By MLB.com

The Cleveland Guardians announced renovation projects that are scheduled to be completed over the next three years as a result of the Cleveland Guardians new lease extension at Progressive Field announced last year.

Progressive Field Reimagined will improve and extend the life of Progressive Field, which is the 11th-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, and will include renovations to the Upper Deck, Terrace Club, Dugout Club, home and visiting Clubhouses & Service Level, and the Guardians Administrative Offices.

“Progressive Field has been a fantastic home to Cleveland Baseball since it opened in 1994,” said Cleveland Guardians Owner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paul Dolan. “We are excited to continue to call Progressive Field home for decades to come, and we look forward to providing new experiences and updated enhancements to our fans, players, and staff through renovation projects that will continue to keep our ballpark competitive as one of the best venues in Major League Baseball.”

“The new fan-facing renovation projects have a heavy emphasis on social experiences at the ballpark,” said President of Business Operations Brian Barren. “As we surveyed our fans, we continuously heard feedback that aligned with the success we saw with the Corner Bar – a focus on more social spaces and compelling fan experiences in the ballpark offering unique ways to enjoy a game. We believe our renovation projects which include a revamped Upper Deck, a reimagined Terrace Club space (which will be renamed the Terrace Hub), and a new Dugout Club will deliver new unique experiences for fans at Progressive Field.”

“Year over year we are continuously striving to achieve our ultimate goal of winning a World Series Championship for the City of Cleveland,” said President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti. “To achieve that goal, we need to provide our players the adequate space and amenities to focus on training, recovery and rehabilitation, and those will be the biggest focus areas as we build out the renovated clubhouse space.”

The scheduled renovation projects will focus on the following areas:

Revamped Upper Deck

The revamped Upper Deck will feature multiple social spaces for fans to enjoy the game. The new-look Upper Deck will feature a Beer Garden down the left field line, a new group outing space in right field, and new concession spaces, including two new View Box bars that will flank home plate and allow for more open sightlines from the Upper Deck concourse.

Terrace Hub

The current Terrace Club will be reimagined as an open-air hub with terraced-ticketed seating on the 200 and 300-levels, and a new expansive authentic-to-Cleveland Beer Hall food and beverage experience on the 400-level that will be open to all ticketed patrons at Progressive Field. The ticketed seating sections will have their own private club space on the 300-level.

Dugout Club

The new Dugout Club will combine the best of both worlds when it comes to premium seating, allowing for the same great field-level seats that currently exist while creating a new exclusive lounge behind home plate. The Club will also feature seven private lounges to allow for groups to enjoy an exclusive experience.

Clubhouses & Service Level

Both clubhouses, as well as the ballpark Service Level, will be updated for the first time since the ballpark opened in 1994. The new home clubhouse will be completely reimagined with a focus on player amenities in performance, training, and recovery.

Through these renovations, we will significantly improve our ability to support player preparation, performance, and recovery through expanded and enhanced strength and conditioning and athletic training areas, improved kitchen facilities, more robust technological support for players, coaches, and staff members, among other improvements.

E. 9th Street Building

To allow for the clubhouse expansion, a new four-level E. 9th street building will be erected in right field to allow for a new kitchen and commissary for the Guardians concessionaire, as well as additional storage facilities for the ballpark. The rooftop of the new E. 9th street building will connect to the Upper Concourse and serve as a new group space at Progressive Field.

Cleveland Guardians Front Office

The Guardians Front Office will also be fully renovated for the first time since 1994. As part of the renovation, the Guardians will add a fifth floor to the current four-level structure.

Project Funding

The funding for the projects will be supported by the new lease agreement which extends the current lease to 2036 (with potential options to extent to 2046) and was agreed upon between the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, State of Ohio, the Gateway Economic Development Corporation of Greater Cleveland and the Cleveland Guardians. The estimated total of the projects will be $202.5 million with $67.5 million coming from the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians are also responsible to provide additional funds to cover cost overages, if any, that may result from the projects.

Project Timing

The Guardians expect all renovations to be completed by the 2025 season. The schematic design process is close to completion, and the majority of the 2023 season will focus on design development with the hope of starting construction at the end of the 2023 season.

