By Kia America

Southern-California based automaker Kia America and the live music and entertainment venue the Forum have announced that effective immediately, the Forum will be known as the Kia Forum. Kia becomes the naming rights and official automotive partner of the only arena-sized venue in the U.S. dedicated to music and entertainment, marking the first U.S. naming rights deal for the automaker.

The Kia Forum annually hosts the biggest names in music and entertainment, award shows, boxing, mixed martial arts, wrestling, and more. It has been a SoCal destination for 55 years and as further proof of its impact on the region and industry, the venue was presented with the L.A. Conservancy Preservation Award in 2014 and honored at the 2021 Pollstar Awards as “Arena of the Decade.”

“Kia America is proud of our history in Southern California going back to the establishment of our US Headquarters here in 1992, and so we all celebrate now being part of one of the most historic, and emotionally-connected live entertainment and sports venues in California – if not the world,” said Russell Wager, vice president, marketing, Kia America. “We are thrilled to be a part of the entertainment and excitement of live music and events at the Kia Forum moving forward.”

“We’re proud to partner with Kia and weave together our history with an innovative future, while continuing our dedication to the SoCal community,” said Geni Lincoln, GM and SVP Live Events, the Kia Forum. “We look forward to merging the entertainment and automotive industries, broadening our mutual commitments to diversity, sustainability, and creativity.”

The renaming of the Kia Forum is just the latest step in the transformation of Kia in the United States which accelerated with 2021’s North American debut of its award-winning electric vehicle, the EV6, and the introduction of the company’s Plan S, or Plan Shift, strategy. Kia’s ambitious $25 billion Plan S incorporates new sustainable mobility, delivery vehicles, and personal transport solutions. This includes the debut of 11 EVs on a global basis by 2026, and thus far in 2022, Kia has celebrated a strong start of EV6 deliveries to customers nationwide.

Kia’s partnership with the Kia Forum will include new outdoor and indoor signage, the installation of EV charging stations, and Kia vehicle displays beginning with the EV6. Also coming soon is the establishment of the “Kia Club,” an exclusive hospitality lounge for the enjoyment of automotive enthusiasts and music fans.

By Mary Tucker

The International Association of Exhibitions and Events® (IAEE) announced that President and CEO David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA; Executive Vice President and COO Cathy Breden, CMP, CAE, CEM; and Director, Global Business Development Karen Gonzales, CMP have been inducted into the inaugural class of the Events Industry Council’s (EIC) Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Fellows Programme.

The CMP Fellows Programme recognizes and rewards CMPs and/or Emeritus who continue to make a significant investment towards the betterment of the events industry and the community of people working within it. The program honors tenured CMPs who have made significant advancements in their careers, as well as significant contributions through service and education to the meetings and events industry.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I offer my sincerest congratulations to David, Cathy, and Karen on this outstanding achievement,” said 2022 IAEE Chairperson Carrie Ferenac. “Given that Learning and Communities is one of the pillars in IAEE’s strategic plan, staff’s dedication to ongoing education reflects IAEE’s commitment to learning at all levels.”

Mary Tucker is Sr. PR/Communications Manager for IAEE.

ASM Global has appointed Carl A. Thomas as senior vice-president of sales and platform development, while Meg Little has joined the company as vice-president of marketing solutions.

Thomas and Little will both report to ASM Global’s chief commercial officer Jason Oberlander. Thomas joins the company having previously worked at Universal Studios, Tickets.com, Hookit and CAT Sports, the latter of which he founded.

Little joins ASM Global from Raycom Sports, where she most recently managed relationships that included bringing to market a new family entertainment touring property leveraging the Hot Wheels’ intellectual property.

By Shana Daum

Global design firm Populous served as architect of record for the new San Francisco Giants Player Development Center at Papago Park in Phoenix, Ariz. In collaboration with the Giants, Populous provided architectural, master plan oversight, interior design, and interior signage services. This new center, which opened in February 2022, provides the team best-in-class training and development facilities.

The San Francisco Giants Player Development Center was designed to incorporate the best features of elite training facilities, allowing the team to prepare players and coaches for both the Minor and Major League seasons. Populous oversaw the master planning for the 33-acre site, which includes six outdoor practice fields (five natural grass, and one synthetic turf), an agility field and covered exterior pitching lanes, also designing and delivering the main clubhouse, an indoor practice facility (which houses a synthetic grass half field and eight indoor batting lanes) and a new field maintenance building. The impressive complex’s project team included building contractor Okland, site and field contractor Frontier Golf and landscape architect iN2iT, among other partners and consultants.

