F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 V O L U M E 2 2 | N U M B E R 2 V E N U E S N O W. C O M

320 Million Fans, 68 Countries and Counting

FELD ENTERTAINMENT KEEPS ROLLING AS DISNEY’S ‘ENCANTO’ HITS THE ICE

Inside: TICKETING STAR AWARDS 2023 IN MEMORIAM: DESIGN VISIONARY RON LABINSKI PHOENIX SUPER BOWL SPECIAL OVG THEATER ALLIANCE FORMS

Difference

EXPERIENCE THE DAKTRONICS

CREATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENTERTAINMENT. Daktronics helps its customers to create unprecedented live event experiences throughout the world with our display technology. Founded in 1968, our people, products and services continue to help us deliver a one of a kind turnkey solution.

We are a proud partner at the following OVG arenas, helping to create full street-to-seat, immersive and engaging live event experiences that will drive new revenue opportunities.

Moody Center Austin, TX

Co-op Live Arena Manchester, UK

UBS Arena Elmont, NY

Acrisure Arena Palm Desert, CA

Climate Pledge Arena Seattle, WA

Baltimore Arena Baltimore, MD

To learn how Daktronics and OVG have worked closely together to deliver the ultimate fan experience, scan the QR code.

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2023 | VOLUME 22 | NUMBER 2

THE OTHER BIG GAME: Attendees brave the rain outside SoFi Stadium for the College Football Playoffs national championship game between Georgia and TCU, a blowout for the defending champion Bulldogs. Heavy rainfall in southern California resulted in some fans getting wet inside SoFi, which is open air along the sides of the building. ON THE COVER: Skater Kloe Rozgonyi, who plays Mirabel in Disney On Ice “Encanto.”

Spotlights And Features 16 A LEGEND PASSES



Design visionary Ron Labinski shaped — and in many ways started — the sports architecture business.



Sister publication Pollstar ranks the top 100 concert markets in the United States, which offers a few surprises.

18 CONCERT MARKET RANKINGS

22 BOX OFFICE BALLERS

This year’s Ticketing Star Awards winners show the judgment, dedication and guts required to excel in the ticketing business.

32 COVER STORY



It’s behind the scenes with the ubiquitous and always popular Disney On Ice Feld production, this time featuring “Encanto” and “Frozen.”

37 MARKET FOCUS – PHOENIX



Things are even hotter than usual in the Phoenix area, with the Super Bowl in town and major venues in full-on mode.

48 THE ARTIST’S TAKE



Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding celebrates 20 years.

GETTY IMAGES

Photo courtesy Feld Entertainment.

NFOV EBE RUA M B RY E R 20 2 3 2

3

OVG Media & Conferences

In Every Issue FRONT ROW

It’s a tale of new and old, with Darryl Dunn cruising into 2023 and a look at some of the San Francisco Giants’ longest-tenured execs.

12 LOAD-IN:

A STURGIS SENDOFF Veteran arena manager Jim Walczak calls it a career after running the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and music festival in South Dakota for the last 14 years.

14 VENUE VOICES



(424)-535-2765

51 ROAD CASES:

6 FROM THE RAFTERS



VenuesNow Customer Service Hotline:

The Right Productions’ Shahida Mausi operates the Aretha Franklin Amphitheater in Detroit.

SEATING An active, competitive sector of the business comes into view in this monthly feature.

EDITORIAL

5 CHART TOPPERS 8 SOUNDCHECK 10 FACES & PLACES 11 INTERNATIONAL

Ryan Borba [email protected]

BEAT



SECTIONS

56 THEATERS



DEPARTMENTS

61 HOT TICKETS /



TOP STOPS

MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR EDITOR Don Muret [email protected] REPORTER/EDITOR James Zoltak [email protected] SENIOR WRITER Wendy Pearl [email protected] SENIOR WRITER J.R. Lind [email protected]

Oak View Group’s new Theater Alliance has launched, with high-profile venues in 17 markets among the charter members.

JR. NEWS & FEATURES WRITER Oscar Areliz [email protected] HOT TICKETS/TOP STOPS [email protected] EUROPEAN EDITOR Gideon Gottfried [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS

58 TECHNOLOGY Daktronics addresses supply chain issues while dealing with a $463 million backlog of video board business.

Philip Brasor, Christie Eliezer

HAPPY NEW YEAR: Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., welcomes fans into the New Year Dec. 31 during a game between the Capitals and Canadiens.

DESIGN ART DIRECTOR Pat Lewis PRODUCTION DESIGNER Kevin Robie DIGITAL PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Gracie Huerta ADVERTISING Rich DiGiacomo [email protected] 310-429-3678 Brij Gosai (U.K.) [email protected] +44 (0) 207-359-1110 VENUESNOW CONFERENCE OVG GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING AND EVENTS VP GLOBAL CONFERENCES & EVENTS Erin Grady [email protected] DIRECTOR GLOBAL CONFERENCES & CORPORATE EVENTS Cherre Osman-Miller [email protected] OVG MEDIA & CONFERENCES PRESIDENT Ray Waddell [email protected] VP SALES AND SPONSORSHIPS Aki Kaneko [email protected] SALES COORDINATOR Tiffany Wong [email protected] BOX OFFICE LIAISON Bob Allen [email protected]

[email protected]

VenuesNow is published monthly by OVG Media & Conferences LLC, 11755 Wilshire Blvd. 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90025 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VenuesNow c/o OVG Media & Conferences LLC, 11755 Wilshire Blvd. 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90025. 4

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Gensler [email protected] VP OPERATIONS Jon Guynn [email protected]

GETTY IMAGES

CIRCULATION MANAGER Jodi Di Pasquale

CHART TOPPERS FRONT ROW THE BADDEST: Bad Bunny’s run continues, with multiple blockbuster shows in Mexico including Dec. 3 at BBVA Stadium in Monterrey.

GLOBAL REACH AMONG BEST-ATTENDED VENUES BY B O B A L L E N

W

hile most venues that appear on Top Stops are typically located in U.S. cities, the More Than 15,000-capacity category includes eight found beyond the borders of the 50 American states. Buildings in Latin America and Oceania are also represented among the best-attended facilities on this month’s chart. Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena and the Eden Park sports stadium in Auckland, New Zealand, both expand the global reach of the large venue group ,which also features two stadiums and two arenas in Mexico, San Juan’s 18,100-seat arena and a multi-purpose football stadium

in Santiago, Chile. Of the remaining seven venues stateside, Allstate Arena in the Chicago market moved the most tickets — a total of 73,281 from three events. Although traditional holiday-themed attractions in December contribute to this issue’s rankings, other venues appear based on final 2022 concert appearances by some of the year’s hottest touring artists. Bad Bunny, the highest-grossing performer last year, produced the two largest attendance counts on this month’s charts — both at Mexico stadiums. Four arenas and one more stadium are also highlighted due to December concerts by Daddy Yankee and Harry Styles, both among the year’s top grossers worldwide.

TOP STOPS

MEDIOS Y MEDIA / GETTY IMAGES

The venues presented on Top Stops found in the Bookings section are ranked by ticket sales from December shows (see pg 64). MORE THAN 15,000 CAPACITY ESTADIO AZTECA Mexico City, Mexico 115,878 Two shows by touring juggernaut Bad Bunny produced a massive ticket total at the nearly 60-year-old stadium in Mexico’s capital city, the largest in the country and in all Latin America. It marked the final stop on the Puerto Rican artist’s “World’s Hottest Tour” that spanned four months and grossed $318 million.

10,001-15,000 CAPACITY DCU CENTER Worcester, Massachusetts 13,594 Sebastian Maniscalco sold out a performance on Dec. 3 during his “Nobody Does This Tour” that was booked here and at three other arenas during the final month of the year. Another one of his shows at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island, the previous night also earns that venue a chart appearance this month.

5,001-10,000 CAPACITY MOHEGAN SUN ARENA Uncasville, Connecticut 48,888 Cirque Dreams “Holidaze” was the top draw with 20,548 tickets sold at three shows leading up to New Year’s Eve. Concert headliners included Pentatonix with a sold-out performance for 6,538 fans the week before Christmas, while Straight No Chaser appeared on Dec. 1. It was the group’s 11th show at the arena since 2011.

2,001-5,000 CAPACITY ROSEMONT THEATRE Rosemont, Illinois 14,203 One of four events at the Chicago-area venue, “Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet” moved the most tickets with 4,884 sold for matinee and evening performances on Dec. 4. The theater also topped 4,000 in attendance for one more event, a single-show appearance on Dec. 18 by comedian La India Yuridia from Monterrey, Mexico.

2,000 OR LESS CAPACITY COUNT BASIE CENTER FOR THE ARTS Red Bank, New Jersey 10,149 “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical,” the first of eight events staged at the theater in December, logged the best attendance with 1,571 sold tickets at two performances. Comedian Trevor Wallace was a close second with just 33 tickets fewer at his performance, while another comic, Steven Crowder, sold 1,529.

F E B RUA J URY LY 20 2 3 2

5

FRONT ROW FROM THE RAFTERS

Cruising Into 2023

D

BY D O N M U R E T

arryl Dunn cruised into the new year in style, riding shotgun in a vintage Lincoln convertible at the Rose Parade as a 2022 inductee of the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. Dunn, former GM of Rose Bowl Stadium, also celebrates a new job with Nations Group, a consultant in the college space. After spending 27 years running the historic stadium in Pasadena, California, Dunn retired from his post last summer, but wanted to remain in the business by using his experience renovating the Rose Bowl to help universities upgrade their college football venues, many of which were built a century ago. Chris Nations, owner of Nations Group and a former college athletics administrator with Maryland, Arizona State and Santa Clara, contacted Dunn after reading a story in Venues-

Now about Dunn’s retirement and seeking “Act 2” in his career. After spending a month traveling in Europe, Dunn started consulting informally with Nations Group before officially starting his new job Nov. 1 as a company vice president. On the front end, Nations Group helps schools determine financing, programming and incremental revenue opportunities. After projects are approved, they typically fill the role of owner’s representative as the conduit between their client and the architects and builders, similar to CAA Icon and Legends, two competitors. “These projects are like putting puzzles together and I’ve always said the Rose Bowl was like a Rubik’s Cube,” Dunn said. “You’ve got to have the different sides match. I see a lot of similarities to the Rose Bowl. In some instances, they’re the lifeblood of the institution and a lot of them need

HOT ROD LINCOLN: Darryl Dunn, sitting in the passenger seat, waves to spectators at the 134th Rose Parade on Jan. 2 in Pasadena, California. Dunn, Lorenzo White and Vince Evans were inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.

freshening up. They’re older.” Dunn’s first project with Nations Group is consulting with the University of Kansas on a rebuild of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, the Big 12 school’s football facility that opened in 1921. In that respect, it’s much more than a refresh. Initial plans for the project, estimated to cost $335 million, includes more premium amenities and a conference center, plus a new gateway to the north side of campus, flowing into the Jayhawk Welcome Center. The welcome center, set to open in February, serves as a place for prospective students to gather on campus visits. Ultimately, school officials want to transform the stadium into a multi-purpose venue, supported by additional development next to the stadium that could potentially include retail, restaurants and a healthcare facility, according to last fall’s proposal requesting architectural services. In addition to KU, Nations Group is owner’s rep for Air Force Academy, which was scheduled to break ground on Jan. 24 to build a new east club at Falcon Stadium, and for Penn State, planning a long-awaited renovation of Beaver Stadium. “Chris has done a masterful job and one of the reasons I wanted to join him was because of his reputation,” Dunn said. “People in the university world trust him. He reminds me of the ISP days and Ben Sutton; people laser focused on universities. That’s what they did (with multimedia rights) and did it really well and that’s what Chris does.” GIANT SHOES TO FILL: Speaking with colleagues of Russ Stanley, the San Francisco Giants’ longtime head of ticketing, for the Ticketing Stars class of 2023 (see page 22), it was interesting to see several team officials have been with the team for three decades.

6

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

The list includes Stanley; Jorge Costa, senior vice president and chief venue officer; Jeff Tucker, vice president of ticket and premium revenue; and Staci Slaughter, senior executive advisor after serving as vice president of communications. Then there’s Mario Alioto. The Giants’ executive vice president of business operations, enters his 50th and final season with the team in 2023. Alioto started in August 1973 as a bat boy for the visiting teams at old Candlestick Park. For all five officials, their loyalty and dedication to the Giants speaks to the high character and integrity of the organization as a whole, no big surprise to those in the sports biz that know them well. Alioto now ranks among the most-tenured Giants employees after equipment manager Mike Murphy, 81, retired in January after working for the team since 1958, their first season in the Bay Area. It was Murphy who hired Alioto, after Mario’s father made regular stops at the ballpark clubhouses as a linen truck driver with his son in tow. As bat boy for the visitors, Alioto wore the uniforms of every other National League team, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants’ archrival. He worked his way up to the front office in the 1980s. “Having kids get booed at Candlestick Park wearing a Dodgers uniform — that was me,” Alioto said. “I think back on the players who went through the clubhouse back in those days, such as Johnny Bench and Pete Rose, Willie Stargell, Hank Aaron, Bob Gibson. I was lucky,” he said. “That’s the beauty of baseball. We celebrate its history and help fans relive their memories. That’s a big part of the Giants’ brand and I’ve enjoyed it.”

MAKE IT COUNT Report to Pollstar

You work hard for your shows, your artists, your venues. Timely reporting to Pollstar allows you to reap the full benefits of your creative strategy. Pollstar charts and data powers thousands of decisions every day, so stand up and be counted!

ADD TOUR DATES

ADD BOXOFFICE

Add your events to the Route Book database where they will be shared with millions of consumers and worldwide data partners.

Report your boxoffice results and generate more concerts, more partnerships and more success.

Update.Pollstar.com

UPDATE COMPANY INFORMATION Pollstar’s Directory listings are relied on by thousands each day. Keep your company’s information updated so that new opportunities always find you.

BIG CATS: HOK has been selected to design major renovations to TIAA Bank Field, home to the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars.

AP PHOTO / GARY MCCULLOUGH

FRONT ROW SOUNDCHECK

Jaguars Pick HOK To Design Stadium Upgrades

RING OF HONOR: Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, left, presents former star tackle Tony Boselli with his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring in October. The Jaguars hope to partner with the city of Jacksonville to finance proposed stadium renovations.

8

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

Busch Stadium and MetLife Stadium over the past 16 years. “We wanted to be in a place where we knew what the renovated stadium could look like and how do you renovate while still trying to play NFL games. We’re in a good spot. If we do go forward, we will essentially end up with a new stadium built on the existing structure.” HOK will assume the role of design architect if the Jaguars move ahead with the renovations, Lamping said. A construction manager has not been selected, pending public procurement guidelines. Unlike the Tennessee Titans, their AFC South rival building a new $2.1 billion venue after originally planning upgrades to Nissan Stadium that added up to $1.9 billion during a period of record inflation, the Jaguars found it was significantly less expensive to renovate TIAA Bank Field, Lamping said. “It was a no-brainer for them, but the delta for ours (between those two costs) was a lot bigger than that,” he said. Industry sources say the renovations in Jacksonville could reach $1 billion, but Lamping said it’s too early to provide an estimate. “We haven’t got to that level of precision, so we’d rather not get into projecting cost at this point before we have the real opportunity to sit down with our partners, principally the city of Jacksonville, to see if we can structure something that makes sense,” he said.

NEW SHED NAMED

Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre is the new title of the 20,000-capacity outdoor music venue in Phoenix, Arizona, after Live Nation signed a multiyear naming rights deal with the tribal casino property in the suburb of Scottsdale. The amphitheater, previously known as Ak-Chin Pavilion, opened in 1990. Talking Stick is a brand tied to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Elsewhere, Talking Stick has its name on Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the spring training home of Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.

EXTENDED IN BOSTON

TD Bank and Delaware North have extended their naming rights agreement for another 20 years for TD Garden in Boston, home of the NHL Bruins and NBA Celtics. The deal keeps the name intact through 2045. TD Bank held the arena’s naming rights since 2005. The building, which opened in 1995, was to be called Shawmut Center before the bank merged with Fleet Financial Corp. before construction was completed. The arena was rebranded to FleetCenter for the next 10 next years. Delaware North owns the arena and the Bruins.

AP PHOTO

T

he Jacksonville Jaguars have selected HOK as their design consultant for an extensive renovation proposed for TIAA Bank Field after a year-long process to determine the best architect for the job, confirmed Mark Lamping, president of the NFL team. HOK won the work over seven competitors submitting preliminary concepts for a revamped stadium that would include a shade roof covering the seating bowl and downsizing to roughly 57,500 to 60,000 fixed seats, Lamping said. TIAA Bank Field’s current capacity for NFL games runs about 68,000 with the flexibility to expand to 82,500 for the annual Florida-Georgia college football game. Recently, the two SEC schools approved a reduction in capacity of 77,000 for that game, Lamping said. The stadium’s third tenant, the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, is college football’s sixth-oldest bowl game, dating to 1946. The selection of a sports architect is the latest step forward as the Jaguars refine the design, cost and schedule of renovations and continue discussions with stakeholders, including the city of Jacksonville, which contracts with ASM Global to run the building. Lamping said the plan is to form a public-private partnership to finance the upgrades. The Jaguars’ lease runs through the 2030 season, and major renovations would tie into a lease extension with the city. “This is not a project yet,” said Lamping, spearheading his third big-league development after serving in a principal role for building

COURTESY LANDMARK CLEVELANDSTILLS

Reshaping Soldier Field

L

andmark Development’s bold vision to transform Soldier Field into the future generation of sports and entertainment palaces may be too late to keep the Chicago Bears in town, but it’s not stopping city leaders and their consultant from releasing splashy videos and renderings for a total makeover proposed for the stadium, tied to a proposed entertainment district and transit hub across the street. In mid-January, the developer, working on behalf of the city of Chicago, released a six-minute sizzle video and fresh renderings of a reimagined Soldier Field. The video is augmented by the dulcet tones of Chicago broadcast legend Bill Kurtis, as he describes the wonders of a revamped stadium layout with a clear roof enclosure, six new clubs and about 10,000 more seats. The plan is to connect the stadium to the entertainment district by a skybridge over Lake

SOLDIER OF FORTUNE: Landmark Development released new renderings and a video of a major renovation proposed for Soldier Field, tied to One Central, an entertainment district across Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.

Shore Drive, a major downtown thoroughfare. “We felt it was important to put the vision out there to give the Bears an alternative to consider,” said Landmark Development President Bob Dunn, a familiar name in sports venue development from working on four NFL projects over the past 20 years. “We have not reviewed it with the Bears. They’re under an exclusivity

agreement and may very likely end up in Arlington Heights, but we wanted to prove that Soldier Field can become the No. 1 venue in sports in this country.” He said, “The location is unmatched and if you can solve the transit issues, you can build an entertainment district, remake the operating structure and get out from under the punitive lease in place there and retool it like in

so many other cases.” The Bears issued a statement that they remain committed to pursuing a new stadium on the site of Arlington International Racecourse, which closed in 2021. In September of that year, the Bears signed an agreement to purchase the 326-acre property for $197 million from Churchill Downs Inc. and expect to close the deal in the first quarter of 2023.

The Cleveland Guardians in mid-January released design concepts and renderings for a major overhaul of Progressive Field, their home ballpark that opened in 1994. The images show new outdoor terraces down the foul lines, a new Dugout Club behind home plate that extends to seven private lounges, an upper deck beer garden in left field and a new food market hall that’s part of expanding the East 9th Street Building attached to the ballpark in right field. Manica Architecture is the lead design architect, Moody Nolan is the architect of record and Mortenson is the general contractor. The project cost is $202.5 million for the two-year project to be completed for the 2025 season. Overall, the investment extends to $435 million over the course of the MLB team’s lease extension through 2036, covering infrastructure upgrades.

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

9

FRONT ROW FACES + PLACES Oak View Group has hired Noël Mirhadi as director of the Theater Alliance, tasked with building, launching, and growing the group that was announced Jan. 13 at the APA conference. A longtime music agent, Mirhadi has spent her career focused on booking artists in the adult contemporary and performing arts space. The initial Theater Alliance roster includes high-profile venues in markets across the country.

venues throughout the U.S. and Canada. A native Australian, Oakley was most recently CEO of Chartwells K12, a $1 billion business where she led 16,000 employees serving two million meals daily at 4,400 schools across the U.S. Previously, she held leadership roles for Famous Brands International, Brumby’s Bakeries and Benugo.

ROGER LEBLANC

NOËL MIRHADI ASM Global has formed its own talent buying group with the acquisition of Madison Entertainment, headed by Roger LeBlanc. The company is known for booking various types of festivals, fairs, private events, clubs and theaters across the U.S. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Madison Entertainment will operate as a wholly-owned business unit of ASM Global and continue to serve its current client base of music clubs, theaters and festivals, while dedicating personnel and resources to booking ASM Global-managed arenas and its network of 57 theaters and amphitheaters.

10

Sodexo Live! announced Belinda Oakley as chief executive officer for North America. Oakley joins the Sodexo Live! Global Executive Committee and reports to Nathalie Bellon-Szabo, Sodexo Live!’s global chief executive officer. Oakley has two decades of food service management on three continents. In her new position, Oakley will lead 20,000plus team members across 150-plus partner

BELINDA OAKLEY

STEPHEN PARKER The National Independent Venue Association announced the appointment of Stephen Parker as its new executive director. Parker’s previous experience includes working for the National Governors Association, the Country Music Association, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and the National Guard. Parker replaces outgoing Executive Director Rev. Moose, who co-founded the organization in March 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and the shuttering of the live industry. The advocacy group galvanized an outpouring of both public and political support resulting in a historical $16.25 billion Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, which was part of the second COVID-19 Relief Bill passed on Dec. 27, 2020.

HOT TREX

OVG360 SEEING GREEN(VILLE)

NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF AT COBB

Trex Commercial and Staging Concepts, a supplier of architectural railings and portable platforms for public assembly venues, has rebranded to Sightline Commercial Solutions. The 32-year-old Minnesota firm’s clients extend from Madison Square Garden and Dickies Arena to SoFi Stadium, Allianz Field, Hayward Field and Geodis Park, as well as the NCAA Final Four and the 2017 presidential inauguration in Washington D.C.

