By Richard Oliver

Stephen A. Zito, CVE, one of the most respected venue managers in the country, has been promoted to Assistant Director for Convention & Sports Facilities/Alamodome. The City of San Antonio announced the move recently.

In more than 30 years of extensive experience in managing sports and entertainment facilities, Zito has managed thousands of events that have drawn millions of patrons. He is the overseer of what has been a remarkable resurgence of the Alamodome, which recognized its 30th anniversary in May.

Zito was General Manager of the Alamodome for more than six years.

“Steve brings a wealth of knowledge and energy to a position that requires both,” said Patricia Muzquiz Cantor, Director of Convention & Sports Facilities for the City of San Antonio. “The Alamodome ranks as one of the most diverse, popular entertainment venues in the country, and Steve’s leadership has been a critical part of that.”

Zito’s promotion was one of several personnel moves recently announced at the Alamodome. Michael Flores, who like Zito first began working at the Dome in 1993, has been elevated from Facility Business Manager to General Manager. Flores has spent most of his professional career at the Dome, including as a Fiscal Officer and Booking and Service Manager.

Other recent hires include Victor “Tito” Caballero as Marketing Manager, Lenzy Mora as Graphic Designer, and Troy Ragland as Manager of Public Safety and Transportation.

Since January 2022, the Alamodome has hosted more than 1.2 million guests, including concerts, sporting events, and other headline moments.

On January 13, the San Antonio Spurs set the NBA record for single-game attendance when 68,323 fans packed the Alamodome for the team’s 50th anniversary celebration game against the Golden State Warriors. Two weeks later, WWE held its Royal Rumble there, and more than 51,000 showed up as the wrestling circuit set records for gate revenues.

The Dome will host its fifth Men’s Final Four in 2025, and recently was selected to host the Women’s Final Four in 2029. On December 29, the Valero Alamo Bowl attracted 63,000 fans.

“None of this would be possible without the countless hours and commitment from the team of the Alamodome,” said Zito, part of the leadership that opened the Dome on May 15, 1993. “We always focus on our ‘One Team’ philosophy, and that team has many players. San Antonio has become a very viable market for all genres of entertainment, and for more than 30 years the Alamodome has been the centerpiece of that.”

Zito previously served as President of Sports & Entertainment for Andy Frain Services, Sr. Vice President of Facilities and Events for the Memphis Grizzlies/FedEx Forum and was Vice President of Facilities and Events for the San Antonio Spurs/AT&T Center (formerly the SBC Center). He has been intimately involved in the design, construction, and operations of several new facilities.

The Alamodome just completed one of the most successful years in its history. In the final five months of 2022 alone, the stadium hosted five headline stadium concerts that drew nearly 230,000 fans and generated more than $31 million in gross receipts. The events included the Motley Crue and Def Leppard Stadium Tour, Bad Bunny, Rammstein, Grupo Firme and Elton John.

Additionally, the Dome saw more than 150,000 spectators attend seven University of Texas at San Antonio football games, including the Conference USA championship on Dec. 2. In total, the Alamodome held 135 event days in 2022, with a similar schedule for 2023, exceeding the average of 115 event dates in previous years.

Coming up on the Alamodome schedule are performances by global superstars Karol G (Aug. 31), P!nk (Sept. 25) and Guns ‘N Roses (Sept. 26). The next UTSA football season kicks off in September.

Zito acknowledged the promoters who have helped make the facility so successful, including the Valero Alamo Bowl, Live Nation, Feld Entertainment, University Interscholastic League, Cheer Power, NCAA, San Antonio Home and Garden Show, San Antonio Sports, the Spurs and AEG, among others.

Richard Oliver is Communications Manager at the Alamodome.

Philip P. Greco, Owner and President of The Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park, Illinois, and longtime resident of Villa Park and Elmhurst, passed away peacefully at his Elmhurst home surrounded by family and loved ones on June 20, 2023.

Phil battled the devastating disease of ALS for 5 ½ years with tremendous strength and courage. His optimism, wit, and humor throughout have been an inspiration to all who shared in his life.

Phil was a graduate of Marmion Military Academy and Elmhurst College. For 40 years, he served as the Owner and President of The Odeum Expo Center, a family business that hosted a variety of special events including concerts, indoor soccer, corporate events, and public tradeshows. Phil loved the challenge of producing unique and complex events that were visited by over 1.2 million visitors each year.

