Kennesaw State University has named Joe Skopitz, CVE, as the general manager of Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia. Skopitz will also serve as deputy executive director for KSU’s Department of Event and Venue Management. David Bennett, MBA, CVP, was promoted to director of event operations and assistant general manager for the stadium.

Skopitz has served at KSU for four years and Bennett for six years. Both will continue to report to the executive director of Event and Venue Management, Zach Kerns.

Before joining Kennesaw State, Skopitz spent 14 years with the Georgia World Congress Center Authority in Atlanta, Georgia in a variety of roles, including AGM of Centennial Olympic Park. Bennett, a former IAVM 30 Under 30 recipient, was previously with the Charlotte Bobcats/Time Warner Arena and began his career at Clemson University.

“Joe and David have now worked together for nearly five years and have formed a great relationship. They are team players, customer focused and student advocates,” Kerns said. “I’m looking forward to what they will do for the stadium, our Night Owl student employees, and our patrons in the future.”

Additionally at KSU, Kristin Evans has moved from director of business operations to director of resource planning and management, Ann Schroeder from compliance and support manager to director, youth programs compliance, and Brittany Bailey from senior business operations manager to director of business operations. All moves were strategically designed to best support the department, the University and the greater Kennesaw community, Kerns said.

(Joe Skopitz, pictured right; David Bennett, pictured left)

By Jeffrey Chabon

The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, welcomed Andrea Austin-Thomas to the team as a new Event Coordinator. Andrea’s first show with the Alamodome will be for Disney on Ice, starting April 28 through May 1, which is somewhat ironic because she used to be a skater for Disney on Ice.

“I loved traveling with Disney on Ice,” she said. “I got to go all over the world. I’ve been to Australia, New Zealand, and many parts of Southeast Asia and Europe.”

Andrea started skating when she was seven-years-old living in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It’s when Andrea was in college skating as an amateur figure skater that she saw a sign at her ice rink offering auditions for Disney. She was offered a skating position with the show and toured with them for five and one-half years.

“This is definitely a full-circle moment in my life,” she said. “I loved performing with Disney on Ice, but I always wanted to know more about the planning of the show. Now as an event coordinator I get to go behind the scenes and help with event production in real time.”

Andrea, who has lived in San Antonio for two years, says she hasn’t completely hung up her skates. She still occasionally gets to the ice rink, just not as often as she’d like to. She looks forward to working on her first show this April and many more in the future.

Jeffrey Chabon is Sales & Marketing Administrator at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

By Nadia Vanderhoof

The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), in partnership with Orange County Government, hosted a week of sustainability-focused events for the community and employees honoring Earth Day during April 18-22.

The OCCC leads the way in the development of sustainable practices with its designation as one of the largest LEED Gold certified convention centers in North America. The OCCC has continuously demonstrated industry and community leadership through its pioneering stewardship that models how large venues can achieve sustainability goals.

Starting the week with mosquito abatement demonstrations hosted by the Orange County Mosquito Control Department, the event displayed the resources and equipment used for sustainable and environmentally friendly mitigation, including the control of mosquitoes and algae blooms.

On Earth Day, the OCCC hosted the inauguration of a new monarch butterfly garden on its campus and a commemorative tree planting pre-celebration for Arbor Day, observed this year on April 29. Orange County sustainability experts explained how milkweed plants in the garden support the growth of the monarch butterfly population, a vulnerable species. The Orange County Utilities Department demonstrated its rain barrel program, which teaches customers who are residents of unincorporated Orange County how they can repurpose rainwater.

“The Center believes in fully integrating environmental education, sustainable practices and donations through robust corporate social responsibility programs with our non-profit partners,” OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester said. “Earth Day reminds us that sustainability, conservation, and smart and environmental practices are important to the convention industry. Together with our clients, we are collectively taking positive action to support and conserve our precious resources in Orange County.”

Sustainability remains a top priority for clients as groups focus on expanding corporate social responsibility practices and green meetings. During the 2020-2021 fiscal year, the OCCC supported clients’ sustainability efforts by donating nearly $220,000 in merchandise and about 13,725 pounds of food to local organizations. Beneficiaries include United Way, Habitat for Humanity, A Gift for Teaching, Clean the World, Great Oaks Village, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, and
Orange County Public Schools. Since 2013, approximately $14.42 million has been donated to local charities through conventions at the OCCC.

Additionally, the Center’s innovative sustainability strategies stretch from growing and harvesting more than 44,000 fresh, non-GMO plants, directly from the OCCC’s Center-to-Table Gardens, to supporting sustainable energy by maintaining the largest municipal solar array in the Southeast United States. Covering an area equivalent to five football fields, the energy produced by the OCCC’s stunning solar setup has the ability to power more than 200 homes each year.

Learn more about the Center’s pioneering sustainability practices by visiting, https://www.occc.net/About-UsSustainability.

Fast Facts on OCCC Sustainability Practices

District Energy Program – The OCCC is part of an innovative chilled water production agreement with OUC Cooling which provides energy efficient and environmentally friendly air conditioning to Convention District hotel participants.

