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Openers
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Bring Back The Cheap Seats
Officials of Centroplex, the city of Orlando-owned agency that manages the Bob Carr Auditorium, the Orlando Arena and the Citrus Bowl, are engaged in a supply-and-demand exercise that could have come right out of an economics textbook. The problem is too little demand: Flagging attendance at concerts and other events is cutting into Centroplex revenues. The supply-side solution: Centroplex managers think lower ticket prices will attract more fans, so they're offering promoters lower rents if the promoters agree to take a few dollars off the cost of tickets.
"Instead of selling 12,000 tickets at $20 apiece like they were a few years ago, a lot of bands are selling 6,000 to 7,000 tickets at $40. The artist gets the same payday, but the economic impact to the building is drastic,'' says Steve Cox, deputy director for Centroplex. He explains that the city makes most of its profit off concessions and parking rather than rent: An additional 5,000 fannies in the seats would bring in an average of $40,000 to $50,000 in parking fees and beer and T-shirt sales, making a rent concession of $20,000 to a promoter worthwhile - if the promoter lowers ticket prices, and if fans respond.
Cox says other facilities managers are watching to see how the experiment proceeds. One possibility he acknowledges but says he doesn't like to talk about is that fans are staying away because a lot of the music stinks. "There are some artists that just aren't good live,'' he concedes.
RANKING
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Wer'e No.1, Sort Of
A recent issue of Business Facilities, a trade magazine for corporate site selectors, rates Florida at the top among 15 states in its ability to accommodate a range of expanding and relocating companies. The magazine developed 16 categories, including demographics, the economy, growth trends and per capita gross state product, then ranked the 50 states on a comparative basis. Florida didn't finish first in any single category, but finished in the top ten in at least half the categories and finished first overall.
"If there is anything Florida has to work on, its lowest ranking came in per capita gross state product," the magazine wrote, adding later:"One other area of concern is Florida's relatively high poverty level. That has implications for social, quality of life and related issues."
GOLF IMAGE
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Masters Of The Links
The PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens asked Richard J. Jensen of Boca Raton, a sports psychologist, and Roy Spungin, a psychotherapist in New York, to look at golf course demeanor as a clue to a person's behavior in the workplace. The Academy of Golf at PGA National, among the top teaching schools in the country, now uses Jensen's findings in its curriculum. Among the prevailing personality types, according to Jensen and Spungin:
Director: On the course, the Director takes charge, controls the pairings and the type of game to be played ... plays to win ... product-oriented rather than people-oriented. In the office, the director is obsessive-compulsive, makes quick decisions and can exhibit a dictatorial style.
Participator: Plays for fun ... acknowledges members of a foursome as individuals ... suggests pairings based on similarities ... a consensus-builder in the office, the Participator seeks opinions before making decisions and gains trust from others.
Organizer: Enjoys taking risks, betting on the game ... steely cool when a loser, grand when a victor ... charming and charismatic in the office ... attains business goals through thrill-seeking ... likes fast-action jobs.
Coach: While golfing, assists others to take focus off self ... classic good sport ... somewhat insecure ... Congenial in the office, the Coach is supportive and an excellent manager in a secure environment.
REGICIDE AT DISNEY?
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Uneasy Sits The Head That Wears The Crown
Fairy tale buffs chafed on and off for years over the name of King Stefan's Banquet Hall, a restaurant on the second floor of the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom. King Stefan is, of course, the father of Sleeping Beauty and has nothing to do with the story of Cinderella.Alas for the good king, Disney management has opted for congruity - the company has renamed the restuarant Cinderella's Royal Table. Stepan, for the moment, has turned into a pumpkin.
PATIENT SIMULATOR
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No Dummy
Who says good men are hard to find? For about $178,000, Medical Education Technologies Inc. (METI) of Sarasota will sell you one that does just about anything but take out the garbage. METI makes high-tech mannequins called human patient simulators that allow medical educators to simulate everything from heart attacks to drug reactions.
Hooked up to a sophisticated computer that generates the various scenarios, the vinyl-clad figure makes breathing and heart sounds, reacts to drugs, exhales carbon dioxide, has a "twitch response" in his thumbs, a tongue, a pulse and even urinates. The computer stores both the scenarios and the student's response, allowing a slow-motion replay of a medical crisis - without the suffering.
METI was once part of Loral Corp.'s operations in Sarasota until Lockheed bought Loral last year and a former Loral executive, Louis Oberndorf, bought the patient simulator unit and took it private as METI. Tess Mitchell, an executive with METI, says the firm markets the simulator primarily to community colleges and medical schools. METI also has training contracts with drug behemoth Glaxo Wellcome and with the U.S. Army.
The simulator, which has a man's physique and haircut but is not otherwise anatomically correct, has been dubbed "Stan" by the company.
UPDATES
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Wages:
Marriott International is bringing its highly touted welfare-to-work program to Florida. Michael Poole, chairman of the state board that's overseeing implementation of the state's welfare reform law, WAGES, says the program, Pathways to Independence, can be a model for other corporations. The program will operate in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. Through Pathways, Marriott plans to train WAGES participants who have been unable to find jobs on their own or with the help of local WAGES boards. The training - done in classes of 15 - teaches participants business and social skills to prepare them to work in the hotel industry. There are 60 hours of classroom instruction and 120 hours of occupational training conducted at a Marriott hotel. "Making welfare reform work in this state truly requires a public-private partnership," says Poole. "I urge other businesses to get involved, too.''
Charity:
Having difficulty finding talent to staff its new Technology Park office in Sarasota, Arthur Andersen has come up with a new twist on the old practice of head-hunting. It is spreading the word among family and friends of the company and beyond that Andersen is looking for people with accounting and/or customer service experience to work in accounts payable, client accounting, general ledger and payroll jobs. If as a result of the campaign a job-seeker is hired and stays on the job for at least three months, Anderson will donate $500 to a Charity selected by the person making the referal.
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