By Gail Sawyer
ASM Global—the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences, venue management, and event strategy—has promoted industry veteran Alex Merchán to chief marketing officer overseeing the global portfolio that represents 20,000 events across 350 venues, hosting more than 164 million guests worldwide.
In making the announcement, ASM President and CEO Ron Bension said, “In less than one year with our company, Alex has been responsible for reimagining our marketing support infrastructure while simultaneously dramatically enhancing our network’s external initiatives for our clients and partners.”
In his new role, Merchán, whose most recent ASM Global position was executive vice president of marketing,
will spearhead the company’s branding and positioning across key areas including global partnerships, digital and CRM strategy, business development, and advisory and investing efforts across the U.S. and internationally.
“This is the thrill of a lifetime,” Merchán said. “The biggest sandbox in the world and the opportunity to engage with fans across entertainment, sports, and business … that’s what our marketing team gets to work in—with the most prestigious collection of venues on Earth. That means we know the rules of the game better than anyone else, and we play it better than anyone else.”
Since joining ASM Global, Merchán has also overseen all strategic marketing, PR, creative services, and digital efforts across ASM Global’s portfolio’s stadium, arena, convention center, and theatre network worldwide. This has included a focus on such initiatives as prioritizing the customer experience and elevating the guest insights database via innovative partnerships with Qualtrics XM, which Bension said has redefined the guest experience across “all venue types and has provided ASM Global venues the global standard in achieving customer experience success.”
He has also actively been involved with ASM Global’s CSR’s Global Acts commitment to sustainability, community, and DEI efforts.
Prior to his time at ASM Global, Merchán oversaw marketing for Live Nation’s Clubs & Theaters division following a decade-long stint at Hard Rock International establishing the strategic direction for 175 venues in 74 countries representing a billion-dollar business overseeing both sales and marketing in that
Gail Sawyer is group communications manager for ASM Global (Asia Pacific).
