By Swan Li Chew

The Australian Convention Centre Group (ACCG), comprising representatives from the nation’s leading convention and exhibition centres, have passed a resolution to support the amalgamation of relevant industry associations in the interest of the broader event sector.

This follows a similar resolution by the Exhibitions and Events Association of Australia (EEAA) in December, when EEAA members unanimously moved a motion to allow its Board to merge with the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB) and Australian Convention Centre Group (ACCG), creating a new entity. The AACB also unanimously passed the same motion.

The ACCG, comprised of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, International Convention Centre Sydney, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Cairns Convention Centre, Adelaide Convention Centre, and Darwin Convention Centre has echoed the calls from AACB and EEAA to pursue a single, unified voice for the industry.

Business events play an enormous role in Australia’s economy, contributing more than $36 billion nationally in the year prior to COVID-19. But beyond the immediate economic benefits, business events catalyse change and leave lasting legacies, through knowledge exchange, communication of research, and subsequent investment in innovation.

Currently, the industry voice is splintered across multiple associations, which can at times make it challenging to advocate the sector’s value.

Advocating for the change, members of the ACCG argued and agree that the business events sector would benefit enormously from a single, amalgamated peak body to support growth and industry development.

ASM Global, the management group for Pinnacle Bank Arena, has named Tim Savona as the new general manager of the arena and Pinewood Bowl. Savona succeeds Tom Lorenz, who died on Oct. 1, 2022. Lorenz held the position from the arena’s opening in 2013 to his passing.

Savona, who is currently the general manager of the Tysons Event Center and Orpheum Theater in Sioux City, Iowa, will begin his new position on Feb. 13. “I am thrilled to be leading the team at Pinnacle Bank Arena and Pinewood Bowl Theater. This next-step opportunity in joining ASM Global will allow me to work closely with our clients at the City of Lincoln and University of Nebraska-Lincoln,” Savona said.

In Sioux City, Savona was an employee of OVG360, formerly Spectra, which took over booking, marketing, staffing, and food and beverage service at the Tyson Center, a 10,000-seat venue owned and run by the city since it opened in 2003.

The city of Lincoln owns Pinnacle Bank Arena, a 15,000-seat venue that is home to Husker basketball games, state high school volleyball and basketball tournaments and a dozen or more concerts each year.

Wake Forest University has partnered with ASM Global which has assumed the management and operation of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

“ASM’s best-in-class arena and event management expertise is already helping us advance on our goal of providing the best fan experience in North Carolina,” said Wake Forest Director of Athletics John Currie. “We are confident that their entertainment industry connections and reputation will help expand both the quantity and variety of concerts and special events to better serve the citizens of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County while attracting visitors from all over the region and country.”

ASM Global Executive Vice President Doug Thornton said, “ASM Global’s worldwide expertise combined with an unparalleled ability to also think locally is on full display at Wake Forest. Dramatically elevating the customer experience at venues and simultaneously offering new cutting-edge techniques to increase revenues continues to be of prime importance for ASM Global.”

The scope of ASM Global services in partnership with Wake Forest includes facility operations, staffing, event booking, and production services for Truist Field, LJVM Coliseum, and David F. Couch Ballpark. ASM Global provides industry expertise, best practices, human resources and tools from other venues in their vast network to provide a world class experience for all teams, artists, and guests at Wake Forest venues and value to the Wake Forest, Winston-Salem, and Triad Communities.

ASM Global’s Wake Forest team is led by General Manager Brandon Berry, who since arriving in Winston-Salem last fall has actively engaged with University, city and county officials, as well as Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. and Visit Winston-Salem to build strong synergy to position Winston-Salem as a great destination for fans and events alike.

Berry assumed the role of General Manager at LJVM Coliseum in September. He has been actively involved in managing, booking, and operating venues for over 20 years. Before moving with his family to Winston-Salem, he spent the past 15 years working as a general manager in venues in Miami, Atlanta, and Boston.

Wake Forest will sunset the formal booking collaboration with Greensboro Coliseum, which has been in place since Wake Forest University purchased LJVM Coliseum from the City of Winston-Salem in 2013.

“We appreciate our long-time partners at the Greensboro Coliseum, which has helped bring many memorable events to Winston-Salem,” Currie said. “Boosting the Triad will continue to be a top collaborative priority for all of us.”

In addition to the excitement of Wake Forest’s men’s and women’s basketball teams competing in the elite Atlantic Coast Conference, upcoming LJVM Coliseum events include the nearly sold-out Billy Strings concerts on March 3-4, the return of the Harlem Globetrotters on April 15, and Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live on April 29-30.

In addition to operations and booking of the LJVM Coliseum, ASM Global will manage and host special events, including private bookings for weddings, reunions, business meetings at Wake Forest’s Truist Field, McCreary Tower, Bridger Field House, David F. Couch Ballpark and the Indoor Tennis Center.

