Adventures In Venueland

For Episode 99 we catch up with our friend and EVMC Hall of Famer , Jim Delaney, Founder/CEO of Activate Sports & Entertainment. Jim, who is a 30-year veteran sports and event marketer, talks to us about his latest adventure becoming what he calls a “digital nomad” – working on projects remotely as he visits venues and lives in different cities for a couple months at a time. We talk about how he p...

Live from backstage at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, we chat with Rachel Bomeli, Vice President of Facility Operations for the facility. We join Rachel the morning after a big show the previous night and learn all about this truly unique venue which features a wide array of architectural styles. We talk about the design of the theatre, their early plans as the venue approaches its centennia...

It’s a party all day in RVA! Join us on the east coast as we head to Richmond, Virginia to chat with Brittany Herndon, Director of Sales & Marketing for Altria Theater and Dominion Energy Center – both managed by ASM Global . Brittany, who also serves as Regional Marketing Director for ASM Global's theatrical venues, tells us about Richmond and what it’s like working at gorgeous, historic theaters...

From the 313 to the 303, we’re chatting with Omar Gates, Marketing & Advertising Coordinator for the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche at Kroenke Sports & Entertainment in Denver. After chatting with Omar about Denver and some exciting development plans announced recently, we dive into his history in the industry which led him from a passion for sports and a bachelor’s degree in economics at U...

BONUS EPISODE – What does a UFO, bloody hatchet woman, haunted miners, and a ghost rattler snake have in common? They’re all regulars at one of the world’s (and universe’s?) most iconic venues - Red Rocks Amphitheatre ! For our third annual Halloween episode we chat with our friend Brian Kitts, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer for Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Denver Performing Arts Com...

Tuck your drafting pencil behind your ear and unfurl those blueprints because we’re talking venue design with this episode, where we chat with Geoff Cheong, Senior Principal and Senior Architect at Populous . With a focus of drawing people together around the things they love and amplifying the atmosphere of excitement and joy, Populous has designed some of the world’s most renowned venues. Geoff,...

Come along as we visit the Bay Area and chat with Sam Hunt, Executive Vice President and Managing Executive at Wasserman Music . One of the youngest to ever win Pollstar’s Agent of the Year in 2016, Sam oversees a powerhouse roster of electronica, indie, pop, and hip-hop artists including names like Diplo, Major Lazer, Flying Lotus, Jamie xx, Animal Collective, Run The Jewels, Big Boi, 100 gecs, S...

For this episode we head back to the hustle and bustle of Music City and catch up with former pro-drummer turned entertainment marketer, Brian Bauer, President of Bauer Entertainment Marketing (BEM). We immediately jump into learning what BEM does as well as interesting discussions on trends in live events and some of the most important things for venues and events to establish. We peel back the l...

BONUS EPISODE – Tomorrow, on Mexican Independence Day weekend, UFC is gearing up to host Riyadh Season Noche UFC , which will honor Mexico's rich history and vibrant culture. Oh... and did we mention... it's the first sporting event to be hosted at Sphere in Las Vegas? On this special episode we chat with Heidi Noland, Sr. VP of Global Brand & Creative with UFC, who pulls back the curtain and give...

Peel back the wrapper of some English chocolate and put on your favorite Tori Amos album – we’re headed to Los Angeles to chat with Natalie Caplan, Vice President of Entertainment for ArenaNetwork , Venue Coalition & Theater Network . Natalie tells us about her job and how they empower and assist independent venues – providing important resources and driving content to them. With more than 140 ven...

Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way! Head to the Atlantic Terminal at the crossroads of Flatbush Ave and Atlantic Ave as we visit the iconic Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. We chat with Adina Erwin, Executive Vice President of Business Operations and General Manager of the venue and learn all about this one-of-kind arena nestled in the middle of NYC. Home to the Brooklyn Nets (NBA), New York...

Grab your laptop and throw those rock hands in the air because we’re chatting with Fabrice Sergent, Leader & Co-Founder of Bandsintown . Fabrice takes us through the history of the company, which is the largest concert discovery platform in the world. He explains how Bandsintown alerts fans when their favorite artists come to town and helps them discover new artists, helps artists to promote their...

New England here we come! Join us in Somers, Connecticut, as we talk with Marissa Dionne, VP of Marketing for Oak View Group . Marissa gives us an overview of OVG, where she is primarily focused on marketing for venue management, hospitality, parking, and arena and theatre alliances, for the company. She oversees marketing and provides support for 400+ venues through venue management, booking and...

