Robert Herron, board chair of the Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority, has announced Wheeling resident Kelly Tucker as the new executive director of WesBanco Arena and the Capitol Theatre, effective Oct. 1.

“Kelly’s professional experience is a great fit for this position. I believe she will do an excellent job of managing and growing Wheeling’s entertainment venues,” he said.

Tucker, a West Liberty University graduate, said she is looking forward to her new role.

“Thirty years ago, I began my career in live entertainment in Wheeling. I am very excited that this new chapter will be bringing me home. I feel privileged to continue the legacy of Wheeling’s entertainment history and plan to grow the amazing assets that our friendly city has to offer,” she said.

“I am honored to be the new executive director and the successor of an incredible leader, Denny Magruder. I am looking forward to working with the board of directors for the GWSEA and the community to continue bringing great events to the city.”

Tucker comes to the GWSEA from Live Nation where she served as general manager at several venues. Those facilities include, most recently, The Pavilion at Star Lake, a 23,000-plus seat outdoor concert venue; from 2005 to 2018, Jamboree in the Hills, a 100,000-plus seat outdoor concert venue; and from 2005 to 2007, the Capitol Music Hall, a 2,500-plus seat theater.

In those roles, Tucker oversaw the operation of those facilities which included, but was not limited to managing an annual budget, as well as supervising department managers and staff. She also analyzed data to improve customer experiences, forecasted and managed event budgets, facilitated capital expenditures and projects and scheduled performances. Tucker has also been responsible for marketing, sponsorships, and ticketing for events as well as maintaining relationships with media outlets and government officials.

By Jessica Poitevien

The Calgary TELUS Convention Centre’s rainbow wings have become a symbol of its support to the LGBTQ+ community for both visitors and locals alike.

For years, the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre (CTCC) has displayed rainbow-colored wings on its front windows during Calgary Pride Week as a show of support for the LGBTQ+ community. But the care and respect that the CTCC team extends to everyone goes beyond a simple mural, including tangible policies that create a welcoming atmosphere for the LGBTQ+ community. On June 21, 2022, these efforts were officially acknowledged as CTCC became an accredited Rainbow Registered Business — the first convention center in Canada to earn this recognition.

The Calgary TELUS Convention Centre creates a positive and accepting environment for its staff, as well as millions of eventgoers every year.

Created by Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce (CLGCC) in partnership with Tourism HR Canada, Rainbow Registered is a national accreditation program for businesses and venues that meet a thorough set of standards to ensure LGBTQ+ customers feel safe, welcomed, and accepted. To earn the accreditation, the CTCC team completed a series of interviews that evaluated the convention center’s business practices as well as employee training on diversity and inclusion. The review process also explored how the CTCC demonstrates leadership and commitment to inclusion by establishing an organizational culture that is LGBTQ+ inclusive and affirmative.

Some noteworthy policies include requiring all employees to undergo basic level training from the Queer Education Foundation, providing access to gender-neutral bathrooms to employees, and the ability to transform public restrooms to support the need for gender-neutral restrooms if requested by event organizers.

“As an organization that is a community hub for our city, it was important for us to become Rainbow Registered,” said Kurby Court, CTCC’s president and CEO, in a press release. “This is only one step we are taking to ensure our employees, clients, and those attending events at the center feel safe and welcomed. We will continue to educate ourselves and have access to the necessary tools we need to create an inclusive environment for all.”

The CTCC isn’t alone in implementing supportive policies for the LGBTQ+ community. Other Rainbow Registered businesses in Calgary include The Residence Inn by Marriott Calgary Downtown and The Westley Calgary Downtown Hotel, a Tapestry Collection Hotel by Hilton. A fairly new initiative, Rainbow Registered has officially accredited 85 businesses across Canada, but that number is steadily growing, making it easier for meeting planners to choose venues and businesses that are reliably LGBTQ+ friendly.

“Calgary is renowned for our warm welcoming atmosphere and outstanding hospitality,” said David Woodward, executive director of meetings and conventions at Tourism Calgary. “This is a wonderful step toward ensuring that all who organize or attend events in our city and those who call our community home feel welcomed, safe, and included.”

Jessica Poitevien is a freelance Travel & Lifestyle writer.

Stadium design and architectural firm Populous has named Charlie Brooks as its communications and marketing director.