ASM Global’s staff at LJVM Coliseum currently includes seven employees, five of whom were local to the Triad. At least two additional full-time positions will be added this year.

iCommit, IAVM’s annual member referral campaign, ran this year from July 1 – December 31, 2022. The goal of the campaign is for each existing member to recruit one or more individuals to join our community of venue professionals. The results are in!

We are pleased to report that 123 members were entered into the raffle to win prizes for every new member that joined. With these individuals’ support, we have added 336 new members to IAVM!

• Grand Prize Winner – VenueConnect 2023 free registration goes to: Kim Bedier, CVE – Honda Center/ocVIBE
• Raffle Winners – Five, $500 Apple Gift Cards*
  • Michael Silva – Alliant Energy/PowerHouse – Cedar Rapids, IA
  • Linda Keough – AT&T Performing Arts Center – Dallas, TX
  • Craig Lehto – Vancouver Convention Center – Vancouver, BC – Canada
  • Tasha Gandy – Charleston Gaillard Center – Charleston, SC
  •  Tyler Slanovec – INTRUST Bank Arena – Wichita, KS
• Region Winner– Region 5 saw the largest increase with 82 new members.
  • The Region Director will select one recipient to have his/her CVP application fee waived (value $125). The candidate must apply by July 2023.

Congratulations to the winners. We appreciate our members for continuing to advocate on behalf of IAVM. Special thanks to Ungerboeck for their continued support and sponsorship of this membership initiative. If you have any questions, contact IAVM’s Director of Membership, Gina Brydson.

By Cheryl Cohen

On January 17, 1973, 50 years ago, the Providence Civic Center officially opened its doors to what would become known as New England’s premier arena and Rhode Island’s new home for all major sports and entertainment. The overall project took nearly thirteen years (1960-1973) from its first appearance on a State referendum, through the design process, construction, to an official opening. On November 3, 1972, simple ceremonies during the Rhode Island Reds hockey game unofficially opened the Providence Civic Center. On January 17, 1973, events all day and into the evening officially kicked off the opening of the Civic Center. Fifty years later, the arena remains a vital contributor to the State’s economy and an iconic New England destination for sports and entertainment.

The Amica Mutual Pavilion (AMP) will take part in celebrating its long history through a variety of acknowledgements throughout the coming months. The kickoff to the celebration was the “AMP Gives 50” campaign which launched in January and will be a weekly initiative of acts of kindness to support the community.

We have unveiled our commemorative anniversary logo, which pays homage to the original Civic Center logo, as well as incorporating our new naming rights partner, Amica Mutual Insurance. See the “then” and “now” photo with this article.

In our 50-year history, we have hosted over 7,000 EVENTS and welcomed over 38 MILLION GUESTS through our doors. Generations of families have created fond memories at the Arena, and we look forward to continuing to be a part of those stories for decades to come. As the newly named Amica Mutual Pavilion enters the next decade under the leadership of the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority and ASM Global, the world’s leader in venue management, we will celebrate the remarkable events the Arena has hosted over the years, and the profound impact it has had on the community in the last 50 years.

Fifty Years of Fun Facts!

• Over 7,000 EVENTS have taken place in the Arena and over 38 MILLION GUESTS have passed through our doors.

• On January 25, 1971, Mayor Joseph A. Doorley breaks ground for the Providence Civic Center.

• The first artist to ever perform on stage in the arena was JOHNNY CASH (performing for our soft opening in November 1972).

• In 1992, the Providence Bruins call the arena home and in 1999 they win the Calder Cup Championship.

• Providence College Men’s Basketball launched their 1972-1973 Season at the Providence Civic Center, and 50 years later they still call the arena their home court.

• In 2008, a multi-year renovation project was completed.

• In 2002, the Providence Civic Center became known as the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

• In 2022, the Dunkin’ Donuts Center became known as the Amica Mutual Pavilion.

• The LONGEST running family shows include:

• Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus, which first performed in May of 1973. They returned annually until the Circus went off the road and held their very last performance in Providence in May of 2017.
• On November 17, 1973, the World Wide Wrestling Federation, known today as WWE, first appeared at the Providence Civic Center and continues 50 years later to entertain fans multiple times each year.

• Since 1975 the Arena has been the site for 23 NCAA Tournaments:

8 NCAA Division I 1st & 2nd Round Men’s Basketball
3 NCAA Division I East Regional Men’s Basketball
5 NCAA Division I Regional Men’s Hockey
6 NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey Frozen Four
1 NCAA Women’s Hockey Frozen Four

• TOP ARTISTS who have played the Arena:
Boston Pops (27) ♪ Aerosmith (19) ♪ Grateful Dead (19) ♪ Trans-Siberian Orchestra (19)
Jethro Tull (12) ♪ Neil Diamond (12) ♪ KISS (11) ♪ Barry Manilow (11) ♪ Frank Sinatra (11)

Cheryl Cohen is Senior Director of Sales, Booking & Marketing, and ASM Global Regional Director of Marketing.