By Blair Cardinal

Oak View Group (OVG) announced the acquisition of premium hospitality provider Bovingdons, marking the launch of its international OVG Hospitality division in the UK.

As a component of the acquisition, OVG will take a majority stake and full control of London-based Bovingdons, which has built a reputation for excellent service over its 35-year history. One of the UK’s leading providers of catering and venue management services, the private company currently services a portfolio of sought-after venues including Surrey’s Nonsuch Mansion, Fulham Palace, and Grand Junction in Paddington. As the latest and first international operator to join OVG Hospitality’s growing portfolio, the acquisition will enable Bovingdons to nurture and expand OVG’s growing global portfolio of world-class venues and clients.

“Since the launch last year, OVG Hospitality continues to grow and strengthen its position in the industry, and with the acquisition of Bovingdons, we’re now well-positioned to expand our offering into international markets,” said Ken Gaber, president, OVG Hospitality. “Bovingdons has an undeniable reputation for excellence. We are convinced that its talented and ambitious management team is ready for the next stage of growth with the right investment and guidance. We are glad to welcome Bovingdons to OVG and excited to collaborate with their team to continue to deliver brilliant services.”

“I’m delighted for Bovingdons to join the OVG family and under this new stewardship am confident that we will take our business to the next level. By joining the OVG family, Bovingdons will be able to offer ever greater service to our existing clients and venues by leaning into their extensive network and expertise,” said Jay Burgesson-Carter, director, Bovingdons Catering. “OVG’s core values of sustainability, quality, and trust are completely aligned with ours and I look forward to working together on the future direction of the business.”

The acquisition continues OVG’s commitment as the leading full-service live events company in the world. Following the launch of OVG Hospitality in 2021 with the acquisition of Spectra, and most recently, the acquisition of Spectrum in North America, which expands OVG into non-traditional areas such as major sporting events and music festivals.

The execution of the deal for OVG was led by Keegan McDonald, vice president of business development, Michael Moschella, vice president of business development, and Joe Donohue, associate of business development. The management team for Bovingdons was led by Director, Jay Burgesson-Carter, alongside Theo Wieder and Adam Karni-Cohen for Thwack Partners.

From Chase Center

The 2022 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors and Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, announced that as part of its commitment to providing modern, immersive experiences for fans and guests, Aruba Wi-Fi 6E access points (APs) have been deployed at Chase Center. This implementation marks the first Wi-Fi 6E network at a live entertainment venue in North America and significantly increases available bandwidth in the arena as fans embrace streaming, uploading content and other high-bandwidth activities during events. This also ensures ample bandwidth for stadium operations, IoT implementations, and experience-related services such as in-seat ordering and contactless payment.

Chase Center seats 18,064 for Warriors games. The arena also hosts concerts, comedians and other events. Additionally, the district surrounding the venue, which is known as Thrive City, boasts 3.2 acres of open space, 125,000 square feet of restaurant and retail businesses, and 580,000 square feet of office space across two buildings. As the first arena to deploy this technology in North America, Chase Center currently has over 250 active Wi-Fi 6E APs in the bowl seating section of the arena. The Wi-Fi 6E APs were first live with the venue’s Alicia Keys concert on September 3, 2022.

“The Warriors are obsessed with creating world class experiences and providing fast, reliable connectivity for sold out crowds of 18,000+ fans at games and events at Chase Center is an incredibly important part of that,” said Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Brandon Schneider. “With the addition of Wi-Fi 6E Access Points in the arena bowl we can provide fans a more immersive experience that we believe is unmatched by any other professional sporting venue.”

Chase Center’s adoption of Aruba’s enterprise grade Wi-Fi 6E solution set, which was the first Wi-Fi 6E solution introduced to the market, includes Aruba’s patented ultra tri-band filtering that dynamically adjusts the available channels to eliminate signal interference and performance degradation. The new Wi-Fi 6E APs allow the arena to centrally configure and automatically enforce role-based policies across the wired and wireless networks. Additionally, the APs are IoT-ready with integrated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Zigbee support to make it easier to deploy and manage IoT including asset tracking, security solutions, and sensors.

