From Fort Worth Business Press

As sporting and business events gradually return to pre-pandemic levels, the City of Fort Worth’s Public Event Department (PED) has recently promoted and hired new executive team members.

“Our team members really had to roll with the punches during the past 18 months as business travel and other events evaporated,” said Mike Crum, director of the Public Events Department. “The leadership team not only rose to those extraordinary challenges, but exceeded expectations with a new strategic plan, cross-functional staffing solutions, $2 million in capital project completions and a positive financial position ending FY2021.”

Cynthia Serrano, CEM, has been promoted to Assistant Director/General Manager of the Fort Worth Convention Center. She has been acting in the position in an interim role since August 2019. Serrano holds a master of science in advertising and public relations from Texas Christian University, a bachelor of arts in interdisciplinary studies from University of Texas at Arlington and a Graduate Certificate in Public Administration from Texas Wesleyan University. She has been with the City of Fort Worth since 1999 and has worked in several departments, including Finance and Community Relations.

New to the team is Keith A. Chisolm, who has been named Capital Projects Coordinator for PED. Chisolm was previously assistant director of Public Works at the City of Colonial Heights, Virginia\a. Prior to working there, he served in the U.S. Army for 22 years to include combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. A Dallas native, Chisolm received his bachelor of arts in criminology from Abilene Christian University and a master of public administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Capital plans for Public Events venues over the next five years include a $450 million expansion of the Fort Worth Convention Center (FWCC) and more than $21 million in upgrades and renovations for Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC).

Blake Moorman, CMP, has been promoted to Director of Sales and Marketing for the FWCC. He had been acting in the position in an interim role since April 2020. Moorman attended Texas Christian University and holds a bachelor of arts in music theatre and business from the University of Texas at Arlington. He was managing director for Jubilee Theatre in Fort Worth before coming to the City in 1998, and is an active member of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth, NAACP and Alpha Phi Alpha.

Andra Bennett, APR, joins PED as its first Marketing Communications Manager. Bennett brings 18 years of prior experience at the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where she was Vice President of Communications. She holds a bachelor of arts in mass communications from Abilene Christian University and has been accredited by the Public Relations Society of America since 1993.

Rounding out the executive team are Crum; Assistant Public Events Director Andrea Wright; and Assistant Director/General Manager Kevin Kemp and Director of Sales & Marketing David Reeves, both with Will Rogers Memorial Center.

Jude-Anne Spencer-Phillip

ASM Global announced the additions of Shawn Fisher, Jude-Anne Spencer-Phillip, Joseph Thum and Dushyant Patel to its team at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, as Philadelphia experiences a resurgence of in-person events and a return of major shows and conventions being hosted at the facility.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Fisher, Mrs. Spencer-Phillip, Mr. Thum and Mr. Patel to our ASM Global team at the Pennsylvania Convention Center,” said Kelvin D. Moore, Regional General Manager, ASM Global. “The steady return of in-person events being hosted at the Center has allowed us to slowly rebuild our team to effectively and safely meet the needs of our event organizers and attendees. I am particularly pleased at the depth of experience and level of skill that each of these professionals brings and am confident that they will each play vital roles in our ongoing success as we continue to host more and more events.”

Fisher has been appointed Director of Information Technology, possessing over 20 years of experience in various industries, including petrochemical, mining, manufacturing, information technology and biotech. Throughout his career, he has led IT divisions and supervised programs in cybersecurity, risk management, divestitures, merger and acquisition and project management, among others. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from North-West University in South Africa and completed the Executive Development Program from the University of Stellenbosch Business School.

Spencer-Phillip, the Center’s new Senior Communications Manager, brings over ten years of experience in the hospitality, tourism, government and non-profit sectors, including work with local non-profits, the City of Philadelphia and the Trinidad & Tobago Tourism Development Company. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality Management from Morgan State University in Baltimore and a Master of Business Administration degree with a specialization in Marketing from the University of Liverpool.

Thum joins the ASM Global team as Staff Accountant and is a member of the Institute of Management Accountants and a certified management accounting (CMA) candidate. Patel has been appointed Operations Manager and brings previous experience with the Wells Fargo Center and the University of Pennsylvania. Both Thum and Patel are alumni of Temple University – Thum having graduated from Fox School of Business and Patel from the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM).

