By Kristi Mexia

Hollywood Park is extending Samsung’s AR experience, Dreamground, through December. The AR experience offers guests a physical and digital playground through a combination of whimsical physical structures, on-screen animation, and custom AR functionality.

Dreamground at Hollywood Park is free and spread throughout Lake Park. Guests can explore three immersive worlds: Bubbloonland, Fluttering Forest and Crystal Galaxy, which are all enhanced by corresponding sculptures throughout Lake Park. Users exploring Dreamground can add their own virtual elements to the sculptures and surrounding landscape by using their smartphone to place and create interactive elements on any surface in Dreamground. Users can even draw midair to make custom floating creations.

Elements created in Dreamground last for up to 24-hours, so users can see what others have created before them, collaborate with friends in real-time, as well as leave something behind for others to see. This allows each experience in Dreamground to be unique and build upon other Dreamground visitors’ creations. Dreamground also features interactive face filters and allows users to share their unique content – photo or video – across social channels.

In addition to the onsite sculptures, Dreamground can also be accessed through SoFi Stadium’s 4K Infinity Screen by Samsung. Prior to select ticketed events, guests will view a Dreamground video on the Infinity Screen that features a QR code that once scanned allows them access to Dreamground inside the stadium. Built for the future, the Infinity Screen by Samsung has the largest LED content playback system ever deployed. With nearly 80 million pixels spaced 8 millimeters from center to center, each panel can be uniquely or congruently programmed with statistics, live and/or animated content.

Dreamground also features content exclusives for Galaxy 5G device holders on Verizon. These users will have access to Galaxy G5 Portals throughout Dreamground that feature 4K, 360-streamed video and ultra-high-fidelity AR. The ability to explore and interact in high resolution and in real-time showcases the power of the high bandwidth and low latency of 5G.

Kristi Mexia is Sr. Director/Head Corporate Communications at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park.

By Blair Cardinal

Content and booking professional Starr Butler-Jemison will join OVG360 as Senior Vice President of Content Development & Private Events, overseeing a new division focused on innovative private functions, major corporate events, and content development across the OVG360 universe of 300+ arenas, stadiums, and convention centers.

Butler-Jemison, who will begin on July 5, will report to Chris Granger, President of OVG360, which is the third-party, venue management, venue services, and hospitality division of Oak View Group (OVG), the leading global venue development, advisory, and investment company for both the sports and live entertainment industries. She will be based in Detroit.

With well over a decade of experience in booking, venue, and event management spanning arenas, stadiums, ballparks, and non-traditional entertainment venues, Butler-Jemison will bring her creative approach to filling dark days, curating corporate experiences, securing unique content, and generally supporting venues build and better activate their networks of promoters, content creators, and corporate clients.

Butler-Jemison joins OVG360 from the 2020-21 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks, where as Vice President of Booking and Events for Fiserv Forum arena and Deer District, she established and led the department responsible for securing and developing diverse programming — including concerts, family shows, private events, sporting events, outdoor activations, and festivals — within the arena, outdoor plaza, and owned-and-operated venues throughout the entertainment district.

“I am thrilled to be joining the talented OVG360 team at such an exciting time in the organization’s expansion,” Butler-Jemison said. “OVG’s recent acquisition of Spectra has unlocked enormous opportunity, and all of the venues in the OVG360 network will benefit. I’ll be looking at ways to program and route unique content, to invest in content development where it makes sense, and to build out an exciting corporate and private events platform across our family of venues – from arenas to convention centers, and from stadiums to state fairs. I look forward to building on OVG’s legacy of creating unforgettable experiences for our guests!”

Prior to her time in Milwaukee, Butler-Jemison served as Director of Booking and Events at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., a Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) property, where she grew the new line of business into a multi-million-dollar revenue source for the organization. A native of Manhattan, Butler-Jemison was instrumental in securing the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center.

Earlier in her career, Butler-Jemison also spent several years in the private tours and corporate event space, where she gained insight into how food and hospitality – concessions, private events, catering and beyond – integrate into a holistic, premium guest experience.

The previous two venues where Butler-Jemison worked – Fiserv Forum and Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Devils – are members of the OVG Arena Alliance, a collection of the top venues in North America that provides a united platform for booking, content development, procurement, and sponsorship sales opportunities, which is overseen by Granger.