The Greenville (South Carolina) Convention Center enters the new year with a partnership with Oak View Group. The facility signed a deal in the last quarter of 2023 for OVG360 to manage day-to-day operations and increase new bookings in conjunction with the CVB. The GCC encompasses 280,000-square-feet of exhibit and event space, including a 30,000 square-foot ballroom. OVG Hospitality is handling the food and beverage service.

Nick Alvarez has been hired as executive chef at the Cobb Galleria Centre and Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in greater Atlanta. Alvarez was most recently the executive chef at the Marietta campus of Kennesaw State University. He has also been sous chef for Bacchanalia, one of Atlanta’s top restaurants.

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

INTERNATIONAL BEAT FRONT ROW A look at events making news around the world BY G I D EO N G OT T F R I E D

ROYAL ALBERT HALL

UNITED KINGDOM Ainscough Named Royal Albert Hall CEO Historic London theater Royal Albert Hall announced the appointment of James Ainscough to the position of chief executive officer. “James will lead the delivery of the Hall’s post COVID-19 business plan and its ambition to reach even wider audiences,” the announcement reads. Ainscough will join in the late spring of 2023 from Help Musicians, a charity for professional musicians of all genres, both in work and in retirement, where he is CEO. Under Ainscough’s leadership, Help Musicians gave essential support, including distributing $24 million of financial hardship funding, going towards a career rebuilding support program, and launching the Music Minds Matter charity providing mental health care for the music industry. Ainscough was formerly with the Royal Albert Hall from January 2008 to December 2017, initially as director of finance and administration and then as chief

operating officer. He oversaw strategic and day-to-day artistic and commercial operations, customer services, marketing, fundraising, facilities and business services. Ainscough said, “The Royal Albert Hall has always been close to my heart. It has been a privilege to lead Help Musicians for the past five years and the charity is now in good spirit with

JAMES AINSCOUGH

a clear strategy, a strong sense of purpose, and a wonderful team of staff, trustees and partners. Only a really special opportunity, like ‘coming home’ to the Royal Albert Hall, could have tempted me to leave. “There are multiple challenges ahead but those are what most energise me,” Ainscough added. “I could not be more excited to return to work with the Hall’s dedicated team. Together we will ensure the Hall offers the most amazing events and experiences to the most diverse audiences. And recognizing its privilege as a prominent and much-loved venue, we will do all we can to support and nurture the wider music ecosystem of which we are an integral part.” The Hall’s president Ian McCulloch commented, “James combines a passion for the promotion of music and cultural enlightenment with the vision and business skills required to lead the Hall through its next phase, applying financial prudence to extending our reach and our artistic ambitions. The Royal Albert Hall will benefit greatly from James’ experience, talent, enthusiasm and determination. We are delighted that he will soon be re-joining the team.” Craig Hassall stepped down from being CEO on Dec. 16. Dan Freeman, the Hall’s COO, will continue to act as Interim CEO until Ainscough starts. SWEDEN Live Nation Acquires Göta Lejon Live Nation Sweden has acquired the historic venue Göta Lejon in Stockholm, which it will renovate

once events through April 2023 have been processed. “Since opening in 1928, Göta Lejon has welcomed thousands of fans and continuously attracted top talent to its stage including a wide range of artists from local legends Hasse and Tage, to Metallica, AC/DC and Patti Smith as well as live shows such as ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and ‘Hair,’” according to Live Nation Sweden. Shows previously in the diary at Göta Lejon will take place as scheduled through April 2023, then Live Nation will begin a full renovation of the venue which will provide artists with options for both standing and seated audiences. The venue will reopen in 2024 with an increased capacity of 1,400, up from 1,100. The executive team at Göta Lejon will be led by Palle Gustafsson, the former CEO of Cirkus Arena, Stockholm. Gustafsson will run day to day operations in close connection with the local Live Nation team. Live Nation Sweden managing director Mattias Behrer commented, “We’re thrilled to add Göta Lejon to the Live Nation family. With its location right in the city center, it’s a great venue for artists, promoters and producers, and we look forward to growing the range of outstanding live experiences on offer to fans in Stockholm. We look forward to creating one of the most attractive venues with a modern and dynamic mix of concerts as well as musicals and other events.” AUSTRALIA AXS Opening Office Australia’s ticketing landscape is set to change as AEG Presents introduces AXS in 2023. It will service ASM Global venues including the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, First State Super Theatre at ICC Sydney and RAC Arena Perth. Live Nation’s Ticketmaster and TEG’s Ticketek are major players of the country’s 21 ticket platforms including Eventbrite, DICE, Oztix, Event Genius, Humanitix and TryBooking. AXS chief executive Bryan Perez reportedly intends to settle in Australia as part of AXS’S global expansion. (Christie Eliezer contributed to this report.)

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

11

FRONT ROW LOAD IN

How Arena Manager Jim Walczak Helped ‘Save The Bacon’ In Sturgis And Ran the Rally For 14 Years BY DON MURET

J

im Walczak has never been a biker, but that didn’t stop him from playing a crucial role running the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and music festival in South Dakota over the past 14 years. Walczak, 69, a veteran facility manager at a half-dozen arenas and performing arts centers, retired from his role as chief operating officer of the Legendary Buffalo Chip Campground after the 2022 event in August. A second heart attack just prior to the 2020 event that he missed to recuperate got him thinking it was time to hang up his cowboy hat after 45 years in the business. Walczak, known as “Wally” by his friends and colleagues, has enjoyed a colorful career. It started in the mid-1970s, working concert security with college football buddies in his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and culminating in Sturgis. In college, Walczak had a pro football career on his mind. He played ball at Mankato State, and later, the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. In an effort to make the NFL, he switched positions from running back to kicker. Walczak stood out at a Cleveland Browns tryout camp that included 70 kickers and was invited to the 12

team’s official training camp by Head Coach Sam Rutigliano. “I had a phenomenal day, never missed,” he said. The year was 1978 and Walczak signed a three-year contract as a free agent, to be paid $24,000 for the first season if he made the Browns. He lasted 66 practices until getting cut late in the preseason in favor of Don Cockcroft, the team’s longtime kicker. “I wore a different concert T-shirt every day underneath my shoulder pads from working concert security,” Walczak said. “It was a hell of an experience for me.” The NFL’s loss proved to be venue management’s gain. At the behest of Larry Ditloff, for whom he worked security for the Mary E. Sawyer Auditorium in LaCrosse and worked together to open a new arena in Casper, Wyoming, Walczak went back to school and earned a bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation administration. Early in his career, Walczak worked for the NBA Denver Nuggets as director of special events at old McNichols Arena and ran an event staffing firm providing 1,200 part-time workers for Red Rocks, Fiddler’s Green, old Mile High Stadium and downtown Denver festivals. He eventually transitioned to

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

becoming a building manager, and over a span of about 25 years, ran Kellogg Arena, Casper Events Center, Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, Rushmore Plaza Civic Center and the Racine Civic Centre. During his tenure at Rushmore Plaza in Rapid City, South Dakota, 30 miles southeast of Sturgis, Walczak got invited to attend the 1999 rally as a guest for concerts at the Buffalo Chip amphitheater, part of the sprawling 800-acre property. One night, Def Leppard performed, and as Walczak stood in the wings watching the show, he could see things deteriorating in the pit, the space that serves as a buffer between the stage and the

crowd. It was full of spectators. His venue operations instincts kicked into high gear. “I saw they were losing the pit, which was wooden posts in the ground with a chain link fence across the front,” he said. “I ran back to the production office and told them they needed everything they could find to secure it. We cleared some eight-foot-long tables; they were perfect (as a barrier). We jumped into the pit. Def Leppard saw what we were doing, stopped the show, and asked people to back up. We secured it and got out of there. That’s how Woody says we really met.” “Woody” is Rod Woodruff, CHOPPER: Despite this image, Jim Walczak was not a biker, and in his younger days tried out for the NFL as a kicker.

COURTESY BUFFALO CHIP CAMPGROUND

STAKE IN STURGIS: The annual Sturgis motorcycle rally and music festival has grown to a massive event with 24 full-time staff.

a defense attorney by trade and producer of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally since 1982 on land he owns outside of town. The rally started as a “natural outgrowth of throwing keg parties in high school,” according to Woodruff. The difference is the Sturgis “keg party” grew into a mass gathering of a few hundred thousand people as it expanded in scope over the years. “I couldn’t figure out why I would need to have somebody with his credentials and knowledge and experience to do all this stuff, but I wasn’t smart enough for that,” Woodruff said. “Jim saved my bacon that year with Def Leppard.” The two stayed in touch over the next few years, during which Walczak developed a list of 11 recommendations to improve and streamline operations across all lines of business and stop wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. In 2009, Walczak found himself a free agent again after exiting his post in Racine, Wisconsin. He headed to Sturgis and became Woodruff’s right-hand man to run the rally and other events such as flat-track motorcycle and auto races. Since Walczak took over, rally attendance has exploded from about 100,000 to as high as 750,000, per local government estimates, Woodruff said. Every summer, for about a month, the Chip campground becomes one of the largest cities in South Dakota, but officials have never had an issue with overcrowding, Woodruff said. “Wally’s an expert on crowd management and doing everything professionally in a way that would not offend or even be noticed by people,” he said. “It was perfect for our situation, particularly the challenging things that most of us didn’t have the time to delve into, such as ADA, putting in our sewer system — making things work. I can’t overstate the impact that Wally had here.” Before Walczak came on board, Woodruff had implemented many of those best practices, but there were still some things to clean up moving forward at the Chip. At one time, for example, the west gate entrance to the campground consisted of nonprofit groups holding a yellow nylon rope as recreational vehicles converged on the property. When RVs came rolling through the makeshift gates, those volunteers

would drop the rope and jump out of their path. Walczak came up with a much better system of installing security sheds with three lanes reserved for RVs and one lane exclusively for motorcycles. “It was a huge improvement to everything they were doing,” Walczak said. In addition, as part of further development of the campground, Wally and Woody converted 20 acres of wheat fields into CrossRoads, a paved vendor area with a main bar for people to gather for free activities apart from the fees attendees pay for camping and concerts. Walczak also formed the campground emergency preparedness plan approved by multiple levels of law enforcement and executed in tandem with local ranchers and cowboys that make up the security force. “Jim was always a can-do kind of guy,” said Dittloff, now retired and living in Olympia, Washington. “With crowd management, you have to deal with alcohol and rowdy behavior. Those were all things he learned initially with me and then on his own in the arena business.” The biker culture permeates the rally, which this year takes place Aug 4-13 at the Buffalo Chip Campground. Styx, REO Speedwagon, Whiskey Myers with George Thorogood and Lynyrd Skynyrd are among the headliners, booked by Brad Coombs of Meridian Entertainment, the promoter in Sturgis for 40 years. For outsiders, the stereotypical image of outlaw biker gangs wreaking havoc may come to mind, but no gang colors are allowed on the property and everyone cooperates with the rules, Walczak said. Woodruff said it’s a safe en-

DAKOTA DUO: Jim ‘Wally’ Walczak, left, and Rod ‘Woody’ Woodruff, Sturgis rally producer since 1982 and owner of the land occupied by the Buffalo Chip Campground.

vironment and there have never been any serious issues regarding violence over the five decades he’s been in charge since moving the event from downtown Sturgis to his property. “What I have found is that it’s a melting pot of people from all walks of life,” Walczak said. “One year, we had three billionaires staying with us. You wouldn’t have known them from the guy riding his bike with a hunk of canvas and a sleeping bag. It’s become an international brand. In the early days, it was wild and wooly as it relates to how the women would dress, or not dress. But we adhere to the same ordinances as everybody else. Body painting is no longer allowed.” The upgrades extend to the amphitheater itself, which is unlike any other in North America, Walczak said. It’s not the typical shed layout. There’s a big building in the middle of the Wolfman Jack Stage, the main stage, which has been converted to club seating with bar

HOG HEAVEN: The Sturgis rally draws motorcycle enthusiasts from across the globe.

stools for about 170 people, situated 100 feet from the stage. It was Walczak’s idea to develop a premium space as an upgrade that’s separate fee for those preferring a VIP experience. Otherwise, all events and amenities are included in campground admission except for concessions and merchandise. For the 2023 event, the early-bird price is $420 a person for a twoweek campground stay, a relative bargain compared with other music festivals. “I’ve told Woody I didn’t understand how he makes it so affordable every year with the amount of expenses it takes to run the property,” Walczak said. “People think we come in for three months and then go away. There are 24 full-timers now. We’ve got a great social media presence and video department. We’ve got the right people doing the job, young enough to be in tune with that demo.” In retirement, Walczak and his wife, Sandy, live in a home on the Lazy H ranch, a 550-acre spread owned by Woodruff a five-minute drive from the Buffalo Chip Campground. Wally still makes himself available to consult with Woody and Robert Pandya, the Chip’s new chief operating officer and a motorcycle enthusiast. “From day one, I promised Woody I would always have his back,” Walczak said. “I’ve always been told by my wife that I stink at (taking) vacations. But the doctors encouraged me to learn how to relax. I feel like every day is a Saturday, which is a big transition.”

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

13

FRONT ROW VENUE VOICES THE RIGHT STUFF: Shahida Mausi’s The Right Productions Inc. has operated the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre in Detroit since 2004.

The Right Productions’ Shahida Mausi

‘You Are Positively Impacting Peoples’ Lives’ BY WENDY PEARL

A

s CEO of her own The Right Productions, Shahida Mausi has an impressive list of accomplishments, giving a prime example of how to execute the private/public partnership in a way that benefits the community and makes financial sense. Mausi’s career spans leadership roles in the for-profit, nonprofit and public sectors. In 1996 she formed The Right Productions, Inc., which has operated the government-owned Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre in Detroit, Michigan, since 2004. The venue is the only amphitheater of its size in the country managed by an African American company and an African American woman.

14

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

Mausi has produced hundreds of shows from national to international acts. Under her leadership, the 6,000-seat venue has hosted superstar performers, hit attendance milestones and gained industry recognition, including on Pollstar’s annual year end amphitheaters chart. Yet, there is one thing she hasn’t achieved. “I still don’t have a country act,” she mused. Utilizing her background in the cultural and entertainment industries, Mausi has built relationships that have advanced the goals of the community and the waterfront venue in what was formerly Chene Park in downtown Detroit. During the threemonth summer season, the venue hosts 50

events and serves 150,000 patrons. “It’s unique, but I see more opportunities than challenges,” Mausi said of operating the venue, which is owned by the City of Detroit Recreation Department. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to work with the city in many ways to bring the sensibility of this facility, really serving this community in as broad a perspective as possible.” The Right Productions is a for-profit company. The venue opened in 1985 as part of a redevelopment project along the Detroit River. Mausi, who was the director of the City of Detroit Council for the Arts at the time, programmed the facility, which was little more than a stage and a hill overlooking the waterway and into Canada. “Shahida Mausi has solidified her place in history as one of the world’s leading producers and purveyors of culturally relevant live entertainment experiences,” said Mary Sheffield, Detroit City Council president. “Her efforts have been rooted in cultural integrity and social consciousness while delivering superior content and services in Detroit and urban areas across the nation. Shahida is dedicated to elevating the experience of artists and fans while also reinvesting in our community and striving for economic equality.” Mausi has operated the venue under six mayoral administrations and balances the needs of government with those of the public. In addition to serving a decade as director of the city’s Council for the Arts, she served on the state’s board of the arts and the National Endowment for the Arts and the Alvin Ailey American dance company in various capacities. “I bring a different sensibility to the job,” she said. “And I hope that that has helped make it a really positive relationship for government, our company and the citizens.” The commitment to the community has taken several forms, from hosting graduation ceremonies and socially distanced funerals for notable community members during the pandemic, to the venue’s “Gifted and College Bound” program, which started three years ago and provides funds and support for students. “The real goal there was yes, to give them some money, but also to speak to them as their community — not their parents, not their teachers, but the community they hailed from — and give them some words of advice some support,” Mausi explained of the program, modeled after orientation at HBCU Morehouse College. “The ability to do things like that, programs that aren’t revenue generating but are serving the community are the kinds of things that we use the city-owned

GETTY IMAGES PHOTO BY MONICA MORGAN/GETTY IMAGES

QUEEN OF SOUL Tribute: Shahida backstage during the 2018 Aretha Franklin Tribute Concert at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre in 2018. Pictured L-R: actress Renee Lawless, singer Kathy Taylor, musician Kurt Carr, singer Regina Belle, actress Jenifer Lewis, singer Angie Stone and The Right Productions CEO Shahida Mausi.

facility to provide in addition to great concerts that are rockin’ all night long,” Mausi added with a chuckle. Some of the artists who have performed at the venue over the past three decades include Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, The Isley Brothers and Erykah Badu. When it opened, Mausi launched a Wednesday night jazz concert series that continues today, including Patrice Rushen, Spyro Gyra and Najee. Operating a government-owned venue with a community-facing focus is something Mausi hopes to expand in other parts of the country. “Part of our mission statement is a phrase that you have heard before: Doing well while doing good,” Mausi said. “It’s our core value and it’s who we are as a company. So, this is something we do here in Detroit and it’s something we are hoping and reaching out to do in other parts of the country as well.” Operating a municipal venue comes with a different set of expectations. Many cities quickly discover that those operations are not their core business. “It’s an industry that has specialization as any other industry does,” Mausi said. “If you don’t know that industry, you’re not going to successfully operate. You lose money when you shouldn’t and you’ll take risks that are ill-advised.” Early in her career, Mausi recalled attending the annual Pollstar conference and seeing “four women and five people of color” in the crowd and feeling “isolated.” “So, all you can do at that point is as they

say, ‘Do you,’” Mausi explained. “Deal with what your values are, put your head down, learn all the aspects of the business and never take ‘no’ for an answer.” After her solitary start, Mausi is a willing mentor and vocal supporter of diversity and inclusion. Removing stereotypes has been a personal mission. Before it was the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Chene Park was regarded in the industry as a “black rope,” according to Mausi. “It was difficult for us to do bookings that were general market,” Mausi recalled. “It is a beautiful venue, it is not a Black venue. It is in a major American city that has all different kinds of people in it, and the venue offerings need to reflect that.” Mausi met with managers and agents in New York and Los Angeles to convince them not to “pigeonhole” the venue. “We are still climbing. There have been some great shows, but is it as diverse as I’d like it? Not yet,” she said. During the pandemic, Mausi joined forces with other Black promoters to create the Black Promoters Collective to attract national tours and events they couldn’t book individually. In 2022, that included top-grossing tours with New Edition and Maxwell. “When people stand outside and wait overnight to buy tickets, it means that what you do means so much to so many people,” Mausi said. “It’s why you do it. You do it because you are positively impacting peoples’ lives. The music is a path for that, right, a conduit for that, a river for the emotion and that’s the flow.”

RESPECT: Shahida Mausi backstage at The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre in 2021 with trumpeter and composer Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah.

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

15

DECEMBER 7, 1937 - JANUARY 1, 2023

RON LABINSKI

Sports Design Visionary And Pioneer

COURTESY POPULOUS

IN MEMORIAM

BY D O N M U R E T

R

on Labinski, considered the godfather of sports venue design and a savvy architect with the vision to launch a practice tied exclusively to arena and stadium development, which ultimately became a multibillion-dollar industry, died on New Year’s Day. He was 85. Labinski stood out as co-founder of the old HOK Sport in 1983, a Kansas City, Missouri, firm that went on to dominate the design of facilities across the globe, and whose influence carried over to hundreds of sports architects that followed his career path. “He was our spiritual leader,” said Earl Santee, global chairman, senior principal and founder of Populous, which the old HOK Sport morphed into and rebranded in 2009. “He taught us how to love the work and love working together. That’s an important part of our culture. What he started is still a big part of our practice today.” Apart from Populous, most sports architects at other firms point to Labinski as having the greatest impact on the business, said Tom Waggoner, a 40-year sports designer and the author of 16

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

Labinski worked on that project which got him thinking about opportunities to design NFL stadiums in other markets. He compiled a list of all teams and the years their leases expired at publicly–owned buildings, targeting those prospects and establishing relationships with team owners, said Joe Spear, who worked across three firms with Labinski and co-founded HOK Sport, along with Dennis Wellner, Rick deFlon, both now retired, and Chris Carver, still active with Populous and part of the Climate Pledge Arena design team. During the 1970s and early ‘80s, through a series of moves that included jumping back and forth between HNTB, plus forming Devine, James, Labinski and Myers (DJLM), a smaller company, Labinski and his core group gravitated to sports. Their early projects included designing Giants Stadium at the New Jersey Meadowlands and the Hoosier Dome, plus several suite retrofits at existing facilities, Spear said. In December 1983, they signed a landmark deal with HOK corporate in St. Louis to start a sports

practice headquartered in Kansas City. The group’s workload for planning new facilities from the ground up took off, starting with Joe Robbie Stadium, now Hard Rock Stadium, followed by more than a dozen NFL and MLB venues during the building boom of the 1990s and early 2000s. “Ron was able to see things that other people didn’t,” said Spear, a top designer of MLB parks and now semi-retired. “He was able to understand the business and the sport, particularly in the NFL, and most teams considered him almost a part of the league. They all loved him. When he made a suggestion, they all took it very seriously and that says a lot about the man.” Don Loudermilk, part of the original HOK Sport, said Labinski single-handedly made sports venue design a viable industry. No one else dreamed it could be a separate sector until Labinski pushed the concept and convinced team owners there was something better for them in facility development, Loudermilk said. “When I first joined him, it was DJLM and we would all

FINAL ANSWER: Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes jokes with Ron Labinski at a press conference in 2006. At that time, the city considered adding a roof to Arrowhead Stadum to compete for the NCAA Final Four. It didn’t happen.

AP PHOTO/REED HOFFMANN

HALLOWED GROUND: Ron Labinski, shown at Arrowhead Stadium, the first sports facility he designed that inspired him to create a practice to develop arenas and stadiums.

