Though venues in Texas weren’t hit as hard by the recession as those in other parts of the country, they have their own issues to deal with. American Airlines Center in Dallas saw its longtime leader, Brad Mayne, move to the East Coast, while Texas A&M teams in College Station joined the SEC. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston helped welcome a baby into a world of ‘Mayhem,’ while many venues are trying new types of events for the first time. Overall, business seems up for Texas’ brightest stars. Venues Today ranked the top 5 highest grossing Texas venues in each of our four Top Stops capacity categories. Here are some of their stories.
Reliant Stadium Relies on Versatility
Reliant Stadium in Houston diversified content in the last year to keep the crowds coming. “Our stadium event mix is a bit different from some other stadiums,” said Jeff Gaines, assistant GM at Reliant Park. The stadium hosts the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, three weeks of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, two weeks of Disney on Ice, as well as three monster truck shows, conventions, and college football. Gaines said that the first playoff game for the National Football League’s Houston Texans, and the Brothers of the Sun tour with Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, were highlights.
With 350 acres of land, a stadium, arena, convention hall, and 26,000-space parking lot, there is space for many different events. The parking lot is used for several events, including 5k runs, 10k walks, the carnival portion of the rodeo, and outdoor exhibit space for conferences. A new video screen will be in place in time for the next Texans season, which Gaines called, “the newest and greatest video board out there.”
As far as taking on even more unique events, Gaines said that the stadium will “host any event that makes sense.” However, there is one exception. They don’t do Electronic Dance Music. “Nothing good happens after midnight,” he said. “At least that’s what my dad always said.”
Contact: (832) 667-1771
American Airlines Center Loses a Leader
This year, American Airlines Center in Dallas said goodbye to Brad Mayne, the founder of Center Operating Co., which operates the building, and CEO for more than 14 years. Mayne left Sept. 1 to run MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
“It’s been an adjustment not having Brad around for his leadership and guidance, but he left a legacy of strong management,” said Dave Brown, VP and GM at American Airlines Center in Dallas. He said that the departure of Mayne created a lot of anxiety, but that he left a well-trained team in place. “Just because he’s left doesn’t mean we don’t still channel Brad,” continued Brown. “Many times I’ll ask myself, ‘what would Brad do?’ and that provides me guidance.”
Brown has stepped up to GM and has instituted some customer-service oriented initiatives, including designating staff to serve as guest service ambassadors on the concourse and hold signs asking, ‘how may I help you?’ Staff at American Airlines Center have been instructed to be more personal with the guests. “We’re trying to empower the staff to not be robotic and do everything the same way every time,” said Brown. “We want them to build those relationships and better anticipate the needs of our guests.”
Also, American Airlines Center has initiated an MVP of the Game for the staff. Each basketball or hockey game, a staff member is acknowledged on the big screen. When a terrace-level usher was recognized, her entire section gave her a standing ovation. “Seeing a front-of-house employee up on the big screen in front of 20,000 people sends a message not only to our staff that we appreciate them, but to our fans that we think a lot about our employees, so they must be good,” said Brown.
Contact: (214) 665-4240
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Brings New Life to Events
It was a year of surprises for Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston. Not only did the venue have its fastest sellout for the June 25 One Direction show, but the July 11 Mayhem Festival brought the amphitheater’s youngest fan into the world.
“During Slipknot’s encore at nearly 11 p.m., we got a call that someone needed medical attention,” said President and CEO Jerry MacDonald. “A Slipknot fan had come from out of town and went into labor, and a healthy baby boy was delivered at the venue.” The baby was named Corey after Slipknot’s singer, and the middle name Mitchell, for the venue, and received flowers from the band and the building the next day.
It was also a banner year in other ways. Of the 37 concerts in 2012, there were 12 sellouts, including Dave Matthews Band, One Direction and Incubus. That’s a 42-percent increase in the number of events from the prior year. Part of the uptick in events was offering seats-only shows and closing the lawn. “Some smaller shows don’t need all 16,500 capacity,” said MacDonald.
