facilities & event management 2015-2016 booking guide

2015-2016152 Madison Avenue, Room 802 New York, NY 10016

Facilities&Event Management TM

Booking GuideFor Booking Agents, Promoters, Talent Buyers, Special Event Planners & Venue Managers

Inside Spectra Presents, a New Service from Comcast Spectacor16

3 Keys to Managing the Guest Experience 49

NuttEr CENtEr CElEBratES 25 YEarSVenue leadership & industry partners share perspectiVes18

2015 luminary awards 21

Jim Brown, CFEexecutive directorWright state university nutter center

Celebrating 25 years of great entertainment!

To book the arena, please contact Jim Brown - (937) 775-4670 or [email protected]

The worldwide leader in venue management.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL:

BOB PAPKE Vice President, [email protected]

JERRY GOLDMAN \ [email protected]

JOHN HUGHES \ [email protected]

JIM MCCUESenior Vice President, SMG [email protected]

BOB BELBER \ [email protected]

RICH MACKEIGAN \ [email protected]

JOHN BOLTON Vice President, [email protected]

CYNDEE PENNINGTON \ [email protected]

STEVE TADLOCK \ [email protected]

THE WORLD IS OUR STAGE.

32,000EVENTS

1.5 MILLIONSEATS

63 MILLIONGUESTS

$1.7 BILLIONTICKET SALES

2 Facilities & eVeNt MaNaGeMeNt 2015-2016 BookiNG Guide

2015 Volume 23 No. 2

Chief Operating Officer David Korn

Associate Publisher Michael Caffin

Editorial Director George Seli

Contributing Editors Anthony Bilden

Rosa Laufer

Creative Direction & Design Scott-Goodman Associates

Circulation Manager Winny Cheung

Editorial Assistant Shuyu Guo

Marketing Assistant Hang Wang

Business Operations Nadia Derelieva

© Copyright 2015 by Bedrock Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in by-lined articles and advertising copy are not necessarily those of the publisher. Advertisers are responsible for all costs, damages and claims regarding advertising insertions.

Facilities & Event Management is published twice a year by Bedrock Communications, Inc., 152 Madison Avenue, Suite 802, New York, NY 10016. Telephone: (212) 532-4150. Fax: (212) 213-6382.

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Bedrock Communications, Inc., 152 Madison Avenue, Suite 802, New York, NY 10016. Printed in U.S.A.

ON THE COVERJim Brown has led the Nutter Center as Executive Director for the last five and a half of its 25 years in operation. His strong focus on client service

— “We’re not perfect but we strive to be” — has brought the Nutter Center staff accolades from top promoters such as Michael Belkin of Live Nation and Jeff Apregan of Venue Coalition. Read what they have to say on the occasion of the Nutter Center’s 25th anniversary.

DEPARTMENTSIn Brief ..............................................................................................................4Photoview IAVM VenueConnect .......................................................................................10IAFE Annual Convention ................................................................................12Capitol Theatre & Empire City Casino Concerts..............................................14Quick TakesBrock Jones, Spectra Presents ........................................................................16PerspectivesPartners in Prevention, by Steve Zito .............................................................48Getting It Right the First Time, Every Time, by Lee A. Esckilsen ....................49Products & Services ........................................................................................25Facilities Directory ..........................................................................................30Advertiser Index .............................................................................................50F&EM A-List: Women Venue Executives .........................................................52

FeaturesNutter Center Celebrates 25 Years .................................................................182015 LUMINARY Awards ................................................................................21

SPOTLIGHT: Valley of the Sun .........................................................................27

CONTENTS

Periodically, tragic events effectively remind facility managers that they lack complete control over the security and safety of their patrons, despite having adequate security staff and procedures in place. Last November’s terrorist attack in Paris at le Bataclan concert hall is a

case in point, as is last month’s incident at the state theatre in Falls Church, VA. On Sunday, Jan. 18, the theater was hosting a show featuring the Northeast Groovers; a fight broke out inside, followed by a shooting outside in which three men were injured.

While no risk management plan is full proof against such crises, it is incumbent upon venue managers to implement plans that are as comprehensive as possible. Technology certainly plays a role; note live Nation’s recent call for its arena partners to scan all patrons with metal detectors and install camera systems with command center monitoring capability, among other measures. But the sheer number of people involved in the security effort is also a factor.

In this issue, two notable guest columnists take up this point. lee esckilsen, Associate Professor in the Center for Sports, Entertainment and Event Management at Johnson & Wales university, stresses that a risk management plan should involve all staff members, who must not hesitate to alert one another about potential threats (p. 49). The Homeland Security anti-terrorism campaign “If You See Something, Say Something” comes to mind, but the imperative need not only apply to venue staff. steve Zito, President, Sports & Entertainment with andy Frain services, advises facility staff to encourage patrons themselves to lend their eyes and ears to the security effort (p. 48).

Challenging as it may be, creating an optimally secure environment is just one among many components of serving ticket buyers. Security is the most crucial service, but venue executives have so many other aspects on their minds, from maintaining quality amenities to proving compelling entertainment throughout the year. In this issue, F&eM is pleased to recognize the 20 entertainment venue executives who won 2015 luMiNaRY awards after receiving the most nominations from our readership (p. 21). They excel in a role with manifold responsibilities and significant stress, but also the reward of seeing satisfied — and safe — crowds filling their venues year after year.

EDiTOR’S NOTE

EvENT SECuRiTy: DuE DiligENCE iS ThE bEST wE CAN DO

– George seliEditorial Director, Facilities Media Group

[email protected]


booking guide For Booking Agents, Promoters, Talent Buyers, Special Event Planners & Venue Managers

ARENA, EXPO CENTER & CONFERENCE CENTER

• Receptions, banquets, meetings, seminars, trade shows and consumer events

• 3 built-in screens and projectors with intelligent LED lighting controls

• State of the art CREATE Tasting Kitchen

• Full service, in-house catering available from Aramark

• 27,155 sq. ft of carpeted multi-purpose event space

CONFERENCE CENTER FEATURES MEMORIAL COLISEUM FACTS

• More than 1 million square feet under roof

• Arena seating capacity of nearly 13,000

• Expo Center 152,000 sq. ft

• Conference Center 50,000 sq. ft

• More than 1 million visitors annually

• Concerts, sporting events, trade shows, consumer events, wedding receptions,

banquets and much more

Weddings & Banquets In-house Catering CREATE Tasting Kitchen

For booking, contact Randy L. Brown, CFE at (260) 482-9502

www.memorialcoliseum.com

ARENA, EXPO CENTER & CONFERENCE CENTER

• Receptions, banquets, meetings, seminars, trade shows and consumer events

• 3 built-in screens and projectors with intelligent LED lighting controls

• State of the art CREATE Tasting Kitchen

• Full service, in-house catering available from Aramark

• 27,155 sq. ft of carpeted multi-purpose event space

CONFERENCE CENTER FEATURES MEMORIAL COLISEUM FACTS

• More than 1 million square feet under roof

• Arena seating capacity of nearly 13,000

• Expo Center 152,000 sq. ft

• Conference Center 50,000 sq. ft

• More than 1 million visitors annually

• Concerts, sporting events, trade shows, consumer events, wedding receptions,

banquets and much more

Weddings & Banquets In-house Catering CREATE Tasting Kitchen

For booking, contact Randy L. Brown, CFE at (260) 482-9502

www.memorialcoliseum.com

In Brief CONSTRUCTION/RENOVATION watchARENASDETROIT, MI — Detroit’s Downtown Development Authority recently approved nearly $52 million in new contracts (now more than $257 million in total) for work on the new Detroit Events Center scheduled to open in September 2017. The Center will be home to the Detroit Red Wings as well as concerts, family shows and community functions.

FORT WAYNE, IN — The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum debuted its new 50,000-sq.-ft. Conference Center in December. The facility includes approximately 28,000 sq. ft. of multipurpose space accommo-dating everything from bridal shows to sporting events such as wrestling and volleyball. In September, the War Memo-rial Coliseum completed its upgrade to LED lighting by Ephesus Lighting. “Guest

experience is at the top of the list of how we evaluate new in-vestments for our facility,” said Randy L. Brown, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Allen County War Memo-rial Coliseum. “We believe that the Ephesus LED solution will give our guests and fans of our sports tenants something to be excited about, while providing us enhanced efficiency and sav-ings on utility costs.”

LAS VEGAS, NV — Scheduled to open in April, the 20,000-seat Las Vegas arena, a joint venture of AEG and MGM Resorts

International, will be named T-Mobile Arena. Cox Busi-ness/Hospitality Network has been selected as the exclusive technology integration/telecom-munication services provider for the arena. The company installed a 10-gigabit fiberoptic network to support wired and wireless Inter-net connectivity, utilizing Cisco Connected Stadium Wi-Fi to deliver targeted download speeds of up to 20 mbps. In addition, Cox Business/Hospitality Network will use Cisco StadiumVision to deliver over 60 channels of high-definition content from the arena floor to 650 digital displays throughout the arena. “The

partnership with Cox is a vital component to the Las Vegas Arena operation,” said Mark Faber, Senior Vice President, AEG Global Partnerships. “As the leader in the broadband communications industry, their exceptional services and cutting-edge technology will

support our efforts in creating memorable experiences for our guests every time they attend an event.”

MILWAUKEE, WI — Construc-tion of the $500 million Milwaukee Bucks arena is expected to begin this spring

with completion by the 2018-’19 season. Last year, the project won the needed $250 million in public funding.

SACRAMENTO, CA — The $507 million Golden 1 Center, an entertainment and sports center with a seating capacity of 17,500, is scheduled to open in October. The facility will be LEED Gold certified and boast two 100-gigabit ethernet dedicated internet circuits by Comcast, making it “the world’s most connected indoor sports and entertainment venue,” according to the Sacramento Kings. The venue is adjacent to a public plaza and complement-ed by 1.5 million sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space.

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — On Dec. 8, the Virginia Beach City Council voted 10-1 in favor of building an 18,000-seat arena, the state’s largest, across from the Convention Center. Private developer United State Manage-ment will build the arena at a cost of $200 million and assume operating costs, leasing nearly six acres of city-owned land.

THEATERS/PERFORMING ARTS CENTERSBELTON, TX — The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has broken ground on a new $16.5 million performing arts center. Expected to be complete by the fall of 2017, the 39,000-sq.-ft. center will seat 546 people and feature a proscenium stage, fly space, orchestra pit and a 2,000-sq.-ft. performance lab.

FINDLAY, OH — The $17 mil-lion, 960-seat Marathon Center for the Performing Arts opened for its first show on Dec. 18 with a performance by Alan Thicke.’

FRANKLIN, TN — Construction of the new Williamson County Performing Arts Center is expected to be completed in the

spring of 2017. The new facility will consist of Coverdale Hall, which will accommodate 300 spectators, and a new building on the site of the former Fleming Hall.

SACRAMENTO, CA — On Dec. 15, the City Council voted to provide the B Street Theatre $3 million for the construction of a new home on the corner of 27th Street and Capitol Avenue. The demolition of a small medical building on the site begins in late February.

WICHITA, KS — The historic Orpheum Theatre is raising funds for a $14 million renovation of its auditorium, with the goal of completing the project in time for the venue’s centennial in 2022.

Randy L. Brown

Rendering of the Milwaukee Bucks arena

Mark Faber

4 Facilities & event ManageMent 2015-2016 booking guide

FOR BOOKING INFORMATION CONTACT

NICK [email protected]

RALPH [email protected]

201 EAST JEFFERSON STREET | PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85004WWW.TALKINGSTICKRESORTARENA.COM

PHOENIX, ARIZONA


In Brief In Brief Concert watch

LAS VEGAS, NVHometown band The Killers (above) will be the first act to perform in the new 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena, currently under construction just west of the Las Vegas Strip. Taking place April 6, 2016, the concert will also in-clude special guests “Mr. Las Vegas” Wayne Newton and newcomer and North Las Vegas local Shamir.

FLORENCE, SCNEEDTOBREATHE’s Bear Rinehart gets up close and personal with fans on the satellite stage during a per-formance at the SMG-managed Florence Civic Center, Aug. 12, 2015.

LUBBOCK, TXLady Antebellum performs at United Supermarkets Arena, May 12, 2015.

PHOENIX, AZGarth Brooks performing at Talking Stick Resort Arena, Oct. 16, 17, 23 and 24. See page 27 for more news on Phoenix’s concert venues.

TORONTO, ONDee Snider on stage at opening night for Rock and Roll Christmas Tale, presented in December at The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MIDarius Rucker per-forms at the SMG-managed Van Andel Arena on Nov. 19, 2015.

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In Brief Festival BEAT

Kid Rock (above) and Willie Nelson will be among the performers at this year’s new speedway festivals.

February 4-6 North Carolina Jazz Festival Wilmington, NC www.ncjazzfestival.com 4-7 Southeast Texas Mardi Gras Port Arthur, TX www.portarthur.com/mardigras 4-7 SPBGMA Bluegrass Convention Nashville, TN www.spbgma.com 12-14 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival Rockville, MD www.midatlanticjazzfestival.org 13-15 Coconut Grove Arts Festival Coconut Grove, FL www.cgaf.com 26-28 Riverwalk Blues & Music Festival Fort Lauderdale, FL www.riverwalkbluesfestival.com 27 9 Mile Music Festival Miami, FL www.ninemileent.com 28 Wobbleland San Jose, CA www.sanjose.org/events/wobbleland-2016 March 1-20 Houston Livestock Show Houston, TX www.rodeohouston.com 4-6 Musink Costa Mesa, CA www.musink.org 4-6 Okeechobee Music Festival Okeechobee, FL www.okeechobeefest.com 5 Winter Rock Reggae Festival Salt Lake City, UT www.reggaeriseup.com/featured-events 6 San Jose Jazz WinterFest San Jose, CA www.sanjosejazz.org 12 ShamrockFest Washington, DC www.shamrockfest.com 14-19 RedGorilla Music Festival Austin, TX www.redgorillamusic.com 18-20 Ultra Music Festival Miami, FL www.ultramusicfestival.com April 1-3 Springing The Blues Jacksonville Beach, FL www.springingtheblues.com 1-3 WinterWonderGrass Olympic Valley, CA www.winterwondergrasstahoe.com 2-4 Florida State Bluegrass Festival Perry, FL www.floridastatebluegrass.com 7-10 French Quarter Festival New Orleans, LA www.fqfi.org 8-10 Next Generation Jazz Festival Monterey, CA www.montereyjazzfestival.org 14-17 Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Las Vegas, NV www.vivalasvegas.net 27-May 1 SunFest West Palm Beach, FL www.sunfest.com 28-May 1 MerleFest Wilkesboro, NC www.merlefest.org May 5-8 Gator By The Bay San Diego, CA www.gatorbythebay.com 5-8 Springfest Ocean City, MD www.oceancitymd.gov 12-15 Nashville Boogie Weekend Nashville, TN www.nashvilleboogie.com 13-15 Shaky Knees Music Festival Atlanta, GA www.shakykneesfestival.com 14-15 Electric Daisy Carnival New York, NY www.electricdaisycarnival.com 19-23 Exodus Festival Las Vegas, NV www.exoduslasvegas.com 22 Claremont Folk Festival Claremont, CA www.claremontfolkfestival.org 27-29 Rocklahoma Pryor, OK www.rocklahoma.com 27-30 Sasquatch! Music Festival Quincy, WA www.sasquatchfestival.com 28-30 Movement: Electronic Music Festival Detroit, MI www.movement.us

New Raceway Festivals from AEG LiveAEG Live and Festival Produc-tions, Inc. – New Orleans are putting country music into the fast lane with two festivals debut-ing this year, featuring traditional country performers and acts influenced by the genre. Day-tona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL, will host the inaugural Country 500 music festival featuring Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Kid Rock,

Lady Antebellum, Willie Nelson and many more over Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-29. Over the Fourth of July Weekend, July 1-3, Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, AL, will host Dega Jam, its first-ever country music festival. The lineup includes Eric Church, Blake Shelton, Toby Keith, Kid Rock, Hank Williams, Jr., Billy Currington, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lee Brice, Martina McBride, Gary Allan, Kip Moore, Tyler Farr and many more.

