Tag: AEG

Hapka Leaving AEG Post in Berlin

Michael Hapka joined AEG’s Berlin operation in 2012. Mercedes-Benz Arena GM out as company restructures Michael Hapka, vice president and managing director of Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, is leaving Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns and operates the arena. Hapka spent more than eight years in his role, joining AEG in October 2012 as managing director of the 17,000-capacity arena in the German capital. Ole Hertel will take over as general manager. Hertel worked as senior director of events and deputy general manager at Mercedes-Benz Arena and has been in charge of AEG’s events division in Berlin since 2008. The move comes as AEG undergoes operational restructuring in light of the challenges posed to the live events industry by the coronavirus pandemic. AEG’s president and CEO, Dan Beckerman, informed employees of cost-reduction plans Monday. “The Anschutz Entertainment Group would like to thank Michael Hapka for his long service with the company… Continue Reading Hapka Leaving AEG Post in Berlin

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How Staples Center Became Kobe’s House

SHOW OF EMOTION: The makeshift memorial to Kobe Bryant grew next to Staples Center and L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. (Courtesy Staples Center) The scene surrounding Staples Center on the night of Jan. 26 felt almost like a surrealist film. Patrons dressed in gowns and tuxedos made their way through a maze of barricades down Figueroa Street, West Olympic Boulevard and Chick Hearn Court surrounding the entirety of the L.A. Live complex for the 62nd annual Grammy Awards. There was a heavy police and media presence, heavier than usual as this Grammys had a taste of controversy tied to it. In the 10 days leading up to “Music’s Greatest Night,” the Recording Academy’s first female CEO was placed on administrative leave following accusations of misconduct, which resulted in countercomplaints of alleged misconduct. Earlier that day, though, something of far greater impact suddenly eclipsed all else, and throngs of despondent sports… Continue Reading How Staples Center Became Kobe’s House

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‘Something I’ll Never See Again in My Life’

SHARING THEIR SADNESS: Mourners gather outside Staples Center to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant after his death in a helicopter crash. (Getty Images) Lee Zeidman on how Staples Center helped a city deal with its grief after Kobe Bryant’s death Over his 35-year career, Staples Center President Lee Zeidman has coordinated six memorials for sports personalities, musicians and other dignitaries.  First, it was Los Angeles Lakers play-by-play legend Chick Hearn in 2002, followed by pop icon Michael Jackson (2009), Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss (2013), longtime Grammys producer John Cossette (2014) and rapper Nipsey Hussle (2019). For Zeidman, though, no tribute had more impact than the one after the death of former Lakers star Kobe Bryant, a future basketball hall of famer and a beloved figure in Los Angeles sports history. Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, died Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash.  Zeidman and Bryant… Continue Reading ‘Something I’ll Never See Again in My Life’

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AEG Presents Will Manage The Joint

Imagine Dragons perform at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. (Erik Kabik) Expanded role comes as Vegas venue’s hotel home rebrands AEG Presents has expanded its role at The Joint, the 4,000-seat music venue inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, and will now manage it. AEG, which officially takes over operations in fall 2020, has booked concerts at The Joint since it opened in 2009. The timeline with developer and Hard Rock casino owner JC Hospitality Partners coincides with next year’s rebranding of the property as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. As part of the agreement, The Joint will upgrade its second floor with improved suites and more premium seat options. AEG’s management deal makes sense because of the long relationship between the promoter and The Joint, said Gary Scott, chief operating officer for JC Hospitality Partners. Bobby Reynolds, senior vice president of AEG Presents… Continue Reading AEG Presents Will Manage The Joint

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Sprint Center Sailing Along Without an Anchor Tenant

Kansas City’s Sprint Center opened in 2007 with a premium mix of 72 suites and about 1,400 club seats. (Getty Images) Loge boxes part of ‘wish list’ for upgrades at Kansas City arena  Sprint Center could add new loge boxes as part of future improvements at the 18,972-seat arena, which has thrived for a dozen years in Kansas City without a primary sports tenant. It’s part of a “wish list” of upgrades pending approval by the city, which owns the building, said Brenda Tinnen, AEG’s general manager at Sprint Center. As of late June, no decision had been made on the project.  AEG would share the cost of the retrofit with the city through the public-private partnership agreement they signed 15 years ago to develop the arena. Under those terms, the city pays for 65% and AEG is responsible for the remaining 35% of capital expenditures, Tinnen said.  Sprint Center… Continue Reading Sprint Center Sailing Along Without an Anchor Tenant

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AEG Plans 20,000-Capacity Seoul Arena

The Seoul Metropolitan Arena, shown in a rendering, will play host to both entertainment and sports events. (Courtesy AEG) Venue, part of CJ Live City complex, seen as draw for fans across Asia AEG will team up with CJ LiveCity Corp. to build the Seoul Metropolitan Arena, which they call South Korea’s first state-of-the-art live entertainment complex. CJ LiveCity Corp. is a subsidiary of CJ Group, which owns the largest media and entertainment company in Korea, spanning film, music, television and conventions. Together with AEG, it will build a 20,000-capacity arena in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province northwest of Seoul. It will be Korea’s largest and most advanced live performance venue for K-pop, international artist tours and sports events, according to the announcement. Seoul Metropolitan Arena will be part of a wider complex dubbed CJ Live City, which will also include a studio complex, a K-culture themed entertainment district and waterfront park.… Continue Reading AEG Plans 20,000-Capacity Seoul Arena

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Generation Next: Brittanie Delava

Director of Club and Theater Touring, AEG Presents As director of club and theater touring at AEG Presents, Brittanie Delava plays a critical role in optimizing the programming and strategy of the promoter’s ever-growing portfolio of venues. “I wear many hats,” said Delava, 32, who joined AEG in early 2016 and assumed her current role a year later. “I am the go-between between agents and our local talent buyers — so, figuring out how to take an artist’s vision for what they want to do and use AEG’s resources to execute it.” Given that AEG’s list of partnerships with regional promoters and venues — not to mention AEG-backed rooms themselves — seems to grow with every passing week, Delava’s role is a substantial one. “I’m talking to the buyers for all these venues every single day,” she said. “A lot of what I’m doing is figuring out how to adapt what… Continue Reading Generation Next: Brittanie Delava

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AEG Facilities-SMG Merger: Watch for the Ancillaries

AEG, as a corporation, owns and operates Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Getty Images) Food, ticketing and events components could be key as companies with differing strategies combine as ASM Global The blockbuster merger of AEG Facilities and SMG Worldwide should not greatly affect the venue operations side, industry officials said. But they say it’s worth keeping an eye on the evolution of the companies’ ticketing, events and food service businesses, because all three ancillaries provide critical revenue sources.  The companies, which are the two biggest players in the private management of sports and entertainment venues, announced in early February that they have formed a definitive merger, creating a new entity that will be called ASM Global. Financial terms were not disclosed.  AEG Facilities and Onex, a private equity firm that acquired SMG for $1 billion in 2017, will each own 50 percent of the new company. The merger will… Continue Reading AEG Facilities-SMG Merger: Watch for the Ancillaries

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