2018 PRIME SITE AWARDS 31
Facilities & Event Management 2018
BEDROCK COMMUNICATIONS, INC. 152 Madison Ave., Ste. 802, New York, NY 10016
TM
SUPERBOOK
For Booking Agents, Promoters, Sports Travel Planners & Venue Managers
SCOTIABANK ARENA
10 TIPS TO ENGAGE
MILLENNIAL FANS 78
MAPLE LEAF SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT AND SCOTIABANK TAKE THEIR PARTNERSHIP TO THE NEXT LEVEL 22
6 WAYS VENUES CAN
EARN MORE FROM TICKET SUBSCRIPTIONS 76
CONVENTION CENTERS UP THEIR GAME IN THE SPORTS MARKET 26
SOUTHEAST SPOTLIGHT 42
Nick Eaves
Chief Venues and Operations Officer, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
John Doig Chief Marketing Officer, Scotiabank
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MGM Resorts International is more than a gaming resort company. IT IS A LEADING FORCE IN LIVE ENTERTAINMENT! T-MOBILE ARENA
T-Mobile Arena opened in April of 2016, becoming the first sports and entertainment centerpiece of Las Vegas. Hosts 100-150 events annually: • Home of the Golden Knights NHL team – 17,500 capacity • Basketball – 18,000 capacity • UFC®/Boxing – 20,000 capacity • Concerts – 20,000 capacity (center stage), 18,000 (end stage) • 50 Luxury Suites • 750 LED Screens • More than 2 dozen private loge boxes • Toshiba Plaza – a two-acre outdoor space – available for pre-and post-event functions
MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA
The 16,800-seat iconic MGM Grand Garden Arena has played host to hundreds of events from spectacular concerts, championship fights, premier sports action and special events.
MANDALAY BAY EVENTS CENTER
This modern 12,000-seat sports and entertainment complex has hosted everything from massive headliners, to fights, to award shows.
PARK THEATER
Park Theater’s state-of-the-art technology is built to break boundaries and produce truly unforgettable experiences. • 5,300-seat theater with 14,000 sq. ft. of flexible configurations • 240’ x 50’ immersive, high-definition projection surface • On-stage 80’ x 40’ LED wall with 4K resolution
THE THEATER
The Theater at MGM National Harbor is a 2,800-seat theater meeting the demand for a premiere venue in the Washington, D.C.-metro region and redefines entertainment in the area.
LAS VEGAS VILLAGE
Las Vegas Village is a 15-acre entertainment, sports and festival destination on the Las Vegas Strip accommodating up to 25,000 fans located across from Luxor and Mandalay Bay.
LAS VEGAS FESTIVAL GROUNDS
Las Vegas Festival Grounds is a multipurpose outdoor venue on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, spanning 35-acres and accommodating up to 85,000 fans.
To book your event, contact Ivonne at ibuenano@mgmresorts.com or 702-692-5313 • MGMResorts.com /mgmresorts
@mgmresortsintl
@mgmresortsintl
EDITOR’S NOTE
Facilities &Event Management
ENTERING THE SPORTS ARENA
TM
SUPERBOOK 2018
For Booking Agents, Promoters, Sports Travel Planners & Venue Managers
Volume 25 No. 1 Chief Operating Officer David Korn
F
&EM has long been a key information resource for professionals who organize and promote touring shows, concerts and festivals. This year, we are expanding our coverage of the live entertainment industry to include the sports travel business. The initiative began with a feature in the 2017-2018 Booking Guide on how convention & visitors bureaus (CVBs) are vying for sporting events. Just like major conventions, these events can be strong economic drivers for the city a CVB represents. Convention centers are also finding room on their calendars and within their walls for sporting events, and in this issue, we profile three centers that demonstrate the potential these venues have as hosts for a variety of athletic events (page 26). We’ll also be keeping our readers up to date on developments in this industry niche by reporting on cities that have won bids to host competitions, sports industry executive appointments and, of course, new and renovated facilities that can host or support sporting events (page 10). Decisionmakers in this field are always on the look out for destinations that offer not only an excellent primary venue for their competition, but also ideal venues for their ancillary events. To give an example in line with this issue’s Southeast Spotlight (page 42), the NFL recently selected Orlando’s 65,000-capacity Camping World Stadium as the host for its 2019 Pro Bowl presented by Verizon. Orlando clearly has the right resources to support the list of Pro Bowl Week’s ancillary events. A standout is the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, which will welcome the NFL Pro Bowl Experience, a free football festival. F&EM’s sports focus also has relevance for promoters and tour managers not involved in the sports market. Newly booked sporting events in certain cities can influence their tour routing for various reasons, or a new sports venue may have potential to host a non-sporting event such as festival. There are also powerful revenue-boosting ideas that have been put into practice by sports event organizers, and which have application to other types of live events. A great example comes from Maureen Andersen, President & CEO of the International Ticketing Association. In her column (page 76), Andersen explains how Major League Baseball has been a frontrunner in the area of subscription models with its highlight popular Ballpark Pass, which lets fans “binge on baseball.” While we won’t exactly be binging on sports travel industry coverage, we do hope to provide a more balanced representation of the live events industry with this added focus.
– George Seli Editorial Director, Facilities Media Group gseli@facilitiesonline.com
Associate Publisher Michael Caffin Editorial Director George Seli Contributing Editor Anthony Bilden Creative Direction & Design Scott-Goodman Associates Circulation Coordinator Aryeh Korn Editorial Assistant Gabriella Davino Business Operations Meir Nochlin © Copyright 2018 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 Facilities, 152 Madison Avenue, Suite 802, New York, NY 10016. Printed in U.S.A. Cover ad space is available by contacting a Facilities advertising account executive at (212) 532-4150.
CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS
In Brief................................................................................................................. 6 Photoview IAVM VenueConnect 2018................................................................................. 16 Forum Jason Gastwirth, President, Entertainment, Caesars Entertainment.................. 20 Perspectives Rethinking Subscription Models, by Maureen Andersen................................... 76 10 Tips to Engage Millennials, by Nick Begley.................................................. 78 A-List Western Arena Executives................................................................................. 80
Features
Introducing Scotiabank Arena............................................................................ 22 Convention Center Sports................................................................................. 26 2018 Prime Site Awards..................................................................................... 31 Southeast Spotlight........................................................................................... 42 Facilities Directory............................................................................................. 52 Advertiser Index................................................................................................ 75 2
ON THE COVER The home of the Toronto Maple Leafs closed a naming rights deal last year that means much more than a new name. Thanks to MLSE’s new 20-year partnership with Scotiabank, Scotiabank Arena (formerly Air Canada Centre) will introduce fans to a new look, venues and digital experience. The agreement even includes a philanthropic component that will benefit youth hockey teams in Greater Toronto.
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
The heart of Toronto. The home of Live entertainment. The reimagined Scotiabank Arena is ready for your event. You provide the talent, we’ll provide the world’s best fans in the most diverse city on earth. @ScotiabankArena ScotiabankArena.com
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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR THIRTY-TWO 2018 PRIME SITE WINNERS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, TX Arie Crown Theater, Chicago, IL BOK Center, Tulsa, OK Cabarrus Arena and Events Center, Concord, NC CenturyLink Center, Bossier City, LA Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, CA Coliseo de Puerto Rico, Hato Rey, PR DCU Center Arena, Worcester, MA
10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, RI Florence Center, Florence, SC George M. Sullivan Sports Arena, Anchorage, AK Huntington Center, Toledo, OH Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, FL 15. John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA 16. Sames Auto Arena, Laredo, TX 17. Meridian Centre, St. Catharines, Ontario
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18. Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, Wilkes Barre, PA 19. North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, SC 20. Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, IL 21. Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, NE 22. Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA 23. Leon’s Centre, Kingston, ON 24. Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, MD 25. Santander Arena, Reading, PA
26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.
Save Mart Center, Fresno, CA Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA SNHU Arena, Manchester, NH Stockton Arena, Stockton, CA Times Union Center, Albany, NY US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI Wintrust Arena, Chicago
IN BRIEF
CONCERT WATCH
GREENSBORO, NC — Legendary singer-songwriter James Taylor performs at Greensboro Coliseum, May 18. INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Prior to their show at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on July 13, Panic! at the Disco (below) received custom Indiana Pacers jerseys from Pacers Sports & Entertainment Senior Vice President Mel Raines (center).
MOLINE, IL — Country music duo Sugarland played the TaxSlayer Center on June 29. Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush (center) pose with TaxSlayer Center staff (l-r): Chon Wherry, Systems Administrator; Scott Mullen, Executive Director; Rocky Jones, Finance Director; and Kevin Snodgrass, Director of Operations.
SIOUX FALLS, SD — Members of The Zac Brown Band were presented with a special breast cancer awareness guitar before their sold-out concert at the Denny Sanford Premier Center on June 9. They are joined by SMG’s Chris Semrau (third from left), then Assistant General Manager, and Holly Anderson (center), Senior Event Manager. 6
WINNEPEG, MANITOBA — Kevin Hart performed at Bell MTS Place on June 1. Venue management, including Alayne Nott (left), Director, Entertainment Marketing, True North Sports + Entertainment, presented him with a Winnipeg Jets jersey.
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
IN BRIEF INDUSTRY PULSE
Steve Peters VenuWorks
Ben Weeden Live Nation
Hank Abate OVG Facilities
Chris Samrau SMG 8
AMES, IA — In July, VenuWorks and Ungerboeck entered into a strategic partnership to bring Ungerboeck’s venue management platform to VenuWorks’ roster of venues. As a result of the partnership, VenuWorks will fully consolidate into one system all CRM, sales, forecasting, event management, customer service, operations and complete audit-ready financial accounting, analysis and reporting. Steve Peters, Founder & President of VenuWorks, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Ungerboeck. From booking to balance sheet, each venue will operate on a single solution that houses all promoter, sponsor, planner and exhibitor, and financial information.” CLEVELAND, OH — Masonic Auditorium, recently purchased by TempleLive, has become part of Live Nation’s growing portfolio of Midwest properties. “The Masonic was the next logical move for us in Cleveland. It is a vibrant music market with a very large population base that we think is underserved at the theater level,” said Ben Weeden, COO of Live Nation Club & Theatre division, which will oversee The Masonic. “We look forward to establishing the Masonic as the must-play, 2,000-capacity venue in Cleveland.” LOS ANGELES, CA — In July, AEG Presents, majority owner of the Firefly
Music Festival, acquired the remaining ownership shares from Chicago, IL-based Red Frog Events. AEG Presents also took over the promotion and production of the festival, held annually at The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway in Dover, DE. NEW ORLEANS, LA — Live Nation Entertainment is opening a new premier live music venue in New Orleans in early 2019. The Fillmore at Harrah’s New Orleans, a 2,000-capacity venue located inside Harrah’s Casino, will showcase state-of-the-art production, vintage poster art, VIP amenities and several dining options. NEW YORK, NY and PURCHASE, NY — The Madison Square Garden Company and PepsiCo recently entered into a new, multifaceted partnership that makes the F&B company one of MSG’s official signature marketing partners. Effective Sept. 1, 2018, PepsiCo is the exclusive nonalcoholic beverage and salty snack partner across various MSG properties, including New York’s Madison Square Garden; the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden; Radio City Music Hall; the Beacon Theatre; the Forum in Inglewood, CA; The Chicago Theatre; and select TAO Group entertainment dining and nightlife venues. PASADENA, CA — This summer, the Rose Bowl Stadium selected Best Beverage Catering (BBC) and Levy as hospitality partners for the stadium campus, including the Rose Bowl Stadium’s general
concessions, Brookside Golf Course and Clubhouse, and the Arroyo Seco. PHILADELHIA, PA — Hank Abate was named President of OVG Facilities in July. He is based in the division’s new suburban Philadelphia office. A facilities management veteran of nearly 40 years, Abate most recently served as Madison Square Garden’s Executive Vice President of Venue Management, and previously worked for Spectra and SMG. ROCHESTER, NY — This summer, Rochester city officials announced that Pegula Sports & Entertainment (PSE) will operate Blue Cross Arena on an interim basis through the end of the year. PSE manages the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. The Arena was under SMG management until July 13. WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, PA — SMG has appointed Chris Semrau as the new General Manager of the Chesapeake Energy Arena and Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Semrau was most recently the Assistant General Manager of the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, in Sioux Falls, SD. Before opening the PREMIER Center in 2014, Semrau was part of the senior management team that opened and managed the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, ND. In related news, the Oklahoma City Council recently approved a five-year management agreement with SMG to continue operating both venues.
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
San Jose
City National Civic 2850 seats
Silicon Valley
Center for the Performing arts 2600 seats
California Theatre
Montgomery Theater
1120 seats
470 seats
Four venues in downtown San Jose, California. One call. John Ciulla Team San Jose
Jane Gonzales Team San Jose
General Manager Director of Entertainment
Booking Manager
408.792.4195 jciulla@sanjose.org
408.792.4540 jgonzales@sanjose.org
IN BRIEF
SPORTS MARKET
Scott Butera, MGM Resorts International’s new President of Interactive Gaming
AUSTIN, TX — The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee has awarded regional-round hosting duties for the 2021 and 2022 championships to seven cities. Selected to host regionals from March 26-29, 2021, are Albany, NY (Times Union Center); the Austin, TX, area (H-E-B Center in Cedar Park); Cincinnati, OH (Cintas Center); and Spokane, WA (Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena). In 2022, Bridgeport, CT (Webster Bank Arena); Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Coliseum); Spokane; and Wichita, KS (Intrust Bank Arena) will host regionals from March 25-28. LAS VEGAS, NV — In June, MGM Resorts International appointed Scott Butera President of Interactive Gaming. Butera will focus on developing both sports betting and skill-based gaming opportunities. Butera has served as Commissioner of the Arena 10
Audi Field, the new home of D.C. United, opened this summer Football League and President & CEO for Foxwoods Resort & Casino, among other executive roles. TAMPA, FL — Plans were unveiled in July for a new 32,000-seat stadium for MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays. Located in Ybor City, the stadium would feature a fully enclosed, translucent roof. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn stated that the stadium could open in four to five years, including a three-year construction period. TORONTO, ON — In August, Ticketmaster entered into a partnership with Tennis Canada to serve as the official ticketing partner for the 2018 Rogers Cup presented by National Bank. Matches will be held at Aviva Centre at York University in Toronto, Ontario, and the IGA Stadium in Montreal, Quebec, starting with this summer’s tournament. As part of the agreement, Tennis Canada
will move to digital tickets starting with the 2018 Rogers Cup. “With a growing tennis fan base in Canada, it’s incredibly important that Canadian tennis fans are able to purchase their tickets in a safe and secure manner,” said Rob Swann, Chief Commercial Officer of Tennis Canada. “Ticketmaster’s digital ticketing technology protects fans attending Rogers Cup by reducing fraud and improves their overall experience by making it easier to manage their tickets. We’re excited to begin our partnership with such a trusted leader in the industry.” WASHINGTON, DC — The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $500 million Audi Field, the new home of D.C. United, was held on July 10. The 20,000-capacity soccer-specific stadium will also host cultural events and concerts. It includes 31 luxury suites and 500,000 total sq. ft. of mixed-use retail
and residential space. On July 14, the team won its first game in the new stadium, 3-1 against the Vancouver Whitecaps. WICHITA, KS — According to Visit Wichita, the city has been selected as the host city for the NIRSA Championship Series for the next three years, beginning in 2019. The event in 2019 will take place on April 12-14 at Wichita Hoops. In related news, Brian Hargrove, former General Manager of the Wichita Sports Forum, has been hired as Visit Wichita’s new Executive Director of Sports Development. “I am most excited about joining Visit Wichita in this position to help show people across the country what a great city we live in — and what a great city this is to compete in,” said Hargrove. “There is a lot of energy in Wichita right now, especially in sports, and I am looking forward to getting out there and building on that.”
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
LOOKING AHEAD
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018-2019 BOOKING GUIDE FEATURING: The Luminary Awards, recognizing entertainment venue executives F&EM Forums: In-depth Q&As with industry leaders on the move Tips from the pros on booking and venue management strategies The latest entertainment and event industry news, including concert coverage, facility renovations, sports travel news, executive appointments and much more.
•• ••
To subscribe, see the form on page 24.
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IN BRIEF CONSTRUCTION/RENOVATION
BIRMINGHAM, AL — In August, the bond sale to provide funding for the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex’s $175 million new stadium and $125 million renovation of Legacy Arena closed, allowing the BJCC Authority to begin the contractual phase for the development. Led by Populous, the project includes a 55,000-seat stadium built on four blocks adjacent to the existing BJCC complex, expected to be completed in 2021, and arena upgrades expected to be completed in 2022. BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — Buenos Aires Arena S.A., a company controlled by La Nación, Argentina’s leading media company, has selected AEG Facilities to manage and operate the 16,000-capacity Buenos Aires Arena, set to open in mid-2019. “Buenos Aires is one of the leading entertainment and sport markets in the world, and now it will be serviced by a worldclass venue,” said Chuck Steedman, Chief Operating Officer, AEG Facilities. “We look forward to working with Buenos Aires Arena and the entire Buenos Aires community to provide the most popular and highest levels of international, regional and local sports and entertainment to this beautiful new arena.” CLARKSBURG, WV — The Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center has reopened following a renovation that began in 12
2013. The enhanced facility includes a new 950-capacity performance hall, 200-capacity multipurpose banquet room, dressing rooms, loading dock and 25-ft. marquee, as well as new stage rigging, curtains, lighting, sound systems, HD projector and an orchestra pit. MILWAUKEE, WI — Fiserv, Inc., a financial services technology company, signed an exclusive naming rights deal for the Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center on July 26. The new home of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Marquette University Golden Eagles men’s basketball team, which opened Aug. 26, is called Fiserv Forum. Designed by Populous, the $524 million downtown arena has 17,500 seats and anchors a developing 27-acre district in downtown Milwaukee.