IAVM VenueConneCtP h o t o v i e w

IAVM Annual Conference & Trade Show, Aug. 1-4, 2015, Baltimore, MD

James Brown (center), Executive Director, Ronald Beck (left), Food & Beverage Director, and Thomas Schramm (right), Events Operations Manager, Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center

Antony Bonavita, Senior Vice President, Facility Operations, Cleveland Cavaliers, and staff

(L-r): Aran Rush, Assistant GM, Arena Operations, Sacramento Kings; Terry Dederich, Associate Director, Ford Center; and Will Lofdahl, CEO SaskTel Centre

Oscar McGaskey Jr., Executive Director, Kansas City Convention Center

Scott Johnson (left), Deputy Director, and Mike Perdue, Building Superintendant, Greensboro Coliseum Complex

James Riordan (left), Director, Florida Atlantic University MBA Sports Management program, and Lee Esckilsen, Associate Professor, Johnson & Wales University

Susette Hunter, Director of Sales & Marketing, and Tad Snider, Executive Director & CEO, Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Authority

Chuck Rogers (left), Director of Business Development, Staff Pro, and Lee Zeidman, President, STAPLES Center, Microsoft Theater and L.A. LIVE

Matthew Voreyer (left), General Manager, Sacramento Convention Center, and Jason Judy, Director of Marketing and Creative Services, IAVM

FAcIlItIes & eVent MAnAGeMent 2015-2016 BookInG GuIde10

In the past, we’ve been lucky enough to have performers

like Maroon 5, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and many others

on our ticket. Our ability to host world-class acts has resulted

in an overwhelming approval rating from fans. Over the past

14 years, the Verizon Wireless Arena has become a bright

spot on the entertainment horizon. Audiences find the

Verizon Wireless Arena to be the perfect venue for concerts,

sporting events and shows. As a result, we’ve shined with a

Top 5 Ranking in the Americas from a leading industry magazine,

for arenas of 15,000 or less seats. They also ranked us within the

Top 10 in the world. Verizon Wireless Arena, New Hampshire’s

premier sports and entertainment facility is conveniently

located in the city of Manchester, halfway between Boston,

Massachusetts and Portland, Maine. Call us before you hit the trail

on your next tour.

555 ELM STREET, MANCHESTER NH 03101 / 603-644-5000 / VERIZONWIRELESSARENA.COM

IAFE ConvEntIonP h o t o v i e w

IAFE Annual Convention & Trade Show, Nov. 2-Dec. 2, 2015, Las Vegas, NV

Andy Zinkle (left) of Staats and Sarah Cummings (right) of the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, CA, presented the YPI Rising Star Award to Chelsey Jungck of the Ne braska State Fair.

Angel Moore (right) of the Alameda County Fair, Pleasanton, CA, gave a presentation about Twitter at the all-new Tech Work bench in the Ed Shed.

Marla Calico gave her first address as incoming IAFE President and CEO.

Errol McKoy (center), retired President of the State Fair of Texas, Dallas, and re cipient of the 2015 Hall of Fame Award, is flanked by IAFE President and CEO Jim Tucker (left) and IAFE Chair John Sykes of the East Texas State Fair, Tyler.

The IAFE Trade Show saw a lot of foot traffic from Con ven-tion attendees.

The new Beyond the Booth showcases in the Trade Show proved to be popular among attendees.

FACIlItIEs & EvEnt MAnAGEMEnt 2015-2016 BookInG GuIdE12

Connect with us!Call us at 787.777.0800www.coliseodepuertorico.com

Rescuing the Music Industry in Puerto Rico Since 2004

We are the heroof your entertainment.

Capitol theatre

empire City

P h o t o v i e w

Snapshots of some of last year’s concerts at Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY and Empire City Casino, Yonkers, NY

Capitol Theatre, aka the “Original Rock Palace,” hosted many top performers in 2015 including Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Cheap Trick as well as bands such as Foreigner and REO Speedwagon.

The 2015 Empire City Concert Series featured Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd (top), country stars Kenny Rogers (above, left) and Trace Adkins (above, right), as well as up-and-coming singer/songwriter Rachel Allyn (left). The 2016 concert series kicks off in June.

PhotograPhy by anthony aPuzzi

14 FaCilities & eVeNt maNaGemeNt 2015-2016 BookiNG Guide

for world class, unique venues worcester, ma has it all!

www.destinationworcester.org

For booking contact: Carissa Adezio508.753.1550 [email protected]

DCU CENTER - 14,800 seat arena50,000 sq. ft of continous exhibit space

Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts - 2,300 seats


brock Jones senior vice President oF concert touring and events, sPectra Presents

Spectra by Comcast Spectacor announced the launch of Spectra Presents at IEBA’s Annual

Conference in October. President John Page and Senior Vice President of Concert Touring and Events Brock Jones lead the new live event and touring promotion service, which focuses on bringing entertainment to underserved venues in secondary and tertiary markets. Formerly Global Spectrum (now Spectra Venue Management) VP of Booking, Jones oversaw booking at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, where he now maintains an office complementing his home base at Comcast Spectacor’s headquarters in Philadelphia.

How did the idea develop to focus the new service on smaller markets?

It began with an observation of the marketplace. The reality is that every

secondary and tertiary building thinks Live Nation is going to call; they seldom will. There is a reason why AEG, and especially Live Nation, roll out their shows in the same 25-30 markets. In the Live Nation system, they’ve got their best market venue deals loaded up and ready to go, and everybody else is fighting over the other five to seven dates. That’s just the reality of their touring model: They have to go to specific places that can cover the kind of checks that they have to write for artists.

Will Spectra Presents have competitor promoters in the same niche?

There’s a wide, active marketplace but everybody’s got a different focus. For instance you’ve got the Franks [Larry

and Fred of Frank Productions] and their strategic relationship with Darren Lashinsky at NS2. They probably are the largest independent promoter now, and they do a lot in secondary and tertiary markets. But they have a different focus; they’ll do one-offs but they prefer to build tours. And they do a lot in primary markets as well as secondary. And then you’ve got a lot of promoters who are regional; they’ll do three or four dates a year. But nobody is able to have a conversation with a responsible agent or a manager from the paradigm of “let’s look at North America, put 18-21 dates together and roll these out.” No one has the resources to do that, and the relationships to make the managers and agents feel comfortable.

What excites you about your new role with Spectra Presents?

I’ve always wanted to put tours together for markets that just don’t typically get these types of shows, and it’s an

exhilarating daily environment. It’s not just the potential for income generation, it’s also about artist development. The reality is that unless you create a structure where these artists can do

hard-ticket plays in smaller markets, they don’t develop. Right now you’ve got a lot of great club agents and a lot of great clubs, but when a band or an act is ready to leave the club and make that next step, there are not many people who can help with that because the labels don’t exist anymore, and that’s not what Live Nation and AEG do. Less than 1 percent of CAA’s and WME’s rosters can sell 10,000-12,000 tickets, but the vast majority of their roster can sell 3,000-6,000 tickets, and that’s the business.

What promotional strategies are key to being successful in smaller

markets?

From a venue perspective, to be successful you have to have your

own marketing people — regardless of who you’re dealing with, whether it’s

Spectra Presents or a local promoter. Especially for my business strategy, where I’m looking at a North American footprint, I have to rely on the venue to provide me with detailed, localized information. It’s imperative that we have as good an understanding of the local market as possible, and the only people who know that market well enough are the people who live there. Frankly, I don’t go to venues that don’t have marketing people, and reason is that my staff doesn’t have the time to

go in and build a marketing plan from scratch in a market we don’t know.

What is an example of an act Spectra Presents has recently promoted?

We co-promoted the Lee Brice/Tyler Farr tour with Police Productions.

How do you see Spectra Presents developing in the long term?

Expanding into the marketplace, expanding the market share and just increasing the number of tours and acts into

viable hard-ticket plays across North America. The only people more excited about this [service] than venues in small markets are agents. The territorial agents are very excited about this because it makes their life easier knowing that there’s someone they can reach out to who can possibly find them a market and take that show over for them.

For more information about Spectra Presents, Brock Jones can be reached at [email protected].

“The reality is that unless you create a structure where these artists can do hard-ticket plays in smaller markets, they don’t develop.”

By George Seli

Quick takes:

17Facilities & event ManageMent 2015-2016 booking guide

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Please Fill Out Form & Mail Your Vote To: Facilities Media Group

152 Madison Avenue, Suite #802, New York, NY 10016or fax to: (212) 213-6382; or email [email protected]

Booking agents, promoters, talent buyers and special event planners:

VOTE for the topEntertainment Venues (arenas, stadiums, theaters and performing arts centers you have booked in the last three years)

Please consider the following criteria when voting:

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2016 PrimE SiTE AwArdS BAllOT

show production, everything was executed flawlessly.” Brown himself has high praise for the staff, and the longevity of some members plays a role in their proficiency: “I really do believe that part of the success that we’ve achieved over 25 years has been [due to] the phenomenal staff. My Assistant Director, John Cox, has been here all 25 years, and Misty Cox, Marketing Manager, has been here about 18 years.”

Even these longtime executives have yet to “see it all” at the Nutter Center, however. The venue hosted Sen. Barack Obama’s “Keeping America’s Promise” rally in February 2008, followed that year by Sen. John McCain’s announcement of Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate in the presidential race. But it has yet to host a presidential debate. That will change on Sept. 26, 2016, when the Nutter Center welcomes the first of the four general election debates. “For the state of Ohio it’s huge; it’s an international event,” Brown comments. Asked

Back in 1986, businessman and philanthropist Ervin J. Nutter donated $1.5 million to help build an arena that would ultimately bring some of the biggest names in entertainment to his hometown of Dayton, OH. Wright State University’s

Nutter Center hosted 120 events in the first seven months of opera-tion, proving that it filled a niche in the market. The 11,000-capacity arena has welcomed classic artists such as Cher, Elton John and Tina Turner as well as trendsetting acts such as Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. During the first week of December 2015, it was time to begin celebrating 25 years of success, and what better way to do it than with a busy schedule of events?

“On Dec. 1 we had the Wright State men’s basketball game; Dec. 2 was our 25th anniversary reception; Dec. 3, the Newsboys concert; Dec. 4, two basketball games at WSU; Dec. 5, two Trans-Siberian Orchestra shows; Dec. 6, Jeff Dunham; and on the seventh day, we rested,” quips Jim Brown, who has been the Nutter Center’s Executive Director for the past five and a half years.

Last summer, the Nutter Center also had reason to celebrate. Among the 457 events hosted in 2015 was the July 22 stop on the EAGLES: History of the Eagles Tour, the Nutter Center’s highest-grossing event of all time at well over $1 million. Jeff Apregan, President of Venue Coalition, describes the show as a “landmark” for the Dayton market. “It’s a fairly expensive ticket, and the show did very well. That demon-strates the market can support that kind of ticket price and caliber of artist,” he says.

The Nutter Center has certainly managed to impress Live Nation Vice President Michael Belkin, who booked the Eagles show. “It’s a very professional operation — university affiliated, but run as smoothly as any privately run arena out there,” Belkin remarks. “Live Nation has promoted some of the best and biggest artists in the world in the last year or two in this place, and from ticketing to marketing to day-of-

18 Facilities & event ManageMent 2015-2016 Booking guide

“The best is yet to come,” affirms Executive Director Jim BrownBy George Seli

Nutter Center

Celebrates25 Years

“It’s a very professional operation — university affiliated, but run as smoothly as any privately run arena out there.”

— Michael Belkin, Vice President, Live Nation

about how his staff plans to ensure the event runs smoothly, he replies: “We’ll answer to two entities, the commission of the presidential debate and the Secret Service. So we’ll keep it very simple: Yes sir, Yes ma’am.”

The Nutter Center contended with 16 other prospective venues to win the bid to host one of the debates, but it is no stranger to competition. In addition to venues in Indianapolis two hours west, the Nutter Center shares the local market with Value City Arena at Ohio State Univer-sity’s Schottenstein Center, Nationwide Arena in Columbus and US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, as well as a couple of smaller amphitheaters nearby. “You need to be mindful of the [event] traffic in Ohio because you have surrounding markets that are doing shows, so you have to look for the right window,” Apregan notes. He adds that the Nutter Center’s scalability helps make it viable for a greater variety of shows. “It’s a U-shape arena, which I like, and they do have flexibility with different types of seating capacities, and that’s always a plus. There might be a 5,000- or 6,000-seat type of a show, and there’s a way to scale it down so it looks good with that capacity. And there might be a full-house show and you’re trying to fit 11,000 people in there and they can do that as well.”

Despite the flexibility, Brown feels it’s important to be “upfront and honest” with agents and promoters about the arena’s viability for a given act on a given date. He explains that “sometimes it may not make sense to do a show, and you have to say no” rather than deliver a less than satisfactory experience. “It’s all about delivering on the products and services you promised,” says Brown. “Customer service has to be at the top of our list because a bad experience mushrooms on you.” “Our memories are a lot better when something doesn’t go right, and I never get those phone calls about the Nutter Center,” says Apregan, who has brought a variety of artists to the arena, from Neil Diamond and Bob Seger to Darius Rucker and Florida Georgia Line. “It’s a well-run building and they’re vested in the success of the event,” he adds.

Regarding that commitment, Brown notes: “We’re not perfect but we strive to be — and not just by providing a great experience to fans, but also to performers. They’re on the road so much; we try to treat it as their home away from home. And promoters and agents [deal with]

so many different buildings trying to route the whole tour together, so we try to be as accommodating as possible.” Given what is at stake for a promoter, Apregan commends the effort made by Brown’s team: “A promoter comes in and they’re financially at risk on the show; it’s in-credibly high risk for a relatively low margin. And [it’s reassuring] when a venue shows the promoter that they want the artist to be happy, they want the artist’s production and crew to be happy, they want the day to go smoothly and they want to add all their marketing assets to the promoter to help make sure that he is successful. From a competitive standpoint [a venue] wants to be in business with everybody, so you want to have AEG happy, you want to have Nederlander happy, Live Nation happy, you want to have the independent promoters happy. Jim gets it, and he has a team of people that carry out that mission.”

19Facilities & event ManageMent 2015-2016 Booking guide

25 Years

The Eagles was “a fairly expensive ticket, and the show did very well. That demonstrates the market can support that kind of ticket price and caliber of artist.”

— Jeff Apregan, President, Venue Coalition

1 Dec. 1, 1990: Doors open! First event is a Wright State University Men’s Basketball victory vs. Tennessee State.

2 Jan. 13-14, 1992: Guns N’ Roses performed twice in one day. The first show was to take place on Friday the

13th, but superstitious lead singer Axl Rose wouldn’t go on stage until after midnight. They ended up performing early Saturday morning and then put on another show later that evening.

