facilites & event management 2013 superbook

Reaching out to

Children of All Ages. . . and Cultures

Feld Entertainment continues gearing up for

global growth26

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Spotlight:The Carolinas 88

2013152 Madison Avenue, Room 802 New York, NY 10016 Facilities

&Event Management TM

SuperBookFor Booking Agents, Promoters,

Talent Buyers & Special Event Planners

Shop Talk' with Jeff Bowen of Starbooker Presents 28

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2013 Facilities&Event Management TM

SuperBookFor Booking Agents, Promoters,


2 2013 Facilities & Event Management SuperBook

2013 Volume 21 No.1

Chief Operating OfficerDavid KornAssociate PublisherMichael CaffinEditorial DirectorGeorge SeliCreative Direction & DesignScott-Goodman AssociatesCirculation ManagerWinny CheungBusiness OperationsNadia Derelieva

© Copyright 2013 by Bedrock Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in by-lined articles and advertising copy are not necessarily those of the publisher. Advertisers are responsible for all costs, damages and claims regarding advertising insertions.

Facilities & Event Management is published three times a year by Bedrock Communications, Inc., 152 Madison Avenue, Suite 802, New York, NY 10016. Telephone: (212) 532-4150. Fax: (212) 213-6382.

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Facilities, 152 Madison Avenue, Suite 802, New York, NY 10016. Printed in U.S.A.

Cover ad space is available by contacting a Facilities advertising account executive at (212) 532-4150.

MEMBERS OF:

2 Facilities SuperBook 20092

Facilities®

2009 Volume 18 No.1

Editorial DirectorTimothy Herrick

Associate PublisherMichael Caffin

Account ExecutivesAndrew ReevesHarry Mark

Creative Direction & DesignLester Goodman

Circulation ManagerTherese Langer

Business OperationsLeo Oh

Research ManagerAmber Tavarez

© Copyright 2009 by Bedrock Communications, Inc. All rightsreserved. Opinions expressed in by-lined articles and advertis-ing copy are not necessarily those of the publisher. Advertisersare responsible for all costs, damages and claims regardingadvertising insertions.

Facilities is published three times a year by BedrockCommunications, Inc., 6 East 46th Street, Room 301, New York,NY 10017. Telephone: (212) 532-4150. Fax: (212) 213-6382.

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Facilities, 6East 46th Street, Room 301, New York, NY 10017. Printed inU.S.A.

Cover ad space is available by contacting a Facilitiesadvertising account executive at (212) 532-4150, ext 103

M E M B E R S O F :

ON THE COVER

(Clockwise) A) Charleston Civic Center;B) Giant Center (interior);C) Coliseo de Puerto Rico;D) Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza;E) River Center/Adler Theatre (interior);F) and Toyota Center.

FACILITIES: ESSENTIAL TOOL

FOR WORKING SMARTER IN ‘09

Compared to other industries, the live entertainment and event business was robust in 2008 and,according to most industry observers, ticket sales and audience attendance showed little-to-nodecline from the previous year. However, this assessment came with a qualification that many ofthe tickets had been purchased and the events had been held before the more dire economic news

came to the forefront in the 4th quarter of 2008.Even after this relatively strong year, the live entertainment and event industry will not be able to rest on

its past achievements. Our industry doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Rising unemployment, decreasing disposableincome and lack of consumer confidence have the potential to negatively impact ticket sales and the size of theaudience. Filling seats with effective entertainment during a time of economic uncertainty is causing anxietyamong venue managers and bookers. Two things are for sure: (1) Without question, 2009 will be challenging;and (2) in order to meet this challenge, everyone in the industry, from venue managers and their staff to theBooking Agents, Promoters, Talent Buyers and Special Event Planners, will have to work smarter—whichbasically means holding down costs while enhancing the audience experience.

Viewed through this work smarter prism, the 2009 Facilities SuperBook is more critical than ever. The cen-terpiece of this issue is the Annual 2008 Prime Site Awards (listed on page 16). Every year, the Facilities MediaGroup bestows the Prime Site Awards. This special designation—voted on by the readership (Booking Agents,Promoters, Talent Buyers & Special Event Planners) of Facilities—recognizes Venue Excellence, a criteria thatincludes the structural dynamics of a building, the level of technology of its sound, lighting, staging—and thequality of the venue staff. All these components are integral to the success of the performance and audienceexperience. The Prime Site Awards acknowledge those venues that have work smarter.

The other content in this issue—a regionalized directory of North American venues, a Product & ServicesDirectory, a spotlight interview with Greg Diekroeger, former Chair of the Board of the National Associationfor Campus Activities, and Industry Perspective columns on customer service and event service—are all focused

on enabling industry members to work smarter.In addition to print, facilitiesonline is the fastest growing website in

the industry. Facilitiesonline features news, industry links, a fun-to-read-blog, and the industry’s most extensive online database of Arenas,Theaters, Coliseums, Theaters, Civic Centers, PACs, Amphitheatres,University Venues, Fairgrounds, Convention Centers and SpecialEvent Venues. Thousands of Booking Agents, Promoters, TalentBuyers and Special Event Planners use Facilitiesonline every week tostay informed about industry issue and specific events

The way to meet the challenges of 2009? Work Smarter! The 2009Facilities SuperBook (and Facilitiesonline) has been designed to be yourfirst essential tool in achieving that goal.

Timothy HerrickEditorial [email protected]

FOB 1-16 1/13/09 7:39 AM Page 2

ON THE COVERBelle, from “Beauty and the Beast,” one of

Feld Entertainment’s Three Classic Fairy Tales.

According to Rob McHugh, Feld’s International

Senior Vice President, the production has served

to introduce audiences in China to traditional

Disney stories.

SuperBook

2013 DIRECTORYFacilities&Event Management TM For Booking Agents, Promoters,


I am enthused to join Facilities Media Group as Editorial Director. As a longtime journalist for events industry trade magazines, I can emphatically say it has been a pleasure to collaborate with our seasoned

staff in developing content for this latest edition of the Facilities & Event Management SuperBook.

Recent F&EM issues have featured valuable insight from professionals in the areas of facility management, fire safety, food service, law and insurance. In this SuperBook, the emphasis is on commentary from booking agents and promoters on the trends they’re seeing in the live events industry. Two important macro-trends come from Jeff Bowen, president of Greensboro, NC-based Starbooker Presents (see page 28) and Richard Lustig, president of Orlando, FL-based Lustig Talent Agency, Inc. (see page 17). According to Bowen, the industry is “getting much better than it was two to three years ago” in terms of volume of booking and ticket sales. At the same time, “venues are cutting budgets,” Lustig notes, and so performers in many cases may not be able to command the prices they did in pre-recession years. Several other trends surface in agent and promoter interviews to be found in the Upfront section and Carolinas Spotlight (page 88), including the strength of both classic rock/nostalgia and young country acts.

Among our guest columns, I would like to highlight a special section on a perennially important topic: contracting. Toward preserving strong business relationships, agents and venues need to reach detailed written agreements that spell out responsibilities and liabilities, and veteran agents Robert Baird and John Regna review key contract clauses and discuss the value of production riders, respectively.

Due diligence is needed in a slew of areas beyond contracting when taking shows overseas, and what better touchstone on the topic of international expansion than Feld Entertainment, the focus of this issue’s cover story (page 26). At our sister publication, Facilities & Destinations, we have been increasing our international coverage of the meetings and conventions industry, and we follow suit in F&EM with our chronicle of Feld’s foray into the live entertainment markets of the Middle East, China, Latin America and elsewhere around the globe.

I encourage our readers to send us comments on the present issue, and to stay tuned for the F&EM Booking Guide later in the fall. In the meantime, I hope the agents and promoters delving into the SuperBook find the perspectives of their peers valuable, and that venue managers gain some insight into the thinking of their clients and business partners.

ViEwpOiNT

GreetinGs, F&eM readers and industry Partners

– George SeliEditorial Director, Facilities Media Group

[email protected]


Caffin’sorner

2013 PriMe site awards, and the “elite” Behind the scenes

In recent years, consumers have found discretionary money hard to come by and are traveling less. However, since they still need a respite from their daily lives and society’s

troubles, they are willing to be ticket buyers. They still want to be entertained.

But entertainment venues know that ticket buyers are not their only clients, and they also seek to accommodate agents, promoters and event planners. The best facilities are proactive about asking these industry partners how they can improve their food and beverage service, lighting, acoustics, staging, technology and overall functionality. The 105 North American entertainment venues chosen as the 2013 Facilities & Event Management (F&EM) Prime Site Award winners have certainly been proactive enough to earn the praise of our readership.

In my 23 years at Facilities Media Group and in the industry, it has truly been a rewarding experience tracking the development of our Prime Site Awards. This year, there are some interesting new faces on the list of winners (section begins on page 30). A record 28 SMG-managed entertainment venues are winners, as well as a record 17 winners managed by Global Spectrum, 11 winners managed by VenuWorks and 10 winners managed by AEG. And backing them up are a large number of municipally operated venues, such as the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, IN, Dallas’s Fair Park and the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend, IN.

We at Facilities Media Group salute this year’s Prime Site Award winners. Your cities and executive staffs should be proud.

Speaking of executives, we are introducing a new industry award in this issue, F&EM’s Elite Awards (see page 23). Please take a moment to nominate individuals in one or more of the following categories: Arena Executive of the Year, Theater Executive of the Year, Booking Agent of the Year, Promoter of the Year and Talent Buyer of the Year. The winners will be announced in our 2013-2014 F&EM Booking Guide late this fall.

Later this month, IAVM VenueConnect comes to New Orleans, and it will mark the 21st consecutive IAVM national conference I have attended. I welcome readers and advertisers who will be there to stop by booth No. 1729 and say hello.

Enjoy the issue.

– Michael CaffinAssociate Publisher, Facilities Media Group

[email protected]

Congratulations To Our Twenty-Eight Prime Site Winners

1st Mariner Arena (Baltimore, Maryland)

American Bank Center Arena (Corpus Christi, Texas)

Blue Cross Arena (Rochester, New York)

BOK Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Cabarrus Arena (Concord, North Carolina)

CenturyLink Center (Bossier City, Louisiana)

Chesapeake Energy Arena (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

Coliseo De Puerto Rico (Hato Rey, Puerto Rico)

DCU Center Arena (Worcester, Massachusetts)

Dunkin’ Donuts Center (Providence, Rhode Island)

Florence Civic Center Arena (Florence, South Carolina)

Hershey Centre (Mississauga, Ontario)

INTRUST Bank Arena (Wichita, Kansas)

Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena (Jacksonville, Florida)

K-Rock Centre (Kingston, Ontario)

Laredo Energy Arena (Laredo, Texas)

Mohegan Sun Arena (Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania)

New Orleans Arena (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Rabobank Arena (Bakersfield, California)

ShoWare Center at Kent (Kent, Washington)

Silver Spurs Arena (Kissimmee, Florida)

Times Union Center (Albany, New York)

Van Andel Arena (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

Verizon Wireless Arena (Manchester, New Hampshire)

Arie Crown Theater (Chicago, Illinois)

Bellco Theatre (Denver, Colorado)

Landmark Theatre (Richmond, Virginia)

Peery’s Egyptian Theater (Ogden, Utah)

To inquire about SMG managed facilities call 1.866.BOOK.SMG or visit smgworld.com

1st Mariner Arena

Cabarrus Arena

DCU Center Arena

INTRUST Bank Arena

Mohegan Sun Arena

Silver Spurs Arena

Arie Crown Theater

American Bank Center Arena

CenturyLink Center

Dunkin’ Donuts Center

Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena

New Orleans Arenar

Times Union Center r

Bellco Theatre

Blue Cross Arenar

Chesapeake Energy Arena

Florence Civic Center Arena

K-Rock Centre

Rabobank Arena

Van Andel Arena

Landmark Theatre

BOK Center

Coliseo De Puerto Rico

Hershey Centre

Laredo Energy Arena

ShoWare Center at Kent

Verizon Wireless Arena

Peery’s Egyptian Theater

Congratulations To Our Twenty-Eight Prime Site Winners

1st Mariner Arena (Baltimore, Maryland)

American Bank Center Arena (Corpus Christi, Texas)

Blue Cross Arena (Rochester, New York)

BOK Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Cabarrus Arena (Concord, North Carolina)

CenturyLink Center (Bossier City, Louisiana)

Chesapeake Energy Arena (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

Coliseo De Puerto Rico (Hato Rey, Puerto Rico)

DCU Center Arena (Worcester, Massachusetts)

Dunkin’ Donuts Center (Providence, Rhode Island)

Florence Civic Center Arena (Florence, South Carolina)

Hershey Centre (Mississauga, Ontario)

INTRUST Bank Arena (Wichita, Kansas)

Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena (Jacksonville, Florida)

K-Rock Centre (Kingston, Ontario)

Laredo Energy Arena (Laredo, Texas)

Mohegan Sun Arena (Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania)

New Orleans Arena (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Rabobank Arena (Bakersfield, California)

ShoWare Center at Kent (Kent, Washington)

Silver Spurs Arena (Kissimmee, Florida)

Times Union Center (Albany, New York)

Van Andel Arena (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

Verizon Wireless Arena (Manchester, New Hampshire)

Arie Crown Theater (Chicago, Illinois)

Bellco Theatre (Denver, Colorado)

Landmark Theatre (Richmond, Virginia)

Peery’s Egyptian Theater (Ogden, Utah)

To inquire about SMG managed facilities call 1.866.BOOK.SMG or visit smgworld.com

1st Mariner Arena

Cabarrus Arena

DCU Center Arena

INTRUST Bank Arena

Mohegan Sun Arena

Silver Spurs Arena

Arie Crown Theater

American Bank Center Arena

CenturyLink Center

Dunkin’ Donuts Center

Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena

New Orleans Arena

Times Union Center

Bellco Theatre

Blue Cross Arena

Chesapeake Energy Arena

Florence Civic Center Arena

K-Rock Centre

Rabobank Arena

Van Andel Arena

Landmark Theatre

BOK Center

Coliseo De Puerto Rico

Hershey Centre

Laredo Energy Arena

ShoWare Center at Kent

Verizon Wireless Arena

Peery’s Egyptian Theater


Learning the Ropes in Nashville

An agent reflects on his rise to fruitful self-employment and longevity in the music industry

By Rob Battle

CAReeR PersPectivesCAReeR PersPectives

When I first embarked upon my career, I had no idea

where it would take me, or how interesting and fun it would be. That was 30-plus years ago. What I do today is a culmination of my past relationships and experience. I started my career at Nashville’s Top Billing International, in the mailroom. I quickly moved into the position of assistant to the in-house publicist. As the company changed and evolved, I assumed the responsibility of generating and issuing contracts. The company had purchased a massive IBM word processer, but no one knew how to program it so that the information could be entered once and then merged to contracts, notices, cover letters, file storage, etc. I spend many nights working with it, and finally got it to work flawlessly. Not that I had the knowledge, but my typing skills were so very limited that I had to figure out how to make it work, or lose my position, because I could not keep up without it. These were the days prior to computers, and this machine was cutting-edge technology.

I impressed an agent that was leaving to help start a new company, McFadden and Associates. He asked me to come with him, and set up the same sort of system for the new company, with the promise that they would allow me to pitch their artists and become an agent. I worked hard for McFadden, selling legendary

artists like Vern Gosdin, Buck Owens, Billy “Crash” Craddock, Keith Whitley and Keith’s girlfriend, Lori Morgan. (We had to get an extra $500 for her to be added to Keith’s dates.) The McFadden roster was not a very easy sell, but it trained me on how to pick up the phone and sell a tough date.

After two years with McFadden and Associates, I received a call from another agent that I had impressed back at Top Billing. He had since moved and was working for Entertainment Artists, Inc., and was leaving to start Vector Management. But before he left, he was charged with filling his

position. I took the job, and literally moved across the street from the McFadden building.

I ended up spending seven years at Entertainment Artists. It was a totally different situation from where I had been previously. There were no rules, or formalities. Just sell the dates, and have a great time doing it. For a small office of six people,

we had one of the hottest rosters in town, including Hank Williams Jr., who received the Country Music Association’s “Entertainer of the Year” award five times in a row. We were the agents for The Kentucky

“Times were changing

in the Nashville agency

business. The small ‘mom

and pop’ shops were fading

away, as West Coast players

had their eyes on a very

lucrative country market.”

92013 Facilities & Event Management SuperBook

Headhunters when they broke in radio. Earl Thomas Conley, Sawyer Brown and The Pirates of the Mississippi were very strong sellers, topping the country charts. The position gave me the opportunity to deal on a volume basis.

A Bold Move in NashvilleBut times were changing in the Nashville agency business. The small “mom and pop” shops were fading away, as West Coast players had their eyes on a very lucrative country market. I accepted a position to help open the Nashville office of APA Talent and Literary Agency. When we first opened the doors, I thought to myself, “What have I done?” As it was a new satellite office, the phone did not ring. Remembering my days at McFadden, I started making “cold calls” — lots of them. Very slowly, the dates and offers started to come. But this was a most challenging job. Many of the Nashville managers were skeptical of APA’s entry into the Nashville market. ICM had been here a few years earlier, only to pack up and close their Nashville office after a brief stint. I spent 16 years at APA before starting my own company, Battle Artist Agency, four years ago.

When I started my own business, it was second nature for me. I had rolled up my sleeves many times for others in a variety of positions, including accounting, and now it was time to do it for myself. The experience has been nothing shy of wonderful. I work with some of the greatest artists on the road today.

Secrets to Artists’ LongevityMy primary clients are The Bellamy Brothers,

Williams & Ree, Ray Price, Eddy Raven, Earl Thomas Conley, Mickey Gilley and George Jones. Each of these artists has a long-running career, established through continual aggressive touring, quality performances and consistent market pricing. They have also made it a priority to record, release new music and reinvent themselves.

I believe it is essential for any artist who desires to have a long career never to come off the road, even for a brief period of time. With the number of artists on the road today, the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” holds true. The market is extremely competitive. Even when radio airplay slows down, these artists continue to build their fan base, and reach out through the various social media outlets. Fans want the personal connection, and desire to know every aspect of the artists’ lives. It is a different world today from just a few short years ago. Continual positive media exposure is essential. Having a strong, competent public relations firm on the team is also extremely important.

“It is essential for any artist

who desires to have a long career

to never come off the road, even

for a brief period of time. With

the number of artists on the road

today, the phrase ‘out of sight,

out of mind’ holds true.”

It is amazing, the drive that most legendary artists possess. The desire to perform in order to continue their legacy is far more important than working the road just to make a buck. These are the artists that I love to partner with. The way they treat the fans, the buyers and everyone they come in contact with is exceptional. These are the true seasoned professionals. When you see their show and hear their music — which continues to enthrall their

fans — you understand why they can still draw the hard-ticket-buying patrons.

My business model has evolved over the years, and I believe I have found my niche. I have worked with headline rock artists, up-and-coming artists and numerous country acts. Today, my desire is to stay focused and deliver high-quality dates and engagements, for a select number of clients. I love what I do for a living, and for me it has become a passion.

Rob Battle is the owner of College Grove, TN-based Battle Artist Agency.


Lessons From the trenches

how venues and promoters can get the most out of working with agents

By Scott Pang

Booking PersPectivesBooking PersPectives

There is an old adage in the agency world: “A great agent is defined not by what he can book, but rather, by what he can move.” What does this

mean? Touring, whether a world tour or just a road-warrior weekend tour, can be a giant puzzle for music agents, and we try to shake out any available dates in a time period and pray that a routable run of dates is hidden in there. Sometimes oddball routing can’t be avoided; a former client once discussed (on nationally syndicated radio, no less) my booking prowess after I sent him from Warsaw, Poland to Ft. Wayne, IN overnight. He got the laugh, and I heard about it for months.

But if we come up with a reasonably sane routing for the artist, we have done our jobs; we have “moved” the show. And in effect, we have given buildings the very reason to open their doors. After many years of negotiating with venues and promoters, I offer them six lessons from the trenches.

1. REMEMBER THE TELEPHONE: When an agent calls, he or she is generally looking for available dates, not checking in to see how the venue manager’s elderly aunt is getting along. So the venue or promoter should return the call soon, if not immediately, with good information. There is nothing worse than being told, “My boss keeps the calendar, but he is on a safari and won’t be back for 14 days. So I can’t give you any information.” Agents are under tremendous pressure to get dates routed out quickly, and waiting around for two or three buildings to return calls brings the whole process to a halt.

2. DON’T BE A ZOMBIE: Zombies don’t think – they just react. Venues should know their marketplace and be resourceful. If they can promote, they should; if they can’t, they should round up investors, get the money in the bank to cover the show, and then make the offer. But the goal is

to do the show and fill that open date. This especially rings true in smaller markets.

3. KNOW THE FOOD CHAIN: If an agent calls to sell an act directly, the venue shouldn’t assume that the local promoter has passed

due to the act’s quality or marketability. Oftentimes, the promoter simply has too much on his or her plate and would rather pass than risk creating a mediocre date. This may well be the time to strike.

4. DON’T BE A HERO: Unless a promoter represents a major venue in a major city, he or she should think twice about chasing the A-level act. It’s a safer bet to be innovative and put together packages of B-level artists. These work, and the fans are out there. And it’s important to know what the artists’ guarantees have been.

5. KNOW WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE: Strong business relationships should be developed with territorial agents and their assistants. Visiting their offices and perhaps meeting over lunch can be a good idea; for example, a two- to three-day Los Angeles visit, a two-day New York visit and another few days for Nashville. Some of the great facility managers make annual visits, and it really pays off for them.

6. PEORIA IS A GREAT PLACE: Life exists outside of the top 40 markets. The money to be made is just as green, but the costs are lower in secondary and tertiary markets. Venues in these areas should be creative and consider what kinds of shows could work in their market.

Scott Pang has been an agent at ICM Partners since 1994. He “grew up” at the William Morris Agency (1980-1990) and received his “graduate education” as head of touring for the Ice Capades/Harlem Globetrotters from 1990-1994.

“Agents are under

tremendous pressure to get

dates routed out quickly,

and waiting around for two

or three buildings to return

calls brings the whole

process to a halt.”

Clay County Regional EventsCenter – Spencer, IA

THE ROAD TO

SuccessSTARTS HERE

To see more of our venues, visit www.venuworks.comFor Booking Information: 515-232-5151

[email protected] & [email protected]

Bridge View Center,- Ottumwa, IA

Burnsville Performing Arts Center – Burnsville, MN

United Wireless Arena

– Dodge City, KS

Clay

Toyota Center– Kennewick, WA

Hoyt Sherman

Place

– Des Moines,

IA

Adler Theatre,- Davenport, IA

Ott

Paramount Theatre– Cedar Rapids, IASanford Center– Bemidji, MN

Burnsville PerforCenter – Bur

Ford Center– Evansville, IN

Topeka Performing Arts Center – Topeka, KS

ter,Iter,IA

U.S. Cellular Center- Cedar Rapids, IA


In many years of working with presenters, it has become clear to me that many of the problems that arise could have been avoided with more

attention to the contractual process. As one agent said, “A contract is just a verbal agreement between two people. Period. The rest is just paperwork.” Unfortunately, the paperwork needs to be carefully considered so that it reflects both parties’ understanding of every aspect of the agreement. After all, once a contract is signed, it is often referred to again only when something goes very wrong.

One thing to note: In the law, a verbal agreement has the force of a signed contract, and it is important to remember this. Even an email that indicates a definite desire to book an artist for such and such a date, while seemingly only a wish for the person emailing, could be construed as an offer and treated as such by the artist or the artist’s representative.

Finally, I would suggest two words to guide presenters during the contractual stage and afterward: clarity and communication. Be clear about what you are able to offer in terms of fees, hospitality, technical features and more; and communicate honestly and often throughout the process so that there can be no misunderstandings. As simple a thing as ensuring that the artist knows where the venue is located, the parking situation and the exact load-in spot, can go a long way toward smoothing the process and making it satisfying for everyone involved. Happy booking!

1. READ THE CONTRACTa. Ensure that details in the contract match prior

discussions, verbal agreements, etc.b. Check accuracy of dates, times, fee.c. Check length of show, start time.d. Check hospitality and accommodation details.

2. SEE TECH RIDER BEFORE SIGNING CONTRACTa. Can the venue accommodate the tech requirements?

(Having to honor an unseen tech rider could result in additional expenses for the venue.)

3. SPECIFY CANCELLATION DETAILSa. Ensure that the contract has a force majeure clause.b. Specify any other acceptable reasons for cancellation

(family illness, travel complications, etc.).c. Specify notice time required for cancellation.d. Specify consequences of cancellation:i. If the artist cancels, who is responsible for promotion

costs? Other costs?ii. If the venue cancels too close to performance, is the fee

paid anyway?e. Specify if it would be desirable to reschedule

performance.

NOTE: In a force majeure clause both parties agree that they will not hold the other party liable in any way if a performance is cancelled or cannot take place as a result of an epidemic, civil insurrection, serious illness of the artist(s), labor difficulties and/or strikes, floods, famine, severe weather conditions or any other cause beyond the control of either party.

