Cory Shakarian, VP, Legends Global Sales; Dave Brown, Exec. VP and GM, American Airlines Center, Dallas; Martin Thorson, VP, Sports, Entertainment, Convention and Gaming, Sodexo Leisure; moderator Gregory Hoss, principal, David Schwarz Architects; and Jay Lenhardt of CSL International spoke about creating a friction-free experience for fans at IAVM's Arena Management Conference. (VT Photo)

REPORTING FROM LONG BEACH, CALIF. – From food service providers to technology companies, speakers with the International Association of Venue Managers at the annual Arena Management Conference here, Sept.14-16, focused on easing friction. One of the recurring themes when it came to ease of experience was communication.

Potential customers and partners can only benefit from overcommunication of needs and goals. It starts at the beginning with an organization or venue’s brand.

Greg Economou’s resume might be long and winding, but his message is very straightforward: live your brand. Economou joined Dick Clark Productions just more than a year ago as EVP and chief revenue officer, before which he served as Exec.VP of revenue performance at the Madison Square Garden Company. He also spent time as Exec.VP and chief Marketing officer at Bobcats Sports and Entertainment in Charlotte, N.C., and as Sr.VP, Marketing and Communications for the National Basketball Association.

The brand expert said that what a company wants to stand for should dictate how its employees think and how they act.

His main tips for defining the values and brand of an organization: “Be real, be relevant, be scalable.”

Leadership by example and holding staff accountable is key. When he worked in Charlotte, Economou initiated a major overhaul. Every 30 days he held an evaluation and anyone who didn’t make the cut from a values perspective — embodying passion, integrity, teamwork and work ethic — was let go.

“Within a year, we had the largest ticket sales increase in the NBA,” said Economou. By releasing staff that didn’t fit the values of the company, Economou removed a friction point that buoyed the success of the organization.

After the brand has been solidified, organizations need to look at removing friction from ticket purchase to return home. Dave Brown, Exec.VP & GM at American Airlines Center in Dallas, said that it’s important to make the fan experience as easy as possible because there is so much competition for people’s discretionary dollars.

“We keep hearing, ‘I don’t come to games any more because of whatever friction there is in the experience,’ whether that’s traffic, construction, issues getting into the building with ticket scanners or long lines,” said Brown. “Everyone’s focusing on the driveway-to-driveway experience — it all ties together.”

When it comes to premium spaces, all-inclusive ticket packages are one way to remove some friction points.

“Everything I’ve been involved in in the last few years is all-inclusive,” said Cory Shakarian, VP, Legends Global Sales.  “Really, it’s an increased perceived value for the customer, so we can get a nice uptick when we do an all-inclusive experience.”

Brown said that it’s important to keep quality high-end and consistent when doing all-inclusive offers. American Airlines Center provides a buffet and action station at a cost to concessionaire Levy Restauarants of about $50 per person, which he estimated retails for closer to $75 per person.

“You have to spend a little to make it right,” Brown said, adding that the option provides smaller companies the opportunity to entertain while removing those friction points. “Parking, food and beverage, everything is right there for them — they just waltz right in and don’t even have a credit card because they don’t have to spend a dime.”

Greg Economou, Exec. VP and chief revenue officer for Dick Clark Productions, spoke about the importance of defining and communicating brands and values. (VT Photo)

Legends created a premium outdoor amenity space at L.A. Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, home of University of Southern California’s USC Trojan football. The stadium is nearly 90 years old, so the USC and Legends team came together to discuss what they could create before any major renovations took place.

Legends has built temporary suites at one end zone on the field. The experience is enhanced by a new tailgate experience that incorporates chef action stations, dessert carts and shading.

“The idea of monetizing spaces just outside of your venue or area is very interesting,” said Shakarian. “Something was missing at USC — a very high-end tailgate experience that we’ve been able to create as part of that field package.”

He mentioned that the Baltimore Ravens have created a similar premium tailgate with 35 spots outside  M&T Bank Stadium that have generated around $2.5 million in extra revenue.

Another important place to remove friction is in the mobile experience.

At the Global Spectrum-managed Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Mo., general manager Jim Wynkoop said that his facility embraced mobile technology when they realized that’s how fans were accessing their information. Through a bit of analytics research, he found that around 45- to 50-percent of traffic to the venue website was coming from a phone or a tablet every week.

“Obviously we needed to do something to optimize that experience of people coming to our website,” said Wynkoop. Over the summer, Chaifetz Arena launched a mobile optimized version of its website. “Down the road, we would love to be able to do an app, but we want to be able to do it the right way.”

Jim Cheshire of AVAI Mobile Solutions said that apps are a good way to ease some of those friction areas because you can communicate with your fans more effectively. For instance, Javits Center in New York used geofence technology to inform fans that, while one entrance during its International Auto Show event may have a 10-minute wait to enter the facility, a neighboring entrance had no line.

“It eases frictions because we can have clients notify their fans that there may be a construction problem” or anything else that would impede the experience, Cheshire added.

In the future, Wynkoop said that venues will look into mobile purchasing technology, whether for concessions or seat upgrades.

“The easier it is to spend money in your venue, the more people are going to spend,” he said. “The point is to make it faster, easier, and have less friction.”

International Association of Venue Managers’ Arena Management Conference drew about 215 registrants this year. They will meet at the Ballpark Hilton in St. Louis Sept. 20-22 next year.

Interviewed for this story: Dave Brown, (214) 665-4240; Jim Cheshire, (512) 301-9445; Greg Economou, (310) 255-4600; Cory Shakarian, (626) 577-3242; Jim Wynkoop, (314) 977-5001

Sydney Greenblatt, left, Sydney Greenblatt Marketing, and Monty Jones Jr., Gila River Arena, Glendale, Ariz., particpate in lively speed networking during VT RISE. (VT Photo)

REPORTING FROM LONG BEACH, CALIF. — Diverse teams make better decisions and that was the goal at VT RISE (Raising the Industry in Sport and Entertainment) held here Sept.13.

This inaugural RISE, a daylong conference discussing industry issues from the perspective of diversity, whether it’s generational or gender, will be an annual gathering produced by Venues Today. The first two sessions tackled diversity head-on. The entire conference was about networking and making industry contacts outside one's comfort zone. Speakers were primarily winners of past Venues Today Women of Influence (WOI) and Generation Next (GN) awards.

Each RISE registrant was “labeled” by generation and the number who felt they were possibly “born at 40” like Adam Cook, GN, Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta, or “living above my generation” like Becca Watters, GN, Spokane (Wash.) Arena, tended to trend older, not younger. Baby Boomers are facing issues of diversity, like reverse mentoring, head-on.

With 53 percent of the population now millennials (born between 1975 and 1995), it is inevitable that generation will take over. The question is when. Kim Bedier, WOI. Tacoma (Wash.) Public Facilities, noted “labels are for cans, not people.” She suggested we shouldn’t add labeling to the challenges. She also suggested, however, that Baby Boomers tend to live to work while Millennials work to live. We must embrace it.

The venue industry is a lifestyle, said Brenda Tinnen, WOI, Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo., who moderated the panel and kept things moving and funny. Monty Jones Jr., Gila River Arena, Glendale, Ariz., agreed, admitting to being a workaholic.

Kim Stone, AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, Fla., and Wesley Cullen, Coliseo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, make networking time. (VT Photo)

Cook concurred that to “live to work, you have to love what you do.” But Millennials inevitably will be taking over all the jobs. “They say it will take two Millennials to do the job of one Boomer.”

Diversity is very much a human resources issue today and in the near future.

“You never know who you are going to work for,” said Tinnen, recalling one of her trainees who became her boss 10 years later.

Cheryl Swanson, WOI,  Alerus Center, Grand Forks, N.D., had an aha moment when “five, maybe six” Millennials came to her in a few short months soon after being hired and knowing full well their job description, announcing this was not where they expected to be by this time in their careers. It was clearly a trend, not an anomaly, so “we opened a dialog. We’re starting a program called Managing Multiple Generations.” The object of the program is for the generations to understand each other and work in harmony.

Bedier referred to the joys of “reverse mentoring. We can learn so much from the younger generation.” And it’s not just about technology. “At the end of the day, we have a job to do,” Bedier noted, adding that SVPs and interns need to communicate well to get that job done.

While it may appear Millennials are all about entitlement, in this industry they are entitled to not stop, Cook added. He is dealing with newcomers who have their papers (diplomas and certificates) and think, "I don’t have to pay my dues because I have my paper.” Add to that that Millennials got a blue ribbon for participation, that while score was kept, everyone won, and the sense of entitlement seems pervasive.

“We raised them. What did we do?” said Christy Castillo Butcher, WOI, Staples Center, Los Angeles.

“You can train it out of them,” Cook retorted. “This industry is not about paper. It’s who you know and what you know.”

Politics is an important part of the equation in a career in this business, added Jason Blumenfeld, GN, Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C. “This is a small industry. They rush into the business. How much rope do you give them?” It obviously depends on circumstances. He began his career in a small town setting and rose to the GM job very quickly. Now he’s in a bigger town and an AGM and still learning and progressing in a gratifying way.

Managing expectations is a new science today, Cook agreed.

Cyndee Pennington, WOI, Pensacola (Fla.) Bay Center, added females managing males to the mix. She works with an event services director who wants to be a general manager one day….sooner than later. She had to learn not to push a hot button, but to find some connection that would keep everyone moving forward.

THROWING IN GENDER

Robyn Williams, WOI, Portland’5 Centers for the Arts, facilitated the panel on “Cracking the Glass Ceiling: Look Who’s in Charge Now,” with statistics confirming women are still less likely to succeed to the top jobs and top offices in this industry. Even in performing arts, the vast majority of CEOs are men, and in the industry’s professional association, the International Association of Venue Managers, of which she was chairman, women are under-represented in top spots.

That’s not a problem in public relations, noted Vanessa Kromer, WOI, Nederlander VP of PR. In public relations, women dominate and “I can totally use being a woman,” Kromer said.

Wesley Cullen, WOI, Coliseo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, nailed one of the big perceived differences. “I have a potty mouth, too,” she said, but she can see the unconscious bias in most conversations.

