The Lancaster Event Center celebrated a momentous occasion today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official commencement of the $7.125 million 15-year naming rights agreement, which takes effect December 1, 2023. This agreement marks a significant milestone in the Lancaster county fairgrounds’ 22-year history as it rebrands itself as the Sandhills Global Event Center and rebrands its eight largest event spaces. The ceremony also marked the kickoff of a groundbreaking $10 Million Fairgrounds Infrastructure Modernization Project, supported by a $5 million grant from The Nebraska Department of Economic Development and complemented by $5 million in matching funds.

The Sandhills Global Event Center, while continuing to serve as the home of the Lancaster County Super Fair, plays a pivotal role in generating an annual economic impact of up to $72 million in out- of-county/state visitor incremental spending. With approximately 500 event days and up to 600,000 visitors per year, this transformation reaffirms the Sandhills Global Event Center’s position as one of the region’s premier fairground-style event complexes. The first event under the Sandhills Global Event Center name is the Nebraska Ag Expo, the second largest indoor farm show in the nation, utilizing every square inch of the 9.2 acres of indoor space at the Sandhills Global Event Center.

Shawn Peed, Chief Executive Officer of Sandhills Global, expressed his enthusiastic support for this transformative naming partnership featuring a total of eight Sandhills Global brands, stating, “We are thrilled to be part of this exciting chapter as the Sandhills Global Event Center will provide positive impact to our community and our economy. This partnership aligns strongly with our brands, and we look forward to contributing to the ongoing success of this venue.”

Kendra Ronnau, Ag Society President, spoke warmly about the significance of this partnership, saying, “This naming rights partnership connects us back to our roots. It echoes the spirit of our founders from 22 years ago, who set us on this remarkable journey at Lancaster’s county fairgrounds. We’re all about continuously improving the annual Super Fair, nurturing our 4-H, FFA & other local youth year-round, and bringing ag education and community events right to the heart of our local families.”

The venue-specific name changes that underpin this exciting transformation:
• Lancaster Event Center –> Sandhills Global Event Center

• Pavilion 1 –> Currency Pavilion

• Pavilion 2 –> EquineMarket Pavilion

• Pavilion 3 –> LivestockMarket Pavilion

• Pavilion 4 –> TractorHouse Pavilion with Amy Countryman Arena

• Multi-Purpose Arena (MPA) –> FR8Star Pavilion

• Grandstand Arena –> AuctionTime Grandstand Arena

• Campgrounds –> RVUniverse Campgrounds

• Lincoln Room –> Ag Society Hall

In addition to these changes, the Sandhills Global Event Center is embarking on a $10 million infrastructure modernization project to elevate visitor amenities to be completed by 2026. This comprehensive upgrade will encompass improvements such as lighting, digital signage, flooring, kitchen capacity, restrooms, horse stalls, drainage, and parking lots, ensuring a future of positive event experiences.

Amy Dickerson, Managing Director shared, “As the Sandhills Global Event Center embraces this exciting chapter, it extends gratitude to Sandhills Global Inc., the Department of Economic Development, and the community for their steadfast support. The Event Center is committed to continuing its impact serving as a unique hub of ag events from education to tourism and business while serving as the county’s largest community center for a wide range of planned and emergency uses. “

As part of the launch, The Sandhills Global Event Center invites you to explore its new website, SandhillsGlobalEventCenter.org, which not only showcases its rebranded identity but also features the most recent impact report, highlighting the positive contributions the Event Center brings to the community.

Eventex has officially announced The 50 Most Influential Venue Professionals for 2023, and IAVM is pleased to share that our President & CEO, Brad Mayne, CVE is featured on the list. The index recognizes outstanding professionals who have left a mark on this particular events industry area with their creativity, vision, and capacity for innovation. 

“This Eventex index shines a light on the most deserving individuals whose creativity, innovation, and achievements keep inspiring and raising the bar, both in their field and for the rest of the industry. These remarkable professionals deserve recognition and we are honored to facilitate this process. Congratulations to everyone included in the list!” comments Ovanes Ovanessian, Co-founder of Eventex Awards.

“Brad’s passion for our association and commitment to excellence for our members has not only elevated IAVM, it has left a lasting mark on the venue management and events industries,” said Kerry Painter, CVE/CEM/CMP, Chair of the IAVM Board of Directors. “The IAVM Board congratulates Brad on receiving this well deserved honor.”

The list is decided entirely by public vote, where the events community first gets to nominate and then vote for those they believe have had the most notable impact on the industry. This year, a total of 830 professionals from 56 countries were honored with an Eventex index nomination, while 21,787 votes were cast to determine the results. Those with the most votes in their respective industry area made the top 50 list, with their names published in alphabetical order. To see the full list, visit. 