“Designed in Kansas City: How Kansas City Became the Sports Architecture Capital of the World.” Labinski effectively retired in 2000. Waggoner interviewed 35 architects across multiple firms for the book that was published in 2021. “To our good fortune, we owe Ron a debt of gratitude and a tip of the hat at least,” Waggoner said. “He was out there fighting and trying to do it for himself for the emerging firms that many of us followed. In the book, (sports designer) Bill Johnson said, ‘Ron was the guy we put a target on. We all respected him and he set the gold standard in terms of putting together an NFL market and all the other markets that grew out of that.’” Ron Turner, a principal and global director of sports and entertainment with Gensler and now an elder statesman within the sports design community, worked with Labinski at the old DJLM and HNTB. Turner said his skills in building sports practices on his own can be directly attributed to Labinski’s guidance in the 1970s and early ‘80s. “His innovation and leadership has made it possible for me and many architects to build lasting careers,” Turner said. Jim Steeg, who served as the NFL’s senior vice president of special events for 26 years, knew Labinski well, dating to the buildout of Stanford Stadium for Super Bowl XIX in 1985. “He was one of the foundations on which the modern NFL was built,” Steeg said. “It started with (Arrowhead) Stadium and changed all of the design of stadiums.” In the late 1960s, Labinski was a young designer with the old Kivett & Myers. Sports architecture as a discipline did not exist until Truman Sports Complex opened in Kansas City in 1972-73 with separate purpose-built stadiums for the NFL Chiefs and Major League Baseball’s Royals.

AP PHOTO GETTY IMAGES

THE ORIGINAL JOE: Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, shown during the Super Bowl XXIII halftime show on Jan. 22, 1989.

wander by his desk and see these drawings of stadiums,” he said. “We all got curious and wanted to know what the heck he was doing. At the time, it was just him really doing it. As his efforts grew, we all couldn’t wait to get involved.” At the beginning, Spear had doubts about whether the focus on sports venue design could sustain itself over time. The group all heard the chatter from team owners telling them it wouldn’t last after every club got a new building. “It seemed like every year, someone told us it was going to die the next day,” Loudermilk said. “Ron had faith in it and we stuck with him. He wasn’t a great manager or administrator, but a hell of a leader and a visionary.” Labinski had a flair for business development, and he was always one step ahead of the game, strategizing about how to win the next project, which became critical to maintaining a steady flow of business, Spear said. “He understood what it took to make an architectural practice hum,” he said. “Marketing was his forte and he was great at it.” It took tenacity to carve that niche, said Chris Lamberth, head of sports and public assembly design at TVS. “To me, what they built is not what I think of, it’s where they came from,” Lamberth said. “He’s an example of persistence: Here’s a niche, a market, we can go do it and he did it with a small

group of guys.” On the construction side, Hunt Construction Group, now AECOM Hunt, built more than 60 sports venues designed by HOK Sport, all connected to the Labinski lineage of architects, said Ken Johnson, the general contractor’s president of the central region. “We really cut our teeth with Ron and his colleagues in the early days to build some of the most iconic stadiums in the U.S.,” Johnson said. “He inspired a whole generation of young builders to construct the best project they possibly could.” It helped that over time, Labinski got to know practically everybody in the industry. He made a point to build long-term relationships to grow the practice, which is the right way to do it, said George Heinlein, a retired sports architect who got his start at HOK Sport in the late 1980s. “I have a great amount of respect for what he built at the original HOK,” Heinlein said. “He will be missed.” Heinlein and Bob Fatovic, employee “No. 7” in the original group that formed HOK Sport, both said Labinski served as a mentor who took them under his wing in the initial stages of their careers. Both traveled with Labinski overseas to design arenas in the U.K., as he began to expand business internationally, leading a merger with Lobb Sports Architecture in the late 1990s.

On his own, Fatovic, now a consultant, spent four years in London working on projects won by Labinski. Together, they traveled Europe and went to Germany for the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. They each got a piece of the wall. For Labinski, it was an emotional experience, Fatovic said, considering he was an Army veteran that had been stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, two hours west of Kansas City. “He was an incredible guy,” Fatovic said. “I owe him so much.” The same is true for Nate Appleman, vice president and director of HOK Sport, Recreation and Event, which re-entered sports architecture in 2015 after signing a non-compete as part of the separation agreement with the group that would form Populous. Before Appleman decided

to pursue sports architecture as a career in the late ’90s, he researched the industry and it became apparent that the old HOK Sport had great influence, led by Labinski. Appleman was fortunate to start his career at that firm, where he spent about 14 years before moving to 360 Architecture, now part of HOK Sport, Recreation and Event. “Getting an offer to work there was a dream come true,” Appleman said. “Ron was a genuine person. Sometimes, you get worried about people that get into that position of power and influence. He always had that kind of devilish grin, but he was down to earth. If you made a connection with Ron, he was going to be with you no matter which acronym was after your name. That’s hard to come by.”

HOOSIER HOME: The old Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, shown during a Colts preseason game in 1985, was one of Labinski’s early NFL stadium projects.

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

17

The Top 100 Metros Based On Boxoffice Data

V

enuesNow sister publication Pollstar has released its second annual Concert Market Rankings, a list of 100 of the top-performing markets based on boxoffice reports submitted to Pollstar over the past year. The chart reflects 2022’s record-setting box office success at venues throughout the U.S., but market performance for the year varies with both rises and falls in contrast to 2021. The level of year-to-year movement in ranking also differs substantially from the dramatic to the subtle, depending on many factors including size and popularity as a live event destination. Among the top 100 markets in 2022 some saw dynamic jumps — like Boston landing at No. 6 after moving up 16 positions, Seattle-Tacoma rising 10 positions to No. 9 or Austin taking No. 22 after a leap of 14. Yet those are the only three markets in the top 25 that saw a position change greater than eight. And, of 18

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

those top 25 markets, 19 moved five positions or less compared to the previous year. However, of the remaining 75 markets, only 18 remained within five positions of their 2021 ranking. Far more saw double-digit movement including substantial jumps of 30 positions or more. Among those are Knoxville (No. 41) with a 56-position bounce over 2021 and Greensboro-Winston Salem (No. 40) and Providence-New Bedford (No. 52), both with increases of more than 40 positions. Meanwhile, Missoula (No. 96) dropped 45 slots, while both Harrisburg-York-Lancaster (No. 65) and Ft. Smith (No. 83) fell 30 positions. Thus, there appears to have been more stability at the top from one year to the next with the return to consistent, pre-pandemic levels of live activity seemingly more pronounced in larger cities. The Top 100 includes 11 markets that did not rank last year, the highest among them

HAPPY NEW YORK: New York, shown during Times Square revelry on Dec. 31, 2022, claims the top concert market ranking heading into 2023.

Green Bay-Appleton at No. 68 with $15.2 million in grosses. Following are Spokane (No. 73), Huntsville-Decatur (No. 74) and Des Moines (No. 77). Nielsen’s DMA (designated market area) rankings, measuring media consumption through television outlets in metropolitan centers and their outlying areas, are again included on the chart as they were last year. The 2022 rankings are similar to 2021’s, with no more than a variance of five positions either up or down in 97 of the 100 markets. Most of the largest markets on our chart rank almost in tandem with their DMA rank, like the three largest U.S. cities: New York, Los Angeles and Chicago at Nos. 1, 3 and 4. But, there are several markets that, as live event destinations, outperform their DMA placement – Las Vegas being the most obvious, ranked second overall on the chart but with a DMA rank of 40. – Bob Allen

PHOTO BY YUKI IWAMURA / AFP

2023 Concert Market Rankings

2023 RANK



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

RANK CHANGE

2 -1 -1 1 -1 16 5 -1 10 4 -5 -3 -2 -1 -5 -8 -2 7 -3 -2 -1 14 7 0 3 -3 2 -11 -8 22 2 -1 1 -7 -3 34 -11 3 3 49 56 17 38 -4 35 -3 -9 20 -2 -4

CONCERT MARKET RANKINGS MARKET

2022 REPORTED GROSS 2022 REPORTED TICKETS SOLD 2022 AVG. TICKET PRICE 2022 AVG. TICKET PRICE CHANGE 2022 REPORTED SHOWS 2023 DMA RANK DMA CHANGE

New York $ 796,613,879 Las Vegas $ 518,813,927 Los Angeles $ 515,075,052 Chicago $ 295,681,068 San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose $ 276,405,667 Boston $ 241,196,035 Miami $ 207,883,962 Dallas-Ft. Worth $ 206,799,956 Seattle-Tacoma $ 199,495,942 Washington $ 194,070,404 Atlanta $ 170,879,598 Nashville $ 168,859,507 Philadelphia $ 164,812,261 Detroit $ 164,665,824 Houston $ 138,209,762 Denver $ 134,568,071 Minneapolis-St. Paul $ 129,671,417 Orlando-Daytona Beach $ 125,388,650 Phoenix $ 118,125,380 Tampa-St. Petersburg $ 110,729,314 Charlotte $ 92,862,231 Austin $ 91,534,306 San Diego $ 89,289,475 Pittsburgh $ 72,753,697 Portland $ 70,671,109 Indianapolis $ 68,745,421 Raleigh-Durham $ 65,383,987 Sacramento-Stockton $ 52,137,206 Hartford-New Haven $ 50,548,189 Kansas City $ 48,724,315 Omaha $ 46,079,327 Cleveland $ 45,330,757 Milwaukee $ 44,369,211 St. Louis $ 43,997,023 San Antonio $ 43,351,515 Baltimore $ 42,647,125 Jacksonville $ 42,568,649 Salt Lake City $ 38,454,385 Greenville-Spartanburg $ 36,390,876 Greensboro-Winston Salem $ 32,015,006 Knoxville $ 29,518,974 Oklahoma City $ 28,256,082 Little Rock $ 27,748,330 Columbus $ 27,644,508 Boise $ 26,877,242 Louisville $ 26,113,121 Cincinnati $ 24,865,505 Charleston $ 24,682,314 Albany-Schenectady-Troy $ 23,249,640 West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce $ 22,335,245

7,568,956

$ 105.25

27%

3,240

1

–

3,420,314

$ 151.69

-21%

966

40

–

4,458,618

$ 115.52

17%

841

2

–

3,291,100

$ 89.84

12%

1,207

3

–

3,029,716

$ 91.23

-7%

803

6

–

3,007,936

$ 80.19

25%

1,756

9

1

1,812,116

$ 114.72

16%

399

16

2

2,252,572

$ 91.81

3%

394

5

–

2,377,347

$ 83.92

27%

1,137

14

-2

2,642,273

$ 73.45

-17%

1,789

7

2

2,088,706

$ 81.81

-19%

748

10

-3

2,074,789

$ 81.39

6%

896

29

–

2,013,176

$ 81.87

7%

811

4

–

2,140,552

$ 76.93

6%

430

13

2

1,374,414

$ 100.56

20%

439

8

–

1,569,758

$ 85.73

7%

412

17

-1

1,964,182

$ 66.02

-26%

974

15

-1

1,309,441

$ 95.76

20%

332

18

-1

1,341,434

$ 88.06

15%

364

12

-1

1,272,964

$ 86.99

-2%

480

11

2

1,041,088

$ 89.20

9%

423

22

–

785,333

$ 116.55

107%

199

39

-1

984,104

$ 90.73

30%

305

28

-1

948,744

$ 76.68

-2%

244

23

3

1,131,298

$ 62.47

-4%

595

25

-4

1,094,711

$ 62.80

18%

383

27

-2

908,314

$ 71.98

25%

364

24

–

718,619

$ 72.55

-14%

311

20

–

800,312

$ 63.16

-13%

327

30

2

521,893

$ 93.36

73%

104

33

1

677,068

$ 68.06

-3%

345

74

-2

676,542

$ 67.00

-5%

193

19

–

529,218

$ 83.84

11%

78

35

2

563,424

$ 78.09

-2%

146

21

2

447,043

$ 96.97

35%

110

31

–

504,975

$ 84.45

14%

104

26

2

634,134

$ 67.13

6%

302

47

-4

619,892

$ 62.03

19%

283

34

-4

509,173

$ 71.47

37%

312

37

-2

378,757

$ 84.53

76%

190

46

1

389,997

$ 75.69

46%

149

62

–

383,781

$ 73.63

53%

85

41

3

330,390

$ 83.99

81%

67

57

2

371,655

$ 74.38

6%

252

32

1

409,406

$ 65.65

26%

287

106

-5

361,788

$ 72.18

22%

81

49

–

410,073

$ 60.64

9%

183

36

–

339,947

$ 72.61

11%

184

94

-5

379,386

$ 61.28

10%

181

59

1

346,362

$ 64.49

12%

187

38

1

Pollstar’s 2023 Concert Market Rankings include all reported boxoffice data for US venues for shows played from 11/18/21 to 11/16/22. Visit Pollstar.com for more information including access to more market information via Pollstar Data Cloud. Copyright Pollstar 2022.

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

19

2023 RANK

RANK CHANGE

1 5 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

14 41 -16 0 21 26 -1 17 2 -16 -11 -17 11 5 -30 -11 -9 NEW 10 -7 -11 -24 NEW NEW -26 -10 NEW -7 -6 14 -9 NEW -30 -6 -23 -2 NEW 7 3 NEW NEW -28 NEW -7 -28 -45 -11 NEW -11 NEW

CONCERT MARKET RANKINGS MARKET

2022 REPORTED GROSS 2022 REPORTED TICKETS SOLD 2022 AVG. TICKET PRICE 2022 AVG. TICKET PRICE CHANGE 2022 REPORTED SHOWS 2023 DMA RANK DMA CHANGE

McAllen-Brownsville Providence-New Bedford Buffalo Memphis Richmond Reno Syracuse Lexington Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo New Orleans Ft. Myers-Naples Tulsa Sioux Falls-Mitchell South Bend-Elkhart Harrisburg-York-Lancaster Fresno-Visalia Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport Green Bay-Appleton Columbia Rochester El Paso Mobile-Pensacola Spokane Huntsville-Decatur Birmingham Portland-Poland Spring Des Moines Wichita-Hutchinson Lincoln-Hastings-Kearney Toledo Cedar Rapids-Waterloo Lansing Ft. Smith Madison Albuquerque Dayton Columbus-Tupelo Peoria Charleston-Huntington Wilkes-Barre - Scranton Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula Springfield Savannah Ft. Wayne Fargo Missoula Bakersfield Chattanooga Davenport-Rock Island Odessa-Midland

$ 21,551,371

230,005

$ 93.70

-10%

90

84

1

$ 21,425,722

303,378

$ 70.62

22%

234

52

–

$ 21,013,004

279,843

$ 75.09

10%

99

53

–

$ 20,933,642

268,725

$ 77.90

37%

84

51

–

$ 20,847,440

324,620

$ 64.22

3%

320

55

1

$ 20,501,464

239,297

$ 85.67

15%

110

112

-8

$ 19,483,787

254,062

$ 76.69

49%

147

85

2

$ 19,341,695

254,656

$ 75.95

10%

78

63

–

$ 18,729,510

381,644

$ 49.08

-6%

325

44

-3

$ 18,493,262

212,684

$ 86.95

12%

63

50

–

$ 18,251,641

238,816

$ 76.43

18%

154

61

-7

$ 17,824,702

268,756

$ 66.32

27%

92

58

3

$ 16,937,485

231,212

$ 73.26

30%

117

109

–

$ 16,564,926

232,736

$ 71.17

32%

191

96

2

$ 16,326,195

219,215

$ 74.48

-2%

42

43

-1

$ 15,728,079

205,036

$ 76.71

1%

53

54

1

$ 15,700,208

272,284

$ 57.66

25%

140

42

4

$ 15,157,286

174,304

$ 86.96

72%

66

68

1

$ 14,758,107

186,859

$ 78.98

44%

47

77

-1

$ 14,590,313

218,391

$ 66.81

24%

68

76

1

$ 13,699,845

175,681

$ 77.98

-6%

122

92

1

$ 12,864,838

172,246

$ 74.69

26%

107

60

-3

$ 12,466,832

193,312

$ 64.49

51%

118

73

-7

$ 11,888,542

162,728

$ 73.06

37%

45

79

–

$ 11,798,574

191,671

$ 61.56

-25%

59

45

–

$ 11,520,540

231,971

$ 49.66

7%

138

81

-3

$ 11,421,996

146,384

$ 78.03

54%

47

69

-1

$ 11,382,122

216,012

$ 52.69

29%

91

66

4

$ 10,345,747

129,990

$ 79.59

37%

72

105

–

$ 10,244,973

208,934

$ 49.03

-10%

52

78

2

$ 9,379,715

189,316

$ 49.55

3%

141

90

2

$ 8,529,353

101,247

$ 84.24

131%

64

113

2

$ 8,446,241

147,408

$ 57.30

11%

30

99

-4

$ 8,444,094

196,184

$ 43.04

5%

235

80

1

$ 8,261,222

156,324

$ 52.85

12%

114

48

–

$ 8,088,168

146,297

$ 55.29

-20%

71

64

1

$ 7,843,650

191,852

$ 40.88

-9%

93

133

–

$ 7,702,755

144,461

$ 53.32

2%

65

118

5

$ 7,652,578

122,872

$ 62.28

-3%

59

70

5

$ 7,609,136

142,195

$ 53.51

7%

85

56

2

$ 7,501,476

102,729

$ 73.02

-5%

55

160

-3

$ 7,404,931

143,389

$ 51.64

4%

149

75

-1

$ 7,238,928

68,749

$ 105.30

126%

21

91

–

$ 7,068,200

160,743

$ 43.97

2%

142

110

1

$ 7,046,771

80,566

$ 87.47

28%

17

116

-2

$ 6,897,306

175,016

$ 39.41

-24%

131

164

-3

$ 6,738,941

116,620

$ 57.79

-9%

48

126

-1

$ 6,607,820

102,561

$ 64.43

44%

83

89

-1

$ 6,377,075

124,490

$ 51.23

-15%

37

101

2

$ 6,101,409

112,316

$ 54.32

76%

119

143

-5

Pollstar’s 2023 Concert Market Rankings include all reported boxoffice data for US venues for shows played from 11/18/21 to 11/16/22. Visit Pollstar.com for more information including access to more market information via Pollstar Data Cloud. Copyright Pollstar 2022.

20

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

2023

T I C K E T I NG

STA R AWA R D S

CHARGING AHEAD

AND FORGING

A NEW PATH The last few years have been a blur for many in the live sports and entertainment business, and any talk speculating about whether we’ve fully entered “the great comeback” or trying to determine what “the new normal” may look like has mostly been drowned out. That talk has been replaced by roaring fans rooting for their favorite team or band — in an industry with renewed emphasis on customer service amid a push to all-digital ticketing at venues across the board. Producers of live entertainment have responded as they always do, putting fans first — and figuring out new ways to do it better. This year’s Ticketing Stars class is an impressive display of experience. It’s a group of executives and technologists who have weathered storms of all kinds and have the confidence and judgment to overcome whatever may pass. F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

21

2023

T I C K E T I NG

STA R AWA R D S

EDITORS PICK

RUSS STANLEY Senior Vice President, Ticket Sales & Services, San Francisco Giants

R

BY DON MURET

uss Stanley has been entrenched in the ticketing busness long enough that his first boss, Arthur Schulze, worked at the Polo Grounds, where the old New York Giants played before moving to San Francisco in 1958. This year, Stanley, the San Francisco Giants’ senior vice president of ticket sales, services and client relations, enters his 34th season in Major League Baseball. He’s been with the Giants since late 1989, after they lost to Oakland in the World Series that was disrupted by a major earthquake. “In 1989, we were just moving to computerized ticketing,” Stanley said. “Arthur Schulze was a hard ticket guy, but that foundation was perfect because it helped me understand as we got into the idea of turning a ticket off and on and turnstiles that could read a barcode and activate entry.” Over the years, Stanley has become one of the most respected executives in the world of sports ticketing. Under his leadership, the Giants were at the forefront of forming a client relations group, secondary market ticketing and dynamic pricing. In 2000, the Giants launched Double Play Ticket Window, the precursor to StubHub, developed specifically for Giants season-ticket holders to sell tickets for games they couldn’t attend. “It was revolutionary and became a huge tool and asset for our season-ticket holders and helping our renewals,” said Jeff Tucker, the Giants’ vice president of ticket and premium revenue.

22

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

“We went out of acquisition mode and into retention mode, which no team had ever done. Along the way, we changed the business.” Double Play Ticket Window became so successful that Pat Gallagher, at the time president of San Francisco Giants Enterprises, the team’s special events group, told Stanley he should quit his job and start his own firm to specialize in secondary ticketing. “I didn’t really understand all that, but that idea turned into StubHub and has been sold many times over for a lot of money,” Stanley said. Stanley doesn’t regret his decision to stay put, because the Giants allowed him to be entrepreneurial and take risks with new ideas, driven by innovation and the opportunity to generate incremental revenue. “We also won three World Series (starting) 10 years later,” he said. In 2010, after testing dynamic pricing the previous season, Stanley, teaming with data analytics firm Qcue, implemented a system ballpark-wide for setting ticket prices tied to supply and demand, similar to airlines and hotels. It came during a stretch of seven seasons when the Giants enjoyed an impressive run of 530 consecutive sellouts. Now, virtually every big league team implements dynamic pricing for single-game sales. Stanley initially came up with the concept for sports ticketing after Barry Bonds

broke Hank Aaron’s career home run record in 2007 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, now Oracle Park. He realized that August night that tickets to that game were worth a lot more than the listed price. “Russ realized there’s a huge application here and others are profiting where we could be capitalizing on it and we can set the market for what it needs to be,” Tucker said. “We captured lightning in a bottle,” Stanley said. “The team was good and we were able to maximize revenue and also be aggressive on lowering ticket prices. If demand on a Tuesday night is low and we missed the mark on pricing, we can come down.” It’s one example of how Stanley thinks like a marketer, which benefits the overall organization, said Mario Alioto, the Giants’ senior vice president of business operations entering his 50th and final season with the team. “He cares about sales and wants to figure out new ways to sell our tickets,” Alioto said. “He never says, ‘that’s not how we do it.’ That’s not in his vocabulary. He’s always thinking forward as opposed to looking back.” Alioto said Stanley cares just as much about the 30-year Giants season-ticket holder as new customers, which effectively

drove the formation of the client relations department in 1999. A small group of about a half-dozen people still fills a key role in keeping the Giants season-ticket base happy and engaged in their fandom. “We went out of acquisition mode and into retention mode, which no team had ever done,” Stanley said. “Along the way, we changed the business, where we maybe have less sales team and a bigger retention team. That was new.” Most recently, the pandemic accelerated the push for teams to go all digital for ticket distribution. At Oracle Park, the Giants are no different, but for those fans that prefer a paper ticket, the team will accommodate them as long as they held paper tickets the previous season. “I don’t want to lose a customer if we can’t print a ticket,” he said. “It’s like my dad; if I wasn’t able to hand him a hard ticket, he’d never make it to the game,” Stanley said. “Every year, that (preference) drops by 50%. It used to be that fans didn’t trust the system, worried if the battery goes dead on their phone or the screen isn’t bright enough. I give MLB a lot of credit. Their mobile app is better and they’re investing a lot of time and energy and money. It’s improved immensely.”