Chase Center has hosted numerous sold-out events since its opening in 2019 including every Warriors game and the 2022 NBA Finals, which saw a peak of over 3.80 TB in use, with over 10,000 unique devices. During the venue’s host duties of the 2022 NCAA Western Regional, the arena experienced a peak of over 4.05 TB.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Golden State Warriors and Chase Center on a world-class, future-ready network that delivers an unparalleled fan experience,” said Stuart Strickland, Wireless CTO at Aruba. “With Wi-Fi 6E, the Warriors and Chase Center can take advantage of the increased capacity, wider channels, and significantly reduced signal interference of 6 GHz and the location-aware infrastructure of Open Locate. Visitors will enjoy higher bandwidth, lower latency services and applications such as HD video, next-generation unified communications, AR/VR, IoT, and more.”

The Memphis Grizzlies NBA basketball team has announced upgrades at the FedExForum, including a newly renovated space on the terrace level of the arena.

The space, known as Big River Steel Edge, is designed to provide an enhanced fan experience. The terrace level of the arena has also been renamed Big River Steel Terrace as part of the revamp.

The Big River Steel Edge space is located between sections 201 and 232 of FedEx Forum and features 34 TVs as well as a refreshed bar and grill with an updated menu. The space overlooks both the court from the west end of the arena bowl and the grand lobby of the venue, while fans will also have access to an outdoor area overlooking the city skyline.

Technology company Big River Steel has agreed a deal to sponsor the space and the terrace level of the arena. The company will use its partnership with the Grizzlies to expand its reach into Memphis and the surrounding areas.

The new space has opened on the back of increased ticket demand following a successful season for the Grizzlies in 2021-22. The team won 56 games and claimed the Southwest divisional title for the first time.

Grizzlies president Jason Wexler said: “We are truly excited to enhance the fan experience through the creation of this innovative terrace level destination and our partnership with Big River Steel.

“We wanted to create a place where fans can gather to absorb the atmosphere of the game as a social experience while sharing in Big River Steel’s commitment to the local community and region. We know our fans will embrace this as a premier destination within FedEx Forum and are pleased to be able launch the Big River Steel Edge.”

Dan Brown, chief operating officer at Big River Steel Works, said: “We are thrilled to partner with the Memphis Grizzlies to highlight the innovation of Big River Steel. Through this dynamic and multi-faceted partnership, we look forward to the great work we will do together to engage with the communities we call home.”

Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in September 2022. Thank you for being a part of the association! Also, let us get to know you better by participating in the I Am Venue Management series. Please visit http://www.iavm.org/i-am-venue-management-share-your-story to share your story and photo.