“We’re excited that the career trajectories of these two Temple alumni have led them to one of the city’s most essential resources for the tourism and hospitality industries,” says Jeremy Jordan, STHM’s Senior Associate Dean. “The Pennsylvania Convention Center has been key to our success in providing exceptional career-building opportunities for the future leaders that make up our degree programs—as interns, in context of classroom projects, as volunteers at Center events or on staff after graduation. The services the Center offers not only enhance our brand as a school but elevate—for all of us—Philadelphia as a world-class destination.”

Jude-Anne Spencer-Phillip is Senior Communications Manager at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The Diversity & Inclusive Leadership Committee has announced three scholarships to Venue Management School (VMS) 2021! This year DILC will provide two scholarships for Year 1 and one scholarship for Year 2. The Year 1 recipients will also receive a scholarship to attend their second year at VMS in 2022.

The scholarships are available to traditionally underrepresented groups in the venue management industry who meet the application criteria.

Attending VMS is a way for venue professionals to strategically place themselves on the path towards becoming a better equipped and prepared leader, as well as helping to advance diversity and inclusive leadership in our industry.

The deadline is November 1st, so if you have not yet applied, and meet the criteria for consideration, don’t delay! Apply now!

Not yet registered for VMS? What are you waiting for? Click here to learn more about VMS and register today!

By FightingIllini.com

The University of Illinois has named IAVM member John Marquardt as the Associate Athletic Director/Director of the State Farm Center, removing the interim title he has carried since last fall.

“We are very fortunate to have someone of John Marquardt’s skill set and experience already on the State Farm Center staff,” said Marty Kaufmann, Executive Senior Athletic Director for Revenue and Fan Experience. “John knows the Central Illinois and UI campus community extremely well and has a pulse on the types of shows and entertainment the facility can best host. As concerts and shows start the return to normal scheduling, we are looking forward to robust offerings in the future, including many that are popular with our student body.”

Marquardt’s primary role is to facilitate the overall management of the 15,000-plus seat State Farm Center daily operations and events, including concerts, sporting events, and other shows and events. Marquardt is responsible for the general administration of the State Farm Center, and serves as a primary liaison for the facility to a diverse number of campus, community, and national constituents and clients. As part of a joint partnership with the University of Illinois Division of Student Affairs, Marquardt and the State Farm Center team work to develop a diverse variety of programming and collaborative partnerships to the University of Illinois student community, including concerts with the Star Course student concert committee and the annual Spring Jam concert on the Illinois Main Quad.

“For decades, State Farm Center has served as an iconic gathering place for the University of Illinois and Champaign-Urbana communities,” Marquardt said. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to work with our State Farm Center and Fighting Illini colleagues to continue the tradition of making State Farm Center home for many memorable sports and entertainment experiences for our University and community as we bounce back from time spent apart during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Marquardt becomes the fifth full-time director of the historic building following Tom Parkinson (1963-87), Wayne Hecht (1987-93), Xen Riggs (1993-97) and Kevin Ullestad (1997-2020).

A native of Urbana, Marquardt joined State Farm Center and Division of Intercollegiate Athletics as an event management intern in 2005 before serving as Event and Safety Coordinator for State Farm Center beginning in 2007. He was named Assistant Director for Event Management at State Farm Center in 2015, and promoted to Associate Director of State Farm Center in 2017.

Marquardt earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in 2006. He completed his master’s degree in sport management from Illinois in 2010, and his Master of Business Administration from the UI Gies College of Business in 2019. Marquardt is an active member of the International Association Venue Managers, where he is a graduate of Venue Management School (2013) and has earned his Certified Venue Professional (CVP) designation (2016).

By R.V. Baugus

October 24, 2021, marked the 50th anniversary of when the old Texas Stadium home to the Dallas Cowboys opened for business. Prior to the official opening in 1971, as a 15-year-old lad I along with my friends from Oak Crest Baptist Church hopped in our rickety church bus for the drive across town from Pleasant Grove to Irving for a pre-opening event — a Billy Graham Crusade. We sat literally on the top row of this gorgeous and shiny new building that in ways resembled a space ship reach to launch. It was an unforgettable evening even after all these years, not to mention the fun we had singing Three Dog Night’s “Joy to the World” on the bus trip back home.