“Two words should guide

presenters during the contractual

stage and afterward: clarity

and communication. Be clear

about what you are able to offer

in terms of fees, hospitality,

technical features and more; and

communicate honestly

and often.”

FOCUSONCONTRACTSFOCUSONCONTRACTS

GeT ON The SAme ‘PAGe’ WiTh PReSeNTeRS

A checklist to ensure A risk-mitigAting, successful contrAct

By Robert Baird


4. SPECIFY RESPONSIBILITY FOR WITHHOLDING DOCUMENTATION (AND CONSEQUENCES) FOR FOREIGN ARTISTSa. Venue should indicate that 30 percent will be held from fee if acceptable withholding documentation is not provided.b. Venue should indicate what documentation is acceptable (e.g., P1 or P2 Visa, CWA, W-8BEN).c. Set timeline for receipt of documentation from artist.

5. SPECIFY MERCHANDISE DETAILSa. Who will sell the artist’s merchandise?b. When and where will it be sold?c. What commission on sales, if any, will go to the venue?d. Are there state regulations or taxes regarding such sales?

6. DETERMINE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LICENSING FEESa. Does venue have a blanket license from ASCAP or BMI?b. If not, specify who will pay the licensing fees – artist or

venue?

7. SPECIFY JURISDICTION FOR DISPUTESa. Make sure that the legal jurisdiction indicated in the

contract is acceptable, in case a contractual dispute should arise.

8. INCLUDE AN INDEMNITY CLAUSEa. This clause ensures that parties will hold each other

harmless in the event of a third-party claim for loss, damages, etc.

9. SPECIFY LIABILITY REQUIREMENTSa. Is the artist covered under venue’s liability insurance

policy, or is the artist required to carry his or her own insurance coverage?

b. What amount of liability insurance is required of the artist?

c. Has the artist submitted proof of such coverage?

10. KEEP A DETAILED RECORDa. Save all emails.b. Make a note of all telephone conversations.c. Confirm your understanding of what has been agreed to.

Robert Baird is President of BAM! Baird Artists Management in Toronto, and President of NAPAMA (North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents). He is also Vice-President of Festivals and Events Ontario. Baird is on the Governance Committee of the Board of Directors of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters and is Chair of Team Agent Network.


A production rider to a contract for a performing artist, or any show, is a tool. Nothing more, nothing less.

Without that point of view, the negotiating parties cannot possibly cost out a show or understand their respective liabilities. And that transparency is key to a establishing a healthy business relationship. The days of promoters having to guess what the artist (or show producer) will require are gone.

It is a common misconception that a production rider is a document engineered to squeeze every penny out of a promoter. It is not. While there certainly are some situations where managers or agents are instructed by artists (or show producers) to ask for more than is needed, and negotiate downward, it is predominantly the case that well-schooled managers and agents work in good faith with a promoter or a venue to determine what elements of the production rider can be provided without a problem, and what parts of the rider can present either logistical or financial problems. Using a rider as a bargaining chip is both time wasting and frustrating for both parties in the negotiation.

A badly negotiated rider can also put the crew in adverse circumstances. These ladies and gentlemen, working under the production manager, generally expect that all terms and conditions of the standard rider will be met. Therefore, adjustments to the rider must be discussed, agreed to or rejected well in advance of the actual performance in order for the production team not to walk into what can turn very quickly from a comfortable situation during load-in to a nightmare by the time the show is loaded back onto the trucks.

Before a rider is even presented to a potential promoter

or presenter, it is the job of the agent to qualify that buyer. Critical questions include: Is this a legitimate buyer? Is this a seasoned buyer, experienced in promoting and producing live events? And most importantly, does the promoter have a good track record in providing the proper rider requirements and environment for the engagement? That includes information security for the artist and his or her team. Production riders and riders outlining personal requirements for high marquee-value artists should never be given to a third party who cannot work with that document in a confidential way. These riders contain names, email addresses and telephone numbers of various department heads for the artist. These people should only be contacted when a serious deal is in the negotiation stages, or when a contract has finally been signed.

In the early 1970s, the idea of a production rider was almost non-existent. The “rider” was actually referred to as “special provisions,” and it was usually on the face of a one-page contract. Sometimes, it was on the back of the one-page contract, or on a page typed in conversational tone and attached to the contract face. For a certain level of artists it usually said something as Flintstonian

Production riders in PersPective

These ofTen-misundersTood addenda are Tools, noT bargaining devices

By John Regna

“Production riders and riders

outlining personal requirements

for high marquee-value artists

should never be given to a third

party who cannot work with that

document in a confidential way.”

FocusONcontrActsFocusONcontrActs


as “Purchaser shall provide 4 vocal microphones with mic stands, 1 guitar amp, 1 bass amp, 1 drum set with cymbals and a Hammond B3 Organ with Lesley speaker.” I can remember there rarely even being a mention of monitors or lighting, other than the occasional mention of “house sound and lights” being provided at no cost to the artist. And many artists made do with these minimal terms. However, by the mid to late 1970s that started to change in a drastic way. Riders became more comprehensive, stating brand names, number of speaker cabinets, types of microphones and such. Catering, internal transportation, exact names of the hotels being used, location of the nearest hospitals, various levels of insurance liability and many other factors began showing up in the rider. The old-school promoters did not much care for this as it resulted in them having to spend more money, but what it did do was create a new world of better-sounding and better-looking shows, as the documents outlined mutual responsibilities in more detail.

Today, mid-2013, many of my own clients have all types of rider requirements, specified in documents of anywhere from five to 35 pages. Major names performing arena and stadium shows have even longer riders. But the one common denominator of these documents is that when they are well written and properly organized, they leave no doubt about show costs and the performance expectations of all parties.

Recently, with more casinos and small theaters wanting headliners to appear in venues set up with in-house production, I have seen a number of situations where the production manager and in-house production teams cannot come to terms. In future articles, I will endeavor to break down some of these conflicts and offer solutions.

Orlando-based John Regna has been a promoter since 1971 and is known as one of the founders of the North American “classic rock” touring tradition.

“The new riders of the

1970s outlined mutual

responsibilities in more

detail. They created a world

of better-sounding and

better-looking shows.”


FrontUp FrontUp

Venue WATCH

In April, the Century Center Board of Managers approved South Bend, IN’s Board of Public Works’ unanimous recommendation to contract with SMG to operate the Century Center effective July 1. Located in downtown South Bend overlooking the St. Joseph River and waterfall, the Century Center includes the 694-seat Bendix Theater and hosts concerts and family shows in addition to conventions.

The University of Illinois’ Assembly Hall has been renamed State Farm Center as part of a 30-year, $60 million agreement with State Farm Insurance Co. The 50-year-old home of the university’s basketball teams is scheduled to undergo a $160 million renovation from spring 2014 to fall 2016. (See the Hot List, page 100, for details on the venue.)

“We are proud to be a part of the renovation of this classic Illinois venue, and further expand our longstanding relationship with the University of Illinois and the state where our company has been headquartered for more than 90 years,” said Randall Harbert, Executive Vice President and Chief Agency, Sales & Marketing Officer, State Farm Insurance Companies.


The Rolling Stones played the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on June 6 for the last stop of their 50 & Counting Tour, the second of two sold-out shows at the venue. While in town, the band made a donation to MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and the Canadian Country Music Association. The donation will enable an elementary school music program in Toronto to be fully outfitted with musical instruments. The history of the Rolling Stones’ relationship with MusiCounts dates back to 2005, when the group sponsored the inaugural MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award to Norman McIntosh, esteemed music teacher at Confederation Secondary School in Val Caron, Ontario.

Len Redkoles/C

omcast-Spectacor

Comcast-Spectacor executives gather for a strategic planning session at historic Dilworth Town Inn in West Chester, PA, on June 6. Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko (front row, fourth from right) led the discussions.

Richard Lustig, a touring musician in the late ‘60s and ‘70s, founded Lustig Talent Agency in 1986. By the early ‘90s, the company was representing acts nationally. His clientele primarily consists of nightclubs, casinos, fairs and festivals.

Business trends: In the ‘90s we concentrated on ‘50s and ‘60s nostalgia acts. But as we hit 2000, few of those acts had any original members left, and the fans of that music were getting so old that they weren’t buy concert tickets and wouldn’t buy alcohol, so promoters couldn’t make any money. So we went with the times, and the classic rock of the ‘70s and ‘80s is were the money has been for us since the early 2000s.

Industry trends: All the venues are cutting budgets, even the casinos, which you would think would be less affected by the economy, because people are always going to gamble. There are artists out there that go with the flow and understand that if they’re going to keep working, they have to adjust their prices to fit the

Leading edge: RichaRd Lustigeconomy. And others say, “I don’t care, I’m not playing for less than X amount of dollars.”

Working with artists: Most agents have the attitude that the act works for them, and that’s not the case: the agency works for the artist. And if you’re an agent with that proper attitude, you’re going to get more respect from your artists and in most cases make more money for both you and the artist. The attitude that the artist works for you in my opinion causes problems. [If an artist makes a decision I don’t agree with] I don’t get upset; I just tell them I don’t agree with their decision. But I tell them when they first come on board with me, “You’re the boss, you will always make the decisions.”

Working with buyers: What I tell a buyer is that in order for me to suggest what acts you should get, I need four questions answered: where your event is, what your date is, what kind of music you’re looking to do, and most important, what your budget range is. When you get a buyer that calls you up and says, “I want these acts,” 99 percent of the time it’s a case of champagne taste and beer pocketbook. It seems buyers don’t realize how much acts cost, and so they are always looking at acts that they just can’t afford.

PresidentLustig Talent Agency, Inc.Orlando, FL


FrontUp FrontUp

Food & Beverage WaTCHLast month, Ovations Food Services was selected to partner with the XL Center and Rentschler Field in Hartford, CT. Ovations will operate alongside sister company Global Spectrum. The companies took over operations at Rentschler Field, a 40,000-seat stadium, on July 1, and will begin servicing the XL Center, a 16,000-plus seat multipurpose arena, on Sept. 1. The XL Center is home to the UConn Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams, the AHL’s Connecticut Whale, an affiliate of the New York Rangers, and host to the BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Championship. Rentschler Field, Connecticut’s newest stadium, serves as the home field for UConn football and is used year-round for concerts. More recently, The City of Bangor, Maine selected Ovations to service another Global Spectrum-managed property, the new, 8,000-capacity Cross Insurance Center, scheduled to open this fall. Ovations named Carmen Montes as the Food and Beverage Director at the new facility. She was the owner and chef of Montes International Catering and Gourmet Café in Bangor from 1998 to 2012.

The International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) has entered into a three-year global partnership with Ungerboeck Software International (USI), a world leader in event management software. In addition to USI’s financial investment, Ungerboeck Software will be used to manage IAVM’s member database and will support the Association’s networking events, educational programs such as sector specific meetings, and the Association’s annual conference and tradeshow, VenueConnect. Twenty percent of USI’s contribution has been awarded to the IAVM Foundation, which will assist in the Foundation’s mission to increase the positive impact and vitality of the venue management industry by funding research, education and resource development. IAVM President and CEO Vicki Hawarden said, “Ungerboeck’s generous contributions to IAVM will strengthen the Association’s ability to better serve its members both at conferences and throughout the year. We look forward to implementing their incredibly useful software packages and will soon begin to migrate our members’ information into their highly customizable and efficient membership database software. I truly believe their support will make the Association a more nimble organization as we continue to expand our membership in the coming years.” USI will also have a strong presence at several of IAVM’s programs and conferences including: VenueConnect, the Venue Management School and the Graduate Institute, the Arena Management Conference, the International Convention Center Conference and the Performing Arts Managers Conference.

TeCHnology WaTCH

This month, the new, $97 million Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech selected AudienceView as its e-commerce and patron management partner. The Center is scheduled to open in the fall. “Virginia Tech has made a strong commitment to the arts both on campus and in the community with our new arts facility,” said Heather Ducote, Director of Marketing and Communications. “With AudienceView, we have made an equally strong commitment to the technology that will power the patron experience, pairing a modern, innovative solution with our leading-edge venue.” The Center will include a 1,260-seat performance hall and visual arts galleries. (For more university venues, see the Hot List, page 100.) Virginia Tech will deploy AudienceView as a single, integrated solution incorporating online ticketing/e-commerce, email marketing, social commerce, mobile commerce, access control and business analytics. AudienceView’s proprietary content management system will manage the Center’s entire online presence, including corporate content.

FacilitiesSuperbook_2013.indd 1 12/14/2012 12:13:38 PM

20 2013 Facilities & Event Management SuperBook20 2013 Facilities & Event Management SuperBook

FrontUp FrontUp HeArD On THe STreeT

This spring, the Times Union Center in Albany, NY hosted a performance by country duo Sugarland.

Ventriloquist/stand-up comedian Jeff Dunham performed at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, SD, this March.

(L-r): Sara Callaway, Box Office Supervisor; Dunham; and Jayne Kramer, Assistant General Manager.

Despite some minor fireworks damage to the new retractable roof of BC Place during “Live and Let Die,” Sir Paul McCartney’s performance at the Vancouver venue last November was certainly an iconic moment for Canadians who witnessed his On the Run Tour.

Stand-up comedian, actor and producer Gabriel Iglesias took the stage this March at The Lakeland Center in Lakeland, FL. Backstage, he was presented a Detroit Tiger game jersey. (Lakeland has been the spring training home to the Tigers for 75 years.)

(L-r): Noelle Piazza, Director of Event Services; Jenifer Cioffi, Director of Finance; Doug McClaine, Assistant General Manager; Bob Belber, General Manager; Jennifer Nettles, Sugarland; Kristian Bush, Sugarland; Erin Villeneuve, Director of Marketing; Allie Harnell; Chris Ciceri, Albany Devils General Manager; Ryan Mance, Box Office Manager; Nate Sims, Operations Manager; and Derek Cooney, Accounting Supervisor.

(L-r): Mike Lapan, Executive Director, The Lakeland Center; Paul Meloche, Icon Entertainment; Joe Meloche, Arson House Entertainment; Iglesias; Scott Sloman, Assistant Director, The Lakeland Center.


FrontUp FrontUp John F. Heaps Jr., newly appointed chairman of the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Sports Commission and president of Florence Savings Bank in Florence, MA, announces the launch of the commission at an April 11 press conference.

The Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) recently announced the formation of the Western Massachusetts Sports Commission, which aims to enhance the GSCVB’s efforts to attract sports events and sports-related business opportunities to the four counties of western Massachusetts. The Commission will also increase the economic impact of sporting events in the area by coordinating regional sporting event bids, and hosting and marketing these events. It will capitalize on the region’s rich sports history and abundance of colleges and venues, including facilities on the UMass Amherst campus, the MassMutual Center arena in Springfield, Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock and Wahconah Park in Pittsfield among others. In 1985, Wendy Kay joined her family

business, Mars Talent Agency, begun by her father in 1972. Eventually relocating

the business from New York to Jupiter, FL, Kay joined with the operators of Paradise Artists in 2006 and debuted Utopia Artists, which specializes in classic rock and nostalgia acts.

Classic rock/nostalgia market: In 1993 I replied to a question about change and I feel the same way today: I don’t see things changing overall for the market. It’s fun, and many of the artists are affordable compared to today’s groups and today’s country artists. What more can you ask for? And now the market includes everything prior to 2000. That gives the buyers a lot of artists to choose from.

Popularity of the music: People thrive on memories of a better time. They can hear the words and relate to their past. There will never be a better period in music.

Business trends: The difference between 1985-2000 and now is that I am more versatile. I have had to diversify into different markets and younger demographics. I represent Cirque Zuma Zuma (top 12 of America’s Got Talent), who are native African acrobats touring the U.S. and other countries quite successfully. I work with The Fab 5, who are young, up-and-coming teens, and produce the Reach for the Stars talent contests.

Career highlight: That is a tough one because I have had so many wonderful experiences. Whenever I think of my “job” I think about how many wonderful artists I have been lucky to work with and befriend. Working and traveling with Wolfman Jack is one highlight. He gave me a wealth of information about this business and was a special artist to work with.

Leading edge: Wendy KayPresidentUtopia ArtistsJupiter, FL

The live entertainment industry’s elite – luminaries such as Sir Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion, Steve Martin, Jeff Foxworthy and Katy Perry – are continu-ally being recognized for their compelling live performances and creative contributions to popular culture. Yet instrumental to these performers’ live acts are another group of brilliant individuals, namely, venue executives, booking agents, promoters and talent buyers. Many of these professionals are “elite” in their own right, and deserve to be recognized for helping to create today’s best live entertainment experiences. And what more meaningful praise than peer-to-peer?

I n T r o D u C I n g

Facilities & Event Management’sE l I T E A w A r D S

Facilities & Event Management’s Elite Awards, whose inaugural edition will appear in the 2013-2014 F&EM Booking Guide, are designed to foster that recognition among the industry’s leaders on an annual basis.

Consider who are this year’s Elite, and take a moment to fill out the ballot below and nominate individuals in one or more of the following categories: Arena Executive of the Year, Theater Executive of the Year, Booking Agent of the Year, Promoter of the Year and Talent Buyer of the Year.

Nominated By:

name, Title: __________________________________________

organization:_________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________________________

Email: _______________________________________________

May we contact you? Yes____ no____

Please Fill out Form & Mail Your Vote To:

Facilities & Event ManagementElite Awards152 Madison Avenue, Suite #802, new York, nY 10016or Fax to: (212) 213-6382or email [email protected]

Arena Executive of the Year

1. name:_____________________________________________

Company: _________________________________________

2. name:_____________________________________________

Company: _________________________________________

Theater Executive of the Year

1. name:_____________________________________________

Company: _________________________________________

2. name:_____________________________________________

Company: _________________________________________

Booking Agent of the Year

1. name:_____________________________________________

Company: _________________________________________

2. name:_____________________________________________

Company: _________________________________________

Promoter of the Year

1. name:_____________________________________________

Company: _________________________________________

2. name:_____________________________________________

Company: _________________________________________

Talent Buyer of the Year

1. name:_____________________________________________

Company: _________________________________________

2. name:_____________________________________________

Company: _________________________________________


Venues implementing the Bottoms Up Draft Beer Dispensing System can expect decreased transaction times and shorter line queues in virtue of hands-free,

automated pours. A recent case study conducted by a third party hired by Anheuser-Busch implemented the system at three different venues and found that rev-

enue from Bottoms Up stands were 35 percent higher, transaction times were 29 percent faster and lines were

39 percent shorter. Ford Center in Evansville, IN, has also confirmed the effectiveness of Bottoms Up Beer, established in 2008. The venue reports that a Bottoms

Up point-of-sale sold 130 percent more than a compet-ing stand without the system.

Bottoms Up BeerFor more information, visit

www.bottomsupbeer.com/casestudies or call (888) 618-0486

or email [email protected].

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26 Facilities & Event Management 2013 SuperBook

FL. Although we’re still in the early development stages, we plan for a two-year domestic tour followed by an international tour. We believe the Marvel characters resonate in so many cultures.”

According to McHugh, the first international shows will likely be in Latin America, followed by Europe and Asia. Apart from the widespread popularity of the characters, “the great thing about the Marvel brand is they have a consistent schedule of superhero movies coming out on a yearly basis, so I think Marvel will always be top of mind

among consumers,” McHugh says. “The world has changed. It used to be that a movie opening in the U.S. would take a little while to get overseas, but now when you release a movie it opens worldwide.”

A Feld property that is currently primed for more overseas development is Monster Jam. “When Kenneth Feld was inspired to acquire this motorsports company from Live Nation, he thought it really is a show that lends itself to that international expansion,” says Payne. “It’s another

From a tightrope walk to a monster truck wheelstand, Feld Entertainment

productions are always bold and adventurous. The same could be said about the company’s approach to business development, which regularly takes its production teams overseas and has led to the establishment of offices in Amsterdam, Singapore, Melbourne and other cities thousands of miles from Feld’s Vienna, VA headquarters. Currently, Feld has a presence in 71 countries through its various touring shows: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney Live!, Disney On Ice and Monster Jam. About 25 years ago when Rob McHugh, International Senior Vice President, joined the company, the shows were going global, but modestly so, with some dates in Japan and Australia followed by an initial foray into Europe that “didn’t do very well,” McHugh remarks. “Then in the ‘90s we slowly started to build up Europe, and now it’s our second strongest region after North America. We play over 50 cities in Europe with two Ice tours. The demand has really grown.” It has become what McHugh calls a “mature market,” where Feld’s penchant for innovation and creativity is an advantage. “In a mature market every year you have to come up with something new to keep people interested in coming back and seeing how the show is different than the year before, whereas when we first brought our shows to Europe we were a novelty and people were more excited,” he explains.

Next July, Feld will definitely have a novel experience for audiences when it brings Marvel Universe Live to arenas. Combining dramatic elements such as special effects, pyrotechnics, flying stunts and kung fu, the production will star well-known Marvel superheroes including Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor, Wolverine and Iron Man. “It’s going to be a massive tour,” says Stephen Payne, Vice President of Corporate Communications. “We’re looking forward to rehearsing it at our new production facility in Ellenton,

“We need to find partners that understand that the long-term goal is to build a consistent tour that happens every year.” —Rob McHugh, International SVP

Creating l ive entertainment that

resonates in the global marketplace

By George Seli

Cover Spotlight

NeW FRoNtIeRS FoR

Feld

Monster Jam was recently held for the first time in Abu Dhabi.

27Facilities & Event Management 2013 SuperBook

one of those nonverbal types of entertainment. You don’t have to speak English to enjoy seeing Grave Digger going through a line of crushed cars.” On May 10, Monster Jam was held for the first time in Abu Dhabi, the capital and the second-largest city of the United Arab Emirates. Producing the show required taking an 85-member touring staff, including an international security team, to Zayed City Sports Stadium. Ten sea containers, housing 10 of the best Monster Jam trucks in the world, were transported 6,190 nautical miles from Norfolk, VA to Port Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, along with 3,000 cubic yards of good dirt. “We have an entire department whose life it is to plan tracks and shepherd the dirt. We’re very experienced with moving such elements of the Monster Jam show around the world,” Payne adds. When the dust settled, the Abu Dhabi show “worked out very well,” McHugh says.

“We’re going to take the show to ANZ Stadium in Sidney in mid-October, and we continue to get interest for Monster Jam from South Africa and Latin America, as well as China, India and Southeast Asia. Many of these countries are trying to get the Monster Jam TV series put on local markets, so people can start to identify the trucks. People in the U.S. know Grave Digger, but maybe not in China.”

The Disney characters, on the other hand, are well known in China, a country where both Feld and Disney aimed to expand the Disney Live! brand about nine years ago. Yet the stories behind the Disney characters are overall less familiar to the Chinese, McHugh points out. “Disney is known in China as more of a merchandise product. They know who Little Mermaid is because of the doll, not the story. So we created a show called Three Classic Fairy Tales. We had the story of Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, and Cinderella all put on stage live, and it was built exactly for the Chinese audiences, so that they would know these stories that are dear to us as Americans. Today, we’ve been to 35 different cities in China with Disney Live!” Room for growth still exists in Germany, however. “We’ve had more misses than hits in Germany, where Disney is not as popular as they would like it to be,” says McHugh. “But Disney bought their own TV station there, and they’re starting to build the brand.” Once Disney becomes more of a household name in Germany, “you’ll start to see our show do well,” he predicts. Disney On Ice, meanwhile, is rapidly expanding, with recent first-time shows in Qatar and South Africa. Feld’s logistical prowess is key for these productions as well. “We’ve put an ice floor for

Disney On Ice in Valley of the Kings, Egypt. We have more portable ice floors than any other company, so we can put one in a facility that doesn’t have a hockey team, for example,” Payne explains.

Of course, facilities in some cases simply can’t physically accommodate a show, and making that determination is part of Feld’s site search process. “No. 1, can the production itself fit into the venue? And No. 2, does it have enough capacity for us to be able to hit our attendance numbers according to our business plan?” says McHugh. “You might think a stadium is great for Monster Jam, but then you find out the truck can’t get down from the concourse onto the floor because the door’s not big enough.” Capacity issues precluded a Feld show in the 1990s in Hamburg, the largest city in Germany, McHugh recalls. “We looked

Princess Tiana from the musical, The Princess and the Frog, featured in Disney On Ice, a production Feld has staged in unexpected locales such as Valley of the Kings, Egypt.

Continued on page 84


Launched in 2007, Jeffrey Bowen’s Starbooker Presents is a Greensboro, NC-based “family

business” where his wife, Holly Deese Bowen, serves as vice-president and even his college-age daughter, Savannah Bowen, contributes in an editorial role. The company represents “a mixed bag of artists,” Bowen says, and his own background has a diversity that parallels that of his roster. Having been a child model, actor, musician, director, producer and venue manager, Bowen has a variety of perspectives on the live events and entertainment industry, which he feels is an asset to the 12 artists he currently represents. “Most are pretty well known, some are pretty new and all are sort of like family,” he remarks. The list includes up-and-coming acts such as blues band the Scorch Sisters and classic rocker Tim Charron, rock legend band Kick of the Rhino (with former members of Aerosmith, Quiet Riot, The Cult and other hard rock bands), jazz singer Erin McDougald, actress Charlene Tilton, and actor and entertainer Branscombe Richmond, who costarred with Lorenzo Lamas in the 1990s TV series Renegade. In addition to his work with these artists, Bowen provides booking services to Ford Center and Victory Theatre in Evansville, IN, as well as the Winston-Salem Entertainment Sports Complex. He is a member of the International Association of Venue Managers and the Country Music Association.

