Microsoft Theater Names Amir Mertaban as Venue GM
Microsoft Theater announced Amir Mertaban as the new general manager of the 7,100-seat downtown Los Angeles venue. Mertaban previously served as the general manager of the Fox Performing Arts Center and the Riverside Municipal Auditorium and prior to that he was the assistant general manager at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Amir to our team at Microsoft Theater,” said Lee Zeidman, President, STAPLES Center, Microsoft Theater, L.A. LIVE. “Looking forward to all that he will bring to Microsoft Theater with his leadership and guidance, to continue to make the theater and L.A. LIVE a top entertainment destination for artists and fans alike.”
“Becoming the general manager for Microsoft Theater is an honor and a privilege I am excited to take on,” said Mertaban. “I am 
ready to dive into this building, which hosts some of the top music and live entertainment events in the world and collaborate with the team that makes it all happen.”
Amir is a native of Southern California and started his career at the LA County Fair. He worked as an event manager and in business development where he created and produced a number of events and festivals on grounds. The Fair was a great place to sink his teeth into all types of events including horse racing, NHRA drag racing, music festivals, consumer shows, trade shows, conventions, haunted attractions, and the list goes on.
Amir joined Live Nation in 2014 where he ran the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. He was fortunate to work the White House events team on numerous events and was also on the committee to welcome the Pope to D.C.
In his most recent role as general manager with Live Nation running the Fox Performing Arts Center and the Riverside Municipal Auditorium, Amir and his team built a reputation for being the “Kings of Content.” The team produced more than 45 events annually, rallying the city and local businesses to support. He’s built his career on the tenants of collaboration and mutual benefit and he hopes that this spirit and dedication will continue in his new role at Microsoft Theater.
In Memoriam: Larry N. Rogers
Larry N. Rogers, who for 14 years managed the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center (now James Brown Arena) and turned it into a profitable business operating in the black, passed away December 14 of medical problems. He was 76.
Fittingly, the obituary note includes the following appropriate for this season: “Larry’s favorite holiday was Christmas and he 
would want everyone to have a merry and joyous one. Therefore, his memorial event will be held after the holidays, time and place to be announced. Memorial gifts may be made to the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area, the Golden Harvest Food Bank or the Imperial Theatre renovation fund.”
Rogers wife, Rebecca, is marketing and public relations director of the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area.
Rogers served as operations manager of the Huntington (WV) civic center when the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority hired him in 1979 as assistant general manager of the $18 million entertainment facility, which opened the following December mostly under Rogers’ expertise.
Rogers was known for booking diverse acts that constantly drew sold-out crowds to the venue. From rock to R&B to country, Rogers brought all to town, even though he admitted that initially he was not aware who some of them were when they first appeared in Augusta in the early 1980s.
Rogers later worked at other entertainment venues beginning in 1993 although Augusta was always home to him and his love with the community and its venues.
IAVM will announce more on the memorial event as soon as information is known.
Ask the Allieds: Consultant’s Corner
IAVM member real estate consulting firms are located throughout the US. Such firms specialize in convention centers, arenas, stadiums, hotels and fairgrounds, among other real estate land uses. Often, real estate consultants are seen as “feasibility consultants” looking at a new facility or an expanded or replaced facility.
If customers/clients are smart, they can use economic consultants in so many other ways. A good consultant has literally seen thousands of projects that can inform the support they can provide. For example, the Erie County Convention Center Authority has commissioned studies for:
- Upgrade plan for the City’s arena, ball park and performing arts center, with full demand, financial projections, and economic impact analysis for each use
- Strategy development for a vitalized district around these venues, making a policy decision to remove a parking deck and create an event lawn between the three facilities, replacing parking elsewhere
- Policy decision between self-developing or attracting a developer for a 203-room Sheraton hotel
- Expert testimony defending the authority in justifying the hotel, while addressing concerns of other hotels
- Projecting tax revenue for various projects funded by the authority
- Recruiting management for the 203-room Sheraton hotel
- Assisting in analyzing a 16-acre parcel owned by the authority, for hotel, office, residential, retail and cultural uses, and helping issue a developer RFP for this parcel
- Holding countless workshops with the Board, helping them develop the business case for implementing the above improvements, to the City, County and State
- Helping the CVB adjust their marketing approach to reflect the new convention center
- Preparing updates to projections prepared 12 years earlier, to carry the organization through the next 10 years of operation.