“Phil and I spent many years together in District III back in the good old days,” said Brad Walsh, facility director at the Odeum Expo Center. “He was a tremendous guy and a great friend to everyone he ever met. He’ll be missed by all who had the opportunity to know him.”

Through the years, Phil also remained involved with PEP Industries, a manufacturing company established by the family in 1947, which specializes in ecclesiastical furnishings for Catholic churches.

Phil was involved with many community events and organizations. He volunteered his time and expertise with the Elmhurst Summer Fest, Village of Villa Park Economic Development Committee, International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), Villa Park Chamber of Commerce, along with many other organizations and events in Villa Park and Elmhurst. Phil played a key role in establishing the DuPage County Convention and Visitors Bureau, serving on the inaugural board of directors and continuing to serve for many years thereafter.

Over his lifetime, Phil was recognized for his service and generosity. Most notably, Phil, along with the Odeum and his family, were recognized By DuPage County Board and Village of Villa Park Board of Trustees with several Proclamations for their investment and commitment to the community. One such contribution was the development and construction of The Great Western Trail Head Arch.

In his own fight with ALS, Phil helped fund a study with Northwestern Memorial Hospital studying the positive and clinical effects of yoga and breathing exercises on ALS patients. This study will soon be published and has already proved helpful for many patients with lung disease.

Phil leaves behind his wife, Kathleen (nee Olinger); daughter Jordan (Blake) Lejcar, granddaughter Loretta, brother Patrick Greco, Sr., and sisters Francine “Sis” Greco (Bruce Campbell) and Renee Greco, his nieces and nephews Patrick Greco Jr (Antoinette), Carly Greco (Dave Bischoff), Shannon (Jeff) Rodenberg, Tara (Andy) Wilhoit, Colin (Taylor) Murphy, Jeff (Melissa) Schultz, and Kristen Schultz, and many great-nieces and great-nephews.

Phil loved his family, all of whom were so proud of him. He was an inspiration to all of us and will be truly missed.

Memorial donations, in Phil’s name, may be made to the Les Turner ALS Foundation for research at
Northwestern Memorial Hospital by clicking here.

By Caroline Passe

Patron Technology, a leading global technology provider behind the most iconic brands in the live entertainment industry, announced the launch of its holistic rebrand as Leap Event Technology. Since its inception in 2017, the company has been the only major player offering its thousands of worldwide clients an all-in-one live event solution. Built through developing, acquiring, and integrating a suite of solutions for fan-centric data management, ticketing, mobile apps, payment services, and attendee engagement, the company’s start-to-finish approach remains unmatched. The new name, Leap, better reflects the company’s vision of empowering event organizers to elevate and transform how their attendees experience events through powerful technology and data insights.

Leap’s suite of unified solutions includes ticketing products like ShowClix, GrowTix, and Ticketleap; performing arts CRM PatronManager; entertainment marketing solution Fan Interactive; mobile app software Greencopper; and more. For now, the company’s existing clients should not expect any operational changes regarding their contracts, tools, and services as they currently use them. While existing names for individual Leap products and solutions will remain the same for the time being, the Leap branding will eventually extend across and replace the aforementioned sub-brands in the coming months.

“Our mission is to empower our clients to expand and elevate how attendees experience events,” said Marc Jenkins, CEO of Leap. “Transforming Patron Technology into Leap Event Technology signifies a huge step in advancing that mission. Our unified approach, enabling organizers to manage events from start to finish with just one technology vendor, also means that valuable data is no longer being left uncaptured. Leap, as a company, represents an elevation of the overall event experience by capturing and acting on this data, all in one place.”

Relied upon by the organizers behind countless iconic attractions, music venues, and festivals, fandom conventions, sports leagues and teams, and arts organizations, the new branding also means Leap’s purpose is clearer than ever. “We’ve spent the last several years acquiring companies and building out an unmatched tech solution fit for the world’s best events. Shifting the focus from the individual sub-brands and unifying everything we offer under this new Leap branding makes the scope of what we bring to the table more apparent,” said Michael Marty, President of Leap Event Technology. “While the name ‘Leap’ will become more recognizable than ‘Patron Technology’ ever was, our commitment to helping our clients take center stage in creating unforgettable experiences will never waver.”

