From Acrisure Arena

Oak View Group (OVG) announced that respected industry executive John Page has joined the company as senior vice president of Acrisure Arena, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and OVG360 Facilities where he will oversee management and oversight of the three entities. Based in Palm Springs, Page starts his new role effective immediately and will report to Tod Leiweke, president of the Coachella Valley Firebirds, Francesca Bodie, president of OVG business development, and Chris Granger, president of OVG360.

“John is a well-respected leader with decades of experience in the live industry, and I’m very proud to officially welcome him to OVG,” Bodie said. “Vision and drive have been the cornerstones of his career and we’re very excited for him to bring the same energy and leadership to our team in Palm Springs.”

At OVG, Page will be responsible for management and oversight of the company’s newly opened owned-and-operated venue Acrisure Arena, AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds, and regional responsibility for OVG360, OVG’s full-service venue management company. With more than 30 years of live event and sports industry experience before joining OVG, Page served as president of Spectra, which was acquired by OVG in November of 2021. While there he supported 10,000 employees across the company’s portfolio.

“I couldn’t be happier to join OVG,” Page said. “The company represents best-in-class with tremendous leadership, ownership, and values with unprecedented knowledge of all facets of the business. OVG believes in supporting their people and building great culture. I look forward to sharing my knowledge while guiding the Acrisure Arena and Coachella Valley Firebirds to being the very best. The Coachella Valley is such a unique and distinct market with undeniable upside, and I’m excited to get back out west, plus the weather is pretty nice.”

Prior to his role at Spectra, Page served as president/senior vice president of booking and Content Comcast-Spectacor/Spectra. While there, he was responsible for all facets of day-to-day operation of Wells Fargo Center including premium seating; advertising, sales, sponsorship; and operations, as well as the $300 million renovation of the facility to create a “best-in-class” venue for eventgoers. His career also includes a decade as chief operating officer (COO) with Global Spectrum, and as senior vice president of event production at Wells Fargo Center & Spectrum where he managed teams including operations, security, box office operations, parking, and premium services.

Page holds both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in public administration from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and has been nominated ten times by Pollstar as Facility Executive of the Year.

By Steve Mackenzie, CVE

Ungerboeck, the global leader in venue and event management software, is now Momentus Technologies (Momentus), the company announced. This new brand marks the company’s evolution to unify its organization and vertical-specific software under one vision to meet the dynamically changing needs of the venue and event management industry.

The company is expanding to new use cases and providing more comprehensive, purpose-built solutions for convention and exhibition centers, higher education, corporate, stadiums, and arenas, and arts and culture centers. With Momentus, customers now gain a full breadth of intelligent data-driven solutions built on a powerful intuitive platform. Based on the company’s three decades of unparalleled industry experience, best practices and a marquee customer base, the new brand brings greater clarity of the value for customers and vision of the organization.

The new brand identity is a continuation of the accelerated investment in the organization and its bolstered leadership team with decades of collective SaaS and global technology experience. This includes Mike Besecker, chief revenue officer; Mike Cameron, vice president of people & culture; Tim Daniels, chief financial officer; Jenn Kiernan, executive vice president of professional services & support, Steve Mackenzie, CVE, chief innovation officer; and Laurie McGrath, chief marketing officer. CEO Alex Alexandrov is a seasoned software executive who joined the company after serving as chief operating officer, president of the Latin American region and member of the executive board at SoftwareONE.

Momentus’ new name and branding harkens back to Ungerboeck’s legacy, while also evoking huge, impactful occasions and events. This change represents a new phase for the company, bringing a renewed energy and passion for the venue and events industry while maintaining and growing its customer-centric mission.

Alex Alexandrov, CEO, Momentus, said: “As people return to in-person events, creating positive, impactful experiences both physically and virtually has taken on greater importance. This new identity is rooted in the company’s heritage, technology, and people – three key drivers that have made the company and its solutions what they are today. As the organization continues to look ahead, creating a strong unifying brand is essential to our employees and to providing our customers the world’s best solutions to give venues the power to produce extraordinary moments.”

Laurie McGrath, CMO, Momentus, said: “I’m incredibly proud of this new, bold brand position and identity. Knowing the passion, expertise, and commitment of the people behind this brand and the customers we serve, it represents a thoughtful vision for the future of Momentus Technologies. In reality, our purpose is about creating extraordinary moments, whether it’s from concerts to conferences and everything in between. We understand their unique needs and this brand clearly speaks to our commitment to meet them.”

Steve Mackenzie, CVE, is Chief Innovation Officer for Momentus Technologies.

By Richard Oliver

When the San Antonio Spurs hosted the Golden State Warriors on January 13, it may have represented just another regular-season game during a down year in the standings. But for the team’s fans, it meant so much more than that.

It was a celebration of all that came before.

That party, billed as “Back Home in the Dome,” drew an NBA regular-season attendance record of 68,323 to the spacious Alamodome. That total easily surpassed the previous league mark of 62,046, set when the Atlanta Hawks hosted Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls at the Georgia Dome in March 1998.

“Once again, the diversity of the multi-purpose Alamodome was on full display,” said Patricia Muzquiz Cantor, Director of Convention & Sports Facilities for the City of San Antonio. “Over three decades, it has served as an iconic, unique destination for performers and fans alike, lifting the quality of life for our historic community. And there’s so much more to come.”

The ballgame represented the official recognition of the Spurs’ 50th anniversary in San Antonio, a tenure that has included five NBA titles and, at one point, a league-record 18 consecutive 50-win seasons. The Alamodome, enjoying one of the most remarkable stretches of its 30-year existence, hosted the franchise’s games from 1993-2002, including the Spurs’ first championship in 1999.