“I am honored to be named in the Top 50 Most Influential Venue Professionals,” stated Mayne. “This honor is a testament to the IAVM leadership and staff, whose collaboration and passion for our industry has resulted in only the best educational and resource opportunities for our members.”

Founded in 2009, Eventex Awards has become the most recognizable symbol of excellence in the world of events and experience marketing. The competition gives big and small companies alike the opportunity to showcase their outstanding work and get universal events industry recognition.  

The Louisville Arena Authority has announced that the KFC Yum! Center, Louisville’s premier sports and entertainment venue, can be credited for bringing in just under $1 billion total in economic impact in less than a decade.

A study conducted by Hunden Partners for Louisville Tourism found that the economic impact of the arena over the last nine fiscal years of the venue’s operation is $942 million, averaging $122 million annually.* A previous study commissioned by

The KFC Yum! Center located in downtown Louisville. The KFC Yum! Center is a large multi-purpose sports arena which opened in 2010.

Louisville Tourism for the first four years the venue was in operation shows the KFC Yum! Center contributed approximately $581 million in economic impact from 2010 to 2014.

“The findings of the study by Hunden Partners validates for Louisville Tourism, the Louisville Area Authority and other stakeholders that the value proposition envisioned for the arena in 2005 continues to hold true,” said Louisville Arena Authority Chair Leslie Geoghegan. “The results demonstrate the return on investment for our partners – the State, Metro Louisville, and the University of Louisville – with the significant economic impact that the KFC Yum! Center has on the Louisville community. We are excited to see its continued success into the future.”

“Understanding the impact of one of the city’s largest venues for hosting events helps identify what some of the key drivers of tourism are to Louisville,” said Louisville Tourism President and CEO Cleo Battle. “We will use the information gleaned from this report to deploy marketing strategies that will help Louisville grow our record visitation of 19 million in 2019 to 25 million by 2030.”

By The Numbers: KFC Yum! Center Economic Impact During the Analysis Period (2015-2023)

• The KFC Yum! Center generated an average $29.1 million in annual earnings supporting an average of 584 full-time jobs annually just within the Louisville Metro area.
• More than $58.5 million in taxes were generated by the KFC Yum! Center and its visitors, representing an average of $7.6 million annually.*
• During the nine-year period between FY 2015 and 2023, the facility has generated nearly $942 million in total spending within the Louisville economy, or an average of $122 million per year.*
• Approximately 54 percent of visits to the facility came from outside of Jefferson County, while 25 percent of spending came from outside of Kentucky.
• The total number of events hosted at the KFC Yum! Center has rebounded to 84 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

Several factors cited in the study have led to the continued success of the KFC Yum! Center.

The KFC Yum! Center, with a capacity of 22,090, is the largest arena within a 400-mile radius, and the fifth largest arena in the nation. This adds a value proposition for touring artists looking to attract large crowds. The venue regularly hosts the largest selling concert of an artist’s entire tour.
In 2021, the KFC Yum! Center completed an $8 million renovation that included video, audio and broadcast upgrades, as well as concession and carpeting updates.
The Louisville Arena Authority leveraged ASM Global, the world’s leading venue-management company and producer of live events and experiences, to conduct a 30-year capital improvement plan based on the useful life of various assets. The plan identifies annual improvements to the arena with the intent of keeping the KFC Yum! Center a state-of-the-art venue that will continue to attract top sporting and entertainment events.

“We are so grateful that we continue to work with the nation’s top promoters and event producers to bring high-caliber concerts, sporting events, and more to Louisville and to our local and regional fanbase who continues to support these events and drive additional revenue to the region. Additionally, we are fully committed to serving the community and surrounding areas by hosting a variety of events from local graduations to large scale charity benefits,” said ASM Global General Manager Eric Granger. “I’m very proud of our team who works so hard to ensure the KFC Yum! Center is very well maintained and remains competitive in the sports and live entertainment industry. The strength of the numbers shown in this report provide a great outlook for the future and we feel very confident in continued success for the KFC Yum! Center and surrounding businesses.”

The KFC Yum! Center continues to attract top-tier talent to Louisville and remains one of the region’s most significant forces in driving economic growth. The 22,090-seat arena has hosted approximately 115 events per year, ranging from national concert tours with top-selling artists, major sporting events, and University of Louisville basketball games to graduations, conventions and more.