3 Oct. 20, 1996: First Dayton Bombers hockey game

4 June/July 1999: The annual Wally Byam Caravan Club International (WBCCI) rally hosted 2,000

airstream trailers at the Nutter Center and the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

5 Dec. 30, 1999: Wright State Raiders Men’s Basketball upset No. 8 Michigan State with a final score of 53-49.

6April 16, 2004: After two earlier postponements, Aero-smith finally appeared 30 months after the originally

scheduled show date.

7 March 23-24, 2006: Kenny Chesney’s two sold-out shows become the highest-grossing shows for the

venue at the time.

8 Feb. 25, 2008: Sen. Barack Obama’s Campaign Rally

9 Aug. 29, 2008: Sen. John McCain announced Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate for vice president.

10 July 22, 2015: The Eagles performed to a sold-out crowd and set a house record for highest gross.

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EAGLES: History of the Eagles Tour, July 22, 2015

10 Wright State University Nutter Center Milestones



2015 LUMINARY Entertainment Venue

Executives


Executives

O ur country’s entertainment venues welcome the most talented performers touring today, and it takes considerable talent to ensure that these facilities provide the experience that artists, touring managers and patrons expect. A venue’s top ex-ecutives are at the helm when it comes to delivering on those expectations. They

are often the driving force behind venue promotion, community relations, business develop-ment, vendor partnerships, renovations and upgrades, staff performance and more.

Below are the 20 entertainment venue executives who received the most LUMINARY Award nominations last year from our readership of booking agents, talent buyers, promot-ers as well as facility managers — demonstrating recognition by both clients and industry peers. The following pages feature a sampling of these award winners and some of their most notable achievements.

F&EM looks forward to recognizing more winners in this category and others in future issues.

DENNIs ANDREsExEcutivE DirEctor, Morris PErforMing Arts cEntEr

FRANk BRADshAwExEcutivE DirEctor, vAl A. Browning cEntEr

for thE PErforMing Arts

MAtthEw BROwNMAnAging DirEctor, grEEnsBoro colisEuM coMPlEx

MIchAEL cADDELLgEnErAl MAnAgEr, hArBour stAtion

LYNN cARLOttOgEnErAl MAnAgEr, rogErs K-rocK cEntrE

MIchAEL cERAgEnErAl MAnAgEr, stocKton ArEnA/BoB hoPE thEAtrE/

stocKton BAllPArK/oAK PArK icE ArEnA

DARREN DAVIsExEcutivE DirEctor, orlEAns ArEnA

MAtthEw GIBsONgEnErAl MAnAgEr, sPoKAnE vEtErAns MEMoriAl ArEnA

DAVID hOLschERgEnErAl MAnAgEr, north chArlEston colisEuM/PAc/

convEntion cEntEr

tODD hUNtExEcutivE DirEctor, BAncorPsouth ArEnA

& confErEncE cEntEr

DOt LIschIckgEnErAl MAnAgEr, colorADo sPrings worlD ArEnA

AnD PiKEs PEAK cEntEr

wILL LOFDAhLchiEf ExEcutivE officEr, sAsKtEl cEntrE

stEVE MILLERgEnErAl MAnAgEr, sEAgAtE convEntion cEntrE

& huntington cEntEr

NINA sIMMONsDirEctor, hAlton ArEnA/unc chArlottE

ROBERt skONEYgEnErAl MAnAgEr, nAshvillE MuniciPAl AuDitoriuM

LEsLEE stEwARtgEnErAl MAnAgEr, PArAMount thEAtrE

chERYL swANsONExEcutivE DirEctor, AlErus cEntEr

kEVIN ULLEstADDirEctor, univErsity of illinois

stAtE fArM cEntEr

kENDALL wALLgEnErAl MAnAgEr, florEncE civic cEntEr

ROBYN wILLIAMsExEcutivE DirEctor, PortlAnD’5 cEntErs

for thE Arts




Executive


Executive



Executive


Executive



Executive


Executive

DENNIs ANDREsExEcutivE DirEctor

Morris PerforMing Arts CenterSouth BEnD, in

Since coming to the helm of the Morris Performing Arts Center as Executive Director in May 2000, Dennis Andres has taken the Center to a new peak of performance. He brings more than 30 years of experience as an actor, director, designer and manager to his position.

Andres earned his bachelor’s degree in theater/scene design from Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA, and his master’s degree in theater at Syracuse Universi-ty. He served as an Assistant Professor and Department Chair in theater arts at Mercyhurst, and has held positions at Erie Civic Theatre in Pennsylvania, Syracuse Stage in New York, Berk-shire Summer Festivals, Hartford Ballet Company in Connecticut and Erie Civic Center/Warner Theatre in Pennsylvania.

At the Star Theatre/Resort in Merrill-ville, IN, he was involved in presenting more than 250 events a year and is credited with helping to develop much of the theater’s operational functions and control systems that have made the facility a model of excellence in the industry.

LYNN CARLotto GEnEral ManaGEr

roGErS K-rocK cEntrE SMG canaDa

KinGSton, ontario

Lynn Carlotto oversees the booking, finance, marketing and operations depart-ments of the 8-year-old, award-winning Rogers K-Rock Centre. Prior to her move to Canada, Carlotto’s career was Connecticut based with general manager positions at Live Nation’s Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford and Centerplate’s Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport.

As GM of the Bridgeport Arena, Carlotto was instrumental in securing Webster Bank into a long-term naming rights sponsorship. She also successfully lob-bied the state legislature for an exemp-tion to the admission tax levied against the arena. While in Bridgeport, Carlotto also built the arena event base from the ground up, securing a number of presti-gious events, including NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball tournament games, sell-out concerts, and the Vote 2010 Elec-tion Rally featuring President Obama.

Carlotto serves on the Executive Commit-tee for Downtown Kingston! and is a mem-ber of IAVM. She earned her Magna Cum Laude bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston College, and master’s in leadership from Albertus Magnus College.

DARREN DAVIs ExEcutivE DirEctor

orlEanS arEna laS vEGaS, nv

Darren Davis, CFE has over 22 years of experience combining facility opera-tions and event management, includ-ing both public and privately owned venues. He was named Executive Director of the Orleans Arena in June 2008. Before assuming that position, he was the Senior Director of Booking for the facility and prior to that, the Direc-tor of Operations. Davis has launched two arena grand openings: in 2003 with the Orleans Arena and in 2013 for the Kansas Star Arena. Awarded the Venue Excellence Award by IAVM, the Orleans Arena is owned and operated by Boyd Gaming Corporation, which gives Davis the unique opportunity to work in both venue management and the gam-ing industry simultaneously.

In 1994 Davis graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s in mass communication/advertising. He is also a graduate of Oglebay – Public Assembly Facility Management School. Davis serves on IAVM’s Membership Advisory Counsel for Region 7 as the Chair of the membership growth and recruitment subcommittee.




Executive


Executive



Executive


Executive



Executive


Executive

tODD hUNtExEcutivE DirEctor

BAncorPsouth ArEnA AnD confErEncE cEntEr

tuPElo, Ms

Todd Hunt, CFE has led BancorpSouth Arena and Conference Center since 2007. The 10,000-seat arena attracts approximately 300,000 guests annually to events as diverse as Jason Aldean, Cirque du Soleil, Disney on Ice, Elton John and Kid Rock.

During his time in Tupelo he has increased concert bookings (200 per-cent), tickets sold (160 percent), gross ticket sales (230 percent), total venue attendance (50 percent), total revenues (50 percent) and cash reserves (700 per-cent), while delivering a budget surplus each year.

His first general manager position was from 1997-1999 at the Tupelo Coliseum, where he negotiated the first venue naming rights deal in the state of Mis-sissippi while also bringing profession-al sports to the area for the first time. From 1999-2007, Hunt served as the Director of Humphrey Coliseum and Athletic Concessions for Mississippi State University. Hunt is very active in IAVM, currently serving on the Board of Directors as the Sector Director for Arenas.

wILL LOFDAhLchiEf ExEcutivE officEr

sAsKtEl cEntrEsAsKAtoon, sAsKAtchEwAn

Will Lofdahl heads the 15,000-seat arena that is home to the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey league and the Saskatchewan Rush of the National Lacrosse League. The SaskTel Centre is also one of Canada’s leading concert venues. In his current role, Lofdahl is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the venue, including managing a $23 million annual operating budget, long-range planning, marketing, booking, development, food service, parking and ticketing. He manages a full-time staff of 26 and a contracted and part-time staff of some 700.

Prior to assuming his current posi-tion in 2011, Lofdahl held management positions with The Georgia Dome, Pan American Center/Aggie Memorial Sta-dium, the Tacoma Dome and the Show Me Center.

stEVE MILLERgEnErAl MAnAgEr

sEAgAtE convEntion cEntrEhuntington cEntEr

tolEDo, oh

Since January 2008, Steve Miller, a 20-year veteran of the facility management industry, has been the General Manager of the SMG-managed SeaGate Conven-tion Centre and the Huntington Center. Home to the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL, the 8,000-seat arena is one of the busiest arenas of its size in the country, hosting 85-90 ticketed events per year.

Hailing from the small town of Homer, MI, Miller graduated from the Univer-sity of Michigan with a degree in sports management and communications, and received his master’s in sports admin-istration and facility management from Ohio University. He came to Grand Rapids in 1996 to serve as Event Coor-dinator at Van Andel Arena. Miller has also been Sales Manager for the former Grand Center, and Director of Event Services and then Director of Sales for DeVos Place. In January 2006, he was named Assistant General Manager at the newly expanded DeVos Place. Two years later, he was appointed to his cur-rent role.




Executive


Executive



Executive


Executive



Executive


Executive

chERYL swANsONExEcutivE DirEctor

AlErus cEntErgrAnD forKs, nD

Cheryl Swanson, CFE leads the Prime Site Award-winning Alerus Center, home to NCAA Division I University of North Dakota football. Early in her career she opened a new arena at Eastern Michigan University, where she also managed a performing arts theater and football sta-dium. With demonstrated success in the positive transformation of venues, she traveled up the road to serve as Execu-tive Director of Michigan State Univer-sity’s Breslin Center, a position she held for four years.

Swanson is a past chair of the Board of Governors for the Senior Executive Symposium at Cornell University, and has served two terms on IAVM’s Board of Directors. In June she will assume the chair position for IAVM’s Board of Re-gents for the Venue Management School in Wheeling, WV, where she has been an instructor since 2010 and chaired the Curriculum Committee. In November 2015, Swanson was proud to serve as an exchange instructor at the Venue Man-agement School in Kingscliff, New South Wales, Australia.

kENDALL wALLgEnErAl MAnAgEr

florEncE civic cEntErflorEncE, sc

Kendall Wall has been SMG’s General Manager at the Florence Civic Center since October 2001. During his tenure, the revenue at the facility has increased by threefold, or 240 percent. Wall is co-founder and past Chairman of the Florence Area Sports Council, and a member of the Florence CVB Board of Directors, Florence Chamber of Com-merce Board of Directors and Florence County Economic Development and Partnership, as well a member of IAVM and IFEA.

For the past 27 years, Wall has been involved in the operations and manage-ment of public facilities. As President of the Crown Center in Fayetteville, NC, he developed and opened the $55 million Crown Coliseum. He has also served as Assistant Director of the Montgomery Civic Center and Events Manager for the State Fair of Oklahoma.

Wall has received national recognition from the industry, including the PAFMS-Ticketmaster award, and the Florence Civic Center itself is an 11-time Prime Site Award winner.

ROBYN L. wILLIAMsExEcutivE DirEctor

PortlAnD’5 cEntErs for thE ArtsPortlAnD, or

Robyn Williams, CFE has worked in the public assembly facility management field for more than 30 years. Currently, she leads Portland’5 Centers for the Arts. Among several prior roles, she has served as Director of Theater District Facilities in Houston, TX, and as Vice President of Operations and Real Estate for the North Carolina Blumenthal Per-forming Arts Center and Spirit Square Center for the Arts and Education.

Williams is a Past President of IAVM and serves on the Foundation Board of Trustees. She chaired the IAVM Per-forming Arts Committee in 1993 and 1994; chaired the first Performing Arts Facility Management Seminar in Chi-cago; and served on the IAVM Board of Directors as the Director at Large-Performing Arts. Williams is also a past instructor and chair of the Board of Re-gents for IAVM’s Venue Management School, where she introduced the first class on stage operations and rigging safety. She was the 2008 recipient of the school’s Ray Ward Award, honoring her contributions to VMS.

25Facilities & eVeNt MaNaGeMeNt 2015-2016 BookiNG Guide

Steven Cahoon (left), Senior Vice President of Sales, and Gary Wattie, Senior Vice President of Sales, Centerplate

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I am the IAFE.

Bryan Schulz, CFERed River Valley Fair

“Education is the lifeblood for continued growth in a person’s quest for job advancement and the RedRiver Valley Fair Association board and management believe this whole heartedly. We see the coursesoffered through the IAFE as being major factors in our staff’s advancement and our boards overall knowl -edge of the Fair industry.

In the past 8 years we have had three graduates from the Institute of Fair Management with two of us go -ing on to get our CFE’s. In addition to the aforementioned graduates, we also have 4 additional staff mem -bers enrolled in the Institute Course and one more that will begin shortly. We have had a total of 8 boardand staff members take the Consumer Protection course from which major changes were implemented inhow we handle livestock events on our grounds.

We are a midsize Fair with a limited budget for education but believe if we want to keep good people, weneed to invest in their future by giving them all of the necessary tools to perform their daily duties andwork for possible advancement.

Thanks to the IAFE Staff and instructors for their continued commitment to the Fair Industry.”www.fairsandexpos.com


Burke oversees the booking and operations of the Live Nation-operated facilities Ak Chin Pavilion and Comerica Theatre, and is a veteran of the Phoenix live entertainment industry. He has been promoting concerts in the region since 1985, when he served as VP/talent buyer for Evening Star Productions, founded by Burke’s colleague, Danny Zelisko. A legendary Arizona promoter who started his career in 1974, Zelisko today is President of Danny Zelisko Presents and promotes about 125-150 shows a year. Given his illustrious history, Zelisko has insight on a multitude of local concert venues, including Talking Stick.

“I am the buyer for Talking Stick Resort. The place has become syn-onymous with entertainment, and I’m not just saying that to bang the drum because I’m paid to, but because it happens to be true, if you look at the lineup of acts that have been promoted there over the last four years,” he says. “So Talking Stick’s taking over the name sponsorship of the [US Airways Center] I think really solidifies them in the entertainment market, because that’s what they’re about.”

Zelisko has booked Todd Rundgren, David Crosby, Steve Hackett and comedians such as Tracy Morgan and Kathleen Madigan at the re-sort’s 650-seat Showroom. “Nearly all the shows that we do sell that room

The concert scene in Phoenix, AZ will be especially hot this summer with the recently announced perfor-mances by Adele. The British superstar’s world tour, supporting her multiplatinum album 25, will stop Aug. 16 and 17 at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Known as US Airways Center until completing the transition

last October, Talking Stick Resort Arena is no stranger to hosting some of the biggest names in music, with upcoming dates by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Carrie Underwood and Selena Gomez. The promoters and managers behind those shows will surely be pleased by the draw in this dynamic Southwest market, not to mention the service they receive from venue staff.

