Long-time IAVM member Robert U. “Bob” Reid, passed away Friday, March 30, 2018, in Wausau, Wisconsin. He was 86.

Bob loved to tell a good story, sharing (and hearing) jokes, the Chicago Cubs, and tapping his toes to Big Band and polka music. He was a “doer,” and an outstanding role model with an exceptional work ethic.

He was born June 12, 1931 in Minneapolis, to the late Robert S. and Meryl Reid. Bob grew up in the Edina-Morningside neighborhood, graduating from St. Louis Park High School in1949 and the University of Minnesota, class of 1953, earning a degree in Radio Speech. He was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity.

He married Eleanor “Elie” Weld on Feb. 2, 1962 in Minneapolis. She claimed sharing the date with Groundhog’s Day would ensure Bob couldn’t forget their anniversary. Together they raised two children, Fritz and Julie.

Bob’s professional career was centered on sports and entertainment management, enjoying a variety of notable roles.

While attending the U of M, he worked for the Athletic Department’s Intramural and Sports Information offices. After graduation, he was part of the Minnesota Centennial Commission’s publicity team. He became the publicity director for the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team from 1955-58, then joined Max Winter Attractions as an associate until 1963, where he provided public relations support for the Harlem Globetrotters, the Hawaiian State Fair and the Midwest Auto Show.

He became a partner with Padilla, Sarjeant, Sullivan and Speer Public Relations for four years, representing clients like the Grain Belt brewery and the Ice Follies. His connections led him to join the fledgling Minnesota North Stars, where he served as the team’s first administrative director from 1967-1972 and then became the Met Center building manager until 1985, expanding his duties to oversee the building that hosted not only the hockey team, but numerous rock concerts, the Barnham & Bailey Circus and the Ice Follies. He loved to talk about his experiences hosting the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and other major bands. During this time, he was involved with the International Association of Auditorium Managers, as it was known, serving on its board of directors and on various committees. His last career move found Bob working for the Vee Corporation organizing the Sesame Street Live stage shows as its director of booking from 1985-1997.

Bob’s interest in sports found him also serving for 42 years as the lead public address announcer for the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) state hockey, baseball, softball, football and wrestling tournaments; for the MSHSL as a baseball umpire; for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association as publicity director and lead statistician, and also as a statistician for the Minnesota Vikings. He was also part of a group — and one of the first coaches — that started the Edina Little League organization in the 1950s.

Bob and Elie lived in Edina until 2003, when they moved to Wausau to be closer to their daughter Julie and her family.

Bob’s volunteer work was extremely important and fulfilling to him. While living in Minnesota, he was part of the Edina Recycling Commission, VEAP, Edina-Morningside Church, Loaves and Fishes, Edina High School PTA, Walk for Mankind, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Friends of Edina Public Library and St. Alban’s Episcopal Church. After moving to Wausau, he was part of The Grand Theater board of directors, Friends of the Marathon County Public Library, St. John’s Episcopal Church and Mobile Meals.

As a former public relations man, he took great pleasure in collecting newspaper clippings for friends and family and keeping detailed travel diaries of the adventures he and Elie had traveling overseas to visit 46 countries and all seven continents.

Bob is survived by his son, Frederic “Fritz” Reid, partner Kim Forrest and son Forrest Hansen, Shingle Springs, Calif., daughter Julie Bliss, husband Jim, and children Reid Baker and Charlotte Bliss; siblings, older brother John M. “Jack” Reid, Seattle, Wash. and “baby” sister, Betty (Reid) Kuechle, Chanhassen, Minn, and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife of 47 years, Elie, in 2009.

Fritz and Julie would like to thank the warm and supportive staff at Colonial Manor for taking such loving care of Bob over the past year.

A memorial will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 7 at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 330 McClellan Street, Wausau, with The Rev. Meredyth Albright officiating. Visitation with Fritz and Julie will be at 10 a.m. until the time of the service at the church, with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum or St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church.

Chuck Steedman, COO, AEG Facilities, announced the appointment of Hugh Lombardi as general manager of the AEG Facilities-operated Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition to serving as general manager of Target Center, which just completed an 18-month, $145 million renovation, Lombardi will have cross functional responsibilities serving as a regional vice president of AEG Facilities where he will oversee other venues in the AEG Facilities network, as well as assisting with other initiatives undertaken by the company.

It was also announced that Target Center’s David Schmid was promoted to assistant general manager Target Center, and Tom Reller has been elevated to regional director of operations for AEG Facilities.

“We are thrilled to have Hugh join the AEG Facilities and Target Center team in Minneapolis,” Steedman said. “Hugh brings a great depth of knowledge and industry experience and will play a key role in the continued success and stellar reputation of one of the country’s premier destinations for sports and entertainment. His documented success in all areas of venue management will be a real asset for the Target Center and AEG Facilities.”

In Lombardi’s new role, he will be responsible for the management of all of the newly renovated arena’s business operations, the creation of new events and the development of new revenue opportunities for the multipurpose 20,000-seat sports and entertainment arena which serves as the home to the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. Lombardi will activate numerous AEG Facilities’ proprietary initiatives including AEG S.A.F.E., AEG 1Source, AEG 1EARTH, AEG 1Force, AEG Encore and AEG Energy Services, in addition to working closely with AEG Global Partnerships and other divisions of the company.

“I am looking forward to working with the great group of professionals in Minnesota with AEG Facilities,” Lombardi said. “Target Center is an incredible facility and I am excited to continue to build upon the success they have created.”

Prior to joining AEG Facilities and Target Center, Lombardi spent the last 16 years in executive roles and as general manager for numerous arenas around the country, including Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena, home to the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder and the adjacent Cox Convention Center, Boston’s TD Garden, home to the NHL’s Boston Bruins and NBA’s Boston Celtics, and in Nashville, at the Bridgestone Arena, home to the NHL’s Predators.