According to Bowen, 2013 is “a developmental year for Starbooker that could lead to some bigger and better things in 2014.” In the meantime, he shares with Facilities & Event Management his thoughts on the health of the live events

Jeffrey BowenPresident, starBooker Presents

A Life of Live Events Multiple perspectives on the industry from

a promoter who has worn many hatsBY GEORGE SELI

industry, promoting through social media, and successful booking strategies, as well as his overall philosophy on live entertainment.

Do you currently represent any acts that you feel are especially “out of the box”?The Scorch Sisters, based in Los Angeles, are an all-girls’ blues band, which is not a new genre but certainly a unique way of putting a blues band together. They’ve got a couple of guys in the band,

the drummer and bass player. But three girls started the band: singer Francesca Capasso, guitarist Kimberly Allison and keyboardist Alicia McCracken Morgan. All three are excellent and named to several publications last year as independent artists. And Francesca is starting her acting career.

What are some ways your diverse professional background helps you in

promoting and booking artists?To me it’s a big advantage because there’s very little that I haven’t done. I know what works in a building, whether it’s a club or a major arena. I know what the artists are going through because I’ve been there and done that also. So I know how to talk to all the parties and negotiate deals that make everyone happy.

From the artist’s perspective, what are the advantages to working with a small agency such as yours?It’s more focused; I don’t have a thousand people to worry about. And if they’re not making money, I’m not making

“The average music

fan still loves a live event.

You can see anybody

on the Internet, but it

just doesn’t beat a live

event experience.”

IN CONVERSATION WITH . . .IN CONVERSATION WITH . . .


money, so they’re not paying me to do what I should be doing. I focus more on them, and we can get on the phone and brainstorm new ideas for their careers. I like it to be small and intimate.

How are you seeing the volume of booking, ticket sales and overall strength of the live events industry so far this year? It’s getting much better than it was two to three years ago. More artists are going out on tour. However, unless you’re talking about the superstars, the main artists aren’t touring as long. They don’t take on as many buildings as they used to; you don’t see many 40- to 60-building tours anymore, so they’re being very careful where they play.

How do you feel the country music segment is performing today?Country is still very hot, but it’s hottest within the younger new country stars such as Luke Bryan; they’re the ones that sell out in a few minutes. You have to work the standards a little harder. They have a strong following, and that’s who’s listening to it, that’s who’s buying the product. But there are still some classic country artists [who are doing exceptionally well]. Loretta Lynn, for example, has just sold out two tours two years in a row.

Are more acts targeting second-tier markets and smaller cities?You’ve got to play the big cities; they’re always busy. But a lot of the new and up-and-coming artists want to get out there where the average person doesn’t have to drive two hours to see them. Evansville is a prime example. The first year we packed in shows and did tremendous country business. You could book a country show there once a month just about. I’m also working on bringing new acts, particularly rock bands, to the Victory Theatre. We know they’re not going to sell out the theater, but acts can grow. A prime example is [funk/R&B band] Here Come the Mummies, who are typically a club act drawing 200-300 people, but you know they’re going to come back with 600 the next time and 1,200 the next time. I’m working on building a concert series with the theater this summer that will primarily showcase bands from the countryside that just have to drive a couple hours up from Nashville. It gives them a chance to grow their fan base.

Historically, have you seen concerts getting shorter?Yes, you’ve got a situation where there aren’t that many artists left that can go on stage and play hits for two or three hours. Also, there are some artists that don’t want to perform like they used to or they can’t. And then there are some who get up there and do one or two hours and every song they sing is a No. 1 song. And they understand that. But they say, “Let’s back off and not do this particular group of songs for a while, leave them hungry, and then next time around we’ll put them back in.”

Do shorter shows also reflect the attention span of today’s audiences?I think the average music fan still loves a live event. You can see anybody on the Internet, but it just doesn’t beat a live event experience.

As an industry veteran, how do you feel about social media promotion?There are so many social media sites that it’s hard to keep up with them. But the days of just buying an ad in the paper and sitting back and waiting 30 days for the show to sell out are long gone. At the same time, grassroots marketing, just getting out there in front of people and getting the word out [is still important]. There are collectors out there now, poster collectors and flyer collectors.

What is your process to determine if a performer will be a draw in a venue or a regional market?I look at the history, talk to media and see if radio stations are still playing the artist’s music. You can also ask the “guy in the street” if he would pay anything to go see a certain artist. And you’ll get an answer.

You emphasize the importance of the “overall entertainment experience.” Can you discuss what that means?First, I believe the venue has to be part of the evening’s entertainment. Maybe Elton John is your favorite artist and you’ll go see him anywhere and pay anything to see him. But if you go to a venue and the people are not welcoming and there is no customer service, the place is dirty and you have a terrible experience with the building, [the experience will be compromised]. So the venue has to buy into the proposition that they are part of the experience. Second, from the artist’s side, I think artists sometimes aren’t connected to their fans as much as they should be. Some are excellent at it, while some just don’t want to be bothered with it: “Let me get out there, sing my songs and go home.” And I think that’s still a very important area; artists need to be connected with their fans. Many of them do a good job with their Web sites, talking to fans about things that are on their mind, discussing social causes and so on. And when they’re on stage they make eye contact and talk to the fans. You can feel the connection.

“The venue has to

buy into the proposition

that they are part of

the entertainment

experience.”

(Above, l-r): Savvy Bowen, Jay Leno, Holly Deese Bowen, Jeff Bowen (Right): Bowen and Carrie Underwood


2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013

When booking agents and promoters interviewed by Facilities & Event Management discuss the venues they partner with, the diversity of their criteria and preferences becomes clear, including everything from

the size of the loading docks to the speed of the staff in responding to emails. Once a year, we give our readers the chance to think about their “wish list” of qualities – staging, audience amenities, security, service and more – and vote on the venues that come closest to fulfilling that list. These would be our Prime Site Award winners: reader-acclaimed arenas, civic

2 0 1 3AwArds of ExcEllEncE

BESt OF thE BEStTa l e n T B u y e r s , B o o k i n g a g e n T s , P r o m o T e r s a n d s P e c i a l

e v e n T P l a n n e r s s e l e c T P r i m e s i T e a W a r d - W i n n i n g Fa c i l i T i e s

Prime Site Award Winner Scotiabank Place – Serving a regional population of 1.6 million, Scotiabank Place, located in Kanata, Ontario, has a capacity of over 19,000.SuperBook Directory: 82

centers, coliseums, multi-purpose facilities, theaters and other live event venues.

The Prime Site Award winners have been featured annually in the F&EM SuperBook

since 1994, but they are especially important today as the live events

industry is several years out of the recession and competition is intensifying among venues. Every year, new sports and entertainment facilities enter the marketplace

and development plans progress, with recent examples

such as AEG and MGM Resorts International’s new arena planned for

Las Vegas, the soon-to-debut Pinnacle Bank Arena at the University of Nebraska and the Minnesota Vikings’ new stadium. As the supply of venues rises, being distinguished by clients as a “Prime Site” is a major advantage.

This year, 105 Prime Site awardees – including a record of 10 facilities from Canada – will be enjoying that promotional advantage along with the distinct sense of accomplishment that can only come from client appreciation. We encourage our readers to continue voting for their venue partners so that we can recognize a robust number of nominees again next year.

2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013

at a venue like no other.

at a venue like no other.

Meeting Planners, come take a look at a venue like no other. Quick Facts

• 584,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space on one level• 63 meeting rooms providing 100,000 sq. ft. of meeting space on one level• 50,000 sq. ft. spectacular Mile High Ballroom• 35,000 sq. ft. stunning Four Seasons Ballroom• Bellco Theatre with 5,000 total seats, with curtain system to cut down seating

to 3,700 and divisible into 3 separate sections.

To inquire or book, Call or email Rich Carollo at 303.228.8022 or [email protected]

2013 Facilities & Destinations SuperBook.indd 1 3/19/13 1:03 PM


2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013 AWARDS OF ExCELLENCE • 2013

NORthEASt

Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NYCONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PADCU Center Arena, Worcester, MADunkin Donuts Center, Providence, RIGiant Center, Hershey, PAMadison Square Garden, New York, NYMohegan Sun Arena, Wilkes Barre, PAMullins Center, Amherst, MAPrudential Center, Newark, NJRyan Center, Kingston, RISun National Bank Center, Trenton, NJTD Garden, Boston, MATimes Union Center, Albany, NYVerizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NHWells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

MiD-AtLANtiC

1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MDLandmark Theatre, Richmond, VARoanoke Civic Center, Roanoke, VAShow Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, MDVerizon Center, Washington, DC

FAcilitieS & event MAnAgeMent 2013 PriMe Site AWArd WinnerS

Prime Site Award Winner Morris Performing Arts center – Opened in 1921 and renovated in 2000, the Morris PAC seats 2,560.SuperBook Directory: 54

Prime Site Award Winner dunkin’ donuts center – The 14,000-seat Dunkin’ Donuts Center, located in Providence, RI, attracts more than one million visitors annually.SuperBook Directory: 39


Verizon Wireless Arena continues to be the place that fans choose to play. Our audiences

find the Verizon Wireless Arena to be the perfect venue to let loose and have some fun

at concerts, sporting events and shows. As a result, they’ve helped us shine with a top

5 ranking in the Americas from a leading industry magazine, for arenas of 15,000 or

less seats. They also ranked us within the top 10 in the world. Verizon Wireless Arena,

New Hampshire’s premier sports and entertainment facility is conveniently located in

Manchester, halfway between Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine. Before your

next concert season, plan on spending time with the fans at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

555 Elm StreetManchester, NH 03101603-644-5000verizonwirelessarena.com

When stars take the stage,our fans come out to play.

verizon2010facilities_verizonrngmtes0905 5/4/10 4:38 PM Page 1



SOuthEASt

AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FLBancorpsouth Center, Tupelo, MSBankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, FLBankUnited Center, Miami, FLBridgestone Arena, Nashville, TNCabarrus Arena & Events Center, Concord, NCCenturyLink Center, Bossier City, LAColonial Life Arena, Columbia, SCFlorence Civic Center, Florence, SCGreensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro, NCJacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, FLKFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY The Lakeland Center, Lakeland, FLNew Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LASilver Spurs Arena, Kissimmee, FL

The Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa, FLTampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, FLTime Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NCUCF Arena, Oviedo, FL

Prime Site Award Winner Allen county War Memorial coliseum – This multi-purpose arena serves Northeast Indiana, Northwest Ohio and Southern Michigan.SuperBook Directory: 51

Prime Site Award Winner Adler theatre– Located in Davenport, IA, the 2,411-seat Adler Theatre is part of the state-of-the-art RiverCenter Complex.SuperBook Directory: 51



MiDWESt

Adler Theatre, Davenport, IAAllen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, INArie Crown Theater, Chicago, ILBankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, INBlack River Coliseum, Poplar Bluff, MOBowling Green State University Stroh Center, Bowling Green, OHBurnsville Performing Arts Center, Burnsville, MNClay County Regional Events Center, Spencer, IA Ford Center, Evansville, INHoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, IAi wireless Center, Moline, ILINTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita, KSMorris Performing Arts Center, South Bend, IN

Nutter Center at Wright State University, Dayton, OHParamount Theatre, Cedar Rapids, IARushmore Civic Center Plaza Arena, Rapid City, SDThe Sanford Center, Bemidji, MNSears Centre Arena, Hoffman Estates, IL

Prime Site Award Winner Show Me center – Southeast Missouri’s Show Me Center boasts a 7,200-seat arena hosting 160 events annually.SuperBook Directory: 58

Prime Site Award Winner Ford center – Evanvsville, IN, is a hotbed of live entertainment thanks to this 11,000-capacity venue, just over a year old.SuperBook Directory: 54



Show Me Center, Cape Girardeau, MOSprint Center, Kansas City, MOSwiftel Center, Brookings, SDTopeka Performing Arts Center, Topeka, KSUnited Wireless Arena, Dodge City, KSU.S. Cellular Arena, Milwaukee, WIWells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IAWolstein Center, Cleveland, OHVan Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MIXcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN

WESt

American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXAmerican Bank Center, Corpus Christi, TXAT&T Center, San Antonio, TX

Beaumont Civic Center Complex, Beaumont, TXBellco Theatre, Denver, COThe BOK Center, Tulsa, OKBudweiser Events Center, Loveland, COChesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OKComcast Arena at Everett, Everett, WAFair Park, Dallas, TXFrank Erwin Center, Austin, TXGrand Canyon University Arena, Phoenix, AZHP Pavilion, San Jose, CALaredo Energy Arena, Laredo, TXLloyd Noble Center, Norman, OKOracle Arena, Oakland, CAPeery’s Egyptian Theater, Ogden, UTRabobank Arena, Bakersfield, CASanta Ana Star Center, Rio Rancho, NMShoWare Center at Kent, Kent, WA

Prime Site Award Winner U.S. cellular Arena – Located in Milwaukee, WI, U.S. Cellular Arena is a 12,700-capacity sports and entertainment venue.SuperBook Directory: 58



Name of Prime Site Award Nominee(s):

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Name, Title: ______________________________________________________________

Organization: _____________________________________________________________

Phone: ___________________________________________________________________

Email: ____________________________________________________________________

Describe the Event

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

May we contact you? Yes____ No____

Please Fill Out Form & Mail Your Vote To: Facilities152 Madison Avenue, Suite #802, New York, NY 10016 or Fax it to: (212) 213-6382; or email [email protected]

Booking agents, promoters, talent buyers and special event planners:

VOtE for the topEntertainment Venues (Arenas, Theaters, Stadiums; facilities you have booked in the last three years)

Please consider the following criteria when voting:

● LOcaTiOn/MarkeT

● FLexibiLiTY

● SeaTing

cOnFiguraTiOnS

● TickeTing

● LighTing, SOund,

STaging

● FOOd & beVerage

● inTeracTiOn wiTh

Venue STaFF

● dreSSing rOOMS,

backSTage

● acceSS/egreSS

● PrOMOTiOn/

MarkeTing

Staples Center, Los Angeles, CAState Farm Arena, Hidalgo, TXTaco Bell Arena at Boise State University, Boise, IDTacoma Dome, Tacoma, WAToyota Center/Windemere Theatre, Kennewick, WAUnited Spirit Arena, Lubbock, TX

CANADA

Air Canada Centre, Toronto, OntarioBC Place, Vancouver, BCBell Centre, Montreal, Quebec

Budweiser Gardens, London, OntarioGeneral Motors Centre, Oshawa, OntarioHershey Centre, Mississauga, OntarioK-Rock Centre, Kingston, OntarioMTS Centre, Winnipeg, ManitobaRogers Arena, Vancouver, BCScotiabank Place, Kanata, Ontario

PuERtO RiCO

Coliseo De Puerto Rico, Hato Rey, PR


the Northeast

Blue Cross Arena.................................. 39CAL U Convocation Center ............... 39Dunkin’ Donuts Center ....................... 39Times Union Center ............................ 39Verizon Wireless Arena ....................... 39

Mid-atlaNtic

1st Mariner Arena ................................ 42Charleston Civic Center ...................... 42

southeast

Cabarrus Arena & Events Center ....... 45Florence Civic Center .......................... 45Greensboro Coliseum Complex .......... 45The Lakeland Center ........................... 45Vicksburg Convention Center ............. 45

Midwest

Adler Theatre/River Center ................. 51Allen County War Memorial Coliseum ............................................... 51Arie Crown Theater ............................. 51Bridge View Center ............................. 51Burnsville Performing Arts Center ...... 51Clay County Regional Events Center ....................................... 51Ford Center/Victory Theatre ............... 54Hartman Arena .................................... 54Hoyt Sherman Place ............................ 54INTRUST Bank Arena ....................... 54i wireless Center ................................... 54The Morris Performing Arts Center ........................................... 54

Paramount Theatre ............................... 54Rushmore Plaza Civic Center ............. 54Sanford Center ..................................... 58Show Me Center .................................. 58Swiftel Center ....................................... 58Topeka Performing Arts Center .......... 58United Wireless Arena ......................... 58U.S. Cellular Arena ............................... 58U.S. Cellular Center ............................. 58Wright State University’s Nutter Center ....................................... 58

west

American Airlines Center .................... 73ASU Gammage .................................... 73Beaumont Civic Center ....................... 73Bellco Theater....................................... 73Chesapeake Energy Arena ................... 78Fair Park................................................ 78Grand Canyon University Arena ......... 78Laredo Energy Arena ........................... 78Lloyd Noble Center ............................. 78Toyota Center ....................................... 78United Spirit Arena .............................. 78

caNada

BC Place ............................................... 82Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre ................................................... 82MTS Centre ......................................... 82Scotiabank Place ................................... 82

Puerto rico

Coliseo de Puerto Rico ........................ 84

Facilities a-Z


The N

orTh

easT ConneCtiCut

MassaChusettsMaine new haMpshirenew Jerseynew yorkpennsylvania rhode island verMont

Blue Cross Arena1 War Memorial Square, Rochester, NY 14614(585) 758-5300; Fax: (585) 758-5327bluecrossarena.comSMG General Manager: Jeff Calkins

Serving the Rochester market since 1955, the SMG-managed Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial has hosted acts as diverse as Ringling Brothers, Barry Manilow, Harlem Globetrotters and Monster Jam. The arena offers seating for 12,428 (upper bowl, 6,052; lower bowl, 4,696; floor, 1,680) and has a maximum capacity of 14,000 for general admission. Rolling 80 ft.-by-80 ft. StageRight concert stage with adjustable 4 ft. to 6 ft. height. Backstage areas include three locker rooms, four dressing rooms, an officials room and a green room. A promoters’ office of about 10 ft. by 25 ft. is available. The Blue Cross Arena is also known for the War Memorial shrine, accessible to the public, and the Veteran’s Memorial Plaza overlooking the Genesee River.

NEw York

PAGE15

California University of Pennsylvania Convocation Center250 University Avenue, California, PA 15419(724) 938-4605calucenter.comGeneral Manager: Michael Silva

The Convocation Center opened in April 2012 on the campus of the California University of Pennsylvania and has since featured concerts including Kenny Rogers, Newsboys, the Harlem Globetrotters and Bob Dylan. Seating capacities: end-stage concert, 5,558; basketball, 4,886; half-house concert, 2,560. The facility features three large team locker rooms, six smaller locker rooms, office space and 12 spacious meeting rooms. University concessionaire AVI works through five full-service concession stands. Extended market-ing services including graphic design and posters, and e-blasts to an extensive client base.

PENNSYlvaNia

PAGE40

Dunkin’ Donuts Center1 LaSalle Square, Providence, RI 02903(401) 331-0700dunkindonutscenter.comExecutive Assistant/Booking: Debra Polselli

Attracting over one million visitors annually, the 14,000-seat Dunkin’ Donuts Center offers 31,000 sq. ft. of arena space with a ceiling height of 86 feet, and a 25,000-sq.-ft. concourse. Seating capacities: concerts, 3,500-14,000; basketball, 12,119; ice hockey, 11,352; ice show, 10,864. StageRight portable staging: 60 ft. by 40 ft.; 200 ft.-by-85 ft. ice rink. Backstage areas: six dressing rooms, six dressing/locker rooms, two media rooms, two production offices, five meeting rooms. Other amenities include a state-of-the-art video scoreboard, and concession and restaurant facilities. Twenty-five percent of U.S. population lives within 500 miles of Providence. More than 38,000 college students live within a five-mile radius to the downtown.

rhodE iSlaNd

PAGE41

Times Union Center51 South Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12207(518) 487-2000timesunioncenter-albany.comGeneral Manager: Bob BelberUpstate New York’s Premier Sports and Entertainment FacilityOwned by Albany County and managed by SMG, Times Union Center opened in 1990 and is home to the Albany Devils of AHL hockey and the Division I Men’s College Basketball Siena Saints. The arena has hosted such prestigious artists as Rolling Stones, U2, Eric Clapton, Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith. Curtaining system allows capacity to be adjusted between 6,000 and 17,000. New seats, ribbon boards and a brand new center hung video scoreboard equipped with led boards. Backstage areas include three team-size locker rooms and seven star dressing rooms. The arena draws patrons from all over New York as well as Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut.

NEw York

PAGE13

Verizon Wireless Arena555 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101(603) 644-5000verizonwirelessarena.com

Opened in 2001, the Verizon Wireless Arena is versatile enough to accommodate a center-stage concert of more than 11,000 attendees as well as a theater-style performance for 2,500. Upcoming shows include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Monster Jam, Keith Urban, American Idol Live! and New Kids on the Block. Features a 60 ft.-by-48 ft. Stageright stage, six dressing/team locker rooms and five production rooms. Arena offers club and suite seating that allows access into a private lounge. Four perma-nent F&B stands, 12 portable. Promotional services and features include eblasts to a 300,000+ database, texting program, in-house video, exterior marquee and lobby display.

NEw haMPShirE

20 Facilities SuperBook 2009The Northeast

DUNKIN’ DONUTSCENTEROne LaSalle SquareProvidence, RI 02903(401) 331-0700; (401) 621-5987www.dunkindonutscenter.comGeneral Manager: Lawrence Lepore

Snapshot: The Dunkin’ Donuts Centeris a multi-purpose indoor sports andentertainment venue located in theheart of Providence, RI, and is home icefor the AHL Providence Bruins andhome-court for the Big East ProvidenceCollege Men’s Basketball Team. TheFacility has recently undergone an $80-million Renovation which was complet-ed the fall of ’08.Capacities: 13,000 seating; ConcertHall 3,500-6,000.Exhibition Space: Arena Floor:31,000 GSF; Exhibition Hall: 15,000GSF; Additional event level hospitali-ty/exhibit space: 4,000 GSF;Concourse: 25,000 GSF; Box OfficeLobby/Receiving Area: 9,000 GSF

Restaurant and adjacent hospitalityrooms: 6,000 GSF.Staging: 40’ wide by 60’ deep stage,with a 5’ 4” standard height; configura-tions can be customized.Lighting: Standard Quartz andHalogen lighting around the arenabowl.Backstage Areas: 2 Star DressingRooms, 2 locker rooms, 1 adjoininglocker room and 2 Home Team lockerrooms.Food & Beverage: 8 permanent concession stands, 5 portables, luxurysuites, loges, hospitality rooms and a restaurant.Audience Amenities: New state-of-the-art Daktronics video scoreboard.Marketing: Full-service, in-housedepartment offering coordination ofevent marketing campaigns includingadvertising production, media place-ment, media and retail promotions,sponsorships, group sales and publicrelations.Demographics: More than 400,000households; 9 colleges/universities;Boston is 45 miles away and Hartford,Conn. is 61 miles away.See ad on page 18

RHODE ISLAND

GIANT CENTER550 West Hersheypark DriveHershey, PA 17033(717) 534-3911; Fax: (717) 534-8996www.giantcenter.netComplex Managing Director, EventBookings, Ticketing, and Marketing:Vikki Hultquist

A Sweet Place to Play!Snapshot: The GIANT Center, astate-of-the-art arena, opened its doorsin October of 2002, with a performanceby Cher. From that moment, GIANTCenter has been the area’s leadingsports and entertainment venue.GIANT Center is also home to theAHL Hershey Bears. Because of theconstant support of its many fans,GIANT Center continues to be rankedas one of world’s best concert venues inBillboard and Pollstar. Located just min-utes from GIANT Center is the 1,928-seat Hershey Theatre.Capacities: 12,500 (in-the-round concerts); 10,000 (end staging);10,500 (hockey).

