Numbers don’t lie, and they play a big part in Mike Warkentin’s management method, which the venue manager of Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, said has been described as “perplexing but in a good way.”
“I bring a different approach than a lot of people are used to,” said Warkentin. “I’m very quantitative. I heavily analyze the numbers, and I think probably one of the biggest places in the industry for an opportunity to grow is the use of predictive analytics and actually seeing before an event comes how it’s going to perform. Knowing how those numbers are going to interact, knowing what your sales are going to do, knowing how many hot dogs you’re going to sell.”
The votes for the Venues Today 2016 Generation Next Social Butterfly award have also been tallied, finding Warkentin the clear winner for this year. He has quickly climbed the ranks at Rexall Place, coming in as an intern only in 2013, then being brought on full time, before taking over the helm when Adam Cook left to be general manager at Rose Quarter in Portland, Ore.
“It quickly became apparent that he was incredibly talented and skilled and incredibly intelligent about what he was doing and that he was going to be an impact player in the industry and in Edmonton, whether we picked him up or not,” said Cook. “It just became a situation where we had to find a role for him and had to find a way to get him involved.”
Warkentin, an Alberta native, had moved to San Diego to complete an MBA sports program at San Diego State University, with the original intention of becoming an agent to professional athletes after having worked with some National Hockey League agents himself.
“I liked the way they were able to leverage the industry,” said Warkentin. “They were kind of the guys behind the guy. Growing up, I never wanted to be the athlete or the entertainer. I grew up wanting to be the guy behind the scenes.”
Warkentin said the program opened up his eyes to other areas of the sports business and, through the school, became connected with Northlands.
“Mike is one of those guys who is incredibly driven and has known what he wants to do and where he wants to go but has learned to adapt that as he’s gone along that path for his changing circumstances,” said Cook. “Whether it’s working for a sports team versus working for a venue, working for an arena or working within the new concept Northlands is starting to roll out, but always being driven to do well at whatever that role is, which has allowed him to advance very quickly for somebody with a limited background within the industry.”
At Northlands, he was able to get his feet wet with trade shows and the 10-day K Days fair. He took over stage management for that event one summer before taking over the entire entertainment portfolio and management of Rexall Place.
“It’s been a pretty quick road,” said Warkentin. “Probably one of the biggest accomplishments in my career is just how quickly it unfolded. It’s been a natural progression, but at times it can be challenging. A lot of times I learn on the fly, because I didn’t grow up around entertainment.”
Before enrolling in the MBA program, Warkentin was in agriculture, doing genetic-purity testing for a canola company. Though unconventional, Warkentin feels it prepared him for this industry.
“I was doing a lot of quality-assurance testing of genetic crops,” said Warkentin, “but at the same time, I was doing a lot of logistics and international shipping. The attention to detail that’s required when you’re shipping 25 containers of canola seed across the world is the exact same attention to detail required when you’re putting on a major concert. It’s going through line by line and seeing who needs what and making sure your chains of communication are open. So it actually did prepare me very well for this industry.”
But it was a particular concert that really solidified it for Warkentin.
“It was the moment when I knew this was where I wanted to be,” said Warkentin. “I still remember it to this day. It was May 22, 2013. It was the first time I had seen everything unfold. I was a part of the on sale, building, scaling, being there for the load in. I was the guy at the venue that day. Being there for that first show, it clicked as this is where I want to be and this is the path I want to be on.”
Though he only worked with him for a couple years at Northlands, Cook said he hopes to do so again in the future and expects big things from Warkentin, because of his servant leadership style and his use of a predictive model for analyzing data.
“As Richard Anderson once phrased to me in a similar conversation, it’s what’s called the lifetime no-cut contract, which is a Major League Baseball term for basically you’re on my team as long as you want to be,” said Cook. “For me, Mike’s one of those guys.”
With his career in mind, Warkentin advises others to take every opportunity you get, whether you think it’s beneath you or you think it’s too big or too small. Never say no to anything and take on as much as you can.
“Know the difference between a yes attitude and a never-say-no attitude. A never-say-no attitude is the approach I take to this. It’s not always going to be a yes, because there are times when you need to push back. A never-say-no attitude is trying to figure out a new path.”
The analytics piece has always been a part of Warkentin’s work and is something he sees as the next step in venue and event management. As his portfolio has grown, it’s become harder to run for every event, but that’s a place he hopes to get to. But the unique people, challenges and opportunities are still his favorite part of the job.
“I kind of take it for granted sometimes,” said Warkentin. “When I tell people what I do, they have an instant reaction like it’s the coolest thing on earth. Or when I give someone a tour or I’m at a show, I see the reaction on people’s faces, not only to what I do, but to being in the building and the show you’re putting on. Just that reaction is pretty special.”
Interviewed for this story: Mike Warkentin, (780) 471-7220; Adam Cook, (503) 797-9868