2024 Opening Day Project Completion:

Upper Deck Experience
E. 9th Street Building
2025 Opening Day Project Completion:

Terrace Hub
Dugout Club
Clubhouses & Service Level
Administrative Offices
Manica is serving as the lead design architect on the finalized projects, while Ohio based Moody Nolan – the largest African American Architecture firm in the US – is serving as the architect of record.

Mortenson is the national construction manager while Northeast Ohio’s Independence Construction will work with Mortenson in providing construction management services.

The Guardians and Gateway have made our Community Benefits Programs a priority to set project goals for contracting diverse businesses, hiring local and minority workforces, expanding training programs and studying best practices for improving diversity and inclusion in the construction, engineering, and architecture industries. As another example of this focus, the Guardians recently announced the selection of a diverse small locally owned business, The AKA Team, to serve as an additional Associate Construction Manager for the project. The AKA Team is a local minority and female-owned company and a certified Cleveland Small Business, that has been in business since 2009.

Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in December 2022. 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 http://www.iavm.org/i-am-venue-management-share-your-story to share your story and photo.

Phil Adams, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Lisa Allen, Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, TX
Shawn Anderson, Lethbridge & District Exhibition, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
Connor Ayers, Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
Georon Baker, Nationals Park – Washington Nationals, Washington, DC
Courtney Barnes, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, WA
Angelica Barrios, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Megan Barry, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Newark, NJ
Jessica Belisle, Mesa Convention Center, Mesa, AZ
Melissa Berntsen, Oregon Convention Center – Group 2, Portland, OR
Patrick Blackburn, USM Falcon, Elmhurst, IL
Cara Blakeslee, Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, New Albany, OH
Kaylee Blumenfeld, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, TX
Shannon Boone, INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita, KS
Nick Brazelton, Belmont University, Strategic Venues and Event Services, Nashville, TN
Bryan Brown, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR
Caryn Brown, Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
Lolitta Brown, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR
David Cappiello, Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, Birmingham, AL
Kristen Carter, Saenger Theatre, Pensacola, FL
Maurizia Cecconi, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR
Wes Chadwick, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, WA
Nia Colemon, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR
Mike Conway, Overture Center for the Arts, Madison, WI
Steve Cook, Blumenthal Performing Arts, Charlotte, NC
Parker Costello, Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH
Quentin Crump, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Denver, CO
Cathy Damiano, CAJUNDOME & Convention Center, Lafayette, LA
Frank DePizzo, Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH
Jim Dermody, Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
Brittan Drake, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, WA
Kate Edge, Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
Chase Finch, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Scott Fitzgerald, Dayton Live, Dayton, OH
Vern Frisbie, Argus Event Staffing, LLC, Denver, CO
Taurus Gadsden, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Anna Garcia-Menocal, Overture Center for the Arts, Madison, WI
Ramona Goia, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, WA
Josh Greenwood, Argus Event Staffing, LLC, Denver, CO
Jess Griggs, Austin Theatre Alliance, Austin, TX
John Hale, Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, Wichita, KS
Ellen Hamiel, Wisconsin Center District, Milwaukee, WI
Tyler Harbison, Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH
Michael Hepburn, FTX Arena, Miami, FL
Kelli Hill, Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
Ryan Hiser, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Sam Hof, Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH
Jennifer Hoffman, Your-Type 3D Letters/Shapes, Winona, MN
Steven Hollis, SAFE Credit Union Convention and Performing Arts District, Sacramento, CA
Ellott Ivie, Arts and Venues Denver, Denver, CO
Amanda Jenkins, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR
David Jeppesen, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR
Danny Johnson, Qwick, Scottsdale, AZ
Kasey Johnson, Argus Event Staffing, LLC, Denver, CO
Sara Khanifar, BC Place, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Patria Kishida, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Nicole Klein, Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, Birmingham, AL
Matthew Kline, USM Falcon, Elmhurst, IL
Kaitlyn Konrardy, Overture Center for the Arts, Madison, WI
Sydney Koppe, Lethbridge & District Exhibition, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
AnnMarie Lane, Ralph Englestad Arena, Grand Forks, ND
Emily Larkin, Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, Wichita, KS
Jon Letchford, USM Falcon, Elmhurst, IL
Travis Ligon, Alliant Energy PowerHouse, Cedar Rapids, IA
Emily Lovgren, Belmont University, Strategic Venues and Event Services, Nashville, TN
Michelle Lovrics, Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON, Canada
Richard Lufriu, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Dustin Malanga, SAFE Credit Union Convention and Performing Arts District, Sacramento, CA
James Malcolm, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Craig Manfra, The Rooftop at Pier 17, New York, NY
Fawn Martin, SAFE Credit Union Convention and Performing Arts District, Sacramento, CA
Martha Martinez, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
Micah McBay, Greenville Municipal Auditorium, Greenville, TX
Michael McClelland, BC Place, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Derrick McElwee, Wisconsin Center District, Milwaukee, WI
Stacy McGlinnen, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Angelina Medina, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Andrew Miller, Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH
Bailey Morris, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Evan Mues, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, WA
Anthony Nelson, Grossinger Motors Arena, Bloomington, IL
Erika O’Brien, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Jim Olachea, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
David Oster, Alliant Energy PowerHouse, Cedar Rapids, IA
Charity Pettit, Alliant Energy PowerHouse, Cedar Rapids, IA
Brad Powers, Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, Wichita, KS
Kristi Powers, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Ellen Race, Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH
Rebecca Rainey, Busch Systems, Barrie, ON, Canada
Loren Rider, Alliant Energy PowerHouse, Cedar Rapids, IA
Jo’Nyee Robinson, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR
Lindita Rugova, The Rooftop at Pier 17, New York, NY
Brice Schroeder, Jerome Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH
Suzanne Seder, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Neil Segal, VenuWorks of Burnsville, Burnsville, MN
Brynn Showalter, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Mack Smith, SAFE Credit Union Convention and Performing Arts District, Sacramento, CA
Kristen Sten, The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
Janna Stephens, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Alexander Suciu, Capital One Center, Tysons, VA
Caleigh Sullivan, Arts and Venues Denver, Denver, CO
Ariana Techere, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Tracy Thornton, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, WA
Patrick Tsai, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Shenita Urquhart, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Mike Watkins, SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, CA
Tracey Welsh, Alliant Energy PowerHouse, Cedar Rapids, IA
Casey White, CAJUNDOME & Convention Center, Lafayette, LA
Joyce White, Alliant Energy PowerHouse, Cedar Rapids, IA
Amanda Wilkins, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta, GA
Vanessa Williams, CAJUNDOME & Convention Center, Lafayette, LA
Shawn-Ta Wilson, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL
Marye Winterlin Benjamin, SAFE Credit Union Convention and Performing Arts District, Sacramento, CA
Cam Wirt, Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH
Jason Ybarra, Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, Wichita, KS
Morgan Yirkovsky, Alliant Energy PowerHouse, Cedar Rapids, IA
Kevin Young, Alliant Energy PowerHouse, Cedar Rapids, IA

