“Whether you are a concessionaire, a merchandise manager, a parking lot manager, taking tickets, checking bags or front office personnel – it doesn’t matter. Your awareness of facility alcohol policies, the dangers that could result from drinking irresponsibly and how to respond works to keep all of us safe.”
— Russ Simons
Managing Partner, Venue Solutions Group
Russ’ Mission Moment with TEAM
Russ has spent more than 38 years in the sports facility management industry, striving to improve safety, efficiency, sustainability and profitability for NHL, NBA, MLB, NCAA, MLS and NFL venues. In his role as a Director-at-Large for TEAM Coalition, Russ has consistently espoused the need for TEAM to offer alcohol management best practices when new sports facilities come online.
As the full-time venue operations representative for SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, Russ walked the walk by ensuring that the event services team at SoFi Stadium became TEAM certified in conjunction with the opening of the new home of the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Super Bowl LVI and the 2023 College Football Championship.
See the complete TEAM Coalition Board of Directors
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US DOT / NHTSA 2019 NATIONAL DATA:
- In 2019, 10,142 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related (BAC > 0.08) car crashes, a decrease of 5.3% from the 10,710 fatalities in 2018.
- Many, if not most of those lives would have been saved if people did not drive when they were impaired by alcohol or if they used sober, designated drivers or if they simply wore their seat belts.
- Statistics and research clearly show that 21-34 year old males are the demographic most likely to be involved in an automobile crash, drive when impaired by alcohol and fail to buckle up.
