By Colum Coomey

Global leader in venue and event management, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust, has been confirmed as the operator for the new Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCEC) that will open in 2026.

As the existing Government operator of convention and exhibition services in the state of Victoria, the Trust already manages the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and will manage both GCEC and MCEC to leverage expertise and opportunities to collaborate.

GCEC will be developed on the Geelong Waterfront precinct as part of the Geelong City Deal – a partnership between the Australian and Victorian Governments, together with the City of Greater Geelong.

The $294 million project includes the construction of a purpose-built Convention and Exhibition Centre, incorporating a 1,000-seat plenary venue and at least 3,700 square metres of flexible event space to allow large and small events to run concurrently.

The centre will be a major driver of jobs and economic growth for the City of Greater Geelong and surrounding areas, supporting 600 jobs during construction and an additional 270 ongoing jobs through operation.

Every event at GCEC will benefit a local ecosystem of hoteliers, event organisers, food providers, chefs and casual wait staff, cleaners, technicians, logistics, transport operators, and more.

The Trust will work closely with the local community, businesses, and key stakeholders in Geelong and the wider Bellarine region to secure as many local jobs, produce, and supply chains as possible in the centre’s ongoing operation.

“We have more than 25 years’ experience hosting and delivering world class business events and we’re excited to start operating in Geelong and the Bellarine,” said Peter King, Chief Executive of MCEC. “We look forward to engaging the local community, businesses, and event organisers as the Centre is developed.

“The new facility will expand Geelong’s annual events offering and provide extraordinary experiences to the community and wider region.”

Colum Coomey is Corporate Communications Manager for the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
M: 0435 659 082

Fern, a leading provider of trade show, exhibition, and event services, announced two additions to its management team. Kathy Cox, SHRM – SCP, SPHR, is the new Director of HR & Payroll and Joey Becker has joined the company as the General Manager of the Columbus, Ohio branch.

With more than 25 years in the human resources field, Cox has HR and payroll management experience in a variety of industries, including technology consulting and manufacturing – most recently with Standard Textile. She is excited to join the expositions and events industry and to help Fern’s managers and team members across the country continue the company’s reputation for providing unsurpassed service.

“We are excited to add Kathy and her years of professional experience in Human Resources to the team at Fern,” said Aaron Bludworth, CEO. “As we continue to expand our teams across the country Kathy will be taking on a critical role in the areas of recruiting and the on-boarding of new team members.”

Becker comes to Fern with a diverse background in the trade show, exhibit, and event management space. Most recently he was with EXHIBITPRO where he managed a wide range of tradeshow and branded environment programs. Earlier in his career, he was President of Becker Communications, a marketing communications company that focused on tradeshows and corporate event marketing. Becker prides himself on developing long-term relationships with his clients by becoming an extension of their brand management – knowing and understanding their needs, products, and services.

“Joey brings a fresh perspective rooted in 20+ years of successful experience in the trade show industry with a deep foundation of helping his clients achieve their business objectives. We look forward to seeing him do the same with Fern clients as he moves forward in this role,” said Steve Larsen, Chief Operating Officer.

By Stacie Bauer

Ungerboeck, the leader in event and venue management software, has added two roles on its chief executive leadership team to better position the company for accelerated growth and scale.

Jim McPherson has been promoted to the newly created role of Chief Customer Officer (CCO), and Mike Besecker joins the company as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), effective immediately.

Ungerboeck spent the past several years making significant changes and investments to ensure the success of its customers, including expanding the Customer Success team, launching the Learning Center and professional certifications, acquiring other organizations, and leading product development.

That time was also spent on a deep look into the organizational structure with a focus on growing the business and better serving our clients as the industry evolves. Adding the new roles will elevate the company’s ability to invest in the future.

As the company’s first CCO, McPherson is responsible for the global efforts of Ungerboeck’s Professional and Technical Solutions and Customer Success Management teams.

“Customer success is more than one team or one department – it’s our compass heading and ethos,” said McPherson. “Establishing the role of CCO further emphasizes and crystallizes that, company-wide, everything we do is to help drive successful customer outcomes and experiences.”

With over 22 years of experience leading software companies and building sales and revenue management teams, Besecker is a transformational revenue leader and operating executive with a passion for building, leading, and scaling global sales and account services organizations.

As CRO, he will focus on sales development and growth in the market segment strategy and building sales and business development globally.

Besecker will lead a global team of account executives, account managers, solution engineers, sales development representatives, and commercial operators responsible for the entire customer revenue lifecycle.

“I’m thrilled to be joining such a passionate team dedicated to customer success and the entire customer journey,” Besecker said. “I look forward to extending our lead position in the event management SaaS industry while living our mission of ‘empowering people who bring people together.’”

Ungerboeck President and CEO Manish Chandak said adding the two roles reflects the company’s commitment to investing in growth and customer success. Having the right team in place will take Ungerboeck to the next level in its evolution.

“Mike as Chief Revenue Officer, with his deep expertise in sales and revenue management, will help us scale our customer acquisition and account services by building a global team with tools and techniques that make us efficient and effective,” Chandak said.

“And Jim as Chief Customer Officer, with his passion for customer success, will help us further elevate customer satisfaction,” he continued. “Jim brings market-leading practices, knowledge, and training that will enhance the services our knowledgeable and experienced Customer Success team provides.”

