By Blair Cardinal

Oak View Group, the global venue development, advisory, and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industry, announced the appointment of veteran hospitality executive Chandra Allison as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Growth for Meetings, Conventions & Exhibitions.

In the newly created role, Allison will oversee the strategy to grow the convention center business across the OVG360 portfolio and elevate the omnipresent OVG guest experience. She will also design and develop meeting spaces and programming for OVG’s Las Vegas Hotel and Casino project, the $3 billion entertainment district that includes a 20,000-seat arena, 2,000-room hotel, meeting space, and casino. Using her industry and in-market experience, she will help the team fulfill the ambitious vision of the facility.

“I’m passionate about meetings, conventions, and exhibitions as chief economic drivers in any prosperous city or community,” Allison said. “I’m excited to join the team because I believe in the foresight of OVG’s leadership for where the industry could and should be in five years, 10 years and beyond. The entrepreneurial spirit, the culture, and the growth opportunities are astounding, and I’m excited to get started.”

Allison joins OVG following a 24-year tenure at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, which began as part of the integrated resort’s pre-opening team and concluded most recently as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing – M.I.C.E and Leisure. She assumed her new role with OVG on September 19 and reports jointly to Greg O’Dell, OVG360’s president of venue management, and Randy Morton, president of OVG Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.

“We’re thrilled to have Chandra on board,” O’Dell said. “She brings three decades of executive-level leadership and deep relationships with high-end, blue-chip clients to the table. She is an accomplished and recognized leader known for delivering powerful results through collaboration, creative negotiations, innovative sales deployment, people development, and group and leisure marketing strategies – all with the goal of providing a paramount guest experience.”

“Very few individuals possess Chandra’s degree of skill and wisdom – in Las Vegas and beyond – within the meetings and conventions, exhibitions, hotel, leisure and hospitality space,” Morton said. “As someone who started her career as a front desk agent at the Reno Hilton nearly thirty years ago and ascended to one of the top positions at a world-renowned property, she knows how to navigate a nuanced and competitive business. I’m excited to have Chandra on the team during this integral stage in development as we make our way toward our 2026 opening.”

Focused on education, fundraising, advocacy and research to advance the industry, Allison sat on the executive committee, board of directors and finance audit committee for the U.S. Travel Association and the global board of trustees, executive committee, and international board of directors for the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Foundation. She also served as a board member of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International – Las Vegas (HSMAI) and Meetings Mean Business Coalition.

Blair Cardinal is Vice President for OVG 360 Communications.

Photo by Oak View Group

By ocvibe.com

The Anaheim City Council voted to unanimously approve ocV!BE, a $4 billion development project sponsored by the Samueli Family to surround Honda Center in Anaheim with new entertainment, dining, hospitality, and lifestyle amenities.

Henry and Susan Samueli are the longtime owners of the Anaheim Ducks and venue managers of Honda Center.

“We thank the Anaheim City Council and City staff for their strong support of our vision for ocV!BE and our continued partnership with the City of Anaheim,” said Henry and Susan Samueli. “We look forward to starting construction soon on this important community asset that will showcase Anaheim and Orange County while also providing world-class entertainment and offerings for local residents, visitors, and our Anaheim Ducks fans.”

Celebrating the diversity of Orange County, ocV!BE will be a one-of-a-kind, mixed-use, master-planned community and entertainment destination that allows residents and guests to curate their experience. Construction is expected to start by the end of this calendar year with the project’s first phase opening in 2025 to the public.

The approval by the Anaheim City Council comes after a multi-year effort to assemble property and master plan the 100-acre site to surround Honda Center and ARTIC in Anaheim’s Platinum Triangle area. The stage was set for ocV!BE with a 2018 agreement between the Samueli Family and the City of Anaheim which guaranteed the Anaheim Ducks playing at Honda Center for decades to come. 

Project features include multiple new entertainment venues, including a 5,700-capacity concert hall, 35-plus restaurant offerings, two hotels, 1,500 residential units inclusive of a commitment of 195 affordable housing units, more than one million square feet of creative office space, and twenty acres of public space including two parks. 

“Our ambition is for ocV!BE to be the social and entertainment center of Orange County and Southern California, providing a vibrant collection of experiences celebrating the diversity of our community,” said Bill Foltz, CEO of ocV!BE. 

The goal is for ocV!BE is to be built out by the 2028 Summer Olympics when the Honda Center hosts indoor Olympic volleyball competitions, providing a showcase of Anaheim and Orange County to a world audience. 

