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