Exhibition Space: 306,000 sq. ft.Backstage Areas: 5 team rooms, pro-duction room, 2 management rooms, 2star dressing rooms, catering room.Staging: 100 pieces of 4’ x 8’ decking,variable configurations, with Black TechStage/Gray carpet surfaces—Max size80’ x 40’, adjustable heights from 48” –72” in 2” increments, Black skirting,Front of house mix in 4’ x 8’ x 6”, 12”,24” Wenger decks; Video Board; Centerhung scoreboard by Whiteway SignCompany; north/south building matrixboards; Mitsubishi Diamond VisionLeader board.Broadcast: In-house video control w/full edit/studio control; 125 TVs locatedthroughout arena; Radio broadcastthroughout; 15 media bulkhead loca-tions all patchable through centralinterconnect room on the first level; 10camera positions.Food & Beverage: 13 ConcessionsStands, 7 Portable, Bar and ClubLounge.Demographics: The Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York market isfamily oriented with a strong household income.See ad on page 19

PENNSYLVANIA

VERIZON WIRELESSARENA555 Elm StreetManchester, NH 03101(603) 644-5000; Fax: (603) 644-1575Regional General Manager: Tim Bechertwww.verizonwirelessarena.com

New Hampshire’s Premier Sports &Entertainment FacilitySnapshot: New Hampshire’s premiersports and entertainment facility, theVerizon Wireless Arena, managed bySMG, has attracted more than 4.4 millionpeople, hosted more than 830 sports andentertainment events, including more than120 sold out shows, since opening sevenyears ago. The arena was designed toaccommodate a wide variety of events—including concerts, wrestling, figure skat-ing, hockey, basketball, family shows, aswell as convention and trade shows.Capacities: Center Stage in the round–11,700; End Stage (360) – 10,655; EndStage (270) – 9,337; End Stage (240) –8,931; End Stage (180) – 8,536;3/4 Stage – 6,700; House Stage –

5,400; Theatrical Stage – 3,000.Exhibition Space: 25,348 sq. ft.; 277 10’x8’booths in typical trade show configuration.Backstage Areas: main dressing room, 3auxiliary locker rooms, visiting team lockerroom, 2 officials locker rooms, press office,3 production rooms, lounge, catering room.Staging: Stageright equipment, setup is 48ft. deep X 60 ft. wide X 4 ft. tall, 8 ft. wideX 24 ft. deep sound wings SL & SR, and afront of house mixer riser 12 ft. deep X 16ft. wide X 1 ft. tall, 100 ft. from the downstage edge.Food & Beverage: 4 permanent concessionstands; 12 portable concession stands; VIPLounge; 2 specialty bars located on upperlevel; Full catering services offered back-stage and to suites.Amenities: 34 luxury suites, 5 party suites,Exclusive Club Lounge, 542 Club Seats,Wireless connection, Flat Screen TV’sthroughout the concourse.Marketing: Group Sales; EmailMarketing; Grassroots Marketing; MediaBuying; Media Promotions/Trade; PublicRelations.Demographics: New England Market—mainly from New Hampshire, as well asMA, ME, and VT.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

WACHOVIA ARENA AT CASEY PLAZA255 Highland Park Blvd.Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702(570) 970-7600; Fax: (570) 970-7601www.wachoviaarena.comGeneral Manager: Rebecca Bonnevier

Facility Description: The WachoviaArena at Casey Plaza opened in the fall of1998 and is under the management ofSMG. With over 8,000 permanent seatsand a capacity of nearly 10,000 for con-certs, this horse-show configured arenahas played host to some of the biggestnames in entertainment, including EltonJohn, Cher, Neil Diamond, Janet Jackson,The Eagles, and Simon & Garfunkel. Thearena’s primary tenants are the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AmericanHockey League, affiliated with thePittsburgh Penguins, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers of the af2 ArenaFootball league.Capacities: 1/4 house - 3,900;1/2 house - 4,900; Extended 1/2 house - 5,900; 3/4 House - 7,300; End Stage

concert - 7,500; Hockey - 8,500;Center stage - 10,000.Backstage Areas: 2-12 6’x11’6’ dressingrooms ( w/facilities), 1-13’ x 12’Lounge, Visitors Locker room 20’x36’,Tournament rooms A-18’6”x26’, B-18’6”x26’, C-10’6”x24’, Meeting roomsA-24’6”x36’, B-20’6”x36’, C-19’x36’and press room 33’6”x 12’.Exhibition Space: 27,050 sq. ft. ofexhibition space throughout two floors.Lighting: 4-2k Super Troopers (fixed),4 portable 2k Super troopers.Food & Beverage: 8 concession standson the concourse plus a club lounge/catering area on the event level that canhold up to 100 people.Audience Amenities: 624 center iceclub seats and 32 luxury suites; eventlevel VIP club lounge, featuring: upscalemenu, televisions, casual yet elegantatmosphere.Parking: 3,500 spaces.Marketing: Web site, e-mails (65,000+in database), concourse posters, videoscoreboard and concourse TVs.Demographics: 650,000+ people in theWilkes-Barre/Scranton/HazletonDMA and more than 13 million peoplewithin 100 miles.See ad on page 17

PENNSYLVANIA

Northeast v1 1/13/09 7:52 AM Page 20

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29

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CAL U

Convocation Center at

California University of Pennsylvania

Located in one of the fastest growing counties in Pennsylvania State University with 10,000 students with 8 other colleges within 1 hour drive Access to millions of patrons in the Mon Valley and tri-state area Approximately 35 miles midway between Pittsburgh, PA and Morgantown, WV.

www.calucenter.com

Michael Silva [email protected] 724-938-4600 250 University Ave, California, PA 15419

The largest venue between Pittsburgh and Morgantown, featuring seating for 6,000 in the basketball arena, seating for 700 in a separate theater and 30,000 SF of conference and convention space.

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T H E N O R T H E A S T / R H O d E i S l A N d

One LaSalle Square, Providence, RI 02903

(401) 331-0700; (401) 621-5987

dunkindonutecenter.com

Providence mixes the urban sophistication of a big city with the graceful charm of a small town. At the heart of Providence’s bustling downtown

is the Dunkin’ Donuts Center (DDC), part of the Rhode Island Convention & Entertainment Complex, which also includes the Rhode Island Convention Center (RICC) and The VETS.

The 14,000-seat DDC offers 31,000 sq. ft. of arena space with a ceiling height of 86 feet, a 25,000-sq.-ft. concourse, a 9,000-sq.-ft. lobby, 20 luxury suites, and five additional meeting/hospitality rooms. Other amenities include a pedestrian bridge connecting the arena to the RICC, a state-of-the-art video scoreboard, and concession and restaurant facilities. There are 5,500 hotel rooms in the Greater Providence area,1,800 located within walking distance of the Center.

The Center’s Marketing Department staff is comprised of advertising, marketing, group sales, and public relations’ specialists, who in turn operate a full-service in-house agency. This in-house agency affords complete professional coordination

of event marketing campaigns including advertising production and placement, media and retail promotions, sponsorships, group sales, public relations and publicity.

Providence is known for its thriving arts scene and is recognized as one of the nation’s hottest culinary destinations. There are nine colleges and universities located in the Providence market, most of which are within a five-mile radius of the Center — Brown University, Johnson & Wales University, RI School of Design, and Providence College, just to name a few. The students at these local colleges and universities add to diverse population of the city.

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1st Mariner Arena201 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201(410) 347-2020; Fax: (410) 347-20421stmarinerarena.comGeneral Manager: Frank Remesch “...Continuing to Make History...”1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore’s largest indoor sports and entertainment facility, accommodates audiences of 2,500-14,000 depending on each show’s needs, includ-ing mini-theater, in the round, family shows, etc. Backstage areas: two large team rooms, locker room, 10 dressing rooms. Eight 1,000-watt Xenon Super Troupers permanently located in four elevated baskets, two per basket. Two 2,500-watt Gladiator 2; Meyer Sound Lab speakers driven through a series of amplifying, pro-cessing and equalizing equipment. Core audience: six million+, includes parts of Delaware, West Virginia and Virginia.

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Charleston Civic Center200 Civic Center Drive, Charleston, WV 25301(304) 345-1500charlestonwvciviccenter.comGeneral Manager: John D. Robertson, CFE The Center of Excitement!The Charleston Civic Center is the region’s largest and most versatile multiuse entertainment and event complex, housing over 30,000 sq. ft. of space and seating for up to 13,500. End-stage: 11,519 at 270° or 13,247 at 360°. In-the-round: 13,500. Basketball: 12,337. The Center has a 140 ft.-by-196 ft. coliseum floor and a Wenger stage of 4 ft. to 6 ft. in height. Backstage areas: four star dressing rooms; four team rooms; officials room; trainers room; media lounge. Onsite parking for 2,000.Charleston is located at the confluence of Interstates 64, 77 and 79, and Yeager Airport only 12 minutes from the center of town.

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Jason AldeanCarrie Underwood

Luke Bryan

The Center for Sell-Outs!

www.charlestonwvciviccenter.com

2013 is off to an amazing start! In addition to sell-out performances

from Country Music superstars Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, and

Luke Bryan, the Charleston Civic Center has hosted capacity crowds for

Christian Music’s Chris Tomlin, the annual WinterJam tour, and a rousing

performance from the popular American folk rock group The Avett

Brothers. We’ve got the space and the demand; call John Robertson at

304-345-1500 to book your event.

T H E m i d AT l A N T i c / W E S T V i R g i N i A

200 Civic Center Drive, Charleston, WV 25301

(304) 345-1500 • charlestonwvciviccenter.com

The Charleston Civic Center is the entertainment and convention centerpiece of West Virginia’s Capital City, hosting the majority of the region’s premier

entertainment, sporting and corporate events. As one of the most flexible facilities in the Mid-Atlantic, the Charleston Civic Center is comprised of four versatile venues: the Coliseum, Municipal Auditorium, Little Theater and Convention Center. Whether you need a meeting place or banquet facility, concert hall or exhibition space, the Charleston Civic Center is both uniquely suited and ideally situated to make the event a success.

The Civic Center Coliseum The preeminent entertainment complex in the region, the Coliseum has hosted world-tour concerts and world-class sporting events. Offering broad adaptability, the Coliseum seats up to 13,500 and offers over 30,500 sq. ft. of event space.

The Municipal Auditorium A Charleston landmark, the Municipal Auditorium is located adjacent to the main Civic Center complex. With its classical architecture and Art-Deco styling, it is a striking venue for everything from musical and dance productions to theater and stage performances. Listed on the National Register for Historic Places, the Municipal Auditorium seats 3,483 guests.

The Civic Center Little Theater The Little Theater affords an intimate performing arts atmosphere, as well as an ideal venue for AV presentations, company meetings, films and lectures. The Little Theater comfortably accommodates many types of audiences and presenters with a 736-seat auditorium, a 36-ft. proscenium stage opening and an abundance of AV capabilities, lighting, platforms and other necessary support.

The Charleston Convention Center The Convention Center provides over 107,000 sq. ft. of total exhibit space and 50,086 sq. ft. of premium, unobstructed exhibit space – enough for 256 10 ft.-by-10 ft. booths. The flexible area can be easily divided into separate halls, depending on your requirement. Meeting facilities on two levels of the Civic Center provide more than 100,000 sq. ft. of space for conferences and meetings of various sizes and configurations.

C h a r l e s t o n C i v i C C e n t e r



T H E m i d - AT l A N T i c / m A R y l A N d

22 Facilities SuperBook 2009Mid-Atlantic

West Baltimore StreetBaltimore, MD 21201

(410) 347-2020Fax: (410) 347-2042

www.1stmarinerarena.com

Continuing toMake History!

Mid_Atlantic v1 1/13/09 7:54 AM Page 22

The Lakeland Center701 West Lime Street, Lakeland, FL 33815(863) 834-8100thelakelandcenter.comAssistant Director: Scott Sloman

Located between Tampa and Orlando, The Lakeland Center is composed of the George Jenkins Arena, 2,296-seat Youkey Theatre and Sikes Hall. Opened in 1974, the arena has hosted rock ‘n’ roll legends and can accommodate up to 10,000 for a concert or indoor fes-tival as well as an 85 ft.-by-100 ft. permanent ice floor. Capacities: 6,400, basketball; 5,432, indoor football and hockey; 6,700, end-stage concert; 4,800, arenatorium (half-house). The arena has a 60 ft.-by-40 ft. SICO stage with 12 ft.-by-8 in. wings. The theater has a 78 ft.-by-42 ft. stage and a 55 ft. 6 in.-by-20 ft. 2 in. Arena backstage areas: four team rooms, two star dressing rooms, show office, washer/dryer, four meeting rooms. Theater backstage areas: two chorus rooms, four artist rooms, green room, catering room, production office. 2,500 parking spaces are available.

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Florence Civic Center3300 West Radio Drive, Florence, SC 29501(843) 679-9417; Fax: (843) 679-9429florenceciviccenter.comGeneral Manager: Kendall WallCelebrating 20 Years of South Carolina Events!The SMG-managed Florence Civic Center is Northeastern South Carolina’s largest conven-tion and entertainment venue features 50,000 sq. ft. of multi-purpose space including: 10,000-seat arena (backdrop scaling 2,500-7,500 capacity), 15,000-sq.-ft. grand ballroom (1,400 theater, 800 banquet) and the well-appointed Pee Dee, Santee and Waccamaw meeting rooms (combines 5,250 sq. ft.). The creative design incorporates all spaces to flow together under one roof and form multiple combinations to accommodate events of all sizes and requirements. Fiber-optics and Wi-Fi throughout. New staging and barricades. Generous supplemental marketing efforts. 15K+ Facebook fans; 18K+ email club.

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Greensboro Coliseum Complex1921 West Lee Street, Greensboro, NC 27403(336) 373-7400www.greensborocoliseum.comDeputy Director: Scott Johnson

The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is a multi-building facility hosting athletic events, concerts, theater, fairs and more. It consists of Greensboro Coliseum (with seating capacity over 22,500), the 2,400-seat War Memorial Auditorium, the 300-seat Odeon Theatre and the 167,000-sq.-ft. Special Events Center that includes three exhibition halls. The Complex is one of the most actively booked facilities in the country, host-ing more than 1,000 events on an annual basis. City leaders recently authorized $24 million in improvements, including new, upholstered arena seating, widening of the Coliseum’s upper-level concourse, addition of new concession cooking stands and a new, larger, higher-resolution video scoreboard.

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Vicksburg Convention Center & Auditorium1600 Mulberry Street (Convention Center)901 Monroe Street (Auditorium) Vicksburg, MS 39180(601) 630-2929; (866) VCCMEET; Fax: (601) 630-2910vicksburgevents.comSales and Marketing Manager: Erin PowellIn Vicksburg you’ll find Southern hospitality in its most authentic form and a city that harbors U.S. history at some of its most poignant turns. Vicksburg Convention Center & Auditorium, a two-level complex built with flexibility, functionality and ergonomics in mind, offers spacious exhibit halls, cozy meeting rooms and everything in between. 50,000 sq. ft. of meeting space includes 17,000-sq.-ft. ballroom. 2,400-seat theater also available. Entire facility is equipped with WiFi, all meeting rooms have audiovisual equipment pre-set and ready-to-use. 2,345 hotel rooms nearby.

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29

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23-46 11/10/08 5:28 PM Page 29

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& Special Event Planners

Cabarrus Arena & Events Center4751 Hwy 49 North, Concord, NC 28025(704) 920-3976; Fax: (704) 920-3999cabarrusarena.comSales & Marketing Manager: Pam Sossamon

Multipurpose venue – 150,000 sq. ft. of temperature controlled event space, plus 11-acre lawn, 28,000-sq.-ft.-arena seats: 5,000 concerts/ 4,390 boxing/wrestling, 3,800 arena football; 1,500 – 3,000 half-house; Indoor/Outdoor portable staging; 2 Dressing rooms. Exhibition Space - Event Center A: 40,000 sq. ft.; Event Center B: 30,000 sq. ft.; Gold Hall 1: 20,000 sq. ft.; Gold Hall 2: 10,000 sq. ft.; Cabarrus Room A: 2,400 sq. ft.; Cabarrus Room B: 1,200 sq. ft.; Cabarrus Room C: 1,200 sq. ft.; Audience: 313,700 within a 15-mile radius; 1,377,900 – 30-mile radius; 3,154,100 – 60-mile radius; 7 VIP Suites; 6 on-site concession stands.

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T H E S O u T H E A S T / N O R T H c A R O l i N A


In addition, they are the only facility in the area that can offer the first-class service of SMG, the largest public facility management company in the world. The on-site food & beverage service is managed by Savor Cabarrus...catering by SMG and is the exclusive caterer for the Cabarrus Arena. The Executive Chef and his staff have the experience and creativity to satisfy the most discriminating tastes, accommodate special requests and provide impeccable service for cocktail receptions and buffets to tradeshow exhibitor entertaining and large or small sit-down dinners.

Beginning with your initial call and following through until the completion of your event, the Cabarrus Arena staff will provide you with professional and courteous attention to detail combined with a pleasant Southern charm.

4751 Highway 49 North, Concord, NC 28025 • (704) 920-3976; Fax: (704) 920-3999 • cabarrusarena.com

The Cabarrus Arena & Events Center is the region’s newest and most innovative exhibition center offering a flexible floor plan and state-of-the-art features. With the 5,000-seat arena,

in excess of 150,000 sq. ft. of temperature-controlled event space and an 11-acre lawn, the Cabarrus Arena offers more meeting, banquet and exhibition options than any other facility in Cabarrus County.

Situated in Concord, NC, the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center is in the heart of an area rich with colorful history and a tapestry of both the old and the new. The facility is only moments away from the historic downtown district with its stately antebellum homes and specialty shops, and minutes from the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills Mall, the most visited tourist attraction in the state of North Carolina.

c A b A R R u S A R E N A & E V E N T S c E N T E R


T H E S O u T H E A S T / S O u T H c A R O l i N A

FlorenCe CiviC Center3300 West Radio Dr., Florence, SC 29501

(843) 679-9417; Fax: (843) 679-9429 • florenceciviccenter.com

The SMG-managed Florence Civic Center is the hub for entertainment in northeastern South Carolina. Nestled at the crossroads of Interstates 95 and 20, the facility has grown

tremendously in its 20-year existence, resulting in an economic boom and development of the Florence Hospitality District.

Once surrounded by merely forest, the venue now centers conveniently within the District, including dozens of national chain hotels, a variety of award-winning restaurants, and Florence’s premier shopping plaza, located just across the street. Visitors to the Florence Civic Center receive the area’s finest amenities and enjoy simplicity in travel as the venue sits just off two major highway arteries and just a few miles from the regional airport.

The year 2013 marks the 20th anniversary benchmark for Florence’s premier venue and a bright future for growth and expansion. At the forefront of the region’s entertainment industry, record-selling concerts, conventions and community outreach, the Florence Civic Center is shining as one of the leaders among South Carolina entertainment and convention facilities.

Currently the venue is exploring options for future expansions. With an increase in attendance, annual events and rental demand, the time has come to elevate venue potential. Many aspects are under review, including vast meeting space expansion, parking deck installments and an attached hotel, among other improvements.

The Florence Civic Center is eager to better compete nationally for larger conferences and conventions through this potential expansion.

There is no better time to begin the upgrade process than now, as the Florence Civic Center celebrates 20 years of success in South Carolina events. The flourishing complex continues to gain momentum while publicizing the 20th anniversary benchmark and its 2013 exciting event lineup. The Center has already introduced several new self-managed exhibitions and is in the midst of producing additional center-managed shows and productions, while balancing an array of rentals and co-promoted engagements.

“We have come a long way and are very optimistic on our future outlook,” General Manager Kendall Wall says. “Over the years we’ve hurdled many obstacles, but we’ve always remained focused on our mission to provide excellent service, professional event planning and quality entertainment to the area. We have grown as a facility, as a staff and as a community. Attendance is up, our calendar is stronger than ever and the community response lately is exceptionally positive. Patrons are supporting the venue, and the more support we get the more we’re able to provide. We’re excited about the anniversary year and potential expansions. We have our beloved community to thank for that,” finishes Wall.

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Greensboro ColiseuM CoMplex

1921 West Lee Street, Greensboro, NC 27403

(336) 373-7400 • www.greensborocoliseum.com

The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is a multi-building facility designed to serve the citizens of Greensboro and the surrounding area through a broad range of activities,

including athletic events, cultural arts, concerts, theater, educational activities and fairs. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex consists of Greensboro Coliseum (with seating capacity over 22,500), 2,400-seat War Memorial Auditorium, 300-seat Odeon Theatre, the 167,000-sq.-ft. Special Events Center that includes three exhibition halls, a 4,500-seat mini-arena and eight meeting rooms, and the 30,000-sq.-ft. Pavilion, located adjacent to the Special Events Center.

The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is one of the most actively booked facilities in the country, hosting more than 1,000 events on an annual basis. With its incredible versatility, the Complex has gained worldwide acclaim from promoters, producers, event planners and patrons.

The Complex expanded dynamically in 2011 with the addition of four new, unique venues: The ACC Hall of Champions, an 8,100-sq.-ft. museum; the Greensboro Aquatic Center; the White Oak Amphitheatre, an outdoor venue with a seating capacity of over 7,600; and The Terrace, a 12,900-sq.-ft. banquet facility.

City leaders recently authorized $24 million in improvements so that Greensboro’s greatest economic generator can continue to thrive. The upgrades include new, upholstered arena seating, widening of the Coliseum’s upper-level concourse, addition of new concession cooking stands and a new, larger, higher-resolution video scoreboard. These changes are critical as the Coliseum Complex, with its incredible versatility, continues to pursue bringing the most prestigious sporting events and biggest names in live entertainment to Greensboro.


T H E S O u T H E A S T / N O R T H c A R O l i N A

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SCOTT SLOMAN863-834-8144 • [email protected]

CONSIDER THE LAKELAND CENTER FOR YOUR NEXT TOUR, REHEARSAL OR EVENT!

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Call our sales team today866.822.6338

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Adler Theatre/RiverCenter136 East Third Street, Davenport, IA 52801(563) 326-8500; Fax: (563) 326-8505adlertheatre.com • riverctr.com Executive Director: Rick Palmer, CFE

A historic, Art Deco yet also state-of-the-art PAC, the RiverCenter Complex offers 100,000 sq. ft. of meeting, exhibit and event space, 2,411-seat Adler Theatre (renovated 2006); and Great River Hall – seats 3,200 for general admission/2,500 reserved. Mississippi River Hall can host 1,400 general admission/1,100 reserved. Backstage: two production offices, 800-sq.-ft. wardrobe room, eight dressing rooms, two star dressing rooms and soloist room. Facility is key anchor for live entertain-ment and cultural enrichment in downtown Davenport, serving the greater Quad Cities area and its population base of 400,000. Reach also extends out to a 75-100 mile radius on both sides of the Mississippi River.

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Allen County War Memorial Coliseum4000 Parnell Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46805(260) 482-9502; Fax: (260) 484-1637memorialcoliseum.comGeneral Manager: Randy L. Brown

A multi-purpose complex, the tri-state area’s leading sports, entertainment and event venue serves Northeast Indiana, Northwest Ohio and Southern Michigan. With an MSA population of 411,000, Ft. Wayne is the state’s second-largest city, within a day’s drive of 55 million. Seating capacities: End concert-180: 8,843; End Concert-240: 10,006; End Concert-270: 10,297; End Concert-360: 12,045. Hockey/indoor football: 10,495; basketball: 11,083. 24 luxury suites, one super suite, 318 club seats. 148,000 sq. ft. of multi-purpose exhibition space, capable of hosting concerts up to 8,000 seats, as well as basketball and motor-sports events, with telescopic seating and floor chairs.

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Bridge View Center102 Church St., Ottumwa, IA 52501(641) 684-7000; Fax: (641) 684-6305 bridgeviewcenter.comExecutive Director: Larry Gawronski Where Great Events Create Lifetime ExperiencesFast becoming the premier destination in southeast Iowa for concerts, theatrical events and conventions, The Bridge View Center opened in 2007, nestled on the banks of the Des Moines River. This 92,000-sq.-ft. complex features an Expo Hall (reserved seating – 2,617; festival – 3,000; boxing/mixed martial arts – 1,800; floor events – 1,500), adjoin-ing conference/meeting space (7,000 sq. ft., divisible into five rooms), 655-seat theater and a Grand Lobby (accommodates 2,500). Two star dressing rooms; choir dressing room with lockers and showers; 40 ft.-by-40 ft. studio adjoining theater, accommodat-ing up to 100 persons. Regional MSA 150,000 (75-mile radius).

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Burnsville Performing Arts Center12600 Nicollet Avenue, Burnsville, MN 55337(952) 895-4685; Fax: (952) 895-4688burnsvillepac.comExecutive Director: Brian Luther

Opened in January 2009, the Burnsville PAC features two theaters: a 1,014-seat Proscenium Stage and intimate 150-seat black box. The lobby is two stories tall, all glass; 2,000-sq.-ft. art gallery; multi-purpose room (1,196 sq. ft., divisible into two spac-es). Additional space for banquets, special events and receptions. Stage dressing rooms, shared make-up area, separate star dressing room, 630-sq.-ft. green room. Presentations at the Burnsville PAC include cultural events, dramas, comedies, dance and musical acts from local arts organizations and national touring artists. Full-service in-house advertising agency. Part of Minneapolis/St. Paul metro region/Suburban Burnsville – 60,000 residents, including affluent families and growing boomer population.

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Clay County Regional Events Center800 West 18th Street, Spencer, IA 51301-3156(712) 580-3000; Fax: (712) 580-3003spencerevents.comGeneral Manager: Scott Hallgren Delivering Outstanding ExperiencesComplex opened in 2003, featuring a 2,664-seat arena; 7,600-sq.-ft. Grand Ballroom, divisible into six individual meeting rooms; and a 24,000-sq.-ft., column-free exhibit hall. Boardroom, event office, dressing rooms, private green room are also available. Seating capacities: full concert – 2,664; wrestling/boxing – 2,700; theater – 2,160; open floor – 1,572; banquet – 1,400 (Exhibit Hall). Grand Ballroom: 750 theater style; 504 rounds; 450+ classroom style. Backstage: green room with private bath and shower; two dressing rooms. Co-promotes events; full marketing services; group sales. Spencer is the regional hub in northwest Iowa, serving a broad geographic region across NW Iowa/SW Minnesota.