Seven shows in 2012 played seats-only shows, including Il Divo, Joe Cocker and Pitbull. “That opened up a whole new group of artists that would have played theaters or skipped the market,” MacDonald added. “It involves less staff, the guarantees are less and the capacity is less.”
Contact: (281) 363-3300
AT&T Center is Looking Up
When it comes to special events at AT&T Center in San Antonio, “it’s hard to identify just one,” said VP and GM Tom Paquette. There were many sold-out shows at the venue, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jason Aldean and Vicente Fernandez. Other sold out shows include a date with Justin Bieber, and two shows with TSO.
Paquette said that Texas is a good place to be, even with the state of the world. “The economy here is strong and businesses are relocating to the region at a strong pace,” added Paquette. The good economy could help contribute to the strong attendance. “Our ticket sales for concerts, family shows and our sports teams are all up,” he added.
He said that the important goal at AT&T Center is creating memorable experiences for its visitors. In order to keep audience experiences at their peak, the venue makes sure its employees are well prepared. “We constantly provide service experience training to our staff,” said Paquette.
Contact: (210) 444-5140
Frank Erwin Center Celebrates Anniversary
The Frank Erwin Center at University of Texas at Austin celebrated its 35th anniversary with several special events and important friends. “Aerosmith helped kick off the 35th anniversary celebrations Nov. 16 by signing a giant birthday card before their concert,” said Associate Director Jimmy Earl.
There were events honoring the venue’s history at the Texas Women’s Basketball and Texas Men’s Basketball Games in November, complete with 70s themed music. Also, there is a dedicated space at the venue to the anniversary. “We unveiled a permanent photo exhibit around the concourse, showcasing some of the amazing talent and events from the past 35 years,” said Earl.
He counted Roger Waters, The Wall Live, May 3, as the most memorable event of the year.
There have been improvements to the venue, as well. “We installed new risers and chairs in the lower area,” said Earl, who added that fans have been made much more comfortable.
Contact: (512) 471-7744
UTEP Adds Alcohol
Don Haskins Center at University of Texas, El Paso, made local headlines when the venue began selling beer for university sporting events. “The fans appreciated it,” said Executive Director Jorge Vazquez. “We always do it for special events, but as far as athletics for college, it was new.” The sound system was also upgraded.
The building hosted exciting events in both sports and music. The UTEP Miners basketball team beat the team from Oregon State University in triple overtime. “The arena was full and the fans were excited,” said Vazquez. “That sort of thing makes the memory that they keep forever and causes them to come back.”
Sept. 28, Jenni Rivera performed there. The singer died in a plane crash Dec. 9. It was her last concert in the United States. “It was special for her because last time she was in El Paso she had played a smaller venue downtown,” said Vazquez. “For her, playing our venue was going that extra step in her career.
Contact: (915) 747-5481
United Spirit Arena Prioritizes University Events
At Texas Tech University in Lubbock, United Spirit Arena is home to three university teams. Red Raider Basketball, Lady Raider Basketball, and Texas Tech Volleyball all play at the venue.
“We value our relationship with our coaches and understand their needs and priorities, but we also need their cooperation when we need the arena for other events such as concerts,” said Director Kent Meredith. There is a new coach this year, so the arena is working to emphasize the importance of holding nonsporting events, also. “Fortunately, we have a great administration in both the athletic department and the university that supports us bringing concerts, family shows, and other events to the arena,” Meredith added.
In a first, United Spirit Arena hosted a gymnastics event. The Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions came through in October and was well supported by the fans, possibly paving the way for future gymnastic events in the area. “I think it opened up some eyes in the gymnastics world that Lubbock and West Texas is a huge supporter of gymnastics,” said Meredith.