Mike McGee, consultant, and Barbara Hubbard, ACTS, talk about how the industry has changed. (VT Photo)

Barbara Hubbard, WOI, ACTS, was the voice of equanimity. She ran Pan Am Center, Las Cruces, N.M., with a staff of volunteer students, male and female, all of whom she trained. “See this gray hair of mine? I never realized I had a problem. A lot of it is in our minds,” Hubbard said. She was brought up in a time where women were to bear children, and that was her role. But that didn’t stop her from working.

In this industry, gender isn’t the differentiator. It’s who you know. “Networking is the most fabulous part of this business,” said Hubbard. “This business has changed. Figure out a way around that corner,” she said of gender issues.

Male bosses versus women bosses concerned Susette Hunter, WOI, Birmingham (Ala.) Jefferson Convention Center. She is part of a small group of women leaders in this industry doing business in the South. They call themselves the Kudzu Queens, after the vine in those states that “grows two feet every two seconds and takes over everything.” The Kudzu Queens provide support for each other and talk about the issues brought up at RISE on a regular basis. Most of all, they network.

Hunter noted that the landscape has changed. When she started in the industry there were almost no female stagehands and the snide remarks to females who were there, like “come sweep my bus,” could be exhausting. “Now, there are several women in charge of stage crews.”

The tougher they are the more they change, Hubbard wisely suggested. “They’ll turn into lambs some day."

TicketForce has promoted Sales Executive Scott Greeban to the role of National Sales manager. While continuing direct sales, Greeban will serve in a coaching role to the TicketForce sales team. He will also work with senior management to develop sales strategy. Greeban has been with TicketForce for two years. He began his career selling tickets for the Seattle SeaDogs, a professional indoor soccer team, as well as the Seattle SuperSonics and the Seattle Storm. Greeban also spent 15 years selling online, radio, television and print sponsorship packages for companies including The Walt Disney Company, Marchex and Belo.

BEST SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE FOR 2014

REAL Certification

Chef Max Knoepfel, Executive chef at the Music City Center in Nashville, is setting a new standard in the convention industry, with the venue becoming the first convention center in the nation to be Responsible Epicurean and Agricultural Leadership (REAL) certified by the U.S. Healthful Food Council this spring. Key factors in the Music City Center's REAL certification include Centerplate's use of local produce, sustainable sourcing and offering healthful menu options for consumers. The MCC donates all leftover food to various local nonprofit organizations, such as the Nashville Rescue Mission. During their first fiscal year of operation, the Music City Center kitchen donated 29,190 pounds of food to help those in need. The kitchen also started a composting program for back-of-house kitchen scraps to decrease the amount of waste sent to the landfill. Since starting the program in January, the kitchen has composted eight tons of food waste.


BEST NEW CONCEPT IN FOOD AND DRINK FOR 2014

The Local Detroit Experience

Levy Restaurants' Tony Thomas, Dir.of Operations, Joseph Nader, Exec.Chef, and the Detroit Lions collaborated with local eateries to bring the Detroit dining experience to the stadium's elite club level. 2014 marks the first season Ford Field will have an exclusively-local club level for fans to enjoy. Six stands and four portables have been converted to Detroit concepts, completing a $750,000 transformation. Each concept offers guests the ultimate local experience by showcasing unique flavors and incorporating ingredients found nearby in Michigan. Local eateries involved include Corridor Sausage, Sugar House, Russell Street Deli, Mercury Burger, Slows Bar BQ, Bigalora Pizza, American Coney Island, Zingerman's and Good People Popcorn.

BEST NEW MENU ITEM FOR 2014

Surf and Turf Burger
Executive Chef Rich Kalman of Ovations Food Services introduced the Surf and Turf burger this season at PPL Park in Philadelphia. The $12 item is a combination of land and sea in which Chef Kalman piles a half-pound premium Black Angus burger with homemade beer-battered jumbo shrimp on a Brioche bun. The meat is topped with thinly-sliced dill pickles and drizzled with a spicy Creole Sauce.

Contact your Account Executive to reserve a congratulatory ad!
Ad Deadline: September 26, 2014

Rich DiGiacomo, Northeast and Western U.S., International
310.429.3678  rich@venuestoday.com

Jim McNeil, Texas, Southeastern and Midwest U.S.
207.699.3343  jim@venuestoday.com

Jason Blumenfeld of Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C. and Monty Jones, Jr. of Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., talk ticketing with Paciolan's Jane Kleinberger and CrowdTorch's Jim Bilus. (VT Photo)

REPORTING FROM LONG BEACH, Calif. — The inaugural VT RISE (Raising the Industry in Sports and Entertainment) brought industry insiders here, Sept.13, to discuss trends in ticketing and how to sell your building when booking events.

During Ticketing Trends: What is the Fan Experiencing and Why?, Cheryl Swanson touched on a much-lamented issue in older facilities and all of those trying to keep up with connectivity.

“Students want to connect while actually at the game,” she said. “If they can’t get online, they don’t want to be there.”

It’s an issue that the developers face, too.

Jim Bilus of CrowdTorch said the company “has stuff that we’re building that may not even be able to be used at venues and festivals if the connectivity isn’t there.”

Some companies are looking at developing products that work well in little-to-no reception zones, or at least have features that don’t require a connection. Meanwhile, facilities continue to make the investment to improve wireless networks and reception as quickly as budgets will allow.

Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., is currently integrating WiFi and upgrading to make sure all four major mobile networks have 4G service within the facility.

“Fans will be able to have free WiFi with an opt-in data grab,” said GM Monty Jones, Jr. of Global Spectrum. Attendees can have free access to the internet, but only if they provide the facility with some information that can later be used to market to them.

Data collection is a hot topic when it comes to ticketing, with companies looking to ease the process of transferring a ticket in order to gather more data.

“The more that we can ease the buy and transfer of a ticket, the more that we can forward, transfer and capture that data” of the person receiving the ticket, said Ticketmaster’s Patti-Anne Tarlton.

From a practical standpoint, Tarlton said that data collection using technology like geostamping can be helpful, especially in the festival scene, for showing fan behavior.

“If you have an app and those who download it accept to be located, you can learn which gate those fans use to get into the building and then can plan the event better next time,” she said, suggesting the data can help with optimal traffic flow.

Mobile delivery of tickets is also becoming par for the course. Panel moderator Jane Kleinberger of Paciolan said that University of Maryland recently introduced mobile delivery as an option and more than 50 percent of all orders chose to utilize it.

Bilus believes that we may soon be seeing building loyalty programs specific to venues to help with the challenge that facilities have of getting patrons to download apps that aren’t specific to a team or event, but for the venue itself.

Cashless payment is also cropping up at festivals and venues, with some loading money into the ticket barcode or RFID band itself and others opting for Bluetooth-enabled payment.

“From a venue perspective, fans are opting to spend more if the experience becomes easy,” said Tarlton.

Lynn Carlotto of Rogers K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ont., and Adina Erwin of Fox Theatre in Atlanta shared some of their knowledge on a panel about booking your building. (VT Photo)

Making it easy to spend money is exactly what you want to do when booking your own building.

Fox Theatre’s Adina Erwin comes to selling from the perspective of a partnership.

“It insinuates or symbolizes a level leadership,” she said, adding “from a partnership perspective the relationship changes.”

Jan Addison of Orange County Convention Center in Orlando agrees that establishing a relationship is more important than securing a business deal.

“It’s very important not to have it just be transactional, because then it won’t be successful,” Addison said. “It really is all about the relationship.”

It's not just the process of making that particular deal that secures a relationship with a booking agent or promoter or meeting planner.

"We establish relationships with every conversation we have, with every email we return — or don't return," said Lynn Carlotto of Rogers K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ont./SMG Canada.

Booking Your Building; Selling Yourself focused on negotiating techniques and selling strategies, as well as what to do when you’re caught off-guard.

As moderator Ed Rubenstein of ArenaNetwork put it, “it’s not just negotiating points ahead of time, it’s being able to do the tap dance when the time comes.”

AEG/Goldenvoice’s Susan Rosenbluth recalled a time when she had booked Chrissy Hinde, an outspoken vegan, for a facility that had a McDonald’s ad facing the stage. Hinde was uncomfortable, so Rosenbluth worked out a way that the facility would darken the ad for that particular event with little time to spare.

“As a promoter, I tend to advocate for the bands and work with venues to come up with a creative solution,” she said. “We work with venues who work with us and bands that work with us.”

Rosenbluth also added that mistakes will happen, but it’s how you present yourself when those mistakes happen that really matters.

“If you mess up, own up to it immediately,” she cautioned.

Kim Stone of AmericanAirlines Arena/Miami Heat hosted Lady Gaga last year and encountered a problem with the artists’ most loyal fans: little monsters. In one of Gaga’s videos, she smashes mirrors. The little monsters had created canes with glued-on pieces of mirror as a fashion statement to honor the star.

“It’s all about managing risk,” said Stone, who added that the canes were let in on a case-by-case basis. Those that literally were shards of glass were not let in, while those that were deemed safe and appropriate were allowed in the facility. The concert was an incident-free event.

“Sometimes you just have to be flexible on the fly,” Stone added.

Rendering of Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine, following a $33-million renovation and expansion that wrapped in February.

With a new naming rights deal having recently been secured, the Board of Trustees of the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine, announced that Global Spectrum has been unanimously selected by the board to manage the 6,733-seat venue that is home to the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League.

Two nationally-recognized companies submitted proposals in response to an RFP issued earlier this year, with Global Spectrum standing out.

“The Trustees concluded that Global Spectrum is very well suited to achieve our two primary management goals: better access to national resources that will lead to more entertainment options and more efficient facility operations, and an approach that continues the tradition of local community involvement and integration,” Cross Insurance Arena Board Chair Neal Pratt said in a press release.

The venue currently has a partnership with Front Row Marketing Services, another Comcast-Spectacor subsidiary that represents the venue in all commercial rights and premium seating sales and is responsible for securing the recent naming rights partnership. That relationship not only ensures consistency in management, but is part of the overall future initiatives of Comcast-Spectacor.

