PMI Entertainment Group’s “No Owner” Makeup Good For Events and Economy

Written By: Terry Charles, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, PMI Entertainment Group

While most Brown County residents and visitors know the Resch Center and Resch Expo as entertainment destinations when they drive by, fewer probably think about the economic powerhouse the complex has become. The $45M Resch Center opened in 2002, while the $93M Resch Expo opened in early 2021. Even though they are connected, the buildings offer very different events that are equally impactful to the Green Bay area economy. Over the course of nearly 250 event days, more than a half million people visit the complex.

PMI Entertainment Group (PMI) of Green Bay is the management company of the Resch Complex. It also manages the Meyer Theatre, an economic factor of its own in downtown Green Bay. PMI also owns the Green Bay Gamblers hockey team and the regional ticketing company, TicketStar.

In addition to the management and ownership facets of the company, PMI also produces many of its own events in the Resch Expo including The Wedding Show, Green Bay RV & Camping Expo, Green Bay Boat Show, Green Bay Pet Expo, and Craftoberfest. All these events produce revenue and bring visitors to Brown County pumping money into the economy.

What few people realize is PMI Entertainment Group is a unique company in that it has no owner. Its mission is to provide entertainment and recreation to both visitors and the residents of Northeastern Wisconsin through fiscally responsible operations. PMI is a for-profit, non-stock company. Since there is no owner, all profits are funneled back into the community and into buildings we manage. That means the money stays here, not in a corporate office in a different state.

Perhaps the biggest event in Brown County history will be the 2025 NFL Draft. PMI will be a major player in the draft as the national and international media will be housed in the Resch Expo. Many of the players that will likely be drafted in the first round will also be in the Resch Expo. Our venue will be what we call in the business as “back of house.” That essentially means areas that are not open to the public.

The draft theater will be built just outside the Resch Expo on Oneida Street. PMI will do the food and beverage for the draft picks as well as the media. Our company has been involved in the draft bidding process from the beginning because it’s always been known that the Resch Expo would be part of the draft and in fact, would not have been awarded to Green Bay if the Expo was not built.

The debut of the Resch Expo has allowed us to bring in events that would not have been otherwise possible. The Great Lakes Timbers Producers Association returned with its Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo after a more than 10-year absence because of available space. A new to Green Bay event has been WEMSA, an annual conference organized by the Wisconsin EMS Association. Several hundred first responders come to Green Bay for continuing education and to see the latest in rescue equipment. For the event this past January, WEMSA brought an economic impact of $1.2M.

As a 10,500-seat, all-purpose arena, the Resch Center brings in guests from all over Northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Many spend the day-of and night after a concert or other large event. Many dreams have been realized in the building since it started hosting the WIAA Girls State

Basketball Championships. The WIAA State Volleyball Championships have been held at the Resch Center since it opened. The girls were here from day one and the boys have been holding their championships here for the past few years. Disney On Ice, Monster Jam, Harlem Globetrotters, Gamblers Hockey, Green Bay Men’s Basketball, and Green Bay Blizzard are all regulars at the Resch.

The Meyer Theatre just turned 95 on Valentine’s Day. PMI has been managing and programming the theatre since 2004. With a capacity of 1,011, the historic venue welcomes more than 50,000 guests per year with nearly 150 event days. Let Me Be Frank Productions has been our main tenant or house troupe doing original comedy-musical productions for 18 years. The Meyer board and PMI work every day to make sure the theatre remains an integral part of downtown Green Bay. The bottom line is every time we host an event at the Meyer, it means people are going downtown and eating at nearby restaurants.

What’s next other than that draft thing? More big-name concerts like Jason Aldean, Nate Bargatze, Papa Roach, Staind and Breaking Benjamin all at the Resch Center. The Resch Expo has a few national events on tap including the 2025 YMCA National Gymnastics Championship & Invitational, and the Junior Gold Bowling Championships. The bowling will be taking place throughout the area, but the opening ceremony will be in the Resch Center!

In 2025 and beyond, the Resch Expo, Resch Center, and PMI Entertainment Group will continue to be an important part of the Stadium District, downtown Green Bay and a major player in the area economy.