Tighten those laces and grab your adventure gear because we’re headed to The City of Trees, Boise, to chat with Michael Cullen, Assistant Director of Marketing & Brand Development at ExtraMile Arena . Michael guides us through his adventure as well as fun facts and tips about all things Boise and Idaho. Whether it’s late nights organizing merch at the arena or working large events at Boise State’s...

BONUS EPISODE – Pack your bags for Italy and dust off some clues with us as we dig into our first episode of a new ongoing bonus series – Ancient Venues. For this first episode we take a look at the Amphitheatre of Capua (Anfiteatro Campano), located in modern day Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Italy. We are joined by Valerie Higgins, Associate Professor of Archaeology at The American University of Rom...

Rev those engines and join us in Motor City as we head north to talk with Kim Klein, VP of Marketing & Communications for 313 Presents in Detroit, Michigan. We learn all about 313 Presents, which oversees Little Caesars Arena , Fox Theatre (Detroit), Comerica Park , Pine Knob Music Theatre , Meadow Brook Amphitheatre , and Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre . They work with over 30 promoters across all...

Live from the Mile High City – join us as we talk with Chad Brown, Colorado sports legend, in front of a live audience at the 2024 Event & Venue Marketing Conference in Denver, Colorado. Chad won a NCAA championship in football with the Colorado Buffaloes, played 15 years in the NFL (including two Super Bowl appearances and 3 Pro Bowls), is a football commentator and radio analyst, and owns his ow...

BONUS EPISODE – We’re headed to the mile high city for the 2024 Event & Venue Marketing Conference (EVMC) and taking you along for the ride with a preview of this year’s sold out conference. 🥳 Joining us in Denver? Listen along as you pack your bags for important tips and useful advice to make your adventure to the Rockies a smooth one. Dave and Paul are joined by former guest and current EVMC Pr...

Grab your magnifying glass and inspector hat and join us on this adventure as we investigate the live experience with this episode’s guest, Bret McCormick, Facilities, Fan Experience, & Ticketing Beat Reporter for Sports Business Journal (SBJ). Bret, who is based in Charlotte, but travels a dozen or so times a year to various venues, tells us what it’s like covering the live experience and some ge...

Rocket City meets Music City as we talk with Olivia Christian, Marketing Director for tvg hospitality – a hospitality group that focuses on fan and artist experiences. Olivia tells us all about tvg’s flagship and first U.S. venue, The Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, AL, which is an 8,000 capacity greek-inspired amphitheater which opened in spring 2022. In addition to hosting many national tourin...

Fire up the barbecue and grab your 10-gallon hat because we’re headed down to Dallas for this week’s episode of Venueland! We catch up with Julian Bowman, Senior Director of Marketing for Fair Park – a massive multipurpose complex that boasts over 1000 events a year. The national historic landmark is home to Cotton Bowl Stadium , Broadway Dallas , Dos Equis Pavilion (managed by Live Nation), a chi...

Grab your text book and meet us in class as we head to Pittsburgh to chat with Paige Beal, Associate Professor at Point Park University in the Rowland School of Business, who teaches in the Sports, Arts, Entertainment and Music Business (SAEM) program. In a city packed with entertainment venues like PPG Paints Arena, Acrisure Stadium, PNC Park, and Highmark Stadium as well as numerous other venues...

Carve out some ice time and triple-axel your way into this episode with Tami Allen, Senior Director of Winter Sports Events at IMG , and Event Director for Stars on Ice . Tami tells us about IMG, where she’s celebrating her 25th year, and how under the Endeavor umbrella it’s part of a massive global portfolio of businesses across the sports & entertainment ecosystem allowing for collaboration and...

Sit back in your seat as we queue the lights and get ready to rock with this episode’s guest – Danielle Edwards, Lighting Designer & Director for numerous tours including Greta Van Fleet, Maren Morris, Lizzo, and Kacey Musgraves. We dive into all things lighting as Danielle explains the ins and outs of what goes into designing, programming, and directing lighting for touring productions. Learn abo...

Things are coming up roses this episode as we head to Portland, the City of Roses, to chat with Kevin Merlet, Director of Arena Marketing at Rose Quarter – which includes Moda Center, Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and Alaska Airlines' Theater of the Clouds. We talk about the unique flexibility and setup of Alaska Airlines' Theater of the Clouds, which is a unique take on an arena curtaining system t...