Author: James Zoltak

Rosing to the Occasion

Rosing to the Occasion

Posted by | Feb 26, 2020 | ,

TALENT MAGNET: The Pasadena Civic Auditorium hosted NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” in 2019. (Getty Images) Pasadena Convention Center and Civic Auditorium keeps the bookings coming Science, the arts, history: All three figure prominently in the event mix at the Pasadena Convention Center and Civic Auditorium, which hosted 315 events and 375,000 attendees in fiscal 2019, according to Pasadena Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jeanne Goldschmidt. In recent years, the bureau has steadily booked “larger and more dynamic groups” into the convention center, which opened in 1972 alongside the venerable Civic Auditorium (1932), Goldschmidt said. Having a fire-breathing dragon at the Tournament of Roses Parade or a stealth bomber swooping over the Rose Bowl to help advertise Pasadena each New Year’s Day doesn’t hurt, but when it comes to bookings that generate millions of dollars in direct spending at local hotels, restaurants and businesses, it’s a matter of selling event… Continue Reading Rosing to the Occasion

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Expert: Coronavirus Situation More Serious Than SARS

Expert: Coronavirus Situation More Serious Than SARS

Posted by | Jan 29, 2020 | , ,

CAUTIOUS APPROACH: It was quiet for Chinese New Year Raceday 2020 on Jan. 27 at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong. Attendance was restricted because of public health fears over coronavirus. (Getty Images) Consultant Wallace expects many mainland China convention centers will suspend operations The outbreak of coronavirus is affecting exhibition and convention centers in China, where well over 100 of those facilities have had to cease operations, according to Cliff Wallace, an industry consultant who was managing director of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center from 1995 to 2012 and was instrumental in helping the facility cope with SARS in late 2002 and early 2003. Wallace, who formulated venue-industry guidelines for dealing with SARS, is now president of Atlanta-based CW Venue Advisory Services LLC and has been advising convention and exhibition venues in China and elsewhere on how to deal with coronavirus, which he expects to cause a… Continue Reading Expert: Coronavirus Situation More Serious Than SARS

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Greenfield Wants to Grow Subscription Ticketing

Greenfield Wants to Grow Subscription Ticketing

Posted by | Jan 27, 2020 |

Chris Giles, Greenfield Sports Group founder. (Courtesy Greenfield Sports Group) Former A’s COO Giles sees the chance to tailor programs to teams’ needs Fresh from announcing the launch of his new company, Greenfield Sports Group, former Oakland A’s Chief Operating Officer Chris Giles spoke with VenuesNow about the popular subscription-style ticketing model he helped implement as part of the team’s A’s Access program in 2019 at RingCentral Coliseum and his aim of helping other teams and properties develop programs of their own. Is the subscription model the wave of the future for baseball and other sports teams? I believe it is. Fans are demanding flexibility. Teams and other properties do need a better business model, one that removes the revenue ceiling, builds more sustainable revenue streams and provides fans with significant value for their direct relationship with the team. I think as an industry we’ve been hyperfocused on yield management… Continue Reading Greenfield Wants to Grow Subscription Ticketing

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Teams Picked for Wisconsin Center Work

Teams Picked for Wisconsin Center Work

Posted by | Jan 15, 2020 | , ,

The Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee will add up to 172,000 square feet. (Getty Images) Construction manager, designer in place for expansion project A construction manager and architecture team have been selected for the expansion of the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, paving the way for the formulation of a design that will allow a more accurate cost estimate for the project, initially pegged at $300 million. The construction management team of Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co. and Fond du Lac, Wis.-based C.D. Smith Construction (Gilbane Smith) was selected earlier this month, following the selection in December of Tvsdesign and Milwaukee-based Eppstein Uhen Architects as the architecture team for the project. CAA/Icon is representing the owner, the Wisconsin Center District. Opened in two phases in 1998 and 2000, the Wisconsin Center consists of 188,695 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, a 37,506-square-foot ballroom and 39,364 square feet of additional meeting space. The… Continue Reading Teams Picked for Wisconsin Center Work

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Tester to Lead Convention Center in Orlando

Tester to Lead Convention Center in Orlando

Posted by | Jan 12, 2020 | , , ,

FRESH HIRE IN FLORIDA: Mark Tester has overseen the Austin (Texas) Convention Center for 12 years. (Courtesy Orange County Convention Center) He departs Austin for second-largest facility in the country Mark Tester, director of the Austin (Texas) Convention Center since 2008, has been named executive director of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. In his new role, which he will assume Feb. 10 pending confirmation by the Orange County Board of Commissioners at its meeting Tuesday, Tester will be responsible for overall operations, planning, marketing and all activities at the Orange County center, according to an announcement by Orlando Mayor Jerry Demings. Tester is taking on the job of running the second-largest convention center in North America at 7 million square feet, including 2.1 million square feet of exhibit space. That’s slated to grow to 2.3 million  after a $605 million expansion project due to be complete at the… Continue Reading Tester to Lead Convention Center in Orlando

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