Those who attended the game found a far different set-up than the last time the team competed at the Alamodome, located just east of downtown San Antonio. In the past, the ballclub had separated the 94-by-50-foot wide court from the rest of the arena with a massive blue curtain that hung from floor to rafters. This time, the court was placed directly in the middle of the Dome’s rectangular floor, built to best accommodate football, with no curtains to be seen anywhere.

The game, won 144-113 by the Warriors, was nationally televised by ESPN just two weeks after the Alamodome was spotlighted by the same network for the Valero Alamo Bowl college football game.

The Alamodome will officially celebrate its 30th anniversary May 15 as part of a three-day celebration that will include a concert by Red Hot Chili Peppers on May 17. Also announced for 2023 are a concert by global superstar P!nk (Sept. 25), and the February debut of the new XFL spring football league co-owned by actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. More events will be unveiled in coming days.

“Simply put, the Alamodome is a valued asset that has put our community on the map, time and again, and improved our quality of life on so many levels,” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.

The Alamodome will host its fifth Men’s Final Four in 2025, and last month was selected to host the Women’s Final Four in 2029.

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.

The Bad Bunny and Elton John shows were part of the two largest tours in the world in 2023. The Bad Bunny concert broke the facility mark for gross ticket sales for one show when more than $11 million was recorded for the Sept. 8 performance. A crowd of 54,000 was on hand for the show.

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.

Roughly $109 million in capital improvements are planned for the facility by 2028.

Richard Oliver is Communications Manager at City of San Antonio Convention & Sports Facilities.

By Mindy Biladeau

Tristan Wright will serve on the Lansing Entertainment & Public Facilities Authority’s (LEPFA) leadership team as its executive vice president/vice president of operations.

A 20-year employee, Wright previously served as LEPFA’s Vice President of Operations, supporting and advocating for the greater Lansing region. In her new role, she will continue to work closely with local, regional, and national government agencies, implementing emergency security plans for public and private events. She also oversees the management of building structures, systems, security, and staff for all LEPFA’s venues and events.

“Tristan has committed more than two decades to LEPFA and is very invested in our community,” said Scott Keith, LEPFA president and CEO. “She has the talent and experience to guarantee LEPFA’s venues and events offer the best experiences for residents and visitors to our great city.”

Wright earned a master’s degree in administration and a bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation leisure services administration from Central Michigan University. She is certified in venue safety and security by IAVM and also a graduate of IAVM’s Venue Management School. Wright says, “I have enjoyed working for LEPFA for the last twenty years and appreciate the fantastic opportunity for growth. I look forward to continuing to serve not only LEPFA but the various events and people within our community.”

In the community, she has been a member of the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors since 2014, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan since 2009 and Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee since 2020.

LEPFA is an independent agency of the city of Lansing responsible for the management of the Lansing Center, Jackson Field and Groesbeck Golf Course. The organization also produces and manages a variety of events such as Silver Bells in the City, Margarita Fest, Grand Concert Series, and various other events in mid-Michigan.

Mindy Biladeau is Vice President of Sales and Service for LEPFA.

By Beau Tidwell

At its monthly board meeting, the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority, the governing body of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, offered formal commendations to two guests who utilized an on-site Automated External Defibrillator (AED) device to save the life of an individual outside of a Convention Center event earlier this month.

Michael and Katherine Diegan, of Daphne, Alabama, were attendees at the “New Orleans Blastoff” volleyball tournament on the weekend of January 14th. On Saturday, they encountered an individual who had been jogging in the Pedestrian Park, experiencing a medical emergency. Quickly ascertaining that the man, named Jason Baldwin, was not breathing and was without a pulse, they immediately rendered aid. Mr. Diegan administered CPR, while Mrs. Diegan located and retrieved a nearby AED unit. Mr. Diegan then successfully used the equipment to revive Mr. Baldwin, who resumed breathing and began to speak shortly thereafter.

Convention Center staff and Paramedic Ryan Satterberg rendered additional aid, helping to care for the man until the arrival of a New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (NOEMS) unit, which stabilized Mr. Baldwin and transported him for treatment at Tulane Medical Center.

“I have been a runner for over a decade, I have run more than 10,000 miles in my life and on any one of those 10,000 miles, this could have happened. I am blessed to have [Michael and Katherine] there when it did.” said Baldwin, speaking virtually at the Exhibition Hall Authority’s monthly board meeting. “I am hoping that folks are encouraged to get CPR certified, understand what an AED is, or simply just check up on their health.”

Among those who responded to this incident include the New Orleans Fire Department Captain Randolph Edward, Firefighter Elvin Calderon, and Probationary Firefighters Braylon Lawrence, and Casey McGann. Also responding were Paramedics Stanley Woods, Ryan Satterberg, Danyell Slack, and Scott Schlumbrect, and Emergency Medical Technicians Timothy Williams, and Theodore Wyshel, as well as 911 Dispatcher Keiane Taylor.

“Michael and Katherine Diegan saved a man’s life, and we are pleased that the Authority is formally recognizing their heroism today,” said Jerry Reyes, President and Chairman of the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority. “When the Convention Center deployed the AEDs throughout the Convention Center in 2020, we hoped never to need them — but we are deeply grateful to have this technology available in moments of need such as this.”

There are 47 Physio Control LIFEPAK CR2 AEDs installed throughout the Convention Center. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are portable, life-saving devices designed to treat people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

“On this particular day, we had more than 13,000 individuals in our facility. It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of our guests, both internal and external. In this case, being prepared made all the difference,” said Michael J. Sawaya, Convention Center President. “We could not be more inspired and proud of everyone involved in this incident.”

Also in attendance at the Authority’s regularly scheduled board meeting were representatives of NOEMS who responded to the scene and transported Mr. Baldwin to Tulane Medical Center.

Beau Tidwell is Director of Communications for the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.