Caroline Passe is Public Relations Coordinator for Leap Event Technology.

By Jeanette Goins

OVG360, the provider of Venue Management to the Owensboro Convention Center, has again been recognized as a top destination for meetings and conventions by Facilities and Destinations magazine. This is the tenth time the venue has received the prestigious Prime Site Award which are given annually to the top convention and exposition centers in the United States.

Facilities and Destinations is a quarterly trade publication for the meetings and events industry. Voting for the Prime Site Awards is done primarily by association and corporate meeting planners and tradeshow professionals. The award recognizes that clients have determined that these venues and organizations are standouts in the highly competitive meetings market. Prime Site Awards have been bestowed annually since 1994.

“We are honored to receive our 10th Prime Site Award from Facilities and Destinations,” said Owensboro Convention Center General Manager Jeff Esposito. “This prestigious recognition is a testament to our hardworking staff’s unwavering dedication and exceptional teamwork.’

“The Owensboro Convention Center continuously strives to exceed the expectations of every client,” said Tim Ross, Director of Public Events for the City of Owensboro. “From the opening of the building almost 10 years ago, our goal was to be one of the best convention centers in the country. Being recognized again with the Prime Site Award is a testament to the commitment to excellence by the tremendous staff and our partnership approach with every client hosting events at the facility.”

The Owensboro Convention Center will be featured as a Prime Site Award recipient in the upcoming 2023 Facilities and Destinations SuperBook issue publishing in late July.

Jeanette Goins is Director of Marketing at the Oeensboro Convention Center.

From stadiumbusiness.com

The Kroenke Group has been unveiled as a partner in the Midway Rising team, which is planning a major redevelopment of a 48.5-acre sports arena site in San Diego.

The company’s investment encompasses all aspects of the project, which is anchored by a 16,000-seat arena and also includes 4,000 new housing units, new parks, restaurants, shops, and other community amenities.

Day-to-day redevelopment operations will continue to be managed by the existing Midway Rising team partners Zephyr Partners, Legends and Chelsea Investment Corporation.

Terms of The Kroenke Group’s involvement were not officially disclosed but the San Diego Union-Tribune has reported that the company will foot “nearly all of the bill”. The newspaper, citing documents it has reviewed, said that The Kroenke Group now has a 90% ownership interest in the project, with the stake and financial commitment to increase to 95% once construction begins.

The Kroenke Group is a division of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which owns a host of professional sports teams including the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, NBA’s Denver Nuggets, NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids, and English Premier League football club Arsenal.

The company, led by billionaire Stan Kroenke, has extensive experience in sports venue development and management across SoFi Stadium, Ball Arena, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, and Emirates Stadium.

San Diego City Council selected the Midway Rising team as the winning bid to transform the sports arena site back in September. It came after the consortium featuring Legends was recommended to lead the multibillion-dollar project by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and other influential officials.

The 16,000-seat arena will replace the site’s current venue, which opened in 1966. In December, San Diego City Council approved an exclusive negotiating agreement between the City and Midway Rising, which lays out dates and requirements for project negotiations.

Gloria told the Union-Tribune: “That someone of this caliber is willing to make this investment in partnership with the team that we selected … it makes it more likely (that the project) will come to pass, to not only provide the world-class venue that we want but also the housing that we desperately need.

“You have someone who knows how to do big projects who could take his investment and really go anywhere in the world. And he’s choosing San Diego.”

The Kroenke Group’s Jason Gannon added: “The Midway Rising project will continue growing our investment in the Southern California region and we appreciate the city’s confidence in our joint vision with the existing project partners.

“This project is an incredibly exciting opportunity for The Kroenke Group to make a profound impact in San Diego, and it lays a foundation for our future investment in the community.”

Midway Rising is currently completing physical site due diligence, a process that involves analysis and assessment of existing and underlying site infrastructure as well as geotechnical constraints.

The resulting project description based on the team’s initial proposal and vision for the sports arena will undergo environmental studies and reviews in 2024, and late next year the project team hopes to bring a long-term lease and development plan to the council for approval. The cost of the project is yet to be revealed.