By R.V. Baugus

His public assembly venue background spans working in stadiums, arenas, and convention centers, but it is the latter for which Robert Rose, CVE, will be recognized at VenueConnect in Phoenix when he receives the Convention Center Lifetime Achievement Award. The retired IAVM member is most recognized with the Tampa Convention Center where he retired after 22 years with myriad titles including Event Operations Manager/Chief Operating Officer/Convention Facilities Director.

“Jim Finch called me and told me about the award and I said, ‘What!'” Rose recalled. “I can’t believe it and the next thought was, ‘Are you kidding me?'”

That answer would be a resounding no for a respected industry professional who dedicated so much of his career for the good of the profession as well as the convention center sector.

“I know the people that have been blessed to have the award over the years,” Rose said. “I was flabbergasted because I know all of the committee work, board work, and regional work and all those things that they’ve done in their career and running the buildings.”

Indeed, Rose is intimate in knowing what it takes to receive such a prestigious honor. He previously served on the committee that identified candidates to receive the award.

“We had a great group of people that were helping with trying to find the best possible candidates,” he said. “There were some extremely qualified people that were being considered and we were so blessed to over time be able to fit almost everybody in to receive the award. It’s a wonderful award for anyone to be recognized in that manner.”

Rose noted the irony that last year’s recipient, Barry Strafacci, is also synonomous with the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.

“Barry has helped me in so many ways,” Rose said. “He is actually in the same county in which I live. He has been on a number of the (IAVM) committees and when I saw he had gotten the award I was so thankful. He’s really worked so hard for the association.”

The same is true of Rose, who became an IAVM member in 1978. He has participated on numerous committees including Convention Center, Research, Benchmark Advisory, and Membership. He has also chaired the Region 5 Officers and earned his Certified Venue Executive designation in 2004.

“I had to learn from scratch because I came from a parks and recreation background in 1978 and had an assistant at that facility in Allen Park, Michigan, who said I needed to be involved with (then) IAAM,” Rose said. “It was a brand-new job and they had never had anybody who had run their facilities. It was a civic arena that was an ice arena, primarily, but we did special events and that’s where I was learning about that part of the business and what to do with them.”

From there, Rose went to the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he learned from one of the very best in Lionel Dubay during his five-year stay.

“One of my favorite things about Lionel is he wants you to grow,” Rose said. “He loves to have his interns and all of his staff learn about the business. He’s very generous that way and taught me so much.”

With Florida roots planted, Rose headed south to work at the Florida Suncoast Dome/ThunderDome/Tropicana Field, then Director of Event Services & Bookings with the MLB Tampa Bay Rays before setting sail on a long and distinguished career at the Tampa Convention Center.

“Early on, even in the late 70’s and then probably my first conference in the early 80’s, people made me feel so welcome,” Rose said. “It was my first conference and here I am talking to people running the association … a young kid and didn’t know much of anything at that point and talking to the president of the association about the business and the characteristics we should have to honor the industry and do the right thing.

“Those are the kinds of moments you have to have to really help you to look back and say I’m so glad I did all these things and learned from all these people. Receiving this award is definitely a humbling experience because I don’t know that I feel that I have had enough of a career to even receive such an honor. But I’m very blessed someone must have felt that I was definitely someone they wanted to recognize which makes me feel wonderful.”

By Kristin Coffman

Jeffrey Mann has been hired to fill a new chief operating officer role at Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, AR. In this position, Mann will directly oversee all facility operations, marketing, and public relations of both Walton Arts Center and Walmart AMP and guide Walton Arts Center’s programming and education initiatives.

“With continued growth in programming of both Walton Arts Center and Walmart AMP, we realized the need to have someone focused on the overall maintenance of day-to-day operations of our venues,” said Peter B. Lane, president and chief executive officer of Walton Arts Center. Lane will continue to oversee fundraising, new business initiatives, strategic planning, and organizational health of Walton Arts Center.

Mann brings to the role deep experience with sports and entertainment venues, as both an operator and a promoter. Most recently Mann was vice president of Nashville-based Outback Presents, an independent promoter of live events. Mann also spent five years with Live Nation as a general manager of Xfinity Center and Orpheum Theater in Boston. Before that he was COO of the International Association of Venue Managers. He is a Certified Venue Executive through IAVM.

“I am excited about the new challenges and opportunities that come with this position,” Mann said. “Walton Arts Center and the Walmart AMP are important cultural institutions in this region with strong reputations and I want to build upon that tradition of top-notch services and programming.”

Mann will step into the new role on July 1.

Kristin Coffman is Director of Human Resources and Institutional Culture for Walton Arts Center & Walmart AMP.