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Arie Crown Theater2301 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60616(312) 791-6196ariecrown.comDirector: Dulcie Gilmore

The Arie Crown Theater is located in Lakeside Center at McCormick Place, just 2.5 miles south of downtown Chicago. Opened in 1960, the 4,267-seat venue can be curtained to 2,759 seats or 2,052 seats. The proscenium opening is 90 ft. wide by 40 ft. high, with a stage depth of 58.4 ft. Backstage areas include two weather-pro-tected berths on the loading dock adjacent to the stage, nine two-person dressing rooms, two 40-person chorus rooms, one star dressing room, one full-size wardrobe room, and two 50 ft.-by-50 ft. rehearsal rooms. The theater’s catering is offered in conjunction with SAVOR Chicago McCormick Place. McCormick Place/Arie Crown Theater offers convenient underground parking for all performances.

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136 East Third Street, Davenport, IA 52801

(563) 326-8500; Fax: (563) 326-8505

adlertheatre.com • riverctr.com

Nestled along the banks of the Mississippi River, the RiverCenter/Adler Theatre is indeed a “center of exceptional events” in the Midwest.

The RiverCenter/Adler Theatre staff takes pride in providing clients with everything they need to ensure an event that meets objectives and exceeds expectations, with personalized event coordination, exclusive catering, show decorating and more.

Meeting and event planners find the light and industrial feeling of the RiverCenter immediately appealing. Whether a board meeting for 15 or a convention of 3,000, the RiverCenter/Adler Theatre is ideal for meetings, conventions, consumer shows and an array of special events, offering 100,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting and event space to meet the needs of any group.

Originally an RKO movie theater that opened in 1931, the Adler Theatre boasts seating for 2,400 in a beautiful, historic art-deco style that reopened for live performances in 1986. Recently updated again with an expanded backstage to accommodate bigger shows, other improvements were also made to the sound system and lighting and rigging capabilities, as well as improved heating and cooling.

The Adler Theatre perfectly complements the RiverCenter,

providing distinct but separate entities adjacent to each other for multiple-layered functions and meetings. Any event can be enhanced with the use of the Adler Theatre, and conventions, tradeshows, or annual events at both the Adler and the RiverCenter are always accompanied by uncompromising service.

The RiverCenter/Adler Theatre is managed by VenuWorks (formerly Compass Facility Management), the third-largest facilities management company in the United States. VenuWorks is well known for its success in providing full management services for arenas, theaters and convention centers, which are primarily under the governance of municipalities, counties, colleges and universities. It also manages food and beverage operations, performs feasibility studies, does consulting work and provides event booking and promotion services.

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allen County war MeMorial ColiseuM4000 Parnell Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46805

(260) 482-9502; Fax: (260) 484-1637 • memorialcoliseum.com

The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is one of only a few facilities in the United States to feature two arenas under one roof. The Coliseum Arena has a seating capacity of nearly 13,000 with deluxe suites and club seats, while the 108,000-sq.-ft.

Expo Center has a seating capacity of 8,000.

Located in northeast Indiana, Fort Wayne is the second-largest city in the state, just a few hours drive from some of the Midwest’s major markets, including Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati. The Memorial Coliseum is the perfect central location for staging programs directed to a wide regional audience. The Coliseum’s non-metro location offers affordable and local media, yet more than 55 million people live within a day’s drive.

CAPACITIESArena: The Memorial Coliseum has a total seating capacity of nearly 13,000 for a concert in the round and includes 24 luxury suites, 318 club seats and other state-of-the-art amenities, including a center-hung, four-sided LED video scoreboard and nearly 360 degrees of LED ribbon boards.

The Arena is home to the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets, the NCAA Division I men’s basketball team of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (Mastodons), the Mad Ants of the NBA’s D-League and the Fort Wayne Derby Girls.

Mini-Arena: A scaled-down arena setup with a customized curtain system is available for more intimate events utilizing up to 4,000 seats.

Expo Center: A recent $5 million renovation to this 108,000-sq.-ft. space has dramatically improved lighting, sound and amenities. Flexible telescopic seating configurations can be customized for up to 8,000 guests. The Expo Center can be used in its entirety or in increments of one-third or two-thirds. Ample loading docks and oversized drive-through bays facilitate ease of move-in and move-out. The Expo Center features a 44,000-sq.-ft. lower level that can be used separately or for those events that need more space.

T H E m E m O R i A l c O l i S E u m i S T H E p E R f E c T c E N T R A l l O c AT i O N f O R S TA g i N g p R O g R A m S d i R E c T E d T O A W i d E R E g i O N A l A u d i E N c E .

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Hoyt Sherman Place1501 Woodland Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309(515) 244-0507; Fax: (515) 237-3582hoytsherman.orgExecutive Director: Carol Pollock

Originally a grand manor home circa 1877, Hoyt Sherman Place opened as a theater in 1923. A beautiful and acoustically sound performing arts center, it is Central Iowa’s only mid-sized live event facility. Recent $5.5 million renovation included updated sound, lighting and technical capabilities. Year-round venue hosts 280+ events annually. Theater – 1,250 fixed seats (38 box seats); art galleries accommo-date up to 250 for receptions, meetings, etc. Large chorus with bathroom attached; medium-sized chorus room; three star dressing rooms. Full-service marketing depart-ment. The capital of Iowa, Des Moines is visited by 2.9 million+ each year – 562,000+ within 40-mile radius.

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59The MidwestFacilities SuperBook 2009

FAIRFIELD ARTS ANDCONVENTION CENTER/STEPHEN SONDHEIMCENTER FOR THEPERFORMING ARTS200 N Main StFairfield, IA 52556(641) 472-2000; Fax: (641) 472-7890www.fairfieldacc.comExecutive Director: Brendon Wagner

Snapshot: Managed by VenuWorksand opened in the Winter of 2007, theFairfield Arts and Convention Center isa stunning building that is home to theStephen Sondheim Center for thePerforming Arts, two meeting rooms,an executive conference room, and anexhibition hall. The theatre is an inti-mate space equipped with some of themost modern theatrical equipment.The meeting rooms and exhibition hallare very flexible and can accommodatemost needs.Capacities: Theatre - 522; MeetingRoom (each) - 60 banquet, 120 theatrestyle, 60 classroom; ExecutiveConference Room - 20 at conferencetable, 20 additional around perimeter;Exhibition Hall - 400 banquet, 600

theatre style, 30 exhibition booths(10X10).Exhibition Space: 112’X64’hall. Canaccommodate approximately 30 10’X10’booths. Can be combined with meetingrooms to increase capacity; direct accessto kitchen available.Backstage Areas: 2 Star dressingrooms, 1 makeup room, 2 chorus dressing rooms, and green room.Staging: Various 4’x8’ platforms in avariety of heights availableSound/Ligthing: In theatre there is a40 channel mixer withcompressors/limiters/noise gates avail-able for 24 channels. Lighting in the-atre consists of an ETC Expression 3lighting console, 228 dimmers, and acomplement of ETC Source 4 lights.Food & Beverage: 1 concession standin lobby. Portable bars available for usearound building. Full commercialkitchen.Marketing: Partnership with the CVBto send email blasts about upcomingevents. Co-promotional opportunitiesavailable.Demographics: Community is verydedicated to the cultural arts. LargeTranscendental Meditation practicingpopulation in the area.

IOWA

CLAY COUNTYREGIONAL EVENTSCENTER800 West 18th StreetSpencer, IA 51301(712) 580-3000: Fax: (712) 580-3003www.spencerevents.comGeneral Manager: Scott Hallgren

“Delivering OutstandingExperiences”Snapshot: The Clay County RegionalEvents Center, which opened inNovember 2003 and is managed byVenuWorks, includes an 2,664-seatarena; 7,600-sq.-ft. Grand Ballroom,divisible into 6 individual meetingrooms, and a 24,000-sq.-ft.arena/exhibit hall. Boardroom, EventOffice, Dressing Rooms, private GreenRoom are also available.Seating Capacities: Full concert set –2,664; Wrestling / Boxing (in the round)– 2,654; Theater set – 2,160; Open floorset (Circus, Bull Riding, LipizzanerStallions) – 1,572; Banquet – 1,400.Grand Ballroom: Theater style – 750;Rounds – 504; Classroom style – 450+

Exhibition Space: 24,000-sq.-ft.column-free exhibit hall.Staging: StageRight professional concert staging – 40’ X 84’ (or custombuild to your specs).Sound/Lighting: 40’ X 60’ grid locatedon east end of arena, above stage area;50,000 pound capacity; 1,000 – 2,000lbs. per hang point, depending uponconfiguration; Total of 800 amps 208v3-phase show power; 400 amp 208vservice and 200 amp 208v service withcamlocks located in arena.Backstage Areas: private green roomwith private bath and shower; 2 dress-ing rooms, each with its own lockerroom with sink, mirrors, toilets, andshowers.Food & Beverage: exclusive on-sitecaterer with full-service commercialkitchen; 2 permanent concession stands.Parking: 750+ spaces on-site; addition-al parking throughout Fairgrounds.Marketing: co-promote on events; full-marketing services; group sales.Demographics: Spencer is the regionalhub in NW Iowa—serving a broad geo-graphic region across NW Iowa / SEMinnesota. Clay County RegionalEvents Center serves a market areawithin 75-100+ radius of Spencer.See ad on page 43

clay countyregional centerevents

IOWA

HOYT SHERMAN PLACE1501 Woodland AvenueDes Moines, IA 50266(515) 244-0507; Fax: (515) 237-3582www.hoytsherman.orgExecutive Director: Carol Pollock

Snapshot: A grand manor home builtin 1877 by prominent businessman HoytSherman; the structure, managed byVenuWorks, is a world-class performingarts center, located at the cornerstone ofDes Moines’ historic Sherman Hill. TheHoyt Sherman Place Theater opened in1923 and is Central Iowa’s only mid-sized (1,251) performing arts venue andthe last remaining historical theater inDes Moines. Since reopening inNovember, 2003 after a $5.5-million,six-month renovation, including updatedsound, lighting and technical capabili-ties, this year-round venue has welcomedover 200,000 patrons. Newly renovated,adjacent galleries can be transformed fora unique sit down dining experience, asocial cocktail party or a theater-stylemeeting place.

Capacities: 1,251 seatsStage Dimensions: Back wall toProscenium 24’ ; SR Wall to SL Wall52’; Proscenium to Front of Pit Cover8’; Proscenium Height 22’6”;Proscenium Width 34’4”.Dressing Rooms: large chorus w/bath-room attached; medium sized chorusroom; 3 star dressing rooms.Sound: 2 Stacks of McCauly n-line SRand SL; 12 top boxes and 4 bottoms;All QSC Powerlite amplifiers; 1-Alanand Heath 2200 FOH desk; 2 sm 58; 2beta sm 57; 4 boom stands; 1 cd player;1 3rd octive EQ on the stacks.Lighting: 288 channels of etc sensordimming; 1 obsession 2 w/2 monitorsand keyboards; 16-19 degree S4 Lekos(on stage); 12-26 degree S4 Lekos (onstage); 11-36 degree S4 Lekos (onstage); 11-19 degree S4 Barrels (onstage); 48-S4 par 64 (on stage); 8-S4 12circuit mutipar strips (on stage); 24-15to 30 degree S4 zooms (FOH); 12-19Degree S4 Lekos (box booms HR andHL); 2- Lycian 1272 Starklite II.Audience Amenities: 28 Box Seats.Marketing: in-house marking services;co-promotions.Managed by Venuworks.See ad on page 44

IOWA

RIVERCENTER & ADLER THEATRE 136 East Third StreetDavenport, IA 52801(563) 326-8500; Fax: (563) 326-8505www.adlertheatre.com www.riverctr.com Executive Director: Rick Palmer, CFE

“The Center With It All”Snapshot: Managed by VenuWorks,the classic, 2,411-seat Adler Theatre is ahistoric, art-deco yet also state-of-the-artPAC originally built in 1931 and mostrecently renovated in 2006. The Adler ispart of the RiverCenter Complex,which features more than 100,000square feet of meeting, exhibit and eventspace. The RiverCenter includes theGreat Hall, featuring a seating capacityof 3,200 for general admissions and2,500 reserved seats and the MississippiRiver Hall, which can host 1,400 forgeneral admission and 1,100 reserved.Staging: 40’ deep from the plaster lineto the back wall, 80’ wide, 38’ stage left

of center and 42’ stage right of center.The proscenium opening is 59’-4” wide.The height from stage floor to the gridis 69’.Backstage Areas: 2 production offices;800-sq.-ft. wardrobe room. 8 dressingrooms, 2 star dressing rooms; soloistroom.Sound: 5 EV XLD281 Loudspeakersin the center cluster; Left and RightClusters are (8 each side) EV XLC-127+. Soundcraft MH2 24 channelconsole.Lighting: Balcony/Side House fillsthroughout the theatre. In-HouseDimmers are controlled by an ETCEmphasis Server with an Express 125faceplate.Food & Beverage: Adler Theatre has 2permanent concession stands and theRiverCenter has 3 permanent conces-sion stands.Audience Amenities: Premiere ClubSeating in loge; Broadway at the AdlerTheatre Subscribers; Accessible seatingon main floor.Marketing: Full service marketing/pro-motions coordination available.Parking: 750 coveredparking spaces availablefor Adler Theaterpatrons. More than2,300 additional spacesnearby.See ad on page 49

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Ford Center/Victory Theatre1 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard,Evansville, IN 47708(812) 422-8000; Fax: (812) 436-7001thefordcenter.comFord Center Executive Director: Scott Schoenike

The region’s center for sports and entertainment is designed to host basketball, hockey, concerts, exhibitions and shows for audiences as large as 11,000. The multi-purpose facility works with downtown attractions to create a vibrant atmosphere for sports fans, music lovers and conventioneers. Seating capacities: basketball – 9,800; hockey – 9,100; concerts – 10,500 total (9,066 permanent seats and 1,700 floor chairs); half-house – 3,500-5,700. Exhibition space: 20,468 sq. ft.; two star dressing rooms, two locker rooms, green room, multi-purpose room; 137 high-definition flat-screen televisions throughout; high-definition video board with upper and lower displays and ribbon board.

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Morris Performing Arts Center211 N. Michigan Street, South Bend, IN 46601(574) 235-9190; (800) 537-6415; Fax: (574) 235-5604morriscenter.orgExecutive Director: Dennis J. AndresThe Magnificent Morris Has The Hottest Tickets in Town!State-of-the-art PAC ($24.3 million renovation in 2000) originally opened as The Palace Theater in 1921 with a design that replicated Italian Renaissance, Spanish Revival and Baroque architecture. Seats 2,560. Backstage areas: eight dressing rooms, two chorus rooms in Lower Level Hair/Wardrobe Room (30 ft.-by-18 ft.); catering room. Brand-new stage, 45 ft. deep by 103 ft. wide, with a 72 ft. fly height and 70 fly lines. Expanded orchestra pit; full Wenger symphonic shell; fully updated utilities and HVAC system. One million within 40-minute drive; venue hosts 125+ events per year, attracting 156,000+.

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INTRUST Bank Arena500 East Waterman, Wichita, KS 67202(316) 440-9000; Fax: (316) 440-9199intrustbankarena.comGeneral Manager: A.J. Boleski

Modern, state-of-the-art, premier Midwest sports/entertainment venue, perfect for all events – concerts and conventions alike. Capacities: center stage (15,000), end stage (10,500), half stage (6,500), basketball (15,000), hockey (13,000); black curtaining system includes: house reduction, backdrop and half-house curtains. 20 suites, 2 party suites, 40 loge boxes, 222 club seats. Backstage areas – 4 Event Offices, 3 Star Dressing Rooms, 3 full Locker Rooms, Hockey Locker Room, Officials Locker Room, Treatment Room, Promoter Room, Press/Interview Room, and Pre-Function Room. Wichita is the largest city in Kansas with a population of 372,186, county seat of Sedgwick County, nearest large cities – Denver, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Tulsa.

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Paramount Theatre/ U.S. Cellular Center370 First Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401(319) 398-5211; Fax: (319) 362-2102uscellularcenter.comExecutive Director: Gene Felling

The Paramount Theatre/U.S. Cellular Center is undergoing extensive renovations and will reopen in late Spring 2013. The arena will have an additional seating capacity, new concourses, seats, dressing rooms and rigging grid. The Paramount Theatre is being fully restored to its original 1927 condition. The theater will have a professional line array house sound system. End-stage reserved 360 capacity will be 7,700; GA festival capacity will be 9,000; Paramount Theatre – 1,650. A convention center is being built adjacent to the arena and will also open in 2013. Population: 250,000 within an hour’s drive.

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Rushmore Plaza Civic Center444 Mount Rushmore Road North, Rapid City, SD 57701(605) 394-4115/(800) GOT-MINE; Fax: (605) 394-4119GOTMINE.COM General Manager: Brian MaliskeTruly the Center of It All South Dakota’s premier full-service performance, exhibition, convention and event complex. Entertainment promoters, professional sports teams and business executives have all dis-covered that the Civic Center can meet their needs with professional service and competi-tive pricing. The Complex features a 10,000+-seat arena, 1,741-seat Fine Arts Theatre, and two large Convention Halls with 12 variously sized meeting rooms. New (2008) Ice Arena – 28,000 sq. ft. convention space; 5,127 seats – hockey; 7,450 seats – concerts. Arena has two star dressing rooms, five locker/dressing rooms; theater has two chorus rooms, four dressing rooms.

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62 Facilities SuperBook 2009The Midwest

ERVIN J. NUTTERCENTERat Wright State UniversitySuite 4303640 Colonel Glenn HighwayDayton, OH 45435-0001(937) 775-3498; Fax: (937) 775-2060www.nuttercenter.comExecutive Director: John Siehl, CFE

“Ohio’s premier spot for sports,concerts, and family events.”

Snapshot: This multipurpose entertain-ment and sports complex features1,000 – 12,000 seats. The venue openedin 1990 and has been renovated toallow hockey to be played and addedreinforced steel rigging along with newmotorized lower level seating, motor-ized center arena scoreboard, renovatedluxury suites and new-look concessionstands.Capacities: Basketball: 10,400;Hockey: 9,900; End-Stage Seating:11,500; Professional Wrestling/ In “TheRound” Seating: 11,500; Extreme

(Motorcross): 9,500.Staging: Stage right 60’ W x 40’ D x4’-7’ H; 2-12’x 24’ sound wings; Stageramping: ADA approved—floor tostage; Riser stock: Variable = 12” – 32”in height.Backstage Areas: Production Office:upstage left, floor level; DressingRooms: Two Star Dressing Rooms—upstage left, floor level; Four TeamDressing Rooms- upstage left.Sound: Center Cluster Unit.Lighting: 4 Lycain 1290 XLT, 2K.Food & Beverage: Ovations is theonsite concession and catering service; 8Concession stands (including the floorportable: limited menu); 2 Hot DogNation stands; 2 Black AngusHamburger stands; 1 Pizziola Pizzastand ; 1: Houssong’s Mexican Cantina;1 City BBQ; 1 Full Service Bar; 2Dippin’ Dots stands.Audience Amenities: Padded Seatingin first six rows; Video board in middleof the arena; Guest service booth.Parking: 4,238 spaces.Marketing: Marketing Departmentand a Group Sales Department.Demographics: 1.2 million people inthe Dayton area and the Greater MiamiValley.See ad on Page 47

OHIO

RUSHMORE PLAZACIVIC CENTER444 Mt. Rushmore Rd. N.Rapid City, SD 57701(605) 394-4115 or (800)-GOTMINEFax: (605) 394-4119www.gotmine.comSales and Marketing Manager:Steve Montgomery

The Center of It AllSnapshot: Rushmore Plaza CivicCenter is South Dakota’s premier full-service performance, exhibition, con-vention and event complex. Sinceopening its doors in 1977, entertain-ment promoters, professional sportsteams and business executives have alldiscovered that the Civic Center canmeet their needs with professional serv-ice and competitive pricing. TheComplex features a 10,000-seat Arena,1,752-seat Fine Arts Theatre, and 2large Convention Halls with 12 varioussized Meeting Rooms from 2,000 to 20.A new 6,500-seat Ice Arena was addedin Nov. 2008.

Exhibition Space: 180,000 sq. ft.Capacities: Arena—concerts and otherentertainment: 10,000; Sports eventsseating: 5,700-8,500; half-house settingwith seating up to 5,700 (Arena fea-tures 34,500 sq. ft. of uninterruptedspace); The Rushmore Plaza CivicCenter’s Fine Arts Theatre seats up to 1,752.Backstage Areas: Arena has 2 stardressing rooms on the 2nd level and 5locker/dressing rooms on the mainfloor; Fine Arts Theatre has 2 chorusrooms and 4 individual dressing rooms.Food & Beverage: 9 concession stands,club restaurant, and Food Court, multi-ple portable stands.Audience Amenities: Club Seating,Suites, Large Daktronics Video ScreensParking: 4,000 Free Spaces.Demographics: 250,000 in ADI.See ad on page 51

SOUTH DAKOTA

SWIFTEL CENTER824 32nd AvenueBrookings, SD 57006(605) 692-7539: Fax: (605) 697-6393www.swiftelcenter.comExecutive Director: Tom Richter

Midwest Hospitality at its Best!Snapshot: Managed by VenuWorks,the Swiftel Center is one of SouthDakota’s premier event centers formeetings and entertainment. With a30,000-square-foot Arena, state of theart Daktronics Banquet Rooms,Concourse, County Rooms, ConferenceRooms and In-House Catering service;the Swiftel Center can plan any eventthat you can imagine. Swiftel Centerfeatures a dedicated staff to make anyevent successful from conception toreality and provide superior service witha friendly smile.Seating Capacities: Basketball – 4,300;End-stage Concert (reserved) – 5,400;End stage Concert (festival) – 7,000.Exhibition Space: 30,000 sq. ft.Portable Staging: 40’ x 60’ x 4-6’ stage;(24) ME-500 supports, 48”-78”; (63)

4’x8’ decks, reversible tech; (12) 4’x8’decks, ground pepper carpet/ tech stage;(15) 8’ guardrails; (3) 4’ guardrails; (15)8’x48”-78” black skirting; (3) 4”x48”-78” black skirting; (8) 4’x8’x 18”-24”supports; (1) 21’x21’ dance floor.Sound: BOSE Quality Systems pow-ered by Crown Amplification.Lighting: Ruud Lights, (120) 400 WattMetal Halide; manually controlled.Backstage Areas: (4) Locker rooms;(2) Dressing room bathroom; (3) meet-ing Rooms.Food & Beverage: 2 Event level con-cession stands; full catering availableon-site.Marketing: full-service marketingdepartment.Demographics: The Swiftel Centerserves the tri-state region of SouthDakota, Minnesota and Iowa.See ad on page 53

SOUTH DAKOTA

ALERUS CENTER1200 South 42nd StreetGrand Forks, ND 58201(701) 792-1200; Fax: (701) 746-6511www.aleruscenter.comDirector of Administration: Vione Jordheim

Snapshot: Managed by VenuWorks,Alerus Center, built in 2001, is theregion’s premier, full service entertain-ment and event center and features both an arena and a conventioncenter. The Alerus Center Arena wasdesigned to serve as a multi-purpose,versatile facility capable of quick conversions while maintaining theintegrity of the “entertainment experi-ence”. Seating Capacities: Total –21,389; Arena Set End Stage: 11,029;Round: 12, 914; Half-House: 8,245;Standard Theater: 2,619.Staging: The stage right portable stageallows a maximum stage of 64’W x52’D x 4’ to 6’ H. Accessories includean accessible ramp, stairs, guardrails,and skirting. The standard mix stage isa 12’W x 24’D platform with heights

ranging from 1’ to 3’.Backstage Areas: 8 locker rooms;private offices, meeting rooms and startdressing rooms are available.Sound System: custom Bose system,powered by Crown amplification, andincludes corded microphones, wirelessmicrophones, CD and cassette players,mixing boards, and a variety of otheraudio-visual equipment.Lighting: mix of metal halide andquartz fixtures with a Douglas pro-grammable controller; full black-outcapabilities via an extensive half-housecurtaining system.Food & Beverage: 8 fixed concessionstands, 7 various portable stands,20 beer domes and 6 portable liquorstands; the Alerus Center also providesexclusive on-site catering service.Parking: 3,388 on-site spaces.Marketing: full in-house marketingdepartment.Demographics: more than one millionpeople within 2-hour driving radius.See ad on page 40

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PAGEC3

Hartman Arena8151 Hartman Arena Drive, Wichita/Park City, KS 67147(316) 744-8880; Fax: (316) 683-2805hartmanarena.comExecutive Director: James Snodgrass

Opened in 2009, the Hartman Arena serves the Wichita Metro Area. Managed by VenuWorks, it is an ideally sized, modern venue for concerts, sporting events, family shows, motorsports and more. Seating capacities: 5,000, football and soccer; 6,500, end-stage con-certs; 7,000, festival; 3,300, half-house; 1,200, theater. Features an 80 ft.-by-90 ft. floating grid suspended with 30 two-ton motors monitored by load cell system, and a 26,000-sq.-ft. arena floor. Stage: 40 ft.-by-60 ft. capacity. Up to seven dressing rooms; four additional pro-moter and production offices; locker rooms. Onsite parking, livestock friendly, easy highway access. Twenty loge boxes with in-seat service, two premium lounges/bars. Full in-house marketing agency; can promote in-house or co-promote.