AEG Facilities will manage Buenos Aires Arena, set to open next year NEW YORK, NY — Maefield Development and the Nederlander Organization are renovating the Palace Theater in Times Square through 2021. In June, the New York City Council approved the project, which will renovate both the interior and exterior. The latter includes replacing the billboards on the façade with a wrap-around LED screen. TACOMA, WA — The Tacoma Dome completed a $30 million renovation this summer. The arena reopens in October following the first
Chuck Steedman AEG Facilities
major renovation since it opened in 1983. The project will add state-of-the-art telescopic seating with extra legroom as well as new restrooms, renovate the dressing rooms and loading docks, and enhance security features.
The Tacoma Dome will offer the latest in telescopic seating thanks to a $30 million renovation FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT
LUMINARY
E N T E R TA I N M E N T V E N U E E X E C U T I V E
2018 LUMINARY Entertainment Venue Executives BALLOT Arena Executive of the Year Name:_______________________________________________________________________ Company:___________________________________________________________________ Theater Executive of the Year Name:_______________________________________________________________________ Company:___________________________________________________________________ Booking Agent of the Year Name:_______________________________________________________________________ Company:___________________________________________________________________ Promoter of the Year Name:_______________________________________________________________________ Company:___________________________________________________________________ Talent Buyer of the Year Name:_______________________________________________________________________ Company:___________________________________________________________________ Please Fill Out Form & Mail Your Vote To:
Facilities & Event Management LUMINARY Awards 152 Madison Avenue, Suite #802, New York, NY 10016 or Fax to: (212) 213-6382 or email ballots@facilitiesonline.com
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FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
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THANK YOU FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE FOR HONORING SMG NEW ORLEANS WITH A 2018 PRIME SITE AWARD!
F O R B O O K I N G I N F O R M AT I O N : 504.587.3663 | 1501 D AVE DIXON DRIVE, NEW ORLE A NS, L A 70113 WWW.SMOOTHIEKINGCENTER.COM
PHOTOVIEW
(L-r): Marcus Jeter, Nate Zawoyski and Jay Sebes of the Tamis Corporation
IAVM 2018
V ENUECO N N E C T T OOK PLAC E I N TORONTO , C AN ADA, JULY 22-25
Tom Meehan (right), GM, and Tony Randy Brown, Executive VP and Watson, Director of Operations, GM, Allen County War Memorial Irving Convention Center Coliseum
Executive Director Paul Cramer (left), Beth Bryant and Philip Verrastro of The Classic Center
IAVM President Brad Mayne, flanked by Staff Pro’s Chuck Rogers, Owens Facility Services’ Randy Ziegler and KSU Night Owl Productions’ Marissa Long
Mark Haley (left), Smart City Networks, and Ric Booth, Duke Energy Convention Center
Michael Sawaya (right) and Tim Hemphill, New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Matt Voreyer (right), GM, and Mark Quartarolo, Director of Operations, Sacramento Convention Center
Scott Johnson (left), Deputy Director, and Mike Perdue, Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Debbie Hennessey and Barney Levengood, Indiana Convention Center
Jeff Vance, Global Sales Manager, SnapSports
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FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
Scott Schoenike (left), Executive Director, Ford Center, and Ben Bolander, Executive Director, Hartman Arena
Ken Persson (left), VP Marketing & John Prater, President, Praters Sales, and his crew from Maywood Flooring Furniture Corp.
(L-r): Facilities Media Group’s David Korn, Dean Dennis, Tom McDonnell, Mitch Sauers, Frank Russo and Jacque Holowaty
Christopher Eden (left) and Patrick Szwec, SpotHero and Hero Tech, Inc.
Former IAVM President Carol Wallace, Interim CEO, San Diego Theatres
James Brown and Ronald Beck, Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center
Scott Sloman (right), RP Funding Center, and his son Zachary, John Paul Jones Arena
Carter Payne (right), President, and Alex Dillion, VP of Sales, PayneSparkman Manufacturing, Inc.
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
Kate Clarke, Bryce Jordan Center, and Adam Armit, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
(L-r): Nathalie Binette, MGM Resorts International; Dan Quinn, T-Mobile Arena; and Scott Preston and Darren Davis, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Eileen Kulish, National Accounts Manager, MTS Seating 17
2019 PRIME SITE AWARD BALLOT Name of Prime Site Award Nominee(s): __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________
Booking agents, promoters, talent buyers and special event planners:
VOTE
for the top Entertainment Venues (Arenas, Theaters, Stadiums; facilities you have booked in the last three years)
__________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Name, Title:_______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Organization:______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Phone:____________________________________________________________________ Email:_____________________________________________________________________ Describe the Event __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________
PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA WHEN VOTING: ● LOCATION/MARKET ● FLEXIBILITY ● SEATING CONFIGURATIONS ● TICKETING ● LIGHTING, SOUND, STAGING ● FOOD & BEVERAGE ● INTERACTION WITH VENUE STAFF ● DRESSING ROOMS, BACKSTAGE ● ACCESS/EGRESS ● PROMOTION/ MARKETING
Name of Prime Site Award Nominee(s): __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Name, Title:_______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Organization:______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Phone:____________________________________________________________________ Email:_____________________________________________________________________ Describe the Event __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ May we contact you? Yes____ No____ Please Fill Out Form & Mail Your Vote To:
Facilities Media Group
152 Madison Avenue, Suite #802, New York, NY 10016 or Fax it to: (212) 213-6382; or email ballots@facilitiesonline.com
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FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
14, 000 Seats 1, 6 0
s eat 0S
7,50
BOOKING INFO:
KEVIN DONNELLY 204-926-5503 | KDONNELLY@TNSE.COM
s eat 0S
32 , 00 0 Seat s
FORUM JASON GASTWIRTH P R E S I D E N T, EN TER TA IN MEN T C A E S A RS EN TER TA IN MEN T
By Michael Caffin
Q A
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In general, what is your process for coordinating entertainment for meeting groups?
ason Gastwirth oversees live entertainment programming across Caesars Entertainment’s nearly 50 venues nationwide, while directing the company’s corporate sponsorship and film/television production divisions. In particular, he has been recognized for his role in launching The Axis at Planet Hollywood. In the following discussion, Gastwirth explains the programming strategy for what has become the world’s third-largest live entertainment promoter.
Q A
What is your overall approach to pairing the right artists with the right venues across Caesars’ diverse portfolio?
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HEN “WE’ R E
Our meetings department will approach us with a group that’s maybe looking to do a keynote address, which our theaters support nicely. Generally, those groups will be looking to hold those meetings during the day, so it works out quite well being able to use the facility during the day, as long as the production of the artist will allow for that. And it often works out even better when a group comes in, holds a keynote address and then sees that artist that night ENGA GING WIT H as their evening programming.
We went through a transformation several A N A R T IST, WE’ R E A BLE T O years ago of looking across our entire How do you determine venue footprint and thinking through, as a largewhich artists are ideal for SAY, ‘ HER E A R E 1 0 V ENUES WE’ D scale promoter, how we best program those residencies? LIKE Y O U T O CO NSID ER PERFORMING venues, leveraging our relationships. So when We’re very selective as to we’re engaging with an artist, we’re able to say, AT’ AND WE ARE ULTIMATELY ABLE which artist may be able ‘Here are 10 venues we’d like you to consider to support a residency. I often TO CREATE A TOUR THROUGHOUT THE performing at’ and we are ultimately able to create say that good measures of who a tour throughout the Caesars venues. That being CAESARS VENUES.” might do it [include having] a said, we have great local knowledge in all of these vast catalog, a wide global fan markets. And so our teams on the ground give base [and being] an incredible us good insight associated with what type of performers our performer. And we do look for artists that are ultimately customers [in a certain region], both retail as well as our able to support their fans coming to visit them, instead of invited guests, would enjoy seeing. them touring around to visit their fans. And I think you’ve
Q A
About what percentage of your tickets are for VIPs versus those put out to the public?
We’re primarily focused on selling tickets to retail buyers. We have a number of tickets that we do provide our invited guests, but our focus is booking artists that people would buy tickets to. And ultimately that gives even greater value to what we’re providing invited guests. At many of our shows where we’ll sell out, it becomes a value driver for our guests to be able to see a show they might not be able to buy a ticket to. … We’re also constantly looking to leverage our programming to attract some of the top [meeting] groups in the world. 20
Q A
seen that with the artists we’ve had both at The Colosseum [at Caesars Palace] and Zappos Theater [at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino]. Also, the artists must have the confidence to be able to support a program like that and an extraordinary production. [They must be] able to engage with fans in an intimate environment, and be able to sell a number of tickets in one month.
Q A
What is the typical residency schedule?
Generally, these artists will come in for two to four weeks at a time and play three to four shows per week. That’s FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
(Top): Jennifer Lopez performs at the Zappos Theater, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. (Right): Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn on stage at The Colosseum, Caesars Palace really a formula that’s worked well for the Las Vegas market. [The number of] shows they may do with us throughout the year is largely dependent on demand, but also [depends on] what some of their other plans are. So, for instance, for Jennifer Lopez the only place you can see her perform in North America is Zappos Theater. She does 40 shows per year. When you think of a North American tour, 40 dates is probably what she would do. So it sort of makes sense to be in one place, although kudos to Jennifer to be able to support 40 shows in one market with sellouts every night. With other artists it may be that they perform 20-30 shows per year, but they won’t tour west of the Mississippi. And that’s largely dependent on the artist’s desire. Some would want to tour, as it’s a different experience with their fans. … And we really take into consideration what the artist wants to do and an evaluation of what we think the market will support.
Q
Caesars is currently focused on the development of CAESARS FORUM. On the entertainment side, do you foresee any new large-scale venues in the future? FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
A
We’re constantly evaluating opportunities for new venue development. Especially as we see a project as exciting as the FORUM in that area behind the LINQ, we’re evaluating a whole host of entertainment programming [possibilities]. I should mention it’s not just [focused] around touring artists and resident headliners. We’re very active in the production show space, not just in Las Vegas, but also throughout the country. In Atlantic City, we have a number of Broadway shows that tour and will sit down in one of our theaters for two to three weeks. So for us it’s about providing a wide diversity of entertainment for guests [in order to] continue being one of the most exciting places for people to visit. George Seli contributed to this article. 21
INTRODUCING
SCOTIABANK ARENA MLSE’s new 20-year partnership with Scotiabank is a “win” for the fans, promoters and the Toronto community
P
By George Seli
atrons of the former Air Canada Centre, Canada’s busiest live entertainment venue, are quite familiar with Scotiabank as the longtime official bank of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Thus, the bank’s naming rights deal with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), announced last August, likely did not come as a complete surprise to many fans. Nonetheless, the venue has been known as Air Canada Centre since it opened in 1999, and so there will naturally be an adjustment period as fans gets used to “Scotiabank Arena.” MLSE and Scotiabank executives feel the adjustment will be easier once patrons begin making new memories at Scotiabank Arena. “We want to make sure that we earn the fans’ consent to call it Scotiabank Arena. And as people are having great moments and creating their own memories, they’re going to be connected with the name,” explains John Doig, Chief Marketing Officer at Scotiabank.
22
For many fans, the first great moment took place on July 1, the venue’s first day as Scotiabank Arena. On that day, the Maple Leafs announced they had signed the NHL’s top free agent, John Tavares, and held a press conference at the newly named arena to announce the signing. “It’s those moments that create the memories that people will take with them for years, and [highlights] are going to be happening through the first year of the partnership and will be ongoing,” says Nick Eaves, Chief Venues and Operations Officer, MLSE. Thanks to the $800 million deal, the fan experience will be bolstered by more than a great calendar of events: MLSE is undertaking significant upgrades to the building, beginning with new signage. “We very quickly put up what is actually temporary signage to rename the building, and it looks permanent,” says Eaves. “But we’re actually going through a process with the city to introduce signage on all four sides to reflect what goes on inside the arena. Scotiabank Arena is the busiest FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
venue in Canada, the third busiest in North America and the 11th busiest building in the world. So obviously that’s a profile that we’re really proud of. It has a huge amount of activity and energy behind it, and we’re going to reflect that on the outside of the building in the form of much more dynamic signage that’s LED in nature and that will allow us to bring full motion video into some of those signage elements.” In addition, two of the arena’s main gates will be renovated and the logistics will be improved for guests. “We’ve done a lot of work understanding fan arrival times and pedestrian flows. We want them to really feel that enhanced service before they even get in the building,” Eaves says. Once inside, fans will be able to enjoy a new dining experience. The only dining room that looks out over the bowl is being transformed into the Scotia Club, debuting in time for the Maple Leafs’ home opener on Oct. 3. “Scotiabank and MLSE have designed a club that is very contemporary and in keeping with what we know our fans are looking for when they come to the arena,” says Eaves. “It’s going to reflect the long history of the Leafs and the Raptors, and Scotiabank’s over 100-year history in Canada and in the city of Toronto in particular.” The extended partnership with Scotiabank will also mean an enhanced digital experience for fans. Scotiabank is a frontrunner in client digital engagement, and in that respect will prove an asset to MLSE. FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
T
HE M LSE FO UND AT IO N A ND SCO T IA BA NK “A R E GO ING T O D O GR EAT T HINGS T O GET HER IN T HE CIT Y FO R T HE ENT IR E D UR AT IO N O F T HE PA R T NER SHIP. ”
—John Doig, Chief Marketing Officer, Scotiabank
Tangerine, Scotiabank’s digital bank, is the official bank of the Toronto Raptors, and its Digital Factory is home to “cutting-edge technologists and thinkers who are employing a digital strategy that has application across the services that Scotiabank provides,” Eaves observes. “We think [the Digital Factory will be a resource] as we try to develop one-on-one relationships with new fans and enhance relationships with our existing fans.” While the arena’s name change and accompanying upgrades do not impact agents and promoters directly, Eaves maintains that the improvement projects will result in “a venue and environment that is ultimately more interesting and tempting for tours and promoters. Toronto is the fourth-largest market in North America. And we’re really confident that this focus on the fans and the ongoing introduction of new fan amenities and experiences is only going to mean 23
T
“ O RONTO IS THE FOURTH-LARGEST M A R KET IN NO R T H A M ER ICA . A ND WE’ R E R EA LLY CO NFID ENT T HAT T HIS FO CUS O N T HE FA NS A ND T HE O NGO ING INT R O D UCT IO N O F NEW FA N A M ENIT IES A ND EX P ER IENCES IS O NLY GO ING T O M EA N T HAT M O R E A CT S WILL WA NT T O P LAY HER E. ”
The arena’s new Scotia Club will pay homage to the history of the Maple Leafs and Scotiabank that more acts will want to play here, and play here multiple nights.” The extended partnership with Scotiabank is also a boon to the local community, as the agreement includes increased financial support for kids’ hockey teams in the Greater Toronto Area. “In Canada, we have differentiated ourselves through sponsorships, and in particular on the sports side through hockey, including kids hockey,” Doig explains. “And that’s where we’ve supported over a million kids. That program has been very powerful for us, and it’s been in play for over 10 years. There is an eight-figure dollar amount that is a part of this deal that is an injection into the MLSE Foundation. And that foundation and Scotiabank are
—Nick Eaves, Chief Venues and Operations Officer, MLSE
going to do great things together in the city for the entire duration of the partnership.” The philanthropic facet of the deal was “important to MLSE as well,” Eaves adds. “Having a corporate name on the building is the way things go these days, but we were much more interested in a partnership that had a shared vision around evolving the fan experience and partnering with the community. We have benefited from the communities that we do business in, and we see it as a real duty to give back.”