Testament comes from Terry Burke, President, Southwest Music at Live Nation: “Working with Talk-ing Stick Resort Arena has always been a positive experience since the venue was opened,” he relates. “I consider them the benchmark on how to treat artists, fans and pro-moters. [GM] Ralph Marchetta and his entire team have always been flexible in adapting to the specific needs for a particular show. They will go out of their way to make sure your experience there is the best it can possibly be, whether it is your first show or 150th show.”

spotlight

Valley of the Sun

Local promoters share insights on the Phoenix area’s vibrant entertainment venues By Anthony Bilden

“I consider [Talking Stick Resort Arena] the benchmark on how to treat artists, fans and promoters. . . . They will go out of their way to make sure your experience there is the best it can possibly be.”

—Terry Burke, President Southwest Music at Live Nation

Tim

Trunble

ASU Gammage, the Valley’s premier venue for theatrical productions


out, and ticket prices are high but you’re getting to see these acts that are very high quality. The room is beautiful and it’s got this resort around it with great restaurants and gaming,” says Zelisko, who has also had sellouts with Frankie Valli and the Brian Setzer Orchestra at Talking Stick.

Looking at the Valley’s facilities more broadly, he highlights Phoe-nix’s 2,650-seat Celebrity Theatre, noting that the local crowd “still loves going” to this classic venue, opened in 1964. And the Grand Canyon University Arena “is a beautiful facility, although I haven’t been in it since they added the ca-pacity to it [see facing page regard-ing the expansion],” he says. “The shows I did there that stand out the most are Lady Antebellum and The Beach Boys when they did their reunion.” While ASU Gammage in Tempe has not been a player in the concert industry for about 15 years, Zelisko notes that “they’re the leader in theatrical events.”

Complementing Gam-mage are Arizona State University’s arenas: the 65,000-seat Sun Devil

Stadium and 14,000+ seat Wells Fargo Arena. The latter recently added a multimillion-dollar center-court hung video scoreboard that is among the finest in college athletics. Meanwhile, Sun Devil Stadium has been on the path to improvement, recently launching Phase II of its construction project. Upgrades will include amenities, concessions, restrooms, seating,

concourses and more. Phase III, the last phase, will focus mainly on the east side of the stadium (see p. 32 for details). Built in 1958, the Stadium has certainly done its part to raise the Valley’s profile in the concert industry, appearing in The Rolling Stones’ 1983 concert film Let’s Spend the Night Together and U2’s 1988 documentary Rattle and Hum.

Grand Canyon University Arena “is a beautiful facility. . . . The shows I did there that stand out the most are Lady Antebellum and The Beach Boys when they did their reunion.”

—Danny ZeliskoDanny Zelisko Presents

ASU GAMMAGEwww.asugammage.com

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed ASU Gammage, located on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University, is a

top venue for Broadway and major performing arts tours. Upcoming shows include Bridges of Madison County, Feb. 16-21; 42nd Street, April 5-10; and Newsies, June 14-19. Last October, the blockbuster hit Wicked closed a six-week run that capped off a record-breaking 2014-2015 season that drew 300,000 patrons for an estimated $89 million economic impact for the Valley of the Sun. According to Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, Executive Director for ASU Gam-mage and Associate Vice President Cultural Affairs for ASU, “During the summer months, this boost is much needed and is important to the business vitality of the region.”

CAPACITY: 2,800

STAGING: Stage depth, 32 ft. (can be increased); proscenium width, 64 ft. maximum, 42 ft. minimum; proscenium height, 30 ft.; orchestra pit, 76 ft. wide by 11 ft. deep.

BACKSTAGE AREAS: Two star dressing rooms, two principal rooms, one men’s chorus room for 18; one women’s chorus room for 18. Lower level: three rooms of varying sizes, one dressing room for three. Upper level: laundry/ wardrobe room.

FOOD & BEVERAGE: Dining options include the Portico Patio, open 90 minutes before Broadway shows, and The Wright Place, a new cocktails venue.

Alyssa Fox stars in Wicked. The show’s 2015 national tour had a successful six-week run at ASU Gammage.

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Danny Zelisko, third from right, with The Beach Boys at GCU Arena.


GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY ARENAwww.gcuarena.com

Arizona’s premier private Christian university, Grand Canyon University debuted its Arena on Sept. 1, 2011. In August 2014,

GCU expanded the venue with 2,000 additional seats. With only 42 steps from event level to concourse level, every seat in the house has a good view. The 135,000-sq.-ft. Arena hosts GCU athlet-ics, University and community events, and national concert tours. For example, on Feb. 27 the Arena will welcome the Rock & Wor-ship Roadshow, with Christian music favorites such as Newsboys, Jeremy Camp and Mandisa.

CAPACITY: 7,000

STAGING: StageRight, 60 ft. by 40 ft. maximum

BACKSTAGE AREAS: Four dressing rooms, green room, two visiting team locker rooms, two coaches’ offices within the home team locker rooms

AV FEATURES: One 15 ft.-by-35 ft. high-definition video board, two 10 ft.-by-18 ft. high-definition video boards, high-resolution digi-tal ribbon board, and high-definition lobby video board. The JumboTron can be moved with the touch of a finger via a trolley beam. L Acoustics house sound system.

OTHER FEATURES: Five concession stands (including three pizza ovens), portable basketball floor, large windows providing natural light

TALKING STICK RESORT ARENAwww.talkingstickresortarena.com

Opened in 1992, the Talking Stick Resort Arena is home to the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the AFL’s Arizona Rattlers, as well

as a hub of top-tier entertainment in Phoenix. In 2004, the Talking Stick Resort Arena completed a $70 million expansion and improvement project that introduced the 14,000-sq.-ft. Casino Arizona Pavilion, serving as a grand entrance. On the east side, the Coors Light Cold Zone provides a flexible outdoor entertainment venue covered by a football field-length canopy and complemented by state-of-the-art AV.

CAPACITY: 18,000

STAGING: Sico staging, 64 ft. by 40 ft. maximum (8 ft. by 4 ft. decks); height adjusts from 4 ft. to 6 ft. in increments of six inches; two sets of stage stairs available

BACKSTAGE AREAS: 13 dressing rooms/offices, 12 of which include private shower/restroom facilities. A 2,194-sq.-ft. multipurpose area features movable walls, shower/restroom facilities, telephone lines, high speed Internet, and plasma TVs with cable. Two 320-sq.-ft. production offices are available with amenities.

AV FEATURES: 900-ft. LED ribbon; center-hung scoreboard with HDTV; sound reinforcement system consisting of Martin line array configured (in the round), and controlled by Crown IQ software

AMENITIES: 900-space attached garage (1,500-space garage next door), catering lounge (catering provided by Arizona Catering), two event-level club spaces, 87 luxury suites and six party suites, 16 concession stands operated by Levy Restaurants

EVENT PROMOTION: Full-service, in-house marketing staff

U2 brought their 2015 iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour to Talking Stick Resort Arena, playing two sold-out shows on May 22 and 23.


@MLSELIVEAIRCANADACENTRE.COM | RICOHCOLISEUM.COM

G R E AT LO U D N O R T H

[email protected] [email protected]

Air Canada Centre .................................................................... 36

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum ........................... 36

Arie Crown Theater .................................................................. 36

ASU Gammage ............................................................................ 36

Blue Cross Arena ....................................................................... 36

Cabarrus Arena ........................................................................... 36

Chesapeake Energy Arena .................................................... 36

Coliseo de Puerto Rico ........................................................... 36

DCU Center ..................................................................................40

Dunkin’ Donuts Center ............................................................40

The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre ............................40

Florence Civic Center .............................................................40

Ford Center ..................................................................................40

Frank Erwin Center ...................................................................40

Lloyd Noble Center ..................................................................40

Morris Performing Arts Center ...........................................40

MTS Centre .................................................................................... 41

Sprint Center ................................................................................. 41

State Farm Arena ........................................................................ 41

Straz Center for the Performing Arts ............................... 41

Talking Stick Resort Arena ......................................................47

United Supermarkets Arena ..................................................47

Verizon Wireless Arena ............................................................47

Wright State University’s Nutter Center .........................47

Facilities a-Z


indiana

4000 Parnell Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46805(260) 482-9502memorialcoliseum.com

With the recent opening of the Conference Center, the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum now includes more than 1,000,000 sq. ft. under one roof. It is one of only a few facilities in the United

States that can feature two arenas, connected by a shared lobby. The Coliseum Arena has a seating capacity of nearly 13,000 with deluxe suites and club seats, while the multipurpose 108,000-sq.-ft. Expo Center has a potential seating capacity of 8,000.

Located in Northeast Indiana, Fort Wayne is the state’s second-largest city and now has the state’s second-largest public assembly facility, in the Memorial Coliseum complex. Easily accessible from major Midwest markets, such as Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Columbus and Cincinnati, the market offers affordable local media and easy, convenient routing for touring productions and events. arenaThe Coliseum Arena is home to the Komets (ECHL) and the Mad Ants (NBADL) and annually hosts major concerts and family show events. It features a four-sided, center-hung video scoreboard, nearly 360 degrees of ribbon boards and a custom curtaining system to reduce capacity when needed. In 2013-2014, the concourses underwent a complete overhaul and renovation with new restrooms and expanded concessions offerings. expo CenterThe Coliseum Expo Center is 152,000 sq. ft. of multipurpose space with two portable walls and flexible telescopic seating units. The main Expo Center room can be used in its entirety of 180,000 sq. ft. or in smaller increments. Ample loading docks and drive-through bays facilitate easy load-in and load-out. neW ConferenCe CenterThe 50,000-sq.-ft. Conference Center includes 27,155 sq. ft. of multipurpose carpeted event space that can be divided into five smaller spaces with airwalls. Over 20,000 sq. ft. of luxurious pre-function lobby space and the state-of-the-art CREATE Tasting Kitchen provide an impressive venue for banquets, meet-ings, tradeshows and other events. Built-in screens, projectors and intelligent LED lighting make audiovi-sual easy and convenient.

allen county War Memorial coliseum

arizona

500 East Veterans Way Tempe, AZ 85287 (480) 965-2381 thesundevils.com

arizona State University is turning to an experienced leader of high-profile events to oversee programming at Sun Devil Stadium as it seeks to transform what today is primarily a football venue into a community and cultural hub

available for use year round.

With the next phase of the stadium renovation project underway, President Michael Crow has named Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, Executive Director of ASU Gammage and Associate Vice President Cultural Affairs for ASU, to program and manage additional events at the revitalized Sun Devil Stadium.

Sun Devil Stadium has seen sold-out rock concerts, a Papal visit and many local events in the past, but in recent years it has been utilized almost exclusively on game days. Crow previously charged Jennings-Roggensack with designing a process to envision new uses for the space; now she will have responsibility for the implementation of those ideas.

“I am confident that the experience and creativity that Colleen brings to this project will make full use of the univer-sity’s capacity to innovate,” Crow said.

Jennings-Roggensack said that the reinvented Sun Devil Stadium will provide a venue for a variety of community and university engagements. The extent to which the facility becomes a multipurpose venue will depend upon creative thinking and philanthropic support.

Sun Devil Stadium, which was originally constructed in 1958, has played host to the Super Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl and NFL games. Sun Devil Stadium was also featured in The Rolling Stones concert film Let’s Spend the Night Together and in U2: Rattle Hum as well as several movies including the Oscar-nominated Jerry Maguire.

“We want Sun Devil Stadium 2.0 to weave together athletics, student life and the vibrant community that surrounds ASU,” Jennings-Roggensack said. “The stadium-between-the-buttes can play host to competitions and celebrations of academics, the arts and community success. The stadium should be infused with life and learning as never before.”

In addition to her responsibilities at Gammage, Jennings-Roggensack co-chaired the 2004 presidential debate at ASU, served as a Super Bowl XXX vice-chair, is a current Tony Awards voter and has held a host of leadership roles in local and national civic and arts organizations.

arizona state University’s sun Devil stadium

32 faCilities & event ManageMent 2015-2016 Booking guide


4751 Highway 49 North Concord, NC 28025 (704) 920-3976cabarrusarena.com

the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center is the region’s newest and most innovative exhibition center, offering a flexible floor plan and state-of-the-art features. With

the 5,000-seat arena, in excess of 150,000 sq. ft. of temperature-controlled event space and an 11-acre lawn, the Cabarrus Arena offers more meeting, banquet and exhibition options than any other facility in Cabarrus County.

Situated in Concord, NC, the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center is in the heart of an area rich with colorful history and a tapestry of both the old and the new. The facility is only moments away from the historic downtown district with its stately antebellum homes and specialty shops, and minutes from the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills Mall, the most visited tourist attraction in the state of North Carolina.

cabarrus arena & events center

nortH Carolina


MassaCHusetts

DcU center

50 Foster Street, Worcester, MA 01608 • (508) 755-6800 • www.dcucenter.com

Owned by the City of Worcester and managed by SMG, the DCU Center in Worcester, MA has been recognized as the

gathering place for people to experience the finest in entertain-ment, sporting events and public functions. Hailed as one of the most successful entertainment and convention facilities in the nation, the DCU Center opened its doors in September 1982 with the legendary Frank Sinatra Inaugural Concert. Since then, acts of all musical genres have found their way to the arena stage.

The arena features annual appearances of the top family shows including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney On Ice and the Harlem Globetrotters. The DCU Center also plays host to a variety of sporting and entertainment events, including NCAA Hockey, Holy Cross Basketball, Professional Bull Riders, MIAA High School Basketball Championships, Monster Trucks and more.

The facility expanded in 1997 with the opening of an attached state-of-the-art convention center that features panoramic views of downtown Worcester. The complex, described as an architec-tural gem, added 50,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, 11 meeting rooms, a 12,144-sq.-ft. ballroom (the largest in Central Massachusetts) and a state-of-the-art kitchen. During the summer of 2009, the DCU Center underwent the first phase of a multiyear capital improve-ment project ($8.5 million), which included an electrical service upgrade and the complete replacement of the ice surface. A new ice plant and chillers were replaced, and new dasher boards and state-of-the-art seamless glass were installed. The Arena remained

open while the project continued behind the scenes until May 1, 2013, when the DCU Center closed for the final phase of con-struction. Over a five-month period, the DCU Center underwent a $23 million renovation and expansion project, May 1–Oct. 1, 2013, and officially reopened with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Public Preview event on Oct. 3, 2013. Elements of the new design include upgrades to both the interior and exterior of the facility and consist of a new façade, digital marquee, a landscaped promenade/entrance, redesigned box office pavilion, an expanded concourse, indoor/outdoor retail space, four luxury event suites and a new concourse-level bar/club area. The cumulative total for the multiyear capital improvement project is $31.5 million.

Capacities: 240° end stage concert, 11,625; 360° end stage concert, 14,526; 180° end stage w/curtains, 5,460 (expandable up to 9,915). Backstage areas include four large rooms with showers, two medium rooms, one small room, production room, catering room, meeting room, officials locker room.

Located in the heart of Massachusetts, Worcester is New Eng-land’s second-largest city, located 40 miles west of Boston. With its central location, the DCU Center draws fans from throughout New England — from neighboring markets like Hartford, Manches-ter and Providence, as well as pulling from the more than six mil-lion people living within a 50-mile radius of Worcester. Worcester is a safe and affordable destination that is easy to navigate, making it an attractive place for fans to travel to and from.