Brooks joins Populous from Premier League football club Manchester United, where he was communications director >overseeing both football and corporate communications. He joined the club in 2018 having previously held a number of senior communications leadership roles at Nike including VP of Consumer Category Communications and most recently VP of Comms for the sportswear giant’s global Direct-to-Consumer business.

Brooks will undertake a dual role, focusing on EMEA projects and activity, while also elevating the company’s global strategic Communications and Marketing Strategy across its regional portfolio of The Americas, Asia Pacific and EMEA.

San Diego City Council has voted to select the Midway Rising team as the winning bid to transform the Californian city’s 48-acre sports arena site.

City Council members voted 7-1 to effectively rubber-stamp the selection of Midway Rising. The consortium featuring venue operator Legends was last month recommended to lead the multibillion-dollar San Diego Sports Arena redevelopment project by Mayor Todd Gloria and other influential officials.

The Midway Rising group, which also features housing partners Chelsea Investment Corporation and Zephyr, along with Safdie Rabines Architects, was backed ahead of this month’s meetings when elected officials had to nominate their pick of three contenders.

“This approval is a major step forward in our goal of revitalizing the Midway District with much-needed affordable homes along with a world-class entertainment venue and great amenities for the community,” Gloria said in a statement after the vote.

“The Midway Rising team has not only the most compelling vision for re-using the site, but also the experience and financial wherewithal to execute.”

Along with a new 16,000-seat arena to replace the current venue which opened in 1966, Midway Rising has proposed 2,000 housing units deed-restricted for low- and very-low-income families, 250 middle-income units and 2,000 market-rate units. Its commitment to affordable housing was said to be a key reason why it was selected.

Elsewhere, the project is also set to include a 200-room hotel, 4,500 parking spaces and 20 acres of plaza and park space, including 4.2 acres of rooftop parks. The vote marked the end of a long-running process that has met significant challenges along the way.

Once an exclusive negotiating agreement is signed, the City and Midway Rising will have around two years to agree lease and development terms. Commenting on the news, Bill Rhoda, a project development executive with Legends, told the San Diego Union-Tribune: “The Midway Rising team is grateful to the San Diego City Council for voting to move forward with Mayor Gloria and city staff’s recommendation.

“We are committed to delivering an inclusive, affordable, and economically vibrant community that includes 2,000 affordable homes, 20-plus acres of new parks, 8,500 jobs for working families, and a modern sports arena for all San Diegans.”

Photo Credit: Safdie Rabines Architechts

By Andra Bennett, APR

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.

“TVS has the reputation, experience, and vision that will make our convention center a memorable destination in its own right, and Bennett Partners is a well-respected local expert in the industry,” said Mike Crum, director of Public Events for the City of Fort Worth. “With all the momentum on the southeastern side of downtown with new residential property, new hotels and the Texas A&M campus expansion, we’re looking forward to welcoming larger events and more visitors than ever to Fort Worth.”

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., TVS is one of the world’s leading convention center designers with major new build, expansion, and renovation projects in Las Vegas, New York City, Nashville, Puerto Rico, Panama, Canada and throughout China.

“Fort Worth is an amazing destination with a huge untapped potential for attracting the widest range of meetings and events,” said TVS Principal Rob Svedberg, FAIA. “TVS is thrilled to be part of this historic project that will establish Fort Worth at the forefront of the most important industry trends, anchor the south side of Main Street, and energize the entire convention district.”

Award-winning architectural planning and design firm Bennett Partners brings deep community knowledge to the project. Their recent developments in Fort Worth include the restoration of the historic Horse and Mule Barns in the Stockyards, downtown’s Frost Tower, the Kimpton Harper Hotel, the Museum of Living Art in the Fort Worth Zoo and Sundance Square Plaza’s Westbrook and Cassidy buildings.

“Like many of us from the Fort Worth area, I grew up attending events at the arena and the convention center, so I’m especially honored that a Fort Worth-based firm will have a meaningful role on the design team,” said Michael Bennett, principal and CEO of Bennett Partners. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Fort Worth to create a true convention district that will catalyze additional development in the southern part of downtown.”

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.

Andra Bennett, APR, is Marketing Communications Manager for the City of Fort Worth Public Events.