Gabe Alamillo, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Kevin Anderson Jr, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville, TN
Alton Bell, Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
Jared Berlin, Missouri State University, Shawnee, KS
Rachel Blasengame, Belmont University, Strategic Venues and Event Services, Nashville, TN
Jason Burnett, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Weill Casey, Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, FL
Veronica Casillas, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Amanda Cloyd, Kentucky Venues, Louisville, KY
Katie Cocca, Venue Management/UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Sharon Condit, Oklahoma State Fair Park, Oklahoma City, OK
Caroline Cooper, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, TX
Chaz Corzine, Belmont University, Strategic Venues and Event Services, Nashville, TN
Ryan Curd, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville, TN
Michael Delay, H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, Cedar Park, TX
Megan Ebeck, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Gabriel Farrand, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Tim Fischer, Tampa Sports Authority, Tampa, FL
Menika Fowler, The Fox Theatre – Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
Chris French, Tampa Sports Authority, Tampa, FL
Paul Graning, Missouri State University, Park Hills, MO
Ashley Greenfeld, Tampa Sports Authority, Tampa, FL
Diane Hager, Tacoma Venues & Events, Tacoma, WA
Jennifer Hedgepeth, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ
Veronica Hernandez, T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Joel Hobson, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Kaitlyn Jones, Legacy Arena, Douglasville, GA
Kenneth Jones, FTX Arena, Miami, FL
Matthew Jones, Tuscaloosa Amphitheater – City of Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa, AL
Greg Kaul, The BCJ Group, St Petersburg, FL
Allison Keaney, Cow Palace, Daly City, CA
Michael Kersteff, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Evelyn Lee, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Quinn Mackin, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Anthony Marino, Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
Brent Mater, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Emma McKenzie, Coppell Arts Center, Coppell, TX
Maggie Miner, ASM Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Erika Muir, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Jocelyn Murchison, Lansing Entertainment & Public Facilities Authority (LEPFA), Lansing, MI
McKenna Myers, MGM Resorts, Las Vegas, NV
Tracy Neff, Allied Universal Event Services (AUES), Fullerton, CA
Mark Neumann, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Rick Noonan, Allied Universal Event Services (AUES), Fullerton, CA
Katie Pedersen, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Carlos Perez, Allied Universal Event Services (AUES), Fullerton, CA
Shelly Richison, Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
Ty Richmond, Allied Universal Event Services (AUES), Fullerton, CA
Evan Ruiz, University of Texas at El Paso – UTEP, El Paso, TX
Eli Schellinger, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ
Zachary Schloemer, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Ross Schwartz, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Tish Scoby, The Fox Theatre – Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
Josh Scurlock, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Khadijah Segura, FTX Arena, Miami, FL
Kellie Senatore, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia, SC
Makenna Song, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Bryn Strawbridge, Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
Travis Strawbridge, Allied Universal Event Services (AUES), Fullerton, CA
April Sutton, The Fox Theatre – Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
Brent Swanson, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville, TN
Jazzy Tagaloa, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Chad Thomas, Hattiesburg Convention Commission, Hattiesburg, MS
Kirsten Trossen, Tampa Sports Authority, Tampa, FL
Matt Trout, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Jalen Turpen, CSA360 Software, Carmel, IN
Joetta Velasquez Bessenhoffer, Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), Seattle, WA
Camille Warren, The Fox Theatre – Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
Jake Webster, T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Samantha Weisenberger, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
Sarah West, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA
Shelly Westfall, Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, Raleigh, NC
Dan Wilm, Edmonton Convention Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Treavor Wrucke, Ceridian, Birmingham, AL
Brandon Younger, Honda Center/ocV!BE, Anaheim, CA

By R.V. Baugus

Tom Lorenz, general manager of Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, died October 1 at a local hospital. He was 65.

Lorenz had recently been diagnosed with cancer and was hospitalized due to pain issues earlier in the week before his sudden death early Saturday, according to his son, Kyle. Lorenz is survived by his wife, Teri, son Marc, his wife Erin and their children, Eva and Emmett, Kyle and his wife Brooke Stevens and daughter Amy and her wife Lindsey Wyatt.

Lorenz was instrumental in shepherding the arena into existence, from the May 2010 authorization vote through its two years of construction and its 2013 opening. He was also responsible, in large part, for the booking of shows at the arena that has, for years, been one of the top venues in the country, with attendance far eclipsing its market size.

Pinnacle Bank Arena invites the community to celebrate the life of General Tom Lorenz, on Friday, October 14, 2022, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The service will begin at 2 pm, and doors will open at 1 pm.

Leave your sadness at the door and join us as we celebrate the life of Tom Lorenz, said Charles Schilling, CVE, Director of Booking at the venue. “Tom was a beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather, boss, and so much more. Tom loved to support all of his teams who were near and dear to his heart — the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, University of Nebraska, and his alma mater Iowa State. While we are grieving Tom, we know the last thing he would want is for us to dress in black. We invite you to dress in your favorite sports team gear as a celebration of life for Tom.”

As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be made in Tom’s loving memory to:
Trinity Hope Haitian Feeding Program, https://www.trinityhope.org/
Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry, https://christlincoln.org/comfortdog/

Any flowers or gifts for the family, may be directed to Pinnacle Bank Arena, 400 Pinnacle Arena Drive, Gate 4 Marshaling Entrance, Lincoln, NE 68508.

Any cards for the family may be mailed to Pinnacle Bank Arena, ATTN: Family of Tom Lorenz, 400 Pinnacle Arena Drive, Lincoln, NE 68508.