Reimagined Division Focus On Service, Socially Responsible Approach

Oak View Group, the global venue development, advisory and investment company, has officially rebranded its OVG Facilities division and its recent Spectra acquisition as OVG360, offering a set of service companies meeting the needs of all aspects of the venue business.

OVG360, the formation of which comes after OVG’s acquisition of Spectra in November 2021, counts 200 venues across the globe among its clients in venue management, hospitality & food service and global partnerships, including major arena projects Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York, Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, Moody Center in Austin, Co-Op Live In Manchester UK and more. Oak View Group is parent company to VenuesNow and Pollstar.

“We authentically understand the challenges and frustrations that owner/operators face because we are owners as well,” said OVG360 President Chris Granger. “This isn’t transactional for us. We own buildings. We build buildings. We operate buildings. We put our own capital, our own reputations, and our own expertise on the line every day. As such, we have an opportunity is to share what we’ve learned, across all facets of the venue management business, with our clients, for the betterment of the venue, the artists, the athletes, and the communities in which we serve. Our clients know we are service-oriented, driven by social responsibility, and committed to their success.”

OVG Leadership Conference at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Feb. 6. L-R: OVG Chairman and CEO Tim Leiweke, CFO Steve Selcer, corporate general Christina Song, Global Partnerships President Dan Griffis, Chief People & Culture Officer Ann Jackson, Global Venue Development & Special Projects President Stephen Collins; Business Development President Francesca Bodie, OVG360 President Chris Granger and Chief Of Staff Jackie Lee.

The Spectra acquisition was announced as an immediate entry to the hospitality space, with the OVG Hospitality division looking to focus on local food and beverage offerings, speed of service and innovative partnerships.

With a focus on sustainability, demonstrated by the naming-rights and carbon-neutral mission of Climate Pledge Arena, OVG360 aims to assist venues and clients toward combating climate change, and has introduced “GOAL” (Green Operations and Advanced Leadership) to provide a sustainability operations roadmap. OVG360 is in the process of working with a group of leading venues to help develop the new global certification program.

Granger adds, “We need to act urgently, as operators and as humans, to make a difference in what is arguably the biggest fight of our lives. Sustainability, while critically important to all of us, is not a black and white issue. There are shades of green. Our opportunity is to meet venues where they are, across a number of different areas – water, carbon, waste, air quality, food sourcing, etc.- and provide them with a roadmap and tools that can help them operate more sustainably.”

Although the official OVG360 announcement comes today, the company on its social media channels had teased the formation and new name of the division in early February.