And so, with ample help from Jan Sheehan from Tucker Public Relations and long after the iconic stadium’s implosion in 2010, this still remembered and recognized venue throughout Texas, the U.S., and the world, lives on even as the land now prepares for the build of Grand Homes and a retail district.

Built in 1971 at a cost of $35 million dollars, it set the standard for future stadiums as the first where fans paid for its construction by purchasing bonds (today’s equivalent of personal seat licenses).

The Cowboys played at Texas Stadium for 37 years, amassing a 219–99 record, including 16 post-season games. Of course, it was also the setting for major motion pictures, iconic TV commercials, college and high school football games, concerts and many other special events.

Irving, home to this iconic showplace for running backs and rock stars is celebrating with “50 for 50” – a list of memorable moments at the stadium. See below in case you can use some of them for a story or quick mention.

And the Irving Archives and Museum features a special Texas Stadium exhibit, complete with a multi-media stadium history featuring NFL game footage, archival photos, memorabilia, and even original lockers and stadium seats.

Enjoy (well, I suppose only if you are a Dallas Cowboys’ fan)!

Oct 24, 1971
Texas Stadium hosts first football game as the Dallas Cowboys move from the Cotton Bowl to the new stadium and defeat the New England Patriots, 44-21

Jan 2, 1972
The Cowboys win the first postseason game ever played at Texas Stadium, a 14-3 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. Dallas would go on to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl title.

1972-75, 80-81
Home of the Dallas Tornado (North American Soccer League)

Jan. 21, 1973
Hosts the NFL Pro Bowl (O.J. Simpson named game MVP)

June 28, 1974
Brothers and Sisters Tour
(The Allman Brothers Band/Joe Walsh and Barnstorm/Marshall Tucker Band/Molly Hatchet)

July 31, 1974
Crosby Stills Nash and Young/The Beach Boys Concert

Nov 28, 1974
With quarterback Roger Staubach knocked out of the game with a concussion, rookie Clint Longley takes the Cowboys to a 24-23 Thanksgiving Day victory over rival Washington with a 50-yard game winning TD pass to Drew Pearson with 35 seconds to play.

1975-77, 1983-2008
AMA Supercross

Nov 23, 1975
Created by Cowboys president/general manager Tex Schramm, the Cowboys Ring of Honor is unveiled at Texas Stadium with Hall of Fame defensive tackle Bob Lilly the first person inducted.

1979
“Hey Kid, Catch!” This Coca-Cola commercial, starring NFL Hall of Famer Joe Greene, and filmed at Texas Stadium, is considered one of the greatest TV commercials of all time. The former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle tosses his jersey to a kid, drinks a Coke, and the rest is history.

Dec 16, 1979
In arguably the most exciting game ever played at Texas Stadium, Quarterback Roger Staubach rallies the Cowboys from a 13-point deficit in the final two minutes of the game. In the final minute of the game, Staubach finds wide receiver Tony Hill in the end zone for a game winning touchdown to clinch the NFC East title against rival Washington with a 35-34 win.

1979-1986
Home of the SMU Mustangs (NCAA)

March 31, 1980
Roger Staubach, “Captain America,” announces his retirement at an emotional Texas Stadium press conference.

1984-1988
World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW)

July 13-15, 1984
Michael Jackson/The Jacksons Victory Tour Concert

July 26, 1987
Madonna/Who’s That Girl Tour Concert

April 28, 1988
Pink Floyd/A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour Concert

Sept 17, 1988
INXS/Guns N’Roses/The Smithereens/Iggy Pop/Ziggy Marley Concert

Oct 14, 1988
George Michael/The Bangles Rock the House Concert

April 22, 1989
Tom Landry Appreciation Day/Kenny Loggins Performs

April 7, 1990
Paul McCartney Concert

August 19, 1990
New Kids On The Block/Perfect Gentleman/Rick Wes/Chris Pittman Concert

Nov 21, 1991
Hosts U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Costa Rica (soccer)

March 14, 1992
Farm Aid VI – Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and more

May 7-8, 1992
Genesis Concert

Sept 5, 1992
Metallica/ Guns N’Roses Concert

Oct 11, 1992
The Cowboys defense, nicknamed Doomsday II, held the Seattle Seahawks to 62 total yards. Dallas would go on to have the #1 ranked defense in the NFL on the way to winning the Super Bowl.