To enhance the fan experience, Meredith has turned to a resource the university has in surplus: students. “We try and use as many student team members as possible,” said Meredith. “This not only gives us the opportunity to help teach these students great customer service skills, but students bring in a natural excitement and energy to our program.” Using students allows the arena to focus on providing professional customer service without the budget of other venues.
Contact: (806) 742-7362
Freeman Coliseum Focuses on Flexibility
Executive Director Derrick Howard said that hosting Cirque du Soleil was a big departure for Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, which had only hosted more kid-friendly circus events. “It helped express the flexibility of the building,” said Howard. “We didn’t have to change anything, really, but the adult crowd during a circus-type event was unique and different for us.”
The building has put an extra focus on children, as well as the elderly. “Those are two groups of people who need more assistance and more patience,” said Howard. He added that the building’s customer service motto this year is to “try and give the customers something they’ve wanted but never knew they wanted.” This applies not only to the venue’s attendees, but to its tenants, as well.
Contact: (210) 226-1177
Texas A&M Joins SEC
Reed Arena in College Station has more than a new floor. Texas A&M has joined the Southeastern Conference. “The SEC has a large fan-base that travels,” said venue GM Leslie Lamkin. It was also the first time Reed Arena had the opportunity to host part of the 2012 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.
Upcoming renovations include landscaping the outside of the arena. Technological improvements have been a focus in the last year, including revamping the venue’s website to keep it up-to-date and accurate. The venue has also committed to social media. “Social media allows fans to interact with our staff to ask questions, provide feedback on events, and share event information,” said Lamkin. The venue has new Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Contact: (979) 862-7330
Creating an Illusion
The Illusions Theater at the Alamodome in San Antonio is created through an extensive curtaining system and dropping down the lighting. “We’re really proud of the Illusions Theater because it puts us into a marketplace that we’re happy to be in and we think there’s a niche for it,” said General Manager Nick Langella.
The setup has been successful so far, with concerts from the Scorpions and the Isley Brothers, and a stop by comedian Gabriel Iglesias. “The Scorpions had the largest attendance on their tour at the theater, with more than 9,000 attendees,” said Langella.
This year, the Alamodome signed a 25-year lease with the University of Texas at San Antonio to host football, and at the end of March the venue will host two exhibition baseball games. Last year had more than 72 events.
Contact: (210) 207-3642
State Farm Arena Tries EDM
Eric Blockie, general manager at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, said that he felt the parking lot was an under-utilized space. This year for a Fourth of July celebration, around 6,000 people came to the parking lot for an electronic dance music festival, even going head-to-head with a football game at the local high school. “It was so successful that they’ve held July 4 for the next few years,” said Blockie.
The concert, which featured an artist called Sandra Van Dorn, was held on a Wednesday night. The holiday falls on a Friday next year, so Blockie said he hopes to turn the event into a three-day celebration with two more days, with shows by a heavy metal group and a country group.
The facility served as the beginning of the REO Speedwagon, Styx, and Ted Nugent tour. “We had them rehearse here for a week,” said Blockie. “When you’re as old as I am, that’s special in its own way.”
Contact: (956) 483-5505
Expensive Ticket at Curtis Culwell Center
Curtis Culwell Center in Garland charged $500 for the first time this year. The high priced ticket was for Shreya Ghoshal, and 200 were sold. “Of course it was for premium seating, along with VIP parking and a meet-and-greet with the performer,” said GM John Wilborn.
He said that the venue has added a digital video system in the concourse area. “Now we have HD video in our concourse area, so fans can still follow the action when they go to concessions stands,” said Wilborn. “Digital signage was just necessary because ours was antiquated. We felt that we had to modernize in order to keep up with the competition.” The venue has also kept up-to-date by adding new furniture in its suites.
Contact: (972) 487-4702
Dr Pepper Ballpark Diversifies
In Frisco, Dr Pepper Ballpark has put an increased focus on nongame day events. “We have always held a variety of nonbaseball events here, such as movie nights, concerts and casino events, but we are looking to add more occasions of all types and sizes to our hosting schedule,” said Scott Sonju, president and CEO of Frisco RoughRiders Baseball. He said that other events include business meetings, private parties and wedding receptions. The venue hosted a pep rally in January for North Dakota State University.