Stacie Bauer is Event & Sponsorship Coordinator, Marketing, for Ungerboeck.

By Lucy Albers

ASM Global, the premier venue management and services company, announced the addition of Jordan Racine to their team in Oklahoma City as Director of Programming for Paycom Center, home to NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. Racine will oversee and coordinate all aspects of the entertainment and booking strategy for the 19,000-seat arena.

“We are extremely excited to add a person with Jordan’s experience to our incredible team in Oklahoma City,” said General Manager Chris Semrau. “His knowledge and industry relationships will accelerate the already strong event calendar of the must-play facility in the region.”

Most recently, Racine was the Vice President of Booking at the Los Angeles-based venue consultant, Venue Coalition, a network of 100 arena venues across North America. There, he oversaw booking strategy and operations, and secured over 400 events for its clients. Racine first joined Venue Coalition as a Booking Assistant in 2016 and climbed the ranks of the organization during his tenure.

Racine first joined the entertainment industry as an intern for James Taylor during a 2015 US Tour while studying at Lyndon State College (now Northern Vermont University). He was named a recipient of International Association of Venue Managers’ (IAVM) 30 Under 30 award in 2020.

Adding Racine to the elite team in Oklahoma City will set Paycom Center up for continued success in the future. The arena has already hosted A-list acts like Elton John, Morgan Wallen, and Journey so far in 2022 with a full list of big shows and announcements yet to come.

Lucy Albers is Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Paycom Center.

By Ben Whiteside

From Tuesday, May 24 to Thursday, May 26, the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX) will host its first in-person FANCENTRIC™ International Conference & Expo at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. On Tuesday, May 24, IIFX will host a Celebration Luncheon to induct three sports and entertainment industry leaders into the IIFX International Hall of Fame. The winners were selected for their lifetimes of distinguished meritorious service to the sports and entertainment industry and its fans. Criteria for induction into the International Hall of Fame include longevity to the industry, sustained performance and contributions, inspirational leadership, a FANCENTRIC focus, management, vision, and business ethics.

The 2022 International Hall of Fame inductees are:

LEN KOMOROSKI – Chief Executive Officer of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and Rock Entertainment Group. Len Komoroski’s career with the Cavaliers began in 2003 as President. Since then, Komoroski led his team to build an award-winning foundation, one well-positioned for continued growth and sustained success. Komoroski’s tenure included the acquisition of the Cleveland Monsters (AHL), the Cleveland Charge (NBA G League) and the Cavs Legion (NBA2K) franchises, with all three teams earning league-level awards for business operations. The Cavaliers were named a top five finalist for the prestigious Sports Business Journal (SBJ) “Sports Team of the Year” award three times. Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse was named a finalist in the “Sports Facility of the Year” category in SBJ’s industry awards for 2020, the year after completing the venue’s massive, $185 million transformation. Komoroski’s leadership helped create the public/private partnership that made the transformation possible. This commercialization of a new or renovated venue is one of the most successful in NBA history.

RUSS SIMONS – Chief Listening Officer & Managing Partner at Venue Solutions Group, LLC. For more than 35 years, Russ Simons has been involved in nearly every facet of the sports and entertainment facility industry including design, construction, and management. Most recently, he served as the full-time venue operations representative for the Los Angeles Stadium & Entertainment District (LASED), including SoFi Stadium. At Venue Solutions Group (VSG), Russ directs the firm’s safety, security, risk, and crowd management operations. He works with operators at every level from college to every major professional league. Russ is a founder and instructor of the IAVM’s Academy for Venue Safety and Security and is an instructor and former Chairman of the Board of Regents of IAVM’s Venue Management School at Oglebay. He has served on the Board of Directors and Life Safety Council. Simons currently serves as the chairman of the Department of Homeland Security Public Assembly Facility Sub-Sector for Commercial Facilities. Russ is a former volunteer firefighter, instructor at the Hartford County Fire Training Center, and an Emergency Medical Technician. Russ also serves as a IIFX Distinguished Fellow.

LEE ZEIDMAN – President of Crypto.com Arena, Microsoft Theater, and L.A. Live. As President of Crypto.com Arena (formerly the STAPLES Center), Microsoft Theater, and L.A. LIVE, the sports, residential and entertainment district, Zeidman oversees the venues event operations, production, including guest services, booking, box office, event security, event staffing, guest relations, facility presentation, marketing, communications, hospitality, and food and beverage services. Along with his hard-working team of employees, Zeidman also supervises Crypto.com Arena’s overall day-to-day support for its tenants, sponsors, clients, and partners including the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Los Angeles Sparks franchises, hosting seven NBA Finals, two Stanley Cup Finals and five WNBA Finals in which the home teams won seven NBA Championships, two Stanley Cup Championships and three WNBA Championships. Zeidman and his team have successfully hosted an unprecedented schedule of events since October 1999, including multiple summer X Games competitions, 19 of the last 21 GRAMMY Awards, and more than 400 sold out concerts. Zeidman also helped develop and open The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and iconic AEG venues such as the O2 in London and the Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin.

Ben Whiteside is a Brand Manager with The Focus Group.