By Gail Sawyer

The Queensland Government through Stadiums Queensland has re-appointed ASM Global as manager of Brisbane’s iconic Suncorp Stadium for a five-year period from January 1, 2023.

ASM Global Asia Pacific, with venues across Australia, New Zealand, the Asia Pacific and Middle East, has managed Suncorp Stadium since its redevelopment in 2003.

The management rights were awarded to ASM Global following a formal tender process.

ASM Global Asia Pacific Chairman and Chief Executive Harvey Lister AM said the company was honoured and very pleased to be re-appointed as venue manager, which he said reflected the Queensland’s Government’s continuing faith and trust in the company’s ability to manage the stadium to a world class standard.

From relatively humble but somewhat legendary beginnings, Suncorp Stadium, under the management of ASM Global, has developed into an internationally acknowledged venue that now boasts four anchor tenants as well as hosting world class sporting events including Australia’s State of Origin Series and Rugby World Tests, along with a glittering line-up of concert and entertainment events.

Since 2003 the venue has held some 750 events with more than 19 million fans in attendance and been recognised as one of the world’s leading venues. Suncorp Stadium was the only Australian operator and one of seven of the world’s biggest stadiums to be chosen as a finalist in the international Stadium Business Awards in Manchester in the UK in 2021. The stadium was also named ‘Best of Queensland Experience 2022’ from an impressive line-up of 4,700 venues.

2023 will see the stadium play host to eight games of the FIFA Women’s World Cup – the third most matches of the tournament as well as headline entertainment events including Elton John, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Ed Sheeran.

Suncorp Stadium General Manager Alan Graham paid tribute to the outstanding work of the stadium management team who has been at the lead creating and delivering world class sporting and entertainment events for the people of Queensland.

“It is also fortunate that we are part of a world-wide network in ASM Global which has assisted us in continuing to take advantage of the latest innovations and cutting-edge technology ensuring the Suncorp Stadium team remains amongst the most elite in the world,” he said.

Gail Sawyer is Group Communications Manager – ASM Global (Asia Pacific).

OVG360, the provider of venue management to the Owensboro (KY) Convention Center and the Owensboro Sportscenter, announced the promotion of two of the venue’s team members

Daniel Jones has been promoted to the Operations and Events Manager of the Owensboro Sportscenter. He began at the Owensboro Convention Center in June as an operations team member and was quickly promoted to Operations Team Lead. With a background in retail sales management and over 15 years in a leadership role, he is poised for success in his new role.

“Daniel showed promise from the second he started and has exceeded expectations now in his new position,” said Thomas Dyer, Director of the Owensboro Sportscenter. “He takes great pride in his work which does not go unnoticed, and we are lucky to have him on our team. I look forward to seeing the difference his presence can make at the venue long term.”

Shelby Christensen has been promoted to an Event Manager. She started at the Owensboro Convention Center in June as an operations team member and was quickly promoted to Operations Team Lead. “Shelby has a work ethic that doesn’t stop plus a bubbly personality that is ideal for the event manager position,” said Director of Events Cody Thomas. Shelby is excited to work with the many clients the venue hosts. When not working, she enjoys travelling and spending time with family, friends, and her cats.

The City of Fort Worth has selected Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, Inc. (TVS), a global architectural design firm teaming with local firm Bennett Partners, to deliver design and construction administration services for the first phase of the Fort Worth Convention Center’s expansion.

The expansion project will take place in two phases and the facility will remain operational during both. The first phase includes the construction of new state-of-the-art food & beverage facilities, demolition of the annex, realignment of Commerce Street to create a site pad for a future convention hotel and rebuilding the center’s loading docks. This phase is expected to begin construction in mid-2023 and be completed in 2026.

The convention center expansion, which had been planned for several years to accommodate larger conventions and group meetings, was about to begin with robust funding from hotel occupancy taxes when the COVID-19 shutdown began in 2020. After a pandemic-induced pause, the Fort Worth City Council approved $52 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in December 2021 to support the first phase of planned expansion of the city-owned convention center. Broaddus & Associates, Inc. is serving as project manager in partnership with Elements of Architecture, Inc

The second phase of the project will include the demolition of the 1968 arena and create approximately 97,000 square feet of net new exhibit hall space, 48,000 square feet of flexible meeting rooms, a new 50,000 square foot ballroom (twice the size of the current ballroom), as well as renovations to the current facility, which was expanded in 2003. This phase will be funded when hospitality taxes recover to the point where they can support the issuance of debt to fund the construction.