Viki Arias Kepler
Director Of Marketing | ASM Global
Directing the marketing operation of a business whose portfolio of venues under management spans the globe might sound daunting, but Viki Arias Kepler meets the challenge with a keen sense of what works.
As ASM Global’s director of marketing, Arias Kepler has led the charge to centralize the company’s social media marketing program at the corporate level as a way to further support the stadiums, arenas, convention centers and other venues.
“We can look at our venue data holistically and identify themes, benchmarks and best practices to share with our teams and also give them their own management tools, resources and outlets to share successes with one another,” she said. “When our venues create impactful content that resonates with their followers and fans, it translates to long-term loyalty and ultimately revenue. It’s also such an advantage for new venues that enter our portfolio because we can get them set up for success right off the bat.”
An Iowan who graduated from Drake University, Arias Kepler spent 10 years with Spectra as marketing manager at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines and as director of marketing at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia, for Global Spectrum. She also was an account supervisor for FleishmanHillard.
She joined ASM Global as senior marketing manager in 2022 and was named director of marketing in January.
Arias Kepler cites Adam Flack, the director of marketing at the Iowa Events Center for giving her a start in the industry.
“(He) gave me confidence I didn’t know I had,” she said. “He empowered me to make decisions and made me believe I could succeed in this industry if I believed in myself. I credit so much of my leadership style to the leader he was for me.”
Another mentor is Kate Girotti, a 2023 Women of Live honoree who is ASM Global’s vice president of marketing.
“She always tells me I deserve a seat at the table and showed me how to make my own table and invite other women who are experts in their field, because together we can do amazing things.”
Arias Kepler is passionate about helping venues raise the business bar at a time when live entertainment is enjoying a post-pandemic renaissance bordering on a gold rush.
She is also passionate about helping women raise their profile in the venues industry and sees this period as auspicious as any for her fellow female colleagues.
“Being a woman in live has never been better,” she said. “A big part of that has been platforms created by women and for women getting more attention and visibility, which has led to an investment in putting women in decision-making roles because of their ability to create impact and change. I’ve loved seeing women owning the box office, the Grammys, touring, sports headlines, and I think the dots have finally connected that big things happen when women are in charge.”