Author: Don Muret

Drive-Ins: A ‘Loop Daddy’ Road Show for the COVID-19 Age

BUCKLE UP: Hound’s Drive-In near Charlotte, N.C., filled up for the Marc Rebillet tour. (Courtesy HotBox) KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. — Murderous flamingos, a sexy take on stimulating the economy and taking live phone calls from the audience are all part of Marc Rebillet’s 2020 Drive-In Tour, pairing the electronic dance music artist with a vintage piece of Americana. The pandemic has shut down the live entertainment industry over the past four months. As acts, agents and promoters come up with temporary solutions, many have turned to the drive-in format to fill the venue role. It helps musicians stay active and generate revenue and gives music lovers cooped up indoors an opportunity to enjoy an outdoor concert from the protective confines of their cars. The trend has pop-up concerts taking place in parking lots at arenas and stadiums across the country, but a few artists are actually performing at drive-in theaters.… Continue Reading Drive-Ins: A ‘Loop Daddy’ Road Show for the COVID-19 Age

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Seating Manufacturers Stepping Up for Distancing

DIVIDE AND CONQUER: 4Topps offers its countertop seating with dividers and hand sanitizers for golf tournaments. (Courtesy 4Topps) Products help venues control size and density of post-lockdown crowds The pandemic has seating manufacturers taking steps to protect patrons and venue managers. Plastic dividers, seat covers and greater education on sanitation are all part of their focus during the COVID-19 crisis. 4Topps, the Winston-Salem, N.C., firm that has carved a niche producing a four-seat countertop product for retrofits at arenas and stadiums, now makes plexiglass dividers for those structures attached with hand sanitizers for PGA Tour tournaments. For golf, those seats are typically set up inside corporate hospitality chalets with views to the course. Tournament officials rent them from 4Topps as part of an upgraded experience. Mounting “privacy panels” to both sides of the structure adds 50% to the rental cost, said Deron Nardo, the company’s principal and president. Nardo would… Continue Reading Seating Manufacturers Stepping Up for Distancing

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New Name in Seattle: Climate Pledge Arena

Online retail giant Amazon has acquired naming rights to the NHL Seattle arena, which will be called Climate Pledge Arena. The venue is poised to set a benchmark in sports and entertainment as the first carbon neutral arena, powered 100% by renewable electricity.

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Eric Lindberg, Levy’s VP of Premium, Dies at 48

Eric Lindberg, right, a Levy executive for about 28 years, is pictured with regional chef Jonathan Williams at Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, where the concessionaire runs the food at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Courtesy Levy) LINDBERG WAS PIVOTAL FOR EXPANDING LEVY’S PREMIUM ACCOUNTS Eric Lindberg, a sports food executive who over 30 years played a key role for building Levy into a leader in the premium dining space at arenas and stadiums, died June 20 in Florida. Lindberg, Levy’s vice president of premium out of Atlanta and responsible for developing all protocols for that piece of food service, was 48 years old. The cause of death is unknown. His death shocked colleagues across the sports and entertainment industry. Today would have been his 28-year anniversary with Levy, said Alison Weber, the company’s chief creative officer. “We are devastated at the sudden loss of one of our most caring and talented Levy… Continue Reading Eric Lindberg, Levy’s VP of Premium, Dies at 48

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The Wait Is Over (Or At Least It’s Shorter)

The San Francisco 49ers have signed a multiyear deal with WaitTime Technologies to help streamline the process for their new all-inclusive concessions model for 60,000 season-ticket holders at Levi’s Stadium.

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