OntariO

Air Canada Centre40 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada(416) 815-5500theaircanadacentre.comVice President, Live Entertainment: Wayne Zronik

Since its introduction in 1999, Air Canada Centre has hosted over 36 million fans at 2,500 events, and is consistently ranked among the top sport and music venue in the North America and the world. The venue is home to the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club (NHL), Toronto Raptors basketball club (NBA) and the Toronto Rock Lacrosse team (NLL). Capacities: basketball: 18,639; hockey/lacrosse: 17,372; theater: 5,996; concert bowl: 8,607; 180° mode: 13,412; center stage: 18,959. Five restaurants and bars; 13,000 parking spaces within walking distance; e-mail list of 35,000 Live Insiders. One quarter of Canada’s population live within a 100-mile radius of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which features a broad ethnic diversity. PAGE

30

inDiana

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum4000 Parnell Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46805(260) 482-9502; Fax: (260) 484-1637memorialcoliseum.comGeneral Manager: Randy L. Brown

A multipurpose complex, the tri-state area’s leading sports, entertainment and event venue serves Northeast Indiana, Northwest Ohio and Southern Michigan. With an MSA population of 411,000, Ft. Wayne is the state’s second-largest city, within a day’s drive of 55 million. Seating capacities: End concert-180: 8,843; End Concert-240: 10,006; End Concert-270: 10,297; End Concert-360: 12,045. Hockey/indoor football: 10,495; basketball: 11,083. 24 luxury suites, one super suite, 318 club seats. 148,000 sq. ft. of multi-purpose exhibition space, capable of hosting concerts up to 8,000 seats, as well as basketball and motor-sports events, with tele-scopic seating and floor chairs. PAGE

3

illinOis

Arie Crown Theater2301 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60616(312) 791-6196ariecrown.comDirector: Dulcie Gilmore

The Arie Crown Theater is located in Lakeside Center at McCormick Place, just 2.5 miles south of downtown Chicago. Opened in 1960, the 4,267-seat venue can be curtained to 2,759 seats or 2,052 seats. The proscenium opening is 90 ft. wide by 40 ft. high, with a stage depth of 58.4 ft. Backstage areas include two weather-protected berths on the loading dock adjacent to the stage, nine two-person dressing rooms, two 40-person chorus rooms, one star dressing room, one full-size wardrobe room, and two 50 ft.-by-50 ft. rehearsal rooms. The theater’s catering is offered in conjunction with SAVOR Chicago McCormick Place. McCormick Place/Arie Crown Theater offers convenient underground parking for all performances.

arizOna

ASU Gammage Wells Fargo Arena600 East Veterans Way, Tempe, AZ 85281(480) 965-5062asu.edu/tour/tempe/wfa.htmlDirector of Operations: Terri Cranmer

Located on Arizona State University’s Tempe Campus, Wells Fargo Arena is home to a variety of Sun Devil sporting events as well as concerts and shows, and is one of the nation’s top collegiate arenas. The 14,000-seat basketball arena serves the Phoenix Valley, with a population of three million. It offers more than 8,000 parking spaces and is located two blocks from two light rail stations, and two blocks from a bus transportation center. Wells Fargo Arena recently added a multimillion-dollar center-court hung video scoreboard, along with four 8 ft.-by-12 ft. video screens. The venue also features an in-house marketing department. PAGE

33

nEW YOrK

Blue Cross Arena1 War Memorial Square, Rochester, NY 14614(585) 758-5300; Fax: (585) 758-5327bluecrossarena.comSMG General Manager: Jeff Calkins

Serving the Rochester market since 1955, the SMG-managed Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial has hosted acts as diverse as Ringling Brothers, Barry Manilow, Harlem Globetrotters and Monster Jam. The arena offers seating for 12,428 (upper bowl, 6,052; lower bowl, 4,696; floor, 1,680) and has a maximum capacity of 14,000 for general admission. Rolling 80 ft.-by-80 ft. StageRight concert stage with adjustable 4 ft. to 6 ft. height. Backstage areas include three locker rooms, four dressing rooms, an officials room and a green room. A promoters’ office of about 10 ft. by 25 ft. is available. The Blue Cross Arena is also known for the War Memorial shrine, accessible to the public, and the Veteran’s Memorial Plaza overlooking the Genesee River. PAGE

30

nOrtH CarOlina

Cabarrus Arena & Events Center4751 Hwy 49 North, Concord, NC 28025(704) 920-3976; Fax: (704) 920-3999cabarrusarena.comSales & Marketing Manager: Pam Sossamon

Multipurpose venue with 150,000 sq. ft. of temperature-controlled event space, plus 11-acre lawn, 28,000-sq.-ft.-arena seats: 5,000 concerts/4,390 boxing and wrestling, 3,800 arena football; 1,500–3,000 half-house; indoor/outdoor portable staging; two dressing rooms. Exhibition space - Event Center A: 40,000 sq. ft.; Event Center B: 30,000 sq. ft.; Gold Hall 1: 20,000 sq. ft.; Gold Hall 2: 10,000 sq. ft.; Cabarrus Room A: 2,400 sq. ft.; Cabarrus Room B: 1,200 sq. ft.; Cabarrus Room C: 1,200 sq. ft. Audience: 313,700 within a 15-mile radius; 1,377,900 – 30-mile radius; 3,154,100 – 60-mile radius; Seven VIP suites; six onsite concession stands. PAGE

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OKlaHOMa

Chesapeake Energy Arena100 West Reno, Oklahoma City, OK 73102 (405) 602-8700; Fax: (405) 602-8505chesapeakearena.comGeneral Manager: Gary Desjardins

Chesapeake Energy Arena attracts more than one million guests per year, conveniently located near the junction of I-40 and I-35 in downtown Oklahoma City, a metro area with a 1.2 million+ population. Seating capacities: 4,000-18,000. Concert (center stage) – 17,932; concert (endstage) – 16,698; concert (theater) – 3,736; basketball – 17,404. Arena floor – 34,074 sq. ft. Backstage – four dressing rooms, three locker rooms, two production offices, press lounge and green room with 906-sq.-ft. lobby and a 1,576-sq.-ft. pub. Recently reno-vated main concourse; 36 suites, two lounge areas, seven bunker suites, two VIP dining areas. Full service, award-winning marketing staff. PAGE

7

PuErtO riCO

Coliseo De Puerto Rico500 Arterial B Street, Hato Rey, PR 00918(787) 777-0800; (877) Coliseo (265-4736)Fax: (787) 777-0809coliseodepuertorico.comGeneral Manager: Wesley Elizabeth Cullen

Opened in 2005, the Coliseo is the premier stage in the Caribbean. Capacities: concerts end-stage 240° – 15,694; end-stage 180° – 14,730; boxing or wrestling – 18,163; basket-ball – 17,024; hockey ice rink, size 200 ft. by 85 ft. – 15,635; half-house – 10,959; theater style – 3,093; 26 Corporate Suites, 1,000 club seats, two party suites, VIP Lounge with private elevator. StageRight 88 ft. by 48 ft. max, adjustable from 4 ft. to 6 ft. in 2-in. incre-ments; four stairs units; 80 ft. StageRight barricade; 16 food concessions stands plus six onsite concessions restaurants and five bar concessions.

PAGE13


rHode island

One LaSalle Square, Providence, RI 02903 (401) 331-0700; (401) 621-5987dunkindonutscenter.com

Providence mixes the urban sophistication of a big city with the graceful charm of a small town. At

the heart of Providence’s bustling downtown is the Dunkin’ Donuts Center (DDC), part of the Rhode Island Convention Center & Entertainment Complex, which also includes the Rhode Island Convention Center (RICC) and The VETS.

The 14,000-seat DDC offers 31,000 sq. ft. of arena space with a ceiling height of 86 ft., a 25,000-sq.-ft. concourse, a 9,000-sq.-ft. lobby, 20 luxury suites and five additional meeting/hospitality rooms. Other amenities include a pedestrian bridge connecting the arena to the RICC, a state-of-the-art video score-board, as well as concessions and restaurant facilities. There are 5,500 hotel rooms in the Greater Provi-dence area, 1,800 located within walking distance of the Center.

The Center’s Marketing Department staff is com-prised of advertising, marketing and public relations’ specialists, who in turn operate a full-service in-house agency. This in-house agency affords complete professional coordination of event marketing campaigns including advertising production and placement, media and retail promotions, sponsorships, public rela-tions and publicity.

Providence is known for its thriving arts scene and is recognized as one of the nation’s hottest culinary destinations. There are nine colleges and universities located in the Providence market, most of which are within a five-mile radius of the Center – Brown University, Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island School of Design, and Providence College, just to name a few. The students at these local colleges and universities add to the diverse population of the city.

Dunkin’ Donuts center

Debra Polselli, Booking Assistant(p) 401.331.0700 ext.7112

(e) [email protected]

Cheryl Cohen, Director of Booking(p) 401.331.0700 ext.7123 (e) [email protected]

Contacts:


189 Yonge Street Toronto, ON (416) 325-4144heritagetrust.on.ca/ewg

HistorY: Toronto’s historic Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, is a Canadian national historic site and the last operating double-decker vaudeville-era theater in the world. Originally built in 1913 by Marcus Loew, it contains two distinct and unique theaters, one sitting atop the other. Both theaters operated together for 14 years, but with the coming of “talkies,” the Winter Garden closed its doors in 1928 and remained boarded up for more than 60 years. restoration: The ensuing years brought many changes to the building, but it gradually fell into disrepair. It was purchased by the Ontario Heritage Trust in 1981 and underwent a major restoration between 1987 and 1989 at a cost of $29 million (Cdn). A total of 65,000 sq. ft. of new space was added, including ample lobbies, lounges and an eight-story backstage addition housing spacious dressing rooms, crew rooms, a loading dock, freight elevator and two enormous rehearsal studios. The Elgin now sparkles with its gilded plaster details, rich damask wall coverings and domed ceiling. The Win-ter Garden Theatre, with its canopy of 5,000 branches of real beech leaves, painted sky and lit moon, is a dream fantasy come to life. The 1,561-seat Elgin and the 992-seat Winter Garden can operate simultaneously with services to patrons in the six separate bars and adjoining lounges.

rental opportunities: A multi-use complex, the center is able to accommodate a diverse range of presentations and events. The building can host live performances including everything from musicals, dramas, comedies, dance and opera to concerts, lectures, book signings and television broadcasts. The center also hosts film premieres complete with red carpet ceremonies as well as corporate and special events, one-night presentations and long-running engagements. Thanks to its meticulous restoration, combined with modern technologies and patron amenities, the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre is a perfect venue for any presentation and ensures an enjoyable experience for patrons and performers alike.

tHe elGiN aND WiNteR GaRDeN tHeatre ceNtRe

Musicals | DramasConcerts | Film Premières

Town Halls | Product Launches

ontario


soutH Carolina

3300 West Radio Drive, Florence, SC 29501 • (843) 679-9417 • florenceciviccenter.com

there are always new concepts, a rein-vention of the wheel, or small changes to current plans that can improve the

experience for visitors as they walk through the doors of any facility. As time passes, so do the effective and efficient ways of impress-ing patrons. In the age of technology there is always room for improvement, especially in older buildings. One way of making those small changes is the D.I.Y. method, which is exactly what the team in Florence, SC is do-ing. Over the past several months the SMG-managed Florence Civic Center has been developing their own in-house print shop to enhance the venue’s visual appeal, as well as benefit promoters.

Now operating a wide format printer and Class A production printer, the Florence market-ing team has been hard at work updating the visual effects for visitors. Through subtle changes such as event flyers printed edge-to-edge (no white border), custom stand-up banners, large wall post-ers and window clings, the splendor is seen within the fine details. More extravagant changes like 10-ft. floor decals, 25-ft. concession art and multi-window transparent panel graphics have had visitors widening eyes in notice of the transformation. Although the print shop is fairly new, the team has managed to implant multiple up-dates and has plans for several more phases over the next couple of years. “We didn’t know exactly what we were capable of and although we’re still learning the system and software, we now know the opportunities are endless,” says Nick Hooker, Senior Marketing Manager for SMG-Florence.

No longer does the building have to wait for an outside vendor to produce arena backlit signs or print vinyl banners just hours before an event. And projects that previously would have been dismissed due to budget or time concerns are now a standard procedure. “The in-house printers provide an ability to be more creative, quickly change messages, and rejuvenate outdated visu-als, all at a reduced cost,” states Hooker.

As the saying goes, “It’s all about first impressions,” and the Center has this thought in mind while redesigning the exterior with park-ing lot directionals, custom event welcome boards and window

Florence civic center

sMg florence Continues to upgrade and update the 20-plus-Year-old venue

team builds in-house print shop to benefit venue and clients

displays. Furthermore, the venue impresses with interior changes including new concession panels, sponsorship wall graphics, con-course directional boards, floor decals and more. These details en-hance the fan experience and leave patrons exiting the venue with a much better perception and lasting impression from their visit.

Visitors are not the only beneficiaries to this new print shop; event promoters see it as a major bonus as well. The venue can now produce posters, banners, flyers, coupons and handouts for promoters in-house with exceptional quality at a rate unrivaled to commercial print vendors. The business of live events can be de-manding and require art changes on the fly or print jobs needed overnight, all of which SMG-Florence can now accommodate with ease. “Promoters are somewhat shocked when we tell them we can print street team flyers here at the venue. Then they’re really shocked when we say we can do it within hours at material cost,” states Chastity Wilson, Media and Design Coordinator.

The world of print media has just begun in Florence and the team is eager to embrace it. “We have the ability to print our own bill-boards or display a 100-ft. message on the arena floor. I can’t wait to implement some out-of-the-box ideas,” continues Wilson. In a short few months, the changes are beyond noticeable in Florence. Imagine what changes are to come over the next few years.


MassaCHusEtts

DCU Center50 Foster Street, Worcester, MA 01608(508) 755-6800; Fax: (508) 929-0111www.dcucenter.comGeneral Manager (Arena Bookings): Sandra DunnNew England’s Premier Arena & Convention Complex

For over three decades, the DCU Center in Worcester has been recognized as the gather-ing place for people to experience the finest in entertainment, sporting events and public functions. Capacities: 240° end stage concert, 11,625; 360° end stage concert, 14,526; 180° end stage w/curtains, 5,460 (expandable up to 9,915). Backstage areas: four large rooms with showers, two medium rooms, one small room, production room, catering room, meeting room, officials locker room. Located in the heart of Massachusetts, Worcester is New England’s second-largest city, located 40 miles west of Boston.