ANJA ARVO Pre-Sales Manager, Red61

A

BY JAMES ZOLTAK

nja Arvo is passionate about mentoring, a gift that keeps giving as those who benefit often give back themselves. Such is the case with Arvo, Toronto-based pre-sales manager with Red 61, an Edinburgh, Scotland, ticketing technology firm. She has over 30 years of ticketing industry experience, the last 10 in software sales, having started her career at Thunder Bay (Ontario) Community Auditorium. Arvo had been one of the first two people, along with her sister, to perform on the venue’s stage, as a singing act, during an opening event that featured a series of local performers. “We got to sing, ‘O Canada.’ We were

the first,” she said. Years later, Arvo’s mother, a reporter, introduced her to a connection in marketing at the auditorium where she had performed as a young child and it led to a box office job where she was mentored by box office manager Dianne Zemba and Arvo’s box office supervisor, Lelia Cook. Arvo studied arts administration at the University of Toronto and was mentored by a now-established artist manager, cemen-

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

23

teing a career-long interest in mentorship. “I had been paired with (longtime Canadian artist manager) Robert Missen because at the time I was interested in managing artists as a route I would take in my career, which I did for a while, but that was my first introduction to mentorship,” she said, adding that she remains in contact with Missen, having reconnected online. The colleague and fellow INTIX member who nominated Arvo praised the leadership she’s displayed as co-chair of the organization’s Mentor Committee, writing that she had led new initiatives, like INTIX’s virtual mentoring circle, which “highlighted six underutilized mentors within our pool of talented volunteers.” Arvo was recruited into the INTIX mentor program in 2018 and was then asked to serve as vice president. She’s been co-chair for the past two years. Under Arvo and committee co-chair Raleigh Hawk, ticketing manager at SUNY Fredonia, the program has become more one-on-one focused with lists of volunteer mentors provided, along with suggestions. “We’re doing a lot more check-up in terms of how things are going and getting feedback,” Arvo said. “We also changed the program and split it into three terms per year.” People can stick with the same mentor from term to term or experience more than one throughout the year, she said. Arvo said most people don’t know that ticketing is a viable career path, and her arts administration program did not include a ticketing track. “You learn about grants management, maybe managing people or a budget,” Arvo said. “I think I was one of the few or only students who went down the ticketing track as a result of my degree.” Arvo worked in the box office at the Telus Center for Performance and Learning when it opened in 2009. There, she had a manager and mentor in Michael Hardy, who has run a number of performing arts centers. She also spent about five years with AudienceView. In addition to INTIX, Arvo is also a member of the regional Ontario Professional Ticketing Association as well as Festivals and Events Ontario. When she takes in live entertainment, Arvo likes music with an edge. “I’m a lady of the ‘80s,” she said. “I like metal, I like anything that came out in the ‘80s or ‘90s. I also studied music, so I do appreciate classical music.” What Arvo likes about the ticketing segment is getting to experience live arts and working with and around people who are involved in making it happen. “It’s basically a terrific vibe,” she said. “I can’t imagine working in any other field.” 24

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

ANTHONY ESPOSITO Senior Vice President, Ticket Operations, Atlanta Braves BY RYAN BORBA

W

inning the Big Game is the goal for any sports franchise. The constant drive to reach the pinnacle and operate at a high level can create mixed feelings when it actually happens. “It was kind of surreal,” Atlanta Braves senior vice president of ticket operatrons Anthony Esposito said of the team’s 2021 World Series championship run, which included three home games. “To us it was just a regular game, but you walk out there and it’s like, ‘Wow, this is the World Series.’ For us, it felt like a middle of July kind of summer weekday game. It went smoothly but it was just a blur. I would love to do it all over again, year after year. It was definitely fun to be a part of.” The fact that those games felt like mostly normal operations is testament to the preparation and efficiency of Esposito and his team, which begins working on the playoffs in early summer.

“You always start the season expecting to win the last game of the season,” he said. “Our work for the playoffs is pretty much done in August. We started working on pricing in June and we build everything out in July. We have invoices out the door in early August, but at that point, we’re planning our single-game onsale for the first round or wild card. Then, it’s anything that comes up in between, but we’re pretty much done.” Esposito, raised in upstate New York, has called the South home now for more than half his life. He’s entering his 18th season with the Braves, after working with the NBA Charlotte Bobcats, Ticketmaster and the Charlotte Knights, a triple-A baseball team. For the Braves, he oversees all systems tied to event ticketing at Truist Park. The momentum from the 2021 run — with a top-notch MLB squad playing at a modern facility that anchors The Battery, a major mixed-use development — continued to 2022, with 3.4 million tickets sold for 81 home games and five stadium concerts. “Last year we sold out over half the home schedule,” Esposito said. As of mid-January, the Braves were trending ahead of last offseason on season tickets sold and single-game sales. Playoff runs the past two years added to the hype, but the amenities and experience offered by the Braves are what turns casual fans into diehards.

“Winning the World Series, everybody wants to come see you, but it’s also people learning there’s more to do than just go to a game, seeing the crowds outside of Truist Park, seeing the excitement and understanding it really is a live-work-play,” he said. “There’s apartments, there’s restaurants, there’s office buildings.” Last year also saw five full-scale concerts at Truist Park. Esposito credits colleague Jessica Lee, director of ticket operations for Atlanta Braves and Truist Bark servicing non-baseball events. “She’s working from the point where we’re just getting computer aided design information and don’t know who the artist is, all the way to setting up the onsale and the holds for the promoters, VIP and settlement,” he said. Going forward, Esposito said more concerts are planned, including two nights of country star Morgan Wallen. He doesn’t take for granted the team’s success on and off the field. “We’re riding this wave,” said Esposito, noting some lower-attended seasons in decades past. “We’re riding it as well as we can for now but we’re not naive to where we came from. We’re taking advantage of it while we can.”

2023

T I C K E T I NG

STA R AWA R D S

ALLYSON KIDD Box Office Manager, Steven Tanger Center BY WENDY PEARL

A

llyson Kidd, the box office manager at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in Greensboro, North Carolina, says there are two types of people: Those who love ticketing, and everyone else. “It’s definitely not made for everybody. I just happened to love it,” Kidd said.

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

25

“The key is being patient and understanding while you figure out what they want. Once you figure that out, selling a ticket is the easy part.” She loves it so much, when her fiancé Tyler Speagle asked her to marry him, he did so with a mocked-up event ticket to Big Time Rush’s “The Forever Tour.” Becoming a ticketing professional wasn’t always the plan. Kidd graduated from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro with a recreation and parks management degree. Her ticketing career began with an internship at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, a city-owned, multi-venue facility that hosts 1,100 events a year. The internship turned into a part-time job and then a full-time position as assistant box office manager working alongside industry veteran and director of ticketing Amy Venable for about five years. “Allyson is successful in her role because she is passionate about what she does and making sure it is done well,” Venable said.

26

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

“She is invested in the relationships that this business creates and does her best to manage those relationships to everyone’s benefit. She also leads her department in a way that everyone has a voice and the opportunity to contribute and grow.” Kidd started off providing ticketing services for Feld Entertainment events, building and managing multiple-show runs for Disney on Ice and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. She assisted with numerous sporting events, including ACC women’s and men’s basketball tournaments, sold-out concerts, including a five-night run of Garth Brooks in 2014, and stadium concerts at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In August 2017, she moved to Charleston, South Carolina, as the box office manager at the North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center,

where she worked with Broadway shows and the Nederlander family, which led to her current position. A COVID-imposed furlough and the draw of family pulled the North Carolina native back to Greensboro in 2020. She taught a high school business class as the Tanger Center delayed its grand opening from March 2020 to September 2021. Working at the 3,000-capacity theater was always the goal and Kidd was hired back in the box office where she was named managerin November 2021. In the first year, the Tanger Center successes included 17,414 Broadway season subscribers, 415,421 patrons, 203 events and 88 sold-out shows. The trajectory continued in 2022-2023 with more than 16,000 Broadway subscribers renewing as Kidd guided the organization through its first renewal campaign. The key to her success is frequent communication, strong organization and listening to patrons. “The times we are able to help, and the people are thankful for it, definitely reminds us why we love what we do,” Kidd said. “The key is being patient and understanding while you figure out what they want. Once you figure that out, selling a ticket is the easy part.”

2023

T I C K E T I NG

STA R AWA R D S

ELIZABETH BROOKS Ticket Operations Manager Charlotte Hornets / Hornets Sports & Entertainment BY LISA WHITE

I

t was grabbing an available internship during college that set Elizabeth Brooks on her career path in ticketing. “For most people, ticket operations isn’t something you set out toBrooks.pdf do,” Congrats Ad_Elizabeth Brooks said. “You end up in and around it

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

1

and then decide that it is pretty cool.” Her summer internship working in the NHL Florida Panthers’ box office, although short and during the offseason, had a big impact on her trajectory. “I knew ticket sales weren’t for me, as I don’t have what it takes to be a sales person,” Brooks admitted. “So, I was happy to find a career where I can support that staff from behind the scenes.” After graduating from the University of North Carolina, where she received a pair of bachelor’s degrees in exercise and sports science and American history, Brooks spent several seasons as ticket operations coordinator for the Gwinnett Stripers, the triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and served as a ticket sales representative for Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2017. Brooks joined the Charlotte Hornets as ticket coordinator four years ago and, two years later, was promoted to ticket operations manager. In this capacity, she is responsible for managing ticket inventory, processing sales, training ticket sales representatives and providing monthly commission payout reports as well as overseeing ticketAM resolution and trouble1/12/23 10:14 shooting on game days.

CONGRATULATIONS

ELIZABETH BROOKS on your 2023 VenuesNow Ticketing Stars Award!

CMY

K

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

27

Brooks also runs commissions for the team’s NBA G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. During the pandemic, Brooks was instrumental in helping her department navigate many complexities, including issuing customer refunds, transferring funds to future seasons, reporting on potential revenue impacts of various scenarios, implementing socially distanced manifests and transitioning to 100% mobile ticketing. “It has been a crazy four years,” she said. “This is the first season we’re not impacted by random circumstances, so I’m excited for this to be the first ‘normal’ season.” Brooks takes pride in the nuts and bolts of ticketing operations. “Something I try to do is to be as much of a support system for our sales, service and partnership teams as possible,” she said. “I like to be someone they can come to with questions on things like inventory and pricing to make their job easier.” Brooks recalled that transitioning from being a trainee in Gwinnett gave her the opportunity to run the rest of the season. “It was scary but a great opportunity to build the season and manage seats and accounts,” Brooks said. “I took that experience to my current position, which is on a larger scale.” Her favorite part of the job is working with the reporting technology and in the ticketing system. “Everyone has a passion for working in the industry, and alleviating issues in game day situations is something I enjoy,” Brooks said. When she’s not on the job, Brooks enjoys biking and traveling. “Summer is a good time to get away,” she said. “I vacationed in Seattle last summer, and that was a highlight. I look forward to returning.”

ANTHONY SILVA Senior Director of Ticket Operations, Golden State Warriors BY OSCAR ARELIZ

L

ike many people in his field, Anthony Silva wasn’t actively seeking a career in ticketing. Twenty-five years ago, he

CO N G RAT U L AT I O N S , A N T H O N Y S I LVA !

2 0 2 3 T i c ke t i n g Sta r Awa rd

28

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

was a junior at the University of California-Berkeley without a plan, just some work experience at a grocery store after looking for a part-time job. His mom saw an ad in the local newspaper that the Oakland Athletics were looking to hire game-day staff, and so Silva decided to attend a job fair and applied for the ticket seller position. “It wasn’t something I wanted to do at the time,” Silva admits. “It just worked for me.” That decision ultimately changed his life, leading him to become the senior director of ticket operations for the Golden State Warriors, a dream destination for an Oakland native and fan of the local sports teams. “I feel really blessed and lucky that I was able to get an opportunity and run with it,”

Silva says. “It’s worked out for me and not something I take for granted at all.” Silva worked his way up in ticketing, starting as a part-time seller for the A’s before becoming full-time with the organization as a box office manager in 2000 where he learned to work with different staff members and departments. After nearly a decade with his favorite baseball team, Silva in 2010 took another step in his career and accepted a position with the Warriors as a ticket operations coordinator. He quickly worked his way up to manager of ticket operations before being promoted to his current position in 2018. As senior director, Silva oversees the basketball side of ticketing operations while a colleague handles non-sporting events. He and his team of four provide backup for all different arms of the ticket sales department, which includes sales, service and suites.

“We provide the backbone for all these departments as well as a number of other departments we work with, like partnerships, public relations and community relations,” says Silva, who considers himself a good problem-solver. “To me, it’s just about being able to come to work every day, knowing that we have a common goal, principles and standards that we are trying to hold for this organization.” Silva wears his fandom on his sleeve and relishes stepping into Chase Center every night and interacting with not just staff, but fans as well. “To me, it’s about the people on both sides,” he says. “The fans are tremendous and have really made our jobs a lot easier. They bring a lot of passion, a lot of excitement when they’re coming through the doors. It’s infectious. “I am blessed to work and have worked with talented, professional individuals, and

“When you work with people you get to celebrate championships with, that provides the fuel, a hunger to keep that up.”

Forward is fine.

UP is a

whole lot better!

2023

T I C K E T I NG

STA R AWA R D S

not just on the ticketing side.” Though he won’t admit it, he also seems to be a good luck charm for his beloved Bay Area teams. In his time with the A’s, the team had memorable seasons, including the famous 20-game winning streak in 2002 that was featured in the book and later film “Moneyball.” Since joining the Warriors in 2010, the organization has won four NBA titles, including last season at the San Francisco arena that opened in 2019. “I wouldn’t say I’m a good luck charm, just in the right place at the right time” Silva says. “When you work with people you get to celebrate championships with, that provides the fuel, a hunger to keep that up. I think we would have been happy with three championships in five finals. To do that last year is just wild.”

Join INTIX today and get ready to see your career SOAR! INTIX is a powerful toolbox for the ticketing pro! It is a network of people and resources for making invaluable connections, gaining key insight from peers and learning what’s next in the industry. From live conferences and job listings to robust educational resources, INTIX is where live entertainment ticketing professionals find the right tools and the best network connections to succeed and grow.

Join now at www.intix.org or scan the code.

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

29

MAUREEN ANDERSEN

I

CEO, INTIX

INTIX’s 44th Annual Conference and Exhibition is opening in Seattle on Jan. 23, continuing through Jan. 26. We’re excited to welcome our industry colleagues, vendors and partners to the Emerald City for a jam packed week of education, networking, celebrations and business mixed with fun. It’s been a year in the planning and now we are dressed and ready to play! Stable! Familiar! Success! Growth! Accessible! Sustainable! Predictable! Reliable! These are the buzzwords and themes that are resonating up and out of the large contingent of live entertainment ticketing professionals heading to INTIX 2023. These are more than just words but are the hopes and aspirations of the pros who have led an industry back to business. We’ve come a long way and have so many great success (and surviving a pandemic adversity) stories to share but at INTIX 2023 we are angling our sails into the wind and charting our exciting future. Live entertainment ticketing pros and technology leaders from around the world are leading the charge to provide ethical, reliable, innovative, stable and sustained growth and success. The INTIX educational program will center around these ideas as well. Knowledge and leadership abound at INTIX with 58 workshops, general sessions, keynotes, and multiple leadership stages that will explore how entertainment is leading the way in venue and organizational sustainability; how data will lead us to predictable planning; moving beyond incremental technology improvements to real innovation and transformation; explore how technology partnerships are driving revenue, engagement and value; look at the impacts of changes in payments, fraud and chargebacks and how to strategically protect the bottom line; and importantly the conversations and technology that is driving a new attention to accessibility, diversity, equity and inclusivity. And all that is just on the first day of INTIX! There’s just not room here to list or shoutout to all of our great speakers and workshops but check out our programming and speakers online. The INTIX Exhibition has once again proven itself to be the

30

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

best actual ‘selling’ show in the business. The sold-out exhibition is packed with technology providers that will keep your ticket office, venues and organizations working smoothly, predictably and profitably. It’s the best place to explore the new technology and innovations that continue to move your business forward. We have seven hours of dedicated stand-alone exhibition time and business gets done on the INTIX Exhibition floor. But INTIX 2023 is not just about work, work, work. We have so many networking and social engagement opportunities, too. We are grateful to our partners who also value the networking and ‘fun’ as an integral part of the INTIX experience. From venue tours of the historic and beautiful Paramount Theatre and the fantastic Climate Pledge Arena to social/happy/ after hour receptions and events in the hall, we’ve got lots of things planned to help you relax and socialize with friends and colleagues. Most importantly at INTIX it is about the people! It’s about the pros who make an industry work, succeed, thrive and innovate. We celebrate the people, the human beings who provide the excellence in customer service, to driving revenue and innovation, who are the stars, achievers and those making an impact every day in their venues and organizations. We have two award presentations including the VenuesNow 2023 Ticketing Stars awards and the INTIX annual awards, including the coveted (and well earned) Patricia G. Spira Lifetime Achievement Award. Annually, we come together as a professional group that is representative of the breadth and depth of live entertainment, events, games and attractions to reflect on where we have come from and what we have learned. We come together to envision our future. We come together to celebrate our successes. We come together to share time with our colleagues who inspire, elevate and strengthen us for the work to come. If you find yourself needing a shot of invigoration, need information for a sticky problem, need a network of support or if you are looking for technology innovation, then come to Seattle.

Tour Histories give a distinct advantage in the modern concert marketplace, providing the power to negotiate a deal profitable for all parties involved in an event.

More info available at Pollstar.com/TourHistories

Behind The Scenes At Feld Entertainment Machine Keeps The Magic Alive And Drama On The Stage

COURTESY FELD ENTERTAINMENT

BY W E N DY P E A R L

32

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

T

he real magic of Disney On Ice happens backstage. Moving with the speed and precision of a NASCAR pit crew, the Feld Entertainment family spectacle transports 15 trucks, 50 skaters and a crew of 25 into a new venue every week, plus bells and whistles from snow blowers to sno-cones. At its height, the Ellenton, Florida-based company is a finely-tuned machine producing eight shows on tour — two international and six domestic — on the road for seven to nine months at a time. The tour typically books midsize to big league arenas with up to nine shows over four days in individual markets to meet the demand of consumers and many families with wide-eyed princesses in full regalia. The longtime creative partnership between Feld Entertainment and the Walt Disney Company began in 1981 and has performed for

more than 320 million people in 68 countries. Rolling into a new venue every week presents its own challenges from loading docks that are little more than roll-up doorways to providing their own ice making capability. But there’s an upbeat spirit and the laminated sign on the backstage message board is a constant reminder: “All Drama Must Remain on the Stage.” The key to their successful execution under relentless deadlines and inconsistent surroundings is planning. The semi trucks that keep the tour moving are meticulously packed, mapped out by computer drawings and spreadsheets. Every piece of equipment comes with a crate, a place for installation and an order that never varies. Every inch of available backstage real estate is filled and signs are plastered on doors with blue painters tape to lead the way to production and wardrobe. The other necessary job requirement is a

road-honed problem-solving attitude from securing paperwork and documentation for international skaters to finding on-hand solutions for broken equipment until replacements are sent from the Feld warehouse. “One way or another, the show goes on,” quipped tour manager David Sutton. The latest production, “Disney On Ice Presents Frozen & Encanto,” swept into the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina, for its annual appearance in December before the holidays.

LIGHTS, PROPS, ACTION Disney on Ice takes 16 hours to load into arenas. The total weight of hanging production equipment is 50,000 pounds with 84 speaker cabinets and nine subwoofer arrays. In Fayetteville, tucked in a corner facing

DOUBLE WHAMMY: The Disney On Ice “Frozen & Encanto” production based on the two blockbuster films continues into May. F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

33

you’re focusing on 30 different skaters and creating an image on the ice.” Hilliard has to be ready for anything from a skater falling to an eager fan accidentally knocking out a light. “When that happens, I’m hoping and praying that the light is not truly badly damaged,” Hilliard explained. “Sometimes it really is (broken) and I have to call members of the team that are on standby for incidents to help.” Anything can happen. “Last week, most of the (prop) snow didn’t make it to the ice because the air blew it somewhere else,” Hilliard said with a laugh. Eli Urffer, head of automation and properties assistant, was unloading crates and prepping the apparatus for the acrobatic skaters who perform 40 feet above the ice. “Obviously we follow strict safety protocols with daily inspections,” he said. “An assistant checks the apparatus as a back-up and the performers will check as well. We are in very close communication daily about safety concerns.” Details count and something as small as having a sloped edge on the ice matters. “We have some large props and if there was a twoinch jump from the concrete to the ice we are going to struggle to get that prop up and out on the ice,” Urffer said. Not to mention the wear and tear on the props, which include a sleigh about 12 feet long, six feet wide and 6.5 feet tall. “A lot of paint gets scratched and worn off,” Urffer said. “A lot of props are foam, so when they drop they bounce and if a performer hits another performer with it — if they aren’t in the right place at the right time — no real damage is being done. Well, maybe a little emotional damage.” After spending six years with Feld Entertainment, Urffer said he recognizes the crew values their working relationship with the skaters. “For the crew it’s important for us to be close to the skaters because without them, we’re not doing a show.”