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Name, Title ____________________________________________________________________________ Company _____________________________________________________________________________ Street Address (City, State, Zip) ___________________________________________________________ Phone ________________________________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________________________________ Which of the following categories (I, II, or III) best describes your business classification? Please check the one box that applies. I. Facilities ❑ 1AR Arena/Stadium ❑ 1CC Convention/Expo Center ❑ 1CI Civic Center ❑ 1HO Hotel/Conference Center ❑ 1PA Performing Arts Center ❑ 1FG Fairground ❑ 1AM Amphitheatre ❑ 1EH Exhibit Hall ❑ 1TH Theatre ❑ 1MP Multi-Purpose ❑ 1OT Other (please specify) ____________________
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II. Entertainment Management ❑ 2A Concert Tour Promoter ❑ 2B Booking Agent ❑ 2C Business/Personal Manager ❑ 2D Talent Buyer ❑ 2E Special Event Planner ❑ 2F Sports Agent ❑ 2G Other (please specify) ____________________
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FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
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CONVENTION CENTER SPORTS
The Arnold Sports Festival, hosted by the Greater Columbus Convention Center
MEETING FACILITIES THAT ARE DRAWING THE ATTENTION OF TOURNAMENT ORGANIZERS
W
By George Seli
hile meetings and tradeshows are the bread and butter of convention centers, many of these facilities are branching out into the sports market in order to maximize their revenue and generate more tourism for their cities. That initiative may require an investment into the convention center’s sports infrastructure, one that is calculated to pay off based on demand. A case in point is the Hawaii Convention Center, which bought fully portable sports courts in 2016 at a cost of $1.1 million. The courts can be configured to simultaneously stage up to 28 regulation volleyball or badminton matches, 18 high school basketball games, or 11 futsal (indoor soccer) courts. The convention center also has acquired a regulation NBAand NCAA-approved basketball court with a solid wood floor. “We have seen an increased interest in bringing athletic events to Hawaii,” notes Terri Orton, the convention center’s General Manager. “However, the high cost of shipping courts to Hawaii was the No. 1 reason event organizers could not commit to bringing sports events to the islands. By investing in new sports courts, we hope to encourage event organizers to bring their athletic events to Hawaii.” Orton adds that the sports market segment “holds a lot of potential for group business in the years to come,” and that 26
potential has already started to realize itself. This year, the Hawaii Convention Center secured agreements with three national sports organizations to host futsal, basketball and volleyball tournaments played on the new sports courts. “All three tournaments, which will be held in the Kamehameha Exhibit Hall, will collectively attract multitudes of teams of youth players in different age groups from outside the state, accompanied by families and supporters, to compete with teams from within the islands,” Orton explains. The four-year agreement with U.S. Futsal to host the Pacific Futsal Cup, from 2018 to 2021, is the organization’s first international tournament. The three-year agreement with Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Basketball, from 2018 to 2020, will bring the Jam on It Pacific Rim Championships to Hawaii. AAU Volleyball was the first organization to host a tournament on the new sports courts (in February 2017) and is returning for a tournament this year. “In 2017, we also welcomed our first NCAA basketball tournament,” says Orton. “College Tournaments Hawaii presented their annual Hoops In Hawaii Holiday Classic utilizing our new wooden court. Sixteen teams from NCAA Divisions II and III from Hawaii and other parts of the U.S. took part in this tournament. This was a great opportunity Continued on page 28
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
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“
B
Y INV ES TING IN NE W S PO RT S CO UR TS , W E HOP E T O ENCO U R A G E EV ENT OR GA N I Z E RS TO BR ING THE IR ATHL E T I C EVEN TS TO HAWA II. ” —Teri Orton, General Manager, Hawaii Convention Center
The Albany Capital Center recently purchased three basketball floors and is hosting three AAU Basketball tournaments this year, with four tournaments in the works for 2019. “The addition of the basketball courts has opened up a lot of opportunities for games clinics and tournaments,” says General Manager Doug McClaine. “The courts also have the lines for volleyball, and in November of 2018, we will be hosting the NYS Boys 28
for collegiate teams to participate in tournaments here in Hawaii, and we are excited to welcome them back this year.” In Albany, NY, a convention center that opened last year has been developing its sports business along with its meetings business.
High School Volleyball Championships.” McClaine also sees potential in the esports market: “Esports is growing exponentially. Egaming is being added to many athletic departments at the collegiate level. We’re hosting a small tournament in 2018 and plan for a larger tournament in 2019. Our robust WiFi network and state-of-the-art AV services lends well to the egaming industry.” Even convention centers that are well entrenched in the sports market are seeing room for growth. One example is the Greater Columbus Convention Center, in Columbus, OH, which is known for hosting the Arnold Sports Festival. The largest multisport festival in the world attracts more than 200,000 people in four days and more athletes than Continued on page 30
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
KEITH UEHARA PHOTOGRAPHY
AAU Volleyball at the Hawaii Convention Center. (Bottom): NCAA Women’s Final Four at the Greater Columbus Convention Center
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Toronto
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Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, Mexico
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Sherrif Karamat, CAE Chief Executive Officer Professional Convention Management Association
INTRODUCING
F&D DIGITAL This spring, Facilities & Destinations launched a biannual digital publication as a supplement to our quarterly print magazine. The meetings industry is fast paced, and these new issues will help you stay current on everything from facility renovations to the latest planning strategies. Read the 2018 Winter/Spring F&D Digital issue on www.facilitiesonline.com
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Continued from page 28
The Eastern College Athletic Conference Esports League will compete at the Albany Capital Center in March 2019
O
the Olympics. “Our yearly calendar is full of cheer, dance, fencing and weightlifting events,” notes Jennifer B. Davis, Senior Marketing & Communications Manager. “We host —Doug McClaine, Ohio Valley Region General Manager, Volleyball tournaments Albany Capital Center eight weekends per year, bringing more than 3,000 teams to the facility. The American Cheer Power Midwest World Bid National Championship has grown to feature more than 600 teams.” And for the first time this year, the convention center hosted Tourney Town and affiliated events of the NCAA Women’s Final Four basketball tournament. “We would like to continue to welcome additional marquee events, such as the NCAA Women’s Final Four and USAV Boys National Championships,” Davis adds. Thanks to last year’s $140 million expansion and full renovation of the Greater Columbus Convention Center, the facility now has 373,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space, which enables about 65 volleyball courts to be accommodated simultaneously. “We also offer upper-level show offices, tiered seating, 75 meeting rooms for teams, coaches and seminars, and 114,000 total sq. ft. in three ballrooms,” Davis explains. And with more than 4,000 onsite parking spaces, there is not likely to be a shortage of convenient parking for sports fans. The Hawaii Convention Center, Albany Capital Center and Greater Columbus Convention Center are just a small
“
UR R OBUS T W IF I N ETW OR K A ND S TAT E O F -THE-A R T AV S E R V I CE S LENDS W EL L TO THE EGAMING INDUS TR Y. ”
30
sampling of the sports-ready convention centers available to tournament organizers in diverse areas of the United States. Indeed, there is a growing opportunity to partner with meeting facilities that have applied their event-hosting expertise to the sports market.
HAWAII CONVENTION CENTER
Athletic events: U.S. Futsal Pacific Futsal Cup, AAU Basketball Jam on It Pacific Rim Championships, AAU Volleyball, NCAA Basketball Sports facilities: 204,000-sq.-ft. Exhibition Hall accommodates volleyball, basketball and futsal, as well as wrestling, gymnastics, martial arts, dance and cheerleading. Each Exhibit Hall can accommodate up to six basketball and volleyball courts depending on the organizer’s needs. Elevated seating can be added for spectators.
ALBANY CAPITAL CENTER
Athletic events: Roller Derby (annual tenant), annual North East Open (martial arts), NYS Boys High School Volleyball Championships, AAU Basketball Tournaments Sports facilities: Three basketball floors (including six basketball hoops) with lines for volleyball
GREATER COLUMBUS CONVENTION CENTER
Athletic events: Arnold Sports Festival, Ohio Valley Region Volleyball (an affiliate of USA Volleyball), American Cheer Power Midwest World Bid National Championship Sports facilities: 373,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space, accommodating about 65 volleyball courts FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
2018 PRIME SITE AWARD WINNERS
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or venue executives, receiving an award based on client recognition of their facility is certainly meaningful and even heartwarming. Yet forward-thinking venue executives do not rest on such laurels. For them, an award is also an encouragement to continue on an upward path of enhancing their facility and client services. The reward for that progressive approach may well be multiple Prime Site Awards, and many of the stadiums, arenas and performing arts centers on 2018 list of winners hold that distinction. To highlight just a few examples of growthminded winners this year, we can point to the
recently remodeled Florence Center (see page 60); the new Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts being developed at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex (page 65); the $30 million in renovations at the Times Union Center (page 68); and the $14 million in renovations at the RP Funding Center (page 70). F&EM readers nominated venues based on numerous criteria, ranging from promotional support and event staff proficiency to physical aspects such as seating versatility, AV and staging quality, and backof-house amenities. We congratulate this year’s winners, and look forward to nominations for the 2019 Prime Site Awards.
"It's the biggest, most advanced arena built in Niagara and there isn't a bad seat in the house."
A world-class venue in the heart of Niagara located in Canada's 12th largest CMA. Expect top-notch service and attention to detail from booking to settlement. To book an event contact Jeff Dixon: jdixon@meridiancentre.com
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
@MeridianCtre /MeridianCtre @Meridian_Centre CENTRE
Photo: Vaughn Ridley
31
2018 PRIME SITE AWARD WINNERS NORTHEAST Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA DCU Center Arena, Worcester, MA Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, RI Madison Square Garden, New York, NY Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, Wilkes Barre, PA PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA Prudential Center, Newark, NJ Santander Arena, Reading, PA SNHU Arena, Manchester, NH Times Union Center, Albany, NY Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA MID-ATLANTIC John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA Richmond Colisseum
32
Mohegan Sun Arena
Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, MD Verizon Center, Washington, DC SOUTHEAST AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FL Amway Center, Orlando, FL Bancorpsouth Center, Tupelo, MS BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN Cabarrus Arena & Events Center, Concord, NC CenturyLink Center, Bossier City, LA First National Bank Arena, Jonesboro, AR FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
Climb our Vertical Ladder of Event Facilities
BB&T FIELD • 36,000 Seat Capacity
Greensboro Coliseum Complex • 4,000 to 22,000 Seat Capacity
• 3,000 to 14,000 Seat Capacity
LOGO ORIENTATION
The Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts logo has two acceptable formats as listed below - horizontal and vertical. Best judgment must be used to determine which version is appropriate based on space and application.
HORIZONTAL LOGO
VERTICAL LOGO
TANGER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Logo Usage Manual
• 5,000 to 7,000 Seat Capacity
2
Special Events Center
For booking information contact:
• 4,800 Seat Capacity
Scott Johnson
Phone: 336.373.7449 Email: Scott.Johnson@greensboro-nc.gov
Gerry Duncan
Phone: 336.373.7459 Email: Gerry.Duncan@greensboro-nc.gov
• 3,000 Seat Capacity (Opening Fall 2019)
Web: GreensboroColiseum.com & LJVM.com
2018 PRIME SITE AWARD WINNERS
Florence Center
Florence Center, Florence, SC Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro, NC Infinite Energy Center, Duluth, GA Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, FL KFC YUM! Center, Louisville, KY Legacy Arena at the BJCC, Birmingham, AL North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, SC RP Funding Center, Lakeland, FL Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC The Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa, FL MIDWEST Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, IN Arie Crown Theater, Chicago, IL Bridge View Center, Ottumwa, IA Ford Center, Evansville, IN Hartman Arena, Wichita, KS Huntington Center, Toledo, OH Iowa State Center, Ames, IA Morris Performing Arts Center, South Bend, IN Nutter Center at Wright State University, Dayton, OH Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, IL Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, NE Rushmore Civic Center Plaza Arena, Rapid City, SD
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FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
The Premier Destination for Sports & Entertainment in the Carolinas
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
2018 Facilities & Event Management Magazine Prime Site Award Winner spectrumcentercharlotte.com
2018 PRIME SITE AWARD WINNERS Target Center, Minneapolis, MN TaxSlayer Center, Moline, IL Topeka Performing Arts Center, Topeka, KS United Wireless Arena, Dodge City, KS U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI Wintrust Arena, Chicago, IL Sanford Center, Bemidji, MN Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO Stephens Auditorium, Ames, IA Swiftel Center, Brookings, SD
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WEST American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, TX ASU Gammage, Tempe, AZ AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
2018 PRIME SITE AWARD WINNERS
United Supermarkets Arena, BOK Center, Tulsa, OK Lubbock, TX Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs, CO CANADA Chesapeake Energy Arena, Give Your Audience the Best Seat in the House! Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba Oklahoma City, OK Grand Canyon University arena is a state-of-the-art mid-sized arena in the heart of Phoenix. Our unique Canadian Tire Centre, Citizens Business Bank Arena, curtaining systems allows you to customize your small- to mid-size event for 1,200 to 7,000 seats. Kanata, Ontario Ontario, CA Motors Centre, TX ForFrank booking Erwin and rentalCenter, information,Austin, call Cathey Moses, General General Manager | 602-639-8052 | cathey.moses@gcu.edu Oshawa, GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY ARENA Sports | 1,200 toArena, 7,000 SEATING CAPACITY | 3300 Ontario W. CAMELBACK RD., PHOENIX, AZ 85017 George M. Sullivan Anchorage, AK gcuarena.com Meridian Centre, St. Catharines, Ontario Gila River Arena, Glendale, AZ Rogers K-Rock Centre, Kingston, ON Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA Grand Canyon Univ. Arena, Phoenix, AZ SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon, SK Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario Laredo Energy Arena, Laredo, TX Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, OK PUERTO RICO Mandalay Bay Events Center, Coliseo de Puerto Rico, Hato Rey, PR Las Vegas, NV Moda Center, Portland, OR Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV Bell MTS Place Save Mart Center, Fresno, CA Smart Financial Center, Sugar Land, TX Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, CA Stockton Arena, Stockton, CA Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, AZ T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
YOUR VERSATILE PHOENIX VENUE
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FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
WE GET BETTER WITH AGE
$14 MILLION IN RENOVATIONS 45 YEARS OF ENTERTAINMENT ONE DESTINATION JENKINS ARENA:
-
Newly Renovated Locker Rooms 2 Daktronics Scoreboards 2 Daktronics Ribbon Boards Meyer Sound System Home to the G-League Lakeland Magic
CONVENTION CENTER:
- Carpeted Ballrooms & Concourses - Additional Meeting Space - Redesigned Loading Dock - Fresh New Look & Feel
YOUKEY THEATRE:
- Ergonomically E Formed Seats with Cup Holders - Carpeting - Improved Pinrail System
SECOND CONVENTION HOTEL Opening in Winter 2019 YOUR FINAL DESTINATION IN CENTRAL FLORIDA Booking: Scott Sloman 863-834-8144 or scott.sloman@rpfundingcenter.com
W W W . R P F U N D I N G C E N T E R . C O M
MEMORIES MADE HERE!
To Book Contact Ben Bolander, Executive Director 316.744.8880 or bbolander@hartmanarena.com Park City, KS
H A RT M A N A R E N A .CO M
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT
SO
A N E W S TA D IU M By George Seli
F
ollowing four sold-out August shows in the Southeast, Taylor Swift’s Repudiation Stadium Tour officially became the highest-grossing U.S. tour by a woman. The $191.1 million in earnings surpasses the record set by Swift herself in 2015 with the 1989 World Tour. Fans in Atlanta, Tampa and Miami turned out in droves to their respective venues: the 75,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the 65,000-plus-capacity Raymond James Stadium and the nearly 65,000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium. The Atlanta Mercedes-Benz Stadium draw was particularly strong, with Swift performing for two nights (Aug. 10 and 11) for a total of convenient and pleasurable fan experience. It is also the first nearly 117,000 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. professional sports stadium to achieve LEED Platinum in the According to a review in the Atlanta Constitution Journal, Swift United States, and even houses an art collection themed after complimented the “nice, new stadium” during the performance. the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is arguably the most significant The Southeast’s arena market is also being enhanced new-build venue in the Southeastern live events market in by several notable projects. Among the selection of arenas recent years. Opened in 2017, the $1.5 billion stadium boasts reviewed below, the Florence Center completed a major some impressive numbers: 21,000 parking spaces, 675 points expansion and renovation in January, the Infinite Energy of sale and more displays than any stadium in the world Center is planning an expansion and renovation of its (including 2,000 TV screens). Such features add up to a 42
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
UTHEAST
AND RENOVATED ARENAS WELCOME SOUTHBOUND TOURING ACTS campus, and the RP Funding Center is renovating through January 2019. For agents and promoters that work on the arena circuit, these projects mean a better experience for their performers and the fans that come to see them. A routing through Southeastern stadiums contributed to the record-breaking revenue that Swift’s tour achieved. On a smaller scale, the arenas profiled below are ready to support the success of many southbound tours.
AMERICANAIRLINES ARENA
Miami, FL • aaarena.com Located in Downtown Miami on the waterfront of Biscayne Bay, the 19,600-seat AmericanAirlines Arena ranks among the nation’s top 10 venues annually for total ticket sales and among the top 5 for Latin entertainment. The arena has hosted top artists such as Katy Perry, Coldplay, Marc Anthony, Justin Timberlake, Pitbull and Jay Z, and top productions such as Harlem Globetrotters, Disney On Ice, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and WWE. For smaller events, the elegant Waterfront Theatre is available with a capacity of 5,700. Upcoming shows include Kevin Hart (Oct. 16), Travis Scott (Nov. 11), Marc Anthony (Nov. 16) and Cirque du Soleil (Dec. 13-16). CAPACITIES: 19,500, basketball; 15,500, concerts endstage; 5,700, theatrical shows (Waterfront Theatre).
