By Alyssa Enwright and Stephanie Bunce

The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank’s Board of Directors has elected Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe, CVE, as Board Chair. Rippetoe is President and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation and serves as a board member of several San Diego-based organizations, including the Downtown San Diego Partnership, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl, and Sports San Diego’s Advisory Board. In support of arts and tourism, Rippetoe is a Steering Committee Member for the Comic-Con Museum and an Advisor for the San Diego County Lodging Association and the San Diego Tourism Authority.

“The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and San Diego Convention Center have fostered a decades-long relationship built on the shared goal of helping our neighbors who are facing hunger,” Rippetoe said. “We recognize the urgency and importance of solving food insecurity in our communities. As Board Chair, I look forward to championing innovative and effective ways of meeting San Diego’s evolving needs.”

The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and its North County Food Bank chapter comprise the largest hunger-relief organization in the region. Last year, the Food Bank distributed 45 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 37.5 million meals to families facing food insecurity in communities throughout San Diego County. Currently, the Food Bank feeds approximately 400,000 people per month. The nonprofit’s service population includes working-poor families, seniors on fixed incomes, children living in poverty, low-income military families, and the unhoused population.

Commenting on Rippetoe’s appointment, Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank CEO Casey Castillo said, “The Food Bank’s Board of Directors and staff welcome Rip’s appointment as Board Chair. Rip brings a breadth of knowledge and experience to this position having served in leadership positions on a host of boards and a range of community service organizations. We are honored to have such a widely respected community leader at the helm of our Board of Directors, and we look forward to working with him as we continue to strengthen our critical hunger-relief programs and services for the local community.”

“The Food Bank continues to serve record numbers of individuals and families in need throughout San Diego County due to the lasting impacts of the pandemic and soaring inflation. I am confident that Rip’s leadership will help guide our organization as we continue to serve as the county’s safety net for those facing food insecurity. Rip’s leadership of our Board of Directors will continue to strengthen our strong ties with the San Diego community and our role as a leader of the county’s charitable food network.”

An international leader in the meetings industry, Rippetoe has worked for organizations hosting top national tradeshows and conventions, including the Olympic Winter Games of 2002, and for large-scale public assembly facilities such as the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake and the Kentucky Expo Center. From 2020-2021, Rippetoe served as Chair of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) Board of Directors.

Alyssa Enwright is a Partner + Vice President at Beck Ellman Heald and Stephanie Bunce is with the San Diego Food Bank.

By R.V. Baugus

Steve Camp, CVE, is no stranger to authoring books. The Retired IAVM member based in Charlotte, NC, collaborated with Kim Mahoney, Lee Esckilsen, and Sporty Jeralds in 2015 to produce the Public Assembly Venue Management: Sports, Entertainment, Meeting, and Convention Venues in 2015. Now, eight years later, Camp sets sail in a fun and different direction with a novel entitled Unconventional Plan.

Camp said that the book was published by Innovative Ink Publishing and called it an industry-related work that could be interesting reading for IAVM members. We so happen to agree and invite members to order a copy on Amazon by clicking here.

Camp added that the book will also be available in print or digital at Barnes & Noble locations.

The advance marketing for the fiction work follows and be aware that Doug Johnson is merely coincidental to any readers by the same name.

Perhaps time was Doug Johnson’s worst enemy, but there were several other factors that would make his decision to lend expertise to an unfinished community project a questionable choice. A staff with little experience, a fast-moving construction project and a political situation that could endanger the whole process were additional issues Doug had to consider. He would have to address all these issues while he was committed to helping an acquaintance determine whether or not his band was good enough and dedicated enough to pursue a meaningful existence in the local live music industry. While Doug’s abilities were time proven, even his vast experience and exceptional career might not be enough to pull it all off. He would need to dust off his tools for management, his organizational skills and his ever-important ability to build a successful team. He would definitely need a plan and perhaps it would need to be an unconventional plan.

Hey, on second thought this kind of sounds like something some IAVM member can relate to in the real world!

Note: if the book is out of stock please continue to check back for availability.

By Chelsea Scofield

The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, IN, announced it has entered a multi-year ticket office naming rights agreement with MidWest America Federal Credit Union. The Memorial Coliseum Ticket
Office will now be known as the MidWest America Ticket Office.

“We’re pleased to welcome MidWest America as our ticket office naming rights partner at the Memorial Coliseum,” said Melanie Carney, Executive Vice President & General Manager. “For decades, MidWest America has shown their commitment to provide exceptional service for the communities of Northeast Indiana. We recognize the value in organizations that exist solely to serve members and guests. Our beliefs align in this way and others. The choice to expand our partnership was a natural one.”

Greg Mohr, President & CEO of MWAFCU, said, “MidWest America Federal Credit Union is excited to further our partnership with the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, one of the premier venues in the State of Indiana. MidWest America has served our local communities since 1936 and is pleased to be able to assist them in promoting family entertainment for the area.”