SKATING ON THIN ICE NICE ICE: Load-in takes place at Crown Coliseum ahead of performances of “Encanto” and “Frozen,” which ran Dec. 15-18.

the stage, Brandon Hilliard, Feld Entertainment’s assistant lighting technician and board operator, intently watched riggers. Hilliard joined Feld in July after working eight years as a stagehand at the State Farm Arena and GAS South Arena in greater Atlanta, Georgia. “Every week I’m trying to find a good view for me to see everything,” Hilliard said. “Some weeks, I’m up high, some weeks I’m in a corner. Some weeks I’m sitting at the edge of my chair, or straight standing up to be able to see everything. Most concerts, front-of-house is dead center on the floor. Every week, we are in a different location so my focus is off slightly sometimes just because of where I’m sitting.” Transitioning to a new venue every week translates to making similar adjustments. 34

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

“Most of the time I go on the venue walkthrough with the production manager,” Hilliard explained. “The main things I’m checking for are power and size to see how everything will fit. It’s always interesting trying to squeeze everything in.” The show uses an automated lighting system, but there are spots in the production that require manual operation. Hilliard can’t use markers as guides because they would be visible on the ice. Lighting designers have to take into account the reflective ice surface’s impact. “You’re not lighting a stage, you’re lighting an entire bowl,” Hilliard explained. “It’s a bigger challenge, because now you’re doing a wider scale vs. doing a small box. Where you’re having lights focus on one person, now

Olympic skater Katarina Witt once said, “Figure skating is a mixture of art and sport.” At Disney On Ice, you can throw in rice paper confetti, dissolvable snowflakes and elaborate wigs and costumes. Most of the performers are former competitive skaters from around the globe. They are elite athletes transformed into beloved Disney characters . Feld Entertainment employs 500 skaters, more than any other entertainment company in the world, according to company officials. It’s Tsungju “Clark” Yang’s job to keep them costumed and spinning as supervisor of wardrobe and wigs. He walks the thin sequined line between function and image, which is closely monitored. “Part of the job for the costume designers is to find a design that meets Disney standards and meets our functionality,” Yang said. “We can’t have a floor-length skirt and have them go out there jumping.”

COURTESY FELD ENTERTAINMENT JENIFER MANINGER / FELD ENTERTAINMENT

Fabric choices such as organza silk are important to give a full appearance but not add extra weight. Another trick is adding in-seam zippers to pants for quick changes over bulky skates. Completing the changeover from short competition skirts and spandex to theatrical costumes takes practice. The troop rehearses for six weeks before launching a new show on the road. “I think of them as still very much being an athlete, but they are an athlete on skates performing, and they have a much more demanding physicality they have to consider on top of what they are wearing in character,” Yang said. The mix includes spins and quick stops in Broadway-style wigs. Yang said they use sewn-in wig clips in favor of bobby pins, which are a safety hazard. For Yang, with a costume background in opera and theater, troubleshooting keeps the job interesting. “In that sense, I’m able to problem solve and be creative,” he said. “In a show, a zipper breaks and there isn’t much you can do. But you’re trying your best to get safety pins in so they can feel secure and the character is still on (cue). The show is still going on. It’s a matter of their safety and finding creative ways to deal with the problem at hand.” It’s professional skater Florian “Flo” Valera’s job to keep them on their toes. Valera, a professional skater from Toulouse, France, portrays principal character and love interest Kristoff in the first act of “Frozen.” He also serves as Feld’s resident skate sharpener. Each skater provides their own skates and everyone travels with two pairs at a minimum. Depending on the skater’s preference, it takes Valera 15 minutes to sharpen each set. His work station is set up inside a crate in a hallway near the portable lockers where the performers keep their skates. On the ice, Valera is equally impressive vaulting over the massive sled at the end of the first act. “The trick is my trademark,” he said. “I have a picture in my head that would describe it, but you are stepping into another world for a second. Like you don’t know where you are and you just take it in.” Sports trainer Megan Holton keeps the performers in peak condition. The show travels with a $20,000 portable gym that’s set up in arenas for workouts dispersed around rehearsals. “It helps to reduce injuries and it also helps with injury recovery,” Holton said. “An athletic trainer on tour in a professional setting is a great way to reduce the amount of people out of work due to injury. You can keep those athletes in the shows by dealing with smaller injuries that can be managed in-house, which is much nicer than having them go outside to a physical therapist or clinic.” Being on site and traveling with the skaters has created a deep bond between the trainer and talent. “You become emotionally attached,”

MAGIC: Released in late 2021, the smash Disney film “Encanto” features a chart-topping soundtrack largely written by LinManuel Miranda.

“Disney On Ice” By The Numbers Box Office Totals Reported To Pollstar and VenuesNow for all Disney On Ice productions. 2022 Total Gross:

$78.9 million

SKATES UP: Performer Tiffany Beranger, who portrays Delores in “Encanto,” rehearses her aerial strap act.

2022 Total Tickets Sold:

2.07 million

2022 Number of Shows Reported:

488

2022 Number of Venues:

46

2022 Average Gross Per Venue:

$1.72 million

2022 Average Tickets Sold Per Venue:

44,997

Total Gross (1991-2022):

$1.21 billion

Total Tickets Sold (1991-2022):

46.68 million

Number of Shows Reported (1991-2022):

10,555

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

35

visiting relatives and service families from nearby Fort Bragg, one of the largest military complexes in the world and home to the 82nd Airborne division. The base covers 250 square miles and subsequently provides a new influx of ticket buyers each year who have been reassigned from military bases around the world. “The devil is in the details and that’s why it is so enjoyable for us to work with professionals like Feld,” Benalt said. “Anyone can put on an ice show, but to do it right, and at that level, you can’t take anything for granted.”

SHOW TIME

EYES ON THE ICE: Brandon Hilliard, Feld Entertainment’s assistant lighting technician and board operator, joined the company in July after eight years as a stagehand at State Farm Arena and GAS South Arena.

she admitted. “I call them my kids. They mean a lot to me and getting to go out there and watch them perform is why I do my job.”

CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT “I would say that Disney On Ice and our relationship with Feld is paramount to our success here at the Crown Complex,” said Seth Benalt, the arena’s general manager. “This event is tradition.” The Crown Complex, which is managed by OVG 360, part of Oak View Group, parent company of VenuesNow, has five facilities, including 10,000-capacity Crown Coliseum, which opened in 1997 and is home to the Fayetteville Marksmen of the Southern Professional Hockey League; a smaller arena; a theater; an expo center and ballroom. Benalt has been with Crown Complex for seven years and said the value the event brings to the community is immeasurable. The strength of ticket sales for family entertainment coming out of the pandemic expanded the number of Disney On Ice shows from seven to nine with total attendance of about 35,000. “It’s important for us from an operating standpoint to do high-quality shows,” Benalt added. “There is no such thing as turnkey. Even if you bring in the same show, you have had before, there are always different people and changes at facilities.” The Crown Coliseum, which operates with an ice floor from October through April for hockey, installed a new ice plant before the pandemic. Prepping the floor for Disney On Ice took the 10-person venue ice team about 40 hours, according to Chad Jeffrey, director of operations at the Crown Complex. Feld “is a well-oiled machine. There is very little gray area,” Jeffrey said. “They don’t leave anything to interpretation. It’s my job to make sure what they want is ready when they get here.” 36

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

At the conclusion of the rescheduled Alabama concert on Dec. 11, it took three hours for the coliseum crew to remove chairs, dismantle the stage and pull up the ice deck. Once they reached the ice, it had to be cleaned and sprayed with water, a process called flooding, before painting the surface white. The process is repeated until there’s a 1.5 inch layer of ice above the painted surface. “This is their home for a week and we want them to have the conditions that they need,” Benalt explained. “If the ice isn’t good quality, and the artists that are out there aren’t performing their best because they are unhappy with the ice, whether it’s soft or hard or not thick enough, that impacts the end experience to the user.” The audience is a mix of local families with

Doors open one hour before show time and the aroma of freshly made popcorn permeates the concourse level of the venue. Feld Entertainment controls its own concessions operation on the road. At Crown Coliseum, there are six concession stands that sell toys, shirts, popcorn, cotton candy and sno-cones. Another six stands sell food only and there are three themed photo booths. A 53-foot trailer of merchandise is delivered every week from the Feld warehouse. The order is based on an inventory system and attendance for the run. The booths are staffed by 28 Feld Consumer Products employees and Feld hires an additional five to 10 workers each week to help with the photo booths and food sales. Feld Entertainment has a product and development team that creates unique merchandise specific to tours. It takes about one year from concept to consumer. The delight Disney On Ice brings to children is as clear as the floating bubbles from hundreds of light wands. “At the end of the show you see all the kids going out with all of these toys and things that are spinning, lights glowing and bubbles, and they are having the time of their lives,” Jeffrey said. “That’s what makes all the hard work worth it.”

LOCKED AND LOADED: Each skater has a storage locker for skates. All Disney On Ice gear travels in crates, with skaters personalizing their lockers.

PHOENIX

MARKET FOCUS

1 2

GETTY IMAGES / MAPQUEST

3

QUICK STATS POLLSTAR CONCERT MARKET RANK

POLLSTAR 2022 REPORTED LIVE REVENUE

#19

$124,346,906

NIELSEN DMA NO. OF HOMES

POLLSTAR 2022 REPORTED TICKET SALES

1,890,100

1,438,885

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

BIGGEST STADIUM SHOW The Weeknd State Farm Stadium, Glendale $6,200,909 Gross 53,969 Tickets Sold $114.90 Avg. Ticket Price Live Nation 8/30/22

BIGGEST AMPHITEATRE SHOW Odesza Ak-Chin Pavilion $967,616 Gross 19,099 Tickets Sold $50.66 Avg. Ticket Price Live Nation 8/17/22

BIGGEST ARENA SHOW “Disney On Ice” Footprint Center $1,380,059 Gross 31,867 Tickets Sold $43.31 Avg. Ticket Price in-house 7 shows beginning 1/13/2022

BIGGEST THEATRE SHOW Nate Bargatze Celebrity Theatre $541,093 Gross 8,830 Tickets Sold $61.28 Avg. Ticket Price Outback Presents 4 shows beginning 9/23/2022

BIGGEST CLUB SHOW Cavetown The Marquee, Tempe $56,950 Gross 2,375 Tickets Sold $23.98 Avg. Ticket Price in-house 4/7/22

HEATING UP IN GLENDALE AHEAD OF THE BIG GAME COURTESY ASM GLOBAL

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO -KARASINSKI / RYAN BORBA

W

hen Glendale (Arizona) City Manager Kevin Phelps shared that the Arizona Coyotes were moving out of Gila River Arena, he admits he heard from his fair share of naysayers. He said, essentially, the venue would be more profitable if the team went elsewhere after going through financial difficulties over the past two decades. Phelps and his team appear to be correct. At the Glendale City Council meeting Jan. 10, officials announced that Desert Diamond Arena, as it’s now called, had its highest-grossing revenue year. The arena eclipsed its previous record by $10 million.

DESERT DEAL: Desert Diamond Arena is being redeveloped with a greater focus on concerts now that it’s without a sports tenant for the first time since the venue opened in 2003.

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

37

PHOENIX

MARKET FOCUS

SELECT VENUES IN PLAY - PHOENIX MARKET VENUE

VENUE TYPE

CITY

AVG. TICKETS SOLD AVG. GROSS

5th & Madison Event Center Ak-Chin Pavilion Arizona Federal Theatre ASU Gammage AURA CB Live Celebrity Theatre Chandler Center for the Arts Chase Field The Crescent Ballroom Darkstar Del E. Webb Center for Performing Arts Denim & Diamonds Desert Diamond Arena Findlay Toyota Center Footprint Center Grand Canyon University Arena Harrah’s Phoenix Ak-Chin Casino The Improv Jackass Bar & Grill Last Exit Live Margaret T. Hance Park The Marquee Mesa Amphitheatre Mesa Arts Center Ikeda Theater MIM Music Theater Nile Theater Orpheum Theatre Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park Phoenix International Raceway The Rebel Lounge Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Stand Up Live State Farm Stadium Talking Stick Resort Tempe Center for the Arts The Underground The Van Buren Valley Bar

Auditorium/Theater Amphitheatre Auditorium/Theater Auditorium/Theater Auditorium/Theater Club Auditorium/Theater Auditorium/Theater Stadium Club Club Auditorium/Theater Club Arena Arena Arena Arena Casino Club Club Club Outdoor Venues Club Amphitheatre Auditorium/Theater Auditorium/Theater Club Auditorium/Theater Amphitheatre Outdoor Venues Club Auditorium/Theater Club Stadium Casino Auditorium/Theater Club Club Club

Phoenix Phoenix Phoenix Tempe Tempe Phoenix Phoenix Chandler Phoenix Phoenix Tempe Wickenburg Mesa Glendale Prescott Valley Phoenix Phoenix Maricopa Tempe Prescott Valley Phoenix Phoenix Tempe Mesa Mesa Phoenix Mesa Phoenix Flagstaff Avondale Phoenix Scottsdale Phoenix Glendale Scottsdale Tempe Mesa Phoenix Phoenix

436 11,351 3,696 1,996 522 122 2,234 1,422 49,421 339 350 518 1,209 8,512 2,493 8,032 4,773 1,824 330 100 101 1,000 967 3,294 1,308 232 536 1,105 1,409 20,000 176 593 400 47,316 1,967 424 122 1,446 221

$23,252 $602,726 $225,257 $134,212 $14,562 $8,052 $148,433 $77,681 $11,176,255 $9,907 $7,667 $25,654 $18,135 $732,758 $139,939 $846,212 $203,334 $133,881 $12,033 $1,500 $1,515 $30,000 $31,612 $166,583 $71,715 $11,516 $14,461 $60,828 $57,161 $1,714,001 $3,135 $33,661 $17,942 $5,374,422 $118,722 $15,850 $1,887 $45,276 $4,068

AVG. CAPACITY

AVG. CAP. SOLD

880 16,363 4,099 2,167 612 270 2,466 1,431 49,421 468 350 561 1,209 10,331 3,360 10,122 5,528 1,904 450 100 300 1,000 1,223 3,754 1,570 1,054 700 1,361 3,200 20,000 325 828 400 49,760 2,006 532 200 1,641 273

50 69 90 92 85 45 91 99 100 72 100 92 100 82 74 79 86 96 73 100 34 100 79 88 83 22 77 81 44 100 54 72 100 95 98 80 61 88 81

AVG. TICKET PRICE SHOW REPORTS

$53.33 $53.10 $60.95 $67.25 $27.91 $22.00 $66.45 $54.64 $226.14 $29.22 $21.90 $49.53 $15.00 $86.08 $56.13 $105.36 $42.60 $73.39 $36.52 $15.00 $15.00 $30.00 $32.69 $50.57 $54.85 $49.60 $27.00 $55.03 $40.58 $85.70 $17.84 $56.73 $44.86 $113.58 $60.36 $37.38 $15.47 $31.31 $18.43

1 8 15 3 3 3 9 3 1 6 2 2 1 32 4 56 3 8 2 1 1 1 107 12 2 10 3 8 4 1 5 20 4 3 3 1 1 19 4

Based on Pollstar Boxoffice Reports 2019-22. Visit Pollstar.com for more Boxoffice, Route Book and Contact information including access to Pollstar Data Cloud.

Doug Thornton, ASM Global’s executive vice president of arenas, stadiums and theaters, said he has big hopes for Desert Diamond Casino and the adjacent State Farm Stadium. The firm manages both buildings. “We hosted about 33 concerts last year. It was a big number,” Thornton said of the arena in Glendale. “It’s more than we’ve hosted in the past. That’s consistent with what’s happened across the nation. 2022 was a very good year. A lot of the artists were touring again after COVID. Desert Diamond Arena enjoyed a particularly good year and doing well across the parking lot was State Farm Stadium.” State Farm Stadium is gearing 38

up for the Super Bowl, and the arena has been rented for the week for Super Bowl-related events. Thornton looks forward to activating the Westgate Entertainment District, which sits next to the arena, during Super Bowl week. “We have a very close relationship with all of our NFL team partners, the teams themselves,” Thornton said. “For the last 25 years, our company has supported the NFL by sending employees to work in stadiums around the league for the Super Bowl. “That helps our facilities when we’re pitching on behalf of the city,” he said. “Each of our GMs has close relationships with teams and markets and the league. We

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

have close relationships, too, with local convention and visitors bureaus and hotel associations, as well as the Super Bowl host committees.” Thornton remembers when crews broke ground for the arena among cotton fields in the West Valley. Now, in addition to the arena and stadium, Westgate encompasses retail stores, restaurants, residential units, office space, a 20-screen movie complex and a comedy club. The district took several years to materialize after the NHL and NFL venues opened in 2003 and 2006, respectively, but Glendale and the West Valley as a whole are exploding in growth. Across the Arizona 101 Loop,

VAI Resort, a massive, tropical beach-themed destination, is scheduled to open late this year. The property includes a 1,200room luxury hotel, a concert stage, white sand beaches and Caribbean blue water. An island measuring 52,000 square feet is the centerpiece of the resort. All these developments have helped make the bonds stronger between ASM Global and the city of Glendale. “That area has truly built up,” he said. “Anytime you have a million to 2 million people coming through your doors each year — which we did at Desert Diamond Arena — you’re creating foot traffic and each one is going to create some level of spending.”

THE PREMIER SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

VENUES IN ARIZONA

Tucson Convention Center Tucson, AZ

State Farm Stadium

Desert Diamond Arena

Glendale, AZ

#1 partner of the world’s leading event promoters, annually hosting more concerts, professional and minor league sports, family shows, conventions, exhibitions and events.

Glendale, AZ

THE WORLD’S LEADING PRODUCER OF LIVE EVENT EXPERIENCES

34 ARENAS

LEARN MORE AT ASMGLOBAL.COM

117 STADIUMS

97 THEATERS

PHOENIX

MARKET FOCUS

PHOENIX – RECENTLY REPORTED TICKETS AND GROSSES DATE

SHOWS

HEADLINER

VENUE

11/12/2022 1 Shrek Rave The Marquee, Tempe 11/10/2022 11/10/2022 11/10/2022 11/8/2022 11/7/2022 11/7/2022 11/5/2022 11/5/2022 11/4/2022 11/3/2022 11/1/2022 11/1/2022 10/30/2022 10/30/2022 10/30/2022 10/29/2022 10/29/2022 10/29/2022 10/28/2022 10/27/2022 10/27/2022 10/25/2022 10/24/2022 10/23/2022

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

AVG. TICKETS SOLD

AVG. GROSS

2,200 3,773 9,129 2,100 2,330 1,800 885 801 624 1,026 7,291 665 775 1,443 1,733 7,772 3,942 247 12,099 2,120 4,631 187 11,223 729 9,713

$44,550 $209,835 $1,278,516 $45,700 $85,742 $60,544 $66,782 $48,458 $16,537 $20,520 $736,783 $21,745 $22,247 $48,361 $125,340 $584,899 $194,750 $3,946 $1,690,975 $58,382 $289,805 $5,610 $521,543 $17,192 $943,172

Måneskin Arizona Federal Theatre ATEEZ Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale Bad Omens The Marquee, Tempe “The Up And Up Festival”, Dom Dolla The Marquee, Tempe Turnstile The Van Buren Ryan Adams Orpheum Theatre Dropkick Murphys Orpheum Theatre Whitey Morgan The Marquee, Tempe Lorna Shore Nile Theater, Mesa Christian Nodal Footprint Center Black Flag Nile Theater, Mesa Gogol Bordello The Marquee, Tempe W.A.S.P. The Marquee, Tempe Bobby Weir and Wolf Bros Celebrity Theatre The Who Ak-Chin Pavilion Midland Mesa Amphitheatre, Mesa Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras The Marquee, Tempe “Most Valuable Promotions” Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale AFI The Marquee, Tempe A Day To Remember Mesa Amphitheatre, Mesa Black Jacket Symphony The Marquee, Tempe Elevation Worship Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale Hawthorne Heights The Marquee, Tempe Panic! At The Disco Footprint Center

AVG. TICKET PRICE AVG. CAP. SOLD

$20.25 $55.61 $140.05 $21.76 $36.80 $33.64 $75.46 $60.50 $26.50 $20.00 $101.05 $32.70 $28.71 $33.51 $72.33 $75.26 $49.40 $15.98 $139.76 $27.54 $62.58 $30.00 $46.47 $23.58 $97.10

100 72 98 100 100 100 65 59 65 100 96 66 81 87 100 42 93 38 77 96 92 28 86 69 100

PROMOTER

in-house Vivo Concerti AEG Presents in-house in-house Live Nation in-house in-house in-house in-house, 13th Floor Entertainment Cardenas Marketing Network in-house in-house in-house Danny Zelisko Presents Live Nation in-house, Richter Entertainment Group in-house in-house in-house in-house in-house Premier Productions in-house Live Nation

HUDDLE UP: State Farm Stadium is host to the Super Bowl this season, a third time for the stadium in Glendale.

40

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

AP PHOTO

Based on Pollstar Boxoffice Reports. Visit Pollstar.com for more Boxoffice, Route Book and Contact information including access to Pollstar Data Cloud.

COURTESY VENUE

PAVILION POWER: Footprint Center’s $250 million renovation included adding the largest sports bar in Arizona and the renovated Casino Arizona Pavilion. The area has a clear view through the concourse to the new center-hung scoreboard.

