Every industry needs a community, networking, and most importantly, education around the evolving best practices and standards in the industry. As of January 2023, there were currently no national associations that support the growth and development of the venue industry in the United States. I find this shocking! 

We are a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States that serves as the infrastructure for thousands of small event businesses and billions of dollars in annual revenue.  It is unthinkable to me that an industry of such magnitude doesn't have a dedicated community and association that provides education and networking opportunities specific to the needs and opportunities presented by venue ownership, employment, and partnership.

I am surprised that despite the impact that the pandemic and other social, economic, and political events have on the venue space, there still remains a surprising lack of representation at a variety of levels for independently operated venues and venues that are not a part of another category of business like restaurants or hotels. There is a huge and growing category of venues that do not fit into any of the “boxes” or categories— from NAICS codes, tax treatment, state and county permitting codes, to representation at all levels of local and federal government. 

Creating something like this seems to be a bit of manifest destiny and is a solution to the absurdity that is the lack of such an association. Venue owners, professionals, and partners who have networking and community needs have been forced to reinvent the wheel on their own or join other associations that are as close as they can get to a solution for community and education.

Thus far, venue education has come from a hodgepodge of sources including online blogs, youtube channels, podcast episodes, and tactics handed down from friends and others in the industry. There are a few consultants, certainly some talented ones, but too few and not enough that serve the entirety of the industry to address the need. 

We will change that.

Join me and many other in WEVA and be a part of the biggest evolution in our industry!