“One of the big initiatives Comcast-Spectacor has had since Dave Scott became president in December of 2013 is to operate as OneComcast-Spectacor and integrate our go-to-market sales strategy across all products,” said Ike Richman, vice president, public relations of Comcast-Spectacor. “It is Dave’s vision and the company’s goal to grow singles, doubles, triples and home runs by integrating all possible Comcast-Spectacor products.

“Having Front Row Marketing Services on the ground in Portland, and having a relationship with Cross Insurance at Bangor (Maine), was an incredible opportunity for us to take a single (Front Row Marketing Services) in Portland and grow it to a double for us,” he added.

Pratt said that the consideration of a potential shift to a private management company model first began more than two-and-a-half-years ago when the decision was made to renovate the then Cumberland County Civic Center.

“This arena is a tremendous community asset and we want to be sure to maintain its community flavor, as well as its economic and entertainment value,” Pratt said.

In keeping with company policy, Richman declined to provide the nature of the contract, but noted that the venue has appealed to Comcast-Spectacor for a number of years.

“The venue has long been on our radar, dating back to the days of the Maine Mariners (minor league hockey affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers), whom our chairman Ed Snider founded,” Richman said. “While the Mariners are no longer in existence, the venue has been one we have been eyeing for quite a long time.”

Indeed, Snider founded a franchise that played its first regular season game in the civic center before 6,566 fans on Oct. 15, 1977 against the Binghamton Broome Dusters. The Mariners became the only franchise in league history to win the Calder Cup title in their first two seasons (1977–78, 1978–79) and at the time were the only team to ever capture the Calder Cup during their inaugural season. Later, the feat was matched by the team that brought AHL hockey back to Portland, the Pirates.

“We brought professional hockey to Portland when the arena opened,” Snider said. “The Maine Mariners were an integral part of the success of the arena, and winning the two Calder Cups was icing on the cake. I have been a summer resident of Maine for more than 50 years and I love Maine. It’s great to have an opportunity to be involved in Portland again. The region has tremendous potential with our company’s involvement.”

Interviewed for this article: Ike Richman, (215) 389-9552; Ed Snider, (215) 336-3600

Amusements of America provided the midway at Ohio State Fair, with the carnival grossing more than $2.1 million this year. The fair provides a fireworks display each night to send off guests with a bang.

The Ohio State Fair set another attendance record this year with 916,724 visitors between July 23 and Aug. 3. The event’s 161st installment topped the record-breaking 2013 figure of 908,824 guests by 1.5 percent.

“The weather cooperated quite well,” said Virgil Strickler, the fair’s general manager. “We had a couple rainy Saturdays, which doesn’t help us, but everybody seemed to be coming to the fair and realizing that we’re doing some things different every year. We’re very thankful.”

The 2014 theme—“the fairest of them all”—sent a whimsical message, appropriating language from folklore into the fair’s marketing. In February of last year, the organizers asked followers of the fair’s social media accounts to share their “fairy” tales, or memories that make the event special to them. Organizers then chose particularly compelling or unique stories and had the fans tell them on the fair’s radio and television commercials.

“It was really kind of a neat way to share people’s favorite fair memories,” explained Alicia Shoults, the fair’s marketing and public relations director. “We didn’t use any actors in our commercials this year.”

John Stamos joins The Beach Boys' Mike Love on stage at the Celeste Center, the Ohio State Fair's indoor, air-conditioned concert venue.

New in promotions, the fair introduced an Ohio State Fair Senior Day. In the past few years, Shoults explained, the fair has hosted unofficial senior days. This year, the official Ohio State Fair Senior Day which took place July 29, offering admission to attendees ages 60-plus for a discounted $4, all day. “We saw Senior Day gate admission up 324 percent and advanced sales to senior groups up by 25 percent,” Shoults said. “We’re certainly planning to capitalize on that for future fairs.” In addition to the discount, special activities and entertainment were geared toward seniors that day, including a free Frank Sinatra tribute performed by Rick Michel.

Additional entertainment throughout the fair’s run included a variety of acts spread across genres. A few highlights were Lady Antebellum with special guest Joe Nichols, which grossed $364,350; the Beach Boys in America, which grossed $204,330; Heart and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, which grossed $276,012; and Aretha Franklin, who pulled in $153,160. The fair spent a total of $1,048,282 on talent for paid concerts, which also included acts such as Boyz II Men, Bachman and Turner, Scotty McCreery, Jesus Culture and McClain. The Sinatra tribute talent was also included in that figure although it was a free show for visitors.

“We had a really good year with our concerts,” said Entertainment Director Brett Chance. “Things were up all around the fair.” 

The fair had a couple of last-minute swaps on the concert lineup, including a Beatles tribute band that stepped in for a mixed martial arts show that was canceled. Another challenge he mentioned was that country music festivals are gaining popularity and making it more difficult to book country acts. “It’s great for the fans, but for other venues that are trying to book [artists], it takes a lot of them out of the market,” Chance said. “The bigger acts bring along some of the top opening acts or others that would be good supporting acts for us, and there are radius clauses and everything. So we’ve got to get started early, and we’ve already started to look at things for next year.”

Lady Antebellum performs to a crowd of more than 8,000 at Celeste Center at Ohio State Fair.

In addition to concerts, fair goers enjoyed carnival offerings from Amusements of America. The midway grossed $2,114,326.

Of course, one of the biggest attractions was the concessions, which grossed $4,619,523. About 189 vendors descended on the fairgrounds and among them, the Bubba’s Bacon stand was one of the most popular. “He had everything bacon … bacon on a stick, bacon popcorn, bacon burgers and different flavors of bacon,” Shoults said. “The booth was swarmed the entire fair.”

Dickerson & Kenna was another buzzed-about vendor, for its Sloppy Donut. Similar to other sandwiches that use a doughnut as a bun, the Sloppy Donut was filled with barbecue pulled pork, bacon, cheese and deep-fried pickle chips. “You can’t get a Sloppy Donut anywhere but the fair,” Shoults added.

The fair also had some new sponsors this year. Jo-Ann Fabric sponsored the creative arts contest building as well as a handmade craft area, and outfitters Cabela’s sponsored a retriever dog show. The new film, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” brought in a popular photo booth that allowed fairgoers to take a picture against a green screen that superimposed the cast of “Guardians of the Galaxy” into the photo. 

The dates for next year’s fair will be July 29 through Aug. 9, 2015, but besides timing, there have been no other plans set in stone just yet. “We were planning during the fair, trying to figure out what some of the new things would be,” Strickler said. “But we haven’t had those meetings yet. … we just keep, each year, trying to be better at being there for our visitors.”

Interviewed for this story: Brett Chance, (614) 644-4126; Alicia Shoults and Virgil Strickler, (614) 644-4000
 

Michael Gatto of Value City Arena/Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, Mark Duryea of Feld Entertainment, and David Touhey of Verizon Center in Washington, enjoy a few scoops and lots of memories at Radar's Ice Cream Social. (VT Photo)

REPORTING FROM LONG BEACH, CALIF. — It was a sweet way to honor beloved Feld Entertainment booking director Mark “Radar” Hennen, who lost his six-year fight with cancer in June.  He was 58 years old.

In his honor, Feld Entertainment and IAVM's Arena Management Conference came together to rebrand traditional Feld Entertainment Ice Cream Social as Radar’s Ice Cream Social, Sept. 15.

Feld Entertainment’s Mark Duryea said that of the 10 years that Hennen worked with the company, 60 percent of the time he was fighting cancer.

“With Radar, you would have never been able to identify if he was in the 40 percent or 60 percent stage because of his smile and positive demeanor — always, under any circumstances,” he said.

Hennen was known for his positivity and good nature, even inspiring some of his colleagues to try to be a bit friendlier.

“Radar was the only person I know who, you would enter a room and become friends with him, and good friends for a lifetime,” continued Duryea. “I don’t think anyone can match his friendship-to-meeting ratio100 percent, but we can all certainly aspire to do that.”

Dir. Public Assembly Facilities at City of Tacoma, Wash., Kim Bedier, shows off the scary mug she grabbed at Radar's Ice Cream Social. (VT Photo)

Previously an actor, Hennen became involved in international touring at the age of 40. He received his nickname from Phil Collins while on tour with Genesis, and used it at Feld Entertainment because the department already had an employee named Mark: Mark Duryea.

“I think he’d be honored that we’re doing this for him as he did so much for us,” Duryea added of the ice cream social. “He’d love for you to eat some cold ice cream because it would warm his heart.”

Duryea went on to add that he knew how much the IAVM crowd meant to Hennen because he heard it every day in the office, highlighting Kim Bedier, director, Public Assembly Facilities at City of Tacoma, Wash., and Susette Hunter of Birmingham (Ala.) Jefferson Convention Complex.

“I used to listen to them go back and forth — it was sport for Radar and Susette — but they’d always get it done,” said Duryea. “We lost a good one, and we should all just not take anything for granted.”

Bedier spoke before the ice cream social, saying that she didn’t know how Hennen would feel about the renaming of the event.

“I don’t know if he’d be thrilled that we were doing this because he was always so modest and wonderful,” she said. “Enjoy yourself as if he were there with us, because he’s always going to be there.”

Hunter sent the crowd to Radar’s Ice Cream social with some final words.

“I’d tell you what Radar would say to me right now: ‘Missy, hurry up and get some ice cream — it’s melting!’”

Interviewed for this story: Kim Bedier, (253) 573-2554; Mark Duryea, (941) 721-1200; Susette Hunter, (205) 458-8441

A memorial video honoring Mark "Radar" Hennen

Staples Center in Los Angeles had success hosting the League of Legends World Championships gaming competition Oct. 4, 2013. (Photo by Staples Center/Bernstein Associates)

Video games started out a solitary basement pursuit, but over the past few years gaming has grown to an arena-filling juggernaut. The latest proof is the upcoming Intel Extreme Master competition slated to touch down at the SAP Center – home to the NHL’s San Jose Sharks – on December 6 and 7. With players from all over the globe, the event will host League of Legends and StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm competitions, with live streaming provided by Twitch.