MARKETING: Full-service marketing department offers advertising expertise and relationships with local media outlets. In addition, the HEAT Enterprise management team works in partnership with promoters to showcase events through a variety of methods and relationships. AMENITIES: Renovated Flagship Lounges accommodate 75-150. Dewar’s Clubhouse offers an upscale dining room setting overlooking the Arena Floor, accommodating 100-300. One thousand onsite parking spaces; more than 15,000 within 15-minute walk. Complimentary high-speed XFINITY Wi-Fi Internet access for fans. Amway Center
AMWAY CENTER
AmericanAirlines Arena FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
Orlando, FL • amwaycenter.com The Amway Center has hosted top acts such as Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Elton John and the Eagles, as well as milestone sporting events such as the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend, World Championship Boxing and NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championships. Home to the NBA’s Orlando Magic and the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, the Amway Center won the international 2013 Customer Experience Award from The Stadium Business Awards. Justin Timberlake’s May 15 sold-out show at the Amway Center grossed $2,387,112, making it the highest-grossing, single-day concert in the arena’s history. Upcoming shows include Chayanne (Oct. 11), Elton John (Nov. 27) and Halestorm & In This Moment (Dec. 14). CAPACITIES: 16,300, end-stage 360°; 14,100, end-stage 270°; 12,000, end-stage 180°; 9,100, half house; 17,000, center stage 43
STAGING: In-house standard size rolling stage measuring 60 ft. by 40 ft. BACKSTAGE AREAS: Four locker rooms, six star rooms, one green room and a conference room with two production offices OTHER FEATURES: Two full-service restaurants including Jernigan’s, which overlooks the arena bowl, and Magic Grill at street level on the northwest corner of the building. There are 22 permanent stands and numerous other concession options on multiple concourses. EVENT PROMOTION: Amway Center’s Marketing Department offers a complete range of services and support, including media buying, social media, promotions, graphic design and e-card distribution. LOCAL MARKET: Orlando welcomed 72 million tourists last year, making it the most visited U.S. destination.
Cabarrus Arena
CABARRUS ARENA
Concord, NC • cabarrusarena.com Located about 24 miles northeast of Charlotte, the SMGmanaged Cabarrus Arena & Events Center hosts a variety of shows and exhibitions, including the Cabarrus County Fair, Speedway Classic of the Carolinas and PWX Wrestling. CAPACITIES: Arena: 28,800 sq. ft., 2,200 fixed seats, 4,400 seats maximum. Event Center: 70,000 sq. ft.; dividing wall can separate room into a 30,000-sq.-ft. and a 40,000-sq.-ft. space. Gold Hall 1: 20,000 sq. ft. Gold Hall 2: 10,000 sq. ft. Cabarrus Rooms: 5,000-sq.-ft. banquet space FOOD & BEVERAGE: Six concession stands BOX OFFICE/TICKETING: Ticketmaster location AUDIENCE AMENITIES: Seven box seats. WiFi available. PARKING: 2,800 spaces MARKETING/PROMOTIONS: Presence on cabarrusarena. com, marquee, digital information boards located throughout facility, and Facebook social media platform
COLONIAL LIFE ARENA
Columbia, SC • coloniallifearena.com Opened as the Carolina Center in 2002, Colonial Life Arena is home to University of South Carolina men’s and women’s basketball. The arena also hosts a variety of top-tier musical acts and events. Upcoming shows include Southern Heat Music Festival (Sept. 29), Chris Stapleton (Oct. 25), Fleetwood Mac (Feb. 22), P!nk (March 7) and Elton John (March 13). 44
Colonial Life Arena CAPACITY: 180° end-stage setup, 12,325; 220° end-stage setup, 13,854; 270° end-stage setup, 14,872; 360° end-stage setup, 14,220 (floor seating not included) STAGING: StageRight; portable/aluminum construction; adjustable from 1 ft. to 6 ft. SOUND: EAW Systems Multi Point System; 40 Channel Soundcraft Console (portable); 16 Channel Mackie (portable); Press Audio with 32 Channel Distribution Package – Audio Booth; 32 Channel Midas Console LIGHTING: Computer-controlled house lighting; shuttered blackout capabilities; eight Lycian 1290 XLT – 2k Xenon spotlights BACKSTAGE AREAS: Four star rooms 8.5 ft. by 8.5 ft. to 10.5 ft. by 12 ft.; Men’s General Locker Room, 7 ft. by 44 ft.; Women’s General Locker Room, 7 ft. by 44 ft.; Production Office, 10 ft. by 16 ft.; Production Workroom, 16 ft. by 16 ft.; Green Room/Dining, 26 ft. by 51 ft.; four locker rooms with bathrooms and showers FOOD & BEVERAGE: Catering by Southern Way, founded in 1982 and offering fine Southern cuisine
FLORENCE CENTER
Florence, SC • florencecenter.com The Florence Center completed a major expansion and renovation in January 2018 that added new meeting rooms, an oversized prefunction area, state-of-the-art kitchen and an outdoor courtyard. Overall, the project added 25,000 sq. ft. of new space and renovated 28,000 sq. ft. of space. Among the upcoming events at The Florence Center are the Gun & Knife Show (Sept. 23), Car & Bike Show (Sept. 29), Disney On Ice (Oct. 11-14), Resurrection Tour (Nov. 2), and the Pepsi Carolina Classic Tournament (Dec. 27-29). CAPACITIES: Arena 360° layout, 10,000; concert stage, 7,500; sports/dashers, 7,000; proscenium, 2,500; theater, 1,200 STAGING: StageRight 76 ft. by 48 ft., flexible dimensions in 4 in. increments, adjustable height from 3 ft. to 4.5 ft. Four stair units, ramps, tensile barricade. SOUND/LIGHTING: Four Altman Explorers, north end booths. Center speaker cluster. BACKSTAGE AREAS: Production room, green room, six dressing rooms, team locker room, conference room, showers and bath throughout FOOD & BEVERAGE: Eight permanent concession Continued on page 46
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
SUNNY DAYS, STAR-FILLED TAMPA NIGHTS
JAC
KSO
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200
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Morsani Hall has been ranked in the TOP 5 in the world by Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today.
TAMPA
Morsani Hall: 2,600 Seats
STRAZ CENTER
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Ferguson Hall: 1,000 seats
Jaeb Theater: 300 seats
THE STRAZ THE CENTER OF IT ALL
DOWNTOWN TAMPA FLORIDA
STRAZCENTER.ORG • 813.222.1272 • Patrick.Leahy@strazcenter.org
Continued from page 44
Florence Center
booths, four portable concession stands, four portable drink stands, SAVOR concessions, SAVOR catering, onsite Little Caesars Pizza stand AUDIENCE AMENITIES: Eight executive suites, one inarena loft, retractable lower-level seating, padded floor chairs, full ADA compliant, hearing impaired assistance PARKING: Free parking for patrons. 2,500 parking spaces on property (1,300 in the lower parking lot and 1,200 in the upper parking lot), including ample parking for patrons with disabilities. MARKETING/PROMOTIONS: Marketing team onsite. Outdoor LED marquee, in-house display space, in-house LED screens, venue email subscription, venue social promotions, venue reduced advertising partner rates. MARKET/DEMOGRAPHICS: Serving a nine-county area in Northeastern South Carolina collectively known as the Pee Dee Region. Florence County population, 139,042; population within 60 miles, 572,808. Fifty-four percent White, 42 percent African American.
INFINITE ENERGY CENTER ARENA
SOUND/LIGHTING: Logic Systems recently replaced the existing systems at Infinite Energy Center, equipping the theater with speakers and amplifiers from L-Acoustics, and outfitting the arena with amplifiers and speakers from Danley Sound Labs. The two speaker systems are ideal fits for each space, while maintaining a consistent operations interface with Q-Sys. Separately, the arena is designed to acoustically minimize reverb. This is accomplished with a permanent house curtain system in the top of the building as well as with cloth seating and acoustical roof battens. The arena’s sound system includes a Beranger X32 Digital Mixing Console and four-channel Clear-Com communication system, among other elements. The arena is equipped with 10 spotlights that can be moved to a number of different locations on the catwalk. BACKSTAGE AREAS: The arena has a total of 16 rooms on the Artist Hallway for the use of the touring shows, including three star dressing rooms, three large team locker rooms, six offices, a press room, dining room, kitchen and miscellaneous room. AUDIENCE AMENITIES: Infinite Energy Arena provides Priority Access Members with exclusive benefits such as early access to purchasing tickets, exclusive parking and 10 percent F&B discount at concession stands. Premium Suite Holder benefits include opportunity to purchase additional tickets, entry to the arena through a private Suite Level entrance and in-suite catering by Proof of the Pudding.
Duluth, GA • infiniteenergycenter.com Located just outside of Atlanta, Infinite Energy Center sits on a 90-acre lakefront campus that includes a 13,000-seat arena (Infinite Energy Arena), a 708-seat theater (Infinite Energy Theater) as well as a variety of meeting facilities. Hosted events include ECHL Atlanta Gladiators and NLL Georgia Swarm games, as well as concerts by Carrie Underwood, Justin Timberlake, George Strait, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney and more. The Infinite Energy Center is in the very early phases of expanding and renovating its campus. Over the next several years, projects will include doubling the convention space, replacing surface parking with parking decks, creating additional ingress/egress options, improving the interior fixtures and furniture, and improving exterior walkability aspects. On a larger scale, an entertainment district and headquarters hotel will be developed. CAPACITIES: Center-stage configuration, 12,670. End-stage configuration capacities range from 10,151 to 12,680. Theater and ¼-, ½- and ¾-house configurations available. Infinite Energy Arena STAGING: Typical stage area – 60 ft. by 40 ft. 46
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
Street Live! (Nov. 19-20), Steve Martin & Martin Short (Nov. 29), Elton John (Dec. 4), Metallica (Jan. 22), Fleetwood Mac (Feb. 13) and Carrie Underwood (May 3). CAPACITY: Scalable from 3,500 up to 18,000. Equipped with one-half and upper curtain system. STAGING: StageRight adjustable from 4 ft. to 6 ft. to as large as required. Open beam ceiling, 75 ft. to floor. Truck dock at floor level; animal staging area available. AUDIOVISUAL: Six Lycian 1290 XLT Spotlights, four Strong Zenon Super Trooper Spotlights, 10 spotlight positions. Sound system features a Yamaha MG 24/14 FX Console. BACKSTAGE AREAS: Five small dressing rooms with showers, five large dressing rooms with showers, four large multipurpose rooms, sports training room, catering prep area and two dining rooms, sky boxes, press box and press room FOOD & BEVERAGE: 15 fixed stands/bars; combined POS 64 with 24 portables on concourse. There are seven restaurants across the street in the BJCC Uptown District PARKING: 3,151 spaces
Legacy Arena at BJCC
ACCESSIBILITY/PARKING: The Center is easily accessible to Interstate I-85 and a number of other side streets. Onsite, the Center has three main lots and a six-level parking deck (4,646 total spaces). MARKET/DEMOGRAPHICS: Gwinnett County has a population of 920,260 that is 55 percent White, 28.7 percent African American, 21.2 percent Hispanic or Latino, and 12.2 percent Asian. Nearly 35 percent hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the median household income is $61,865.
LEGACY ARENA AT BJCC
Birmingham, AL • bjcc.org By 2022, Legacy Arena will have completed a $125 million renovation led by Populous. The Arena is drawing top-shelf acts to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. Upcoming shows include David Byrne (Oct. 3), NEEDTOBREATHE (Oct. 4), Alice in Chains (Oct. 24), Sesame
RP FUNDING CENTER
Lakeland, FL • rpfundingcenter.com The RP Funding Center will complete a $14.7 million renovation in January 2019. The two-phase project includes numerous initiatives such as remodeling the dressing rooms, installing a new sound system and video boards, adding new flooring and wall treatments, new basketball courts, new theater seats and curtaining system, and more. Upcoming events include The Harlem Globetrotters (Dec. 4), Moscow Ballet (Dec. 20) and Jay Leno (Jan. 5). Continued on page 50
RP Funding Center FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
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GETTING HERE IS EASY. IT’S THAT WHOLE LEAVING PART THAT’S TOUGH. Not only is Birmingham centrally-located, but so are our meeting facilities. And while having space that’s all in one place and just 10 minutes from the airport is reason to come here, it’s the food, drink and after-hours entertainment that make it so hard to leave. Book your next convention in the place where business meets pleasure. In Birmingham.
inbirmingham.com | # INB irmingham | 800 - 458 - 8085 350K SQUARE FEET OF MEETING AND EXHIBITION SPACE • 18K SEAT ARENA • 4K SEATS IN TWO THEATERS • ALL ON THE BIRMINGHAM-JEFFERSON CONVENTION COMPLEX CAMPUS.
18,000 Seats With CrossWalk To Hotel
3,000 Seat Concert Hall
276 Seat Forum Theater
220,000 Sq. Ft Exhibit Space
1048 Hotel Rooms
2 Elegant Ballrooms
90 Meeting Rooms
ALABAMA’S FOREMOST CONVENTION & MEETING DESTINATION. The BJCC is located in the heart of downtown Birmingham, just 10 minutes away from the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. The complex includes two luxury hotels and eight restaurants and bars in the adjacent Uptown Entertainment District which includes global entertainment leader, Topgolf . The BJCC features covered, convenient parking and climate controlled crosswalks to the hotels.
bjcc.org | #BJCC |
. .
877 THE BJCC
Mention this ad to receive 10% off
of your next meeting when booking before 12/31/19. Some restrictions apply.
Continued from page 47
MARISA FLYNN
DIRECTOR OF BOOKING, MILLS ENTERTAINMENT Marisa Flynn and her team at Mills Entertainment have worked with the RP Funding Center and Youkey Theatre for many seasons. Bookings include Theresa Caputo, from TLC’s Long Island Medium, this past spring, as well as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood LIVE, Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood from Whose Line is it Anyway? and Nat Geo WILD’s Cesar Millan. What are your impressions of the RP Funding Center’s staff and their effectiveness in supporting your clients’ shows? [Assistant Director/Booking] Scott Sloman has been
CAPACITY: George Jenkins Arena, nearly 10,000; Youkey Theatre, 2,226; meeting and exhibition space, 100,000 sq. ft. STAGING: The Arena’s maximum stage dimensions are 60 ft. by 40 ft.; height is adjustable from 4 ft. to 6 ft. Larger stage is available at additional cost. YouKey Theatre stage floor is 78 ft. wide by 42 ft. deep. AUDIOVISUAL: House lighting system features overhead metal halide lighting, six Strong Gladiator 3k spotlights, two Strong Super Trooper 2k spotlights. PA suitable for music playback system with full coverage of arena bowl; arena floor is covered from a centralized cluster. House console is a Midas Venice 16 Channel Mixer. BACKSTAGE AREAS: Two star dressing rooms (15 ft. by 7.9 ft.), four team or chorus rooms (30 ft. by 23 ft.), four meeting rooms, two promoter/production offices and three smaller offices. All rooms equipped with high-speed Internet. EVENT PROMOTION: The RP Funding Center offers full in-house marketing services to its events, promoters and clients. MARKET DEMOGRAPHICS: Highly educated, 95 percent Caucasian, 43 percent travel from outside of Polk County. Core demographic is the mature market made up of retirees and snowbirds, proven to have more leisure time but limited discretionary income.
SPECTRUM CENTER
Charlotte, NC • spectrumcentercharlotte.com Home to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, the Spectrum Center opened in 2005 as the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The arena has since become a major routing stop in the Carolinas. Upcoming 50
a fantastic partner over the years. He is eager to program shows that are commercially successful with strong box offices, and add variety to the season. Located in a competitive market, Scott and his programming team have always been quick to respond and interested in partnering to make sure we have the right date and terms for each show. [During the Theresa Caputo show] the front-of-house team was outstanding and made the day smooth and enjoyable for our crew. How did the marketing staff assist you in co-promoting Theresa Caputo? The RP Funding Center’s marketing team supported our team from onsale to night of show. They were able to send multiple eblasts on our behalf as well as run Facebook contests to drive sales. The RP Funding Center team was generous with inclusion on the arena ribbon board, LED screens, marquee placement as well as other local exposure, all while being mindful of the budget. Can you highlight any physical features of the RP Funding Center that you believe set it apart? The merchandise location front of house was fantastic and helped spotlight Theresa’s line to make it easy for audience members who wanted to take home a souvenir.
events include Disney On Ice (Sept. 27-30), Maroon 5 (Oct. 4), Metallica (Oct. 22), WWE Monday Night Raw (Oct. 29), Jeff Dunham (Nov. 9) and Justin Timberlake (Jan. 8). CAPACITIES: End-stage 180°, 13,000-14,000; end-stage 220°, 14,000-15,000; end-stage 240°, 14,500-15,500; end-stage 270°, 15,500-16,500; end-stage 360°, 16,500-17,500; center stage, 16,000-17,000. Basketball: 16,000-17,000 capacity. Theater: 4,000-7,000 capacity. STAGING: Steel height: 112 ft. from floor. Floor size: 85 ft. wide by 200 ft. long (more space available with advance request to Director of Events). Push distance to end stage: 100 ft. pending stage location and arena configuration. AUDIOVISUAL: Front-of-house audio system features a Berhinger X32 Digital Audio Console and six EAW Speaker arrays powered by QSC Amplifiers. Intelligent lights: Road Hog 4 Lighting Console with 20 Varilite VL3000 Luminaires. In the summer of 2016, Spectrum Center added one of the largest center-hung scoreboards in the NBA. BACKSTAGE AREAS: Four star dressing rooms that share same hall access; six production offices, also sharing the same hall. FOOD & BEVERAGE: 53 concession outlets, two restaurants AUDIENCE AMENITIES: Club Lounges, Suites, Terrace Tables and Royal Boxes. The latter deliver a first-class hospitality experience that is unique to the Charlotte market. Royal Boxes have a semi-private “open-air” design and are equipped with flat-screen TVs, ergonomic executive chairs, granite countertops and other luxury features. PROMOTION: Internal signage ranges from marquee FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
Spectrum Center and scoreboard signage, elevator poster signage, LED 360 signage and concourse promotional signage. Digital marketing includes eblasts, mobile app advertisements, social media promotions and website placement. An NBA venue, Spectrum Center has unique Charlotte Hornets crosspromotional opportunities. The staff works closely with key
GRANT LYMAN
PRESIDENT, LIVE NATION CAROLINAS The Live Nation Carolinas office has been involved in bringing acts to the Spectrum Center since it opened as the Charlotte Bobcats Arena in 2005. What artists have you recently booked at the arena? How successful were these events? In 2018 alone, our office has helped bring Lana Del Rey, Kid Rock, Kevin Hart, Eagles, Bon Jovi, James Taylor, Def Leppard & Journey, Hall & Oates, Sam Smith and Rod Stewart to the Spectrum Center, all of which were very successful and big shows for Charlotte. We still have Florence & The Machine, Maroon 5, Nicki Minaj & Future and Metallica coming up this year, with even more to come. FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
community outlets and grassroots third-party partners in the market to create localized and creative cross-promotions for upcoming events. LOCATION: Charlotte is among the fastest-growing cities in the United States, which keeps the market audience everchanging and diverse.
