Kim Bedier has run venues for the city of Tacoma since 2012. (Lisa Monet)
Mixed-use project centered on Honda Center to open in 2024
OCVibe Sports & Entertainment has named Kim Bedier, longtime venue manager in Tacoma, Washington, as senior vice president and general manager of OCVibe, a live entertainment district set to open in Orange County, California, in 2024 with the Honda Center as its anchor.
Bedier has been the city of Tacoma’s director of venues and events for the Tacoma Dome, Greater Tacoma Convention Center, Cheney Stadium, Theater on the Square, and the Pantages and Rialto theaters since 2012. Under Bedier’s leadership, Tacoma Venues & Events was honored with the 2019 Venue Excellence Award by the International Association of Venue Managers. In 2020 the Greater Tacoma Convention Center was named a Top North American Venue by Exhibitor magazine.
She oversaw a $31 million renovation of the Tacoma Dome that was completed in 2018.
“This is a dream opportunity to join an outstanding operation as they grow their entertainment footprint in Orange County and build a fan experience like no other place in the world,” Bedier said in a statement accompanying the release of the news.
She’ll begin the job in mid-September, according to a report in The News Tribune of Tacoma.
Bedier previously served as general manager of Comcast Arena (now Angel of the Winds Arena) in Everett, Washington. While there she founded and chaired the Western Hockey League Arena Advisory Committee and served as the director of Western Canadian Business Development for Global Spectrum. During her tenure, Comcast Arena was awarded the inaugural IAVM Venue Excellence Award for Top Arena in 2010. Bedier has also held leadership roles at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena) and the Crystal Centre in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and oversaw an international work crew at the Olympic Medals Plaza during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.
Bedier’s honors include being named to the inaugural class of Venues Today (now VenuesNow) Women of Influence in 2007 and Venue Executive of the Year by the International Entertainment Buyers Association in 2018. She was nominated for Pollstar’s Venue Executive of the Year nominee, also in 2018.
“We are pleased to welcome industry leader Kim Bedier to our team this fall,” OCVibe CEO Tim Ryan said in a statement. “Her commitment to the live event community is unparalleled, and her wealth of experience and knowledge makes her an exceptional addition to our organization.”
The first phase of OCVibe is scheduled to open in 2024, and the full project is scheduled for completion in 2028, when Honda Center will host volleyball at the Summer Olympics. The $3 billion, 95-acre mixed-use community will surround Honda Center, with new live entertainment venues, more than 30 new restaurant offerings, 1.1 million square feet of office space, two hotels, 1,500 residential units, and 10 acres of parks.