“I thought for a long time there was potential in this area, I just wasn’t sure what form it would take,” said Jim Goddard, Exec.VP of Building & Business Operations for SAP Center. “When we look at our business, content is king and we’re always looking for new content. Ten years ago I was speculating about the potential for electronic gaming being a spectator event and I just thought there had to be a way to scale this to appeal to a larger participant or spectator group in an arena environment.”

Well, Goddard was right and now the18,000-capacity SAP will be the seventh U.S. host for the Intel Extreme Masters event since the tour started in 2006. It will also be the first ever stand-alone North American event and the biggest one of its kind in a U.S. sports arena.

Fittingly, the show will bring one of the world’s biggest esports events to the Bay Area, which has contributed mightily to the rise of the genre, thanks to the programming power of the area’s digital wizards.

“A promoter we know got us connected with [the Europe-based ESL] and we started talking and they came for a site visit,” said SAP director of Event Booking Steve Kirsner. “Intel, of course, got involved and since the Bay Area has played such a big role in gaming it seemed a natural fit.”

The global broadcast on Twitch is expected to attract up to 4.5 million online viewers, making it one of the most-watched events of its kind this year. ESL bills itself as the world’s largest independent sports brand, with a number of online and offline competitions and offices in Germany, Spain, China, Russia, France and the U.S. The league is also scheduled to host a Dota 2 tournament in the 5,500-capacity Theater at Madison Square Garden on October 9-10.

More than 11,000 fans turned up for the League of Legends World Championships gaming competition at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Oct. 4, 2013. (Photo by Staples Center/Bernstein Associates)

Though it seems like a futuristic endeavor, Kirsner said the setup for the event is not that different from a sporting or music show. “The biggest issue is Internet and bandwidth,” he said. “We will need to create a separate pipe just for this event because we’re streaming it.”

Otherwise, like a boxing match, it is

an in-the-round setup with an expected capacity of 14,000-16,000.

Los Angeles’ Staples Center hosted the League of Legends World Championships gaming competition in October and President Lee Zeidman had one word for the results: “phenomenal.”

After hosting the semifinals in 2012, Zeidman said last year’s massive LOL championship was the most-watched sporting event in history as of that year, with more than 32 million viewers worldwide. “It was broadcast all over the world and the total tickets sold were 11,181, with a drop count of 11,000, so almost everyone who bought a ticket showed up,” he said of the event that grossed $415,000 and offered more than $2 million in prize money.

Though it was a massive undertaking – featuring 18 production trucks, 5 TV trucks and a 32-hour load-in for the huge stage with a massive screen and 218 rigging points above the stage – he said the numbers all added up. The per cap was just under $28, which blows away any regular-season numbers (which average around $4-$5 per) and were up near the $30 per cap for Stanley Cup playoff games.

Setup for the League of Legends World Championships gaming competition at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Oct. 4, 2013, included a 32-hour load in. (Photo by Staples Center/Bernstein Associates)

Michal Bilcharz, director Pro Gaming at ESL, said that setup for the SAP event could take anywhere from two days to a week depending on the venue’s flexibility with load-in. “Speed is king,” Blicharz said of the most important element of the show. “It’s not just our broadcast that relies on speedy Internet, but also the quality of the games that are being played. Our players have often battled their way through intense qualifying rounds to compete on our stages. We don’t want them to be held back by subpar Internet speeds … Generally, we won’t book a venue that offers internet speeds lower than 30mbits, but the faster the better.”

He said ESL travels from event to event with millions of dollars worth of equipment, including its own top-of–the-range TV studio, the behind-the-scenes technology and the computer systems the gamers compete on. “We are very self-sufficient in the sense that … we bring most of our own equipment with us,” he said. “Our portable TV studio, all of the gaming PCs (both on and off stage), gaming booths with air conditioning built in, cabling, even the tables and chairs – all of this is packaged and transported to every event.”

These tournaments have risen so quickly, thanks to growth that Bilcharz described as “explosive,” from live audiences “the size of football teams” five years ago to ones that fill actual football stadiums like Frankfurt’s 2006 World Cup stadium. “What it really comes down to is the fact that gaming is now engrained in mainstream youth culture,” he said of the steep curve. “A growing percentage of young people are spending their free time both playing the games and watching others play professionally.”

SAP was chosen for the Intel Extreme Masters event in part because of its proximity to the Intel’s Bay Area headquarters, but also because of the dense population of gamers in the area.

“It’s part of the reason we’re so confident about filling the [SAP arena],” Bilcharz said. “Speaking of, the SAP Center is a fantastic venue. It meets (and in some cases exceeds) all of our requirements for an event of this kind, especially in terms of size and infrastructure.”

Though it was too early to talk about ticket sales, demographics or possible per caps, Goddard and Kirsner said they expect to draw gamers locally, regionally and internationally by reaching out through ESL’s social media platforms as well as relying on the gamers themselves to spread the word online.  The cost to set up an event of this size with full lighting, sound and sets, as well as a trade show-like area is “significant,” but Goddard said it is well worth it.

“We hope this event repeats year after year,” he said.

Contacted for this story: Michael Bilcharz, 011-49-221-880-449-233; Jim Goddard and Steve Kirsner (408) 287-7070; Lee Zeidman, (213) 742-7255

The Eagles perform at the SMG-managed Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., Sept. 8. (Photo by Jim Hill)

The History of the Eagles Live in Concert continues to draw crowds around the U.S., most recently grossing more than $1.3 million at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., Sept. 8. The Live Nation-promoted date brought more than 10,750 attendees at a top ticket price of about $150. Ticket prices for the band's Aug. 27 date at Rose Quarter in Portland, Ore., reached nearly $190, contributing to a gross $500,000 larger than the Michigan date, having drawn about 2,500 more attendees. Next, the Eagles head to Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., Oct. 1, before three dates in California, Oct. 3 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Oct. 4 at Viejas Arena in San Diego and Oct. 9 at Save Mart Center in Fresno. The band will then stop for one night in Las Vegas and two dates in Texas before heading to Australia for nine shows in 2015.

Latin artists have brought in big numbers this week. Luis Miguel played four shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Sept. 12-15, with tickets ranging $95-$275. The concerts, promoted by Concerts West, AEG Live, and Caesars Entertainment, grossed more than $2.4 million. Marco Antonio Solis' Aug. 31 performance at Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va., grossed nearly $600,000. Later this week, Solis continues his tour with two dates at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Sept. 26-27, before heading to Portoviejo, Ecuador, for an Oct. 3 date at Reales Tamarindos Stadium. If Nokia Theatre L.A. Live's previous Latin events are any indication, Solis could draw some high numbers. The venue made Hot Tickets three times this week, twice with Latin shows. Roberto Carlos brought more than 6,000 fans to Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Sept. 13 for a concert that grossed nearly $450,000. Previously, Banda MS drew a crowd of more than 4,700, Aug. 30. Both events were promoted by AEG Live.

HOT TICKETS is a weekly summary of the top acts and ticket sales as reported to VT PULSE. Following are the top 20 concerts and events, the top 5 in each seating capacity category, which took place between Aug. 26-Sept. 23.

Maryland State Fair President & GM Max Mosner and Chairman Grove Miller congratulate the winners of the Inaugural Children's Pony Races at the 2014 fair. (Photo by Jim McCue)

“It wasn’t our best, but it wasn’t our worst,” said GM Max Mosner of attendance at the 2014 Maryland State Fair, Timonium. Attendance dropped about 12 percent to 354,234, down from last year’s 406,902.

The Aug. 21-Sept. 1 event was plagued by an all too familiar story: weather. If it wasn’t too hot, it was raining. The fair was rained out on its opening Saturday, with another storm coming in on Sunday of Labor Day weekend. The 2011 and 2012 iterations had similar weather issues with attendance hovering around 300,000.

Total operating budget for the event is about $5.5-$6 million, with some funding from the state. Because of the fairground’s thoroughbred racetrack, the facility has received a premium grant from the state of $5.5 million over $5 years to run the operations for that section.

“Betting there has really kind of declined over the last 10-12 years and the state of Maryland has given some slot machine and casino money to the racing industry to try to breathe some new life into it,” said Mosner.

Deggeller Attractions' Super Nova provided an exciting backdrop for thoroughbred racing. (Photo by Jim McCue)

The racetrack is authorized to race 10 days each year, though this year it ran seven days during fair time. There was about a 4-percent decline in betting this year.

Deggeller Attractions has provided the carnival for Maryland State Fair since the 70s. The carnival’s declining revenues mirrored that of attendance for the fair, decreasing about 11.9 percent. GM Andy Deggeller agreed that weather took a toll this year.

“It’s been relatively mild all year and, as we approached Labor Day, it started to get warm, then during the Maryland State Fair it was just downright hot,” said Deggeller. “Couple that with rain — it just wasn’t conducive to crowds coming to the fair.”

He said that the carnival made up some ground on the closing day and that when people come out to the Maryland State Fair, they want to experience the rides, “but you can’t fight the weather.”

Deggeller Attractions introduced the Mind Bender roller coaster to the midway, as well as SDC’s Hang Ten. The company also separated Kiddie Land from the rest of the midway for the first time after seeing success at its other fairs.

Maizie Bem can't wait until she's old enough to ride the big rides from Deggeller Attractions at Maryland State Fair. In the meantime, she'll enjoy Kiddie Land and watch on the shoulders of her mother, Mary Bem. (Photo by Edie Bernier)

Though Kiddie Land has always been somewhat its own entity, Deggeller Attractions actually placed it on the opposite side of the exhibit hall, which drew more people through the exhibit hall and helped tie in the fair attractions with the carnival.

As a parent, Deggeller can understand why it’s popular to separate the children’s area from the rest of the midway.

“That way, the kids aren’t competing with teenagers to get on rides and there are less people running around,” said Deggeller, who added that there are more seating options and shaded areas in Kiddie Land for parents to use while watching their kids enjoy the rides.

“You get a longer length of stay out of your customers if you make it comfortable for them,” added Deggeller. “They’ll eat more and play more games.”