Soon, there will be spending on Desert Diamond Arena, with a $40 million to $60 million renovation planned for a more concert-friendly facility. “It needs some work and we’re looking forward to improving the arena and making it even better than it is today,” he said. The 18,300-capacity venue is out to prove it can be profitable without a sports tenant, no longer home to the NHL Arizona Coyotes who moved to the new Mullett Arena in Tempe. “The most successful is the arena in Kansas City, T-Mobile Center,” Thornton said. “It’s about the same size as Desert Diamond, 18,000 seats. It does not have a pro sports tenant. We do anywhere from 33 to 40 concerts a year there. We can do that because it’s in a good routing location, where it’s in the center part of the country, and there’s great flexibility with the schedule, just like Desert Diamond.” Arenas are purpose-built for sports teams, but ASM Global and Glendale have proven that model doesn’t necessarily hold true, Thornton added. “Remember, the goal here is to create economic development for the area around the arena,” Thornton said. “Westgate is a popular location. It’s a shopping retail district. People come to those shows, they eat dinner, shop and sales tax is generated. You can’t just look at the building. The true measure of success is beyond the four walls of the building.” Later this year, State Farm

Stadium plays host to the first two concerts of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour,” plus two Metallica shows. Early on, though, it’s about all things Super Bowl. “The Super Bowl is really a four-hour excuse to have a fourday party,” Thornton said with a laugh. “People obviously want to go to the game. They want to experience the destination for four days. It’s important to have these events in warm weather climates, so you can play golf, go to events and do outdoor things. Glendale checks all the boxes.” Thornton knows the Super Bowl well, with ASM Global operating seven NFL stadiums, with the next three Super Bowls taking place at their facilities — State Farm Stadium, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, which by 2024 will have completed a $500 million revamp. “We have a team of people that we send to the Super Bowl every year,” Thornton said. Populous Events is the NFL’s consultant for planning the layout for the Super Bowl, including the secured perimeter outside the stadium. “Tim LeFevour, our general manager at Soldier Field, has been doing this now for 25 years. We assemble a team. This year it’s going to be 25 to 26 individuals from our various managed stadiums.” They’re responsible for guest services, ingress and egress, circulation patterns in the building, team movements, halftime performances and locker room access.

VOTED ARIZONA'S #1 CONCERT VENUE 17 YEARS IN A ROW

CELEBRITYTHEATRE.COM 440 N. 32ND STREET PHOENIX, ARIZONA

@CELEBRITYTHEATRE

@CELEBTHEATREPHX @CELEBTHEATREPHX

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

41

PHOENIX

MARKET FOCUS

HEATING UP: Mullett Arena at Arizona State University in Tempe, is home to the Arizona Coyotes NHL team over the next five seasons.

In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, State Farm Stadium GM Andy Gorchov has kept ASM Global officials informed on updates with the host committee. “There’s so many moving parts to the Super Bowl, and every city and every facility type has a different footprint,” Thornton said. “Andy’s been deeply embedded in those planning sessions with the host committee and the NFL and Tim LeFevour with his special event team from ASM.”

THE ‘OTHER’ BIG GAMES BY WENDY PEARL

PHOENIX-CHEAT SHEET A DRY HEAT: Phoenix is the largest U.S. metropolitan area that is fully made up of desert, with the Sonoran Desert home to the saguaro cactus, which can grow more than 40 feet tall and live 150 years. RUSH HOUR: The population of Phoenix has risen at a rapid clip, with an 18.1% increase from 2010 to 2021 according to Census figures. Some estimates project growth from 5 million in 2022 to 8.4 million by 2060.

Established in 1947, Major League Baseball’s Cactus League spring training season includes 10 ballparks within an hour of Phoenix hosting 15 Major League teams, bringing in tourists and providing thousands of jobs to the area every March.

42

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

FRYING TIME: Record temperatures in 2020 saw 144 days of 100-plus degree days in Phoenix. LEFT SHARK SHUFFLE: The ASM Global-managed State Farm Stadium in nearby Glendale will host its third Super Bowl in February. Pictured is Katy Perry during her colorful Super Bowl performance at the venue in 2015.

GETTY IMAGES

E

verything about the NFL championship game is super-sized, including the ancillary entertainment and music events taking over Phoenix in the days leading up to the main event. “It’s the Super Bowl, the largest sporting event in the country,” said Ralph Marchetta, general manager of the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns and this year’s Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest. “There are a lot of events going on downtown at the Phoenix Convention Center, Margaret T. Hance Park, all of the other parties and things happening. For us, it’s a great opportunity to really show off the market and demonstrate how it has developed and what a great city we have.” For three years, Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest has been tapped for numerous “best of” lists, featuring three nights of major music talent usually at a typical concert venue other than the Super Bowl host stadium. The three-night concert series, which is sandwiched between the WM Phoenix Open Feb. 6-12 and Super Bowl LVII, features headliners of multiple genres. The 2023 lineup includes Paramore with special guest Bleachers (Thursday, Feb. 9); Dave Matthews Band with special guest DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak All Vinyl Set) (Friday, Feb. 10); and Imagine Dragons and Kane Brown (Saturday, Feb. 11). Each show will have a unique look and stage configuration, from a pit for Dave Matthews, to three thrusts for Imagine Dragons and Kane Brown. Load-in starts Feb. 7. The event, which is produced

THE EPICENTER OF SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT IN ARIZONA

For booking, contact GM Ralph Marchetta at [email protected] or VP of Booking Sarah Schock at [email protected]

PHOENIX GETTY IMAGES FOR BUD LIGHT SUPER BOWL MUSIC FEST

MARKET FOCUS

HOLLABACK: Gwen Stefani, shown during the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest last year, which took place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles ahead of the Super Bowl.

by Endeavor’s On Location, the NFL’s official hospitality partner, and Synergy Productions, draws big name fans, too. In the past, former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning surprised the audience with a special unveil of the “Madden NFL 20” Super Bowl LIV prediction and Demi Lovato joined Dan + Shay on stage for a surprise performance of their ballad “Speechless.” More surprises are in store for 2023, according to organizers. “Lineup strategy every year is based on wanting to do unique shows, interesting pairings and one-of-a-kind moments,” said 44

Amit Dhawan, founder of Synergy. Previous performances at Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest include Halsey and Machine Gun Kelly; Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton; Miley Cyrus and Green Day; Bruno Mars and Cardi B; Post Malone and Aerosmith, Guns & Roses and Snoop Dogg. “We continue to evolve it, make it bigger,” said Don Renzulli, executive vice president of events for On Location. “It’s got the Super Bowl name on it, which we have the right to do, and put something out there that is a little bit different than what everyone else is doing.” Dhawan added, “The key to our

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

success is the relationship with the venue and the venue team, and I think that’s another thing with the Footprint Center that is going to lead to a very successful event.” Marchetta agrees, adding, “We are looking forward to a crazy week in town with all the activity going on, but we’re geared up and ready.” In addition to Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest, there are numerous entertainment and live music events throughout the Phoenix area. This year, a few high-profile events are being produced by Medium Rare, known for experiential events featuring major

sports and entertainment stars. Shaquille O’Neal brings Shaq’s Fun House to Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale on Feb. 10. The fifth annual event features Snoop Dogg and Diplo in an adult playground with six hours of open bar, notable sports and entertainment personalities, musical performances and a carnival midway. In the past, the event has hosted more than 25,000 fans and celebrity guests included NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine, actor Jamie Foxx, NFL star Rob Gronkowski, boxing legend Floyd

MARKET FOCUS

COURTESY VENUE

PHOENIX

RINGING THE BELL: The multi-venue sports and entertainment complex Bell Bank Park in Mesa, Arizona, welcomed 4.3 million guests in 2022.

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

45

THE DOSSIER

BY W E N DY P E A R L

Footprint Center PHOENIX, ARIZONA ARENA CAPACITY: 18,000

Footprint Center Renovation Makes Its Mark

F

ootprint Center, the 30-year-old home of the NBA Phoenix Suns and WNBA Phoenix Mercury, underwent a $250 million renovation that was completed during the pandemic. The upgrades included improved sound, lighting, technology seating, hospitality, concourses and premium, VIP amenities throughout the venue, which sits on the southern edge of the city’s business district. “It’s hard to identify a space that wasn’t touched in some

RALPH MARCHETTA, Footprint Center General Manager

46

way,” said Ralph Marchetta, longtime general manager of the arena. “To be honest, for $250 million, we feel like we got a new arena.” Owned by the city and managed by the Phoenix Suns, Footprint Center was one of the few venues in the country that benefited during the COVID shutdown. The Phoenix City Council approved the renovation in January 2019 and the original plan was to shut down over two summers. “When the pandemic shut everything down we were able to work straight through,” Marchetta explained. “Not the way you want to benefit, obviously, but timing-wise for us, things worked out because everything was already in the supply chain, that was already happening, and we were able to do a lot of the work when we were already shut down.” The arena opened in June 1992 at a cost of $89 million. The first renovation occurred in 2003 at a cost of $67 million, but the building was short on fan amenities. With a prime location downtown, the decision was made

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

to revamp the arena at half the cost of new construction. The city provided $150 million of the renovation cost. The investment made economic sense. A recent impact study found that $153 million worth of jobs is tied to arena events. The renovation added 70,000 square feet of new gathering space; a cornerstone of the socialization of sports philosophy where fans can still be part of the action without being confined to a seat. Upgrades were made from the floor to the balcony of the 18,000-capacity building. “I opened the building in 1992 and the fan expectation over the past 30 years has changed dramatically,” Marchetta said. “This renovation, we were focused on creating different levels of experience and it was definitely top of mind as we went through the process creating a better, more social fan experience.” To that end, roughly 40,000 square feet of the Phoenix Suns practice area and team space on the event level was moved to a new practice facility. Kitchen space and the

commissary were moved to a two-story building on the east side of Footprint Center, which opened room for new premium clubs. The new destinations include the largest sports bar surface in Arizona at 60 feet in the grand lobby that’s part of the Casino Arizona Pavilion. The bar has a clear view through the concourse to the new center-hung scoreboard which has a 3,550 square-foot HD screen that is six-times larger than the previous version. “It’s providing spaces for fans to interact and not just being in your seat,” Marchetta said. “It’s creating opportunities for them to interact in different settings around sports. It’s not just about being a spectator, it’s a really immersive experience. “We’ve seen the use, and the popularity and success in line with what we had hoped.”

GENERAL MANAGER Ralph Marchetta DIRECTOR, ARENA TICKETING Sean Stilwell BOOKING Sarah Schock

CHRISTY RADECIC

PHOENIX

MARKET FOCUS

PHOENIX

MARKET FOCUS

RED ROCKER: Live Nation’s 20,000-capacity Phoenix amphitheater has a new name, Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater, following a multi-year naming rights deal with the casino property in nearby Scottsdale. Pictured performing there in September 2022 is Sammy Hagar and the Circle.

GETTY IMAGES

Mayweather, rap group Migos and more. Gronkowski has a themed event of his own: Gronk Beach on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Talking Stick Resort. The four-time Super Bowl champion and former University of Arizona star knows a thing or two about how to throw a party,

with the return of his personally curated music festival with headliners 21 Savage, Lil Jon, Diplo and a celebrity beach volleyball competition. SI The Party presented by Captain Morgan takes over Talking Stick Resort Feb. 11. Sports Illustrated’s popular

event, produced by partner Authentic, raises the bar with The Chainsmokers and Machine Gun Kelly as headliners. Guy’s Flavortown Tailgate presented by Cash App is being dubbed by organizers as the largest culinary event ever. Celebrity chef and mayor of flavortown Guy Fieri

will host a free, pregame, family-friendly event on game day for 10,000 fans at State Farm Stadium. Fieri personally assembled more than 15 restaurants, “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” specials, dozens of bars and musical performances including Diplo to create tailgate history.

5,000 SEAT CAPACITY LOCATED ON ASU CAMPUS, LARGEST PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN US GREATER PHOENIX - 5TH LARGEST CITY 20 SUITES & 2 GROUP SUITES PREMIUM LOGE BOXES HOUSE POWER, STAGE, RISERS, GREEN ROOMS ICE DECK FLOOR COVERING F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

47

PHOENIX

MARKET FOCUS ARTIST’S TAKE

ALICE COOPER’S CHRISTMAS PUDDING IS ROCK SOLID FOR 20 YEARS BY GA RY G R A F F and children.” Now, however, it operates its own pair of teen centers known as The Rock in Phoenix and Mesa that offer free classes in the arts and technology so youths can “build confidence and discover their passion through music, dance, self-expression and creativity.” “It’s about giving back — obviously,” Cooper explains. “Raising money was a great first step, but we saw we could do more. That’s where we came up with the idea for The Rock. It pulls the kids out of gangs and selling drugs. Now they can get interested in playing guitar or painting or dance or something else.

“That was an opportunity they didn’t have before,” Cooper added. “I mean, who knows if, like, the next great guitar player or bass player isn’t out there selling drugs on a street corner. Now, they have a chance to see there’s something else for them.” That high-minded purpose isn’t free, of course, so the Christmas Pudding, along with a celebrity golf tournament Cooper began hosting in 1997, are designed to foot the bill. “The goal is to have our entire operating budget raised from each Christmas Pudding event and we have reached that mostly every

SCHOOL’S OUT FOR CHRISTMAS: Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie on stage during Alice Cooper’s 20th Annual Christmas Pudding event at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix on Dec. 3, 2022. 48

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

DANIEL KNIGHTON/GETTY IMAGES

F

or Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Foundation, the proof has been in the Pudding for the past 20 years. The Christmas Pudding, that is. The December event, held annually in Phoenix since 2001 (save for a pandemic-canceled 2020 edition), is a primary fundraiser for Solid Rock, which the Hall of Fame shock rocker, his wife Sheryl and their friend Chuck Savale launched in November 1995. The foundation’s mission was initially to raise money for other organizations that “address the physical and social needs of teenagers

year,” said Randy Spencer, partnerships/ development director for Solid Rock. Spencer says that since 2001, Christmas Pudding has raised more than $6 million. The 2022 event — held Dec. 3 at the Celebrity Theater and featured Sammy Hagar, Rob Zombie, the Gin Blossoms and comedian Jim Breuer — was the most successful to date, pulling in $1.2 million from ticket sales, sponsorships and an auction. “Every year we break our record,” Cooper notes. Held at Phoenix’s historic Celebrity Theatre — save for a tenure at the Dodge Theatre from 2006-2014 — Christmas Pudding has become a signature event in Phoenix each year. The 2,600-capacity venue is always filled, and the bills have featured reunions of Cooper’s classic 1970s band lineup as well as members of his current band and the all-star Hollywood Vampires along with Kiss, Glen Campbell, Pat Boone, Night Ranger, P.O.D., Joan Jett, Larry the Cable Guy, Kip Winger, Sister Sledge, Extreme, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, Hollywood Vampires mates Joe Perry (of Aerosmith) and Johnny Depp, the Rascals’ Felix Cavaliere, Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath, Gretchen Wilson, Korn, Richie Sambora, Orianthi (who filled in for an injured Tom Morello in 2021), Joe Bonamassa, Vince Neil, Sixwire, Filter, Lita Ford, ex-Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, Blue Oyster Cult, Edgar Winter, Tommy Shaw of Styx and Ed Roland of Collective Soul. Sheryl Cooper, who met her husband while she was a dancer on his “Welcome to My Nightmare Tour” in 1975, usually performs as well. “It’s not a rock concert. It’s more like a vaudeville variety kind of show,” Cooper says. “We have people from everywhere — rock, country, blues, comedians, actors, dancers, magicians, everything. What I really love is putting together people who don’t really belong together, like Rob Zombie and Pat Boone, or Glen Campbell and Ted Nugent. They all find something to do together, and it’s some50

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

thing that wouldn’t happen anywhere else.” Christmas Pudding is also preceded by a “Proof is in the Pudding” competition for aspiring local artists, who compete to win a spot on the main Pudding bill. One of the early winners of that was a 14-year-old Jordin Sparks, who went on to win the sixth season of “American Idol” in 2007. Veteran Phoenix promoter Danny Zelisko and his Danny Zelisko Presents has been producing the Christmas Pudding since the beginning and says it’s a highlight of his year, too. “The goal was to have the Solid Rock place, and this was going to fund it,” Zelisko says in recalling his initial conversations with the Coopers. “The whole idea behind the Pudding was to do something completely different than a regular show, just throwing an opening act or two opening acts up and then have a headliner play. We wanted it to be something more. “It worked, and now every year it gets bigger and bigger. It’s, like, an automatic,”

PHOENIX STAR: Phoenix promoter Danny Zelisko, pictured in 2022, has been producing the Christmas Pudding since the beginning, making the event a true a homegrown affair.

GETTY IMAGES

COOPSTOCK: Taking place at the in-the-round Celebrity Theatre for much of its existence, Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding brings friends, family, musicians and celebrities of all stripes, with proceeds benefiting Cooper’s Rock Solid Foundation benefiting youth.

Zelisko added. “Everyone gets along great. The shows are typically fantastic. It turns into a very, very nice event.” The Celebrity Theatre is also a big part of the Pudding’s appeal. “It’s such a great theater and a small theater that people get a chance to see some great acts up close and personal. Because it’s in the round, everybody’s just a part of the party. The back wall to the place is 75 feet away on any side. When you do big names in a place like that, instead of some place that’s much bigger but not as intimate, it changes the whole dynamic.” Zelisko says planning for the next Christmas Pudding begins soon after the previous event, with dates already held in advance. Initially, however, it’s something of an ad hoc process. “Sometimes it kind of morphs from the year before,” the promoter notes. “Alice or me — typically Alice — will have a conversation with somebody, ‘Can’t do it, OK. How about next year?’ All we have to do is remember so we can hit them up for the next year. For the main people, it’s better if he calls them. I mean, who’s going to turn down Alice? Only somebody who’s legitimately busy.” Discussions go through the first half of the year, according to Zelisko, while the spring golf tournament in Mesa, dubbed “Coopstock,” tied to the charitable effort, is also in motion. By mid-summer, he says, “People really get a good idea of what they’re doing at the end of the year, so we can start to lock things in then and into the fall.” Solid Rock is hoping to open other teen centers in Arizona, and the Coopers’ dream of expanding the concept into other states. “I can’t think of anywhere that a ‘Rock’ couldn’t help,” Alice says. And as long as two or more of those programs are open, the Christmas Pudding will be served. “It has a life of its own at this point,” the rocker says. “I’m really proud of it. It’s such a good time and just a great, positive thing that makes a lot of other good things happen.”

ROAD CASES

Boosting the Bottom Line Seating companies respond to an evolving market B Y J A M E S Z O LTA K

AP PHOTO

S

eating remains a key piece of the fan experience, but the game has changed quickly. There’s greater demand for premium products and convenience at the most basic level, more segmentation of higher-end offerings and a continuing shift in how spectators consume live entertainment, according to suppliers. “It’s an interesting time for our industry. We just lived through a pandemic when some were speculating if we’d ever assemble again,” said Colin “Coke” Irwin, senior vice president sales and marketing at Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Irwin Seating. The company has manufac-

turing plants in Grand Rapids and Altamont, Illinois, where its telescopic division is based, and is a market leader. Founded 116 years ago, it services venues of all kinds, plus cinemas and churches. The Irwin brand carries clout and the firm has a strong track record, and having U.S. based manufacturing, with multiple materials suppliers based in the Midwest, served the company well during the pandemic, Irwin said. Irwin Seating installed seats in two new MLS stadiums, in Nashville and St. Louis, over the past year. (CityPark in St. Louis officially opens March 3 when St. Louis City plays FC Charlotte). “Soccer’s really taking off and

we continue to introduce new products in that space ,” he said. “In St. Louis, we introduced a new standing rail product.” Other recent installs include Moody Center at University of Texas at Austin and the company is producing seats for the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, Irwin said, adding that he wasn’t yet at liberty to release details. “It’s a really exciting project,” he said. “We’ve designed an interactive chair like nothing else in the industry.” Lately, Irwin sees “a big focus on premium options and differentiation in that experience.” In response, the vendor has designed products that lend themselves to

handle food and drink with greater ease, tied to tables and cup holders, and take into account the expansion of social spaces across arenas and stadiums. “We’ve also done a lot with (heated seats), something we’ve been doing a long time in the cinema industry,” Irwin said of a comfort feature common in many vehicles. “Some people get cold, regardless of where you are in the country. We’ve started to leverage that into other markets we participate in, outdoor stadiums like Citi Field, where the (MLB) Mets play and Notre Dame Stadium.” Irwin has strong participation in new projects as well as renovations, the latter fueled by the company’s longevity and ability to adapt to clients’ needs, even as new competitors have emerged. “If you’re in this business, you know this world’s changing quickly,” said Deron Nardo, principal/ president of 4Topps Premium Seating, which in 2011 entered a market already populated by legacy brands

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

51

COURTESY VENDOR

UP CLOSE: DreamSeat produced field-level club seats for Charlotte FC, the Major League Soccer expansion team that starts its second season of play in 2023 at Bank of America Stadium.