Does the local market especially favor certain types of live events or musical genres? One of the best things about Charlotte is its diversity both in population and musical tastes. Almost all artists and genres resonate with Charlotte fans — just look at the list of shows we have coming this year. Can you highlight any physical features of the facility that you believe set it apart? At 13 years old, the Spectrum Center has done an incredible job reinvesting money to keep it up to date technologically and operationally. Artists regularly comment on the ease of their day at Spectrum Center, from the ease of their load-in to the comfort of their dressing rooms. Spectrum Center does a great job of improving both the artist and fan experience. How would you assess their co-promotion and other services? The staff at the Spectrum Center are incredible at helping us pull off our events. Their teams in box office, booking support, marketing, operations, security and production are top notch and go out of their way to make sure we have a smooth day in our interactions, and go above and beyond for the touring parties. 51
INDIANA
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
T
he Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, IN, is now more than one million sq. ft. under one roof and has welcomed at least one million visitors annually for 27 consecutive years. It is one of 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 newly renovated 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 the Memorial Coliseum is the state’s second-largest public assembly facility. Easily accessible from major Midwest cities, such as Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Columbus and Cincinnati, the market offers affordable local media and easy, convenient routing for touring productions and events.
Arena
The Coliseum Arena is home to the Komets (ECHL) and the Mad Ants (NBA G-League), and annually hosts major concerts and family show events. A new four-sided, center-hung, high-definition video scoreboard and new LED ribbon boards were installed in the summer of 2018. The arena features a custom curtaining system to reduce capacity when needed. Updated concourses and restrooms provide a modern feel. New and expanded concession areas offer a great variety of food and beverage options to guests.
Expo Center
The Coliseum Expo Center is 152,000 sq. ft. of multipurpose space with two portable walls and portable telescopic seating units. The main Expo Center room can be used in its entirety of 108,000 sq. ft. or in smaller increments. Ample loading docks and drive-through bays facilitate easy load-in and load-out for sports, concerts, and trade and consumer shows.
4000 Parnell Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46805 (260) 482-9502 memorialcoliseum.com
Conference Center
The new, 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 portable walls. The luxurious prefunction lobby space and the state-of-the-art CREATE Tasting Kitchen provide an impressive venue for banquets, corporate meetings, tradeshows and other events. Built-in screens, projectors and intelligent LED lighting make audiovisual planning easy and convenient. 52
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Arena - Expo Center - Conference Center
For booking information, contact: Randy L. Brown, CFE 260.482.9502 or rbrown@memorialcoliseum.com
ARIZONA
SUN DEVIL STADIUM
T
he vision for the ASU 365 Community Union was born out of the realization of a unique problem facing universities, cities and nations across the world: spending big money on stadiums, arenas and other athletic facilities that are ultimately utilized only a few days a year. The ASU 365 Community Union transforms the traditional stadium model into a year-round events center and entertainment district, creating a path for a sustainable stadium/arena environment. Strategically located in the heart of the Valley of the Sun, the ASU 365 Community Union will be a diverse cultural hub where people can converge on campus to enjoy exciting and expansive programming designed for the entire community, with food service as diverse as ASU’s student population and activities that will enthrall audiences of all ages and backgrounds. ASU is building and managing this massive and iconic Community Union that will continue to distinguish ASU as a visionary university. Converting a football stadium with a 2 percent utilization rate into a Community Union serving the entire metropolitan area has never been done before. Arizona State University is turning to an experienced leader of high-profile events to spearhead the effort to transform Sun Devil Stadium into a cultural hub available for use year-round. As the stadium renovation project continues, President Michael Crow has named Colleen JenningsRoggensack, ASU Vice President for Cultural Affairs and Executive Director of ASU Gammage, to lead the new Sun Devil Stadium into the future.
The 365 Community Union will be a dynamic cultural entertainment hub that operates 365 days a year and acts as a model for venues around the world. The 365 Community Union will feature exciting world-class programming, concerts, film festivals, dining and cultural events. The 365 Community Union will also act as the home for Sun Devil Athletics, Pat Tillman Veterans Center, Public Service Academy, Global Sport Institute, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication newsroom and academic classrooms. The ASU 365 Community Union will be the “it” place for cardio and concerts, festivals and farmer’s markets. It will be a place for your morning jog and morning joe; for movies and meals; and a place to showcase the leaders on the field and the leaders of tomorrow. ASU’s goal is to bring the community together in a way that has never been done before. For more information, call (480) 727-2772 or visit asu365communityunion.com.
500 East Veterans Way, Tempe, AZ 85287 • (480) 965-2381 • thesundevils.com 54
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
Phoenix Metro’s
SUN DEVIL STADIUM - 53,000+ SEATS
Best Location
For events big and small,
ASU has a venue
that’s just right for your needs!
The nation’s largest and most innovative university is ready to host your major event!
ASU GAMMAGE - 2,800 SEATS +
ASU Gammage outdoor and Wells Fargo Arena photos: Tim Trumble
WELLS FARGO ARENA - 10,000+ SEATS
Sun Devil Stadium | 480.727.2772 | asu365communityunion.com ASU Gammage | 480.965.1749 | asugammage.com
NORTH CAROLINA
CABARRUS ARENA & EVENTS CENTER
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 square feet 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.
4751 HIGHWAY 49 NORTH CONCORD, NC 28025 (704) 920-3976 CABARRUSARENA.COM For booking information call:
Situated in Concord, North Carolina, 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 only minutes form the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills, the most visited tourist attraction in the state of North Carolina.
Debbie Shields (704) 920-3988 dshields@cabarrusarena.com Kenny Robinson (704) 920-3986 klrobinson@cabarrusarena.com
Just a few laid-back miles from Charlotte and worlds away from the hassle of the city.
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RHODE ISLAND
Dunkin’ Donuts Center
P
rovidence 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 scoreboard, as well as concessions and restaurant facilities. There are 5,500 hotel rooms in the Greater Providence area, 1,800 located within walking distance of the Center. The Center’s Marketing Department staff is comprised 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 relations 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, RI 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.
One LaSalle Square Providence, RI 02903 (401) 331-0700 (401) 621-5987 dunkindonutscenter.com
New England’s Premier Entertainment Arena
Contacts:
CONCERTS - SPORTING EVENTS FAMILY SHOWS - AND MORE
Cheryl Cohen, Director of Booking (p) 401.331.0700 ext.7123 ccohen@dunkindonutscenter.com Debra Polselli, Booking
(p) 401.331.0700 ext.7112
dpolselli@dunkindonutscenter.com 58
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
ONTARIO
THE ELGIN AND WINTER GARDEN THEATrE CENTRE 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 vaudevilleera 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 Winter 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 multiuse 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.
189 Yonge Street Toronto, ON (416) 325-4144 heritagetrust.on.ca/ewg
Musicals | Dramas Concerts | Film Premières Town Halls | Product Launches
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
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SOUTH CAROLINA
FLORENCE CENTER
At the CENTER of success
Meet. Plan. Experience.
W
hether you’re planning an industry tradeshow, a professional luncheon, or the performance of a lifetime, the Florence Center is at the center of your success. The facility’s unique combination of quality amenities, professional planning and world-class catering by Savor can turn events of all sizes into experiences to remember. The newly renovated Florence Center now offers nine professional meeting rooms, a Junior Ballroom, Grand Ballroom, ultra-modern kitchen and a fresh new look to accompany the 10,000-seat arena. The venue was already the largest convention, meeting and exhibition facility in northeast South Carolina and now offers over 75,000 sq. ft. of flexible space for social, business and ticketed events. The SMG-managed venue sits in the heart of the hospitality district at the intersection of I-95 and I-20 in Florence, centrally located as the midway marker between New York and Miami. This southern hotspot offers over 1,700 adjacent hotel rooms, an abundance of neighboring chain restaurants and local cuisine, and the region’s premier shopping plazas. The Florence Center is the perfect destination for any and every size gathering. The adaptable facility offers meeting spaces for 10 to 10,000 attendees. Featured Services: SAVOR…Food & Beverage Services, InHouse Marketing Team, ADA & Hearing Impaired Technology, 2,250 Onsite Complimentary Parking Spaces, Fiber Optic Cabling, High-Speed WiFi and more.
SAVOR…Florence catering by SMG is the exclusive caterer for the recently remodeled Florence Center. The new and innovative 5,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art kitchen can accommodate events of all types and sizes. The vast and flexible menu offers customizable dining options for every occasion. The world-class catering services offer fresh meats and seafood, locally grown produce, southern favorites or exotic delights, sophisticated plated meals or traditional buffets, sweet treats, stylish cocktails, incredible ice sculptures and every amenity to meet your needs. The venue’s Executive Chef and his staff have the experience and creativity to satisfy the most discriminating tastes, accommodate special requests and provide impeccable service. The Florence Center’s seasoned professional meeting planners and event organizers are onsite and ready to assist. With the staff’s decades of experience in setting up, operating and organizing tradeshows, conferences, conventions, luncheons, professional and public tickets events, you are sure to be at the center of success. Whatever type event you may be organizing, the facility’s professional event managers and meeting planners will elevate your occasion into an experience to remember.
3300 West Radio Drive, Florence, SC 29501 • (843) 679-9417; Fax: (843) 679-9429 • florencecenter.com 60
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
TEXAS
FAIR PARK
F
air Park has it all! This urban cultural, entertainment and sporting destination annually welcomes more than seven million visitors who enjoy year-round special events, award-winning stage performances, electrifying concerts and spectacular sporting matchups. Others try to beat the clock by walking or running in one of many 5K and half-marathon courses that wind through this historic park. From art walks to yoga in the park, Fair Park last year hosted more than 2,100 family-friendly festivals and programs that appealed to diverse interests. Among those were the North Texas Irish Fest, Black Invitational Rodeo, Fair Park Fourth, Big Texas Beer Fest and Taste of Dallas. More than 100 weekly programs brought families out to see movies, exercise on the lawn and relax under the stars at concerts. Located on 277 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, Fair Park is home to museums and performance facilities/ organizations including the Dallas Summer Musicals, Dos Equis Pavilion, African American Museum, Dallas Aquarium, Hall of State, Texas Discovery Gardens and Dallas Historical Society. Through the years, Cotton Bowl Stadium at Fair Park has been the backdrop for unforgettable moments in sports history. This national icon attracted soccer fans from around the world for the 1994 World Cup. Soccer fans continue to gather at Cotton Bowl Stadium for the Dallas Cup and international matches that have featured C.F. Monterrey and Pumas UNAM. Longstanding collegiate gridiron matchups between the universities of Oklahoma and Texas, and Louisiana’s Grambling State University and Texas’s Prairie View A&M, bring thousands of alumni and fans. High school football comes to Fair Park when area teams face off during the Prep Showcase.
An American treasure, Fair Park is a National Historic Landmark and houses the largest collection of 1930s Art Deco buildings, art and sculpture in the United States. The 700-ft. Esplanade Fountain — just one of the park’s many showcase attractions — features its 272 water jets synced to lighting and music that ranges from classical to Texas tunes such as The Yellow Rose of Texas. In addition, the American Planning Association designated Fair Park as a Great Place in America for excellence in planning for an urban public space. With almost 800,000 sq. ft. of accessible space, Fair Park has a wide variety of buildings and areas available for lease, creating an amazing array of unique sites for small, large and mega special events. From versatile exhibit halls to pavilions and plazas to a coliseum and amphitheater, there is an ideal venue to accommodate any occasion. Making its debut to the park this year is the ultra-modern Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center. The 55,000-sq.-ft. Silver LEED-certified multiuse facility — owned by the City of Dallas and managed by Fair Park — has prefunction areas, meeting rooms, auditorium and banquet areas. Briscoe Carpenter is an event space for private and public events, educational, livestock, agricultural and community programs. At the heart of it all, Fair Park is located minutes from downtown Dallas. While trolleys delivered visitors to the gates in the 1930s, Fair Park is now served by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail and bus routes. Guests arriving by car will find ample parking.
Dallas, TX • fairpark.org 62
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
It’s Only Getting Better
NORTH CAROLINA
GREENSBORO COLISEUM COMPLEX
T
he Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, a new state-of-the-art performance venue, will open in March 2020 in Greensboro, NC. The $85 million facility is designed to host local, national and major touring events including concerts, touring Broadway productions, a speaking series, orchestral performances, comedy shows and family entertainment. The brand-new venue will be centrally located in Greensboro’s growing downtown area, adjacent to the new $10 million LeBauer Park, the Greensboro Historical Museum, Central Library, Cultural Arts Center and Center City Park, creating a unique arts district for the entire community. The Tanger Center will be home to a Nederlander Presents Broadway Series, the Bryan Lecture Series and the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra. The venue will host more than 150 performances annually and serve as an anchor for downtown revitalization with new hotels, restaurants, apartments and condominiums. It will be an open house to outside promoters for concerts. Construction will feature a limestone and glass lobby of 8,000 sq. ft., Phillips Hall, ample backstage support and storage space for touring Broadway shows and concerts, and over 325 onsite parking spaces. The Tanger Center includes three seating areas — orchestra, grand tier and first tier — creating a total of 3,000 seats, making it one of the largest theaters between Atlanta and Washington, DC. The new Tanger Center is just one option for promoters looking to bring their event to the Piedmont Triad area (Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point), the 46th-largest television market in the United States. The market has a
complete ladder of venues for hosting unique events. Larger seating capacities are available at several other venues at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, including the 167,000-sq.-ft. Special Events Center that includes three exhibition halls, a 5,000-seat mini-arena and eight meeting rooms. Located on the southern end of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex campus, White Oak Amphitheatre hosts a diverse selection of concerts, community events, fairs and arts and crafts and festivals. The outdoor venue features a seating capacity of more than 6,000, with 2,000 reserved seats and general admission lawn seating for more than 4,000 patrons. The 22,000-seat Greensboro Coliseum has a long and distinguished history of hosting ACC and NCAA basketball championships, as well as concerts by some of the top names in the recording industry, including Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The staff at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex also manages bookings at Winston Salem’s Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial (LJVM) Coliseum and BB&T Field. Considered one of the most beautiful stadiums of its size in the nation, BB&T Field is home to the Wake Forest University Demon Deacon football team. BB&T Field seats 35,000 for concerts, having recently hosted Guns N’ Roses (Aug. 13, 2017) with Billy Joel slated for Oct. 13, 2018. LJVM Coliseum’s flexible design offers a variety of seating (3,000 to 14,000) and stage options to efficiently accommodate many types of performances. Recent improvements include new videoboards, ribbon displays, LED lighting and concession upgrades.
1921 Gate City Boulevard, Greensboro, NC 27403 • (336) 373-7400 • greensborocoliseum.com FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
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Anne Murray Amy Grant Ani DiFranco Ben Harper Bill Burr Blue Man Group Blues Traveler Bob Dylan Carlos Mencia Chicago Chris Tomlin Daniel Tosh Dave Chappelle Dave Matthews Derek and Julianna Hough Emerson Lake & Palmer Experience Hendrix Fitz & the Tantrums Gabriel Iglesias George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars Glen Campbell Gordon Lightfoot Government Mule Harry Connick, Jr. Home Free Indigo Girls Jackson Browne Jars of Clay Jason Mraz Joe Bonamassa John Prine Jonny Lang Kathy Griffin Little Big Town Lyle Lovett Mannheim Steamroller Matchbox 20 Melissa Etheridge Mercy Me Michael W. Smith moe. Moody Blues Natalie Merchant Norah Jones O.A.R. Prairie Home Companion Ray LaMontagne Red Green Rick Springfield Ringo Starr Rockapella Rodney Carrington Ron White Ryan Adams Santana Sarah McLachlan Second City Touring Co. Sheryl Crow Smashing Pumpkins Steven Curtis Chapman Tedeschi Trucks Band Third Day Tim Allen Tori Amos Tracy Chapman Weird Al Yankovic Widespread Panic Willie Nelson
AMES, IOWA *Awarded by the American Institute of Architects, Iowa Chapter in 2004
For booking information on 2,600-seat Stephens Auditorium, contact Tammy Koolbeck at 515-294-3347 or tkool@iastate.edu.
A Rich History Of Legendary Performances Spanning Nearly A Century. Our landmark theatre has attracted prominent acts since 1922, including: Houdini, Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, The Eagles, Marvin Gaye, Harry Connick Jr., Steve Martin & Martin Short and many, many more.