He is the third generation involved in the family business and, since his kids joined this year, “I guess you could say they’re already involved, too.”

Last year’s three paid concerts at Maryland State Fair — Carly Rae Jepsen, Fall Out Boy, and Three Days Grace — did not draw well. This year, Mosner said the fair updated its strategy. The concert budget for the 2013 fairs was about $600,000.

“We were toying with the idea of not doing any concerts this year or taking a different approach, so we decided to take a more moderate approach,” said Mosner.

The event spent about $250,000 to bring in Grand Funk Railroad, 38 Special, and Phil Vassar.

“We didn’t sell any tickets to speak of,” said Mosner, who said that the only good news was that the budget was reduced by more than half. For next year, Mosner said the fair will have to again have the conversation about whether or not to have paid concerts at all.

The fair welcomed some big babies in its Birthing Center. (Photo by Edie Bernier)

Maryland State Fair’s 2010 Justin Bieber performance in the racetrack’s infield drew a capacity 12,500 crowd.

“If we get a Justin Bieber or Selena Gomez, we’re fine, but unless we go for the superstars we struggle,” said Mosner, who said he believes that the fair’s concert series suffers because of the many venues in the area that offer high-quality entertainment.

The fair does offer free concerts in a park area that can accommodate about 600-800 people. The popular draw features programming that takes an investment of only about $20,000-$25,000 and highlights local acts.

Maryland State Fair launched a new website before the 2014 fair that improved ease of navigation, laying out information in a more concise manner and incorporating the event’s social media pages.

Next year’s fair will run Aug. 28-Sept. 7.

Interviewed for this story: Andy Deggeller, (772) 215-2227; Max Mosner, (410) 252-0200

Fans watch IndyCar's marquee event at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. (VT Photo)

REPORTING FROM FONTANA, CALIF. — Temperatures reached triple digits for MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championship at Auto Club Speedway here Aug.30. It was the third year that the track hosted IndyCar’s marquee event, and the third month, as well. The championships ran in October in 2012, moving to September in 2013, finally settling on Labor Day weekend this year.

Though attendance was up year over year in 2013, the date changes and temperatures reaching into triple digits caused the crowd to diminish to a reported 20,000 this year.

“Year over year we were down a bit, attendance went up in 2013,” said Auto Club Speedway’s Dir. of Communications David Talley. “I think the last two years we’ve proven that the market here is interested in IndyCar.”

To combat the dip in attendance, Auto Club Speedway has requested that next year’s IndyCar date move off of Labor Day weekend, likely meaning the race hosted in Fontana would not be the finale.

“Labor Day weekend just doesn’t work for us and we’ve made that known to them,” said Talley.

Kids Club mascot Lefty (bottom left) supervises as driver Scott Dixon signs Auto Club Speedway caps for Kids Club members. (VT Photo)

Auto Club Speedways’ contract with IndyCar goes year by year, like the facility’s contract with Nascar and other motorsports entities. The 70,000-seat venue closes certain sections of the grandstands during the IndyCar events, trying to seat the crowd near the start-finish line. Also, only about one-third of the venue’s concessions stands were open, with 75 points of sale.

Tickets for the third annual event ranged from $30-$60, with kids 12 and under receiving free general admission if they become part of Lefty’s Kids Club with a free membership. Premium seats like the Budweiser Block Party package included a premium grandstand seat, pit and paddock pass and access to a Budweiser-sponsored area for $129, while the highest-priced ticket clocked in at $400 for Fuzzy’s Pit Box Lounge, including all-inclusive food and beverage, pit and paddock access, victory lane access and VIP infield parking.

Talley said that the track has asked for a June date when weather will be cooler, hopefully leading to a bump in attendance.

“This is open wheel country here in southern California. This track was built for open wheel racing by Roger Penske — it’s a perfect fit,” added Talley.

Fans who arrived early had several options to keep them busy before the race, including checking out classic racing cars. (VT Photo)

Another way the track staff worked to combat the heat was by opening doors at 4 p.m., after the worst of the heat had passed. There was also medical staff on site throughout the property, including an infield care center and an outside medical center in the fan zone, which also included water fountains, shade structures and misters.

Talley said that there were no incidents of overheating.

The MAV500 IndyCar Championship is much more than a race. As Talley put it, “it’s a lot of events wrapped around the major event.”

Leading up to race time, Lefty’s Fun Zone, the kids' section of the fan zone, had several events for children, hosted by mascot Lefty. Youth initiatives included bubble rollers, face painters and remote control cars. Driver Scott Dixon even hosted Kids Club Driver Storytime where he read a storybook to young fans at 5 p.m.

Food and beverage provider Americrown worked directly with drivers to create concessions items inspired by their favorite dishes, offered at Drivers Cuisine Cantina. (VT Photo)

The O’Reilly Fan Zone opened to ticket holders at 4 p.m., four hours after the parking lots opened. Live Music with bands like Cheaper Trick and American Hitmen played the main stage, while exhibitions including Freestyle MotoX and Lucha Libre occurred in the fan zone before the race officially began at 7:20 p.m.

Lucha Libre has been a component of the IndyCar prerace for the last two years, as well.

“About 36 percent of our ticketholders are Hispanic, so we make a direct marketing effort to do outreach for them,” said Talley, who added that the Lefty’s Fun Zone initiative appeals to the nearly 50-percent family crowd, with about 100,000 children in the Lefty’s Kids Club.

Another promotion the speedway does each event is in partnership with Americrown, the food and beverage provider also owned by parent company International Speedway Corporation.

Each event, Vice President of Americrown Rishi Nigam and his team work with drivers to create their favorite meals as options for fans to purchase. Previous items include Franchitti Ziti, a pasta dish inspired by Dario Franchitti, and Scott Dixon’s favorite Tater Tots, Scott’s Tots. The only other track where Americrown adds this personalized touch is Phoenix International Raceway.

“It’s just something fun that we do for the fans, and the drivers really get into it and want to participate,” said Nigam.

This year, driver-inspired items included Ed Carpenter’s Super Nachos for $9, $8 options such as Dario Franchitti’s Bacon Blue Burger, Charlie Kimball’s Chicken Sandwich, and Takuma Sato’s Pork Chop Sandwich, and Scott Dixon’s Tumbleweed Dog for $6.

Americrown also offers a spicy burger specific to Fontana, where fans seem to gravitate toward spicy meals. The $8 Hot Lap Burger is made with ground beef, but also includes chorizo, bacon and jalapeno ground into the patty itself. With the heat this year, the Hot Lap Burger wasn’t necessarily the hottest (selling) item on the menu.

“The most popular item was bottled water — shocker,” said Nigam, who added that Americrown sold more than 1,000 hot dogs, burgers and French fries during the race.

Between the IndyCar race, Nascar event, motorcycle groups, movie shoots, car clubs and companies that come in to test gear such as tires, the track is in use more than 330 days each year.

Interviewed for this story: Rishi Nigam, (386) 947-3800; David Talley, (909) 429-5000

Fans and drivers prepare for the race as the sun sets at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. (VT Photo)

Dave Pittman, Cirque du Soleil; Glenn Walinski, Tyson Events Center, Sioux City, Iowa; and Jeff Meyer, Feld Entertainment, following their panel on new content for arenas. (VT Photo)
 

REPORTING FROM LONG BEACH — From the debut of Tyler Oakley’s Slumber Party in arenas this fall to an update on the launch of a successful — but very heavy — Marvel Universe Live tour, attendees at the Arena Management Conference here learned about the upcoming moneymakers featuring “heroes, acrobats and elephants” during their Sept. 14-16 meeting.

The most unique offerings were revealed by Mike Mills, president of Mills Entertainment, who described the growing success of YouTube stars on tour live. “We know from postshow surveys that we bring in first-time customers. We self-finance all our tours. It’s a win/win or lose/lose … together,” Mills said.

Mills Entertainment promoted and produced 600 shows last year, 40-50 of those in arenas. “That is an area of growth for our company,” Mills said. “One third we self-promote, one third we co-promote, one third we sell off. We are flexible in how to bring our shows to market.”

They have had ongoing success with Theresa Caputo, the Long Island Medium, whose average attendance is 4,000-5,000, Mills said. She will do another 70 engagements in 2015 in primary, secondary and tertiary markets.

Buddy Valastro, The Cake Boss, is back playing 20 cities on a fall tour, Mills continued. His show has an exposition component and is a collaboration with WME. “It’s an immersive experience.”

Interactive and immersive would also describe Tyler Oakley’s Slumber Party. The YouTube star’s demographic is 12- 18-year-old girls. He has 5 million subscribers. Described online by Oakley as a unique sleepover format, which will appeal to young fans, he further says, “That means that we are going to play pranks, that means that I am going to gossip with you, and we are going to tell stories, and I’m going to get you guys on stage, and I’m going to meet tons of you in my own way, and it’s going to be so much fun and we’re going to take selfies.” Tyler Oakley sold out two 2,000-seaters in minutes. He is underplaying markets, Mills said.

Mills Entertainment is also bringing Fanatica, a series created to bring YouTube stars to the live stage. There will be one multigenre show and one that is all about beauty tips on fashion, hair and makeup.

“I assure you it is real. They fill arenas with fashion tips,” Mills said.

A PORTFOLIO COMPANY

Jeff Meyer, SVP, Feld Entertainment, brought good news to arena managers with updates on Marvel Universe Live, which is now on tour, and Disney on Ice Frozen, which is hot.

“A lot has happened in 12 months,” Meyer said, including Feld Entertainment’s move to Ellenton, Fla., where they have opened a production studio and brought everyone under one roof.

“We are in a deep-dive investment, research and development stage, with Arenacross,” he continued. “We are going to solidify its connection with the stadium Supercross show. It will be the minor league of Supercross. The only way to get to Supercross now is through Arenacross. There will be brand equity.” Arenacross will play 40-plus events.

Disney Live is also enjoying a tremendous amount of success, Meyer said, as is Disney Jr., both of which will have new product in the summer of 2015. Feld research shows they can explore doing more than one show per marketplace with Disney Live and Disney Jr.