“The Giants Player Development Center redefines spring training facilities by pairing sophisticated design with best-in-class technology and elite training spaces,” said Populous associate principal Brian Simpson. “Our innovative and research-based design approach resulted in a complex that gives players access to the best spring training experience.”

The Player Development Center is designed for ease of use throughout the complex — players enjoy easy access from the main clubhouse and locker rooms to all of the playing fields and indoor areas along a centrally-organized walkway, and direct access to the agility field just outside the weight room doors. Players have the option to practice and train both indoors and outdoors on a mix of natural turf and synthetic turf, allowing them to develop flexible skills throughout the complex. At the center of the complex is a plaza that offers public access for games and exhibitions.

“We believe that together with Populous and all of our project partners, we have designed, created, built and now opened one of the most innovative development centers in baseball,” said Alfonso Felder, executive vice president of administration, San Francisco Giants. “Providing our players with the best resources to achieve their potential is our priority and we believe our new facility does just that.”

The main structure on-site, a 50,000-square-foot Clubhouse Building, offers five player locker rooms, coaching locker rooms, a weight room, player training space and hydrotherapy on the ground floor. Its second level features two classrooms, a dining hall, office/meeting spaces, and an observation deck with views to all six practice fields. The clubhouse’s sophisticated interior is designed to reflect Papago Park and its surroundings, employing a desert-like palette and incorporating warm, subtle tones and natural materials such as reclaimed wood throughout the space, as well as stunning views of the nearby topography. From the reception atrium with distressed wood finishes and a desert orange leather backdrop, to the dining space and training areas with expansive glass walls for views outside, the clubhouse turns outward and embraces its space.

Adjacent to the Clubhouse Building stands a first-of-its-kind space when it comes to MLB training facilities — a more than 30,000-square-foot building which includes an indoor half field along with hitting and pitching lanes.

Other impressive features of the San Francisco Giants Player Development Center include a new 15,380-square-foot groundskeeping and maintenance building with several sustainable features, including a wastewater recycling system for washing mowers and equipment.

The Player Development Center offers amazing views of the Papago Buttes and Camelback Mountain to the north and Four Peaks to the east. There is also access to walking trails around the exterior of the site, linking the Player Development Center to the rest of Papago Park.

Previously used as the Oakland A’s training facility from 1988-2014 and demolished, the new facility is home to the Giants and its affiliate teams including the Sacramento River Cats Triple-A, Richmond Flying Squirrels Double-A, Eugene Emeralds High-A, and San Jose Giants Low-A teams.

Shana Daum is Vice President, Public Affairs & Community Relations for the San Francisco Giants.

In a sign of the strength of the recovery of the convention and events industry, ASM Global has announced two key executive promotions: Kelvin Moore has been promoted to regional vice president and John Page to regional general manager. The promotions are part of the divisional restructuring of ASM Global’s convention center division, reflecting robust growth, according to Bob McClintock, executive vice president of the division.

“As the world is emerging from the pandemic, we’re elevating two of our executives who have made tremendous impacts on the venues they have managed and are now positioned to replicate that with teams across the country involved with our growing portfolio,” McClintock said.

Moore, a 30-year industry veteran, most recently served as the regional general manager of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, a position he has held since 2018. Since he joined the company in 2008, Moore has served as a regional general manager and general manager for Navy Pier in Chicago, the Jackson Convention Complex in Mississippi and the Lynnwood Convention Complex in Washington.

“As the industry finds its post-pandemic footing, I look forward to continuing to work with our convention center leadership team in leveraging ASM Global’s industry leading innovations to drive content and deliver exceptional experiences for organizers, attendees, exhibitors, and municipal partners throughout North America,” Moore said. “I am even more proud to be able to do so while focusing on protecting the environment, investing in people, and strengthening the communities in which we live, work, and play.”

John McNichol, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, said, “Kelvin’s knowledge and expertise had an immediate impact on our operations when he took the helm of our facility as regional general manager in 2018. Kelvin has worked diligently to enhance our operational efficiency, improve the experience of our customers, expand our sustainability initiatives, and, with the onset of the pandemic, ensure we implemented a range of protocols, best practices, and capital improvements to ensure the safe return of meetings and conventions.”

The newly named regional general manager, Page is a 24-year-ASM Global veteran. Since 2013, he has served as the general manager of the Greater Columbus Convention Center and has guided the venue through three major construction projects. Additionally, Page was recently honored as a member of the Columbus Business First’s 2021 Power 100, serves as the board chair of the Ohio State University Hospitality Management advisory board, and sits on the board of directors of Tourism Diversity Matters.

“I am deeply honored for this next-step opportunity in my ASM career, one that will allow me to work more closely with our clients and municipal partners across the region and provide customized solutions and the innovation that is the hallmark of ASM to those venues,” Page said.