2,564 Seat Historic Venue Great Rates & Marketing Support Centrally Located, 90 miles From Chicago: 10 minutes from I-80/90 Toll Road & University of Notre Dame
BOOK YOUR SHOW
574.235.5901 South Bend, IN | MorrisCenter.org
NEW YORK
TIMES UNION CENTER
O
wned by Albany County and managed by SMG, Times Union Center opened in 1990 and is home to the Division I Men’s College Basketball Siena Saints. The arena has hosted such prestigious artists as the Rolling Stones, U2, Kenny Chesney, Paul McCartney and Bruno Mars. The state-of-the-art curtaining system allows capacities to be adjusted between 6,000 and 17,000 seats. The center just completed $30 million in renovations to the front exterior, front atrium, concourse, suites, restrooms and parking garage entrance. Renovations included the addition of new 70-ft. LED screens to the outside of the facility, an enclosed and temperature-controlled atrium, new escalators and stairs, and live landscaping. Upgrades to the interior include renovations to all suites, bathrooms and concession stands. Backstage areas include three team-sized locker rooms and seven star dressing rooms. There are over 1,200 hotel rooms and nearly 22,000 parking spaces in the downtown area, 1,000 of which are located in the attached parking garage. The Times Union Center is located within minutes of the Amtrak station, Greyhound Terminal and Albany International Airport. The arena is also easily accessible via Interstates 787, 90 and 87. Easy access to the capital region is key since Times Union Center draws patrons from all over New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut. There are more than 20 colleges and universities in the Greater Capital Region, with nine of them located within the Albany City Limits. This large population of students adds to the diverse culture of Albany. The Times Union Center’s marketing department has access
to media outlets throughout New York, Massachusetts and Vermont. The in-house department also offers complete coordination of advertising production and placement, group sales, promotions and publicity. The Times Union Center has an email database of more than 225,000 members and more than 30,000 fans on social media. The Times Union Center has a rich history of bringing concerts, family shows and sporting events to the Capital Region of New York. More than 17 million fans have seen artists ranging from Frank Sinatra, who opened the building in 1990, to Garth Brooks in three sold-out shows in 2017. In between, the arena has seen the likes of Metallica, Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood and many more. In addition to the best in music, the Times Union Center has seen a number of sports milestones, including Boston College winning their first-ever NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in 2001, Cael Sanderson completing his career undefeated at the 2002 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Syracuse University winning their first-ever NCAA Men’s Basketball East Regional in 2003, and the UCONN Women winning their 22nd Basketball East Regional in 2015. In March 2017, the Times Union Center celebrated the grand opening of its sister facility, the Albany Capital Center. Together with the Empire State Plaza, the buildings will make up what will be known as the Capital Complex, offering 159,000 sq. ft. of combined event space, making it the largest complex of its kind in Upstate New York. Situated in the midst of historic downtown Albany, the Times Union Center stays on the pulse of Capital Region entertainment and continues to improve as the years pass.
51 South Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12207 • timesunioncenter-albany.com 68
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
NEVADA
T-MOBILE ARENA
I
n the center of the Entertainment Capital of the World, T-Mobile Arena shines as the pillar of breathtaking events, creating astonishing moments for artists and fans alike through every guitar riff, knockout and goal. Drawing sell-out headliners such as Guns N’ Roses, Rolling Stones and U2, and hosting major UFC, NBA and college basketball, and boxing events, T-Mobile Arena’s lineup continues to impress. Last year, the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights raised the bar at T-Mobile Arena, breaking records in professional performance and attendance, and earning a spot in the Stanley Cup Final after seven months of intense hockey. Unbelievable energy and unwavering passion filled the arena game after game, spreading camaraderie throughout the city, all heralding the Vegas Golden Knights, and T-Mobile Arena, as the epicenter of greatness. VIP Experiences For those wanting an elevated experience or hosting clients or business meetings, T-Mobile Arena sets the stage beautifully with luxurious suites and terrace tables offering private and semi-private seating, inseat service and total comfort. In addition, T-Mobile Arena offers the most impressive pre-event experiences perched high above the arena in one of three exclusive lounges.
For more information, e-mail premium@ tmobilearena.com. Features • Hosts 100-150 events annually • Concert capacities: 20,000 (center stage) 8,000 (end stage) UFC®/Boxing – 20,000 Basketball – 18,000 Hockey – 17,500 • World-class, Las Vegas-style design with unrivaled Premium Seating products including 54 suites and over two dozen private loge boxes • Toshiba Plaza – two-acre outdoor space available for pre- and post-event functions • Sustainable design: Designed for U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold Certification PARK THEATER AT PARK MGM 3770 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109 • (702) 692-5308 • Parktheaterlv.com Nestled in the dynamic neighborhood between The Park, T-Mobile Arena and Park MGM, Park Theater continues to change the landscape of small-venue entertainment. State-of-the-art technology allows artists to craft larger-than-life experiences in an intimate space, building a pure and sincere connection with fans.
World-renowned performers are drawn to the magic of Park Theater and hold extended engagements that inspire fans night after night. Bruno Mars, Cher and Stevie Wonder have all called Park Theater home, and most recently, Lady Gaga has announced her ENIGMA show with select jazz and piano performances as well. Features • Capacity scalable from 2,600 to 3,500 5,300 (seated) 6,300 (GA) • 14,000 sq. ft. of flat-floor event space with flexible configurations • Five outdoor terraces • Seven bars including reception areas • One private reception area (meet & greet room); 560 sq. ft. • Retractable orchestra seating • Banquet configurations with full catering available for up to 1,100 guests Technology • 240 ft.-by-50 ft. immersive, high-definition projection surface surrounds the 135 ft.by-40 ft. proscenium opening • On-stage 80 ft.-by-40 ft. proscenium opening • On-stage 80 ft.-by-40 ft. LED wall with 4k resolution – the largest and highest resolution LED wall in a theatrical venue • Two 24 ft.-by-12.5 ft. I-MAG projection screens with 4k resolution
3780 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89158 • (702) 692-1600 • t-mobilearena.com FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
69
The Facilities Media Group Essential Industry Tools
Facilities & Event Management 2017 Luminary Awards 00
2018
BEDROCK COMMUNICATIONS, INC. 152 Madison Ave., Ste. 802, New York, NY 10016
TM
BOOKING GUIDE
For Booking Agents, Promoters, Talent Buyers, Special Event Planners & Venue Managers
INTRODUCING
FIRST NATIONAL BANK ARENA
NEWLY NAMED VENUE SET TO RAISE ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY’S PROFILE IN THE LIVE EVENTS MARKET 00
Counterterrorism Education for Venues 00
CVB Roundtable: Sports Market 00
Hosting eSports 00
Spotlight: Canada 00
James Brown, CFE Director
Terry Mohajir
Director of Athletics
Bringing Venues to the Meeting & Events Market Since 1988
FAC ILITIE S DIR E CTO R Y TEXAS
Alamodome
100 Montana St., San Antonio, TX 78203 (210) 207-3663 alamodome.com Booking Services Manager: Michael Flores
INDIANA
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
4000 Parnell Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46805 (260) 482-9502; Fax: (260) 484-1637 memorialcoliseum.com General Manager: Randy L. Brown
ARIZONA
ASU Gammage
PO Box 870105; Tempe, AZ 85287-0105 (480) 965-1749 asugammage.com Rental Coordinator: Betsy Callahan betsy.callahan@asu.edu
Opened in 1993, the Alamodome has consistently hosted a wide range of entertainment and sporting events, averaging 150 events per year. Highlights include NCAA Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, the Big XII Championships, the annual Alamo Bowl game, Disney on Ice and specialized motor sports entertainment. The versatile facility spans over 160,000 sq. ft. of flexible space. Capacities: Full stadium – football and soccer: 63,682. Full stadium – concert: 43,672. Full stadium – in the round: 73,086. Arena basketball: 31,853. Arena concert: 26,345. Illusions theater: 11,602. Savor is the PAGE exclusive F&B provider at the Alamodome. 39 The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum has over one million sq. ft. of multipurpose event space, consisting of an Arena, Expo Center and Conference Center. With an MSA population of well over 450,000, Fort Wayne is Indiana’s second-largest city, within a day’s drive of 55 million. Arena capacities: End concert - 180: 8,843; end concert - 240: 10,006; end concert - 270: 10,297; end concert - 360: 12,045; hockey: 10,495; basketball: 11,083. 24 luxury suites, one super suite, 318 club seats. Expo Center has 152,000 sq. ft. of multipurpose space capable of hosting concerts (8,000) and tradeshows. Conference Center PAGE is 27,155 sq. ft. of carpeted space that can separate into five breakout rooms. 53 For more than 50 years, ASU Gammage has been a top cultural destination in the Valley. The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed performing arts center located on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University is one of the largest university-based presenters of performing arts in the world and a top touring market for Broadway. Home to the Desert Schools Broadway Across America – Arizona and Beyond series, ASU Gammage and its mission of Connecting Communities goes beyond the stage and programs and impacts the community through shared experiences in the arts. PAGE 55
MANITOBA, CANADA
Bell MTS Place
300 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3C 5S4 (204) 987-7825; Fax: (204) 926-5555 bellmtsplace.ca Senior VP, Venues & Entertainment: Kevin Donnelly
ALABAMA
Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena
2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N., Birmingham, AL 35203 (877) THE-BJCC; (205) 458-8400; Fax: (205) 458-8438 bjcc.org Executive Director: Tad Snider PENNSYLVANIA
Bryce Jordan Center
127 Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA 16802 (814) 865-5555 bjc.psu.edu General Manager: Al Karosas
NORTH CAROLINA
Cabarrus Arena & Event Center 4751 Hwy 49 North, Concord, NC 28025 (704) 920-3976; Fax: (704) 920-3999 cabarrusarena.com Sales & Marketing Manager: Debbie Shields
The geographic center of North America, Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba, a province of 1.2 million+. Bell MTS Place is home to the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets and can accommodate a variety of configurations for 3,500 to 14,000 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 three premier artist dressing rooms, five team rooms, venue and tour catering areas, offices, Sico stage (up to 72 ft. by 48 ft. with additional pieces available), standard arena house lighting, as well as eight spotPAGE lights ranging from 3K to 2K. Catering by Centerplate; onsite restaurant. 19 Complemented by a new Uptown Entertainment District, the BJCC accommodates events of all types in its Arena, Concert Hall, Theatre, Exhibition Halls and Ballroom. The 18,000-seat Arena has hosted top-name artists, Disney on Ice and major sporting events, including the Southeastern Conference, Sunbelt Conference and NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments. A half-house curtaining system allows a number of seating possibilities within the Arena, with 3,500 being the smallest configuration. The BJCC keeps its patrons up-to-date with traditional and social media; its email database includes more than 251,000 addresses. The complex is located in the heart of the PAGE Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area, home to 1.136 million people. 48 Built adjacent to Indiana University’s 107,282-seat Beaver Stadium, the versatile Bryce Jordan Center was designed to accommodate a variety of groups and events in addition to basketball. The facility has hosted circuses, NBA pre-season games, family shows, commencements and lectures, as well as some of the top name performers in the music industry, including Garth Brooks, Janet Jackson, Billy Joel, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, the Backstreet Boys, Aerosmith, Whitney Houston, Yanni and Metallica. Concert capacity is 15,000. Features include VIP boxes, a top-of-the-line computer-controlled rigging PAGE system, and meeting and function rooms. 32 Multipurpose venue with 150,000 sq. ft. of temperature-controlled event space, plus 11-acre lawn; 28,000-sq.-ft. arena with seating up to 5,000. Exhibition space: Event Center up to 70,000 sq. ft.; Gold Hall up to 30,000 sq. ft.; formal meeting and banquet space up to 5,000 sq. ft. with capabilities of using exhibition space for meetings and banquets. Seven VIP suites; six onsite concession stands. Audience: 313,700 within a 15-mile radius; 1,377,900/30-mile radius; 3,154,100/60-mile radius. PAGE 56
PUERTO RICO
Coliseo de Puerto Rico
500 Arterial B Street, Hato Rey, PR 00918 (787) 777-0800; (877) coliseo (265-4736) coliseodepuertorico.com General 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; basketball – 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. increments; four stairs units; 80 ft. StageRight barricade; 16 food concessions stands plus six onsite concessions restaurants and five bar concessions.
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FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
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New England’s Premier Entertainment Arena
The 14,000-seat Dunkin’ Donuts Center, part of the Rhode Island Convention & Entertainment Complex, offers 31,000 sq. ft. of arena space, a 25,000-sq.-ft. concourse, a 9,000-sq.-ft. lobby and 20 luxury suites. Concerts (various configurations) – 3,50014,000; 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 surface. 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 PAGE Providence. 58 Contacts:Over 38,000 students annually within a five-mile radius of downtown.
RHODE ISLAND
Dunkin’ Donuts Center
1 LaSalle Square, Providence, RI 02903 (401) 331-0700; Fax: (401) 621-5987 dunkindonutscenter.com Director of Marketing, PR & Booking: Cheryl Cohen Booking: Debra Polselli
ONTARIO, CANADA
Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre Centre
CONCERTS - SPORTING EVENTS FAMILY SHOWS - AND MORE
189 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5B 1M4 (416) 325-4144; Fax: (416) 314-3583 heritagetrust.on.ca/ewg Manager of Bookings and Events: Kevin Harris
Cheryl Cohen, Director of Booking (p) 401.331.0700 ext.7123 ccohen@dunkindonutscenter.com
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, Debra Polselli, Booking (p) 401.331.0700 ext.7112 dance, operas, family shows, concerts and other events. Capacities: Elgin Theatre – 1,561; dpolselli@dunkindonutscenter.com Winter Garden Theatre – 992. Cascading reception lobbies range from small intimate gatherings to 900. “Dinner on Stage” events – 80. Plentiful dressing 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 59
Located minutes from Downtown Dallas, Fair Park is an urban cultural, entertainment and sporting destination that annually welcomes more than seven million visitors. Located on 277 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, Fair Park is home to the 92,100-capacity historic Cotton Bowl Stadium, the Dallas Summer Musicals, Dos Equis Pavilion, African American Museum, Dallas Aquarium, Hall of State, Texas Discovery Gardens and Dallas Historical Society. Opening this year is the 55,000-sq.-ft. Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center. Major festivals held at Fair Park include the North Texas Irish Fest, Black PAGE Invitational Rodeo, Fair Park Fourth, Big Texas Beer Fest and Taste of Dallas. 63
TEXAS
Fair Park Dallas, TX fairpark.org
Opened as the Arkansas State University Convocation Center in 1987, First National Bank Arena hosts sporting events, concerts, rodeos, monster truck shows and much more. Capacities: 2,200-seat theater, 8,000-seat 180 degree setup, 11,000 seats in the round. The arena includes a 33,000-sq.-ft. arena floor and 30,000-sq.-ft. mezzanine area, and can accommodate three basketball courts, seven volleyball courts, one tennis court, or a seven-lane, 200-meter indoor track. Back-of-house facilities include four dressing rooms, four team dressing rooms and a production office with dedicated phone lines. The arena has undergone $5 million worth of renovaPAGE tions over the last six years. 61
ARKANSAS
First National Bank Arena 217 Olympic Drive Jonesboro, AR 72401 (870) 972-3870 FNBArena.com Director: James Brown
Multitime recipient of the Prime Site Award, ConventionSouth Reader’s Choice Award and numerous industry accolades, the SMG-managed, newly expanded Florence Center sits in the hospitality district at the intersection of I-95 and I-20, centrally located as the midway marker between New York and Miami. This southern hotspot offers 75,000 sq. ft. of multipurpose space with over 1,700 adjacent hotel rooms for guests attending the 10,000-seat arena (backdrop scaling capacity 2,500-7,500), the 15,000-sq.-ft. Grand Ballroom, Junior Ballroom or any of the nine meeting rooms. Savor food & beverage, in-house marPAGE keting support, fiber-optic cabling, high-speed WiFi, new remodel and expansion. C4
SOUTH CAROLINA
Florence Center
3300 West Radio Drive, Florence, SC 29501 (843) 679-9417; Fax: (843) 679-9429 florencecenter.com General Manager: Paul Beard We’re at the center of success
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; highPAGE 37 definition video board with upper and lower displays and ribbon board.
INDIANA
Ford Center
1 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Evansville, IN 47708 (812) 422-8000; Fax: (812) 436-7001 thefordcenter.com Ford Center Executive Director: Scott Schoenike
Opened in October in time for Sacramento Kings 2016-2017 season, the Golden 1 Center is a state-of-the-art venue nestled in the heart of downtown Sacramento. Surrounded by 2.5 million residents, the Center is at the core of 1.5 million sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space. Features of Golden 1 Center include: Indoor-outdoor multi-use facility for sporting and entertainment events with a seating capacity of 17,500; LEED Platinum certification; advanced WiFi architecture and complex event processing platforms; and a public art collection and a public plaza adjacent to the venue.
