Bernie Punt retired from Bryce Jordan Center on Jan. 18 after a 23-year career at the arena. (Deb Gray)
Bernie Punt’s energy is infectious.
“He always has a smile on his face and he really enjoys what he does,” said Jade Ludlow, a former intern of Punt’s at the Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State’s multipurpose arena, who has gone on to a career in live entertainment.
Punt had worked at the arena since it opened in 1996 before he retired last month. He has become a legend in the arena business, said his longtime friend Jim Delaney, CEO and president of Activate Sports & Entertainment.
“We were first-time attendees together at an Event & Arena Marketing Conference 20-plus years ago, and you could tell even then that there was just something very special about this small-market guy with the infectious personality, crazy hair and incredible passion and creativity,” Delaney said in an email.
Punt feels incredibly grateful that he had a 23-year career at the venue, an occupation he found by default. Before working at Penn State, Punt owned a family entertainment facility called Go Bonkerz.
“I eventually sold my share of (Go Bonkerz),” Punt said, noting that he never looked back.
As time went on at the arena, Punt started teaching the class Introduction to Arena Management. He also ran the internship program at the arena, which is where he met Ludlow.
“Bernie was one of the most influential people in my career,” she said. “He gave me a chance when I was 19 years old when I had no experience. He really set his interns up for success. He really gave you the opportunity to grow as a professional and he empowered you to make your own decisions.”
Ludlow graduated from Penn State in 2013 and is now tour marketing manager at Vector Management in Nashville. “I took whatever I learned from him, and I’ve used that in my career,” she said. “I think Bernie is innovative. He’s bold. His ideas are brilliant. He’s not afraid to take risks. He pushes boundaries and does it while having the time of his life.”
In his time at the arena, Punt also booked acts and often reminisces about hanging out with Billy Joel, Willie Nelson and other artists.
“There is no replacing him, but thankfully his impact on the industry doesn’t end just because he’s left day-to-day arena life,” Delaney said. “It carries on through all of those he has taught and mentored along the way at PSU and far beyond Happy Valley. What greater legacy than to have event marketers across the country sitting in their venues trying to spark new creative ideas or promotions and thinking to themselves, ‘OK, that’s good, but what would Bernie do?’”