of market specific research and join us on networking events to share knowledge, best-practices and learn from their peers. ESSMA nurtures these conversations, both online and offline, with benchmark reports, industry updates and best practices.

Member News

Dallas, Texas. 19 April 2021. Leading independent technology advisory, investment and delivery company PMY Group (PMY), today announced its acquisition of Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon & Williams, Inc. (WJHW), a consulting and design services firm based in Dallas, Texas, United States of America (US).

Please click here to read the full press release.

For further information about PMY: www.pmygroup.com

For further information about WJHW: www.wjhw.com