CALIFORNIA
Golden 1 Center
500 David J Stern Walk Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 701-5400 golden1center.com Director, Arena Programming: James Rasmussen
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The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is a multi-building facility hosting concerts, family shows, sporting events, consumer shows, fairs, festivals, meetings and more. Facilities include Greensboro Coliseum (seating capacity over 22,000), Odeon Theatre (300 seats), a 167,000-sq.-ft. Special Events Center that includes three exhibition halls (one being a miniarena seating 5,000), Greensboro Aquatic Center, White Oak Amphitheatre and the ACC Hall of Champions. The Complex is one of the most actively booked facilities in the country, hosting more than 1,000 event days on an annual basis. The facility continues to PAGE modernize with $30 million invested in ongoing capital improvements. 33
NORTH CAROLINA
Greensboro Coliseum Complex
1921 West Gate City Blvd., Greensboro, NC 27403 (336) 373-7400 greensborocoliseum.com Deputy Director: Scott Johnson
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Climb our
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK BB&T FIELD • 36,000 Seat Capacity
KANSAS
Hartman Arena
8151 North Hartman Arena Drive, Park City, KS 67147 (316) 744-8880; Fax: (316) 683-2805 Hartmanarena.com Executive Director: Ben Bolander
IOWA
Iowa State Center
Scheman Building, Suite 102, Ames, IA 50011 (515) 294-3347; (877) 843-2368 center.iastate.edu Executive Director: Tammy Koolbeck Great Events Happen Here
ONTARIO, CANADA
Meridian Centre
1 IceDogs Way, Saint Catharines, Ontario (905) 684-8400 meridiancentre.com General Manager: Kerry Painter
INDIANA
Morris Performing Arts Center
211 N. Michigan Street, South Bend, IN 46601 (574) 235-9190; (800) 537-6415; Fax: (574) 235-5604 morriscenter.org Executive Director: Dennis J. Andres The Magnificent Morris Has The Hottest Tickets in Town! STATE
Orleans Arena
4500 West Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89103 (702) 365-7469 orleansarena.com
FLORIDA
RP Funding Center
701 West Lime Street, Lakeland, FL 33815 (863) 834-8100 rpfundingcenter.com Assistant Director: Scott Sloman
CALIFORNIA
California Theatre San Jose Theaters
345 S. First Street, San Jose, CA 95113 (408) 792-4542 sanjosetheaters.org
CALIFORNIA
Center for the Performing Arts San Jose Theaters 255 Almaden Boulevard, San Jose, CA 95113 (408) 792-4542 sanjosetheaters.org
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
Built in 2009 to house indoor football and indoor soccer, Hartman Arena is capable of so much more than just sports. With concert seating for 1,200 to 6,500, this arena is the perfect midsize, multi-use building. Features a 23,000-sq.-ft. arena floor, with an additional 15,000 sq. ft. of concourse space available for expos and conventions. Four locker rooms/ dressing rooms. Two party rooms on the concourse level. 5,000 seats in sports configuration. The arena is easily accessible from I-135, and boasts over 2,000 free parking spots onsite. Other amenities include backstage catering area, 20 private loge boxes, and PAGE numerous opportunities for stage and seating configurations. 41 Iowa State Center, which comprises Stephens Auditorium, Fisher Theater and the Scheman Building, regularly features quality entertainment programming. Hosted acts include Motown the Musical, Bob Dylan, Wizard of Oz and Moscow Festival Ballet Presents Giselle. Stephens Auditorium seats 1,588 orchestra; 467 first balcony with loge; 354 second balcony with loge; 204 third balcony; 2725 total capacity; 112 additional pit seating. Proscenium opening is 70 ft. by 30 ft. Stage floor is 80 ft. wide by 50 ft. deep. Backstage areas include five 1-4 capacity stage level dressing rooms, two chorus rooms and PAGE two orchestra rooms. Fisher Theater seats 434 and houses two dressing rooms. 66 Owned by the city of St. Catharines, the Meridian Centre contributes to the growth and health of the Niagara community by hosting a wide range of sporting and family events, musical concerts and gatherings of all sorts. This 5,300-seat arena is located in the heart of the downtown core with multiple city access points to local dining and entertainment. In-house staff assists with event setup, catering, AV and marketing. The Meridian Centre includes the St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame, founded in 1990 to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of both men and women, athletes and builders who have PAGE contributed to the development of sport in St. Catharines. 31 State-of-the-art PAC ($24.3 million renovation in 2000) originally opened as The Palace Theater in 1922 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.
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Orleans Arena is a Boyd Gaming facility located just west of the Las Vegas Strip. The multipurpose sports and entertainment facility’s distinctions include receiving the 2014 IAVM Venue Excellence Award as well as earning LEED Gold Certification. The 9,500-seat Orleans Arena hosts over 200 events each year, including major touring concerts, rodeos, family shows, corporate events, trade and consumer shows, plus a variety of motor sports (including Las Vegas’ only indoor Monster Truck Show). The venue also hosts over 70 basketball games annually, including two NCAA Conference Championships and two PAGE NCAA non-conference championships each year. 36 Located between Tampa and Orlando, the RP Funding Center is composed of the George Jenkins Arena, 2,296-seat Youkey Theatre and Sikes Hall. The arena can accommodate up to 10,000 for a concert or indoor festival as well as an 85 ft.-by-100 ft. permanent ice floor. Capacities: 6,400, basketball; 5,432, indoor football and hockey; 6,700, end-stage concert; 4,800, arenatorium (halfhouse). The arena has a 60 ft.-by-40 ft. Sico stage with 12 ft.-by-8 in. wings. The theater has a 78 ft.-by-42 ft. stage. Arena backstage areas: four team rooms, two star dressing rooms, show office, washer/dryer, four meeting rooms. Theater backstage areas: two chorus rooms, PAGE four artist rooms, green room, catering room, production office. 34 San Jose Theaters, a division of Team San Jose, is responsible for the management, marketing, operations and maintenance of the 2,850-seat City National Civic, 2,608-seat Center for the Performing Arts, 1,122-seat California Theatre and the 468-seat Montgomery Theater — all conveniently located in the heart of downtown San Jose within walking distance of one another. Stage sizes are as follows: City National Civic, stage: 112 ft. by 35 ft. | proscenium: 49 ft. 9 in. by 30 ft.; Center for the Performing Arts, stage: 144 ft. by 40 ft. | proscenium: 59 ft. 6 in. by 34 ft.; California Theatre, stage: 90 ft. by 40 ft. | proscenium: 31 ft. 6 in. by 44 PAGE ft.; Montgomery Theater, stage: 50 ft. by 30 ft. | proscenium: 26 ft. by 14 ft. 9 San Jose Theaters, a division of Team San Jose, is responsible for the management, marketing, operations and maintenance of the 2,850-seat City National Civic, 2,608-seat Center for the Performing Arts, 1,122-seat California Theatre and the 468-seat Montgomery Theater — all conveniently located in the heart of downtown San Jose within walking distance of one another. Stage sizes are as follows: City National Civic, stage: 112 ft. by 35 ft. | proscenium: 49 ft. 9 in. by 30 ft.; Center for the Performing Arts, stage: 144 ft. by 40 ft. | proscenium: 59 ft. 6 in. by 34 ft.; California Theatre, stage: 90 ft. by 40 ft. | proscenium: 31 ft. 6 in. by 44 PAGE ft.; Montgomery Theater, stage: 50 ft. by 30 ft. | proscenium: 26 ft. by 14 ft. 9 73
CALIFORNIA
City National Civic San Jose Theaters
135 W. San Carlos Street, San Jose, CA 95113 (408) 792-4542 sanjosetheaters.org
CALIFORNIA
Montgomery Theater San Jose Theaters
271 S. Market Street, San Jose, CA 95113 (408) 792-4542 sanjosetheaters.org
ONTARIO, CANADA
Scotiabank Arena
40 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M5J 2X2 (416) 815 - 5500 scotiabankarena.com
LOUISIANA
Smoothie King Center
1501 Dave Dixon, New Orleans, LA 70113 (504) 587-3663, (800) 756-7074; Fax: (504) 587-3502 URL General Manager: Alan Freeman Where the Performance Never Ends
NORTH CAROLINA
Spectrum Center
333 East Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202 (704) 688-9000; (800) 745-3000 spectrumcentercharlotte.com Director of Arena Booking: Kate Dordick
FLORIDA
Straz Center for the Performing Arts
1010 North W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 222-1000; (800) 955-1045 strazcenter.org
San Jose Theaters, a division of Team San Jose, is responsible for the management, marketing, operations and maintenance of the 2,850-seat City National Civic, 2,608-seat Center for the Performing Arts, 1,122-seat California Theatre and the 468-seat Montgomery Theater — all conveniently located in the heart of downtown San Jose within walking distance of one another. Stage sizes are as follows: City National Civic, stage: 112 ft. by 35 ft. | proscenium: 49 ft. 9 in. by 30 ft.; Center for the Performing Arts, stage: 144 ft. by 40 ft. | proscenium: 59 ft. 6 in. by 34 ft.; California Theatre, stage: 90 ft. by 40 ft. | proscenium: 31 ft. 6 in. by 44 PAGE ft.; Montgomery Theater, stage: 50 ft. by 30 ft. | proscenium: 26 ft. by 14 ft. 9 San Jose Theaters, a division of Team San Jose, is responsible for the management, marketing, operations and maintenance of the 2,850-seat City National Civic, 2,608-seat Center for the Performing Arts, 1,122-seat California Theatre and the 468-seat Montgomery Theater — all conveniently located in the heart of downtown San Jose within walking distance of one another. Stage sizes are as follows: City National Civic, stage: 112 ft. by 35 ft. | proscenium: 49 ft. 9 in. by 30 ft.; Center for the Performing Arts, stage: 144 ft. by 40 ft. | proscenium: 59 ft. 6 in. by 34 ft.; California Theatre, stage: 90 ft. by 40 ft. | proscenium: 31 ft. 6 in. by 44 PAGE ft.; Montgomery Theater, stage: 50 ft. by 30 ft. | proscenium: 26 ft. by 14 ft. 9 Owned and operated by MLSE, Scotiabank Arena opened its doors in February 1999 as Air Canada Centre and was renamed Scotiabank Arena on July 1, 2018. It has hosted over 39 million fans at over 2,600 events including multiple NHL and NBA playoff runs, the 2016 NHL World Cup of Hockey, 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend, 2015 IIHF World U20 Championship, 2003 Liberal Party Convention and 2000 NHL All-Star Game. Capacities: Basketball, 19,800 seats; hockey, 18,800 seats; full-house concerts, 19,800 seats; theater, 5,200 seats. State-of-the-art, $1 million BOSE sound system. Three onsite restaurants: the Scotia Club, the Platinum PAGE Club and the Hot Stove Club, plus an onsite brewery. 3 Adjacent to the iconic Mercedes-Benz Superdome and in proximity to downtown, the French Quarter, and thousands of first class hotel rooms, the Smoothie King Center is New Orleans’ premier facility for a wide variety of events. Flexible seating up to 17,000+, depending on configuration. Backstage areas: Total of 14 rooms (dressing, production and locker rooms) of various sizes; two meeting rooms on ground level. SMG New Orleans recently unveiled new upgrades to the arena’s back-of-house area incorporating the deep history of New Orleans’ music and paying tribute to some of the famous musical artPAGE ists who have contributed to the rich legacy, from Fats Domino to Louis Armstrong. 15 Home to the NBA Charlotte Hornets, Spectrum Center is the premier destination for sports and entertainment in the Carolinas. Opened in 2005, it was designed to reflect the local community. Spectrum Center hosted the world via the Democratic National Convention (2012) and looks forward to hosting the NBA All-Star Game (2019) as well as the Republican National Convention (2020). Up to 14,000+ concert capacity. End stage 180°, 13,376; end stage 270°, 15,236; end stage 350°, 18,249; theater, 4,000-7,000. Floor size 85 ft. by 200 ft. Six production offices, four star dressing rooms. In-house marketing PAGE and promotions staff available. 35 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 Patrick.Leahy@strazcenter.org.
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NEVADA
T-Mobile Arena
3780 South Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89158 (702) 692-1600; (702) 692-5307 t-mobilearena.com VP of Arena Booking: Sid Greenfeig
Opened in spring 2016, T-Mobile Arena is a state-of-the-art, 20,000-seat multipurpose event center owned by AEG and MGM Resorts International. Capacities: boxing/ UFC, 20,000; end stage concerts, 12,000-18,000; center stage concert, 19,500-20,000; hockey, 17,500; basketball, 18,000. Designed for U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold Certification, T-Mobile Arena offers 44 luxury suites, two party suites, eight event-level suites, the two-acre outdoor Toshiba Plaza, multiple locker facilities, premium dressing rooms, green room and a 75,000-sq.-ft. loading dock.
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ILLINOIS
TaxSlayer Center
1201 River Drive, Moline, IL 61265 (309) 764-2001; Fax: (309) 764-2192 taxslayercenter.com Executive Director: Scott Mullen
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The TaxSlayer Center has hosted the top artists and touring acts in the country including The Eagles, Eric Clapton, Aerosmith, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Cirque du Soleil, Disney On Ice and more. The arena has a 12,000-seat center stage capacity (11,500 end-stage, multiple lower-bowl and theater capacities that range from 3,000-6,000; 10,700 for basketball; and 9,500 for hockey and indoor football). Seven dressing rooms include four team rooms, one training room, one small room, three production offices and a VIP promoter office. Food service by Levy Restaurants. Full-service marketing and PR department. Centrally located PAGE between Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Minneapolis and Omaha. 31 FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
NEW YORK
Times Union Center
51 South Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12207 (518) 487-2000; Fax (518) 487-2020 timesunioncenter-albany.com General Manager: Bob Belber Upstate New York’s Premier Sports & Entertainment Facility TEXAS
United Supermarkets Arena
1701 Indiana Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79409-2200 (806) 742-7362; Fax: (806) 742-7557 unitedsupermarketsarena.com Associate Director: Cindy Harper The Entertainment Showcase of West Texas
Advertiser Index Alamodome...................................................................................................................39 Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.........................................................................53 ASU Gammage..............................................................................................................55 Bell MTS Place..............................................................................................................19 Birmingham CVB...........................................................................................................48 Bryce Jordan Center.....................................................................................................32 Cabarrus Arena.............................................................................................................56 Clear Stream Recycling................................................................................................ C2 Coliseo de Puerto Rico..................................................................................................57 CrowdRx........................................................................................................................27 Dunkin’ Donuts Center..................................................................................................58 The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre..............................................................59 Fair Park........................................................................................................................63 First National Bank Arena............................................................................................61 Florence Center............................................................................................................ C4 Ford Center....................................................................................................................37 Golden 1 Center............................................................................................................13 Greensboro Coliseum Complex.....................................................................................33 Hartman Arena..............................................................................................................41
Drawing patrons from all over the Northeast, Times Union Center is a full-service entertainment and sports facility featuring a wide variety of family shows, sporting events, tradeshows and concerts. Owned by Albany County and managed by SMG, Times Union Center opened in 1990 and is home to the Division I Men’s College Basketball Siena Saints and The Albany Empire of the Arena Football League. Curtaining system allows the capacity to fluctuate between 6,000 and 17,000. Three team-size locker rooms as well as seven star-sized dressing rooms make up the backstage area. Features ribbon boards, a center-hung LED scorePAGE board and $30 million in upgrades. 68 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, PAGE Eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle. 75 Iowa Rotocast Plastics................................................................................................. C3 Iowa State Center.........................................................................................................66 Legacy Arena................................................................................................................49 Meridian Centre............................................................................................................31 MGM Resorts International............................................................................................1 Morris Performing Arts Center.....................................................................................67 MTS Seating.................................................................................................................29 Orleans Arena...............................................................................................................36 RP Funding Center.........................................................................................................40 Payne Sparkman Manufacturing, Inc...........................................................................11 San Jose Theaters..........................................................................................................9 Scotiabank Arena............................................................................................................3 Smart City Networks.....................................................................................................25 SMG................................................................................................................................4 Smoothie King Center...................................................................................................15 Spectrum Center...........................................................................................................35 Straz Center for the Performing Arts............................................................................45 TaxSlayer Center...........................................................................................................31 Times Union Center.......................................................................................................68 United Spirit Arena.......................................................................................................75 VenuWorks......................................................................................................................7
THE #1 NEWS & INFORMATION SOURCE FOR BOOKING AGENTS, PROMOTERS, SPORTS TRAVEL PLANNERS & VENUE MANAGERS
FACILITIESONLINE.COM FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
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RETHINKING SUBSCRIPTION MODELS Unique packages can reach new fans and boost revenue By Maureen Andersen
H
ow many subscribers do you have? There was a time when that question would be aimed almost exclusively at venues with season ticket subscribers or at newspaper and magazine publishers. Not today. The digital economy has changed everything, including the number and types of businesses that generate revenue through subscriptions. Many people, especially young people, are eagerly spending small monthly amounts on stuff they want. Think unlimited music streaming on Spotify or Apple Music, watching movies on Netflix, storing files in the cloud via Dropbox or Google Drive, accessing software like Microsoft Office and Adobe’s entire suite of products for a monthly fee, fast shipping through Amazon Prime and more. Impressive! But even that is just scratching the surface. Today, it seems there is a subscription for almost everything — and there’s a reason for that. Event subscription-based offerings have long been a mainstay of the traditional entertainment entities. Subscription packages generate event guarantees, bring a steady flow of income, provide a better ability to upsell and build deeper relationships with customers. The packages continue to have a foothold as they rely on the passion and loyalty to the team, venue or organization, and constitute the backbone of a reliable, recurring income stream. So, at a time when live entertainment venues are looking for new ways to attract the next generation of fans, those following in the footsteps of companies with subscriptionbased offerings are seeing fewer unsold event tickets go to waste. They are also well on their way to increasing the average lifetime value of their customers by charging them regularly. In our industry, the traditional subscription-based model
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A
SK Y O UR PAT R O NS A BO UT T HEIR P R EFER ENCES, A ND TH EN CR EAT E A M O D EL T HEY CA N’ T RES I S T BECA USE O F T HE P R ICE, LA STM INUT E GUA R A NT EED A CCESS OR O T HER A SSO CIAT ED P ER KS.
