Melisa Hooper
Vice President of Booking
Allegiant Stadium
Melisa Hooper was a pediatric nurse before migrating to the live industry six years ago where she is vice president of booking at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
“When I took the leap of faith into a new career path, I moved quickly from an EA to a special project manager,” Hooper said. “There I learned about many of the aspects and departments that contribute to the live entertainment industry, which I think ultimately made me the booker I am today.”
Allegiant Stadium is home to the NFL Las Vegas Raiders, UNLV football and the site of Super Bowl LVIII in 2024. The 10-level, domed venue opened in July 2020 with a construction cost of $1.9 billion. Allegiant Stadium was ranked as the No. 1 Stadium in the World for the 2022 reporting period in Pollstar.
“Being an integral part of the booking and programming that made us No. 1 has been a rewarding experience not just for myself but for our entire stadium team and we are extremely grateful for the recognition,” Hooper said.
Garth Brooks was the stadium’s first concert. on July 10, 2020, for 68,000 fans. Since then, the venue has hosted the Rolling Stones, Metallica, Bad Bunny, Elton John, BTS, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Taylor Swift and The Weekend, among others.
“I am at an age where I know and appreciate the classic/traditional/old-school stadium acts but I can also see the new trends of up-and-coming artists approaching stadium levels at a quick pace,” Hooper said, “as well as the expansion of younger generation adopted genres like K-pop and Latin artists.”
Hooper finds inspiration in the artists she books.
I am grateful for all of the artists that I get to book, see, experience, dance to, sing to and love wholeheartedly,” she said. “Artists have the ability to bring this incredible energy to a room. It is tangible, something that you can feel walking through a venue; it’s in the air.”