Oct 16, 1992
U2/The Sugarcubes/Public Enemy Concert

Sept 24-25, 1993
While filming a concert at Texas Stadium for an NBC special that would air the following year, Garth Brooks unleashed rings of fire, simulated lightning and rain and most unbelievably – flew by wires from the 200 foot high ceiling reinforced by the now famous “Garth Bars.” In all, 26 cameras recorded the spectacle during three evening shows attended by more than 200,000 screaming fans. This event still holds the record for attendance of a country music event by a single artist.

1994-1995
Professional Bull Riders (PBR) – Battle of the Bulls

Jan 14, 1994
The Cowboys defeat the San Francisco 49ers 38-21, in route to repeating as Super Bowlchamps. Dallas sends an NFL record 11 players to the Pro Bowl.

April 28-29, 1994
Pink Floyd Concert

July 3, 1994
Eagles/Melissa Ethridge Concert

April 2, 1995
Billy Joel/Elton John Concert

Jan 4, 1996
The Cowboys claim their 8th NFC Championship with a 38-27 win over the Green Bay Packers. Dallas would go on to win the franchise’s fifth and last Super Bowl title to date.

Nov 27, 1997
Reba McEntire electrified the Thanksgiving Day crowd as the inaugural halftime performer for the first Red Kettle kickoff for The Salvation Army.

June 6, 1998
George Strait/Tim McGraw/Faith Hill/Lee Ann Womack/John Michael Montgomery/Asleep At The Wheel/Lila McCann Concert

1999
The hit movie Any Given Sunday was filmed at Texas Stadium. Directed by Oliver Stone, the film’s ensemble cast featured Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, James Woods, LL Cool J and Ann-Margaret, and tells the story of the fictional professional football team the Miami Sharks. The Sharks’ team logo featured on the wall in the visitor’s locker room was signed by the director and cast and was moved to the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium in nearby Arlington.

Nov 14, 1999
Shania Twain Concert

July 9, 2000
Korn/System of a Down/Metallica/Kid Rock/Powerman 5000 Concert

April 9, 2001
An emotional Troy Aikman announces his retirement at a packed Texas Stadium press conference

July 8, 2001
NSYNC/Meredith Edwards/Eden’s Crush/Dante Thomas/Samantha Mumba

July 15, 2001
Dave Matthews Band/Angelique Kidjo/Wyclef Jean Concert

Dec. 1, 2001
Hosts NCAA Big XII Championship Game (Colorado defeats Texas, 39-37)

Oct 27, 2002
Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith breaks Walter Payton’s NFL career rushing record with an 11-yard run late in the game against the Seattle Seahawks. Smith remains the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with a total of 18,355 yards and was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

August 3, 2003
Metallica/Deftones/Limp Bizkit/Linkin Park/Mudvayne Concert

May 29, 2004
Jimmy Buffett/George Strait/Alan Jackson Concert

May 25, 2008
Hosts the First Ever Professional Lacrosse Game in Texas – Philadelphia Barrage vs. Long Island Lizards (MLL)

Dec. 20, 2008
Final Cowboys game at Texas Stadium (vs. Baltimore Ravens)

April 11, 2010
Texas Stadium – Last Tailgate Party: The early Sunday morning implosion of Texas Stadium was witnessed by more than 20,000 fans, and watched live by audiences around the world.

“Bonus” Fun Facts About Texas Stadium:

*All five of the Cowboys Super Bowl Championships were won while the Cowboys played at Texas Stadium: 1971 (VI), 1977 (XII), 1992 (XXVII), 1993 (XXVIII), 1995 (XXX).

*Before Texas Stadium officially opened in October 1971, it was the site of “The Greater Southwest Billy Graham Crusade.” The 10-day event began on September 17 and included performances by Johnny and June Cash and the Statler Brothers, and on-stage appearances by former President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife Lady Bird.

*D.D. Lewis, a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys from 1968 – 1981, may have been voted the “Most Popular Player” by the Dallas Cowboys fans the year he retired, but he will always be remembered for something he said in 1982 – “Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch his favorite team play.”

*From 1978 – 1991, Texas Stadium flashed on television screens around the world during the opening credits of the famous TV series Dallas, which chronicled the lives of the fictional Ewing clan. As a result, Texas Stadium is arguably one of the most recognized structures in Texas, the United States – and because of the global popularity of the show – even the world.

*Over 700 high school football games were played at the stadium.