“We are excited and very fortunate to add someone of Starr’s caliber to our OVG360 leadership team,” Granger said. “Her impressive track record has time and again set the paradigm for content development in live entertainment and sports. Starr has repeatedly been the first person in her role to build out new, sustainable, and still-thriving content and booking lines of business. She brings broad industry experience, from talent management to food and beverage, and a vision for helping us establish long-term relationships with clients and a consistent but distinct experience across our large portfolio of venues.”

In April 2020, Butler-Jemison was named a “Connect 40 under 40” recipient, recognized as a noteworthy event professional, influencer and innovator who is making a mark in the event and meeting industry. Then in 2021, she was named a “VenuesNow All-Star,” an honor awarded to industry leaders who have demonstrated excellence, innovation, financial success, commitment to diversity and leadership in their field.

Butler-Jemison has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Binghamton University.

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By NHL.com

Wells Fargo Center has selected Shift4 to process payments for all of its online and in-person ticketing, food and beverage concessions, and retail sales.

Home to the Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia 76ers, Wells Fargo Center was ranked No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 6 in the world for number of tickets sold at a venue of its size. The venue hosts over 250 events and millions of fans each year.

“We are always striving to implement new ways to improve our fans’ experience, and Shift4’s technology will make transactions in Wells Fargo Center – from food and beverage to retail – easier than ever,” said Dan Wise, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Philadelphia Flyers & Wells Fargo Center. “Shift4 has built a reputation across sports and entertainment for enhancing fans’ commerce experience, and we look forward to building on this partnership.”

“Wells Fargo Center is central to Philly sports fans, and we’re committed to powering an enhanced, modern event experience for them,” said Anthony Perez, Shift4’s Head of Enterprise. “Our end-to-end commerce solution simplifies venue operations, reduces costs, and improves the overall fan experience.”

Under the agreement, Shift4 will become the Official Payment Processor for Wells Fargo Center and the Philadelphia Flyers. The company also assumes naming rights for the Center City Club, the Wells Fargo Center’s exclusive event-level club, which Shift4 plans to rename as the “Shift4 Club.”

Wells Fargo Center is currently undergoing a multi-year $300+ million Transformation project, and this partnership with Shift4 is part of the Center’s investment to deploy advanced technologies throughout the arena.

Shift4 will process the ticketing, concessions, and retail transactions for the 2022-2023 Flyers season. The ticketing transactions will be processed via an integration with Paciolan.

In accordance with IAVM policies and bylaws, the slate for the 2022-2023 Board of Directors is now available online. As in previous years, members will have an opportunity to cast their votes electronically.

Members can read about the candidates online during their leisure in preparation of casting their votes.

The ballot box will open June 17, 2022 and will close on July 8, 2022.  In the interim take advantage of the opportunity to read all about those individuals slated to lead the Association during the next year.

By Ruth Morrison

Theatre Projects is delighted to announce Evelyn Zilberman has joined the firm as their new client services manager. She brings a strong background in theatre, particularly touring productions, and will lead the company’s sales and business development work.

Evelyn’s career highlights to date include working with Emmy and Tony award-winning talent, productions, and other major brands. She brings her experience of managing teams, strategies, schedules, and budgets to her new role, where she’ll be working closely with clients and collaborators to understand project goals and deliver the right team and services to meet those needs.

Before joining the company, Evelyn worked in a number of roles in the theatrical touring and production industry. She was founder and principal of EZ Entertainment with a portfolio of artists and productions ranging from Broadway and Off-Broadway to circus, corporate, concert, immersive, dance, and 3D visual productions. She also spent over a decade with Columbia Artists Theatricals as vice president of booking and administration and worked at Troika Entertainment, where she assisted the director of booking for their touring musical theatre productions.

She describes joining Theatre Projects as “a full circle moment,” having opened and studied theatre at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland. Then, as a booking agent she was involved in the premiere of the Blue Man Group’s national tour — which was the debut show at the AT&T Performing Arts Center’s Winspear Opera House in Dallas, Texas. She says, “I’m incredibly awed by the Theatre Projects team that brings these conceptual designs and ideas to life. What excites me most is having a hand in what these amazing entertainment complexes will look like in the future — how they’ll usher in the audience of tomorrow and be the spark of inspiration for culture and communities across North America.”

“I’m just incredibly excited to have Evelyn join the team,” says Theatre Projects’ general manager, Daniel Ordower. “As we continue to expand our services and grow the business, Evelyn’s knowledge of the national performing arts community and her deep understanding of all facets of entertainment industry will be a huge asset to Theatre Projects, our clients, and our partners. Plus, her thoughtfulness and sense of humor make every conversation with her a joy.”

Ruth Morrison is Creative Content Manager for Theatre Projects.