Hussey, Irwin and Clarin. “Fans want a little more out of the experience. They want WiFi, they want more comfort,” Nardo said. “As the industry changes, you start to see more variety in what can happen inside the stadium.” Nardo said 4Topps, which came to the market with a half-circle table with four swivel chairs “like a little instant loge box,” focuses on the luxury space, with comfortable seating and seat-table combinations, that in the end boost the bottom line for teams packaging those combinations into premium tickets. Shortly after incorporating, 4Topps began developing its signature mesh product, an offshoot of a design that had taken hold in office furniture (think Herman Miller Aeron chair), which it rolled out in 2013. The company now has “a full and ever-evolving product line that is all centered on this airflow mesh, breathable seat that keeps the seat surface temperature up to 50 degrees cooler,” Nardo said. Other companies have also begun offering mesh products. “The key thing we’ve learned since we’ve been in the market is this, you have your plastic seats, but we’re not going after that market. They’re inexpensive. They last forever,” Nardo said. “If you were going to upgrade away from plastic, we’ve come into that market.” The company is making inroads into large installations, doing thousands of seats at a time 52

because of the cool factor, comfort and durability and ease of maintenance. All of the companies involved in the venue seating space, from more recent to outfits like Australia-based Camatic, which has been around 50 years and become a significant player in the NFL stadium market, are tuned in to the trends. Sean O’Leary, vice president of sales and marketing of North Berwick, Maine-based Hussey Seating, a family-owned company for 188 years (there are still members of the family on the board of directors), says venues more than ever are looking to stage as many events as possible to augment the revenue they get from sports tenants. “More events means more diverse events which means more flexible seating,” he said. Hussey Seating, which had acquired Clarin Seating of Lake Bluff, Illinois, in 2011, sold its portable chair line, Clarin by Hussey Seating, to family-owned Spec Seats, based in Rancho Dominguez, California, in February 2022. Hussey remains focused on telescopic platforms and bleachers and fixed seating products, for which demand is strong, O’Leary said. O’Leary said Hussey, which employs 330 people in southern Maine, has enjoyed success in the renovation and replacement market in major arenas around the country over the past five years. “We have been the go-to for large project renovation work,” he

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

said, adding that some jobs “that were on the five-yard line” before getting delayed by COVID are back on. Recent installs include Footprint Center, home of the NBA Phoenix Suns; United Center in Chicago, home of the NBA Bulls and NHL Blackhawks; Enterprise Center, home of the NHL St. Louis Blues; Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the NBA Pacers; Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia; and over 10,000 telescopic replacement seats at Alamodome in San Antonio, he said. New contracts include American Airlines Center in Dallas, where Hussey will provide over 19,000 fixed chairs in a complete seating replacement job. Hussey also has replacement jobs at DCU Center in Worcester,

IN COMMAND: 4Topps Premium Seating entered the market in 2011. The Washington Commanders installed 4Topps Airflow Mesh Tip-Up seats in the club level and end-zone premium seats, which sold out in one day.

GETTY IMAGES COURTESY VENDOR

SOCCER CITY: Irwin Seating installed seats in two new MLS stadiums, in Nashville and St. Louis, over the past year.

Massachusetts, and recently got the contract to replace half the seats at Progressive Field, home of the MLB Cleveland Guardians, and the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion, Baylor University’s new arena opening in 2024. A lot of work goes into a project like the one in Dallas in advance to understand the client’s needs and minimize disruption of a busy event schedule, O’Leary said. Spec Seats, whose portable seating line was established in 1993, holds exclusive licensing agreements for seating with the NCAA, NBA, NJCAA, NAIA and multiple colleges and universities. Recent installations include UBS Arena, Climate Pledge Arena, Chase Center, Allegiant Stadium and SoFi Stadium. Company president Jordan Hergott notes that his family helped create the first all-steel folding chair in the U.S. (WWE remains grateful) with the original Clarin back in 1925 and with the acquisition of Clarin is now among the market leaders in portable seating. “I call it customizable seating,” Hergott said. “A lot of the things we do are based on customization, made-to-order, for each client’s venue. As a lot of venues are finding out, it gives them more flexibility for standing-room only shows. It does create opportunities for other events. Our chairs create opportunities for additional revenue, whether it’s VIP areas or temporary seating where they add seats as they go depending on the type of event they have.” StageRight, based in Clare, Michigan, is a pioneer in telescopic seating, offering high quality retractable systems in sports

The Next Generation of Seating Discover the DreamSeat Difference! The leading supplier of custom VIP seating and furniture has emerged as a fresh alternative in the full stadium and arena seating space. Reach out today to see how DreamSeat can help transform your venue and provide you with seating that is uniquely yours. Don’t Settle, Dream Big, DreamSeat!

Featured: Luxx Seat

Featured: Ovation Airo Mesh Seat

Barclays Center Home of the Brooklyn Nets

PNC Stadium Home of the Houston Dynamo

Custom club seating with easily removable seats and integrated drop in platforms for media. First of its kind installation in collaboration with Sightline Commercial Solutions.

Over 12,000 mesh stadium seats installed: Airo is the highest quality and most cost effective mesh seat on the market.

Seating The Future! Coming in 2024... Intuit Dome, Home of the Los Angeles Clippers All fixed arena seats will be supplied by DreamSeats. Chairs include in seat charging and best in class leg room.

Furniture And Seating Have Always Been The Core Of Who We Are, But Innovating The Seating Experience Is Where We Excel.

Looking For More Information? Phone: 631.656.1066 Email: [email protected] Website: DreamSeat.com

COURTESY VENDOR

facilities across the country. The company’s recent business includes new facilities like the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs as well as major renovations including Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Converting from a concert to a sports event provides opportunity for venues and teams, but needs to be done right. “When you go from a concert to an NBA or NHL or NCAA event, that’s your courtside and rinkside

seats,” said Tim Vogt, regional sales manager at StageRight. “Fans are paying more money to sit there, and it should feel and look just as substantial and nice if not better [than the permanent seats].” Vogt says the company is focused on premium upgrades. “Our products really are on a premium end just from a design standpoint,” Vogt said. “We start with the NBA and NHL world and look into the D1 schools, the ones with venues really looking for

HOOK ‘EM: Moody Center’s seats, supplied by Spec Seats, feature embroidered an Longhorns logo. New top-notch sports and entertainment venues continue to create a competitive market for high-quality retractable seating, which places more seats close to the action.

54

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

quality for those patrons that are sitting closest to the ice, closest to the floor.” The last thing you want is for somebody to know they are on temporary seating, “whether it’s through the sound or whether it moves a little,” he said. A relative newcomer to the venue seating market — and 17 years qualifies as new in this segment — is Happague, New York-based DreamSeat, whose “backbone business is loose furniture, for locker rooms, offices,” said Chandler Suprina, DreamSeat’s president. “The thing that kind of put us on the map is we have a patented system called Xzipit that allows you to slip logos on and off,” he said. The system has led to strong sales across the big leagues and the college space. Suprina, whose father Scott Suprina founded the company, an offshoot of the old Seating Solutions, said his background was more in bleachers and stadium seating and he had ideas about expanding into the wider venue seating space. “We partnered with a couple of the best factories in the world, and about five years ago, we focused on becoming a player in that side of things,” he said. “We were on niche projects. We’d do

somebody’s locker room and we’d ask them about their film room and we’d come in and do 280 (seats). The client would like that and say ‘we’ll give you a shot at our clubs and suites’ and that’s how we built it. Now, we can do everything from the sofa in your luxury suite to the fixed seat in your stadium.” Arena work lagged behind the company’s stadium accounts, although DreamSeat signed a deal to redo the suites at Barclays Center, home of the NBA Brooklyn Nets. Last year, DreamSeat landed Intuit Dome, the $2 billion home of the NBA Los Angeles Clippers that opens in 2024 in Inglewood, California. “In the last few years we’ve kind of exploded on the scene for doing stadiums and arenas,” said Suprina. “The Intuit Dome deal has been transformational for us.” He said the company is pushing for new accounts at Crypto.com Arena, AEG’s flagship facility in Los Angeles and the home of the NBA Lakers, NHL Kings and the Clippers until they move. Internationally, one of the top venue seating companies, Poland-based Nowy Styl, supplied over 300,000 seats in six of the 2022 FIFA World Cup stadiums in Qatar.

COURTESY VENDOR

TAKE A SEAT: Hussey Seating’s recent projects include Footprint Center, shown here, plus United Center, Enterprise Center and Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

GETTY IMAGES

The company is the biggest seating supplier in Europe, generating $432 million in annual sales in a number of segments, including its core business of offices in which it has deals with Siemens and other large tech firms. Its Forum by Nowy Styl division provides fixed seating in stadiums, arenas, cinemas, theaters and music halls, as well as retractable seating, according to Karol Stefanski, project and sales manager. “We are not very much known worldwide,” said Adam Horodecki, another longtime sales manager. “We made a big impact in Qatar by supplying six stadiums and we could be considered a market leader.” “But we’re Polish, reserved,” Stefanski said. “We are open to learning new things. We’re being patient about making progress, but not taking shortcuts,” Horodecki said. “We’re prepared for huge production, in huge quantities.” Like Irwin and Hussey, Krosno, Poland-based Nowy Styl manufactures its products in its home country. It has a factory in south-

ern Poland, about a two-hour drive from Krakow. “We are a one-stop shop,” Stefanski said. “We can supply general seating, VIP; anything that’s needed for a project, we can do it.” The company, incidentally, does not have its eye on the U.S. market. Nowy Styl partnered with Coastal Qatar to open a factory and produce under license the company’s Abacus stadium seats for the World Cup, Horodecki said. “Competitors visit our factories, offer us cooperation,” Stefanski said. “We can serve as a brand or a subcontractor. We can be a consultant or supplier.” The seats in Qatar incorporated UV resistant materials to stand up to the Persian Gulf climate, he said. Coke Irwin said the pandemic resulted in seating suppliers pivoting to stronger materials to withstand harsh cleaning chemicals. “One of the things we battled was the perception, or reality, of cleanliness,” he said. “Folks have gone to lengths we’ve never seen before to clean the products. Many products, fabrics in particular, were

FULL SAIL: Lusail Stadium in Qatar was one of six FIFA World Cup venues for which Forum by Nowy Styl supplied seats.

not designed for harsh chemicals. We all learned the dos and don’ts, but a number of times, folks used cleaning products that killed the virus, but unfortunately also killed some of the material on the chairs.” The response has been to educate clients about proper care and cleaning and the introduction of new products that are more durable and lend themselves to the post-pandemic world of seating. It includes using products that can stand up to the customer armed with Clorox wipes everywhere they go, Irwin said. Seating vendors also said

choosing the right partners involves many factors and having a trusted vendor who is responsive throughout a product’s life cycle, which can be 15 years or more, is as critical as getting a good price up front. Wider seats are trending but not a lot, as capacity would be severely reduced, Irwin said. “We don’t do 18-inch chairs any more,” he said. “The minimum we’ll do is 19, but it’s not as significant as one might think. We’re not getting 23 to 24 inch wide chairs in the upper bowl. That’s just not happening.”

Where People Come Together 866 GO IRWIN www.irwinseating.com

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

55

THEATERS

BY RYA N B O R BA

O

ak View Group has announced the creation of a national theater alliance, with an initial roster of venues in markets across North America that will benefit from collective buying power, routing of non-traditional content, sponsorship opportunities and best practices. The group will also share proceeds from an annual fundraising gala, officials said. The announcement was made Jan. 13 at the Association for Performing Arts Professionals conference in New York.

Noël Mirhadi, a former talent representative at multiple agencies, was named senior director of the Theater Alliance. She works with Joe Giordano, OVG vice president overseeing the group as well as the the company’s arena and stadium alliances Oak View Group is parent company of VenuesNow and Pollstar. “What we’re trying to do is to meet the needs of the venues and make sure that we’re creating value for the entire ecosystem here,” said OVG360

ALIGNED: Oak View Group Theater Alliance leaders Joe Giordano, Michael McDonough, Noël Mirhadi, Eric Gardner and OVG360 CEO Chris Granger pictured at New York Hilton Midtown Jan. 13, during the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. The alliance was announced formally at the conference. 56

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

CEO Chris Granger. ”We want to serve the industry and all stakeholders. That means how do we best serve the venue, the artists, fans and corporate partners in the communities in which we operate? All members are going to have access to everything, but venues are different. They do have similar challenges, but they’re going to be different in terms of what matters most to them.” Modeled after OVG’s Arena Alliance that launched in 2015, the Theater Alliance is designed to provide similar

COURTESY OAK VIEW GROUP

Oak View Group Launches Wide-Ranging Theater Alliance

services to a sector that may not have the resources, seating capacity or staff of the typical arena. “It’s important to note that outside of booking, these buildings have operated in a silo historically,” Giordano said. “Now we’re bringing together all the different departments, from operations, ticketing, F&B, all the different things that make the wheel turn.” Giordano was previously assistant general manager at the BOK Center in Tulsa. He also served as an ASM Global regional booking manager and content developer overseeing more than 40 venues. He notes the Alliance’s “five pillars” — book together, buy together, sell together, think together and brand together. Theater Alliance membership is invite only. The annual fee venues pay for those services is in the mid-five-figures. The group seeks top-class ven-

Oak View Group Theater Alliance Members

COURTESY OAK VIEW GROUP

MEMBERS MEET: Theater Alliance members from 13 different cities gather in person at APAP, which took place Jan. 13-17 in New York. Members in attendance represented venues in Dallas, Milwaukee, Portland, Austin, Nashville, New York City, Tulsa, Boston, Costa Mesa, Denver, Detroit and Philadelphia.

ues interested in a long-term relationship, officials said. “We are going out proactively to those venues and operators that are the best of the best,” Granger said. “The value of the alliance comes not just from the OVG partnership, but from the relationship with one another. We want you to participate with us for, let’s say, three or five years as a starting point. We want to make sure there is opportunity for you to reap the benefits of the collective and for us to learn as much as we can about your venue. A one-year relationship serves nobody.” The alliance venues (see below for list) include New York properties Beacon Theatre, Theater at MSG and Radio City Music Hall and extends to other high-profile theaters such as ACL Live at Moody Theater in Austin, the Pabst Theater Group in Milwaukee and the Paramount Theatre in Oakland. “We are thrilled to be among the first members of Oak View Group’s Theater Alliance. OVG has proven to be an innovator in our industry,” says Pabst Theater Group Chief Operating Officer and talent buyer Matt Beringer. “With the formation of the Theater Alliance, we look forward to combining their expanded national reach and expertise with our 20 years of experience booking and operating world class independent concert venues.” “We’re proud to be an inaugural member of the OVG Theater Alliance,” added Howard Handler, president of 313

Presents in Detroit. “The Fox Theatre, Detroit’s crown jewel, is a destination for everyone within our community. This alliance provides opportunities for us to share and learn best practices from other iconic theatres around the country and to deliver even more to artists, tours and our guests.” Mirhadi has extensive experience in the theater world. She’s a classically trained musician and for 14 years worked at talent agencies representing artists focusing on performing arts. Mirhadi said she jumped at the chance to help form the alliance when Giordano called. “It was an easy sell coming from Joe, a longtime colleague and friend,” said Mirhadi. “He really wanted someone who had deep knowledge and relationships in the theater space to help identify these partners to formulate not only the menu of services we’re offering but also identify which we wanted to be part of our inaugural class.” Mirhadi said there are active discussions with several other potential members, which could be announced in the coming months. The Theater Alliance is establishing its own philanthropic organization to raise funds to be shared among members, with proceeds going either directly to nonprofit members or philanthropic partners of privately-owned or for-profit members to benefit local music and art education programs. “Many of these buildings are nonprofit in nature and are extremely expensive to run and

operate, so we thought that it was important to support them at the philanthropic level as well,” Mirhadi said. In partnership with music industry’s social responsibility program Music’s Promise, the Theater Alliance Fund will be open for donations all year with an annual benefit gala rotating cities. Following the announcement at APAP, there were networking opportunities for Theater Alliance members over the weekend, Mirhadi said, followed by conference calls and consultations. “Everything will be activated very quickly starting on Friday,” Mirhadi added.

ACL Live at Moody Theater (Austin, Texas) AT&T Performing Arts Center (Dallas, Texas) Beacon Theatre, Theater at MSG, and Radio City Music Hall (New York, New York) Boch Center (Boston, Massachusetts) The Chicago Theatre (Chicago, Illinois) First Interstate Center (Spokane, Washington) Fox Theatre (Detroit, Michigan) Kimmel Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Pabst Theater Group (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Paramount Theatre (Denver, Colorado) Paramount Theatre (Oakland, California) Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Portland’5 Centers for the Arts (Portland, Oregon) Ryman Auditorium & Grand Ole Opry House (Nashville, Tennessee) Segerstrom Center for the Arts (Costa Mesa, California) Stifel Theatre (St. Louis, Missouri) Tulsa Performing Arts Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

BIG DEAL: Oak View Group Theater Alliance senior director Noël Mirhadi announces the launch of the Theater Alliance, Jan. 13 during the APAP | NYC+ Conference.

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

57

TECHNOLOGY

GETTING INTUIT: Daktronics’s current videoboard projects include multiple NFL, MLB and NBA venues, including the Los Angeles Clippers’ $2 billion Intuit Dome shown in a rendering.

Daktronics Addresses Cash Flow Issues BY DON MURET

T

he videoboard industry in sports and entertainment took a direct hit in December after Daktronics, the market leader in LED displays and a publicly traded company, ran into cash flow issues tied to the post-pandemic world of supply chain and production. That’ll happen when you have $463 million in backlog orders to complete, including $200-plus million in the live events space, according to Reece Kurtenbach, Daktronics’ president and CEO. Those accounting concerns, coupled with the requirements for a public company to maintain transparency in documenting its finances, resulted in a one-week delay for Daktronics’ third-quarter earnings call to Dec. 12, with filings containing vague language that suggested Daktronics was in potentially dire financial straits, which is not the case, company officials said.

58

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

The filings and delay in the earnings call caused a minor earthquake among investors. Daktronics stock initially fell by roughly 50% on the NASDAQ exchange and the action resulted in some law firms soliciting Daktronics investors over potential violations of their shareholder rights, according to multiple reports. For Daktronics, the subsequent flurry of trading activity prompted the 55-year-old Brookings, South Dakota, firm to issue an official statement to clarify passages in the 8-K filing, most notably the phrase “a substantial doubt in our ability to continue as a going concern.” In the statement, released Dec. 15, three days after the delayed earnings call, Kurtenbach said that he expects the situation to improve in the coming quarters as Daktronics secures financing and reduces inventory. The company has alternative funding sources available, Kurtenbach said in clarifying

language in the 8-K document. In addition, Kurtenbach said in the statement that Daktronics continues to hire workers for production and service to support its growing business, and as supply chain improves, the company is well positioned to convert inventory into shippable products more rapidly, which will improve cash flow in the future. Daktronics’ next earnings call is tentatively scheduled for the first week of March, said company spokesman Justin Ochsner. VenuesNow interviewed both Kurtenbach and Jay Parker, Daktronics’ vice president of live events and spectaculars, to get their insight on the situation. “We have a strong balance sheet, which allows us to use different financing mechanisms using the assets that we have,” Parker said. “We’ve got over $170 million worth of assets that we could potentially borrow against.” Kurtenbach told VenuesNow, “As we came out of the pandemic, about 18 months ago, demand came back strong, but supply chain has been uncertain and erratic. We plan our production around demand and our capacity, so we invested a lot of money in automation, inventory and equipment for our (five) factories. That was helpful, but it didn’t help stabilize our supply chain.” The proactive measures consumed cash, he said. Daktronics secured a $35 million

COURTESY VENDOR

line of credit from its bank, plus an additional $10 million on a 90-day approval renewal, which triggered its accountants to conduct a test under the U.S Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures (GAAP), a process to help make adjustments for taking those risks. Bottom line, Daktronics “didn’t quite have all the tools in place to pass this test,” Kurtenbach said, despite all factories running at full capacity to catch up with the immense backlog. As things get sorted out financially, Daktronics should come out OK, sources said, considering the circumstances over the accounting technicalities and securing additional funding. There’s no shortage of business. The industry as a whole is flush with projects as manufacturers catch up with pent-up demand following the COVID shutdown. On its own, Daktronics is busy building videoboards in Brookings for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos, MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins, the Los Angeles Clippers’ $2 billion Intuit Dome and college football stadiums at North Carolina State and Minnesota, Parker said. Long term, industry officials said it’s a wakeup call for a piece of the business that’s seen consolidation over the past five years, resulting in fewer players producing videoboards at the big league and college level. They say the critical issue remains shrinking profit margins for projects that in some cases now run tens of millions of dollars as LED displays expand beyond the seating bowl to concourse walls and support columns. The state of the video display industry is compounded by overseas vendors producing the technology at a much lower price. Plus, the market for LED displays at venues in Asia, where many companies in China and Korea produce parts that make up videoboards, is now the biggest in the world, followed by the U.S., Kurtenbach said. Daktronics runs a factory in Shanghai, China among its five facilities. “It’s not an issue isolated to Daktronics,” said Jerry Cifarelli, founder and former chairman of ANC Sport and who recently reacquired the integrator of video displays from Learfield through C10 Media, his new company. “The industry needs to come to grips with the fact that these are high-profile installations that improve the game experience for fans and you need to pay for that value.” “They’re good people and we need organizations like that in our industry,” said Rich Ongirski, senior vice president of Jones Sports, a competitor. “People are going to take a look and say, if the star of the show is having difficulties, what about everybody else, and maybe some of our competitors will hold the line in terms of

their pricing as well.” Over the past few months, Daktronics has seen improvements in the supply chain for delivery of hardware and parts from overseas and shipping completed boards to customers in North America. As it stands now, shipping dates for new displays have reduced to eight months out compared with 10 months at the start of 2022, Parker said. “It’s promising, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be bumps in the road,” he said. “It’s more stable today than it’s been in an awful long time.” For Jones Sports, volatility over the past two years led the firm to take a temporary reprieve to see how everything shakes out after the market stabilizes. The DePere, Wisconsin company has shifted from producing and installing videobards to working on the architectural design aspect of LED displays attached to the exterior walls of stadiums such as TQL Stadium and Lower.com Field, two MLS facilities in Ohio. “It was absolutely a perfect storm of being out of the business for a few years,” Ongirski said. “Supply chain being so slow and backlogged, labor costs going up and a market that insists on the lowest of margins, that’s why we’ve been sitting on the sidelines. We refuse to play when you can’t make any profit. We’ve put our efforts into the facade work on stadiums in Cincinnati and Columbus and that makes more sense for us.” All told, Daktronics is a solid brand that prides itself on producing video displays in the U.S. without relying too much on international manufacturers. Their customer

service group with representatives across the country to assist clients post-installation is unparalleled as Daktronics compete against Samsung, ANC, Toshiba and Mitsubishi Electric, among others, experts said. “We’ve all seen price increases over the last two years,” Parker said. “The key is can you keep up with it in your pricing. Customers want suppliers to stay in business and that means you have to make a profit to have long term support. We design and build the product and can get parts like nobody else because we build it ourselves.” The intangible things investors don’t see behind the curtain is that Daktronics is a big supporter of multiple trade organizations through their advertising dollars and exhibit booths. It’s difficult to imagine an industry without the familiar faces of longtime company executives attending those events such as Parker, Will Ellerbruch, Brent Stephens and Tony Mulder. Time will tell for one of the most reputable and trusted brands in the sports biz. It’s up to the industry to step up and take a leadership role, Cifarelli said, including teams and schools that generate millions of dollars from sponsors displaying their brands on Daktronics screens in the seating bowl, concourses and outer walls. “All these companies are doing high quality work, which enhances the fan experience and the marketing revenue for these clubs,” he said. “They need to realize you can’t get these things at a discount. Hopefully, there’s a readjustment in the price point and these companies can make some decent margins on these enormous projects.”