PAGE15

rHODE islanD

Dunkin’ Donuts Center1 LaSalle Square, Providence, RI 02903(401) 331-0700; Fax: (401) 621-5987dunkindonutscenter.comExecutive Assistant/Booking: Debra Polselli

The 14,000-seat Dunkin’ Donuts Center, part of the Rhode Island Convention & Entertainment Complex, offers 31,000 sq. ft. of arena space with a ceiling height of 86 ft., a 25,000-sq.-ft. concourse, a 9,000-sq.-ft. lobby and 20 luxury suites. Concerts (various configurations) – 3,500-14,000; basketball – 12,100; ice hockey – 11,300; family ice show – 7,400; ice show – 10,800. 60-ft.-by-40 ft. StageRight portable staging; 200 ft.-by-85 ft. ice rink. Six dressing/locker rooms; two media rooms; two production offices. Eleven permanent, 24 portable concession stands. Twenty-five percent of U.S. population lives within 500 miles of Providence. Over 38,000 students annually within a five-mile radius of downtown. PAGE

37

OntariO

Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre Centre 189 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5B 1M4(416) 325-4144; Fax: (416) 314-3583heritagetrust.on.ca/ewgManager of Bookings and Events: Kevin Harris

Originally built in 1913 for Vaudeville and silent films, this multi-use complex contains two distinct and separate theaters, one sitting atop the other, and hosts musicals, dramas, comedies, dance, operas, family shows, concerts and other events. Capacities: Elgin Theatre – 1,561; Winter Garden Theatre – 992. Cascading reception lobbies range from small intimate gatherings to 900. “Dinner on Stage” events – 80. Plentiful dress-ing rooms, stage management offices, crew rooms, wardrobe room, rehearsal studios, kitchen. Toronto is the largest city in Canada – 2.5 million+, Greater Toronto Area – five million+. PAGE

38

sOutH CarOlina

Florence Civic Center3300 West Radio Drive, Florence, SC 29501(843) 679-9417; Fax: (843) 679-9429florenceciviccenter.comGeneral Manager: Kendall WallCelebrating 20 Years of South Carolina Events!

Multi-time recipient of the Prime Site Award, the SMG-managed Florence Civic Center is conveniently located just a few miles from the regional airport and next to dozens of national chain hotels and award-winning restaurants. Northeastern South Carolina’s largest convention and entertainment venue features 50,000 sq. ft. of multipurpose space including a 10,000-seat arena (backdrop scaling 2,500-7,500 capacity) and a 15,000-sq.-ft. grand ball-room (1,400 theater, 800 banquet). Fiber optics and Wi-Fi throughout. New HVAC systems, LED lighting upgrade, added arena reduction curtain system. Generous supplemental marketing efforts. 17,000+ Facebook fans; 22,000+ email club. PAGE

9

inDiana

Ford Center1 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard,Evansville, IN 47708(812) 422-8000; Fax: (812) 436-7001thefordcenter.comFord Center Executive Director: Scott Schoenike

The region’s center for sports and entertainment is designed to host basketball, hockey, concerts, exhibitions and shows for audiences as large as 11,000. The multipurpose facility works with downtown attractions to create a vibrant atmosphere for sports fans, music lovers and conventioneers. Seating capacities: basketball – 9,800; hockey – 9,100; concerts – 10,500 total (9,066 permanent seats and 1,700 floor chairs); half-house – 3,500-5,700. Exhibition space: 20,468 sq. ft.; two star dressing rooms, two locker rooms, green room, multipurpose room; 137 high-definition flat-screen televisions throughout; high-definition video board with upper and lower displays and ribbon board.

tEXas

Frank Erwin Center1701 Red River Austin, TX 78701(512) 471-7744; Fax: (512) 471-9652uterwincenter.comExecutive Senior Associate Athletics Director: John M. Graham

Since 1977, the Frank Erwin Center has fulfilled its mission of serving the greater Austin area with the most spectacular live entertainment. It is deep in the heart of 51,000 University of Texas students and more than 1.7 million people in the greater Austin area. The convenient location off of IH-35 is within walking distance of downtown Austin and the Texas Capitol. Staging: center stage or in-the-round setup, 16,737 seats; theater setup, 6,200-8,600 seats. StageRight staging units of 4 ft. by 8 ft., usable in various configurations at levels from 4 to 7 ft. Four large dress-ing rooms, two office-size dressing areas, three star dressing rooms, four multipurpose rooms, Lone Star Room for receptions, and production offices. PAGE

41

OKlaHOMa

Lloyd Noble Center 2900 South Jenkins Avenue, Norman, OK 73019 (405) 325-4666; Fax: (405) 325-4583 lloydnoblecenter.comDirector of Events: Loida Haffener-Salmond

Multipurpose facility serving University of Oklahoma and surrounding community, Lloyd Noble Center is 20 minutes from downtown Oklahoma City, with one million+ within an 80-mile radius. Capacities (including floor seating): in-the-round – 11,205; full arena – 8,519; expanded theater – 4,516; theater – 2,848. Six locker rooms; 850-sq.-ft. catering/media room; 1,140-sq.-ft. Media Work Room. House stage – 40 ft.-by-60 ft.-by-40 in. Stage area ranges from 48 sq. ft. to 2,400 sq. ft., made up of 8 ft.-by-4 ft. sections. 12 fixed concession stands operated by OU conces-sions. State-of-the-art retractable center-hung scoreboard and sound system features four high-definition video boards and four video boards. PAGE

41

inDiana

Morris Performing Arts Center211 N. Michigan Street, South Bend, IN 46601(574) 235-9190; (800) 537-6415; Fax: (574) 235-5604morriscenter.orgExecutive Director: Dennis J. AndresThe Magnificent Morris Has The Hottest Tickets in Town!

State-of-the-art PAC ($24.3 million renovation in 2000) originally opened as The Palace Theater in 1921 with a design that replicated Italian Renaissance, Spanish Revival and Baroque architecture. Seats 2,560. Backstage areas: eight dressing rooms, two chorus rooms in Lower Level Hair/Wardrobe Room (30 ft.-by-18 ft.); catering room. Brand-new stage, 45 ft. deep by 103 ft. wide, with a 72-ft. fly height and 70 fly lines. Expanded orchestra pit; full Wenger symphonic shell; fully updated utilities and HVAC system. One million within 40-minute drive; venue hosts 125+ events per year, attracting 156,000+. PAGE

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PAGE51


ManitOba

MTS Centre300 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3C 5S4(204) 987-7825; Fax: (204) 926-5555mtscentre.ca Senior Vice President Venues & Entertainment: Kevin Donnelly

The geographic center of North America, Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba, a province of 1.1 million+. The MTS Centre is home to the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, and can accommodate a variety of configurations for 3,500 to 15,000 fans. Hosting events ranging from hockey and other sports to the music industry’s biggest-name concerts, the venue offers excellent sightlines and superb acoustics. Amenities include four premier artist rooms, five team rooms, venue and tour catering areas, offices, Valhoffer stage (up to 72 ft. by 48 ft. by 6 ft., with addi-tional stage pieces and railings available upon request), standard arena house lighting as well as six Xenon 2K supertroopers. Catering by Centerplate, onsite restaurant. PAGE

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MissOuri

Sprint Center1407 Grand Boulevard Kansas City, MO 64106(816) 949-7100sprintcenter.comGeneral Manager: Brenda Tinnen

Sprint Center is Kansas City’s home for live entertainment and sporting events. Anchor to more than $6 billion of reinvestment in a revitalized downtown Kansas City, the award-winning venue has welcomed more than eight million guests attending nearly 850 events. The Sprint Center has multi-event capability, including hockey, basketball, soccer, arena football, concerts, family and dirt shows. Maximum capacities are 17,297 (hockey), 18,482 (basketball), 14,356 (end stage) and 19,246 (center stage). AV features include 16 LED screen scoreboard, 360-degree ribbon board and two 50-ft. ribbon boards. Backstage areas include six locker room facilities, five-star dressing rooms, green room, a team family room and a broadcast interview room. PAGE

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tEXas

State Farm Arena2600 North 10th Street, Hidalgo, TX 78557(956) 843-6688; Fax: (956) 843-5547statefarmarena.comGeneral Manager/Director of Booking: Marc Solis

Opened in 2003, the $20 million multipurpose State Farm Arena has hosted Alan Jackson, WWE, IFC, boxing, Harlem Globetrotters, Monster Jam and more. The 6,800-seat arena config-ures up to 5,500 seats for ice hockey, football and soccer, and a center stage concert capacity of 6,800. Audience amenities include 25 suites and 500 club seats. The property also includes 2,200 surface parking spaces onsite, a 2,000-sq.-ft. lounge with access from outside of the arena, as well as a bar and pro shop. The McAllen-Harlingen-Brownsville MSA is the fourth-fastest market in the United States and is the 10th ranked Hispanic market. The MSA has grown by 40 percent in the last 10 years. PAGE

44

flOriDa

Straz Center for the Performing Arts1010 North W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa, FL 33602(813) 222-1000; (800) 955-1045strazcenter.org

At the Straz Center, it’s more than just a show. Located on the Riverwalk in Downtown Tampa, the Straz Center’s nine-acre campus boasts a performing arts conservatory and five state-of-the-art theaters: Morsani Hall (2,600 seats), Ferguson Hall (1,000 seats), Jaeb Theater (300 seats), TECO Theater (200 seats) and Shimberg Playhouse (130 seats). Morsani Hall has been ranked in the Top 5 venues in the world, 5,000 seats and under, by Billboard, Pollstar and Venues Today. For avails, contact (813) 222-1272 or [email protected].

PAGE44


indiana

211 North Michigan Street, South Bend, IN 46601 (574) 235-9190; (800) 537-6415; Fax: (574) 235-5604 morriscenter.org

the MORRIS originally opened as The Palace Theater in November, 1921. The building was designed to combine many different eras in

architectural history: Italian Renaissance, Spanish Revival and Baroque. Architect J.S. Aroner of Chicago hoped that a trip through the theater would make patrons feel like they had just made a trip through Europe. The opulent interior décor was designed by Marshall Fields of Chicago. Patrons of the Palace enjoyed a magnificent ballroom and a theater that boasted the largest stage in the state and luxuries of the time such as a supervised nursery, a sitting room for women complete with an attendant, and a smoking room for men.

In August of 1959, with the advent of television causing low attendance records, the theater was almost demolished. Mrs. Morris purchased the theater for an undisclosed sum and sold it for $1 to the city, which then renamed it the Morris Civic Auditorium in her honor.

The MORRIS in February 2000 completed an extensive $24.3 million renovation (soft and hard dollars) and was renamed THE MORRIS PER-FORMING ARTS CENTER. The MORRIS reopened boasting upgraded technical equipment, enlarged performance and backstage spaces, as well as a completely restored interior.

The MORRIS CENTER offers the best of the old and new, a combina-tion of opulent decor and rich history with upgraded technical equip-ment and expanded space. The MORRIS CENTER now hosts over 125 events per year including pop concerts, national Broadway tours, dance, symphony, comedians, rock concerts and ballroom events. The MORRIS CENTER welcomes over 156,000 guests yearly and has an economic impact of $5.9 million on the City of South Bend.

The MORRIS is the best-kept “touring” secret in the Midwest: a low-cost showcase for rehearsals and early performances of a tour.

In 2003, the MORRIS Bistro Restaurant opened on the lower level as “The place to go before the show.” Seats up 100, available for private parties.

tHe MORRis PeRFORMiNG aRts ceNteR

DESIGNED TO COMBINE MANY DIFFERENT ERAS IN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY: ITALIAN RENAISSANCE, SPANISH REVIVAL AND BAROqUE.


Missouri

1407 Grand Boulevard Kansas City, MO 64106 (816) 949-7100 sprintcenter.com

sprint Center is Kansas City’s home for live entertainment and sporting events. Anchor to more than $6 billion of reinvestment in a revitalized downtown Kansas City, the award-winning venue

has welcomed more than eight million guests attending nearly 850 events. Located in the 34th largest DMA, Sprint Center is annually recognized among the Top 12 arenas in the United States based upon ticket sales. Having exceeded attendance and financial projections in each year since opening in 2007, AEG/Sprint Center has provided nearly $10 million in unanticipated revenue to the City of Kansas City through a revenue-sharing provision in the arena management agreement.

The Sprint Center has multi-event capability, including hockey, basketball, soccer, arena football, con-certs, family and dirt shows. Maximum capacities are 17,297 (hockey), 18,482 (basketball), 14,356 (end stage) and 19,246 (center stage). AV features include a 16 LED screen scoreboard, 360-degree ribbon board and two 50-ft. ribbon boards. Backstage areas include six locker room facilities (NHL, NBA, Auxiliary), five-star dressing rooms, green room, a team family room and a broadcast interview room.

Managed by Levy Restaurants, Sprint Center boasts 14 concession stands with a variety of food and beverage offerings. There is the popular Main Concourse Metro Sports Zone public bar. Fans can also avail themselves of TEAM STORE@1407 and novelty stands at Main and Upper Concourse. Special facilities include the Perceptive Software Founders Club for club seating and the Sprint Event Center on Suite Level A. More than 20,000 parking spaces are available within a five-block radius.

The Sprint Center’s marketing department is proficient at traditional marketing, public relations and social media. Marketing department personnel regularly offer best practices and are asked to speak at various industry conferences and events. For more information, contact Brenda Tinnen, General Manager, at (816) 949-7100.

sprint center


Contact for avails: 813.222.1272 or [email protected]

STRAZCENTER.ORG

Morsani Hall has been ranked in the Top 5 in the world by Billboard, Pollstar

and Venues Today.

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arizona

talking stick Resort arena

201 East Jefferson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004 • (602) 379-2000 • talkingstickresortarena.com

From 30 guests to 18,000, Talking Stick Resort Arena sets the stage for impressive events. This remarkable facility is home

to the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, the AFL’s Arizona Rattlers, and is one of the city’s most dramatic multi-use spaces.

Located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, Talking Stick Resort Arena offers state-of-the-art audio/visual, innovative dining, and front door access to the Valley’s METRO light rail.

The arena opened in 1992, and in its first full year of operation received every award a new venue of its kind was afforded, in-cluding Best New Concert Venue by Performance Magazine and Best NBA Facility by those who know best, the players them-selves. Talking Stick Resort Arena completed a major $70 million expansion and improvement project in 2004. Gone is the block exterior, replaced with soaring glass walls. The outdoor ticket of-fice is now enclosed inside the new 14,000-sq.-ft. Casino Arizona Pavilion, serving as a grand entrance highlighted by a 12 ft.-by-20 ft. video wall. The facility features a Courtside Club, Blue Moon Club, Verve Energy Lounge, and the Greenhouse, a 7,000-sq.-ft. family-friendly active home to the Phoenix Suns Gorilla. At street level Talking Stick Resort Arena offers a Carl’s Jr., an expanded

Team Shop and the Blue Moon Club. On the east side of the building is the Coors Light Cold Zone, a flexible outdoor enter-tainment venue covered by a football field-length canopy. The Coors Light Cold Zone features state-of-the-art sound and video projection systems as well as the stylish bar area and facilities that double as a television studio for Phoenix Suns telecasts and a performance stage for music events. There are 16 concessions stands, operated by Levy Restaurants, serving the lower and upper concourse, in addition to 18 specialty stands. Guests in the suite levels can choose from a variety of menu items for in-suite catering.

Tech features include a 900-ft. LED ribbon, a center-hung score-board with HDTV screens and a new sound system. Backstage, performers have at their disposal 13 separate dressing rooms/offices, 12 of which include private shower/restroom facilities. In addition, a separate catering lounge and two event-level club spaces are available. There are 87 luxury suites and six party suites on two mid-level concourses.

A Ticketmaster building, Talking Stick Resort Arena offers patrons a 900-space attached garage, and a 1,500-space garage next door. Promoters can partner with a full service, in-house marketing staff.


Ten years have passed since you first checked us out and liked what you saw. Now, the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot is the most acclaimed arena in the Caribbean. We offer world-class facilities and a team that cares about every detail of each event.

