Adventures In Venueland

We’re off to Southern California to chat with retired industry legend Lee Zeidman, former President of Crypto.com Arena , Peacock Theater , and L.A. LIVE . With 45+ years running some of the most important venues in the world including 6,500 events, Lee was witness to countless stories and had a front row seat to historic sports, music, and entertainment moments. During his tenure at STAPLES Cente...

Grab your ticket 🎟️ and hop aboard in Convergence Station 🚇 as we explore worlds beyond with Sophie Prince, Event Marketing Manager at Meow Wolf Denver , and their out-of-this-universe venue — The Perplexiplex , an immersive performance venue within the larger space. 🪐 Sophie guides us from the accessible unknown through the surreal world of Meow Wolf , which started in 2008 as an artist collect...

We’re venturing to West Texas to chat with Stephanie Rivas, General Manager at Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center and Vice President of International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA). With two decades of experience working in media, marketing, entertainment and performing arts, Stephanie tells us about her role with the venue and Legends Global , which manages the PAC. We learn about the Mi...

We’re dancing our way to the Live Music Capital of the World – Austin, Texas to chat with Chelsea Masler, Marketing Director at Messina Touring . Whether she’s working on campaigns for major stadium tours like Ed Sheeran or strategically rolling out a legendary underplay tour for Phoebe Bridgers, Chelsea works with the Messina Touring team to act as an extension of management for their a...

We’re off to “The Land” to chat with Carrie Samek, Vice President of Event & Media Marketing at Rocket Arena and Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland, Ohio. After learning about the arena and Carrie’s role with the venue and team, we chat through what it was like curating an exhibit around the 10 year anniversary of the Cav’s iconic 2016 NBA Championship, and the challenges of joys that came along wit...

Join us on the left side of the “Michigan mitten” as we head to Grand Rapids to chat with Hannah Flynn, Communications Manager with Legends Global, which manages Van Andel Arena , DeVos Performance Hall , DeVos Place , newly opened Acrisure Amphitheater , and Amway Stadium (opening Spring 2027). As a passionate social media and pop culture guru, we dive into the details of Hannah’s role, the struc...

Journey with us to the Aloha State as we visit Hawaii and talk with Barb Saito, President of Aloha Group International Inc. , who is based in the capital city of Honolulu on the island of O’ahu. Barb, who has 45 years of experience in the industry, supports concert promoters by consulting and assisting with financial and logistical challenges that come with promoting shows in Hawaii. She also work...

We’re off to the Midwest as we visit the city of Omaha, Nebraska and chat with Adam Straight, President & CEO of Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA). Adam tells us all about MECA, which is a venue management company which manages city-owned properties including CHI Health Center Omaha (which includes an arena and convention center), Charles Schwab Field Omaha (which hosts the...

Live from Sacramento – Join us on the red carpet as we interview award winners at the 11th Annual Event & Venue Marketing Conference Awards. Dave and Paul speak with award recipients in the various categories and get insight into their experience and advice they have for others wanting to be in their shoes. In addition to this audio version, click this link to watch the video version: 🎥 Watch Vid...

Live from Sacramento – Sit in on this 2026 Event & Venue Marketing Conference session as we chat with Vanessa Mancao (Tour Marketing Manager, Red Light Management ), Karl Crudup (Director of Event Sales & Production, Sacramento Kings ), and Jessica Eckley (Managing Partner, Crackerjack Media ) in front of a live audience. In this session, titled "Beyond Venue Walls: Creative Strategies for Marketi...

Join us as we head to the Sparkling City by the Sea – Corpus Christi, and chat with Krystal Gonzalez, Director of Sales at Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds (RMB Fairgrounds). We learn all about the fairgrounds, which is home to a conference center, two exhibit halls, arena pavilion, and equestrian arena which host a wide mix of social events, expos, rodeos, concerts, and dinner events. We...

BONUS EPISODE – Warm up your taste buds and meet us in the Farm to Fork Capital because the 2026 Event & Venue Marketing Conference (EVMC) is just around the corner! This bonus episode is filled with everything you need to know as you pack and prepare for this year’s conference in Sacramento, California. Hosts Paul and Dave are joined by a couple special guests which help craft this podcast KBYG —...

Ahoy Venuelanders! 🛳⚓️ Join us for a revelry at sea as we set sail with Jeff Cuellar, CEO of Sixthman , a promoter focused on “tearing down walls” by creating community-inspired festival experiences that use cruise ships as their venue. Celebrating their 25th anniversary as a company, Jeff gives us an overview of Sixthman, their approach to their experiences, and the history of the company. Learn...