By R.V. Baugus

Industry veteran Karen Lynn Swan passed away on April 20 at the age of 79. Born in St. Paul (MN) to Erik and Della Schon, Karen graduated from Harding Senior High and attended night classes at the University of Minnesota for business and design. Karen married Roger Swan in 1962 and raised two children, Joelle and Jeff.

In 1974, Karen was hired at the Met Center as an Administrative Assistant. The Met Center was Karen’s big entrance into an exciting career of sports and entertainment. In 1990, Karen was hired as Director of Group Sales for the Target Center where she continued to work for the next 30 years. Karen loved her career, working on countless family shows and concerts. She was quoted as saying, “I don’t know if I would be happy doing anything else.”

She was fortunate to work side by side with some of her biggest mentors and longtime friends. Highlights of her career came in 2005 when Karen was the recipient of the Event and Arena Marketing Conference’s prestigious Gigi Award, and in 2020 when she was the recipient of the WISE (Women in Sports & Entertainment) Inspiration Award. Karen lived a very full life with her partner of 27 years, Bob Spencer, until his death in September of 2021. Karen and Bob enjoyed concerts, theater, sports and travel together. They attended Bob’s yearly Vietnam Helicopter Pilot reunions as well as many trips throughout the United States, Punta Cana, Europe, and Morocco.

Karen and Bob cherished their seven grandchildren; Abby, Ethan, Garrett, Elena, Jasmine, Chase, and Gavin. Karen is preceded in death by her parents Erik and Della Schon, lifelong partner Robert Spencer and former husband Roger Swan. Karen is survived by her brother Karl (Lyn) Schon of Eau Claire, WI, daughter, Joelle (Chad) of Bloomington, MN, son, Jeffrey (Gretchen) of Solon, IA, Geoffrey Spencer of Albuquerque, NM, and Dan Spencer of Eden Prairie, MN; grandchildren Abby, Ethan, Garrett, Elena, Jasmine, Chase, and Gavin, nephews Troy (Kelly) and Trent (Stephanie) Schon, as well as beloved cousins, close relatives and many dear friends.

Karen lived a life of kindness, compassion and grace. She will be dearly missed and memories of her will live on in the hearts of those she touched. In her words, “Life can’t be measured in the years that have flown by . . . it’s counted in kindnesses, close friends, and loved ones and in all of the sweet blessings we’ve known.”

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2 p.m. with a visitation beginning at 1 p.m. on June 14 at Spirit of Hope UMC, 7600 Harold Avenue, Golden Valley, MN 55427. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Twin Cities Gilda’s Club or donor’s choice.

By Lucy Albers

June 8, 2022, marked the 20-year anniversary for ASM Global’s Paycom Center, Oklahoma City’s premier sports and entertainment destination.

Construction for Oklahoma City’s downtown arena began in 1999 as part of the initial Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) program. Originally built as a hockey arena hosting the CHL’s Oklahoma City Blazers (2002-2009), the arena opened as Ford Center with a ribbon cutting event on June 8, 2002. The facility has also hosted AF2’s Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (2004-2008), is currently home to NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder (since 2008), and NBA G League’s Oklahoma City Blue (since 2021). The arena served as the home for NBA’s New Orleans Hornets from 2005-2007 while displaced from their arena due to damage from Hurricane Katrina.

“The opening of the MAPS arena in 2002 changed our city forever, because it finally gave us the platform to attract the NBA and world class concerts and events,” said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. “Twenty years is a long time in the life of a modern American arena. Our previous arena – the Myriad – was 21 years old when the voters of Oklahoma City approved its replacement with the passage of MAPS. These twenty years have brought a lifetime of memories, from the NBA Finals to Paul McCartney. Though there are many priorities for a city, we have learned that having a cutting-edge arena is critical to our city’s success. My thanks to the voters for repeatedly supporting that ambition and our city’s resulting growth. Also, my thanks to the great arena management we have had through the years.”

Throughout the past 20 years, Paycom Center has hosted hundreds of top-tier entertainment events and millions of guests. Record-breaking highlights and big names include:

Garth Brooks brought more than 60,000 people to the arena for four record-setting shows in July 2017. Brooks was the first artist to play a four-show run and broke record sales selling over 50,000 tickets in just 57 minutes. Playing all four shows in 27 hours, it’s also the first time the arena hosted multiple, major concerts in a single day.
Justin Timberlake’s Man of the Woods Tour became the arena’s and Oklahoma City’s highest grossing show on January 26, 2019. More than 16,000 fans attended the show.
The ‘King of Country’, George Strait, holds the record for highest attended single show when over 18,000 fans filled the arena on January 20, 2006. Strait also holds the record for most single-artist performances at the arena, with a total of six shows in its 20 years.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra holds the record for the group with most shows in the arena’s 20 years, having played 27 concerts (some years holding multiple performances). The group has performed for 15 nearly consecutive years (with the only break happening in 2020).
637 Thunder games, including 27 preseason, 554 regular season, and 56 playoff games.