By R.V. Baugus

Long-time IAVM member and good friend Brad Gessner, CVE, is now living the charmed life of retirement nestled in the Hill Country of Texas. Specifically, Brad resides in Comfort, a town that easily befits its name and is a far cry from the hectic pace of Brad’s final job in running the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Brad shared an interesting story about how he started keeping a journal of interesting stories beginning in 1984 about life in the public assembly venue industry. For the younger IAVM members reading this, it is something you might want to contemplate doing as well. At the minimum, it will provide you some fond (and maybe not so fond) memories of your career in this fascinating business once you hit the retirement calling.

Brad’s journaling resulted in his writing a book entitled Backstage, an apt title if there ever was one. We’ll let Brad tell the back story of Backstage in his own words. I am looking forward to reading the book and encourage you to do the same.

“I actually started in 1984 keeping a journal of interesting stories that happened on the job in this crazy and interesting industry. I kept writing them down for the next 36 years!

“I wrote it for several reasons. I wanted to leave my story for my kids and grandkids as well as share with the industry and anyone else that was interested. And to make others aware of an incredible industry that I discovered completely by accident.”

The book’s description is as follows:

Backstage is a behind-the-scenes tour of the author’s best memories of what transpires in the world of special events. The author’s 42-year career managing special event facilities include his introduction to this “accidental industry” starting in 1978 through his retirement in 2020. From the Harlem Globetrotters, Earl Scruggs, Harry Chapin and EDM’s Kaskade to wrestling’s Dusty Rhodes and comedic genius Gallagher, Backstage stories make this a fun, insightful and wanting to read the next page.