Your consultant can also identify operation improvements, help analyze economic and fiscal impacts, help argue the case, base on return on investments, help hire architects, contracts and other service providers, and many other services. Such consultants are seasoned industry professionals, with the sole intent of making client organizations better. Their services are actually very inexpensive compared to the size of investments being made and are often earned many fold over by the savings brought forth by the consultant.
Charles Johnson is the President of Johnson Consulting and a Managing Director of World Trade Center Chicago
Cox Business Center Names Angie Teel, CMP, Assistant General Manager
The Cox Business Center in Tulsa, managed by SMG and owned by the City of Tulsa, announced the appointment of Angie Teel, CMP, as the assistant general manager. Teel joins the venue from the St. Charles Convention Center where she has acted as a director since 2011. She has more than 10 years of venue management experience and is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). In her new role, Teel will coordinate daily activities in the downtown venue with various departments and work to continuously improve the reputation and award-winning standards of the convention center and interject best industry practices into the day-to-day operations.
“The enthusiasm and passion for great events and guest experiences at the Cox Business Center is something I share,” Teel 
said. “I’m looking forward to getting to know the entire team and Tulsa better, and to contribute to the outstanding impact the venue has on the city and everyone who steps inside.”
Teel studied International Business at Missouri State University before beginning her career in events. She is active in IAVM and has chaired numerous committees and served as Region 3 Director (2015-2017) and on the Board of Directors Executive Committee (2016-2017). She specializes in venue safety and security, trade-shows, special events, and corporate meetings.
“We look forward to having Angie and her convention industry experience join Tulsa,” said Ray Hoyt, president, Tulsa Convention and Visitors Bureau & Tulsa Sports Commission. “As we get ready to open the new expansion and greet new guests she will be a strong asset to our industry partners.”
Houston, We Have Coffee
A new, transformative solution now exists to meet the global demand for specialty coffee and customizable, on-demand experiences. Those working or attending any events at the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB) in Houston will be able to enjoy their favorite java from one of the most innovative coffee solutions in the world. Houston First, which owns and operates the GRB, and its hospitality team powered by Levy, Houston Inspired Catering, have partnered with Austin-based Briggo to launch the first robotic, connected coffee service in Houston.
“We’re excited to partner with Briggo and bring more smart and innovative products to Downtown Houston,” said Luther Villagomez, chief operating officer of Houston First. “Adding a robotic Coffee Haus to the convention center adds a layer of convenience and elevates the visitor experience, which is always our number one priority.”
“We’re thrilled to make Houston our first market outside our home base and deliver our gourmet, connected coffee experience to 
residents and global visitors,” said Briggo CEO Kevin Nater. “Since launching Briggo inside Austin-Bergstrom Airport last summer, we have been overwhelmed with demand for our service. Houston is an epicenter for business and innovation and an obvious fit for Briggo. We are so pleased to be broadening our service with Levy Restaurants and the Houston First team.”
Briggo’s Robotic Coffee Haus serves hot and iced coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, chai, hot chocolate, and other favorites 24/7 using gourmet whole-beans, fresh dairy and syrups. Customers can order ahead from the app, or customize their favorite drinks on the Coffee Haus touchscreens, and enjoy their drinks within minutes. The new Coffee Haus, located across from the Marriott Marquis Houston’s skywalk, will serve guests visiting the GRB during all public and private events.
“Technology like Briggo blends high quality service and memorable experiences, and that’s what we strive to deliver to our guests,” said Katherine Paynter Putnam, regional vice president for Levy Convention Centers, the team behind Houston Inspired Catering. “We’ve seen guests gravitate to the Coffee Haus in other spaces and it will be a great addition to the wide range of amazing Texas-raised food and beverage options at George R. Brown Convention Center.”
Named one of Austin’s “Best Places to Work,” Briggo’s Houston location is the latest in their multi-market network of Coffee Hauses and their fifth opening since SXSW in March of 2018. In addition to Austin-Bergstrom Airport and Austin’s Convention Center, Briggo operates inside three global tech firms, including two Coffee Hauses at Dell’s Round Rock headquarters. The company plans to continue expanding their network of Coffee Hauses into airports, convention centers, universities, hospitals, and additional locations where 24/7, on-demand specialty coffee is essential.