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i wireless Center 1201 River Drive, Moline, IL 61265(309) 764-2001www.iwirelesscenter.com Executive Director: Scott Mullen

The i wireless Center is a 12,000-seat arena that has hosted top artists and touring acts including The Eagles, Justin Bieber, Carrie Underwood, Cirque du Soleil, Disney On Ice. Capacities: 12,000 seat center stage; 11,500 end-stage; multiple lower-bowl and theater capacities that range from 3,000-6,000; 10,700 for basketball; and 9,500 for hockey and indoor football. Seven dressing rooms including four team rooms, training room, three production offices, and VIP promoter office. Also features a 450-sq.-ft. team store, Premium Seating area and VIP Lounge, and 20 luxury suites. Parking: 937 onsite and 300 parking ramp spaces with an additional 1,000 spaces offsite nearby. Full-service market-ing and public relations department. Centrally located between Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Minneapolis and Omaha.

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T H E A T E R

R

Whether you are planning a concert, theatrical event or meeting, Chicago's Arie Crown Theater is here to help you make your upcoming show a success.

The Arie Crown Theater is a handsome, 4,249-seat proscenium arch theatre located in Lakeside Center at McCormick Place, just 2.5 miles south of downtown Chicago. It features one of the largest and most adaptable stages in the Midwest, able to accommodate events in scale from a single lecturer to Grand Opera. It is accessible via a wide variety of public transportation methods and ample parking is available.

The proscenium opening is 90 feet wide by 40 feet high, with a stage depth of over 58 feet, featuring an ample orchestra pit. The Arie Crown Theater is equipped with excellent lighting and sound systems. The spacious backstage area provides generous storage for scenery and props and offers two weather-protected berths on the loading dock adjacent to the stage.

Abundant cast and crew areas can be found backstage, with ten principle dressing rooms two large chorus dressing rooms, tech rooms, special storage areas and a generously proportioned "Green Room" for VIP and performers' use. In addition, the Theater has two large, strategically located rehearsal rooms that are equipped with mirrored walls, wood flooring, and dance barres.

For Booking Information, please visit us atwww.ariecrown.com, or call Dulcie Gilmore at (312) 791-6196.

Classic Features, Modern Amenities

The Arie Crown TheaterThe Arie Crown Theater


T H E m i d W E S T

The Sanford Center1111 Event Center Drive NE, Bemidji, MN 56601(218) 441-4000; Fax: (218) 441-4099thesanfordcenter.netExecutive Director: Roger Swanson

Located on beautiful Lake Bemidji, managed by VenuWorks, The Sanford Center is northern Minnesota’s premier venue for sporting events, concerts and family shows, and offers high-tech meeting and ballroom space for conventions and conferences. Seating: 4,000 hockey, 5,500 for end-stage concerts. Exhibition space: 10,000-sq.-ft. ballroom (divisible three ways), 24,000-sq.-ft. arena/tradeshow floor; four breakout meeting rooms, pre/post reception area. Industry standard portable arena concert staging with risers. Two star dressing rooms, green room, meeting room, four locker rooms, produc-tion office. Twenty-five suites, 200+ club seats, state-of-the-art press box; in-house marketing department; 200,000+ residents within 75-mile radius of Bemidji.

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Swiftel Center824 32nd Avenue, Brookings, SD 57006(605) 692-7539; Fax: (605) 697-6393swiftelcenter.comExecutive Director: Tom RichterTreat yourself to Midwest Hospitality at its bestA multi-purpose facility: configurations range from 4,300 basketball, 5,600 end-stage concert (reserved), 7,000 end-stage concert (festival). 15,000 sq. ft. of banquet space, divisible into four rooms. Six dressing rooms. Full-service in-house catering and concessions. StageRight stage – 40 ft.-by-60 ft., adjustable height from 4 ft. to 6 ft. House sound system is a BOSE Quality System, center-hung powered by Crown Amplification throughout the facility. Full rigging grid and Daktronics Galaxy Message Center. In-house marketing department is full-service agency, specializing in creating customized marketing campaigns for events. The Center serves the tri-state region – South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa.

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Topeka Performing Arts Center214 SE 8th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603(785) 234-2787; Fax: (785) 234-2307tpactix.orgExecutive Director: Jan ZarrEntertaining, Enriching & Educating through the ArtsState-of-the-art facility accommodates all events and functions – theater, dance, musical concerts as well as meetings, banquets and special events. Seating capac-ity – 2,546; main floor seats 1,168. TPAC also has a 2,000-sq.-ft. black box theater that seats 120. Exhibition space: 6,500-sq.-ft., carpeted banquet facility, as well as a 1,000-sq.-ft. foyer. Both areas can and have been used as exhibition space. Backstage areas: 1,975-sq.-ft. dance studio; 800-sq.-ft. green room; a 1,260-sq.-ft. room and two 600-sq.-ft. rooms available. Market – Topeka MSA (five counties) – 233,870; in-house marketing department.

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United Wireless Arena4100 Comanche Street, P.O. Box 1516Dodge City, KS 67801(620) 371-7390; Fax: (620) 371-7393Executive Director: Ralph Nall

State-of-the-art, $40.3 million arena opened in 2011 featuring a U-shaped seating bowl, 4,000 fixed seats, 5,200+ for concerts and other events (half-house: 1,800 with curtaining system). 12 suites plus 12 Club Seating sections; in-suite catering available; VIP level includes a walk-out balcony, tables and seating, large plasma TVs, lounge furniture and fully stocked and serviced bar. Backstage areas: four team locker rooms, two green rooms. Arena floor: 20,000-sq.-ft. exhibition/conference space; 6,700 sq. ft. in attached Magouirk Conference Center. Kansas has a popula-tion of three million; venue also draws from Oklahoma and Colorado markets. In-house marketing staff.

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U.S. Cellular Center/ Paramount Theatre370 First Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401(319) 398-5211; Fax: (319) 362-2102uscellularcenter.comExecutive Director: Gene Felling

The U.S. Cellular Center/Paramount Theatre is undergoing extensive renovations and will reopen in late Spring 2013. The arena will have an additional seating capacity, new concourses, seats, dressing rooms and rigging grid. The Paramount Theatre is being fully restored to its original 1927 condition. The theater will have a professional line array house sound system. End-stage reserved 360 capacity will be 7,700; GA festival capacity will be 9,000; Paramount Theatre – 1,650. A convention center is being built adjacent to the arena and will also open in 2013. Population: 250,000 within an hour’s drive.

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Wright State University’s Nutter Center3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435(937) 775-3498; Fax: (937) 775-2060nuttercenter.comExecutive Director: Jim Brown, CFE

Southwest Ohio’s premier sports and entertainment complex. Market Population: 1.7 million; within a one-day drive of 60 percent of the U.S. population; 20,000+ college students in area. Capacities: 11,500 – in-the-round/end-stage; 2,000-7,500 – half-house; 9,500 – basketball. 70-ft. curtain and truss system. Total available flat space: 85,000 sq. ft. (main arena floor – 28,000 sq. ft.). Eight dressing rooms and production room. StageRight stage – 32 in.-by-8 ft. decks; 60 ft.-by-40 ft. stage with 12 ft.-by-24 ft. wings; adjustable height from 48 in. to 84 in. Ovations is the exclusive F&B provider; seven permanent stands.

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U.S. Cellular Arena400 West Kilbourn Avenue, Milwaukee WI 43203(414) 908-6001; Fax: (414) 908-6010uscellulararena.comDirector of Sports & Entertainment Sales: Tony Dynicki

Opened in 1950, this major (12,700 capacity) sports and entertainment venue is home to decades of sports legend, rock & roll history and a variety of other events; $16+ million in improvements since 1998 keep it technologically state-of-the art while retaining its legendary intensity and audience friendliness. Exhibition space: 24,000-sq.-ft. main floor/plus concourse. Backstage: 120 ft.-by-24 ft. media/catering room; two star dressing rooms; two team rooms; two chorus rooms; green room; traveling production office. Market: Milwaukee metro – 1.7 million people, extended market 4 million+ including Madison, Sheboygan and other outlying cities; Chicago metro area only 45 minutes away.

wiScoNSiN

Show Me Center1333 North Sprigg Street, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701(573) 651-2297 www.showmecenter.bizFacility Director: William Gorman

The Show Me Center, a multipurpose facility located on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University, annually hosts 160 arena events. Consisting of a 7,200-seat arena, three concourses and six meeting rooms, the Show Me Center was designed with flexibility in mind. Seating capacities: west end-stage, 7,239 including 900 floor seats with a 60 ft.-by-40 ft. stage; south end-stage, 3,998; center stage, 7,468; basketball, 7,268; curtaining system allows for 700-7,468 seating range. StageRight staging 4 ft.-by-8 ft. decks to a max-imum of 80 ft.-by-40 in., 4 ft.-6 ft. high in increments of 2 ins. Backstage areas: two large locker rooms, one large dressing room, two star dressing rooms, two production rooms. Seven self-operated concession stands. More than 3,000 parking spaces.

MiSSouri

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Ford Center

viCtory theatre1 Southeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Evansville, IN 47708

(812) 422-1515 • www.thefordcenter.com

600 Main Street, Evansville, IN 47708

(812) 435-6287 • www.victorytheatre.com

opened in November 2011, Ford Center is a multipurpose, 11,000-seat arena and the region’s center for sports and entertainment. Managed by VenuWorks, the 290,000-sq.-ft.

facility is home to the NCAA Division I University of Evansville Aces men’s and women’s basketball and the Central Hockey League Evansville IceMen. The arena floor has over 20,000 sq. ft. of usable space and can be modified for basketball, hockey, concerts, conventions, rodeos, expos and a variety of other events. Premium seating includes 16 20-person suites, one 40-person suite, two eight-person mini suites, two 10-person mini suites and 95 main concourse loge seats. Among the events Ford Center has hosted are Bob Seger, Hadi Shrine Circus, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Monster Jam and WWE Supershow.

The historic Victory Theatre is the home of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and hosts a variety of entertainment in an intimate, comfortable atmosphere, with recent performers including Ron White, Greg Allman, BB King, Pop Evil and “Weird Al” Yankovic. The 1,950-seat theater offers a 42 ft.-by-46 ft. wide stage with 24 ft. of off-stage wing space and a 30-ft.-tall grid. Amenities include fifth-floor banquet rooms with capacities of 180

and 80, three bar locations in the lobbies, and two star dressing rooms and four support dressing rooms all with their own private showers and restrooms.

Since assuming management in October, VenuWorks has made investments in Wifi services, credit card machines, ATMs, LED message boards, and implemented branding campaigns. In addition, the theater’s first annual Summer Country Nights concert series is bringing in up-and-coming acts to give the community a chance to enjoy great music at a very affordable price. According to NS2 Talent Buyer Brian Penix, “We enjoy doing shows at the Victory Theatre in Evansville. It’s easy to sell tickets and make money there. The venue is beautiful and the VenuWorks staff is great to work with. But the most important thing they do is make the show enjoyable for the fans.”


EVANSVILLE’S CENTER FOR SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Located in Evansville, Indiana, the

Ford Center is a beautiful, exciting,

multi-purpose 11,000-seat arena and

is the region’s center for sports and

entertainment. The 290,000 square

foot facility is home of the NCAA

Division I University of Evansville Aces

Men’s and Women’s basketball and the

ECHL Evansville IceMen. The arena

floor has over 20,000 square feet of

usable space and can be modified for

basketball, hockey, concerts,

conventions, rodeos, expos and a

variety of other events.

Our staff is committed to providing the

highest standard of service and to

ensure the best possible experience

during each event. Ford Center is

managed by VenuWorks, a full

management service to theatres,

arenas and convention centers. In

addition to its facility management

service, VenuWorks manages food and

beverage and operations, as well as

performs feasibility studies, does

consulting work and provides event

booking and promotion services.

FOR BOOKING INFORMATION CONTACT:Scott [email protected]

thefordcenter.com

fordcenterevansville @thefordcenter


The MORRIS originally opened as The Palace Theater in November, 1921. The building was designed to combine many different eras in architectural history: Italian Renaissance, Spanish Revival and

Baroque. Architect J.S. Aroner of Chicago hoped that a trip through the theater would make patrons feel like they had just made a trip through Europe. The opulent interior décor was designed by Marshall Fields of Chicago. Patrons of the Palace enjoyed a magnificent ballroom and a theater that boasted the largest stage in the state and luxuries of the time such as a supervised nursery, a sitting room for women complete with an attendant, and a smoking room for men.

In August of 1959, with the advent of television causing low attendance records, the theater was almost demolished. Mrs. Morris purchased the theater for an undisclosed sum and sold it for $1 to the city, which then renamed it the Morris Civic Auditorium in her honor.

The MORRIS in February 2000 completed extensive $24.3 million renovation (soft and hard dollars) and was renamed THE MORRIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. The MORRIS reopened boasting upgraded technical equipment, enlarged performance and backstage spaces, as well as a completely restored interior.

The MORRIS CENTER offers the best of the old and new, a combination of opulent decor and rich history with upgraded technical equipment and expanded space. The MORRIS CENTER now hosts over 125 events per year including pops concerts, national Broadway tours, dance, symphony, comedians, rock concerts and ballroom events. The MORRIS CENTER welcomes over 156,000 guests yearly and has an economic impact of $5.9 million on the City of South Bend.

The MORRIS is the best-kept “touring” secret in the Midwest: a low-cost showcase for rehearsals and early performances of a tour. In 2003, the MORRIS Bistro Restaurant opened on the lower level as “The place to go before the show.” Seats up 100, available for private parties.

THE MORRIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

211 North Michigan Street, South Bend, IN 46601

(574) 235-9190; (800) 537-6415; Fax: (574) 235-5604

MorrisCenter.org

T H E M I D W E S T / I n D I a n a

DESIgnED To coMbInE Many DIffErEnT EraS In arcHITEcTural HISTory: ITalIan rEnaISSancE, SpanISH rEvIval anD baroquE.

• $35 Million renovation opened in November of 2012

• Completely renovated and restored to 1920’s glory

• State of the art rigging systems, lighting, video & EV X-Array speaker system

• Expanded stage, orchestra pit and reception spaces

CONTACT JASON ANDERSON 319-286-5343 • [email protected] 3RD AVENUE SE • CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA 52401 • WWW.PARAMOUNTTHEATRECR.COM

oovation opened in November of 2012

Cedar Rapids

Paramount TheatreParamount TheatreParamount TheatreParamount Theatre

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T H E M I D W E S T / M I S S o u r I


1333 North Sprigg Street

Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

(573) 651-2297; (573) 651-5054

www.showmecenter.biz

The Show Me Center, a multipurpose facility located on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University,

opened in 1987 and annually hosts 160 arena events. Consisting of a 7,200-seat arena, three concourses and six meeting rooms, the Show Me Center was designed with flexibility in mind. It is the home court for the Southeast Missouri State University Redhawks NCAA Division I men and women’s basketball teams. Many of the best-known names in the music industry have appeared at the Show Me Center, which serves as an entertainment hub and meeting place for Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky and Southeast Missouri State University.

Seating capacities: west end-stage, 7,239 including 900 floor seats with a 60 ft.-by-40 ft. stage; south end-stage, 3,998; center stage, 7,468; basketball, 7,268; curtaining system allows for 700-7,468 seating range. StageRight staging 4 ft.-by-8 ft. decks to a maximum of 80 ft.-by-40 in., 4 ft.-6 ft. high in increments of 2 ins. Backstage areas: two large locker rooms, one large dressing

room, two star dressing rooms, all equipped with showers and bathrooms; two production rooms. Seven self-operated concession stands; catering services offering a full menu with dietary specific options.

The Show Me Center is a full-service Tickets West facility, with in-house ticket office, online ticketing and charge by phone. The facility offers a wide array of advertising and marketing services, including media placements and buys and event sponsorship acquisition. The Show Me Center has an active social media presence and an in-house fan email list of over 16,000 and growing.

S H O w M E C E N T E R

The FacilitiesMedia Group

Bringing Venues to the Meeting & Events MarketSince 1988

Essential Industry Tools


The FacilitiesMedia Group

Bringing Venues to the Meeting & Events MarketSince 1988

Essential Industry Tools

T H E a r E n a’ S b r a W n yc E I l I n g c a n S u p p o r T4 5 0 , 0 0 0 p o u n D S o fH a n g I n g g E a r .

T H E M I D W E S T / W I S c o n S I n

U.S. CELLULAR ARENA400 West Kilbourn Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53203

(414) 908-6000; (414) 908-6001 • Fax: (414) 908-6010 • wcd.org • uscellulararena.com

The U.S. Cellular Arena is located in downtown Milwaukee across the street from the Wisconsin Center convention facility and attached to the 4,100-seat Milwaukee Theatre. The buildings are

close to hotels, dining and nightlife, and easily accessible.

History The U.S. Cellular Arena opened in 1950 as the Milwaukee Arena, and was later famous as “MECCA,” home to a vibrant Robert Indiana-designed basketball floor, champion teams and a raucous reputation. Comprehensive improvements since 1997 helped land the U.S. Cellular Corp. wireless firm as a title sponsor in 2000. The building is now home to the 2012 (and four time) champion Milwaukee Wave indoor soccer team (MISL), the 2012 Horizon League Champion University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee Panthers men’s basketball team and the Brewcity Bruisers roller derby league, and hosts a wide range of entertainment events and other assemblies. The U.S. Cellular Arena’s connected sister facility, The Milwaukee Theatre, features 21st-century theater design and technology in a creative and architecturally spectacular “adaptive re-use” of the historic Milwaukee Auditorium that created a hard-working but elegant 4,100-seat “destination” theater within the shell of the old building.

Capacities The arena’s maximum capacity is 12,700. Boxing/wrestling events can seat up to 12,200; basketball capacity is 11,366, and soccer/hockey capacity is 9,556. “Open floor” events use the 8,910 permanent seats, and concerts with an end stage and 180-degree sightlines can seat 8,697. Smaller theater and arena configurations are possible using curtains to mask off one end or the upper parquet. The 24,000-sq.-ft. floor can accommodate schoolroom setups for 1,000, banquets of 1,800 diners at five-foot rounds or 155 10 ft.-by-10 ft. exhibit booths.

Markets The U.S. Cellular Arena is the only venue of its size serving the diverse Milwaukee metropolitan market of 1.7 million people. Some four million people live within an hour’s drive, including residents of Chicago’s most affluent suburbs. The contiguous complex of the U.S. Cellular Arena and The Milwaukee Theatre offers an outstanding setting for indoor, multi-stage “festival” events, and their proximity

to the Wisconsin Center makes the campus as a whole an excellent convention destination.

Box Office/TicketingThe U.S. Cellular Arena and the attached Milwaukee Theatre are Ticketmaster venues for remote, phone and online ticket sales. Group, Internet and fan club pre-sale arrangements may be made through the Box Office Manager.

Lighting, Sound & Staging The arena’s brawny ceiling can support 450,000 pounds of hanging gear—enough to suspend a tour motorcade of five loaded 18 wheelers and a five-ton merchandise truck! Rigging points on its main steel bays are rated to 8,000 pounds each, and secondary rigging points support 4,000 pounds each. Recent upgrades include the installation of six 600 Amp power sources, new sports and flood lighting, new scoreboards, house sound and video systems, a built-to-suit portable stage, and ice-making equipment.

Food & Beverage Service Levy Restaurants, the exclusive catering and concessions provider in the U.S. Cellular Arena, Milwaukee Theatre and Wisconsin Center, has forged unique local partnerships that contribute to a growing reputation for superior service and product.

Sales: (414) 908-6092ADA Ticketing: (414) 908-6035Box Office Fax: (414) 908-6011Rent: Call for ratesTax: 5.6% state/local sales tax;5.85% for food & beverageMerchandising: Five Star MarketingDressing rooms:Two star,Four team/chorusCo-promotes: YesParking: 276 spaces on-site;14,000 in a four-block radius

Maximum capacity: 12,700Permanent seats: 8,910End concert—120-degreesightlines: 7,910End concert—180-degreesightlines: 8,509End concert—270-degreesightlines: 9,858End concert—360-degreesightlines: 11,466Concert in the round: 11,848Open floor: 8,910Basketball: 11,119Soccer/hockey: 9,600Boxing/wrestling: 12,146Ice show w/end stage: 6,689


The W

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ALASKA

ARIZONA

CALIFORNIA

COLORADO

HAWAII

IDAHO

MONTANA

NEVADA

NEW MEXICO

OKLAHOMA

OREGON

TEXAS

UTAH

WASHINGTON

WYOMING

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STIDAHO CENTER16114 Idaho Center Blvd. Suite 2 Nampa, ID 83687(208) 468-1000; Fax: (208) 442-3312www.idahocenter.comGeneral Manager: Craig Baltzer

Crossroads of the NorthwestSnapshot: The Idaho Center, at theCrossroads of the Northwest, is one ofthe most versatile and accessible facilitiesof its kind in the West. Whether it’s aSporting Event, Concert, TheatricalProduction, Equestrian Event,Convention, Trade Show, or Conference,the audience experience at the IdahoCenter is first class. The Idaho Center iscentrally located between Seattle,Portland, Reno, and Salt Lake City.Seating: Maximum Arena Capacity -13,000; Full House 270 (0) - 11,016;180 (0) - 9,581; Half House - 6,480;Theater - 2,430.Backstage Areas: 4 Dressing/LockerRooms; Press Facilities available; 2 pro-duction offices; Office/Dressing Room

with Shower; Large Training Room;Private Club.Staging: 60 x 40 ft. stage; 16 x 16 ft.sound wings; Height adjustment 4 – 6ft. 4 Sets of stage stairs available.Sound: state-of-the-art PanarayLoudspeaker System designed andinstalled by Bose.Lighting: 4 Xenon Super Trouper fol-low spotlights; Arena Lighting Touch-plate MCP Operator Program; 160Arena down lights; 102 Event (TVLights); Full dimmer rack aroundperimeter of arena.Food & Beverage: onsite catering byThomas Cuisine Management; 4 perma-nent concession stands; 6 portable con-cession stands; total of 67 points of sale.Parking: 4,000 parking spaces; passen-ger Club Cartsshuttle patrons fromparking lot to arena doors.Marketing: Marketing Department;value-added marketing includes: listingsin Idaho Statesman, Idaho Press Tribune,event listing on LED screens in all ofour ICtickets outlets, event listing on 8 LED screens in Arena, event listingin Schedule of Events that is mailed out to all ticket buyers, e-blast option,event on Idaho Center and ICticketsweb pages.

IDAHO

West v1 1/13/09 8:34 AM Page 64

American Airlines Center2500 Victory Avenue, Dallas, TX 75219(214) 222-3687americanairlinescenter.comAssistant VP, Event Development: Ken Kuhl

Opened in July 2001, the American Airlines Center is home to the Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavericks and is one of the premier entertainment venue in the South. It accommodates 20,000 concert fans or 18,532 hockey fans and compris-es five concourses and 142 luxury suites and rooms. American Airlines Center’s seating bowl features a retractable seating system reducing the conversion time between hockey and basketball floor configurations. In 2009, the Center installed the first and largest 1080 high-definition video replay system in an NBA or NHL venue.

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ASU Gammage Wells Fargo Arena600 East Veterans Way, Tempe, AZ 85281(480) 965-5062asu.edu/tour/tempe/wfa.htmlDirector of Operations: Terri Cranmer

Located on Arizona State University’s Tempe Campus, Wells Fargo Arena is home to a variety of Sun Devil sporting events as well as concerts and shows, and is one of the nation’s top collegiate arenas. The 14,000-seat basketball arena serves the Phoenix Valley, with a population of three million. It offers more than 8,000 parking spaces and is located two blocks from two light rail stations, and two blocks from a bus transportation center. Wells Fargo Arena recently added a multimillion-dollar center-court hung video scoreboard, along with four 8 ft.-by-12 ft. video screens. The venue also features an in-house marketing department.

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Beaumont Civic Center Complex701 Main Street, Beaumont, TX 77701(409) 838-3435 / (800) 782-3081Fax: (409) 838-3715beaumont-tx-complex.comDirector: Claudie D. Hawkins

Conveniently located on IH-10 between Houston and New Orleans, this multi-purpose facility is the ideal spot for concerts, conventions, exhibitions, banquets and other events. Seating capacity: 6,500 (concerts and other live events); meeting/exhi-bition space: 30,000 sq. ft. on ground level; additional 12,000 sq. ft. on upper level. Banquet seating: 2,000; backstage – four dressing rooms; five adjoining meeting rooms. New StageRight system makes stage up to 80 ft. by 40 ft. in heights from 3-5 ft. SMSA market size of over 350,000 people includes a strong country audience as well as a large urban audience.

