From StadiumBusiness.com

A night club and a sports betting area are among the additions under consideration for the renovation of Paul Brown Stadium, home of the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals.

Local TV station WCPO has revealed details of documents from Ohio’s Hamilton County architecture firm Gensler, which list a number of options for the proposed redevelopment of the stadium. Hamilton County hired Gensler in September 2020 to assess the state of the stadium, which opened in August 2000, ahead of the Bengals’ current lease deal expiring in 2026.

Other aspects of the renovation could include cascading balconies, rooftop experiences, a “sky bridge” connecting upper concourses, and a larger scoreboard in the north end of the stadium. Plans are still at an early stage, with renderings for many of the proposals are not yet available.

The documents also include more points of sale, seating options and sponsorship opportunities. A new market-style experience, named after Cincinnati’s Findlay Market, has also been proposed.

In a statement to WCPO, Hamilton County spokesperson Bridget Doherty said: “The Gensler presentation is a conceptual outline of ideas guiding the overall master planning process. None of these ideas are final. We expect the final master plan by the end of this year that incorporates the capital plan that was released publicly in April.”

In April, Gensler released the findings of a study which determined that Paul Brown Stadium is suitable to remain the long-term home of the Bengals but will require a minimum of $493 million in upgrades.

Gensler’s report found that unlike other NFL venues that are currently in the process of being replaced, Paul Brown Stadium is suitable for redevelopment. The firm looked into 15 different areas of the stadium and provided a suggested priority list and timeline for repairs.

Demetra Thornton, principal for Gensler, said at the time that Paul Brown Stadium was designed with improvements in mind – unlike Riverfront Stadium, the Bengals’ former home.

Paul Brown Stadium is one of three NFL venues without a naming-rights partner but reports last month suggested that the Bengals were close to signing a sponsor.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the Bengals are working to sell the naming rights and have informed city and county officials to be prepared to move quickly on approvals, should they be needed.

Since opening in 2000, the stadium has been named in honor of the Bengals’ founder, Paul Brown. Should a deal be agreed, only the Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field and Chicago Bears’ Soldier Field will remain as NFL stadia without a naming-rights agreement.

By Celebrity Access

AEG Presents has named New Orleans-based Reeves Price as the new Vice President (VP) Festivals.

Before AEG, Price was a founding partner at Winter Circle Productions, an indie promotion and production house in New Orleans. Price will continue to be based out of that office. With Winter Circle, he co-founded the BUKU Music + Art Project, a boutique event held at Mardi Gras World each year.

In 2015, when AEG Presents acquired Winter Circle Productions, Price was appointed VP of operations for both Winter Circle Productions and AEG Presents’ Gulf Coast Region, positions he will continue to hold alongside his new role. Price will also act as producer for Hangout Music Festival in Alabama.

Price will oversee the company’s portfolio of festivals and will report to Goldenvoice COO and COO Festivals, AEG Presents Melissa Ormond.

Price said, “I’ve really enjoyed working with Melissa on BUKU and Hangout and am looking forward to working closely with her and the company into the future.”

Ormond said, “I’m thrilled that Reeves is expanding his role with the AEG Presents Festivals team. His operational expertise will be of tremendous benefit to the shows in our portfolio.”

Reeves Price (Image: AEG)

The Lynnwood (WA) Public Facilities District, owners of the Lynnwood Convention Center (LCC) and OVG360, the contracted operators for the LCC, announced the appointment of Erin Jepson, CVP, CMP as the LCC’s new General Manager as of July 11, 2022.

Prior to joining the team at the LCC, Jepson was Director of Events and Guest Services at the Oregon Convention Center, and Director of Events and Patron Services at the Walton Arts Center in Arkansas. She was also the Customer Success Manager with Ungerboeck, an event management software company. With over 16 years’ experience in event production/management and venue operations, Jepson brings extensive skills in team leadership to the table.

Originally from Houston, Jepson studied at the University of Texas – Austin and quickly moved into a professional career in event management. She graduated from IAVM’s (International Association of Venue Managers) Venue Management School in 2013, attended the Venue Management School Graduate Institute in 2016, and received her Certified Meetings Professional (CMP) certification in 2015 from the Convention Industry Council (CIC). Recently, she earned IAVM’s Certified Venue Professionals (CVP) certification, another major designation for industry professionals in venue management. Jepson is also a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).

“The puzzle behind building great events and experiences for our audiences drives me to put out the very best product I can,” Jepson said. “I am excited to bring my broad-based industry experience to the LCC and the Lynnwood Community. Every detail of venue management excites me, all the way from designing security plans for events to opening the doors for a comic con boasting an attendance of over 25,000 people.”

“Recently we developed an expanded approach to our key performance indicators to better fulfill our mission of driving economic impact and increasing public benefits for the community,” said Janet Pope, Executive Director of the Lynnwood Public Facilities District. “We are focusing intently on increasing sustainable practices and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all our work. Erin is just the right person to help in implementing these plans. She will be an integral part of our team and a big part of our property’s bright future.”

Dave Anderson, Regional Vice President of OVG360 added, “We could not be more excited to welcome Erin to the team as our new General Manager of the Lynnwood Convention Center. Her leadership experience and entrepreneurial spirit will play a key role in bringing high impact business to the convention center and local community.”

By R.V. Baugus

Robert A. Lorelli, founder and president of the theater consulting firm, Robert Lorelli Associates which merged into Theater Design in 2019, passed away on July 23 in Westhampton Beach, New York, surrounded by family and friends after a brief battle with Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia. A graduate of New York Institute of Technology, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering and specialized in lighting and rigging designs.