Monster Jam will have an arenas-only tour playing 10 markets in 2015 to test a new format, using the same athletes and same vehicles in each city. “The format and judging is going to change. If it’s successful, we will roll out in 2016 in every arena. We think fans will love it,” Meyer added.

But the big news from Feld is Marvel Universe Live, which is averaging grosses north of $1 million a week since its launch. The show is 29 trucks and “a lot of weight,” he added. “Those of you who have had the dates already and those working for a future date, I thank you, because it is one big show. It will evolve into something a little smaller.. “

“This is the start of a new franchise, like Disney on Ice,” Meyer declared.

Disney on Ice presents Frozen is “High School Musical and Beauty & the Beast on steroids,” Meyer said. “Prior to launching, we had 1.2 million tickets sold in advance in 33 cities. In Auburn Hills, Mich., advance sales were up 70 percent over the year prior. It is absolutely on fire.” Feld is adding performances and adding cities and will play the U.S. for at least the next two years and has longterm plans to bring Frozen into live stage productions as well.

“Nothing has changed in our deal structures for Frozen,” Meyer said. “With few exceptions, there are going to be some great windfalls for folks. We will celebrate that with you all. We’re in it for the long haul; ours is a portfolio business. Some years are better than others and we ride that wave with you all. Thank you for your partnership.”

HELLO KITTY

VEE Corporation, which is celebrating 35 years of Sesame Street Live, also has some new product on the road.

“We’re working with San Rio on a new production, Hello Kitty Super Cute Friendship Festival, which will play on the arena floor or convention center space,” said VEE’s Kevin Kulas. It is an interactive, festival show with activities revolving around Hello Kitty’s world. The festival is playing 40 cities beginning May 2015. Hello Kitty is a huge Facebook and retail brand and the show will be “something different in arenas,” Kulas said.

VEE’s latest Sesame Street Live is themed Let’s Dance and is all about character interaction with the audience, he added. “We’re focused on bringing the characters into the crowd.” Let’s Dance is playing 160 cities.

Jeff Apregan, Apregan Entertainment Group, said Nitro Circus Live will play 40 North American cities in 2015. It has sold 1.6 million tickets in four years on five continents, a very small percentage of that in North America.

With 150 cast and crew, 14 semis and 10 buses, the fourth season starts in October and will be back in the U.S. playing 14 cities in May 2015. “They are very, very focused on building this brand. In the next couple years, you’ll be seeing branding and licensing initiatives and the possibility of new digital web series and new TV series,” Apregan said.

Ryan Jones, William Morris Entertainment, brought news of a new Oprah — The Life You Want touring eight cities this fall and possibly eight more next fall, pending her schedule. The show carries a “$1,000 top ticket that gets you dinner with Oprah, down to $99.” It’s a 1.5-days booking, a girls night out, on Friday night and all day Saturday.

Now WME is working with author Arianna Huffington on rolling out another arena concept like Oprah’s.

And since WME purchased IMG action sports, including its ice show division, “you’ll hear more from me there. We now have a lot of new resources and great new avenues,” Jones said.

Spider-Man will be playing arenas in the spring of 2016, just coming off Broadway, he added. Tickets will be $70-$80 ticket price.  “We are creating a universal fly track so it will fit every arena”.

The Illusionists, seven magicians from all over the world, is another new arena offering. It will play November-December on Broadway and then tour theaters and arenas after that over the next couple of years.

“And we’re working with S2BN on Alvin The Chipmunk Live for theaters and cut down arenas,” Ryan said.

David Pittman, Cirque du Soleil, noted the production company is celebrating 30 years of live shows. It has only just begun retiring some early shows, including Saltimbanco and Alegria. Two weeks ago, Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour retired. When Dralion comes back from Spain, it will play 16 more weeks in North America and then it will retire in January 2015 after playing Fairbanks and Anchorage in Alaska. Verikai will tour until September of next year.

But there are new shows on tap, including Ovo, currently under the Big Top, which will play arenas beginning in 2015, touring for 19 months, through September 2017 in North America, then touring overseas.

And Avatar wil be live in arenas starting in 2015. That show is not a re-creation of the movie, Pittman said. It is a prequel to the first film.

Interviewed for this story: Kevin Kulas, (612) 852-2329; Ryan Jones, (310) 285-9000; Michael Mills, (518) 884-2960; Jeff Meyer, (703) 448-4000; Jeff Apregan, (805) 494-0020; David Pitman, (703) 898-5015

Ovations will provide food and beverage at the new stadium for San Jose Earthquakes.

Major League Soccer’s San Jose (Calif.) Earthquakes have signed a partnership deal with Ovations Food Services, a subsidiary of the sports and entertainment firm Comcast-Spectacor, to handle all food services at the team’s new $60-million stadium.

The 18,000-seat venue, located by the city’s airport, is on schedule to be completed by Dec. 1 prior to the 2015 MLS season in March.

This is the second MLS facility Ovations is working with. The company also operates the concessions at Philadelphia Union’s PPL Park.

“We are excited to partner with Ovations, which has expertise in venues of this size,” said Earthquakes' president Dave Kaval.

The commission-based deal’s term is 14 years, with Ovations purchasing all foodservice equipment.

The new stadium will include 11 permanent concession stands, 20 to 30 portables, a food truck area and what is said to be the longest bar in North America.

Ovations designed the Earthquakes’ foodservice program with an emphasis on speed of service and enough points of sale and personnel to handle large crowds. 

“The biggest difference with soccer compared to other sports is that fans are less likely to leave their seats during the game,” said Charlie Neary, Ovations’ executive vice president, West Coast. “This means there is a very limited amount of time to capture sales, so half time is crunch time.”

Ovations made changes to the original foodservice areas’ designs, reconfiguring the concessions outlets and adding a kitchen space.

“With the design, there were a couple of factors that were important to us, and we were successful in getting the Earthquakes’ team on board with the changes,” said Neary.

The initial design included warming ovens in the concessions areas for cook-and-hold production. With Ovations’ plan to prepare food to order, this equipment was eliminated.

“Premade items are not a part of our ‘Everything’s Fresh’ brand’s approach,” Neary said.

Another design change replaced the concessions stand by the 115-foot-long Scoreboard Bar with an outdoor barbecue area. This includes barbecue pits to produce beef brisket, pulled pork and St. Louis style ribs, among other items. The bar will be accessible on all four sides and staffed with 24 bartenders serving snacks, beverages, cocktails and 20 types of beer, including craft and imported varieties.

The design for San Jose Earthquakes' new stadium.

The stadium’s menu will include traditional fare, such as hot dogs and burgers, in addition to vegetarian items like grilled vegetable wraps, salads, Vietnamese spring rolls and Crimini mushroom sliders. Gluten-free foods also will be available.

The Earthquakes’ former food truck program, also in the bar area, has been expanded. This will now involve up to 14 independently-operated food trucks rotated through on a game by game basis, with the goal to create an environment for foodies.

The Epicenter, a multipurpose area, will be located on the opposite side of the bar, along with a kids' zone and VIP barbecue section.

“This area’s open horseshoe shape and a video board on the back of the scoreboard will allow fans to watch the game while socializing,” Kaval said.

When the stadium broke ground on Oct. 21, 2012, 6,256 people dug for two minutes, setting a Guinness World Record for the largest participatory groundbreaking.

Designed by 360 Architecture, the new facility will have one of the steepest raked seats in the MLS at about 40 percent, to enhance field views. The seats also will be painted with a pattern that includes different shades of blue and some red to pay homage to the club’s history in the North American Soccer League.

“This seat pattern contains a coded message related to the club, and we will be holding a competition for fans to crack the code when the venue is completed,” Kaval said.

Another distinguishing feature is the use of reclaimed San Francisco redwood throughout the facility, including within the 12 field-level suites.

At press time, the facility’s locker rooms, front office, concession stands, rest rooms and premium areas were in the final stages of completion.

A couple of smaller run-up events, not yet announced, will be held prior to the start of the MLS season.

“This will give us the opportunity to get in there with our employees and test everything before the start of the MLS season,” Neary said. “We’re feeling really comfortable with that much lead time prior to opening day.”

With two MLS stadium contracts, Ovations is looking to expand its clientele to include more soccer facilities moving forward.

“The nice thing with MLS is there is still room for expansion, and we hope to be a part of this and serve these teams,” said Ken Young, Ovations’ president.

Interviewed for this article: Dave Kaval, (650) 784-3635; Charlie Neary, (925) 426-5128; Ken Young, (813) 948-6900

Prior to his first Los Angeles headlining concert in more than 12 years, Sir Elton John is greeted by Goldenvoice's Susan Rosenbluth and Staples Center President Lee Zeidman, Oct. 4.

Sir Elton John’s All The Hits tour has left the U.S. after 10 stops to head to Europe, but not without finding its way back onto Venues Today’s Hot Tickets charts with two back-to-back performances at Staples Center, Los Angeles. Over the Oct. 4-5 weekend, Staples Center saw over 32,000 people in attendance at the AEG Live-promoted event that marked the artist’s first return to Los Angeles in 13 years. With ticket prices ranging from $39 to $169, the two sold-out nights brought in a gross of more than $3.3 million. The tour also offered an exclusive experience to fans, the Behind The Piano Backstage Tour Package. At $572 a ticket, fans were given a guided backstage tour by a member of Elton John’s crew, a photograph at his infamous piano, and a commemorative tour program.

Latin Artists continued to dominate Venues Today’s Hot Tickets charts this week. Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull brought in just under $600,000 at the Atlantic City (N.J.) Boardwalk Hall, Sept. 26. The AEG Live-promoted event saw more than 10,500 fans at the concert with ticket prices ranging from about $19 to $178. Australia welcomed comedian Gabriel Iglesias on his Unity Through Laughter World Tour.  More than 7,600 fans came out to see the Fluffy Guy on Sept. 27 at Qantas Credit Union Arena, Sydney, with tickets ranging from about $70 to $90. Juan Gabriel has four shows on the chart this week. Three nights, from Sept. 18-21, at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles, promoted by AEG Live, Goldenvoice, and Cardenas Marketing Network saw more than 20,000 fans in attendance. With tickets ranging from $80 to $250, the three Volver tour dates grossed more than $3.3 million. Marc Anthony also made the chart this week with his Sept. 13 concert in Las Vegas at The Axis at Planet Hollywood. The sold-out show grossed over $1 million in ticket sales with prices ranging from $94 to $295.