Welcome to Messina Touring Week on Adventures In Venueland! 🎉 As we celebrate 2️⃣5️⃣ years of Messina Touring , we’ve got a couple special episodes dropping this week to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what makes them one of the top concert promoters today. — For this bonus episode which extends our Breaking In series, we talk with Rachel Powers, VP at Messina Touring Group, about artist gro...

Welcome to Messina Touring Week on Adventures In Venueland! 🎉 As we celebrate 2️⃣5️⃣ years of Messina Touring , we’ve got a couple special episodes dropping this week to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what makes them one of the top concert promoters today. — To kick things off, we’re chatting with Kate Des Enfants McMahon, Executive Vice President at Messina Touring Group, who has been with...

We’re headed to the Home of the Blues, Memphis, for this episode where we chat with Crystal Carpenter, Event & Marketing Coordinator at FedExForum . In a city known for its culture, music, soul, and food, Crystal tells us all about FedExForum, which is the home for the Memphis Grizzlies (NBA) and Memphis Tigers (NCAA). We discuss her role with the building and some of the unique ways their departm...

We’ve had a good run at Adventures In Venueland but we’ve decided to shift focus and give the live event industry what they really want (and need) – a good night’s rest. Introducing… Snoozing In Venueland… or Adventures In Slumberland… honestly we’re too tired to decide. Having a hard time settling in for some sleep after a crazy run of show days? Enjoy 8 hours of the familiar, comforting white no...

Join us in beautiful San Juan as we chat with a force behind many unforgettable live event experiences in Puerto Rico – Roxey Garcia, Founder of RXY Marketing . We talk with Roxey about starting her company, which provides promotions, event production, artist logistics, and digital marketing to not only tours and venues but also other businesses in the area. She talks about the emphasis she puts o...

We’re headed back to Tinseltown to chat with Vanessa Mancao, Tour Marketing Manager in Los Angeles for Red Light Management – the largest independent artist management company in the world. Vanessa works closely with artists like Jon Pardi , The Fray , Trombone Shorty , Maoli and Slightly Stoopid , helping behind the scenes of major tours, collaborating closely with promoters and venues to turn st...

We’re headed to one of the most legendary small rooms in the country to chat with this episode’s guest, Megan Loveless, Talent Buyer for The Blue Room at Third Man Records – the independent record label in Nashville run by Jack White. Megan tells us all about the venue, which previously had been used for underplays, photoshoots, and special experiences, but in 2021 was rebranded as a full venue to...

Join us where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain as we journey to Oklahoma and chat with Lucy Albers, Director of Marketing & PR for Paycom Center , home to the Oklahoma City Thunder . With plans in motion, we dive into talking about the new arena coming to OKC in 2028, its unique design, and what to expect from the exciting addition – which is slated to open the same year the city hosts two O...

Pull up a chair as we head to "America's Farm to Fork Capital," Sacramento, for a special in-person episode with James Rasmussen, VP of Arena Programming at Golden 1 Center . Our hosts sit down with James in the Sacramento Kings podcast studio and dig into what makes the city special and things to look forward to for those coming to the Event & Venue Marketing Conference in June. Fresh off a venue...

We 🫶 New York and are heading back to the City That Never Sleeps for this episode with Missy Zedeck, Marketing Director for AEG Global Touring Division . We hear from Missy about how a typical day or week might look – reviewing marketing budgets, national campaigns, overseeing marketing plans for the tours, and making any adjustments based on needs and sales which vary by tour. She tells us about...

BONUS EPISODE – We're wrapping up 2025 and headed into a new, exciting year in Venueland! 🎊 As we plan ahead, we decided to take a look back and recap our 2025 episodes. Hosts Paul Hooper and Dave Redelberger are joined by Audio Editor & Mixer Camille Faulkner as we reminisce on Episode 100, our live episode recorded in Atlanta, fascinating guests, and fun bonus episodes. If you missed some and w...

Escape with us to the eucalyptus and redwood grove of Sigmund Stern Recreation Grove in San Francisco — home of the iconic Stern Grove Festival — as we sit down with the festival’s Marketing Director, Molly Fremgen. We learn about the magic behind this beloved concert series, now entering its 89th season in 2026, and the legacy of Stern Grove Festival as the nation’s longest-running nonprofit musi...