LA LIGHTS: Daktronics manufactured and installed new end-wall video displays and more than 3,000 linear feet of ribbon displays at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

59

LIVE! ROUNDUP

CHARTS FEATURE WIDE SPECTRUM OF CONCERT DRAWS AND HOLIDAY FARE

60

totaling just under 206,000 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe, Mexico, the final two staChase Center's diums on his “World’s Hottest Tour.” Wisin & Yandel follow on center-hung the same chart with a whopping videoboard six-show ticket tally of 75,110 at San Juan’s Coliseo Puerto can bedehoisted Rico. Then, Daddy Yankee, with four charted events in the three largest categories, played nine U.S. venues in December on his “La Última Vuelta” tour that began last summer. Among those representing country music is the king himself, George Strait at No. 4 on the largest venue group with 36,440 tickets sold for the most recent pair of shows with his residency at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He returned to the venue for performances on Dec. 2-3, his 18th two-night stint since 2016. Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Combs follows on the chart with two shows at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center and a ticket count of 33,282. Hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar carves out his spot on the large venue chart after 28,433 Aussie

F E B RUA RY 20 2 2

fans showed up to Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena for two December concerts, while one of the biggest pop superstars on the planet, Harry Styles, follows with a single stadium event in Santiago, Chile, attended by a capacity crowd of 25,505. Music legend Billy Joel holds court in the top category at No. 6 with his sold-out event for 33,242 fans at Auckland, New Zealand’s Eden Park. Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco scores on Hot Tickets with the two best attendance counts on the 10,001-15,000 chart from sellouts at two New England arenas, yet Christian pop duo For King & Country scores three chart positions from arena dates on their “A Drummer Boy Christmas” tour. Also, DJs Nghtmre and Alan Walker headline backto-back sellouts, promoted by Another Planet Entertainment, at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco early in the month. Christmas tour performances by Pentatonix, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, The Blenders and Mannheim Steamroller are also featured on the charts along with Minneapolis jazz duo The

New Standards’ annual Christmas show at their hometown State Theatre. No less than six productions of the “Nutcracker” continue the holiday fare on Hot Tickets, including a multiple night run by Atlanta Ballet at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. A six-show run at Clowes Memorial Hall in Indianapolis featuring Butler Ballet tops the 2,001-5,000 chart with 9,638 sold seats, Dec. 1-4. Both the 5,001-10,000 and 2,000 Or Less categories highlight top-ranked engagements by holiday themed draws beginning with Cirque Dreams “Holidaze” that featured multiple performances at the 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Running for three nights beginning Dec. 28, the arena welcomed 20,548 attendees for the production. Then in the smallest venue group, Harrah’s “Christmas Wonderland” event held at The Concert Venue in Atlantic City, New Jersey earns No. 1 based on a ticket count of 3,683 at four performances, Dec. 8-11. — Bob Allen

JASON KOERNER/GETTY IMAGES

T

he diversity of musical genres is highlighted on Hot Tickets this month as the artists who appear cover a wide range of type, style and musical creativity. Latin, country, hip-hop, pop, rock, R&B, Christian, EDM, afrobeat, jazz and comedy all impact the charts with box-office success. And, with this month’s charts populated by December events, ’tis the season that holiday shows make their annual appearance as well. Of all the genres, the power of Latin music in the world of live entertainment was vividly on display in 2022, most dramatically by Bad Bunny who earned more at the box office than any other touring artist worldwide. Yet, others like Daddy Yankee, Grupo Firme and Wisin & Yandel were also popular draws with packed venues and multi-million-dollar grosses in the final month of the year. All four appear on Hot Tickets in three of the five venue size categories. Bad Bunny grabs Nos. 1 and 2 on the More Than 15,000 Hot Tickets chart with tickets

DON’T KILL MY VIBE: Kendrick Lamar, shown at Rolling Loud in Miami in July, sold 28,433 tickets to Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.

Bad Bunny grabs Nos. 1 and 2 on the More Than 15,000 Hot Tickets chart with tickets totaling just under 206,000 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe, Mexico.

HOTTICKETS FEBRUARY 2023

Ranked by tickets sold. All data based on figures provided to Pollstar. Date range: 12/1/2022-12/31/2022 Data updated as of Jan. 9.

MORE THAN 15,00O CAPACITY

TICKETS RANK SOLD EVENT

VENUE

GROSS

PROMOTER

DATE

SHOWS

1

115,878

Bad Bunny

Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

$10,537,181

Westwood Entertainment

Dec. 9-10

2

2

90,084

Bad Bunny

Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico

$17,499,363

Westwood Entertainment

Dec. 3-4

2

3

75,110

Wisin & Yandel

Coliseo de Puerto Rico, San Juan

$4,601,120

No Limit Entertainment

Dec. 2-11

6

4 36,440 George Strait T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas $7,965,322 Messina Touring Group/ AEG Presents

Dec. 2-3

2

5

2

33,282

Luke Combs

Paycom Center, Oklahoma City

$1,948,667

in-house

Dec. 9-10

6

33,242

Billy Joel

7

28,433

Kendrick Lamar

Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand

$5,467,521

Live Nation

Dec. 3

1

Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney

$3,297,190

Live Nation

Dec. 8-9

2

8

25,633

Daddy Yankee

FTX Arena, Miami

$4,453,919

Cardenas Marketing Network

Dec. 21-22

2

9 25,505 Harry Styles

Bicentenario La Florida Stadium, Santiago, Chile

$1,707,302

in-house, Live Nation

Dec. 1

1

10

Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Ill.

$3,632,615

Cardenas Marketing Network

Dec. 12-13

2

PROMOTER

DATE

SHOWS

24,643

Daddy Yankee

10,001-15,000 CAPACITY

TICKETS RANK SOLD EVENT

VENUE

1

13,594

Sebastian Maniscalco

DCU Center, Worcester, Mass.

$1,694,519

Outback Presents

Dec. 3

1

2

12,514

Sebastian Maniscalco

Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, R.I. $1,686,236

Outback Presents

Dec. 2

1

3

11,061

Daddy Yankee

Moody Center, Austin, Texas

Cardenas Marketing Network

Dec. 15

1

4

9,592

For King & Country

Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Rush Concerts

Dec. 17

1

5

9,494

Grupo Firme

Acrisure Arena, Palm Desert, Calif.

GROSS

$1,730,700 $457,297 $1,565,560

Music VIP Entertainment

Dec. 16

1

6 8,644 For King & Country

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Ind.

$375,650

Trinity Communications

Dec. 16

1

7

8,368

For King & Country

Giant Center, Hershey, Pa.

$495,710

WJTL 90.3FM

Dec. 3

1

8

8,001

Cody Johnson

Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas

$507,165

AEG Presents

Dec. 9

1

9

7,882

Pentatonix

North Charleston (S.C.) Coliseum

$533,234

NS2

Dec. 13

1

10

6,911

Pentatonix

EagleBank Arena, Fairfax, Va.

$660,544

Live Nation

Dec. 19

1

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

61

Both the 5,001-10,000 and 2,000 Or Less categories highlight top-ranked engagements by holiday themed draws beginning with Cirque Dreams “Holidaze.”

HOTTICKETS FEBRUARY 2023

Ranked by tickets sold. All data based on figures provided to Pollstar. Date range: 12/1/2022-12/31/2022 Data updated as of Jan. 9.

5,001-10,000 CAPACITY

TICKETS RANK SOLD EVENT 1

20,548

2

12,881

VENUE

GROSS

PROMOTER

DATE

SHOWS

Cirque Dreams "Holidaze" Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn. $534,120

in-house

Dec. 28-30

3

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio

$984,023

Live Nation

Dec. 2

2

3 8,800 Nghtmre

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco

$435,600

Another Planet Entertainment

Dec. 2

1

4 8,704 Alan Walker

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco

$482,761

Another Planet Entertainment

Dec. 3

1

5

7,637

Kane Brown

Budweiser Gardens, London, Ont.

$484,971

AEG Presents

Dec. 3

1

6

7,137

Burna Boy

Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Fla. $636,922

Live Nation

Dec. 9

1

7

6,864

Daniel Habif

Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City

Zignia Live

Dec. 7

1

8

6,584

Daddy Yankee

Santander Arena, Reading, Pa.

Cardenas Marketing Network

Dec. 10

1

$156,014 $1,159,033

9 6,556 Keith Urban

Newcastle (Australia) Entertainment Centre

$636,534

TEG Live

Dec. 12

1

10

Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn. $615,533

in-house

Dec. 22

1

PROMOTER

DATE

in-house

Dec. 1-4

6

6,538

Pentatonix

2,001-5,000 CAPACITY

TICKETS RANK SOLD EVENT

GROSS

Clowes Memorial Hall, Indianapolis

2 7,561 Atlanta Ballet "Nutcracker"

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta

$574,606

in-house, Atlanta Ballet

Dec. 9-11

5

3 7,354 "Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet"

Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis

$534,349

Talmi Entertainment

Dec. 2-3

3

4 5,908 Joe Russo's Almost Dead Riviera Theatre, Chicago $297,662 Collectiv Presents, Jam Productions

Dec. 2-4

3

5

5,301

The New Standards

7

4,810

$5,298,918

SHOWS

1 9,638 Butler Ballet "Nutcracker"

6 4,884 "Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet"

62

VENUE

State Theatre, Minneapolis

$365,915

Hennepin Theatre Trust

Dec. 2-3

3

Rosemont (Ill.) Theatre

$341,943

Talmi Entertainment

Dec. 4

2

$197,210

in-house

Dec. 3

Rainbow Kitten Surprise Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom, Chicago

1

8 4,658 Kem

The Venue at Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, Ind.

$459,985

in-house, Concert Management Dec. 9-10

2

9

4,256

The Mavericks

Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, Tenn.

$223,542

in-house

Dec. 1-2

2

10

4,137

La India Yuridia

Rosemont (Ill.) Theatre

$407,765

LJ Productions

Dec. 18

1

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

SOY DE ESPAÑA: Spanish singer Aitana pictured at WiZink Center in Madrid, Spain, Dec. 20.

HOTTICKETS FEBRUARY 2023

Ranked by tickets sold. All data based on figures provided to Pollstar. Date range: 12/1/2022-12/31/2022 Data updated as of Jan. 9.

2,000 OR LESS CAPACITY

TICKETS RANK SOLD EVENT 1 3,683

GROSS

"Christmas Wonderland The Concert Venue, Atlantic City, N.J. $162,414 Holiday Spectacular"

PROMOTER

DATE

SHOWS

in-house, C3 Presents, Caesars Entertainment

Dec. 8-11

4

2 3,607 Jerry Seinfeld

F.M. Kirby Center for Performing Arts, $393,497 Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

in-house, JS Touring

Dec. 9

2

3

Weyes Blood

The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Los Angeles

$119,427

in-house

Dec. 8-9

2

New Jersey Ballet "The Nutcracker"

Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, N.J.

$130,188

in-house

Dec. 3-4

4

5 2,756 Aaron Lewis

Event Center at Hollywood Casino, Charles Town, W. Va.

$238,914

in-house

Dec. 2-4

3

6

Vic Theatre, Chicago

$92,440

Jam Productions

Dec. 2-3

2

7 2,533 The Blenders Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis $110,129

in-house, Bell Bank, Hennepin Theatre Trust

Dec. 9-11

3

8

2,505

Mannheim Steamroller

in-house

Dec. 18

2

9

2,234

"The Nutcracker"

3,294

4 2,973 ALDARA ZARRAOA/REDFERNS

VENUE

2,595

Foals

10 1,963 Mannheim Steamroller

Honeywell Center, Wabash, Ind.

$154,953

Grand Theater, Wausau, Wis.

$75,952

in-house

Dec. 3-4

3

Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown, N.J.

$155,166

in-house

Dec. 3

2

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

63

WONDER BOYS: Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass (left) and Jack Black perform at the Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas Dec. 30.

TOPSTOPS FEBRUARY 2023

Ranked by tickets sold. All data based on figures provided to Pollstar. Date range: 12/1/2022-12/31/2022 Data updated as of Jan. 9.

RANK

64

1

VENUE

TICKETS SOLD

CAPACITY

GROSS

SHOWS

Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

115,878

87,523

$10,537,181

2

2

Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico

90,084

50,000

$17,499,363

2

3

Coliseo de Puerto Rico, San Juan

75,110

18,100

$4,601,120

6

4

Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Ill.

73,281

19,000

$7,130,594

6

5

Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney

63,297

21,389

$6,726,349

5

6

Capital One Arena, Washington

54,277

20,500

$5,036,740

5

7

Arena Monterrey (Mexico)

42,716

17,500

$308,087

4

8

State Farm Arena, Atlanta

41,776

18,000

$3,942,064

4

9

T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

36,440

20,000

$7,965,322

2

10

Footprint Center, Phoenix

36,076

18,000

$4,313,871

3

11

Paycom Center, Oklahoma City

33,282

19,711

$1,948,667

2

12

Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand

33,242

60,000

$5,467,521

1

13

FTX Arena, Miami

30,946

20,000

$4,932,259

3

14

Arena CDMX, Mexico City

26,633

22,000

$493,268

2

15

Bicentenario La Florida Stadium, Santiago, Chile

25,505

25,000

$1,707,302

1

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

GETTY IMAGES

MORE THAN 15,000 CAPACITY

TOPSTOPS FEBRUARY 2023

Ranked by tickets sold. All data based on figures provided to Pollstar. Date range: 12/1/2022-12/31/2022 Data updated as of Jan. 9.

10,001-15,000 CAPACITY RANK

1

VENUE

TICKETS SOLD

CAPACITY

GROSS

SHOWS

DCU Center, Worcester, Mass.

13,594

14,337

$1,694,519

1

2

Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, R.I.

12,514

14,500

$1,686,236

1

3

Giant Center, Hershey, Pa.

11,784

12,000

$608,726

2

4

Moody Center, Austin, Texas

11,061

15,000

$1,730,700

1

5

EagleBank Arena, Fairfax, Va.

10,858

10,200

$826,946

2

6

Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Mich.

9,592

12,000

$457,297

1

7

Acrisure Arena, Palm Desert, Calif.

9,494

11,000

$1,565,560

1

8

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Ind.

8,644

13,000

$375,650

1

9

Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas

8,001

12,000

$507,165

1

10

North Charleston (S.C.) Coliseum

7,882

13,000

$533,234

1

11

SNHU Arena, Manchester, N.H.

6,893

11,000

$721,563

1

12

Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.

5,714

10,500

$666,137

1

13

Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Madison, Wis.

4,452

10,231

$388,542

1

14

Ford Idaho Center Arena, Nampa

500

12,279

$20,205

1

TICKETS SOLD

CAPACITY

GROSS

SHOWS



5,001-10,000 CAPACITY RANK

VENUE



Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.

48,888

10,000

$2,318,853

11

2

1

The Anthem, Washington

22,253

6,000

$1,259,221

5

3

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco

17,504

8,500

$918,361

2

4

YouTube Theater, Inglewood, Calif.

17,422

6,000

$1,344,155

4

5

Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio

12,881

8,000

$984,023

2

6

Hertz Arena, Estero, Fla.

11,334

8,284

$921,595

2

7

Budweiser Gardens, London, Ont.

8,899

10,000

$540,465

2

8

Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Fla.

7,137

10,000

$636,922

1

9

Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City

6,864

9,615

$156,014

1

10

Santander Arena, Reading, Pa.

6,584

8,900

$1,159,033

1

11

Newcastle (Australia) Entertainment Centre

6,556

7,500

$636,534

1

12

Cable Dahmer Arena, Independence, Mo.

5,868

7,000

$303,020

1

13

Auditorio Telmex, Zapopan, Mexico

5,496

9,298

$153,113

1

14

Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany

5,157

7,000

$240,450

1

15

Willow Creek Community Church, Barrington, Ill.

5,116

6,500

$126,720

1

Sebastian Maniscalco sold out DCU Center Dec. 3 during his “Nobody Does This Tour” and three other arenas during the final month of the year. F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

65

TOPSTOPS FEBRUARY 2023

Ranked by tickets sold. All data based on figures provided to Pollstar. Date range: 12/1/2022-12/31/2022 Data updated as of Jan. 9.

2,001-5,000 CAPACITY RANK

1

VENUE

TICKETS SOLD

CAPACITY

GROSS

SHOWS

Rosemont (Ill.) Theatre

14,203

4,400

$1,004,993

5

2

Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, Tenn.

10,060

2,362

$729,764

5

3

Clowes Memorial Hall, Indianapolis

9,638

2,148

$5,298,918

6

4

Teatro Diana, Guadalajara, Mexico

9,589

2,345

$393,096

5

5

House of Blues, Boston

8,975

2,425

$358,795

5

6

Riviera Theatre, Chicago

8,448

2,300

$465,380

4

7

Orpheum Theater, Omaha, Neb.

8,413

2,600

$456,491

5

8

Dreyfoos Hall, West Palm Beach, Fla.

8,388

2,195

$315,038

6

9

Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Fla.

8,115

2,180

$511,267

6

10

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta

7,561

2,750

$574,606

5

11

Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis

7,354

2,670

$534,349

3

12

Embassy Theatre, Fort Wayne, Ind.

6,956

2,477

$390,306

5

13

The Sylvee, Madison, Wis.

6,640

2,500

$309,002

3

14

Old National Events Plaza, Evansville, Ind.

6,420

2,571

$383,473

4

15

State Theatre, Minneapolis

5,301

2,181

$365,915

3

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical” was the first of eight events staged at the Count Basie Center For The Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey, in December. It had the highest attendance with 1,571 tickets sold. 2,000 OR LESS CAPACITY

66

RANK

VENUE



1

TICKETS SOLD

CAPACITY

GROSS

SHOWS

Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank, N.J.

10,149

1,543

$592,873

9

2

Big Night Live, Boston

9,420

2,000

$358,574

8

3

McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, Portland, Ore.

9,180

1,500

$374,194

8

4

F.M. Kirby Center for Performing Arts, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

7,724

1,832

$581,753

7

5

Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown, N.J.

7,471

1,319

$564,021

7

6

Grand Theater, Wausau, Wis.

6,390

1,208

$315,673

8

7

Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, N.J.

5,649

1,371

$285,530

7

8

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel Event Center, Tampa, Fla.

5,538

1,797

$424,571

4

9

Kodak Center, Rochester, N.Y.

5,450

1,978

$306,143

5

10

Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater, Fla.

5,434

800

$322,050

10

11

Washington Pavilion, Mary W. Sommervold Hall, Sioux Falls, S.D.

5,228

1,881

$245,292

6

12

Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center, Midland, Texas

4,960

1,827

$237,303

5

13

Honeywell Center, Wabash, Ind.

4,605

1,484

$241,798

5

14

City Winery NYC, New York

4,507

320

$292,796

15

15

9:30 Club, Washington

4,356

1,200

$118,688

6

F E B RUA RY 20 2 3

FEBRUARY 21-23, 2023

The Beverly Hilton | Los Angeles, CA

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS INCLUDE

BRENT SMITH

MICHELE BERNSTEIN

JEROEN HALLAERT

BRANDON PANKEY

JENNA ADLER

WASSERMAN MUSIC

MICHI B, INC

PRODUCTION RESOURCE GROUP LLC, PRG

LIVE NATION URBAN

CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCY

BEN LOVETT

SYMBA

TVG HOSPITALITY

CHAMIE MCCURRY

DANNY WIMMER PRESENTS

ARTIST

LOUISE SMIT

PIETER SMIT TRUCKING & NIGHTLINE

SCOTT CLAYTON

ROB HALLETT

COLETTE WEINTRAUB

JAHN “BOXER” HARDISON

LESLEY OLENIK

TRACY LANE

ROBOMAGIC LIVE

STAND TOGETHER MUSIC

BIGGER HAMMER PRODUCTION SERVICES | OVERDRIVE ENERGY SOLUTIONS

LIVE NATION

TRIO PRESENTS

REGISTER NOW FOR DETAILS VISIT POLLSTAR.LIVE THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

UTA

WHAT DO THESE VENUES HAVE IN COMMON? They are event-ready, on time, every time and they partnered with Hussey Seating Company.

1

2

4

6

3

5

7

8

SHOWN VENUES: 1. Enterprise Ctr | 2. United Ctr | 3. Enmarket Arena | 4. Footprint Ctr 5. Alamodome | 6. PNC Park | 7. Gainbridge Fieldhouse | 8. Canal Baseball Park RECENT VENUES: Scotiabank Arena | Footprint Ctr | Honda Ctr | Bridgestone Arena | CHI Arena | HEB Ctr | Vivant Home Smart Arena | FLA Live Arena | American Bank Ctr | Holt Arena | Credit Union of Texas Arena | Dayton Conv. Ctr | Petersen Event Ctr | Quicken Loans Arena | Cajundome & Conv. Ctr | Kansas City Conv. Ctr | Caesars SuperDome | Cure Insurance Arena | CenturyLink Arena | High Point Univ. Nido & Mariana Qubein Arena | River Front Stadium | Maine Savings Amph. | Central Michigan Univ. McGuirk Arena | Montgomery County Multipurpose Event Ctr | Coors Field | Nissan Stadium | BJCC Arena | Omni Auditorium | Holman Stadium COMING SOON VENUES: American Airlines Ctr | DCU Ctr | Budweiser Event Ctr | Cable Dahmer Arena | County Materials Complex | Progressive Field | Foster Pavilion-Baylor | Moda Ctr | Frost Arena - SDSU

www.husseyseating.com | 1-800-341-0401 Photo credit Enmarket Arena: The Fortune Image / Hussey Gay Bell