The venue has an expanded luxury suite this year, as well as a second playground area for children. There have been other changes, also. “We partnered with a new concessionaire, Professional Sports Catering, and are putting a significant amount of resources into enhancing our food and beverage services,” Sonju added.
Special events this year included an exhibition game between the Texas Rangers and the RoughRiders. “It was the first time that new Japanese starting pitcher Yu Darvish had pitched in the Metroplex,” said Sonju. More than 90 members of the media came to the event, more than half of which were from Japan. A few weeks prior to the exhibition game, One Direction played one of their first stateside concerts at the ballpark. “The distinctive sound of thousands of young girls screaming at the top of their lungs made me thankful I don’t work on touring concert acts,” added Sonju.
Contact: (972) 334-1932
Plaza Theatre Goes Wicked
Broadway came to Plaza Theatre in El Paso in the form of the blockbuster musical, Wicked. It was the first time the venue hosted a two-week Broadway run. “We created an outdoor dining experience called the Emerald Garden by tenting an area outside, carpeting it, and heating it,” said GM Bryan Crowe. For an extra fee, about $50, showgoers were able to book the experience, which included dinner before the show, an intermission beverage, and dessert. More than 30,000 tickets were sold for the show.
The Plaza Theatre, along with partner venue, Abraham Chavez Theatre, has put a renewed focus on digital outreach. “We’ve started to send out a guest email through the ticket transaction database the day before the event, reminding them of everything they need to know such as start time, traffic impacts, or where to park,” said Crowe. “We do that for all ticketed events that we have email data for.”
Contact: (915) 534-0667
McAllen Convention Center Goes Unconventional
Though the economy has caused the number of conventions to decrease, McAllen Convention Center has made up for the slump in business. “We’re still dealing with the drop in convention bookings, but make it up with special events such as concerts,” said Omar Rodriguez, director of the Convention Facilities Department for the City of McAllen.
One of the biggest concerts for the convention center this year was Roberto Carlos, who played 10 cities. “To see and hear Roberto Carlos play nonstop to a sold-out crowd that’s dancing in their seats — that’s priceless,” said Rodriguez. “He’s 71 and most of his audience are baby boomers. It’s one of the greatest shows we’ve had.”
Rodriguez credits the venue’s success with special events to its flexibility and ability to customize the space. “Our promoters like this flexibility because they can optimize the fan experience with the artist in ways they can’t achieve at an arena or theatre,” he added.
Contact: (956) 681-3800
Abraham Chavez Theatre Goes to School
Each year, the El Paso Symphony Orchestra — which is actually in residence at partner venue Plaza Theatre — hosts an annual outreach program for local fifth grade students at El Paso’s Abraham Chavez Theatre. “Every February about 12,000 school children unload from yellow buses and enter the theater,” said GM Bryan Crowe. “For some of them, it’s their first chance to learn about art and music in a downtown theater.”
He called the logistical aspect of the visit a ‘bus rodeo,’ since school buses line up three-wide all the way to the interstate. “You could see it from space, I think, “ he joked.
Abraham Chavez Theatre works with its partner venue, Plaza Theatre, as opposed to working against each other. “Because they’re operated together, you don’t really see them competing,” said Crowe, who called the Plaza Theatre the primary venue. However, Abraham Chavez Theatre is bigger by about 500 seats, adding flexibility for shows or programs that need a bit more space. The theaters are only about a block away from each other.
Being operated by the same entity means that the venues have a lot of the same new initiatives, including sending guest emails and focusing on the digital realm. “While traditional media will certainly remain a part we’ve found various targeted marketing that we can do in the digital domain that is very successful,” said Crowe. “It’s something we’re really focused on, now.”
Contact: (915) 534-0667