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Bellco Theatre700 14th Street, Denver, CO 80202(303) 228-8061bellcotheatre.comDirector of Sales and Marketing: Rich CarolloCome Take a Peak!The Wells Fargo Theatre was re-named Bellco Theatre in December of 2012. The high-tech, 5,096-seat venue can be divided three ways or cut down to 3,700 seats with curtain system. Stage dimensions: width 100 ft., depth 48 ft. 11 in., height 34 ft. 6 in. Furthest seat from stage only 150 feet away. Backstage areas include green room, three star dressing rooms, four multipurpose rooms, office/catering area. Theatre offers Web site/social media promotion, email marketing, newsletter placement and more. Parking: 1,000 onsite spaces and right off RTD Light rail train station. With a population of 594,740, Denver is the largest city within a 600-mile radius and is the cultural, shopping and entertainment capital of the region.

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Profitable Events Start Here.

Select from the spacious Beaumont Civic Center, opulent Julie Rogers Theatre, or historic Jefferson Theatre

Beaumont Civic Center Complex

409-833-3435 | 800-782-3081 www.beaumont-tx-complex.com

julie rogers theatre

BeauMoNt CiViC CeNter

jeffersoN theatre

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T H E W E S T / T E x a S

COTTON BOwL3750 Cotton Bowl Circle, Dallas, TX 75210 • (214) 939-2222/(214) 670-8400 • www.cottonbowlstadium.com/www.fairpark.org

Graced with a multi-million dollar renovation that added amenities and expanded capacity, the Cotton Bowl Stadium is

the centerpiece of Fair Park, an urban oasis renowned for its collection of art deco buildings and located just two miles east of downtown Dallas. The stadium hosts up to 92,200 spectators for college football and 88,210 for international soccer; 336 Club Seats are available.

The Cotton Bowl features state-of-the-art AV technology, including a Sportsound® sound system and a Daktronics ProStar® LED VideoPlus HD 57 ft. high-by-83 ft. wide video display. Backstage areas include two team

dressing rooms, two coaches dressing rooms and a 5,000-sq.-ft. Media Center that includes a 2,600-sq.-ft. conference room. Thirty-six concession stands are onsite, and there is a VIP Club with a separate elevator entrance, bars and dining area.

With 13,000 parking spaces and two Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail stops at Fair Park, the Cotton Bowl is well prepared for a large influx of patrons. The stadium has a long history of hosting college football and World Cup soccer, as well festivals such as the 2012 Diwali Mela Festival and 2012 Univision H2O Music Festival

T H E c o T T o n b o W l S Ta D I u M I S T H E c E n T E r p I E c E o f fa I r p a r k , a n u r b a n o a S I S r E n o W n E D f o r I T S c o l l E c T I o n o f a r T D E c o b u I l D I n g S


E X P E R I E N C E T H E N E W LY R E N O VAT E D

COTTON BOWLSEPTEMBER 2013 GRAND OPENING ANDTHE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR RENOVATION!

Sportsound® Sound System • 36 Concessions • Tifway 419 Grass Field336 Club Seats • 92,163 Seating Capacity • Parking for 13,000 Vehicles

Daktronics ProStar® LED Video & HD Jumbotron 57’ H x 83’ W Accessible from Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Light Rail Stations

5,000-Square Feet Multi-Purpose Media Center with Conference Room

SPORTING EVENTS • CONCERTS • BUSINESS OUTINGS • TRADE SHOWS • CONFERENCESCONVENTIONS • COMPANY MEETINGS • CONSUMER EVENTS • SOCIAL EVENTS • GALAS

BOOKING INFORMATION:Cotton Bowl Stadium • 3809 Grand Ave. • Dallas, Texas 75210

214-670-8400 or 214-939-2222 • www.fairpark.org

BE PART OF THECOTTON BOWL

LEGEND

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T H E W E S T


Cotton Bowl Stadium/Fair Park3750 Cotton Bowl Circle, Dallas, TX 75210 (214) 939-2222; (214) 670-8400cottonbowlstadium.com/www.fairpark.org Manager: Roland Rainey

The Cotton Bowl Stadium is the centerpiece of Fair Park and hosts up to 92,200 spectators for college football and 88,210 for international soccer; 336 Club Seats are available. The facility features a Sportsound® sound system and a Daktronics ProStar® LED VideoPlus HD 57 ft. high-by-83 ft. wide video display. Backstage areas include two team dressing rooms, two coaches dressing rooms and a 5,000-sq.-ft. Media Center that houses a 2,600-sq.-ft. conference room. Thirty-six concession stands are onsite. Surrounded by 13,000 parking spaces and two Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail stops at Fair Park.

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Chesapeake Energy Arena100 West Reno, Oklahoma City, OK 73102 (405) 602-8700; Fax: (405) 602-8505chesapeakearena.comGeneral Manager: Gary Desjardins

Attracts more than one million guests per year, conveniently located near the junc-tion of I-40 and I-35 in downtown Oklahoma City, a metro area with a 1.2 million+ population. Seating capacities: 4,000-18,000. Concert (center stage) – 17,932; con-cert (endstage) – 16,698; concert (theater) – 3,736; basketball – 17,404. Arena floor – 34,074 sq. ft. Backstage – four dressing rooms, three locker rooms, two produc-tion offices, press lounge and green room with 906-sq.-ft. lobby and a 1,576-sq.-ft. pub. Recently renovated main concourse; 36 suites, two lounge areas, seven bunker suites, two VIP dining areas. Full-service, award-winning marketing staff.

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Grand Canyon University Arena3300 West Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85017(602) 639-8099; Fax: (877) 532-3962gcuarena.comSr. VP of Campus Development & Arena Manager: Bob MachenEntertainment with a PurposeNewly opened Grand Canyon University Arena seats 5,500 seats for concerts, 4,600 for basketball; wall-to-wall curtaining system makes half-house configuration very intimate. Four star dressing rooms with bathrooms; four large locker rooms; green room located adjacent to dressing rooms; additional room on concourse level for crew meals; additional space on the concourse level backstage for VIP parties, meet & greets, etc. In-house mar-keting department. Phoenix MSA (4.2 million) as well as 4,300 students on campus. Four concession stands concourse level, one in lobby; catering by Sodexo.

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Laredo Energy Arena 6700 Arena Boulevard, Laredo, TX 78041 (956) 791-9192; Fax: (956) 523-7777learena.com General Manager: Roy A. Medina Hot Days . . . Hotter Nights First class, state-of-the-art multi-purpose, 178,000-sq.-ft., SMG-managed facility in the second fastest-growing city in the U.S. Seats 10,000 with 14 luxury suites, six meeting rooms and a private club; end-stage – 9,622; 3/4 house – 6,780; half-house – 4,144; ice hockey – 8,065; basketball – 8,665; 32,000 sq. ft. of continuous open floor space (largest indoor convention space in South Texas). Gateway City – the largest, most efficient port of entry on the U.S./Mexico border. Home to 220,000, Nuevo Laredo, across the border, boasts 700,000 citizens. Only facility of its size within two-hour radius, a market totaling 6,500,000.

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Lloyd Noble Center 2900 South Jenkins Avenue, Norman, OK 73019 (405) 325-4666; Fax: (405) 325-4583 lloydnoblecenter.comDirector of Events: Loida Haffener-Salmond

Multi-purpose facility serving University of Oklahoma and surrounding community, Lloyd Noble Center is 20 minutes from downtown Oklahoma City, with one million+ within an 80-mile radius. Capacities (including floor seating): in-the-round – 11,205; full arena – 8,519; expanded theater – 4,516; theater – 2,848. Six locker rooms; 850-sq.-ft. catering/media room; 1,140-sq.-ft. Media Work Room. House stage – 40 ft.-by-60 ft.-by-40 in. Stage area ranges from 48 sq. ft. to 2,400 sq. ft., made up of 8 ft.-by-4 ft. sections whose configuration can be customized for each performance. 12 fixed concession stands oper-ated by OU concessions. State-of-the-art retractable center-hung scoreboard and sound system features four high-definition video boards and four video-boards.

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Toyota Center7016 West Grandridge Boulevard, Kennewick, WA 99336(509) 737-3700; Fax: (509) 735-9431yourtoyotacenter.com Executive Director: Corey Pearson

Formerly known as the Tri-Cities Coliseum, this 7,500-seat multi-purpose facility annu-ally hosts 180+ concert, sporting and other events. Seating features: three full sections with padded Broadway seating. 11 Executive Suites; full lounge facility upstairs. Eight concession stands. Complex includes The Three Rivers Convention Center with 75,000 sq. ft. of meeting/exhibit space, 13 spacious meeting rooms, 21,600-sq.-ft. Great Hall (accommodates 2,100), 14,000-sq.-ft. pre-function space. Tri-Cities MSA is fourth larg-est in the state with a population of 248,400. Marketing personnel assist with local media; Insider Data Base (15,000+) for event announcements; busy highway marquee; third-party advertising opportunities.

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United Spirit Arena1701 Indiana Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79409-2200(806) 742-7362; Fax: (806) 742-7557unitedspiritarena.comAssociate Director: Cindy Harper The Entertainment Showcase of West TexasState-of-the-art, 15,000-seat multi-purpose facility was designed to both showcase Texas Tech University basketball and volleyball and also help meet the growing entertainment and event needs of the South Plains region. 81,017-sq.-ft. concourse space/ 31,916-sq.-ft. arena floor; StageRight staging; four concourse-level meeting rooms; concourse level club area, six dressing rooms, practice gym, media work room, press conference room, 10 fixed concession stands, and 24 luxury suites. Lubbock, with a population of 230,000 and a campus of 29,000+ students, draws from a 1,000,000+ market including West Texas, Eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle.

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Meetings/tradeshows/Exhibitions/convention centers/cVBs/hotels/ resorts/conference centers

thE FacilitiES MEdia groUPESSEntial Planning toolS

PAGE80

WE CUSTOMIZE OUR VENUE TO FITYOUR EVENT NEEDS AND SIZE

Grand Canyon University Arena is a state-of-the-art, mid-sized facility in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona. Our unique curtaining system allows us to customize our building to fit any small to mid-sized event.

GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY ARENA | 1,200 - 5,300 SEATING CAPACITY | 3300 W. CAMELBACK RD, PHOENIX, AZ 85017

For booking and rental information call Cathey Moses, General Manager • 602-639-8052 or [email protected]

GCU_Pollstar_Feb2013_final.indd 1 1/16/13 5:44 PM


Toyota Center • Toyota Arena • Three Rivers Convention Center7016 W. Grandridge Boulevard, Kennewick, WA 99336

www.yourtoyotacenter.com www.yourtoyotaarena.comwww.threeriversconventioncenter.com

Experience Three Rivers

For Booking Information Please Contact Us:

phone 509.737.3700

fax 509.735.9431

email [email protected]

Three Rivers is the confluence of everything that makes for great events: from the versatility of the Toyota Center to the distinctive Three Rivers Convention Center with our dedicated staff serving

you all along the way. Centrally located between Seattle, Portland, Spokane and Boise in the Tri-Cities community of 250,000, Three Rivers is surrounded by world-class wine regions, top-rated golf, miles of riverfront parks and trails, and abundant dining, shopping and accommodation options.

Toyota CenterComfortably seating 5,000 to 7,500 in six configurations, the Toyota Center is superbly suited for sports, entertainment, trade shows, and meetings. The facility’s concourse provides access to concessions

and amenities, and private suites provide exclusive viewing for VIP attendees. A separate banquet area accommodates groups up to 250 with a dance floor, private entrance and full-service bar.

Three Rivers Convention CenterThe 75,000-sq.-ft. Three Rivers Convention Center is ideal for meetings and conventions. The Great Hall provides 21,600 sq. ft. easily transformed into a ballroom accommodating 1,500 or subdivided into smaller spaces. The Convention Center also includes meeting rooms, a soaring glass foyer, private boardroom and Cyber Café. New attached SpringHill Suites by Marriott to open by summer 2014.The Three Rivers Campus is managed by VenuWorks. VenuWorks provides full management services for arenas, theaters, and convention centers to over 30 venues across the country.

T H E W E S T / W a S H I n g T o n

SEATiNG CAPACiTy: 7,500ExhiBiT SPACE: 27,000 Sq FTBANqUET SPACE: 3,000 Sq FTDrESSiNG roomS: 5ViP SUiTES: 11PrESS BoxiCE riNkxENoN SUPErTroUPEr SPoTLiGhTS: 2riGGiNG & STAGiNGFULL BroADWAy riGGiNG GriDWiNDErmErE ThEATrE: 2,100 GUESTSCATEriNG room

ToTAL SPACE: 75,000 Sq FTGrEAT hALL: 21,600 Sq FTFoyEr: 14,000 Sq FTmEETiNG roomS: 13LATEST A/V TEChNoLoGyProGrAmmABLE LiGhTiNGiN-hoUSE CATErEroN-SiTE mANAGErS AND STAFFFLExiBLE rESTroomS By GroUPWi-Fi iNTErNET

7016 W. Grandridge Boulevard, Kennewick, WA 99336 • (509) 737-3700 • Fax: (509) 735-9431 • yourtoyotacenter.com • threeriversconventioncenter.com

T O y O TA C E N T E R & T H R E E R I v E R S C O N v E N T I O N C E N T E R


Cari

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daBC Place700 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6B 4Y8(604) 669-2300bcplace.comMarketing and Communication Manager: Duncan Blomfield

An all-new BC Place reopened in September 2011 after completing a major revital-ization that included the installation of the largest cable-supported retractable roof of its kind in the world. Today, BC Place is home to Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the BC Lions Football Club and the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Seating capacities: 54,500 (total), 24,500 (lower bowl), 30,000 (upper bowl), 12,155 (floor), 7,000 (banquets). Total exhibition space: 262,000 sq. ft. accommodating 900 10 ft.-by-10 ft. consumer show booths. Banquet room space: 7,000-sq.-ft. Celebrity chef Vikram Vij’s restau-rant onsite. Four newly renovated team locker rooms, VIP star rooms, press rooms, event operations headquarters, 50 Guest Suites and Club Seating.

BritiSh colUMBia

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Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre Centre 189 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5B 1M4(416) 325-4144; Fax: (416) 314-3583heritagetrust.on.ca/ewgManager of Bookings and Events: Kevin Harris

Originally built in 1913 for Vaudeville and silent films, this multi-usecomplex contains two distinct and separate theaters, one sitting atop theother, and hosts musicals, dramas, comedies, dance, operas, family shows, concerts and other events. Capacities: Elgin Theatre – 1,561; Winter Garden Theatre – 992. Cascading reception lobbies range from small intimate gatherings to 900. “Dinner on Stage” events – 80. Plentiful dressings rooms, stage management offices, crew rooms, wardrobe room, rehearsal studios, kitchen. Toronto is the largest city in Canada – 2.5 million+, Greater Toronto Area – five million+.

ontario

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mTS Centre300 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3C 5S4(204) 987-7825; Fax: (204) 926-5555mtscentre.ca Senior Vice President/General Manager: Kevin Donnelly

The geographic center of North America, Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba, a province of 1.1 million+. The MTS Centrte accommodates 3,500 (RBC Theatre at the MTS Centre) to 15,000. Excellent sight lines, superb acoustics, the best amenities for events of all kinds. Hosts events ranging from hockey and other sports to the music industry’s biggest-name concerts. Backstage – four premier artist rooms, six team dressing rooms, catering room and offices. Valhoffer stage – 60 ft.-by-40 ft., combined with scaffolding – 56 ft.-by-72 ft.-by-5 ft. high. Standard arena house lighting as well as six Xenon 2K supertroopers available. Concessions; full-service tour; other catering by Centerplate; onsite restaurant.

ManitoBa

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Scotiabank Place1000 Palladium Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2V 1A5(613) 599-0140scotiabankplace.comVice President | Executive Director: Tom ConroyThe Place to BeScotiabank Place is Ottawa’s premier sports and entertainment venue. Located 15 minutes west of downtown Ottawa, the 19,153-seat facility has hosted some of the world’s most popular performers, including Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, as well as family shows, monster truck shows, basketball, wres-tling and skating events. It is also home to the National Hockey League Ottawa Senators. Seating capacities: hockey, 19,153; 360° concert, 17,855; 270° concert, 13,226; 180° con-cert, 12,000; theater setup, 2,500 to 7,140. Parking spaces: 6,500. Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec and Upstate New York have a population of 1.6 million.

ontario

PAGEC2

Can MTS Centre handle all of your CRAZY, OUTLANDISH show requirements?Does a bear s#itin the woods?

MTSCENTRE.CAWINNIPEG, CANADA

BOOKING INFO: KEVIN DONNELLY [email protected]

At your service.

2013MTSC001_Facilities-FullPg_Bear1.indd 1 2013-05-16 10:38 AM

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Coliseo De Puerto rico500 Arterial B Street, Hato Rey, PR 00918(787) 777-0800; (877) coliseo (265-4736)Fax: (787) 777-0809coliseodepuertorico.comGeneral Manager: Wesley Elizabeth Cullen

Opened in 2005, the Coliseo is the premier stage in the Caribbean. Capacities: concerts end-stage 240° – 15,694; end-stage 180° – 14,730; boxing or wrestling – 18,163; basketball – 17,024; hockey ice rink, size 200 ft. by 85 ft. – 15,635; half-house – 10,959; theater style – 3,093; 26 Corporate Suites, 1,000 club seats, two party suites, VIP Lounge with private elevator. StageRight 88 ft. by 48 ft. max, adjustable from 4 ft. to 6 ft. in 2-in. increments; four stairs units; 80 ft. StageRight barricade; 16 food concessions stands plus six onsite concessions restaurants and five bar concessions.

PUErto rico

The Facilities Media GroupFacilities & Destinations SuperBook

Facilities & Destinations Mid-Market Review Facilities & Destinations Planner Guide

Facilities Booking Guide Facilities & Event Management SuperBook

Facilitiesonline.com

Make Our World Your World!

“We always work with somebody locally, whether it’s a partner who is going to co-promote and take risks with our show, or we hire them to help us understand the local market both from a marketing perspective and a cultural one.”

NeW FroNtiers For

Feldat a venue where our show would fit, but then realized there were only 3,000 seats; that’s just not enough bodies to justify the cost of bringing our show there. Eventually they built a bigger venue, but that’s a problem we have worldwide: many big cities just don’t have the proper venues.”

A different sort of challenge when going international is finding the right partner in the locale. “We always work with somebody locally, whether it’s a partner who is going to co-promote and take risks with our show, or we hire them to help us understand the local market both from a marketing perspective and a cultural one.” For example, “when Disney On Ice came to Qatar this year, we had to take out the warthog Pumbaa from The Lion King, because pigs are offensive to the Muslim religion. Also, we had to make some changes to the princess’s costume to make it less revealing.” Feld’s local partner typically assesses a show’s cultural sensitivity prior to it being staged in the country. “We dub the show into the local language and then we like them to listen to it as well, just to make sure we have the proper pronunciation and grammar so we don’t offend anybody in any way,” says McHugh.

Some overseas shows have not been successful, McHugh notes, which is statistically normal given Feld’s exploration of

such a wide variety of markets. “There were a few that made me lose a few hairs,” he quips. “But I think it’s about finding the right partner and the right media mix.” The goal is to

create long-term partnerships with the local promoters, and with arenas. “We have relationships with venues everywhere, and one of the things we’re able to provide them is a certain level of stability,” says Payne, “meaning that five years from now, we know we’ll have a show in that arena. And we can make long-term agreements with venue managements across the country.”

“We need to find partners that understand that you may lose money the first couple of years, but the long-term goal is to build a consistent tour that happens every year,” McHugh stresses. “So, for example, every March or April the families in Cairo

know that Disney On Ice is coming in, and they can plan for it as an annual family outing.” For Feld, staging successful productions overseas is just the first step toward creating new entertainment traditions.

Continued from page 27


c a n a D a / o n Ta r I o

189 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

(416) 325-4144 • heritagetrust.on.ca/ewg

HISTORYToronto’s historic Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre is a Canadian National Historic Site and the last operating double-decker Vaudeville-era theater in the world. Originally built in 1913 by Marcus Loew, it contains two distinct and unique theaters, one sitting atop the other. Both theaters operated together for 14 years, but, with the coming of “talkies,” the Winter Garden closed its doors in 1928 and remained boarded up for more than 60 years. RESTORATIONThe ensuing years brought many changes to the building but it gradually fell into disrepair. It was purchased by the Ontario Heritage Trust in 1981 and underwent a major restoration between 1987 and 1989 at a cost of $29 million (Cdn). A total of 65,000 sq. ft. of new space was added including ample lobbies, lounges and an eight-story backstage addition housing spacious dressing rooms, crew rooms, a loading dock, freight elevator and two enormous rehearsal studios. The Elgin now sparkles with its gilded plaster details, rich damask wall coverings and domed ceiling. The Winter Garden Theatre, with its canopy of

5,000 branches of real beech leaves, painted sky and lit moon, is a dream fantasy come to life. The 1,561-seat Elgin and the 992-seat Winter Garden can operate simultaneously with services to patrons in the six separate bars and adjoining lounges.

RENTAL OPPORTUNITIESA multi-use complex, the center is able to accommodate a diverse range of presentations and events. The building can host live performances including everything from musicals, dramas, comedies, dance and opera to concerts, lectures, book signings and television broadcasts. The center also hosts film premieres complete with red carpet ceremonies as well as corporate and special events, one-night presentations and long-running engagements. Thanks to its meticulous restoration, combined with modern technologies and patron amenities, the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre is a perfect venue for any presentation and ensures an enjoyable experience for patrons and performers alike.

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What the industry is saying about us:“Facilities has always been a great resource for our venue and also provides

news and a wealth of information about industry trends.”Cheryl Cohen

SMG DireCtor of MarketinG

Dunkin’ DonutS Center

ProviDenCe, ri

“The Facilities publications that we showcase our venues in get the job done for us. We see results on the client side and with promoters, show producers and

agents. Facilitiesonline.com keeps us up-to-date on industry happenings and gives VenuWorks a vehicle to get our news out across the industry as well.”

taMMy koolbeCk

Senior viCe PreSiDent

venuWorkS

“It’s great to have a publication focused on the needs and demands of facilities. Clearly the venues and bricks and mortar are the foundation of the live music

business and Facilities magazine recognizes all venues as an integral component of this business.”

kevin Donnelly

Senior viCe PreSiDent anD General ManaGer

MtS Centre, WinniPeG

“We have worked with Facilities magazine over the past 10+ years and are honored to be named a Prime Site Award winner again this year. It’s a privilege

to work at an arena on a college campus that receives national visibility and recognition from one of America’s leading industry magazines.”

JiM broWn, CfeexeCutive DireCtor

WriGht State’S nutter Center

Be a part of our upcoming issues, including our 2013-2014 Facilities & Event Management Booking Guide

later in the fall, featuring our new Elite Awards.Call or eMail MiChael Caffin, aSSoCiate PubliSher

(212) [email protected]

Facilitiesonline.com

Facilities&event Management TM

Booking GuideFor Booking Agents, Promoters,



BI-LO Center, Greenville, SC

Carolina Theatre, Durham, NC


They’re in the minds of today’s touring acts By GeorGe Seli

“In my mind I’m goin’ to Carolina,” sang James Taylor, raised in the Chapel Hill, NC area. Many

troubadours like Taylor, as well as a host of other kinds of touring acts, are actually going to the Carolinas, taking advantage of the states’ vibrant infrastructure of arenas and theaters, and a culture that thrives on arts and entertainment. Creative industries support tens of thousands of jobs in each state and generate billions in economic impact, according to reports by the North Carolina Arts Council and South Carolina Arts Commission. The live music industry is particularly strong, and the Carolinas’ rich musical heritage is alive and well. North Carolina is known for jazz, with native sons including John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk, as well as folk and bluegrass, represented by Doc Watson and Ben Folds. South Carolina is where “beach music,” an early style of rock ‘n’ roll, originated. And Charleston is home to the St. Cecilia Society, arguably the country’s first musical society, formed in 1766.


While there is certainly some stylistic overlap in the musical traditions that define each state, North and South Carolina are well distinguished geographically — at least to the layman. The 334-mile border, originally drawn in the 1700s, has re-cently been redrawn in greater precision using modern-day surveying equipment, a project begun by the Joint Boundary Commis-sion two decades ago and which continued through this spring. The retraced border has in fact changed the “home state” for a relatively small number of households and busi-nesses. No tours will be unexpectedly heading to a differ-ent state as a result.

However, more routes may be including Charlotte, North Carolina’s largest city, given the new Levine Center for the Arts, which houses the 1,150-seat James L. Knight Theater. Another major investment in Charlotte’s venue infrastructure will be made in the future, as the City Coun-cil voted unanimously in April to approve a plan to make $87.5 million worth of upgrades to the 17-year-old Bank of America Stadium, home to the Carolina Panthers. (In return, the Panthers must commit to stay in Charlotte for at least another six years.)

