Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Operations Manager

          
          I had the opportunity to interview Robert (Marshall) Palmer. Robert started his career at the Amway Arena and was promoted twice which led him to his current position as Operations Manager. He is responsible for the new Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The venue is home to Orlando Magic, the Orlando Predators and next year there will be a hockey team added to the venue. The Amway Center also holds concerts and ice shows. The venue was opened in 2010 to replace the old Amway Arena. The new Amway Center is 875,000 feet and features one of the largest high definition scoreboards in a NBA facility.

            When I researched Operation Managers the responsibilities were varied based on the facility. Common responsibilities included budget and logistics management. I selected Robert Palmer because I knew that this job varied and I wanted to see the perspective of someone in the position. The first question I asked Robert Palmer was about his responsibilities at the Amway Center. He said that he was in charge of the physical building. He helped with the completion of the set up for all events that occurred in the arena. Robert said he hired a sub-contract crew that would come into help him prepare the venue. For example if the Amway Center has a basketball game on Saturday night and then has a concert on Sunday, Robert would need to change out the court and set up the stage. He said that a typical change takes about eight hours. When I asked Robert about the budget he said that he has no part in that. His position is based around the building only. He said that the budget for the venue is taken care of by the Operations Division Manager. Robert also told me that Orlando Magic had employees that worked for the team that took care of the revenue.
The next question I asked Robert was about the requirements for his position. He said the most important requirement was safety training. He said that things happen and as the Operations Manager you need to tell the staff what to do. Fire safety training is a must. Robert Palmer also said that I should have knowledge of maintenance. He said he is responsible for fixing things. If something breaks during the event it has to be fixed and fast. Robert told me that once there was a basketball game and the shot clock fell. He said that this was something he needed to be replaced and fast. He said that if the game had been televised nationally he would have had to pay one thousand dollars for every minute that television was held up. Robert said that he prevents these problems by checking equipment at least three times before the game. Some things will happen, but Robert Palmer makes sure that he avoids as many problems as possible. One last requirement he said that they look for is a degree in sports. The Amway Center is based around Orlando Magic. All the other events just supplement the revenue coming to the venue. He said that the sports background makes the Operations Manager more knowledgeable when it comes to the industry and how it works.
The next topic that Robert Palmer and I discussed was the rewards and challenges of his position. He said that there are many rewards. The first would be the building. The Amway Center as I mentioned before is a state of the art venue. He said that he could not ask for a better place to work. The Amway Center allows him to work in a place that at the moment is one of the most technological advanced arenas in the country. The second reward he said would be his back stage passes. He said that he usually sees the players and artists long before they perform. After he got done telling me the people he met he pulled out a shoebox. Inside were backstage passes from every concert he was part of. It was so great to see the pride that he took in his role. His third and final reward was just the experience of being within the sports and entertainment industry.
Robert Palmer then moved onto the challenges. He said that he could think of two. The first being stress. He said that sometimes the venue would give him six hours to change the venue over when he knew it took eight hours. He said that he learned to stay calm. He would just have to find extra men and if he knew this wasn’t possible he would just tell the venue that it couldn’t be done. An example he gave was the Guns n Roses concert. They ended up playing long past their set time. Robert said they left around 3 in the morning. They had five hours to set a stage for an event the next day. Robert knew he couldn’t get extra men at that point so everyone worked hard and they ended up having to modify the original plan. He said it worked out, but sometimes things don’t work out. The venue just has to be prepared to make last minute changes. The second challenge is the long hours. Robert said that there are not many vacations and he usually only gets one day off a week. The position requires at least fifty hours a week. 
Robert Palmer knew a lot about the venue and about the industry. I asked him if he could give me advice about entering the industry. He said that I should keep networking. An informal interview is the best way to make contacts he told me. He said that the more people I meet the better off I will be. He said I should want people to know my name if nothing else when I meet them. It will help when I apply for a job because the employer will see the name on the top of the resume first. This impacts the choices made for who gets hired and who doesn’t. He said that I should also get out and be involved in the industry. Find an internship where I can have multiple roles. The more well rounded you are the more options you have. He said from his experience once you get in it then becomes easier. Most companies will promote within before they go looking for someone. He also suggested volunteering. It shows that I am willing to go out of my way to be part of the industry. I have to sell myself and prove that this is the industry that I want to be in.
The final and most important question I asked was how do you measure your success within your career?  He had to think about this one. He said that the first way he measures his success is by the events. He said that the NBA Finals were held twice at the venue. These events took extra preparation since there was national coverage. Everything had to go perfect. Any mistakes would result in fines to the venue. Robert said that the finals were a large responsibility for him and they both ended up successful. The second way he would measure his success is through his crew. He said that he looks for people that are going to work hard. He tries to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but it doesn’t always work out. He makes sure that his crew is the best because they represent the venue and him. His success is their success.
Overall my interview with Robert Palmer was a success. I went in thinking his job was one thing and learned that his job was very different. Robert makes sure that the venue is set and ready to go when events occur. I know that his role is important, however, I also know that it is not the role for me. Now that I have seen Robert Palmers side I know and understand his role. I know that this will help me when I get a career in the industry. I plan to keep learning about various careers within the industry. I want to be the best person that I can be. Like Robert Palmer said I have to sell myself to get a career in the industry.

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