Notable events over the past decade include Morgan Wallen’s concert in April 2023, which posted the venue’s largest grossing ticket sales ever, as well as sold-out shows featuring acts like Elton John, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Eric Church, Guns N Roses, P!NK and many more. Exciting sporting events such as the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball and Women’s Volleyball Tournaments, Professional Bull Riding, USA Gymnastics Championships, and more continue to drive attendance and revenue at the arena.

The KFC Yum! Center not only drives revenue generation for the city, but also supports the community through a variety of events including holiday movie nights, free youth basketball camps, service projects, clothing drives and more. The venue also hosted Muhammad Ali’s funeral in June 2016 and is home to a wide variety of unique events annually.

*Numbers exclude the pandemic years FY 2020 and 2021

Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in October 2023. Thank you for being a part of the association! Also, let us get to know you better by participating in the I Am Venue Management series. Please visit here to share your story and photo.

Peter Aftayev, St. Charles Convention Center, Saint Charles, MO
Christina Alva, Green Music Center, Rohnert Park, CA
Mike Bair, Event Services – Utah State University, Logan, UT
Sheri Barnett, Walton Arts Center | Walmart AMP, Fayetteville, AR
Jacob Blatter, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT
Misty Buckner, OVG Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Diana Burk, Opportunity Central – The OC, Forney, TX
Keri Burns, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL
Kenzie Bush, OVG Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Becky Cale, Green Music Center, Rohnert Park, CA
Adam Call, OKC Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City, OK
Marc Celestin, Palm Beach County Convention Center, West Palm Beach, FL
Gabriel Cobb, University of South Carolina, Lugoff, SC
Elizabeth Crawley, St. Charles Convention Center, Saint Charles, MO
Antonio Crincoli, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Christy Delliskave, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Jordan Feinstein, Palm Beach County Convention Center, West Palm Beach, FL
Brian Fiegelman, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta, GA
Christina Foley, OVG Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Rebecca Forrest, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville, TN
Michael Fouraker, Fort Worth Zoo, Fort Worth, TX
Maya Garner, The Fox Theatre – Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
Audrey Gilliam, OVG Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Ramon Jesus Gonzalez Marquez, IMG/Endeavor, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Corey Goode, Irving Convention Center, Irving, TX
Jasmine Gould, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville, TN
Gloria Haasch, American Tower Corporation, Irvine, CA
Stephen Harris, OKC Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City, OK
Luis Hernandez, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL
Alexa Inglima, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Eli Johnson, Event Services – Utah State University, Logan, UT
Marley Jones, OVG Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Olivia Keck, Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Peter Lally, Spectacle Live, Lexington, MA
Susan Lim, Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, CA
Eric Lumpkin, Thornton Tomasetti, Kansas City, MO
Lea Maxwell, Exploria Stadium – Orlando City SC, Orlando, FL
Daryl Mayekawa, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA
Laura McNary, Robinson Fine Arts Center – Plano ISD, Plano, TX
Cassidy McQuiston, Robinson Fine Arts Center – Plano ISD, Plano, TX
Laura McWherter, OVG Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Jackson Metzger, Exploria Stadium – Orlando City SC, Orlando, FL
Vespera Monroe, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA
Calvin Morris, Event Services – Utah State University, Logan, UT
Alyssa Moyle, Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Ruth Otieno, Event Services – Utah State University, Logan, UT
Kirby Parsons, Palm Beach County Convention Center, West Palm Beach, FL
Robert Patterson, Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA
Ian Philips, Samford University, Homewood, AL
Arjay Rennix, The Fox Theatre – Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
Megan Roberson, Lambeau Field – Green Bay Packers, Green Bay, WI
Jay Rutherford, The Virtual Wild, Dallas, TX
James Schott, Chabot College Performing Arts Complex, Hayward, CA
Rob Seckel, The Fox Theatre – Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
Jennifer Silvera, Green Music Center, Rohnert Park, CA
Robin Stinnett, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
Elliot Swiatly, Chicago Cubs Baseball Club, LLC, Chicago, IL
Sheenah Thompson, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Hannah Urbanowycz, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Sawyer Wallace, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville, TN
Keith West, Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Da’Vine Yancy, Belmont University, Nashville, TN

Effective Feb. 12, Ty Sutton, CVE, becomes president and CEO of Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, replacing Kelley Shanley, who announced he was stepping down in May. Sutton’s latest move leaves another big opening for a new president and CEO at Dayton Live in Ohio, where he has served since 2018.

Sutton said the Dayton job will be posted on the IAVM job board and hopes his IAVM colleagues will be interested in a great opportunity. He has been a member of IAVM since 2002 and attended Venue Management School (VMS) in the late 2000s.

