The University of Toledo Athletic Department announced a partnership with global sports and live entertainment company Oak View Group (OVG) to secure a strategic naming rights partner for the Glass Bowl, the school’s historic football stadium located in the heart of its beautiful main campus. 

“We are excited to partner with OVG to identify a naming rights partner that shares our vision of Toledo Athletics and the University as a premier destination,” said Vice President and Director of Athletic Bryan Blair. “The Glass Bowl is not only the historic home of our football program, but it is a focal point of our campus, well-known for bringing great value to this region as its largest outdoor venue. We are excited to lock arms with OVG, and a naming rights partner who will help continue Toledo Athletics’ unprecedented momentum.” 

OVG’s Global Partnership division, which will spearhead the search for a naming rights partner, has successfully secured 19 naming rights partners totaling approximately $3.45B, including UBS Arena in New York City, Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, and the new CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Md.

“We are going to help The University of Toledo – and its student-athletes, students, faculty and alumni – find a naming rights partner who understands and values the Glass Bowl’s rich history, its significance to the community, and the opportunity to renew and reenergize an iconic college venue,” said W. David Livingston, VP of OVG Global Partnerships.

Since 1937, the Glass Bowl has been the home of Toledo Football and has hosted numerous concerts, commencements, and other signature events. The stadium has a seating capacity of over 26,000, including 45 private suites and 300 premium club seats, and hosts upward of 50 events and over 150,000 visitors annually. 

The Glass Bowl has been named the “best football stadium in the MAC” by Bleacher Report and The Sporting News. It has played host to 12 Mid-American Conference championship teams, including the Rockets’ most recent title in 2022.  

Through the years, the Rockets have hosted many major college opponents, including Miami (Fla.), Missouri, Arizona, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Purdue, Iowa State and Minnesota. Future home opponents include Kentucky and San Diego State. 

Toledo has been ranked No. 1 in the Mid-American Conference in attendance over each of the past four seasons. The Rockets appeared on national television nine times in 2022, with a total viewing audience of over 6.1 million. 

The City of Toledo and the greater Northwest Ohio community plays host to a thriving business community. Located in the heart of the Midwest, the city features a revitalized downtown attracting millions of dollars in new investment, with approximately six million people residing within a 100-mile radius of Toledo. The Toledo Region features five Fortune 500 companies and has been ranked top 10 for new business investment for six consecutive years.

Photo from University of Toledo Athletics.

Oak View Group (OVG), the owners and operators of Acrisure Arena and Coachella Valley Firebirds, have become a new community partner with the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation and promised a contribution of $1 million in a matching grant toward the final phase of the fundraising campaign to restore the historic theatre.

This donation challenges others to match this gift, helping to raise the remaining funds needed to achieve the theatre’s fundraising goal so that the restoration may soon begin. OVG’s Tod Leiweke and John Bolton, CVE, presented the check to the Plaza Theatre Foundation during a special presentation.

As the first employee of Acrisure Arena, Bolton was instrumental in launching the modern music and sports venue from its early planning to groundbreaking in June 2021 and to the arena’s highly successful landmark opening in December. Further solidifying OVG’s belief and investment in the future potential of the Palm Springs area as a major entertainment destination, Bolton will continue this commitment with reviving the Plaza Theatre for new generations in the Coachella Valley.

“I’m honored to transition the energy we used to make Acrisure Arena into the world-class venue it is today and be involved with the Plaza Theatre Foundation and their efforts to restore one of the most iconic venues in the Coachella Valley,” Bolton said. “To have Acrisure Arena and the Coachella Valley Firebirds adopt the Plaza Theatre as a core community fundraising project is such a tremendous development and exciting for everyone that is involved.”

Pictured: John Bolton, CVE, third from right, leads the charge to restore the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre.

By Aren Murray

Tixly, the SAAS CRM that brings intuitive efficiency to ticketing, announced that their US presence is expanding with the hiring of Sam Chacon to fill the newly created position of Client Service Specialist.

Chacon brings to Tixly eight years of experience in leadership within multiple arts centers including the Tobin Center of San Antonio, the Orpheum Theatre Group of Memphis, and Shea’s Performing Arts Center of Buffalo.

“I’m very excited to be joining the Tixly team as we continue to grow in the United States,” Chacon said. “Tixly is efficient, flexible, and visually streamlined to make ticketing easier for the venue and customers. I look forward to helping performing arts organizations in the United States experience everything Tixly has to offer.”