North Carolina, which has a population nearly double that of its southern counterpart, has one of the largest highway networks in the United States. It also boasts sev-eral major airports, including Charlotte/Douglas Interna-tional Airport, Piedmont Triad International Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport. South Carolina offers the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport and Myrtle Beach International Airport.

Both states are well stocked with major universities, including Duke, Wake Forest, University of North Caro-lina at Chapel Hill, Clemson and the University of South Carolina. That means a strong collegiate demographic, as William Lewis, Executive Director of the Raleigh-based Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, Inc., remarks in an interview below. Also look for comments by Ted Heinig of AC Entertainment and Jon Hardage of More Music Group on their work with some of the Carolinas’ top venues. There is certainly no shortage, and this Spotlight presents but a sampling.

NORTH CAROLINA

Carolina TheatreDurham, NCwww.carolinatheatre.org

The Carolina Theatre hosts live performances in music, dance and theater, as well as a nationally respected film program. Fletcher Hall, which reopened following renova-tions in February 1994, has been restored to its 1926 décor, and is the only downtown building designed in the Beaux Arts style. The backstage walls have been autographed by visiting artists including Alison Krauss, Herbie Hancock, Tony Randall, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, David Byrne and John Legend. The Theatre is anticipating transitioning its cinemas to full digital capability and replacing the seats.

CAPACITIES: Fletcher Hall (proscenium theater, 1,032 seats); Cinema 1 (movie theater, 276 seats); Cinema 2 (movie theater, 66 seats).

STAGING: Proscenium is 31 ft., 6 in. wide, 20 ft. from floor to fixed valance. Stage depth: 30 ft.-0 in. plaster line to back wall.

BACKSTAGE AREAS: Five wheelchair-accessible dressing rooms including vanity mirrors, lights and showers; two prin-cipal/star rooms; one quad; two chorus; one wardrobe/cos-tume room; and one green room accommodating 15 people.

OTHER FEATURES: Connie Moses Ballroom, with a maximum capacity of 125 guests. Sound reinforcement capability ideal for amplified concerts. Six Legacy Boxes on either side of the stage in Fletcher Hall.


Donor Lounge is open prior to all performances.

LOCAL MARKET: More than 1.2 million in the metro area; median age of 31. Home to major employers in edu-cation, health care and pharmaceuticals, and technology.

Crown CenterFayetteville, NCwww.atthecrown.com

Dubbed “Minutes from Home, Miles from Ordinary,” the Crown Center is Southeastern North Carolina’s enter-tainment hub, consisting of five facilities: the Coliseum, Theatre, Expo Center, Arena and ballrooms. Recent and upcoming events include WWE, Disney Junior Live!, PBR Built Ford Tough Series and Joe Bonamassa.

CAPACITIES: 11,552-sq.-ft. arena seats up to 4,500. Theater seats up to 2,446. 8,000-sq.-ft. ballroom seats 650 theater style, 250 classroom style and 400 banquet style. Coliseum seats up to 10,880 center stage; 9,564 end-stage concerts/basketball; 10,000 banquet style; 7,000 half-house.

STAGING: Arena: Portable stage; 37-ft. domed roof (floor seating area) and a 27-ft. trim under bay (stage location). Theater: Permanent proscenium, 60 ft. by 25 ft.; 36-ft. depth, 24 lines sets, orchestra pit. Coliseum: Portable 72 ft.-by-40 ft. stage from 3 ft. to 4.5 ft. high.

BACKSTAGE AREAS: Arena: Five star rooms, one choral room and six sports locker rooms. Theatre: Five star rooms and two choral dressing rooms. Coliseum: Four team dressing rooms, two star rooms, one green room, one production office and one catering area.

OTHER FEATURES: Concessions provided by Cen-terplate. Coliseum features private suites that are leased on a yearly basis or for an individual event; suites feature a 300-sq.-ft. entertainment area. 4,375 lighted parking spaces. Space for nine tractor-trailer vehicles on north side. Power, water and waste disposal available.

EVENT PROMOTION: The Crown Center has a full-service in-house marketing department. Depending on the show, the Crown Center may promote, co-promote or serve as lessor only, but marketing services are offered

William LewisExecutive DirectorPineCone - Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, Inc.Raleigh, NCPineCone, founded in 1984, presents acts that perform the roots and traditional music of the Piedmont region of North Carolina.

How successful were the recent acts you presented at the Carolina Theatre? We just started the partnership with the theater last year. We recently presented the Jerry Douglas Band there, as well as the Kruger Brothers and Kontras Quartet. Our third concert took place in June with [ukulele virtuoso] Jake Schimabukuro. The shows have done well in what is a very competitive market.

How would you describe the local live entertainment scene?There’s a tremendously active college demographic in the Triangle, which includes Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. And in the middle of the Triangle is Research Triangle Park, which has many pharmaceutical companies as well as IBM, so there are high-end jobs. You have lots of live entertainment in the bars, perform-ing arts centers and festivals. Durham in particular has been able to embrace its blues history. You had many famous blues musicians play out on the streets there.

Are there any physical features of the theater you would highlight?The Carolina Theatre underwent a major renova-tion a few years back and did a great job of restoring the natural beauty of its historic hall. It’s about 1,030 seats, yet it still feels very intimate. And what we try to present with our shows is an intimate experience. We don’t do big light shows; our productions are all kind of stripped down to the bare bones.

How did the staff go the extra mile for you?What I like about [President/CEO] Bob Nocek and his staff is that they’re very open to ideas and partnerships, and not everybody’s like that. Some folks can be territo-rial, and they can view you as competition. But any time we’ve gone to Bob and his staff they’ve very open to our suggestions, and so it’s been a terrific relationship.


to each event, including placement and/or design of print, online, radio and TV ads; social media campaigns; creation and/or distribution of email blasts to 50,000-plus database; and more.

LOCAL MARKET: Fayetteville is home to Fort Bragg; the military plays an important role in the city’s culture and economy. The median age is 32 years.

Greensboro Coliseum ComplexGreensboro, NCwww.greensborocoliseum.com

Greensboro Coliseum Complex hosts more than 1,000 event days annually among its 10 facilities situated on a 75-acre site. The facility presents theatrical and symphonic events, concerts, family shows, sport events and more. The Coliseum regularly hosts the ACC women’s and men’s basketball tournaments and NCAA Tournament. The Coliseum also welcomed the 2011 U.S. Figure Skat-ing National Championships, which will return in 2015. UNCG plays its home men’s basketball season in Greens-boro Coliseum. Having multiple facilities to complement one another on the same campus allows the facility to pursue major national championships and take advantage of economies of scale in managing services.

Greensboro Coliseum Complex is presently undergoing a $24 million renovation that includes new seats, new score-boards, new concession stands, and renovated concourses and bathrooms, along with upgrades to the Aquatic Center and the ACC Hall of Champions.

CAPACITIES: Greensboro Coliseum Concert, 14,230 FOH; Greensboro Coliseum Concert under curtain, 7,509 FOH; Greensboro Coliseum ACC basketball, 21,021; Special Events Center Concert, 5,110; Special Events Center Basketball, 3,322; War Memorial Auditorium, 2,458 regular/2,490 maxed out; White Oak Amphitheatre, 2,035 fixed plus 5,000 lawn; Greensboro Aquatic Center, 2,500.

STAGING: 48 ft.-by-68 ft. StageRight stage.

BACKSTAGE AR-EAS: Seven locker rooms, four VIP pro-moter suites, hospitality

room (accommodates 200 for reception), training room and promoter offices.

OTHER FEATURES: 37 concession stands in the Coliseum; catering by Ovations Food Services. Venue includes Luxury Suites, Club seats with admission to the Schiffman’s Diamond Club, the Vu Lounge, Natty Greene’s Brewpub and the Ovations Lounge. Greensboro Coliseum maintains new state-of-the-art LED infinity video scoreboards and ribbon boards by Daktronics. Onsite parking spaces: 6,500.

EVENT PROMOTION: Greensboro Coliseum provides a full-service in-house advertising agency with two ad buyers, a public relations manager and group sales man-ager. The agency creates in-house static LED, poster and newspaper graphics to service shows.

LOCAL MARKET: Greensboro-High Point-Winston-Salem DMA has an estimated market population of 1,611,000, ranking it the 33rd largest CSA in the United States.

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Halton ArenaCharlotte, NCwww.haltonarena.com

The Dale F. Halton Arena is a 9,000-seat venue located inside the UNC Barnhardt Student Activity Center. The arena is home to the Charlotte 49ers men’s and women’s basketball games. Halton Arena also hosts live concerts and musical entertainment, student productions such as Greek Week’s annual Step Show and Airband, and commu-nity festivals such as I-Fest, UNC Charlotte’s annual International Festival.

CAPACITIES: Concerts: end-stage, 6,567; full-house 180°, 4,715; half-house 180°, 1,400. Basketball and other sporting events: full-house 360°, 8,993; half-house 360° (lower bowl), 2,363.

STAGING: SICO Fold & Set Entertainment Stage 60 ft.-by-40 ft. with 16 ft.-by-16 ft. Soundwings at 4, 5 or 6 ft.; two full-height stairways; carpeted or black tuff deck.

BACKSTAGE AREAS: 3,026-sq.-ft. hospitality/cater-ing room; two star dressing rooms; three regular dressing rooms; 6,000 sq. ft. of meeting space; press room/green room.

OTHER FEATURES: Acoustically engineered fully dig-ital sound system; catering services available, and provided under contract by Chartwells; VIP Hospitality Area on 3rd Floor; moveable curtaining system; wireless Internet; three parking decks adjacent to facility.

EVENT PROMOTION: In-house marketing and co-promotion available.

LOCAL MARKET: Charlotte, the second-largest city in the Southeast, has a metropolitan population of 1,850,000 and a university enrollment of 25,000-30,000.

Jon HardageAgent, More Music GroupVirginia Beach, VA

How successful were the recent acts you booked at the Halton Arena? [Hip hop artist] Kendrick Lamar sold out. [Country rock music artist] Brantley Gilbert did well; the show didn’t sell out, but it was also before his popularity surged.

Are there any physical features of the facility you would highlight?The entire facility is great. Of particular note, the loading dock is above and beyond what most arenas of its size have. It could easily handle loading two trucks at once, with a relatively straight push to the stage. The full curtaining system is also great; the last time I was in house, they demonstrated how they could give the room an entirely different feel within 30 seconds, using the almost silent curtain motors.

How did the staff go the extra mile for you?I deal mostly with the production side. [Director of Events] Zach Rutledge and his staff are always quick to respond and willing to help. One thing I value most in what I do is quick answers, and I don’t think I’ve ever had to wait more than a few hours for a response to an email. They also provide cell phone numbers, in case I need immediate answers.

Kendrick Lamar at Halton Arena


SOUTH CAROLINA

BI-LO CenterGreenville, SCwww.bilocenter.com

The BI-LO Center, a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment arena, is celebrating its 15th an-niversary this fall. The Center is investing more than $14 million in facility upgrades over the next two summers that include stag-ing, AV, roof, suite amenities and more. Events this year include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Monster Jam, Carrie Underwood, George Strait, Kid Rock and Sesame Street Live!

CAPACITIES: Small Theatre, 2,496; Medium The-atre Upper & Lower Bowls, 7,098; Medium Theatre LB only, 3,710; 180° GA Floor, 10,391; 180° Standard Floor, 10,119; 180° LB Only, 5,862; 240° Upper & Lower Bowl, 11,315; 270° Upper & Lower Bowl, 12,165; 360° End Stage, 14,766; 360° Round, 15,480.

STAGING: StageRight staging system; stage decks are 4 ft.-by-8 ft. pieces.

BACKSTAGE AREAS: Five full locker rooms, four star dressing rooms, one production office, one promoter office, one pyro room, one catering dining room.

OTHER FEATURES: House sound system that shows can tie into; several different levels of lighting between incandescent and halogen lighting; Centerplate cater-ing plus Bojangles, Pizza Hut and Moe’s Permanent Concessions; Club seats, Luxury Suites, Party Suites, VIP Club and Premium Guest Entrance; venue app with location details; 290 VIP parking spaces, plus a loading dock parking area for artist trucks and buses.

EVENT PROMOTION: Full-service marketing department including media buying, third-party partner arrangements, social media management, street teams and more. Free assets include social media, press release distribution, onsite postering, onsite flyering, e-marketing and local event calendar placement.

LOCAL MARKET: DMA includes all of upstate South Carolina, Asheville and western North Carolina, and northern Georgia.

Colonial Life ArenaColumbia, SCwww.coloniallifearena.com

The Colonial Life Arena is the largest arena in the state of South Carolina with 18,000 seats, and the 10th-largest on-campus basketball facility in the nation. Located on the beautiful University of South Carolina campus, the Colonial Life Arena celebrated its 10th year of operation in November 2012. The Arena has hosted a wide array of sporting events, concerts, commencements and confer-ences. Over the years it has welcomed major artists such as Elton John, Prince, Usher and Taylor Swift. Family shows ranging from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey


Circus to Monster Jam have become annual staples for the Midlands Community. The Colonial Life Arena is also the home for all South Carolina Gamecocks men’s and women’s basketball games.

CAPACITIES: 180° end-stage, 12,290; 270° end-stage, 14,794; 360° end-stage, 17,316; half-house, 9,696; basket-ball, 16,824.

STAGING: StageRight staging, as large as 60 ft. by 40 ft.

BACKSTAGE AREAS: Four locker rooms; four star rooms, production office, production workroom, green room (contains an air wall that can split the room in half ), loading dock with five bays, recruiting lounge (athletics), men’s and women’s locker rooms (athletics), training room (athletics), weight room.

OTHER FEATURES: The Colonial Life Arena is a New Era/Paciolan ticketing facility. Centerplate runs the con-cessions and catering. Features 41 suites, four Entertain-ment Suites and the Frank McGuire Club, a full-service hospitality room that has a capacity of 300. More than 4,000 parking spaces are available within walking distance.

EVENT PROMOTION: Advertising program available on an event-by-event basis (additional costs often apply), including exclusive email blast to CyberClub members, inclusion of event on Colonial Life Arena social media, inclusion in strip ad that runs in Columbia Visitor’s Guide that goes into all hotel rooms in Columbia, and many other services.

LOCAL MARKET: Located 13 miles northwest of South Carolina’s geographic center, Columbia is the state capital and largest city in South Carolina. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the total median family income saw a 17 percent increase from the 2000 to 2010 census. The market is home to the University of South Carolina, which enrolls more than 27,500, in addition to seven other higher-edu-cation institutions.

Florence Civic CenterFlorence, SCwww.florenceciviccenter.com

The Florence Civic Center is the hub for entertainment events in South Carolina’s northeastern (“Pee Dee”) region since 1993. It is northeastern South Carolina’s largest con-vention and entertainment venue, featuring 50,000 sq. ft. of multi-purpose space complemented by new staging and remodeled box offices. The creative design incorporates all spaces to flow together under one roof and form multiple combinations to accommodate events of all sizes and re-

quirements. Events this year include performances by Wil-lie Nelson and Luke Bryan, NASCAR Next 9, Ringling Brothers Circus, TNA Impact Wrestling and Kids Jam-boree. The SMG-managed facility is conveniently located at the intersection of I-95 and I-20, just a few miles from the regional airport and next to dozens of national-chain hotels and award-winning restaurants.

CAPACITIES: 10,000-seat arena (backdrop scaling 2,500-7,500 capacity), 15,000-sq.-ft. grand ballroom (1,400 theater, 800 banquet).

BACKSTAGE AREAS: Five dressing rooms.

OTHER FEATURES: Facility-wide wireless Internet, fiber-optic network system, exterior illuminated marquee, interior LCD display units, eight corporate suites, catering by Savor Florence.

EVENT PROMOTION: Generous supplemental mar-keting efforts; 15,000-plus Facebook fans; 18,000-plus email club.

Cirque du Soleil (above) and Lady Antebellum (below) at the Florence Civic Center

FlorenceCivicCenter.com | 843.679.9417 | Florence, South Carolina

20 Years of...Service Performance Cuisine

20 Years of Excellence


North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts CenterNorth Charleston, SCwww.NorthCharlestonColiseumPAC.com

Opened in 1993, the North Charleston Coliseum is a 13,000-seat multipurpose facility that is home to the South Carolina Stingrays hockey team and hosts the biggest names in live entertainment. Recent events of note include Prince, Elton John, the CNN GOP presidential debate, American Idol and X-Factor auditions, Cirque du Soleil and Jimmy Buffett. In 2011, the North Charleston Coliseum completed the first phase of its expansion with the grand opening of the Mon-tague Terrace, a 7,500-sq.-ft. multipurpose facility. This sum-mer, the Coliseum will begin the second phase of expansion with the groundbreaking for the Coliseum Terrace.

The North Charleston Performing Arts Center is a 2,300-seat proscenium theater that opened in 1999. The PAC hosts major concerts, family shows, ballets and symphonies, art fes-tivals and more. The theater is also home to the Lowcountry’s only Broadway series. Recent events of note include Wicked, Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Darius Rucker, Les Miserables, Blue Man Group, Daryl Hall and John Oates. The complex is within two minutes of both major interstates (I-26 and I-526), providing easy access for both patrons and performers.

CAPACITIES: Coliseum: 180° modified half-house with

upper-level curtains on east end, 5,970; 180° end-stage, 8,785; 220° end-stage, 9,700; 270° end-stage, 10,633; 360° end-stage, 12,625; hockey, 10,338. PAC: 2,341; orchestra, 1,306; grand tier, 970; orchestra pit, 65.

STAGING: Coliseum: 60 ft. by 48 ft., with 24 ft.-by-12 ft. sound wings (4 ft.-by-8 ft. sections), adjustable height from 4 ft. to 6 ft. PAC: 108 ft. by 42 ft., 72 ft.-by-4 ft. apron; 3 ft. 6 in. stage height. Proscenium width 60 ft., height 25 ft.

BACKSTAGE AREAS: Coliseum: production office, two star dressing rooms, green room, media workroom, four team locker rooms, three small dressing rooms. PAC: two quad dressing rooms, four single dressing rooms, two cho-rus rooms, wardrobe, green room, production office.

OTHER FEATURES: Eight permanent concession stands, multiple portable stands; in-house catering; eight private suites; 2,300 parking spaces.

EVENT PROMOTION: The Coliseum and PAC marketing department operates as a full-service, in-house advertising agency at negotiated rates to the user. Services include advertising placement, negotiation and settlement; public relations services; group sales and sponsorship sales.

Ted HeinigVice President of ConcertsAC Entertainment, Knoxville, TN

How successful were the recent acts you booked at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center? We have done well with every event we’ve brought there: Hall & Oates, B.B. King, the kids’ show Yo Gabba Gabba! Steely Dan, scheduled for September, is selling great. Now every show we bring in doesn’t win, but there is a very high percentage of shows that are very successful in North Charleston. One key reason is the community: The people of the Charleston metro area really love live performance. And they love going to the North Charleston facility.

Are there any physical features of the facility you would highlight?It is great for load in, load out, and from a technical aspect it was very well thought out.

How did the staff go the extra mile for you?What sets North Charleston apart from many other venues in similar cities or secondary markets is GM Dave Holscher and his staff, who are top-class people with a really positive attitude. They do a great job of building a relationship with a promoter and then executing all of the millions of details that have to happen to put on a live performance. And their terrific production team keeps your stagehand and technical costs relatively low. They also understand how to succeed in their market.

Hall & Oates at the North Charleston PAC

Northeast

Blue Cross Arena ......................................... 15

CAL U Convocation Center ....................... 40

Dunkin’ Donuts Center ............................... 41

Times Union Center .................................... 13

Verizon Wireless Arena ............................... 33

Mid-Atlantic

1st Mariner Arena ........................................ 44

Charleston Civic Center .............................. 43

Southeast

Cabarrus Arena & Events Center .............. 46

Florence Civic Center.................................. 97

Greensboro Coliseum Complex ............... 93

The Lakeland Center ................................... 49

Vicksburg Convention Center ................... 50

Midwest

Adler Theatre/River Center ........................ 52

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum ..... 19

Arie Crown Theater ..................................... 55

Bridge View Center ..................................... 56

Burnsville Performing Arts Center ............. 57

Clay County Regional Events Center........ 59

Ford Center/Victory Theatre ...................... 61

Hartman Arena ............................................. 62

Hoyt Sherman Place .................................... 63

INTRUST Bank Arena .................................. 22

i wireless Center ............................................. 9

The Morris Performing Arts Center........... 64

Paramount Theatre...................................... 65

Rushmore Plaza Civic Center ............Cover 3

Sanford Center ............................................. 21

Show Me Center .......................................... 66

Swiftel Center ............................................... 67

Topeka Performing Arts Center ................. 68

United Wireless Arena ................................ 69

U.S. Cellular Arena ..............................Cover 4

U.S. Cellular Center ..................................... 72

Wright State University’s Nutter Center ..... 4

West

American Airlines Center ........................... 15

ASU Gammage .............................................. 5

Beaumont Civic Center .............................. 74

Bellco Theater .............................................. 31

Chesapeake Energy Arena ......................... 75

Fair Park ........................................................ 77

Grand Canyon University Arena ................ 79

Laredo Energy Arena .................................. 80

Lloyd Noble Center ..................................... 13

Toyota Center............................................... 81

United Spirit Arena ...................................... 73

Canada

BC Place ........................................................ 82

Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre 85

MTS Centre .................................................. 83

Scotiabank Place.................................Cover 2

Puerto Rico

Coliseo de Puerto Rico ................................. 3

Other

SMG..............................................................6-7

VenuWorks .................................................... 11

IAVM Section

Bottoms Up Beer ......................................... 25

MTS Seating ................................................. 25

Weldon Williams & Lick .............................. 24

ADVERTISER INDEx



1] AggAnis ArenABoston University

agganisarena.com

Located within Boston University’s $225 million, 10-acre John Hancock Student Village, Agganis Arena is a 290,000-sq.-ft. venue with 6,150 seats for hockey and ice shows, expandable to more than 8,000 seats for concerts, sporting events and family shows. Twenty-nine Loge Suites provide exclusive amenities. Other spaces include the 5,600-sq.-ft. Francis D. Burke Club Room, a 4,250-sq.-ft. full-service kitchen and two multipurpose rooms. Six concession stands on the concourse are among more than 44 points-of-sale. A total of 1,400 parking spaces are available.

2] BAnkUnited CenterUniversity of MiAMi

bankunitedcenter.com

Managed by Global Spectrum, BankUnited Center is a 200,000-sq.-ft., 8,000-plus seat multipurpose entertainment facility in the heart of Coral Gables, the largest venue of its kind south of downtown Miami. Opened in 2003, the Center has hosted hundreds of memorable events and sold-out shows,

opening with Coldplay and continuing with concerts such as Green Day, John Mayer, Drake and Barry Manilow. The Center hosts the University of Miami Division I NCAA basketball teams and offers locker rooms, player lounge areas and training rooms.

3] John PAUl Jones ArenA

University of virginiAjohnpauljonesarena.com

Constructed from 2003-2006, John Paul Jones Arena is the first facility in the country built by a public university almost entirely from private funds, and the largest arena in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The arena has hosted major acts such as Dave Matthews Band, The Police, The Eagles and Kenny Chesney, as well as Disney On Ice and Cirque du Soleil. The SMG-managed arena offers 15,219 seats and can “curtain down” to 1,200 for intimate gatherings or 8,892 for basketball games. The Lexus Club and training rooms are onsite.

4] stAte fArM Center

University of illinois At UrBAnA-ChAMPAignuofiassemblyhall.com

A visually distinctive facility with a great, white dome, the State Farm Center is the largest Illinois arena outside of The United Center in Chicago. The venue hosts events ranging from rock concerts to Broadway to Fighting Illini basketball. The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, U2, Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen are among the top-tier musical acts that have performed at the Center, which houses nearly 16,000 permanent seats and potentially up to 17,200 depending on the size of the stage.

5] vieJAs ArenAsAn diego stAte University

as.sdsu.edu/viejasarena

Viejas Arena is the 12,414-seat home of San Diego State Basketball, as well as cultural events and concerts. The facility houses seven locker rooms, a recently renovated men’s team lounge, 2,200-sq.-ft. VIP Room, and an Artist Green Room with two private dressing rooms. A $1.2 million octagonal scoreboard with video-replay capabilities is available, as well as a 2,000-space adjacent car garage. The local market includes 30,000 college-age adults, and a broader market of more than 2.6 million residents in San Diego County.

100

StatuS: HotCategory: uNIVerSIty areNaSFyI: While they do have a built-in college-age market, many university arenas boast event rosters that are diversified well beyond collegiate sports and entertainment. Here are five notable examples representing various regions of the country. Whether it’s the 2004 Presidential Debates at BankUnited Center, Disney On Ice at John Paul Jones Arena or the Rolling Stones at Assembly Hall (newly named the State Farm Center), these university venues have certainly “made the grade” as hosts for top-drawer live events.

FaCILItIeS

HotLIStS

2 ➤ Miami, FL

1 ➤ Boston, MA

3 ➤ Charlottesville, VA

5 ➤ San Diego, CA

4 ➤ Urbana-Champaign, IL

facilites & event management 2013 superbook

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