Youchecked us out…

We are your Tropical venue of choice for a variety of concerts, major sporting events and acclaimed theatrical presentations; all because we have one goal: to provide an amazing experience on each and every event keeping our clients adrenaline always raising.

As we celebrate our tenth anniversary we are proud of our passion and the enthusiasm we provoke in all of our visitors.

We thank our staff for 10 years of emotions and our clients and collaborators for making the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot a Prime Site Facility.

10The Coliseo Team is proud of creating great moments and experiences for all our guests.

puerto riCo

DealCenter, LLCTake the work out of trade show networking340 Royal Poinciana Way-Suite 317/#345Palm Beach, FL 33480(866) 430-3023; Fax: (201) 624-7316www.deal-center.com

The DealCenter is a turnkey product for trade show, conference or expo organizers. DealCenter, LLC works with trade show, expo or conference management companies to provide an online meeting system that enhances the peer-to- peer networking at the event for attendees and exhibitors. The DealCenter team also provides on-site management of the physical DealCenter or meeting area as well as all technical and customer support.

UrbanRide421 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10001 (800) 525-5750; Fax: (212) 202-9638 www.urbanride.net

Chief Executive Officer: Jeremy MilikowSenior Vice President: Mitch Bornstein, SVP

‘Leading Global Provider of Meeting & Event Transportation’

UrbanRide is a global provider of ground transportation for meetings & events, and uses the top-of-the-line sedans, SUVs, vans, minibuses and motorcoaches. We provide our clients with IMS, our software that enables meeting planners to better manage transportation for their meetings, conferences, conventions, tradeshows & other events. We work exclusively with meeting & event planners and our customer service is the best in the business. UrbanRide is a one-stop solution for meeting & event transportation.

Keppler Speakers4350 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22203(703) 516-4000; Fax: (703) 516-4819www.kepplerspeakers.comSenior VP for Sales and Marketing: John Truran

With Keppler Speakers, creating memorable meetings never felt so easy. With over 25 years of experience, we provide you solid, seasoned expertise, making speaker selection stress-free by managing all of the details. Keppler Speakers saves you precious time by matching you with speakers who are right on target. From proven performers to dynamic rising stars, our speakers bring fascinating, real stories and a gift for inspiring audiences.

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POTHOS, Inc.2260 El Cajon Blvd. #474San Diego, CA 92104 (619) 546-0621: Fax: (413) 723-7838www.pothos.usPresident & CEO: Michael Patton, CMM

“Our company ethos is Integrity, Clarity and Reliability. POTHOS works in a forthright manner that considers transparent communication as the cornerstone to a successful relationship with our guests and travel partners.”

POTHOS, Inc. is a globally recognized strategic meeting management company and corporate travel agency that specializes in using cutting-edge technology and resources to compete with much larger companies at a value, offering clients cost savings and efficient personal event planning services. POTHOS, Inc. specializes in the following 3 core competencies: 1. Full Service Strategic Meeting Management; 2. Full Service Corporate/VIP Travel Management; 3. Logistics – Freight & People. POTHOS, Inc. is your ONE source for meeting, travel and logistics. Achievement of goals and objectives, ROI and ROO are the basis of our strategic approach.

The C.W. Allen Group, LLC 5130 Cyrus Circle, Birmingham, AL 35242(205) 263-0555 Fax: (205) 263-0557www.cwallengroup.comDirector of Industry Relations: Jackie Jones

Brighter Ideas… Better Results ™

The C.W. Allen Group is North America’s leading event marketing consultancy delivering the industry’s leading exhibitor education and training program, Exhibiting ROI-Q Academy™, which has consistently proven to greatly increase exhibitor success/ROI, to significantly increase exhibitor “retention rates”… and to dramatically increase event sponsorship sales. It is the exhibition industry’s leading and fastest growing exhibitor education, training, and full time/full service “consulting” solution and is fully supported by the International Economic Alliance – conceived at Harvard University, TSEA, BPA Worldwide and ECEF. The C.W. Allen Group delivers the exhibition industry’s leading network quality, global television productions on a risk-free and revenue-generating basis.

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arizOna

Talking Stick Resort Arena201 East Jefferson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004(602) 379-2000; Fax: (602) 379-2002talkingstickresortarena.comDirector, Event Booking: Nick Vaerewyck

From 30 guests to 18,000, Talking Stick Resort Arena sets the stage for impressive events. This remarkable facility plays home to the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the AFL’s Arizona Rattlers. Located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, our venue offers state-of-the-art audio/visual, innovative dining, and front door access to the Valley’s METRO light rail. Features a 900-ft. LED ribbon, a center-hung scoreboard with HDTV screens, and new sound sys-tem. Thirteen separate dressing rooms, catering lounge, two event-level club spaces, 87 luxury suites and six party suites, 16 concessions stands operated by Levy Restaurants and 18 specialty stands. Offers a 900-space attached garage and 1,500-space garage next door. PAGE

5

tEXas

United Supermarkets Arena1701 Indiana Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79409-2200(806) 742-7362; Fax: (806) 742-7557unitedsupermarketsarena.comAssociate Director: Cindy Harper The Entertainment Showcase of West Texas

State-of-the-art, 15,000-seat multipurpose facility was designed to both showcase Texas Tech University basketball and volleyball and also help meet the growing entertainment and event needs of the South Plains region. 81,017-sq.-ft. concourse space/ 31,916-sq.-ft. arena floor; StageRight staging; four concourse-level meeting rooms; concourse level club area, six dressing rooms, practice gym, media work room, press conference room, 10 fixed concession stands, and 24 luxury suites. Lubbock, with a population of 230,000 and a campus of 29,000+ students, draws from a 1,000,000+ market including West Texas, Eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle. PAGE

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nEW HaMPsHirE

20 Facilities SuperBook 2009The Northeast

DUNKIN’ DONUTSCENTEROne LaSalle SquareProvidence, RI 02903(401) 331-0700; (401) 621-5987www.dunkindonutscenter.comGeneral Manager: Lawrence Lepore

Snapshot: The Dunkin’ Donuts Centeris a multi-purpose indoor sports andentertainment venue located in theheart of Providence, RI, and is home icefor the AHL Providence Bruins andhome-court for the Big East ProvidenceCollege Men’s Basketball Team. TheFacility has recently undergone an $80-million Renovation which was complet-ed the fall of ’08.Capacities: 13,000 seating; ConcertHall 3,500-6,000.Exhibition Space: Arena Floor:31,000 GSF; Exhibition Hall: 15,000GSF; Additional event level hospitali-ty/exhibit space: 4,000 GSF;Concourse: 25,000 GSF; Box OfficeLobby/Receiving Area: 9,000 GSF

Restaurant and adjacent hospitalityrooms: 6,000 GSF.Staging: 40’ wide by 60’ deep stage,with a 5’ 4” standard height; configura-tions can be customized.Lighting: Standard Quartz andHalogen lighting around the arenabowl.Backstage Areas: 2 Star DressingRooms, 2 locker rooms, 1 adjoininglocker room and 2 Home Team lockerrooms.Food & Beverage: 8 permanent concession stands, 5 portables, luxurysuites, loges, hospitality rooms and a restaurant.Audience Amenities: New state-of-the-art Daktronics video scoreboard.Marketing: Full-service, in-housedepartment offering coordination ofevent marketing campaigns includingadvertising production, media place-ment, media and retail promotions,sponsorships, group sales and publicrelations.Demographics: More than 400,000households; 9 colleges/universities;Boston is 45 miles away and Hartford,Conn. is 61 miles away.See ad on page 18

RHODE ISLAND

GIANT CENTER550 West Hersheypark DriveHershey, PA 17033(717) 534-3911; Fax: (717) 534-8996www.giantcenter.netComplex Managing Director, EventBookings, Ticketing, and Marketing:Vikki Hultquist

A Sweet Place to Play!Snapshot: The GIANT Center, astate-of-the-art arena, opened its doorsin October of 2002, with a performanceby Cher. From that moment, GIANTCenter has been the area’s leadingsports and entertainment venue.GIANT Center is also home to theAHL Hershey Bears. Because of theconstant support of its many fans,GIANT Center continues to be rankedas one of world’s best concert venues inBillboard and Pollstar. Located just min-utes from GIANT Center is the 1,928-seat Hershey Theatre.Capacities: 12,500 (in-the-round concerts); 10,000 (end staging);10,500 (hockey).

Exhibition Space: 306,000 sq. ft.Backstage Areas: 5 team rooms, pro-duction room, 2 management rooms, 2star dressing rooms, catering room.Staging: 100 pieces of 4’ x 8’ decking,variable configurations, with Black TechStage/Gray carpet surfaces—Max size80’ x 40’, adjustable heights from 48” –72” in 2” increments, Black skirting,Front of house mix in 4’ x 8’ x 6”, 12”,24” Wenger decks; Video Board; Centerhung scoreboard by Whiteway SignCompany; north/south building matrixboards; Mitsubishi Diamond VisionLeader board.Broadcast: In-house video control w/full edit/studio control; 125 TVs locatedthroughout arena; Radio broadcastthroughout; 15 media bulkhead loca-tions all patchable through centralinterconnect room on the first level; 10camera positions.Food & Beverage: 13 ConcessionsStands, 7 Portable, Bar and ClubLounge.Demographics: The Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York market isfamily oriented with a strong household income.See ad on page 19

PENNSYLVANIA

VERIZON WIRELESSARENA555 Elm StreetManchester, NH 03101(603) 644-5000; Fax: (603) 644-1575Regional General Manager: Tim Bechertwww.verizonwirelessarena.com

New Hampshire’s Premier Sports &Entertainment FacilitySnapshot: New Hampshire’s premiersports and entertainment facility, theVerizon Wireless Arena, managed bySMG, has attracted more than 4.4 millionpeople, hosted more than 830 sports andentertainment events, including more than120 sold out shows, since opening sevenyears ago. The arena was designed toaccommodate a wide variety of events—including concerts, wrestling, figure skat-ing, hockey, basketball, family shows, aswell as convention and trade shows.Capacities: Center Stage in the round–11,700; End Stage (360) – 10,655; EndStage (270) – 9,337; End Stage (240) –8,931; End Stage (180) – 8,536;3/4 Stage – 6,700; House Stage –

5,400; Theatrical Stage – 3,000.Exhibition Space: 25,348 sq. ft.; 277 10’x8’booths in typical trade show configuration.Backstage Areas: main dressing room, 3auxiliary locker rooms, visiting team lockerroom, 2 officials locker rooms, press office,3 production rooms, lounge, catering room.Staging: Stageright equipment, setup is 48ft. deep X 60 ft. wide X 4 ft. tall, 8 ft. wideX 24 ft. deep sound wings SL & SR, and afront of house mixer riser 12 ft. deep X 16ft. wide X 1 ft. tall, 100 ft. from the downstage edge.Food & Beverage: 4 permanent concessionstands; 12 portable concession stands; VIPLounge; 2 specialty bars located on upperlevel; Full catering services offered back-stage and to suites.Amenities: 34 luxury suites, 5 party suites,Exclusive Club Lounge, 542 Club Seats,Wireless connection, Flat Screen TV’sthroughout the concourse.Marketing: Group Sales; EmailMarketing; Grassroots Marketing; MediaBuying; Media Promotions/Trade; PublicRelations.Demographics: New England Market—mainly from New Hampshire, as well asMA, ME, and VT.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

WACHOVIA ARENA AT CASEY PLAZA255 Highland Park Blvd.Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702(570) 970-7600; Fax: (570) 970-7601www.wachoviaarena.comGeneral Manager: Rebecca Bonnevier

Facility Description: The WachoviaArena at Casey Plaza opened in the fall of1998 and is under the management ofSMG. With over 8,000 permanent seatsand a capacity of nearly 10,000 for con-certs, this horse-show configured arenahas played host to some of the biggestnames in entertainment, including EltonJohn, Cher, Neil Diamond, Janet Jackson,The Eagles, and Simon & Garfunkel. Thearena’s primary tenants are the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AmericanHockey League, affiliated with thePittsburgh Penguins, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers of the af2 ArenaFootball league.Capacities: 1/4 house - 3,900;1/2 house - 4,900; Extended 1/2 house - 5,900; 3/4 House - 7,300; End Stage

concert - 7,500; Hockey - 8,500;Center stage - 10,000.Backstage Areas: 2-12 6’x11’6’ dressingrooms ( w/facilities), 1-13’ x 12’Lounge, Visitors Locker room 20’x36’,Tournament rooms A-18’6”x26’, B-18’6”x26’, C-10’6”x24’, Meeting roomsA-24’6”x36’, B-20’6”x36’, C-19’x36’and press room 33’6”x 12’.Exhibition Space: 27,050 sq. ft. ofexhibition space throughout two floors.Lighting: 4-2k Super Troopers (fixed),4 portable 2k Super troopers.Food & Beverage: 8 concession standson the concourse plus a club lounge/catering area on the event level that canhold up to 100 people.Audience Amenities: 624 center iceclub seats and 32 luxury suites; eventlevel VIP club lounge, featuring: upscalemenu, televisions, casual yet elegantatmosphere.Parking: 3,500 spaces.Marketing: Web site, e-mails (65,000+in database), concourse posters, videoscoreboard and concourse TVs.Demographics: 650,000+ people in theWilkes-Barre/Scranton/HazletonDMA and more than 13 million peoplewithin 100 miles.See ad on page 17

PENNSYLVANIA

Northeast v1 1/13/09 7:52 AM Page 20

Verizon Wireless Arena555 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101(603) 644-5000verizonwirelessarena.comRegional General Manager: Tim Bechert

The City of Manchester, NH opened the SMG operated Verizon Wireless Arena in 2001. The arena can accommodate a center-stage concert of more than 11,000 attendees as well as a theater-style performance for 2,500. The venue has featured such prestigious artists as Bruno Mars, Dave Mathews, Elton John, Cher, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan, to name a few. Six dressing rooms/team locker rooms and five production rooms round out backstage with the ability to configure to most staging needs. Take the versatile design of the arena, a successful hockey franchise in the Manchester Monarchs and a state that loves entertainment and you have the perfect stop for any tour. PAGE

11

OHiO

Wright State University’s Nutter Center3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435(937) 775-3498; Fax: (937) 775-2060nuttercenter.comExecutive Director: Jim Brown, CFE

Southwest Ohio’s premier sports and entertainment complex. Market population: 1.7 million; within a one-day drive of 60 percent of the U.S. population; 20,000+ college students in area. Capacities: 11,500 – in-the-round/end-stage; 2,000-7,500 – half-house; 9,500 – basketball. 70-ft. curtain and truss system. Total available flat space: 85,000 sq. ft. (main arena floor – 28,000 sq. ft.). Eight dressing rooms and production room. StageRight stage – 32 in.-by-8 ft. decks; 60 ft.-by-40 ft. stage with 12 ft.-by-24 ft. wings; adjustable height from 48 in. to 84 in. Ovations is the exclusive F&B provider; seven permanent stands.

PAGEC2

47faCilities & event ManageMent 2015-2016 Booking guide


Great customer service means taking an extra step in interacting with our guests and patrons. As part

of that step, we can inform them when they arrive that our security services are present for their protection, and that they can be partners in helping to prevent threatening situations from happening in the first place. This partnership brings added comfort to guests: Not only are they protected by security staff and police officers, but also by their fellow guests. The concept can be presented to patrons in a way that makes them feel like being part of a “neighborhood watch” for the venue. As a further analogy, consider the flight attendant who asks passengers seated next to an exit door if they are comfortable handling the door in case of an emergency.