Operations inside the arena also continue to set records, with SAVOR’s food and beverage team consistently offering world-class options for guests. With their Non-Profit Organization program, where groups can assist in concession stands for a donation to their organization, the arena has donated almost $6 million to non-profits. Throughout the past twenty years, they have also been able to serve:

Over 2 million hot dogs; measuring almost 400 miles back-to-back, equaling nearly the distance from Oklahoma City to Austin, TX.
Over 10.2 million gallons of beer; approximately enough to fill 15 Olympic pools.
Over 19 million gallons of soda; approximately enough to fill 29 Olympic pools.
Over 8.5 million gallons of water; approximately enough to fill 13 Olympic pools.
Over 1.4 trillion popcorn kernels popped; enough to fill Paycom Center with popped popcorn six times.

The past 20 years have set Oklahoma City’s arena up for continued success. Notable events scheduled yet this year include Andrea Bocelli’s first ever show in Oklahoma (June 23), tour opening-night shows for Kendrick Lamar (July 19) and My Chemical Romance (August 20), a brand-new PBR event with their Team Series only happening in 10 cities (September 16-18), and two sold-out nights with Luke Combs in-the-round (December 9-10).

Facility upgrades are also on the docket for the future, with MAPS 4 approved funding of $105 million for enhancements and renovations through 2028. Construction on several initial projects start this year including new seating, a new scoreboard, enhanced 300-level concession areas and signature bar, and further technology and infrastructure improvements.

Paycom Center has been a vital part of Oklahoma City for 20 years, and in return strives to implement and participate in programs that extend beyond the walls of our venue. Paycom Center’s 20th Anniversary will continue through the year with many other promotions and activities. Fans are encouraged to follow arena social media accounts and sign up for emails to stay up to date with more news to come. More information can be found at www.paycomcenter.com.

Pictured: Ribbon-cutting in 2002.

Lucy Albers is Director of Marketing & PR for Paycom Center.

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) has unveiled a new logo, a fresh, modern look to reflect a vibrant future filled with excitement and growth. As the convention center recovers from two years of reduced travel in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns and the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, the refreshed logo amplifies that New Orleans is Built to Host.

“This is a new design for a new era,” said Convention Center President Michael J. Sawaya. “The city is bouncing back, and we are thrilled to host conventions and other events that are already having a positive impact on local businesses.”

The debut of the new visual identity coincides with an extensive physical transformation already in progress. Major sustainability upgrades, interior and exterior modernizations, and plans to develop 39 acres of adjacent riverfront property — these projects are all part of the convention center’s ongoing $557 million Capital Improvement Plan. The new logo reflects these sweeping changes while also referencing iconic elements of the facility’s history, but with a new twist.

In the center of the new logo is a stylized depiction of an iconic art piece by sculptor Patrick Marold at the convention center’s plaza entrance. Titled The Alluvial Mirror, the name is a nod to the building’s historic location on the riverfront, where a sandy beach once naturally formed from the river’s alluvium — a word of Latin origin meaning a deposit of clay, silt, and sand left by flowing water, typically producing fertile soil.

The new logo also depicts the peaks of the Crescent City Connection bridge which has spanned the Mississippi River for over 60 years. Dramatic views of the bridge and the river will be very important in the center’s upcoming improvements. The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center’s name forms a block at the bottom of the logo, a visual representation of its foundational position as one of New Orleans’ largest economic drivers. A leading contributor to the city’s robust tourism economy, the convention center’s event activity has produced $90 billion in economic impact since its 1985 opening, including $5.7 billion in new tax revenue for state and local governments.

The new logo retains elements from the previous version paying tribute to both the convention center’s namesake and to the city of New Orleans — each of which are central to the identity of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The facility was first renamed in 1992 in honor of Ernest N. Morial, the first African American mayor of New Orleans. In 2008, the name was formally changed again to emphasize how New Orleans’ unique character influences and shapes the center’s mission.

Designed by the convention center’s Creative Services Manager, Eric LeBlanc, the new logo will have a phased rollout starting with digital and electronic assets such as web pages and email signatures, followed gradually by paper and physical assets. Click here for more details: https://mccno.com/new-logo-faq/.