The Broward County job is a great fit for Sutton. “Broward County and Ft. Lauderdale are booming. It’s changed a lot. There is a need for more programming and more venues,” he said.

Ty Sutton, CVE, incoming President & CEO, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
(Photo Courtesy of the Broward Center)

“It’s exciting to me to work with a board that wants to figure out what is the next thing. How do we build on our success? They want to keep growing and pushing forward. That’s what interests me.”

No one knows yet what that next thing is. Possibly more experiential programming, participatory events, the interactive side, an amphitheater, more theaters, more theater management? “That’s the fun of working with a board and employees who want to serve the community,” Sutton said.

Sutton will answer to the Performing Arts Center Authority (PACA), the 13-member volunteer board that governs the Broward Center for the Performing Arts for the state. The operation also includes a nonprofit foundation arm for fundraising. The Center has an annual operating budget of $60 million, which includes operation of four venues.

Besides Broward Center, Sutton will oversee its affiliated venues including The Parker, an iconic theater in Fort Lauderdale which was fully restored in 2021, the Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center on the campus of Nova Southeastern University, and the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center in Miami-Dade County.

He’s especially pleased Broward Center has one of the largest education programs in the country. “I love that and always worked to create education programs [in all my buildings]. Last year, something like 130,000 students attended performances as part of what they do. My wife is a ballet dancer/instructor and arts educator. I’ve always been around the education side.”

Broward Center is also consistently cited as one of the best venues in the country by trade publications, including Pollstar and VenuesNow, which consistently rank it among the top 10 in the world in terms of ticket sales and attendance.

“I love putting on shows, because that’s what gets people excited and what our business is about,” Sutton said.

He also likes “to create new things and fix things. I’m not a great caretaker, that’s not my personality. I really enjoy the challenge of doing new things.”

Sutton credits networking at IAVM with directly helping him find new opportunities.

In the case of Broward Center, he was recruited by James Abruzzo, DHR Global, who “has written the book on the nonprofit side of performing arts.” He had known about the opening directly from Shanley, whom he has worked with on several projects.

Asked the highlight of his 20-plus years in the business, starting with the 2002 Olympics and Paralympics in Salt Lake City where he ran the men’s hockey venue, and on to professional hockey at the Honda Center, Anaheim, Calif., before moving to the performing arts side, Sutton could not name just one. “I tore down a building and rebuilt one in Colorado [Lincoln Center in Fort Collins], opened a brand new building in Texas [Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center in Midland], and created a performing arts center in Indianapolis from a bunch of existing things [Butler Arts Center].”

“The through line is that I love to create venues that are places people want to go to and are consistently busy. Leaving behind a legacy of successful buildings is probably the one thing I would point to in my whole career. I have left a lot of buildings, and they continued to have success because we’ve created a process, platform and organization to do that long term. It’s that legacy. I love doing that. I think Dayton will be successful for a very long time as well.”

Dayton Live is a nonprofit organization that owns and operates five performance venues, including the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center and the beautifully restored Victoria Theatre, and attracts more than 400,000 visitors annually. Sutton has been instrumental in the transformation of downtown’s cultural fabric.

Broward Center for the Performing Arts campus in Ft. Lauderdale. (Photo by Keith Douglas)

In his past, IAVM has been very instrumental in his job opportunities. A year after he left the Olympics, where he had worked with Scott Lasker, he needed a new job. “I was talking to Scott, and he said a friend that he went to VMS with was looking for someone to run event services in Southern California. He called his friend, who called me, and I literally got hired over the phone, because they knew because of their IAVM experience that I knew what I was doing. I worked there several years and had a great experience.

“IAVM is a network of people who trust each other, because of the experience and education they bring.”

Sutton’s advice to new members of IAVM is to be open to saying ‘yes.’ “My career has taken me from Calif. to Ohio [and now Florida]. The reason I became a GM very young is I was willing to look at new opportunities. Evaluate each opportunity. That’s led to a lot of success.”

“A lot of younger employees have a plan, and it’s great to have one, but keep getting educated and participating. IAVM opened a lot of doors for me.”

Sutton is a member of the Broadway League, a Tony Awards voter, and serves on the League’s Intra-Industry Committee. Sutton earned a BA in Political Science at the University of Utah, where he began renting small venues to host concerts and later served as programming director for the University of Utah Presenters Office, a path that led to working in the commercial concert business.

He will move in February, and his wife, Polly Creer Sutton, and two children ages 9 and 14, will follow in the summer after school ends. His kids are excited, he said. “With all these moves, there’s the unknown, but there are a lot worse places than the beautiful beaches in Florida.”