The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), owned by the City of Los Angeles and managed by AEG Facilities, announced the appointment of Shaun Davis, CVP, as the new vice president of operations and Ben Zarhoud, CPA, as the new vice president of finance.

Davis joins the LACC from Salt Lake City, Utah, with more than 20 years of operations management experience. He most recently served at the Mountain America Expo managed by SMG where he managed and directed all operations and previously worked as a senior business analyst at IPA, Energy Solutions Arena, Smiths Ballpark and R.B. Davis & Co.

Zarhoud is local to Los Angeles with more than 13 years of experience in accounting and financial management. He recently served as senior director of finance at AXS, senior manager of finance at AEG and six years at Deloitte.

“I am excited to welcome both Shaun and Ben to the LACC executive team,” said Ellen Schwartz, general manager at the LACC. “I am confident their skills and experience will be outstanding additions to our facility.”

A total of $1.1 billion in regional impact was generated into the San Diego economy as a direct result of conventions, meeting and events held at your San Diego Convention Center from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018.

The Convention Center’s Fiscal Year 2018 annual report is out, and shows that the venue is delivering on its purpose: to serve as the region’s premier gathering place, hosting conventions, trade shows and community events that economically benefit the City of San Diego and advances our convention and tourism industry.

A total of 785,460 attendees contributed $651 million in direct spending as a result of the 133 events that were held at the Convention Center. A total of $24.7 million in hotel and sales tax revenues were generated directly benefiting the City of San Diego’s general fund.

Of the total 133 events, 13 were medical meetings, the core business of the Convention Center. Seven of those meetings landed in the year’s top 10 economic generators. Comic-Con International sits at the top of the list, contributing $147 million alone over the four days it was hosted during FY18.

“Your San Diego Convention Center helps drive business to local retailers, attractions, restaurants, hotels and special event venues,” said San Diego Convention Center President & CEO Rip Rippetoe, CVE. “Our job is to host events and bring people to San Diego ­– events that produce a ripple effect into the economy that reaches across the county. Our promise is to provide outstanding customer service, exceeding expectations, so that our customers will want to come back over and over again, further investing in San Diego.”

Rippetoe likes to say that each week we build – or help facilitate the building of – “small cities” for the most important week of our customer’s year. Visitors come to our destination to learn, connect and create, then they take their tourism dollars out into the destination.

“The more tourists we have in San Diego, the more sales tax and tourism occupancy tax dollars are generated, which benefit our city and our region,” Rippetoe said.

The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena (JVMA) marks its 15-year anniversary and announced plans to celebrate the milestone with a series of special events and contests.

The JVMA replaced the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which was the city’s primary concert venue. The doors opened for its first performance on November 21, 2003 with Elton John. Since then, more than 7.2 million patrons have attended 1,607 events. JVMA has presented an impressive 77 sold out concerts in its 15 year history.

One of the contests planned for the year-long celebration is the “15 for 15” Contest. JVMA will be announcing monthly ticket giveaways on social media for 15 of the hottest events of the year including Cher, P!NK, Blake Shelton, Elton John, KISS, Twenty One Pilots, and New Kids on the Block, with more events to be announced throughout the year.

“This 15 year milestone will be a celebration of the past, the present, and the future of Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena,” said Bill McConnell, general manager of SMG Jacksonville. “Over the past decade and a half, Jacksonville’s most iconic sports, music, and entertainment venue has been a home of great pride for the people of Jacksonville. Since its opening, the arena has hosted world class artists and events and the best is yet to come. We want to celebrate the wonderful memories that have been made under this roof and look forward to historic new milestones beginning in 2019, made possible by the tremendous community support for entertainment and sports here in Jacksonville.”

Digital marketing is an integral part of any holistic ticketing strategy. After all, you can deliver fantastic content, but if people don’t know about it, drawing a crowd can pose a challenge. The trend toward digital media ad spend has continued to grow since the offering eclipsed traditional channels in 2016. Organizations love the traceability and detailed targeting components, while consumers are served advertisements that are more relevant to their interests. Many facilities incorporate digital marketing to help spread the message of their events and get tickets into the hands of interested individuals. With eye-catching creative imagery, organizations target specific demographics to ensure that prospective fans are able to find and purchase tickets. A comprehensive, optimized digital marketing strategy is key to driving sales success. 

If you’re not yet incorporating digital marketing into a comprehensive ticketing strategy, you may be behind the curve. You can make an impact and expand your audience with even a modest initial investment. For the most effective strategy, organizations can utilize programmatic marketing that reaches across all platforms: Search, Display, and Social. Organizations are pivoting this way for a reason – it’s where the fans are! By utilizing programmatic advertising, you can understand the data behind trends and optimize your spend in real time in order to sell as many tickets as possible. Advertising across all platforms truly allows you to raise the basic tenets of digital marketing to the next level and see the greatest return on your investment. 

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Credit Union 1 have reached an agreement in principle that would grant naming rights to the UIC Pavilion. Under the terms of the agreement, which remains subject to review and approval by The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, the facility will be renamed Credit Union 1 Arena.

Key terms of the agreement in principle will provide for Credit Union 1, an Illinois state-chartered credit union, to enter into a 15-year agreement with the University valued at $9.3 million. Additionally, Credit Union 1 will make a significant contribution of $750,000 supporting scholarships at UIC. The agreement is expected to be formally reviewed by The Board of Trustees at its meeting in January 2019.

“We are grateful for the generosity of Credit Union 1 and look forward to providing more scholarship opportunities to our students through this partnership,” said UIC Chancellor Michael Amiridis. “Credit Union 1 has served the UIC community for many years and we are proud to have the Credit Union 1 Arena on our university campus as a visible symbol of our shared commitment.”

“Our partnership of Credit Union 1 and the University of Illinois at Chicago aligns Chicago’s premier college with Chicagoland’s premier credit union,” said Credit Union 1 President/CEO Paul Simons. “Both organizations have a diverse background representing and supporting the city of Chicago, and we both remain dedicated to the growth and development of our great Chicagoland area.”

“We are proud to contribute almost $10 million through our Credit Union 1 Arena naming rights partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago, helping them to continue as one of the nation’s top universities,” said Credit Union 1 Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Todd Gunderson. “In addition to supporting the university, we are also dedicated to supporting the individual students. That’s why Credit Union 1 is committing $750,000 in scholarship money to help students realize their dream of achieving their full potential while at the same time deepening our roots serving the Chicago community.”

“Our students and the many visitors to the Credit Union 1 Arena will benefit from a new financial facility located within the building in the heart of campus,” said Rex Tolliver, UIC Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. “We will be able to continue our effort to improve and enhance the shared space to make it a premier destination for students, faculty, staff and everyone in and around Chicago.”

“This is an exciting time in the history of UIC,” said UIC Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy. “The momentum and energy on this campus is undeniable and our great partners at Credit Union 1 recognize that to the fullest. We in athletics are fortunate to partner with an organization that shares our values and realizes our commitment to excellence in everything that we do. I am proud that Credit Union 1 will remain such dedicated members of our Flames family in such a visible and impactful way for many years to come. Our student-athletes are honored to prominently utilize a facility that now bears the name of Credit Union 1.”

Currently, the UIC Pavilion is a 9,500-seat multi-purpose arena in the heart of UIC’s thriving campus. It is where UIC students both begin and conclude their time on camps as the site of Convocation and Commencement. The building also hosts athletic events, including boxing, UIC men’s and women’s basketball games, concerts, special events, and more.