Chelsea Scofield is Marketing Communications Coordinator for the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

By AXS.com

As a bumper summer of live events unfolds across Australia, AXS is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew Travis as Chief Executive Officer of AXS Australia and New Zealand, with the global giant set to shake up the ticketing market as it expands down under.

An experienced sports, events, and venue management professional, the former Gold Coast Suns (AFL) chief executive joins AXS from his previous role, COO of Melbourne & Olympic Parks (M&OP) precinct. At M&OP, Travis was responsible for the development and operation of the world-renowned live sport and entertainment precinct, home to Grand Slam major event the Australian Open plus venues including Rod Laver Arena, AAMI Park (which saw Travis lead the client team overseeing its $268 million construction), John Cain Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and more.

Tasked with introducing AXS (pronounced “access”) and its industry-leading technology to local venues, promoters, artists, and fans, it’s an exciting new step for the experienced executive, who will be based out of AXS’ Melbourne office.

“I am delighted to be joining the team at AXS and to have been given the opportunity to lead this exciting expansion into the Australia and New Zealand market,” Travis said. I look forward to super serving venues to optimize their ticketing operations and drive improved customer outcomes and satisfaction.”

AXS – part of the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) – is a global leader in ticketing, processing over US$3.5 billion in transactions annually throughout the US, Europe, and Asia and powering the ticketing experience for some of the most iconic venues in the world, including the O2 Arena in London, Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. AXS announced its entry into the Australian market in December. The AXS platform serves clients of all sizes and is comprised of a set of robust and flexible tools empowering venues, teams, promoters, and producers to customize their ticketing operations to their unique needs and business objectives, simplify the customer journey and maximize the value of their events. Its signature technology, AXS Mobile ID is a patented identity-based ticket that provides a more seamless experience for fans and gives venues the opportunity to better understand their patrons and provide personalized offers and experiences.

“We are thrilled to have Andrew lead AXS’ entry into the vibrant Australian and New Zealand live event market,” said Bryan Perez, AXS chief executive based in Los Angeles. “His extensive experience as an industry leader in sports and entertainment venues gives him a keen insight into their goals and ambitions and the challenges they have had realizing them. He is the right person to help AXS address those challenges in a new and innovative way to the benefit of fans, artists, and teams throughout the region.”

By Yasmeen Badich

Enmarket Arena, the new 9,500-seat arena in Savannah, GA, just celebrated its first anniversary, and what an inaugural year it was.

Enmarket Arena welcomed more than 330,000 fans through its doors to over 100 events, featuring many of the world’s top entertainers, including Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, Eagles, Morgan Wallen, New Edition, Brooks & Dunn, Rod Wave, The Lumineers, and Andrea Bocelli, all sold-out shows, as well as Kane Brown, Earth, Wind & Fire, Widespread Panic, Pitbull, Bon Jovi, and Barry Manilow. In addition, the Harlem Globetrotters, Disney on Ice, WWE, Cirque du Soleil and AEW filled Enmarket Arena, much to the joy of families across the region. Adam Sandler, Mike Epps, John Mulaney and 85 South brought the laughs to Enmarket Arena during the first 12 months.

Savannah’s newest professional sports team, the Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL, sold out 17 of their first 18 games at Enmarket Arena.

OVG360, managers and operators of Enmarket Arena, exceeded its promise to be a positive disruption in the Southeast by providing the Southeast with the best live entertainment and sports.

“Savannah is a terrific city for live entertainment,” said Peter Luukko, Co-Chair, OVG360. “Enmarket Arena is a fantastic facility that unites the community and brings the region together to see many of the world’s top performers. We’re grateful to Mayor Johnson and City Council for the opportunity to be part of the excitement here in Savannah. We look forward to many more exciting years here in Savannah.”

As part of the celebration, more than 1,000 guests attended the First Anniversary Community Day party at Enmarket Arena on Sunday, February 5, featuring live music, interactive hockey, basketball games, a magician, a dunk tank with proceeds going to local Boys & Girls Club, giveaways, food and beverage from local purveyors, and much more.

Journey and Toto performed a sold-out special first-anniversary concert on February 8.

According to OVG360, Enmarket Arena sold over 93,892 chicken tenders, 10,605 hot dogs, and an astonishing 829,568 soft drinks during its inaugural season. In addition, more than 135 tour buses pulled into the arena to set up events. The OVG360 staff set almost 60,000 chairs for the many different events during more than 100 changeovers.

OVG360, with a commitment to being sustainable, uses 100-percent recycled paper and materials at all concession stands at Enmarket Arena, and processed more than 1,000 pounds of food waste this year through ORCA to refine the waste and drain it, as opposed to sending it out as trash into a landfill.

“Our partners, guests, and promoters have truly helped make our success possible,” said OVG360’s Monty Jones Jr., General Manager, Enmarket Arena. “When we opened the venue last year, we made a promise to Savannah to feature something for everyone. We did just that and showed the region that Savannah is an entertainment destination. And, we have so much more for the region coming up.”

Yasmeen Badich is VP of Marketing for OVG360/Enmarket Arena.