Author: Brad Weissberg

Talking Points: Juan Rodriguez

Talking Points: Juan Rodriguez

Posted by | Oct 5, 2019 | , ,

Executive Vice President/General Manager, BBVA Compass Stadium He’s seen the best and the worst, all in the same day. (Photo: Wilf Thorne) Hometown Born in Spain but grew up in Miami. I thought I’d grow up to be A lawyer or an MLB player. First job in the industry The Miami Hooters of the Arena Football League. On the facilities side it was Miami Arena. Favorite part of the job Helping create memories for our guests. We cannot control what happens on a field, pitch, ice, court or stage, but what we can have an influence on is the experience. Least favorite part of the job Making the hard decisions that impact individuals and their livelihoods. That part of the job is never easy. Mentors Russ Simons, Michael Marion, Mark Miller, Shea Guinn, Chris Granger, Carl Adkins, Jerry Anderson and, most impactfully, Mike McGee, who has been mentoring me for the… Continue Reading Talking Points: Juan Rodriguez

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Management: October 2019

Posted by | Oct 5, 2019 | ,

Move of the Month The College of Fine Arts on the University of Texas campus in Austin named Bob Bursey executive director of Texas Performing Arts, starting Jan. 1. Bursey comes to the venues from New York, where he serves as executive director of the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College. Befoe that, Bursey was producing director of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company.   Lindsay Allbaugh was promoted to associate artistic director and Neel Keller to associate artistic director/literary director for Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, which consists of the Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum and Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. The Victoria Theatre Association in Dayton, Ohio, appointed Andre Bennington director of programming and licensing. Bennington held the same position at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minn. The Performing Arts Center Eastside in Bellevue, Wash., named… Continue Reading Management: October 2019

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McDonald promoted to GM in Atlantic City

McDonald promoted to GM in Atlantic City

Posted by | Oct 2, 2019 | , , ,

Jim McDonald. (Courtesy Spectra) He’ll oversee Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, AC Convention Center Spectra named Jim McDonald general manager of the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall and the Atlantic City Convention Center in New Jersey.  McDonald has served as assistant general manager and director of operations for the venues since 2014. McDonald will work at the direction of the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, the entity that funds the venues and oversees the arena. Since joining the Atlantic City team, McDonald spearheaded the creation and execution of the five-year, $96 million Capital Improvement Plan that is being implemented in both facilities. Before joining Boardwalk Hall and the convention center, McDonald was director of operations at Talen Energy Stadium near Philadelphia; director of operations for University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.; and operations manager of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.      

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T-Mobile Park Tries Robot-Prepared Pizza

T-Mobile Park Tries Robot-Prepared Pizza

Posted by | Oct 2, 2019 | , ,

Centerplate executive chef Taylor Park stands in front of the robot pizza-making system in the kitchen at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. (Courtesy Centerplate) Machine completes successful pilot program at Mariners’ ballpark Centerplate introduced the world’s first robot pizza maker at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park on Sept. 10. The machine was developed and created by Picnic, a robotics-as-a-service and artificial intelligence food assembly company that started in 2016. The pilot program wrapped up after the Seattle Mariners’ last home game of the season Sept. 29. Centerplate’s robot maker is 6 feet wide, 3 feet deep and 5.5 feet tall, and it is broken up into segments. The entry point is where the dough is placed on a conveyor belt. A camera locates the dough and signals the machine. The second phase adds sauce and cheese, and the last phase is for toppings. The platform can produce high-volume, customizable pizzas, made with any kind… Continue Reading T-Mobile Park Tries Robot-Prepared Pizza

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Out of the Kitchen and Into Theaters

Out of the Kitchen and Into Theaters

Posted by | Oct 2, 2019 | , ,

Stephen Cook, TCG Entertainment CEO, on the set of “MasterChef Junior Live.” (Courtesy TCG Entertainment) TCG Entertainment takes “MasterChef Junior Live” on the road TCG Entertainment, the production company behind the Cirque Musica family shows and genre-bending symphony shows like “A Night of Symphonic Hip Hop” opens its first non-musical touring show, “MasterChef Junior Live,” on Thursday at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Ill. VenuesNow spoke to Stephen Cook, president and CEO of TCG Entertainment, about the new direction for the 10-year-old company. “MasterChef Junior Live” is your first non-musical production. How did it happen? We’ve been primarily focused on shows where we owned the IP for almost 10 years now. About 1 ½ years ago we started looking at shows we could license. We went to EndemolShine North America, who own the MasterChef concept. We knew we wanted to do something with MasterChef but were open to it… Continue Reading Out of the Kitchen and Into Theaters

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