HOT TICKETS is a weekly summary of the top acts and ticket sales as reported to VT PULSE. Following are the top 20 concerts and events, the top 5 in each seating capacity category, which took place between Sept. 9-Oct. 7.

The Populous-designed new SunTrust Park will open in spring 2017.

On the same day the Atlanta Braves broke ground on a $672-million stadium, they also broke some news. The team announced a 25-year agreement with Atlanta-based SunTrust Banks Inc. to name the new facility SunTrust Park.

The 41,500-seat stadium in Cumberland, Ga., will replace the Braves’ home of nearly 20 years, Turner Field, in the spring of 2017.

At the groundbreaking ceremonies, Braves officials said the deal includes marquee signage for SunTrust, additional promotional opportunities throughout the venue and in a mixed-use complex that will be adjacent to the park. Financial terms were not announced, but it was reported by the Atlanta Business Chronicle the deal could be worth up to $125 million.

“Both of our organizations have deep roots in Atlanta and across the nation,” Braves Chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk said during the ceremonies. “We couldn’t imagine a more perfect partner.”

The banking company, which has nearly 1,500 bank branches throughout the South, had a previous relationship with the Braves through sponsoring a luxury area behind home plate at Turner Field called the “SunTrust Club.”

“We have been here for 125 years and the Braves have been here since 1966, so it is two long-standing Atlanta citizens getting together,” President, Chairman and CEO of SunTrust Bank Georgia/North Florida Division Jenner Wood told Venues Today.

When the Braves announced they would leave Turner Field for a new destination 14 miles northwest of their old park, Wood said SunTrust was surprised at the move, but immediately interested in becoming a naming rights partner.

Construction on the $672-million SunTrust Park is underway.

The bank got to work quickly on a deal, wanting to work out a contract in time for the groundbreaking ceremonies.

“As they refer to SunTrust Park being built over the next two-and-a-half years, we’ll get a lot of free advertising,” Wood said. “We had casual conversations with them in 2013 and this spring. This summer we got serious. They were talking with other partners, but the relationship we already had led us to believe we could get it done.”

In terms of marketing the SunTrust brand, the company is also interested in the national reach of the Braves. Only a handful of teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox can boast a wider spread fan base across the country. Not only has the team been highly successful on the field – winning the World Series in 1995 and winning their division every year between 1995 and 2005 – but they also had a television deal that helped grow followers in every state.

“Even in a broader sense, they were thought of as America’s team in the 1990s when (former owner) Ted Turner took them across the country with the ‘Super Station’ and they still are, in some ways, America’s team,” Wood said. “As we continue to expand our footprint – we have offices now in Texas, California, Chicago, Boston and New York – we think there is a lot of marketing synergy in our national reach and the Braves’ national reach.”

SunTrust Park.

The reach within the park will go beyond the 81 home games – and not just into the playoffs. There will be a “mixed-use development” connected to the stadium, which will likely include a restaurant and/or microbrewery as well as shops, offices and residences.

As for extra perks of the deal, Wood said details still need to be ironed out and that the new stadium will provide “unique client experiences.” If it is any indication of what those perks will be, at Turner Field, SunTrust owned the closest seats to home plate in all of Major League Baseball.

The team and SunTrust took their time ironing out one key detail: Whether to call the new facility SunTrust Park or SunTrust Stadium. They elected the former because it sounds more welcoming.

“It was not a decision we took lightly. The reason we decided on ‘Park’ is because a park is where friends and family come together,” Wood said. “And we think that will be present in SunTrust Park. It says that the venue is specific to friends, family and enjoyment – that is what a park means.”

SunTrust Park was designed by Populous, which has been the architect for 13 of the last 14 new MLB stadiums. Marlins Park in Miami, Fla., was their most recent project.

There is no word yet what will happen to 49,500-seat Turner Field, which was built in 1993 and used during the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Interviewed for this story: Jenner Wood, (404) 588-7230; Terry McGurik, (404) 577-9100

This photo was first posted on Twitter to show The Greek in Los Angeles is not just a venue, it’s people. (Photo by Randall Michelson)

Since it was revealed Sept. 26 that Live Nation was about to be recommended to take over management of the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, late next year, current management Nederlander Concerts and its partner in the bid, AEG, have been waging a social as well as financial campaign to reverse that plan.

There was immediate victory in that the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks commission, which was set to endorse Live Nation Oct. 1, instead postponed any decision to Oct. 9. The Nederlander group is hoping that Thursday the decision is delayed again, and has been working diligently vetting the proposals for their 10-minute rebuttal slot as well as generating public support in all ways web-related for retaining the 39-year management team currently in place.

The web campaign is themed “We are the Greek,” and began with a posting on Twitter showing the staff on stage at the historic venue, suggesting this is not just a venue, it’s people. On Oct. 6, Nederlander and AEG Live launched a website, wearethegreek.com and engaged change.org to circulate a petition urging the commission to reconsider the bids and retain Nederlander and AEG as Greek manager. Vanessa Kromer, director of public relations for Nederlander Concerts, said the petition gathered 12,000 signatures the first day.

Rena Wasserman, GM of the Greek Theatre, acknowledged that the “era we live in is different than it was in 2000,” when the Greek management contract last came up for renewal. “Social media is a wonderful thing in some ways, for support and comfort and to clarify for us we’re right. We put our heart and soul and passion in our company and it’s heartwarming to have that affirmed even if at the end of the day, it matters little. Ultimately, as important as public support is, it is the merits of the proposals we stand on.”

When word of the proposed change was published locally, public reaction was immediate and intense, Kromer said. From neighbors to vendors to clients, everyone associated with The Greek was getting phone calls and letters and posts. “We all figured we needed to do something,” she said, so they collaborated with AEG to develop a “place to direct people.”

Like the “Save the Fox” campaign launched in Atlanta 40 years ago (read more in our October issue of Venues Today), this grassroots effort seeks public support but, unlike 40 years ago, it was instantaneous and internet oriented. Why not use the tools at hand, Kromer said.

Still, it is a business decision, not an emotional one, and Kromer addressed that also. They have documented what they say is proof their bid is financially more attractive than Live Nation’s.

They have circulated a document highlighting their interpretation of the financial packages that make Nederlander/AEG the more attractive proposal, including:

• $6.25 million more minimum guaranteed rent to the city over 10 years than what Live Nation offers.

• $17.5 million more minimum guaranteed rent to the city than Live Nation’s offer if the contract is extended to 20 years.

• Minimum guaranteed rent escalating from $3.5 million to $4.25 million annually, while Live Nation’s rent stays at $3 million for 20 years.

* 10% vs. 8% rent when the venue performs well, potentially $20 million more revenue to the city than from Live Nation.

Wasserman also pointed out that some comparisons of the proposals put a 20-year commitment from Live Nation against a 10-year proposal from Nederlander/AEG. The bid was for 10 years with two five-year options. When those options come up, you go back to the table, Wasserman said. No one knows now what that second 10 years should look like.

On the public side, they are touting their community plan as consumer friendly, claiming Live Nation’s is based on increasing the price of tickets, and that their renovation plan is historically sensitive and includes the same revenue-generating improvements as Live Nation’s does.

Nederlander is using the web campaign to generate ‘crowdbacking’ for their business — not funding, not staff sourcing, just support — touting the fact they are a family owned, local business.

“We are extremely passionate about The Greek and the managing of it,” Kromer said. She did not have an estimate of the cost of the “We are The Greek” campaign in cash and kind yet. Only time will tell if it’s effective, but it is engaging the staff and the community in what would normally be a business decision at the high management level.

Even more costly and time consuming was the RFP process. Wasserman said the Nederlander/AEG proposal was 2,400 pages and that Live Nation’s was 1,000 pages. The five consultants who vetted the proposals reported spending 170 collective hours vetting the proposals, a mere 34 hours per person. The RFP went out June 4, proposals were submitted Aug. 12, candidates were interviewed for two hours Aug. 26 and, on Sept. 26, the report recommending Live Nation was made public.

She has been analyzing and comparing the proposals for rebuttal at the Oct. 9 meeting (each firm will be given 10 minutes, she said) and considers 34 hours minimal and insufficient for the task at hand. Bids cannot be changed and Wasserman didn’t think they should be. “Ours is a great deal for the city of Los Angeles,” she said.

Of five members of the commission, one is absent and one recused herself, so the three remaining must be unanimous on any decision for a majority rule.

Last year, the theater brought in nearly $23 million in gross receipts, yielding $1.6 million in revenue-sharing payments for the city, according to the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. Nederlander operated last year under an extended contract, which was originally up in 2011 but was extended one more and then three more years while the RFP process took place. It expires in October 2015 unless it is extended again as the debate rages on.

"The scores were not even close at all," according to Victor De la Cruz, an attorney representing Live Nation, who spoke to the L.A. Times."You have a 40-year incumbent who does not want to go ... and we understand that the community has valid concerns about a new operator," De la Cruz said. However, he added, "we intend to prove them wrong."

Interviewed for this story: Rena Wasserman, (323) 644-5000; Vanessa Kromer, (323) 817-6108

More than 1.2 million people enjoyed this year's Los Angeles County Fair.

The Los Angeles County Fair and its attendees endured blazing temperatures for the better part of its run Aug. 29 to Sept. 28, resulting in an attendance figure of just over 1.2 million, down from last year’s 1.43 million. As temperatures cooled during the last week, however, the fair’s attendance spiked. Sept. 25 brought 70,000 guests, breaking the fair's all-time attendance record for that day.

“Despite the heat, we did see a very enthusiastic crowd,” said Michael Chee, Fairplex’s director of marketing, public relations and communications. “When we had cooler temperatures, we had some all-time record-breaking days in terms of attendance and spending. … All that taken together leads me to believe … if we had a stretch of milder weather, we would have met or exceeded last year’s numbers by a significant amount.”