Renewable Energy – The OCCC campus provides five different solar energy programs used by clients and other stakeholders for demonstration, training and research.

Building Efficiency – The OCCC incorporates natural lighting, advanced technology, and employee ingenuity to achieve buildings which are 87% more energy efficient per square foot than similar buildings.

Waste Reduction – OCCC works with clients and contractors to reduce event waste by 53% since 2004.

Recycling Receptacles – Our recycling and waste bins on campus were made from used plastic milk jugs and 100% solar energy.

Water Efficiency – Bathrooms use 15% less water than building codes mandate and 100% reclaimed water is used to irrigate the OCCC’s 400-acre campus.

Nadia Vanderhoof is Chief Marketing Officer for the Orange County Convention Center.

(L-R) OCCC Sustainability Coordinator Katerina L. Chagoya; OCCC Capital Planning Manager Crystal Mudd; Orange County Chief Sustainability and Resilience Officer Jeff Benavides; OCCC Facility Operations Manager Hector Clemente; OCCC Facility Operations Assistant Manager Bob Foster; OCCC
Executive Director Mark Tester; Deputy Director Terry Devitt display a proclamation for Arbor Day observed on April 29.

By StadiumBusiness.com

Paul Brown Stadium is suitable to remain the long-term home of the NFL Cincinnati Bengals but will require a minimum of $493 million in upgrades, according to the findings of a study by design and architecture firm Gensler.

Hamilton County in Ohio hired Gensler in September 2020 to assess the state of Paul Brown Stadium, which opened in August 2000, ahead of the Bengals’ current lease deal expiring in 2026.

Gensler issued its first report into the stadium stating that unlike other NFL venues that are currently in the process of being replaced, Paul Brown Stadium is suitable for redevelopment.

Gensler was appointed to assess long-term capital repair, replacement, and improvements and offer design options for the next 20 years. The firm looked into 15 different areas of the stadium and provided a suggested priority list and timeline for repairs. The $375,000 cost of the study was split equally between Hamilton County and the Bengals.

Demetra Thornton, principal for Gensler, said that unlike Riverfront Stadium, the Bengals’ former home, Paul Brown Stadium was designed with improvements in mind. “The original design was meant to be expanded,” said Thornton, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We learned from Riverfront. I don’t want this building to be imploded. I want it to stand the test of time.”

The first of two studies have focused on what might need to be done to Paul Brown Stadium after the Bengals’ lease expires, with a further one set to look at improvements relative to what is happening in the wider NFL stadium space.

The Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, and Washington Commanders are all currently drawing up plans for new stadia, but Thornton maintains this is not what is needed for the Bengals. “It’s been well maintained over the last 20 years,” Thornton said of Paul Brown Stadium. “What we say in the construction and architecture industry, it has good bones.”

The report focused on stadium needs such as roofing, electric, and plumbing, with a masterplan due later this year set to highlight potential future upgrades and means to enhance the fan experience.

“This piece is the first building block related to what we need to do in the future for this stadium in conjunction with the Bengals, and it leads into (lease) negotiations with the Bengals,” said Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus, according to local broadcaster WCPO.

Commenting on the release of the study, the Bengals said in a statement: “The Bengals are proud to call Paul Brown Stadium home. With respect to this report, the Bengals will study it. We are encouraged by the conclusion that Paul Brown Stadium was well-designed, well-constructed, and has been well-maintained.

“The condition reflects the care and attention that the Bengals and Hamilton County have taken in maintaining the building to protect the taxpayers’ investment. Because of that, it looks like Paul Brown Stadium can continue to be our home for decades to come at far less cost than seen elsewhere.

“Today’s report is a first step, and the club looks forward to studying the report and exploring with the County ways to make the coming decades memorable ones for our hometown.”

By Julian Bowman

The Dallas City Council approved referendum language to increase the Hotel Occupancy Tax by two percent. If approved by voters in November, this referendum will fund an expansion of the Kay Bailey Hutchison
Convention Center and upgrade six important venues at Fair Park.

“We are grateful for the work and support of dozens of diverse organizations who formed a coalition to advocate for the vote today,” said Brian Luallen, CEO of Fair Park First. “We are also grateful for the bold leadership of our city council. We now look to the citizens of Dallas to vote for this much-needed investment in our history and tourism economy come November.”

The expected $300 million investment in Fair Park will renovate Cotton Bowl Stadium, Fair Park Band Shell, Fair Park Coliseum, Music Hall, the Automobile Building, and Centennial Hall. These six venues were approved by the Dallas Park and Recreation Board earlier this month.

Fair Park First has engaged Overland Partners Architects to conduct a facility needs assessment. Overland has worked in seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, received more than 200 international, national, regional, and local design awards, and published in numerous national and international publications. Plans based on the assessment will be released in the coming weeks.

Julian Bowman is Sr. Director of Marketing for OVG360 | Fair Park | Cotton Bowl® Stadium.