Overview 

IAVM's Mission
To educate, advocate for, and inspire public assembly venue professionals, worldwide.

VMS School
Vision Statement - Venue Management School (VMS) graduates are managing every public assembly facility in the world.

Mission Statement - The IAVM Venue Management Schools' purpose is to provide a focused educational experience dedicated to developing personal and professional growth while fostering an atmosphere for developing long-term networking relationships.

The VMS, which consists of one week of intensive instruction in each of two consecutive years, is the best professional education program available for public assembly facility managers. Both seasoned managers and people new to the industry find the school to be exceptionally valuable. Held at the famous Oglebay Resort & Conference Center in Wheeling, West Virginia, the content, format and structure of the program is governed by the IAVM Board of Regents.

The IAVM Venue Management School was founded in 1987 on the premise that professional management of public assembly facilities requires professional education. The IAVM Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit foundation, inaugurated the VMS, and a Board of Regents was appointed to determine the curriculum and direction of the school. The curriculum is designed to enhance the professional education of managers of public assembly facilities such as amphitheaters, arenas, auditoriums, convention centers/exhibit halls, performing arts venues, racetracks, stadiums and university complexes.

Held each year beginning on the first Sunday in June, the week-long school is one of the few programs of its type in the world today. Since its inception, nearly 2,750 students have completed the program. The school's program is conducted over a period of two years. Attendees learn the ABC's of public assembly facility management from the best in the business-IAVM members who operate a public assembly facility. The school is designed for all levels of facility management and operational staff and offers instruction by top facility managers on a variety of topics including facility management practices/principles and current industry issues.

The Oglebay Resort and Conference Center is a public, three-star, non-profit resort with more than 1,000 employees that offers more than 50 recreational facilities including three golf courses, 50 cottages and a 204-room lodge and conference center. Wilson Lodge completed a $15 million expansion and renovation project. A new guest wing has added 53 deluxe rooms and suites, and all 212 existing rooms at the lodge are being completely remodeled. Oglebay has been in the management school business for more than 33 years and currently operates and hosts eight major schools in the leisure industry. The resort is located 55 miles from Pittsburgh International Airport.

VMS Faculty
Widely respected professionals in the industry serve as instructors. They bring to the classroom the ability to demonstrate the application of business management theory to the day-to-day operations of public assembly facilities. Instructors are selected based on their knowledge of the subject areas and the ability to share the information they possess in clear and concise terms.