Armed with the theme of “discovery” this year, the fair introduced all new brand presentation and marketing. The fair adopted the shorter moniker LACF, better suited for online and social media use, along with a new, bold logo, replacing the old logo that had been in place for 15 years. Chee explained that the fair also aimed to attract new audiences this year. “We were targeting … a broader mix of ethnic audiences intentionally,” he said. “We generally target Spanish-language audiences, but we also specifically went after Chinese- and Korean-language audiences as well, with language advertising in those markets.” Through online surveys, organizers were able to determine that the fair saw more Asian-American attendees this year than in previous years according to Chee.

“We were [also] successful in attracting people with higher disposable incomes [shown through] tracking household income. I think that’s what gives us the indication that although we had fewer overall people, our revenues stayed the same because people were staying and spending more money per capita,” Chee said, adding that gross sales from admissions added up to about $30 million, an encouraging number that was close to last year’s. “Even though we had fewer numbers of people, we still had similar revenues. We also had one less operating day this year.”

The fair debuted a new, bold logo.

School field-trip attendance also saw a boost with 156,950 K-12 students on organized trips coming to the fair this year, 2,000 more than last year.

The closing night’s Earth, Wind and Fire show drew the largest crowd out of the fair’s concerts, with Heart, Pentatonix, and LL Cool J featuring DJ Z-Trip with Salt-N-Pepa also seeing big audiences.

Another popular entertainment option offered at this year’s fair was Luminasia, a nightly exhibit of colorful lanterns handcrafted by 49 Chinese artisans. The festival is produced by International Special Attractions, and the fair marked the second time it was in the U.S. (the first was last year’s Washington State Fair).

“The thing about the LA Fair is the area that we’re allowed to build in is very good for this type of attraction,” said ISA Associate Producer Jonathan Sanford. “It’s picturesque, it has pathways that are predetermined. … It’s also the same topography as where the artisans who built the show come from—a little bit hilly, some canopy cover, so there’s a lot of inspiration to make really beautiful environments.”

Sanford echoed Chee’s sentiments about the heat, explaining that attendance suffered from the heat. “Unfortunately, sometimes [those numbers] translated into the nighttime, but for the last two weeks, we definitely were seeing numbers that were more what we were expecting for the entire thing,” he said. While plans haven’t been set in stone for next year, Sanford added that ISA was proud of the show and would happily bring it to the 2015 LA County Fair. “If we get the opportunity to do it again next year, obviously we want to make it even bigger and better.”

Adding to the nightly entertainment, the fair also featured a nightclub attraction called Grinding Gears, which welcomed all ages and offered rotating entertainment including DJs, live bands and acrobatic performers.

The carnival was run by Ray Cammack Shows once again, bringing new rides including the Galaxy rollercoaster, a new swing ride, the “OMG” and Pelican Splash (a kids' flume ride). “We were very pleased with all of them, especially the Pelican Splash,” said Tony Fiori, the carnival’s director of media relations. “The kids really took to it. But they all did really well.”

Fiori explained that the carnival rides were up slightly from last year, but did not reveal an official figure. “We had 10-12 days of really, severely hot weather. It did hurt the fair,” he said. “But we had a great, strong closing week and bounced back really well. We were very pleased that [the carnival] ended up being slightly up.”

Fair organizers have not set dates or begun making plans for next year’s event. Despite the heat, Chee explained that all of the fair’s components worked well together and the layout kept foot traffic moving efficiently. “I think the challenge is going to be keeping the entertainment and the exhibition engagement level as high or higher next year,” he said.

Interviewed for this story: Michael Chee, (909) 865-4290; Tony Fiori, (602) 763-2363; Jonathan Sanford, (310) 553-7500 x103

Crews pull down the commemorative statue of Tom Ryman at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 1 as the media and spectators watch.

REPORTING FROM NASHVILLE, TENN. — Ryman Auditorium has a storied history, with a legacy of notable events and a tentative teardown.

Ryman Hospitality Properties (formerly Gaylord Entertainment) broke ground on a $14-million expansion Oct.1 with the removal of the statue of Tom Ryman, the steamboat magnate who spearheaded the building of the tabernacle.

“When the pieces of the statue came apart, it’s funny because it looked like he was giving us a thumbs-up,” said facility GM Sally Williams. “He was such a visionary and was so passionate about this mission to create a building where people can come together, I just wonder if he could have imagined that nearly 125 years later people would still be so passionate about it.”

In recent years, the facility has seemed to follow 20-year cycles.

After opening in 1892, the venue served as the home for the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-74 and hosted programs such as ‘The Johnny Cash Show.’ Ryman Auditorium fell into disuse from about 1974-1994, but reopened in 1994 after a $9-million renovation, restoration and expansion that began in 1993. The initial restoration 20 years ago and expansion of lobby space, backstage and bathrooms revitalized the facility, which now hosts about 250 events each year.

“It basically added a separate building onto the Fourth Avenue side, creating a walkway so that when you’re passing from the expansion into the tabernacle on the second floor, you’re walking through the original window opening of the 1892 auditorium,” said facility historian Brenda Colladay.

In its original configuration, the stage at the Ryman Auditorium was in the round, without amenities.

“There wasn’t really a front of house or guest services areas, which is why the Ryman alley is so historic — that was their green room,” said Williams.

The proposed view for the expansion of Ryman Auditorium, which will include a cafe and expanded lobby space. (Photo by Hastings Architecture Associates)

The latest expansion and renovation will only touch the auditorium’s 1994 addition, not the historic facility. This means that the concert business will be unaffected through the whole process, which broke ground Oct. 1 and is scheduled for completion in early June 2015.

“It’s really all designed to give guests of the Ryman a better guest experience, including adding an external ticketing window,” added Colladay.

The space will improve and expand the experience for concert attendees, but really focus on business like tours that run year-round.  A new event space, featuring a new multimedia interactive daytime tour attraction, will be available for private functions in the evenings.

“It will be a one-of-a-kind multimedia museum experience with an introductory film in a specially designed theater space where guests will be able to connect with the Ryman in a very emotional way before they enter,” Colladay said.

All of the exhibits will be updated to include new pieces that highlight the history of country music.

The concessions, which are done in-house, will enjoy the addition of a dedicated café space.

“We see a lot of people during the daytime hours for tours and typically hadn’t had food and beverage available for them, since our configuration had been geared toward nighttime concerts with bars and standard concessions items,” Williams said.

The expansion will grow the retail area that will include both interior and exterior access. Renovation plans also include added restroom facilities and expanded lobby space.

R.C. Mathews, the company responsible for the 1994 expansion, serves as the contractor on the project, along with Hastings Architecture Associates. The facility staff hosts weekly meetings with the contractor to review the venue’s concert calendar and talk about the renovation process.

Williams said that with the success of Ryman Auditorium, which was recently honored with IEBA’s 2014 Venue of the Year distinction, the guest services areas from the original expansion have become inadequate.

“The tabernacle is just about perfect — it sounds beautiful and there’s a spirit you feel when you walk through that door that is never more prominent than the moment when the artist takes the stage,” said Williams. “I’m just excited that we’re going to be improving the experience for guests prior to them walking into that tabernacle.”

Interviewed for this story: Brenda Colladay and Sally Williams, (615) 458-8715

The MLS stadium in Toronto is undergoing a $94-million renovation.

BMO Field, home to Toronto FC of Major League Soccer and other major events, began a recent first phase of renovation and expansion to the stadium that is scheduled for a May 1, 2015 completion.

“The renovation and expansion will take place over two years and in two distinct phases,” said Bob Hunter, chief facilities and live entertainment officer with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE). “Phase one started on Sept.9 and will run through May 1 next year, while phase two will start in September 2015 and run through May 1, 2016.”

The first phase includes adding 8,400 seats with additional washrooms and concession stands and will bring the stadium capacity to 30,000. Two new private clubs will be added along with a new full-service kitchen for restaurants, suites and clubs. Twelve new executive suites are part of the addition along with two party suites and a loge box.

The second phase of renovations will include a full-size canopy covering all seats with the exception of the North grandstand and a new sound and lighting system. A possible third phase has also been factored in that would enable BMO Field to accommodate a Canadian Football League field if required.

“The BMO Field renovation project is a great example of what can be accomplished when we work together with a strong community partner like MLSE,” said Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly in a released statement. “The improved stadium will become an incredible sport destination that will be enjoyed by fans from across Toronto and beyond.”

The stadium opened in April 2007 and in 2010 became the first venue outside of the United States to host the Major League Soccer Cup. The venue is also home to the Canadian men’s national soccer team.

The two-phase renovation and expansion will be complete in May 2016.

The total budget for the project is almost $94 million, with MLSE putting in about $85 million and the City of Toronto putting in the other $9 million.

“The venue is eight years old and the team is still drawing very well, but we believe the demand is there for more seats and more premium areas for entertainment,” Hunter said. “We did not build enough premium areas or suites in the original building.”

“An expanded and improved BMO Field will be of great benefit to Exhibition Place and all of Toronto,” added Councillor Mark Grimes, chair of the Exhibition Place board of governors in a statement. “This is a project that will generate millions of dollars in economic impact over the years with increased business and tourism in the area. We’re thankful for all of those who worked together to make it a reality.”

ICON Venue Group will oversee the design and construction of the project, while Gensler is the architect of record and will design the stadium renovations. The stadium construction is run by locally based PCL Construction.

The venue will not be shut down during the project. As far as how the work impacts games played by Toronto FC, Hunter said that the home team’s venue is only slightly altered.

“The soccer team will not play a home game in the next two years until May 1 each year, which is about six weeks after the season starts,” he said.

Meanwhile, there is plenty of excitement now that groundbreaking has taken place and the work has begun.

“There will be more amenities, services, points of sale and washrooms for the general public, and the addition of the canopy is beneficial to all in inclement weather,” Hunter said.

Interviewed for this article: Bob Hunter, (416) 815-5738