Backstage is also a book about the highs and lows of leading in the event industry. The author held leadership positions at the San Diego Convention Center (two different stints), WestWorld of Scottsdale, the Del Mar Fairgrounds & Racetrack, the HemisFair Arena, and his last stop as Sr. Vice President of Convention Centers for AEG Facilities and General Manager of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Backstage challenges us to ensure our leadership makes a difference. If you are a leader in any industry, read this book!

The author offers ideas and insights and pragmatic guidance which will help lead you to greater success as a leader.

The book is available through Amazon and can be found by clicking here.

By Kelly Greenfield

Bryan Miller has been named General Manager for the Charlotte Convention Center, which recently completed a $126.9M expansion, increasing total leasable space to 600,000 sq. ft., and is operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA). Miller will oversee the Charlotte Convention Center team and will collaborate with Visit Charlotte, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and other key stakeholders.

Miller joins the CRVA with an extensive background in the hospitality industry and venue management community, previously working with the Virginia Beach Convention Center, where he served for 16 years, starting as an Event Manager with promotions to Sales Manager (2007), Assistant General Manager (2011) and General Manager (2020), managing events as large as 35,000 attendees. Miller’s leadership was key to the recovery of the Convention Center and hospitality community in Virginia Beach. He has served in the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) Mentor program, Convention Center Committee and is currently Chairman of IVAM’s Region 5 Chapter Meeting Committee and a Certified Venue Executive (CVE).

“The CRVA prides itself in assembling the most professional talent available and we are very proud to announce Bryan Miller as the newest member of the team,” said Steve Bagwell, Vice President of Venues at the CRVA. “Bryan’s extensive experience, exceptional customer service, innovative leadership, and collaborative nature will be valuable to both our customers and teammates.”

Miller officially assumes his duties at the CRVA on Jan. 23 and will report directly to Steve Bagwell, Vice President of Venues at the CRVA.

Kelly Greenfield is Senior Public Relations Manager at the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.

From Convention Center staff

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has named Rocsean Spencer to the position of Chief Diversity Officer (CDO). The Center recently created the position to reflect their commitment to implementing diverse, equitable, and inclusive practices, providing equal opportunities that drive innovative solutions for its internal and external communities. According to the International Association of Venue Managers, this is the first convention center in the nation to establish the position of CDO.

Spencer will be tasked with supporting the organization’s policies and directives that mitigate bias, increase equitable outcomes, and foster respect and inclusion, and ensure that the communications and People Services programs reflect the organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals.

Spencer most recently served as the Convention Center’s Small and Emerging Business (SEB) Program Director, a position that was created in 2019 to help promote the importance of diverse and small business inclusion at the Convention Center. Since inception of this program over $40 million in contracts have been awarded to small and emerging businesses.

Spencer came to the Convention Center from the City of New Orleans, Office of Supplier Diversity. She served as Certification Officer, where she reviewed Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification applications and attended State and Local DBE (SLDBE) program outreach events. She was later promoted to Compliance Officer, where she managed a portfolio of $150 million of Public and Private Sector funds. In that role, she also supervised the DBE program, where she managed the SLDBE Certification Department as SLDBE Certification Coordinator.

“We have worked very diligently over many years to position the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention as an employer of choice through establishing and maintaining a work environment that is inclusive, diverse, appealing and inviting, with contemporary business practices and philosophies that drive us to achieve our mission,” said Convention Center President Michael J. Sawaya.

“It is our long-term vision to continually evolve with a leading-edge philosophy that keeps us at the forefront of convention centers around the nation and builds on our stellar reputation as a world-class visitor destination that is Built to Host,” Sawaya continued. “New Orleans enjoys a long-standing reputation as being inclusive with our unique culture, art, architecture, food, and people. This important initiative follows this well-earned reputation and furthers our mission to be a leader in the business community. To that end, we take great pride at being the first Convention Center to establish the position of Chief Diversity Officer and adopting a guiding principle where our convention center is Built to Host. For Everyone.”