stands side by side with newer and more unique packaging, subscriptions and offer schemes that have a “subscription vibe.” Unique packages are just the ticket to help singers, bands, sports teams, arts organizations, live events producers and promoters reach new fans, generate excitement and create new revenue streams. Ultimately, this strategy is bringing people through the doors when they likely wouldn’t have attended otherwise. Today, Major League Baseball may be doing it best with its Ballpark Pass, which quite literally lets fans binge on baseball. The pass moves excess tickets using a monthly subscription model that allows fans to attend any regular season home game. Last season, more than 900,000 tickets were sold and some teams sold out their entire Ballpark Pass inventory in the early months of the 2018 season. Hardcore Metallica fans quickly bought up the “Wherever I May Roam Black Tickets” for the band’s 2018-2019 tour. For $598 — which breaks down to just over $100 a month from September through mid-March — ticketholders can rock out on the floor at pretty much every stop on the tour. These exclusive tickets feel like a subscription, but what FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
Metallica has really done is turn the fan club model upside down. Buying a Black Ticket in advance gives 250 lucky fans guaranteed admission to any show. Membership in a fan club typically offers access to buy tickets but with no guarantee — you simply get advanced knowledge of an on-sale and the opportunity to buy select tickets and VIP packages before the general public. Live events fans in New York and other major U.S. cities can see as many shows as they’d like with a GoldClub membership, which offers access to free or deeply discounted seats for comedies, musicals, plays, lounge and nightclub acts, and more. There are free membership models too, like Audience Rewards, which is the official rewards program of Broadway and the Arts. It allows patrons to collect points by buying tickets. Then, they can redeem the points for certain shows, unique experiences and merchandise. American Express platinum members have long enjoyed access via their membership, and even United Airlines and Hilton are in the game now with points to purchase and access to events early or to special packages. These are just a few examples of subscriptions that are increasing revenue and filling empty seats. Many are “pay and forget” — meaning customers don’t think about the monthly fee. They just see the benefits of having the right to consume live entertainment events where and when they want to. In cases where tickets are being offered free just to get people through the doors, you’ve still got more attendees who will likely spend money on concessions, merchandise, parking and other items associated with your events. Here are six other things you can do to earn more from your subscription models:
1
Give customers what they want. There’s no point in offering a subscription that nobody wants to buy. Ask your patrons about their preferences, and then create a model they can’t resist because of the price, last-minute guaranteed access or other associated perks.
2
Offer member upgrades. If your subscribers have standing-room spots or seats at the back of the venue and you have better seats that are not sold, find a way to upgrade them. You can do it for a fee or as a free gesture to improve the fan experience, which may encourage those customers to purchase higher-priced tickets in the future. Either way, many fans will share their “upgrade” on social media, which is great marketing for your show and venue.
3
Implement payment plans. Festivals like Coachella and Grandoozy let fans buy a pass and pay it off over several months. This helps younger fans make an expensive impulse
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
buy that ends up feeling like a subscription because of the monthly payments.
4
Allow subscribers to buy tickets for their friends. More than any other generation, Millennials decide as a group where they want to go — and they often do it at the last minute. As a member or subscriber, if they can’t get extra seats less than 48 hours before an event, it’s likely they’ll go somewhere else where they can.
5
Leverage your data and engage with fans. Fans that feel like part of a community or team will likely spend more money at an event — perhaps on a band shirt or team jersey. Personalize your communications and send special offers after they arrive at the venue. The tickets may have been cheap, but there are other ways to increase the average revenue spend.
6
Invest in technology or partnerships. To engage a social or tech-savvy audience you’ll need software or partnerships that allow you to get creative while converting browsers to buyers. Cumbersome technology is an unacceptable barrier that translates to lost sales, especially with the younger generation. Investing in technology or forging integrated partnerships can help fans transact and share within social platforms and apps with a minimum of clicks. With all this said, it still makes sense to offer the typical subscription for older audiences that have more disposable income and want to sit in specific seats — whether it’s a private box at a concert or play, fifth-row orchestra for the symphony or at the 50-yard-line or courtside for a big game. While marketing and the way you package offers may change, there is ultimately room for traditional subscription models and something that is brand new. You just have to get creative and figure out how to give customers what they want, when they want it. Maureen Andersen is President & CEO of the International Ticketing Association (INTIX). After starting out at The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, she learned every area of ticketing before working with several other big names in the industry. Andersen has worked in entertainment ticketing management and software technology, marketing, development and everywhere in between — from not-for-profit, commercial arts and Broadway to regional distribution ticketing, performing arts centers, athletics and colleges. She has been an active INTIX member for 33 years, all while giving of her time as a frequent presenter at industry conferences, seminars and workshops. 77
10 TIPS TO ENGAGE MILLENNIALS Members of the generation speak out on what moves them to buy tickets By Nick Begley
M
illennials are today’s most elusive and soughtafter generation of live entertainment consumers. As the largest generation in the workforce today, they have money to spend and want to post their amazing life on social media for friends to see and “like.” Instead of trying to figure out how to engage this key demographic, my colleagues at AudienceView have asked Millennials themselves. Here are 10 tips curated from Millennial concertgoers, theater patrons and sports fans to help get them to attend your events.
1
Satisfy their craving for experiences. Millennials are not materialistic. Stats reveal that 72 percent prefer to spend their money on experiences rather than material things. This makes them perfect for what we’re offering — live entertainment! When giving gifts, Millennials also lean toward events versus the latest toy or gadget. “I’ve always felt that experiences mean more and they also look way cooler on social media,” says Zoe Fried, born in 1992 and Operations Manager for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. “Our generation gets a ton of endorphins from ‘likes’ and social sharing. So, when we take a picture of something cool we are doing or a cool place we’ve been, it can be way more rewarding than something shiny and new. I have also not gifted anything lately outside of experiences.”
2
Make your events highly discoverable. Millennials have a huge fear of missing out (FOMO). If they see their friends doing something fun on social media, they’ll feel a real twinge of regret. Use FOMO to your advantage by sharing all your events on social media, creating a mustattend, “wow” factor and reaching Millennials with highly personalized messages and offers. “I scroll through my social feeds on a daily basis to see what my friends are doing, what events they are attending or sharing, which helps me to find out what’s coming up at venues in my area,” says Dan Hunt, born in 1988 and Ticketing Manager at WhatsOnStage. “It’s a great way to find
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fun things to do, make sure I don’t miss a show or event that I really want to see or that my friends are recommending.”
3
Offer subscriptions instead of season tickets. Millennials subscribe monthly to everything from music, TV, movies and books to clothes and consumable goods, like wine and spices. To increase the average Millennial spend with your organization, consider unique offerings that are priced for the Millennial budget — like monthly memberships, multi-packs or flex-packs instead of a fullseason ticket or subscription. Venues and promoters can also look to partner with live events subscription services like Jukely, which offers last-minute guest-list access to concerts. “I like subscriptions like Jukely because they give me a chance to discover new artists,” says Richard Doria, a live events fan born in 1982 who estimates he attends more than 100 concerts, music festivals, performing arts events and DJ gigs every year. “It’s worth the price of the monthly subscription just knowing I have access to a list of shows I might be interested in but wouldn’t have gone to otherwise. If a high-profile show makes the list, bonus!”
4
Offer a frictionless mobile experience. Millennials are spontaneous and used to seamlessly purchasing on their mobile device, thanks to Amazon’s 1-Click Ordering and other retailers that require only a couple of taps to complete a purchase. So, if you don’t offer a great mobile experience with as few clicks as possible, you are potentially losing out on ticket sales and revenue. “If I find an event I am interested in while browsing on my phone, I will try to buy tickets right away. Even if I really want to attend in that moment, I am likely to stop and give up if the purchase experience is not responsive,” says Jenna Raimondi, born in 1987 and Senior Manager of Team Enablement at AudienceView. “Ultimately, if it was just an impulse buy and there’s a problem, I probably won’t end up buying the tickets.”
5
Make it easy to pay. Once Millennials have tickets in their shopping cart, they want to pay quickly and easily. Offer a variety of options so they can quickly click and cash out. “When I finally make a decision based on what I can afford, I need to make my purchase right this instant or I FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
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says Ivy James, a Torontoget distracted with life,” says F I E N J O Y T H E EV ENT O R JUST HAV E A GR EAT T IM E area singer-songwriter born Evelyn Allie, a medical scribe AT T H E V E N U E , I’ LL CO NSID ER GO ING A GA IN IN in 1996. “I’m a musician and who was born in 1990. “If it a music fan, so these things isn’t mobile friendly with T H E F U T U RE . S O , A LO WER -P R ICED T ICKET T O GET M E just add to the experience for the option to use PayPal, I T H RO U GH T H E D O O R CO ULD P O T ENT IA LLY T UR N M E INT O A me. I will also go to a larger lose my mind. People have event, like a game, parade or moved away from cash, HIGHER-VALUE CUSTOMER IN FUTURE MONTHS AND YEARS. festival, if there is a featured but they are also moving artist that I want to see.” away from the inconvenience of picking up their credit card and entering their payment Offer tickets in their price range. If the price is right, information every time.” many Millennials will go to just about any show within the genres that interest them. Don’t insist on print-at-home tickets. Millennials “Price means everything! I’m more likely to step outside of expect everything to be digital. They have phones handy my comfort zone and go to events that I’m not necessarily as everywhere they go, so having electronic tickets feels natural interested in if the price is low, so it’s a great way to get me to and keeps them happy. try something new,” says Alexander Hope, born in 1992 and “I always look for the option to download a digital copy of Director of Campus Ticketing for the University of Northern my ticket,” says Ruby Moon, born in 1999 and taking a gap Colorado. “If I enjoy the event or just have a great time at the year to travel through Europe before going to university in venue, I’ll consider going again in the future. So, a lower-priced September. “While travelling this year, I rarely have access ticket to get me through the door could potentially turn me to a printer or it costs money to print, so I’m always thankful into a higher-value customer in future months and years. If I when a venue offers mobile tickets. Plus, I’ll always have don’t like the event, I also won’t feel like I’ve necessarily wasted my phone when going to a show or a gallery, so I like being my money, so I’d be willing to come back another time.” about to just add the ticket to my Apple wallet. Everything from photos to banking to our calendars are on our phones Be socially responsible. Millennials like to find now, so it just makes sense to have event tickets there too. meaning in a purchase, so tying a ticket or event to a And keeping everything in one place on my phone helps me cause in your community will resonate. stay organized.” “I’m a big fan of supporting events or people I believe in and putting my money toward them if I feel like it’s making Encourage social brand ambassadors. Millennials an impact. Sometimes I’ll buy a ticket to an event even if like to share amazing experiences via social media. By I don’t go if it means I’m supporting something that gives creating photo ops that incorporate your brand — like a cool backdrop, backstage tour or geotag filter — you’re likely to get back,” says Chrissy Cowdrey, an Austin-based design director born in 1984. “I also participate in my community with events in on the action. Whatever your idea, make it shareable. that are in alignment with a lot of my values.” “I am very active on Instagram and Snapchat,” says Casey Capello, born in 1989 and Manager of Client Retention at If you find success by using a tip from this article, share it the Washington Nationals. “I am always looking for geotags with me @nickbegley on Twitter! because they look great and create a memory in terms of where the photo was taken. I was just in a friend’s wedding back in September and one of the first things we did was Nick Begley joined AudienceView in 2010 as Senior make sure that there was a geotag for their wedding, so Marketing Manager. He currently manages engagement everybody could post.” marketing, overseeing the company’s social media strategy and all event/tradeshow marketing. Begley is also Create an experience within the experience. If there recognized as the guy with the viral candy bar resume. are “bonus” things happening at an event, Millennials Earlier, he worked with NeuLion, XOS Technologies, will be very interested — especially if it’s sharable and there Orlando Magic and the NY/NJ MetroStars. Begley is some level of exclusivity. Think concerts after a sporting holds a BA in PR from Mount Saint Mary College and a event, craft beer tasting at a festival or access to soundcheck. dual MBA and Master’s of Sport Business Management “I’m always very interested in early entry to a GA show, from the University of Central Florida. pre-show acoustic performances and artist meet-and-greets,”
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FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
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DALE ADAMS
General Manager GILA RIVER ARENA Glendale, AZ
Adams, CFE, moved from Los to Glendale in 2016 to assume DhisaleAngeles current position. He continues to hold
the additional title of Vice President of Event Development for AEG Facilities. Adams recently completed routing and touring of the Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastic Champions. He has also opened and managed new venues including The Prudential Center and Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.
DAVE JOLETTE
Senior Vice President, Venue Operations PEPSI CENTER Denver, CO
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ince Pepsi Center opened in the fall of 1999, Dave Jolette has been managing venue operations at Kroenke Sports and Entertainment and was named Senior Vice President in September 2011. His staff oversees more than 400 events annually at Pepsi Center, 1STBANK Center, Dicks Sporting Goods Park and Paramount Theatre. Highlights include hosting the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
AMANDA MANN
Vice President & General Manager ROSE QUARTER Portland, OR
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ince October 2016, Amanda Mann has overseen the 30-acre sports and entertainment district known as Rose Quarter, which includes the Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mann also serves as liaison with Levy Restaurants, Rose Quarter’s F&B partner. Her extensive executive background includes positions with Toyota Center and Clear Channel Entertainment.
JIM OLSON
President VIVINT SMART HOME ARENA Salt Lake City, UT
n May 2016, Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment (LHMSE) promoted Jim IOlson to President of Vivint Smart Home
Arena. Previously, Olson served as the Chief Operating Officer for business operations at LHMSE. An active member of his community, Olson is a board member of the Downtown Alliance, Visit Salt Lake, Salt Lake Chamber, University of Utah Alumni Association, Crimson Club and the Alta Club.
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KIM BEDIER
Director TACOMA VENUES & EVENTS Tacoma, WA
s Director of Venues and Events for the City of Tacoma, Kim Bedier, CFE, Aoversees the Tacoma Dome, the Greater
Tacoma Convention Center, Cheney Stadium and the historic Pantages and Rialto Theaters, as well as the Theater on the Square. A past IAVM Board Chair, she initiated the IAVM Legacy Program. In 2003, Bedier opened Comcast Arena (now XFinity Arena) as General Manager.
F&EM -LIST
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WESTERN ARENA EXECUTIVES RALPH MARCHETTA
Sr. Vice President Ticket Operations & GM, Sports & Entertainment Services TALKING STICK RESORT ARENA Phoenix, AZ
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romoted to the position of General Manager of Sports and Entertainment Services in August 2007, Ralph Marchetta oversees all operations of the Talking Stick Resort Arena. He has strong relationships with numerous promoters, including Feld Entertainment and World Wrestling Entertainment.
DAN QUINN
Vice President and General Manager T-MOBILE ARENA Las Vegas, NV
an Quinn was instrumental in the construction of T-Mobile Arena and Dbrings extensive experience in entertain-
ment programming to the venue. He was previously Vice President of Entertainment for Mandalay Bay, where he led entertainment programming for the Mandalay Bay Events Center, the Mandalay Bay Theater, the Mandalay Bay Beach Concert Series and various nightclubs.
COLLEEN JENNINGSROGGENSACK
Vice President for Cultural Affairs ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY Tempe, AZ
olleen Jennings-Roggensack oversees the artistic, fiscal and administrative Cresponsibility for ASU Gammage and ASU
Kerr Cultural Center, as well as Sun Devil Stadium and Wells Fargo Arena for nonNCAA athletic activities. Under JenningsRoggensack, ASU Gammage has become a top touring Broadway venue.
DOT LISCHICK
General Manager BROADMOOR WORLD ARENA Colorado Springs, CO
Lischick’s success in facility DSheotmanagement spans nearly 40 years. was the director of the River Center
and Adler Theatre in Davenport, IA, for 10 years before venturing to Colorado Springs to run the newly built Broadmoor World Arena in 1998. Lischick also manages Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts and the World Arena Ice Hall, a U.S. Olympic training site. She has been a member of IAVM for more than 30 years.
COREY MARGOLIS
General Manager ANGEL OF THE WINDS ARENA Everett, WA
n June 2018, Spectra Venue ManageIArena, ment, operator of Angel Of The Winds welcomed Corey Margolis as the
facility’s new General Manager. Margolis relocated from the Spectra-managed Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario. At Budweiser Gardens, he “increased the profile of the venue, booking new events and generating positive revenue for our client,” according to Spectra Regional Vice President Rick Hontz.
LEE ZEIDMAN
President STAPLES CENTER, MICROSOFT THEATER AND L.A. LIVE Los Angeles, CA
Zeidman has played a key role in the design and construction of STALPESeeoverall Center as a member of the arena’s development team. Under his guidance, the arena has hosted an unprecedented schedule of events since opening in October 1999. He was also a crucial member of a team that oversaw the development of L.A. LIVE, the $2.5 billion four sports, residential and entertainment district.
FACILITIES & EVENT MANAGEMENT 2018 SUPERBOOK
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