Chacon’s experience in the arts industry in several states in the US will expand Tixly’s foundation and commitment to quality service in the culture market.

Chacon had a desire to be a leader in fine arts early on, leading him to a degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas. As he developed this passion, he found a desire to serve in an administrative capacity, sharing the mission of the arts through ticketing.

“The addition of Sam Chacon to the US Tixly team brings us such pleasure to announce. Sam’s amazing skills exhibited through quickly understanding ticketing needs and addressing them with the appropriate technological answers makes us delighted to have him assisting our clients,” said Aren Murray, Operations Manager – US at Tixly.

By Jennifer Wilson

Leading secure digital ticket delivery service True Tickets announced a partnership with Walton Arts Center, operator of Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion (AMP) in Rogers, Arkansas. This partnership is aimed at revolutionizing the ticketing experience for patrons, integrating the True Tickets service into the organization’s digital ticketing platform to provide a seamless, user-friendly process for purchasing and managing tickets.

The partnership between True Tickets and Walton Arts Center is a natural fit as both organizations are dedicated to providing exceptional live entertainment experiences. True Tickets offers secure, contactless digital ticket delivery and control over how each ticket is transacted and managed. Walton Arts Center with its performing arts center and amphitheater is renowned for the world-class performers and the shows that it presents.

“We are thrilled to be working with Walton Arts Center, a truly iconic presence in Northwest Arkansas’ cultural and entertainment scene,” said Ken Lesnik, True Tickets Head of Business Development. “Our service is designed to keep digital ticketing seamless, straightforward, and secure, and we are excited to bring that to the patrons of the Walton Arts Center.”

During the past three decades, Walton Arts Center has become Arkansas’ largest and busiest performing arts presenter bringing touring Broadway, live music, and dance to the region. The Walmart AMP, a Walton Arts Center venue since February 2011, is Arkansas’ premier outdoor concert venue with headlining artists from all genres.


“We are excited to partner with True Tickets to bring digital ticketing to the Walmart AMP and Walton Arts Center for the new seasons,” said Jeff Mann, chief operating officer of Walton Arts Center. “We are constantly looking for ways to improve the ticketing experience for our patrons and this partnership is a major step in that direction.”

Jennifer Wilson is Public Relations Director at Walton Arts Center and Walmart AMP.

By Alexandra Serrano

Exhibition Place has signed the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge, joining a global movement of businesses committed to creating a sustainable future for the tourism industry. This pledge demonstrates Exhibition Place’s commitment to improving the sustainability performance of its business between now and 2030 in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Exhibition Place plans to amplify its sustainability performance by enhancing annual targets for all aspects of the venue’s operations – from infrastructure developments all the way to how events are managed.

“At Exhibition Place, we have long understood the importance of sustainability and our GREENSmart initiatives span almost two decades of progress in this realm,” said Exhibition Place General Manager Laura Purdy. “Today, we remain dedicated to reducing our impact on the planet by going beyond conventional industry practices and supporting the efforts of likeminded event organizers. Taking the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge represents another step in becoming Toronto’s sustainable venue of choice and we are excited to expand on our longstanding achievements.”

Reducing the environmental impact of events remains a strong focus in the global exhibitions industry as organizers seek to embed sustainability into their operations. Exhibition Place takes pride in supporting the ambitions of likeminded clients including the One of A Kind Show, whose parent company Informa is recognized as leader in the ESG space.

“As a part of Informa, One of A Kind has aligned it efforts to contribute to our company’s commitment in building a sustainable business. Through the FasterForward program, our aim is to become a positive impact business by embedding sustainability into everything we do, and seizing opportunities to help our customers and communities to do the same,” said Show Director Janice Leung. “We greatly value having a venue partner like Exhibition Place who boasts a longstanding dedication to sustainable practices. These practices support our own ambitions of becoming zero waste and net zero carbon by 2030 while creating annual events that meet the high standards of our customers.”

Additional leading-edge environmental initiatives at Exhibition Place include Silver and Platinum recognition through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system, renewable wind, solar and geothermal Energy Production, innovative building operation initiatives and urban forestry.

Alexandra Serrano is Manager, Marketing and Communications, Exhibition Place.