Master Trainer Spotlight - Aaron Schmitt -

10/19/2020

AARON SCHMITT

Managing Director at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
S.A.F.E. Management

Aaron is the Managing Director for S.A.F.E. Managemne4t at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Aaron has certified over 8,000 event staff and continually promotes responsible alcohol management practices during events. Aaron has been certified as a TEAM Trainer since 2006 and became a TEAM Master Trainer in April of 2007.

AARON’S MISSION MOMENT WITH TEAM COALITION

The real life examples of TEAM Coalition training surrounding our event day experiences can be seen over and over again. For me, it was never more evident than when a guest who was provided a safe ride home after displaying significant signs of impairment. They were identified by a team member who weeks prior had just completed their TEAM Training. The team member referenced the training in saying, “I couldn’t be comfortable knowing this guest was leaving our stadium like that.” This was followed up by the guest calling the stadium in the following days to thank the stadium for their response and care they showed him during what was “not his best moment.” The training, awareness, and care that TEAM Coalition and the training help foster in an event day team is immeasurable and never fully seen but it is always present.

TEAM Coalition is essential to the event day experience of guests and, therefore, is of paramount importance to event day team members and the training they receive. The foundations and principles involved in TEAM training are rooted not just in responsible alcohol service, but in guest service. Therefore, presenting an engaging training program where the participants can relate to the material and the relevance it has to their “job,” we are able to create tremendous buy-in in an effort to present a safe environment for our guests. TEAM Coalition is a vital part of the sports and entertainment industry, helping ensure we all can enjoy live events!Aaron Schmitt Managing Director at Mercedes-Benz Stadium S.A.F.E. Management

The success of TEAM’s alcohol management training program rests squarely on the shoulders of facility leaders like Aaron Schmitt who have embraced the idea that everyone has a role and a responsibility when it comes to preventing negative fan behavior and drunk driving. Teamwork is what a successful alcohol management is all about. Aaron’s efforts at Mercedes-Benz Stadium demonstrate that when everyone – including guest services, security, ushers, gate attendants, elevator operators, alcohol servers, suite attendants and the fans – takes responsibility, everyone wins.Jill Kiefer Executive Director TEAM Coalition

TEAM Coalition

TEAM Coalition is an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaires, stadium service providers, the beer industry, distillers, broadcasters, traffic safety experts and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports and entertainment facilities. TEAM Coalition members and supporters include Major League Soccer, NASCAR, National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Aramark, Delaware North Sportservice, Legends, Spectra, Beer Institute, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Constellation Brands, Molson Coors, Brown-Forman, Live Nation, Lyft, National Association of Broadcasters, International Association of Venue Managers, Stadium Managers Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For more information visit TEAMCoalition.org.

US DOT / NHTSA 2018 NATIONAL DATA:

In 2018, 10,511 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related (BAC > 0.08) car crashes, a decrease of 3.6% from the 10,908 fatalities in 2017.
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.

Author: elizabethteamcoalition