Ideally, then, we should greet guests in a consistent and positive manner while reminding them of their partnership in prevention. That approach will resonate with guests and support a trend of crisis prevention at sporting and entertainment events. Today, many people are seeing that threatening situations can happen anywhere and anytime. However, if they partner with the venue and their fellow patrons on safety and security, it will be easier for them to have peace of mind and enjoy the event.

Since 2010, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, together with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, have conducted research demonstrating that reporting suspicious activity is not as common as we would like to think. While there are instances where people will report such activity because it is out of the norm of their regular day, reporting is less likely while at a sporting event or concert because of either fear of retaliation, or not knowing if the activity is important enough to report. This indicates the guest’s lack of comfort and trust when it comes to reporting to site security, police officers or any venue personnel. From another perspective, guests may decide to overlook things going on

around them because they are focused on enjoying the event they paid to see.

Capturing this audience for support requires various touchpoints, including placing “report any suspicious activity” signage in locations where these guests look the most, such as section signs and video boards. Another means of capturing guests’ attention is Wi-Fi service, which many venues are increasing. A reminder message about the security partnership can be sent to guests’ phones when they connect to the venue’s Wi-Fi service. Even more compelling, a fan favorite player or entertainer can deliver a 10-second, pre-event voice or video message reminding everyone about reporting any suspicious activity.

The overall goal is to keep all guests, as well as personnel, safe and prepared for emergencies. This requires that we consider guests’ experience from arrival to departure. Event and security professionals should evaluate each stage, from guests’ walk up to the entrance for security screening to the path to their seat, so that guests get the most pleasant and informative experience. Our personnel should also think about what guests may have experienced in their day before arriving at the facility. They could have been stuck in traffic, parked far from the venue, or had a rough day at the office. In that context, a positive first impression at the venue is especially important, and part of that is to show patrons that the staff prioritizes their security and safety. As a result, their comfort level should increase, and hopefully they will be inspired to become proactive partners in the effort.

Steve Zito, CFE, is President, Sports & Entertainment with Andy Frain Services, based in Memphis, TN. He has nearly 30 years of top-level management experience in a wide range of facilities within the public assembly industry. Zito has opened six new facilities, including the Alamodome, AT&T Center and FedExForum, and has hosted and worked more than 7,000 events with over 40 million patrons combined. He has created many industry precedent-setting programs and is the architect behind Andy Frain’s First Impressions™ program. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Sport Management program, Masters Leadership program and Disney School of Management, Zito serves on the IAVM Board of Trustees. He is also active in the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission and the Memphis Music Foundation.

By Steve Zito

Partners in PreventionCustomer service staff must encourage guests

to report suspicious activity

The concept can be presented to patrons in a way that makes them feel like being part of a “neighborhood watch” for the venue.


Recent global headlines told a tragic story that is becoming all too familiar. As facility and event managers, when

we learn of a terrorist attack at a public assembly facility during an event, such as the one that took place in Paris at Le Bataclan concert hall on Nov. 13, 2015, we are saddened deeply by the senseless loss of life and the pain this brings to all those affected. It is important that we also strengthen our resolve, in the face of these unconscionable acts, to provide our guests with a vital means to gather and congregate with family, friends and colleagues in public assembly facilities for events that offer them a reprieve from life’s difficulties — opportunities to celebrate their favorite teams, sing with their favorite artists and enjoy life.

During my 30-year career in international facility management, I have managed several arenas ranging in size from 4,000 to 22,000 seats, and have assessed the management of many NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and college facilities. I have also spent 13 years researching, writing and teaching the concepts in the field. I believe that how we educate, train and prepare our facility and event staff requires a review and analysis of our best practices.

That’s especially important today, as guests’ expectations have risen. They insist on being treated — and deserve to be treated — with the highest level of customer service by all staff. Regardless of their position and responsibility in our organizations, and irrespective of the type of venue or event we operate, our staff must be reminded why they are there — to serve our guests. According to Russ Simons, Chief Listening Officer and Managing Partner of Venue Solutions Group, “It just goes to prove the whole mantra that you can’t control the product on the field, but you can control every part of the guest experience.”

Not only can we control the guest experience, we have an obligation to manage the experience — to provide an exceptional event experience to every guest at every event. That initiative should be divided into three areas: (1) providing a safe and secure facility, (2) providing an exceptional event experience and (3) training the staff to create an operationally transparent environment.

1. saFe and secure FacilityFirst and foremost, with the growing threat of domestic and international terrorism, venue and event managers need to reaffirm and strengthen their resolve to provide a safe and secure facility. That requires a thoroughly formulated and implemented risk management plan involving every staff member. All of our

staff need to know that, in addition to their individual purview, if they see something unusual or something that compromises event safety in any other area of the facility before, during or after an event, they must say something to one another and document it.

The National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) develops best practices in this area and is an excellent resource. Conceived by Dr. Lou Marciani, NCS4 was the first academic center dedicated to spectator sports safety and security research, professional development, training and outreach. NCS4 has developed and disseminates three safety and security best practices guides for marathons, intercollegiate and interscholastic events,

respectively.

NCS4’s National Sports Security Laboratory (NSSL) also offers solution providers an independent, impartial testing environment to validate their products and services for sports and special events. The NSSL provides industry professionals with an awareness of new solutions and a comprehensive review to assist them in making informed decisions

regarding the procurement and deployment of products and services in areas such as screening, evaluation, access control, video surveillance, explosive detection and information management. (For further details, visit www.ncs4.com/lab.)

2. exceptional event experienceDelivering an exceptional experience to each and every guest at every event can only be accomplished by developing and implementing an intensive staff training program coupled with thorough event research, planning, preparation and execution.

As I reflect on my experiences and research, I now believe, more than ever, that facility and event managers must organize the entire staff to think and act as one, regardless of their responsibilities and authority. Gone are the days when the front-of-house staff (ushers, ticket takers and customer service staff), back-of-house staff (operations, engineers, custodians and parking) and security had entirely separate responsibilities and functioned independently.

getting it right the First tiMe, every tiMe

3 key aspects to managing guests’ facility and event experience

By Lee A. Esckilsen, CFE, CHE

Gone are the days when the front-of-house staff, back-of-house staff and security had entirely separate responsibilities and functioned independently.


Staff cohesiveness requires cross-training. They should be trained in similar customer service and crowd management techniques. They should also dress in similar professional uniforms with distinctive colors that are visible to our guests, not necessarily in the home team’s colors. Before each event, they should be reminded that their purpose is to provide a safe and secure facility as well as an exceptional event experience . . . for every guest and every event.

3. operationally transparent environMentBack-of-house staff need to be provided with the necessary training and resources so that the entire staff can be part of creating an operationally transparent environment. Everyone involved needs to understand that the facility should not distract the customer from enjoying the event, or detract from that experience. We want our guests to remember that exciting ending to the game they just watched, or that the artist they paid dearly to see sang their favorite song. If they remember that the event staff was unfriendly or unhelpful, their sightline was obstructed, the sound system was below standard, the building was cold and dirty or the concession stands ran out of bottled water, then we have failed them, and they may not come back.

In our recently published book, my co-authors and I discuss this notion of what public assembly facilities represent

to patrons in today’s complicated, challenging and ever-changing world: “Venues [facilities] are in the business of ‘selling experiences’ and must strive to provide the highest quality service in a way that enhances the event experience, not detracts from it. Once the event has taken place, you [the facility manager] cannot go back and change the outcome for the client [organization promoting the event] or the experience for the customer.”

Thus, we must strive to get it right the first time, every time. We want our guests to feel safe, relaxed and pleased with our events — and not be distracted by thoughts about the negative aspects of our society just outside our facility’s front doors.

Lee A. Esckilsen, CFE, CHE is an Associate Professor in the Center for Sports, Entertainment and Event Management at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI. He has co-authored two textbooks on public assembly facility management, most recently Public Assembly Venue Management: Sports, Entertainment, Meeting, and Convention (Mahoney, Esckilsen, Jeralds and Camp, Brown Books, 2015) for the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM.org/textbook). Esckilsen is also the Principal of ESVenues, which conducts venue and event feasibility studies and assessments. He can be reached at [email protected].

adveRtiseR indexAir Canada Centre ............................................................................................................................................................................30Allen County War Memorial Coliseum ......................................................................................................................................3ASU Gammage .....................................................................................................................................................................................33Blue Cross Arena ...............................................................................................................................................................................30Cabarrus Arena ................................................................................................................................................................................... 34Chesapeake Energy Arena ............................................................................................................................................................... 7Coliseo de Puerto Rico .....................................................................................................................................................................13DCU Center ............................................................................................................................................................................................15Dunkin Donuts Center ......................................................................................................................................................................37The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre .................................................................................................................................... 38Florence Civic Center ........................................................................................................................................................................9Ford Center & Victory Theatre .....................................................................................................................................................51Frank Erwin Center .............................................................................................................................................................................41IAVM .........................................................................................................................................................................................................20IAFE ............................................................................................................................................................................................................26Lloyd Noble Center ............................................................................................................................................................................41Morris Performing Arts Center ....................................................................................................................................................42MTS Centre ..........................................................................................................................................................................................C3MTS Seating ...........................................................................................................................................................................................25SMG .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1Sprint Center .......................................................................................................................................................................................C4State Farm Arena ...............................................................................................................................................................................44Straz Center for the Performing Arts ......................................................................................................................................44Talking Stick Resort Arena ................................................................................................................................................................5United Supermarkets Arena ..........................................................................................................................................................47Verizon Wireless Arena ......................................................................................................................................................................11Wright State University’s Nutter Center ............................................................................................................................... C2

Evansville’s Center for Sports &

Entertainment

FORD CENTER• Located in Evansville, Indiana• Capacity of up to 11,000 seats• Curtain system for multiple seating

configurations• Proud to host all these concerts during

our 2014-2015 twelve month season: Judas Priest, Casting Crowns, Eric Church, Kenny Rogers, Miranda Lambert, Winter Jam, Luke Bryan, Theresa Caputo, O.A.R., Volbeat, Kenny Chesney, Aerosmith, Boston, Motley Crue.

For Booking information contact: Scott Schoenike812.436.7151 [email protected]

www.thefordcenter.com

fordcenterevansville

@thefordcenter

ViCTORy ThEaTRE• Located in Evansville, Indiana• Capacity of up to 1950 seats• Banquet Hall• Conference Room• Second floor mezzanine which can

accommodate up to 180 guests

52Facilities & event management 2015-2016 Booking guide

Kathy LowreyGeneral Managernorthshore Harbor convention centerSlidell, LAwww.northshoreharborcenter.com

An 11-year veteran of the industry, Kathy Lowrey has proven abilities in event management, marketing and public relations. She

received the Athena Leadership Award from the East St. Tam-many Chamber of Commerce in 2014. The award is presented to recognize professional excellence, community service and actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills.

Lisa McInturff ChamnessDirectorFreedom Hall civic centerJohnson City, TNwww.johnsoncitytn.com/freedomhall

Lisa McInturff Chamness has directed Freedom Hall, the City of Johnson City’s largest events center, since 1995. She is also an

IAVM-certified facility executive who has served on the organiza-tion’s regional Board of Directors since 2002. Holding a master’s in public management from East Tennessee State University, she is regarded as one of the leading area professionals in bringing top-quality entertainment to the Tri-Cities.

Carol MooreDirectorthe newnan centreNewnan, GAnewnancentre.com

Carol Moore has worked in the hospitality industry for 39 years. She began her career at the Macon Centreplex and left after 14 years

to work at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter. Moore then headed to National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver, CO, and then came home to Georgia where she worked at the Athens Classic Center. Prior to coming to Newnan, Moore was the director of the Georgia Mountains Center.

Lynda M. Reinhart Directorstephen c. o’connell centerGainesville, FLwww.oconnellcenter.ufl.edu

Lynda M. Reinhart has been working at the University of Florida’s Stephen C. O’Connell Center since 1994. She worked her way up the

ranks until she was named Director in July 2007. She also served as Ad-junct Professor at the UF College of Health and Human Performance. Reinhart has been an active member of the IAVM since 1997. She cur-rently serves as Chair of the FFMA Scholarship Committee and Vice Chair of the IAVM Arenas Committee.

Cynthia Wood CEOveterans memorial civic & convention centerLima, OHwww.limaciviccenter.com

Cynthia Wood began her military career with the U.S. Army Reserve from 1988 to 1996, serving with the 346th Psychologi-

cal Operations Company in Columbus, OH, as Russian Interpreter, Psychological Operations Sergeant and Interrogations Sergeant. Prior to her current role, she was Regional Director of the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio. She is a graduate of the IAVM Venue Management School.

Kim BedierDirector of Public Assembly Facilitiescity of tacomaTacoma, WAwww.cityoftacoma.org

Kim Bedier is an accomplished executive who provides leader-ship in high-profile venues. She has successfully opened three

new multi-use sports and entertainment facilities. Prior to her cur-rent role, Bedier served for nine years as General Manager at Comcast Arena at Everett/Global Spectrum. She has been an instructor at IAVM since 2001, and was the Chair of the Board of Directors of IAVM from 2014 to 2015.

Stacey ChurchGeneral Managermassmutual center Springfield, MAwww.massmutualcenter.com

Prior to her leadership role at MassMutual Center, Stacey Church was the Director of Finance at the (then) Global Spectrum-man-

aged Century Center in South Bend, IN. She worked closely with the venue’s General Manager on long-term strategic planning, maintain-ing key relationships with staff and community partners. Church is an active member of the IAVM, serving as the Membership Committee Chair and a member on Global Spectrum’s Diversity Committee.

Vickie HubbardExecutive DirectorHempfield area Recreation commissionLandisville, PAhempfieldrec.com

Vickie Hubbard has extensive experience in event management and administration. Prior to her current role, she served for more

than seven years as General Manager at The Pullo Family Perform-ing Arts Center. She was responsible for overseeing marketing and sales, production management, finance, booking and ticketing. Her past experience includes event planning, marketing, advertising, and public relations.

Amanda GainExecutive DirectorRacine civic centreRacine, WIwww.civiccentreracine.com

Amanda Gain was promoted to her present position after serving as Interim Director following the departure of former Executive Di-

rector Rik Edgar last August. Gain maintains great relationships with clients, City staff and the community. Her knowledge of the venue’s financials and her ties to the community added to her qualifications for the top post. at the Racine Civic Centre.

Tammy KoolbeckExecutive Directoriowa state centerAmes, IAwww.center.iastate.edu

Tammy Koolbeck was chosen to lead the Iowa State Center after having served VenuWorks for the 10 years as Chief Marketing Of-

ficer/Senior Vice President. Prior to joining the VenuWorks corporate staff, she served as Assistant Executive Director of Marketing and Pro-gramming for the U.S. Cellular Center Arena/Paramount Theatre and General Manager of the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. Her past work experience includes hotel management, convention and visitor bureau sales and professional sports.

F&EM A-LIST10 LEADING WOMEN VENUE EXECUTIVES

Celebrating 25 years of great entertainment!

To book the arena, please contact Jim Brown - (937) 775-4670 or [email protected]

facilities & event management 2015-2016 booking guide

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