Darren G. Mire, the director of valuation for the Orleans Parish Assessor’s Office, has been appointed Commissioner to the Board of the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority (Authority) by Governor John Bel Edwards. The Authority’s 12-member Board of Commissioners governs the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and is a political subdivision of the State of Louisiana.

Mire is succeeding Commissioner Jay H. Banks, who has resigned and will begin his tenure as New Orleans City Councilman after being elected to the position in 2017.

Mire served two terms as the elected Assessor of the First Municipal District of Orleans Parish from 2002 to 2010. He is a member of the Louisiana Board of Regents, and a former member of the Southern University Board of Supervisors. He also serves as president of the Black Organization for Leadership Development, or BOLD.

“We are pleased to have Darren Mire join our board at such an important time in the Authority’s history,” said Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority Chairman Melvin Rodrigue. “He brings valuable experience and a record of accomplishment that will serve the Authority and our convention center very well.”

A life-long resident of New Orleans, Mire earned his B.A. in Political Economy and a Masters in Professional Studies in Political Management from Tulane University.

SeatGeek has closed a primary ticketing agreement with NFL giants the Dallas Cowboys, the most valuable sports franchise in the world.

Under the deal – SeatGeek’s second primary NFL partnership in the past four months – the operator will serve the American football team, AT&T Stadium and Ford Center.

SeatGeek will allow fans and teams to access and manage tickets through the mobile app. Fans can purchase tickets and easily transfer them to others and use their device to scan into the venue.

SeatGeek also signed the New Orleans Saints in November, making the Cowboys the second team to opt out of the league-wide deal.

“The Dallas Cowboys organization is always on the cutting edge, and it was critical that we select a ticketing platform that has the best technology on earth to power an incredible fan experience. SeatGeek provides that and more,” said Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones. “We’re excited to truly partner with SeatGeek to shape the future of the industry together.”

SeatGeek will ticket all events at the 100,000-capacity AT&T Stadium, as well as events at Ford Center, a 12,000 seat facility located at The Star, the Cowboys complex in Frisco, Texas.

“The technology that SeatGeek had developed – from its rules-based engine to its fan-facing features – is unlike anything I have seen before,” said Dallas Cowboys vice president of ticket service and sales, Doug Dawson. “We’re thrilled to work alongside SeatGeek for years to come.”

As part of the NFL’s new open ticketing ecosystem the Cowboys will be able to use SeatGeek’s technology to integrate with other official league ticketing partners, selling verified tickets in more places than ever before.

Other events at AT&T Stadium and Ford Center will be able to use SeatGeek Enterprise’s open distribution to sell tickets directly to fans in places across the internet where they are already spending time.

SeatGeek recently partnered with Facebook to allow SeatGeek Enterprise clients to sell their tickets directly through the social network.

“The Dallas Cowboys are the pinnacle of professional sports, and we are thrilled to work with their innovative team to give one of the best fanbases in all of sports a better experience,” said SeatGeek co-founder Russ D’Souza. “We are excited to take a massive step forward in transforming the live events industry with this partnership.”

The International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) is pleased to announce the nomination of Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe, CVE, for Second Vice Chair of the IAVM Board of Directors. Rippetoe will serve a four-year term, taking on the Chairman position in 2020-2021.

Rippetoe currently serves as President and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation (SDCCC). He has a long and successful career in venue management and operations, working for both the not-for-profit and profit sectors. Previous to his role in San Diego, he was President and CEO of the Kentucky State Fair Board Venues.

“The nomination of Rip Rippetoe, CVE, for the role of 2nd Vice Chair demonstrates the thoughtful and excellent work of the Board’s Leadership Development Committee to identify a candidate who is a trusted member volunteer, proven leader, and skilled venue professional for senior leadership,” stated Doug Booher, CVE, IAVM Board of Directors Chair. “We look forward to welcoming Rip to the team!”

Rippetoe has been a member of IAVM since 1988. Previously to his tenure in the Convention Center Sector as a Professional Member, he spent over a decade as an Allied Member working for a convention contractor and as a consultant. Prior to that, he spent several years in the Performing Arts Sector. Rippetoe currently serves on three IAVM committees, as well as a mentor in the IAVM Mentor Connector Program.

“One of the benefits of reporting to the Board and its’ Executive Committee is that IAVM has quality leaders in the officer positions that care about our industry and IAVM’s members,” said Brad Mayne, CVE, IAVM President and CEO. “Over the years, Rip has been a great contributor to leadership for IAVM. His knowledge and experience as a successful venue manager in multiple sectors and diverse communities in his career make him uniquely qualified to fill the position of IAVM 2nd Vice Chair.”

Rippetoe serves locally as a Board Member for the Downtown San Diego Partnership and the Economic Development Corporation of San Diego, as well as Advisor for the San Diego Hotel/Motel Association and the San Diego Tourism Authority.

SDCCC Board Chair Gil Cabrera stated, ““We are supportive and excited about Rip’s nomination, as it recognizes his well-deserved place as a leader in venue management. The San Diego Convention Center is proud to have such a distinguished, capable, globally-engaged, and visionary individual at the helm of our organization.”

“It is an incredible honor to be nominated to serve in this position,” said Rippetoe. “I am passionate and dedicated to our industry. We all work together in public assembly venue management to convene millions of patrons to an amazing variety of events. I look forward to working with my peers to educate, advocate for, and inspire our professionals, worldwide.”

IAVM members will vote electronically in June on Rippetoe’s nomination, and if elected, he will take office in July during IAVM’s VenueConnect Annual Conference and Trade Show, July 22-25, in Toronto, Canada.