Faces + Places
Rafael Morffi
Rafael Morffi has joined BSE Global as vice president of sports programming, a new role in which he will generate, book and manage live entertainment opportunities at Barclays Center, focusing on boxing, combat sports, college basketball, esports and family shows. Morffi brings more than 30 years of experience, recently holding roles at All Elite Wrestling, WWE, Impact Wrestling, Major League Soccer and the New York Mets.
Laura Franco
Laura Franco, a 30-year legal veteran, has been named executive vice president and general counsel for Madison Square Garden Entertainment Co. and Sphere Entertainment Co., the companies announced Feb. 1. Franco will begin her roles Feb. 20. Franco comes to the MSG family of companies from Bumble Inc., the parent company of dating app Bumble and social media/dating site Badoo, where she served as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer. Prior to her time at Bumble, she spent more than 25 years at Viacom Inc. and CBS Corporation — now Paramount Global.
Andrew Cohen
Oak View Group has appointed Andrew Cohen as senior vice president of OVG Brand Consulting and Solutions. Cohen joins OVG’s Global Partnerships team managing their existing Creative, Analytics, Solutions and Activations teams. He spent 19 years at Visa in various leadership roles across the marketing organization. Cohen will report to Daniel Griffis, OVG president of Global Partnerships. He assumes his new role effective immediately. OVG is parent company to VenuesNow.
Keith Sheldon
Seminole Hard Rock has promoted Keith Sheldon to president of entertainment and brand management for Seminole Gaming and Hard Rock International. In the newly formed role, Sheldon will be responsible for oversight of brand management, consumer marketing, brand partnerships and sponsorship revenue generation. He will continue to oversee all facets of entertainment including programming, talent buying, nightlife and industry relations. Sheldon will continue to report to Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming.
Joe Moallempour
Veteran casino talent buyer Joe Moallempour has been promoted to senior national casino talent buyer at Danny Wimmer Presents Talent Services. “During a career spanning more than 15 years, working with Billy Brill, and DWPTS, Joe has established a reputation as one of the most dedicated and resolute professionals in the casino business,” DWP Talent Services global head of talent Del Williams said in making the announcement. “This is a much deserved promotion.” Moallempour, based in the Los Angeles area, joined DWP when the company acquired Billy Alan Productions in 2021. His previous title was national casino coordinator. Properties within DWP Talent Services’ casino portfolio include Agua Caliente Casino near Palm Springs, Eagle Mountain Casino in central California, Seneca Casinos near Buffalo, Pearl River Casino in Mississippi and Thunder Valley Casino Resort near Sacramento, which last year opened The Venue, a 4,500-seat theater.
Greg Cannon, Jason Gastwirth, Jamie Fritz
Sports and entertainment industry veterans Jason Gastwirth, Jamie Fritz and Greg Cannon have formed Interstate 15, a new venture headquartered in Las Vegas offering sports, entertainment and marketing-focused services, including strategic consulting, talent management and booking, sponsorship sales, branding, creative development and digital marketing. Gastwirth most recently served as president of entertainment at Caesars Entertainment, where he was responsible for the booking strategy, marketing and operations of the company’s venue footprint across North America, where he launched residencies beginning with Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez and culminating most recently with multi-show runs with Adele and Garth Brooks. Fritz has over 25 years of experience cultivating and managing high-visibility celebrity talent with his own Fritz Martin Management, representing clients including NFL stars Eddie George, Joe Theismann, Marcus Allen, Rod Woodson, Ronnie Lott, Shannon Sharpe and Tim Brown. Cannon brings 20 years of experience as an award-winning creative director at top ad agencies, collaborating with prominent brands such as Disney, Sony and NBCU, and as a corporate marketing executive with Caesars Entertainment, the XFL, and the Madison Square Garden Company, including the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall, and the Kia Forum.