“In many ways Bob is responsible for the theater consultant that I’ve become and the career I continue to have,” said Michael Mell, president of Theater Design in Cold Spring, NY. “I was honored when he asked me to take over his clients when he retired. I will miss his friendship, his generous support and counsel.”

During his more than four decades in business, he worked on more than 300 theater projects worldwide. Among his projects were Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, City Center 55th Street Dance Theater, Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh, Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, the Onondaga Civic Center, the Cleveland Playhouse, the Warner Theatre in Erie, Pennsylvania, the Shubert Theater in New Haven, the Palace Theater in Chicago, the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Wolf Trap Farm Park in Vienna, Virginia, the American University in Cairo, Place des Artes, Montreal, Teatro de la Cuidad y Centro de Convenciones, Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, and Expo ’98 Centennial on the Clark Base in the Philippines.

Prior to this he was Executive Director of City Center 55th Street Dance Theater, and he designed the innovative turntable in the Chrysler Pavilion of the 1964 World’s Fair. He also worked on the LINAC Accelerator Project at Brookhaven National Laboratory. He was avid sailor and a major support of the Peconic Bay Medical Center, Riverhead, New York, as well as the World Wildlife Fund and the African Wildlife Foundation.

A celebration of Bob’s life will be held in the near future. In lieu of flowers, it’s suggested that a contribution be made in Bob’s name to the Peconic Bay Medical Center Foundation, 1300 Roanoke Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901, or to a charity of your choice.

Oak View Group (OVG), the global venue development, advisory, and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industries, announced the addition of three seasoned professionals to Acrisure Arena, the newest world-class venue designed specifically for the Coachella Valley, and the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the 32nd AHL team debuting in Fall 2022 and the affiliate of the NHL Seattle Kraken. Joining the team is Leslie Deason as general manager and director of operations & programming of the Iceplex, Chef David Harvie as executive chef of Acrisure Arena, and Evan Pivnick as director of broadcast & communications of the Firebirds.

As general manager and director of operations & programming for the Iceplex, Deason will be responsible for the development of strategy, execution of programming, and supervising of all management at the Iceplex. Deason has managed and consulted multiple facilities across the country and internationally as well as directed and coached hockey and elite figure skaters. A certified IAim General Manager, Deason is also PSA Triple Master rated, a Level VI International figure skating coach, and a USFS technical specialist. She will report to John Bolton, senior vice president, entertainment – facilities & general manager, Acrisure Arena, and starts her new role effective immediately.

“As a Southern California native, I love and appreciate the beauty of the desert and diverse lifestyle that comes with it,” said Deason. “Joining the Oak View Group family in developing and programming a new facility in the beautiful Coachella Valley is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I take great pride in representing OVG in the community and delivering a world-class experience to all.”

Joining the team as executive chef of Acrisure Arena, Harvie will oversee all food and beverage operations at the venue for concerts and games as well as inside and out private event catering, public rink, all culinary staffing hiring and training, food safety and sanitation, food procurement, recipes, and menu development. The son of a classically trained French chef, Harvie most recently served as executive chef at Monterey Country Club in Palm Desert, CA. Previously he served as president of the American Culinary Federation First Coast Chapter in Jacksonville, FL. Harvie’s experience also includes serving as executive chef at Levy Restaurants for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Redskins, and the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and the NFL team, where he supported multiple events including the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby, the USTA tennis tournament in Flushing, NY, and the Stanley Cup Finals in Chicago. Harvie will report to Chris Morgan, regional vice president, and Tom Hoch, division executive chef for Oak View Group.

“I am super excited to join the Oak View Group team at Acrisure,” said Harvie. “Sports and entertainment have always been a passion of mine. I so look forward to the great times we will all have at the new arena.”

“Both Leslie and David are such pros in their respective fields and bring a wealth of experience to Acrisure Arena,” Bolton said. “It’s my pleasure to welcome them to our growing team as we continue on track for a December opening.”

As director of broadcast & communications, Pivnick will oversee all home and away game play-by-play duties along with player and coaching content coordination and creation for the Coachella Valley Firebirds weekly broadcast, magazine, digital platforms, and radio programs. Additionally, Pivnick will serve as the liaison for hockey operations and the front office to create media opportunities and materials throughout the AHL season. Pivnick will report to Gina Rotolo, vice president of marketing and communications for Coachella Valley Firebirds.

“I’m ecstatic to be joining the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Oak View Group,” Pivnick said. “There are so many amazing things this organization has already accomplished without even stepping on the ice. Getting to be a part of an organization in a new hockey city is really something special and I can’t wait to get started.” Pivnick comes to the Firebirds after five years with the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder, where he served as the team’s director of communications and broadcasting. Pivnick attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio and graduated in 2017 with a degree in media production and studies. While attending the university, he was the play-by-play voice of the school’s hockey team and had the privilege of calling a game with preeminent American hockey broadcaster Mike “Doc” Emrick during his senior year. Pivnick is a native of Oceanside, NY, and credits going to New York Islanders games during his youth at nearby Nassau Coliseum as the sparkplug for his love of hockey.

“When you’re building out one of the most anticipated teams in the AHL, having strong talent on and off the ice in an absolute must. Evan demonstrates a passion for both the sport and media and his expertise in broadcasting will enhance the Firebirds brand,” said Steve Fraser, president of Acrisure Arena and Coachella Valley Firebirds.