From Green Sports Alliance

Oak View Group and Green Sports Alliance are announcing a strategic collaboration agreement to better support the sports industry’s response to climate change. The partnership will lead to collaborative greening events, firmer connections between Green Sports Alliance’s 300-plus members and OVG360’s 200-plus venue clients, and content, data and case study sharing.

OVG360 President Chris Granger said that he and Roger McClendon, executive director of the Green Sports Alliance, first spoke about the idea during the Green Sports Alliance Summit in Minneapolis.

“We both recognized this is a critical time,” Granger said. “Momentum is increasing, and venues are increasingly interested in ideas and support and best practices, and at the end of the day we both realized that by collaborating together we can accelerate the conversation around sustainability in a way that would not be possible if we were working on our own.”

No money is changing hands in the arrangement, though OVG will contribute in multiple ways to the Green Sports Alliance Summit, held annually the last 10 years; the 2023 edition will take place in Seattle at OVG’s Climate Pledge Arena. OVG360’s just-launched GOAL program and Green Sports Alliance’s Play to Zero program will work together, sharing data from a wider pool of venues, as well as case studies and best practices, all to get the sustainability ball rolling faster in the sports industry.

“We’re past the tipping point,” said McClendon. “What we appreciate about organizations like OVG and leaders like Chris and [OVG co-founder and CEO] Tim [Leiweke], is they’re moving with action. Talk is cheap. Move sports with action and bring people along.”

Green Sports Alliance launched in 2011 as a nonprofit trade organization focused on moving the sports industry forward with regard to its sustainable practices and using sports’ platform to influence the public toward more sustainable behaviors in daily life. OVG360 is the venue management arm of Oak View Group, which recently celebrated its seventh birthday. OVG360 recently launched GOAL (Green Operations and Advanced Leadership), a member platform that will help venues operate more sustainably.

Green Sports Alliance was an early pioneer in the sports sustainability movement, a fight OVG’s Leiweke believes in passionately. At SBJ’s CAA World Congress of Sports two weeks ago, Leiweke implored the industry to act on environmental issues. “GOAL is a huge priority for us,” he said. “Whatever the new stadiums look like — football, baseball, whatever the new arenas look like, whatever the new theaters look like, whatever the new training centers look like — we as an industry have to make the fact that this Earth is dying our No. 1 priority going forward in design and in operation.”

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has secured the contract to design Hangzhou International Sports Centre – a project which will include a 60,000-seat football stadium, 19,000-seat arena and an aquatics centre.

Located within the Chinese city’s Future Science and Technology Cultural District, the sports centre establishes a new riverfront park and public plazas with direct access to Hangzhou’s expanding metro network. ZHA has won the contract following a design competition.

Accommodating Hangzhou’s growing population, the International Sports Centre’s design aims to provide a variety of facilities for grassroots players through to professional athletes. The compact design of each venue, together with their orientation and composition, allows almost half of the site to be transformed into new public spaces for the city. Integral to the district’s urban plan and the natural landscapes along the riverbank, the centre incorporates new parks and gathering places for events, recreation and relaxation.

As the largest venue within the centre, the 135,000 sq.m football stadium is situated on the eastern side of the new park, facing the city. Located to the west and south of the stadium, the indoor arena and aquatics centre are connected to the stadium by the centre’s layered podium that weaves through the site.

Informed by the terracing of the tea farms on Hangzhou’s surrounding hillsides, the striated 45,000 sq.m podium houses the sports centre’s ancillary facilities that are shared between the venues including training and fitness halls, locker rooms and offices, as well as shops, restaurants, and cafes overlooking the podium’s courtyard and terraces.

ZHA said that unlike the solid façades of most stadiums, the façade of the Hangzhou International Sports Centre stadium is open to the exterior with louvres sheltering terraces that host a variety of food and beverage outlets offering panoramic views across the city.

Designed to FIFA standards, the stadium’s seating bowl is configured to bring spectators as close as possible to the field of play and ensure unrestricted views from every seat, creating an intense matchday atmosphere. These programmatic requirements define geometries that are expressed as undulations within the louvred façade.

ZHA said: “The stadium’s louvred façade blurs the boundary between interior and exterior. The louvres’ materiality and detailing give the stadium a stratified, geological appearance of solidity when viewed from nearby. When viewed from a distance, the louvred façade becomes transparent, connecting the public spaces beneath the stadium’s seating bowl with the city.”

With a capacity of 19,000 seats, the 74,000 sq.m indoor arena can operate independently to the stadium and is designed with maximum operational flexibility to host many of China’s most popular spectator sports such as basketball, in addition to large music and cultural events.

Situated on the western edge of the park, the 15,000 sq.m aquatics centre incorporates two 50-metre pools suitable for competitions, training and teaching at all levels.

Located within the warm temperate climate of Hangzhou, the International Sports Centre has been designed to the highest 3-Star rating of China’s Green Building Program with each venue using natural hybrid ventilation most of the year. ZHA said annual solar irradiation analysis has determined the composition of the façade’s external louvres, while photovoltaics will harvest solar power for all venues. Ground heat exchange and recovery systems will seek to ensure efficient operations for all facilities.

The centre’s landscaping establishes wetlands along the riverbank that are integral to the district’s drainage network. Collecting and channelling rain and grey-water for filtration and re-use, this network uses aquatic flora and fauna native to the region to naturally remove contaminants.

To reduce the embodied carbon throughout the project, ZHA said its optimisation processes minimise the amount of materials required for the structure and are integrated with local supply chains and procurement systems that have been developed to increase the recycled and recyclable content.

The International Sports Centre is set to be the latest addition to Hangzhou’s facility portfolio. In July, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced that Hangzhou’s postponed Asian Games will now take place from September 23 to October 8 next year.

The multi-sport event had been due to take place from September 10-25 this year but the Games were postponed in May, with OCA citing the “pandemic situation” in China and the size of the event.

All venues for the Asian Games were completed in April and cleared to begin hosting test events. Some 56 venues are due to be used during the Asian Games and the Asian Para Games. Twelve venues have been newly constructed, while 26 have been reconstructed, nine are existing facilities and a further nine have been set up as temporary destinations.

By SportsBusiness.com

CFG Bank has acquired naming rights to the revamped Baltimore Arena, which is scheduled to open in February 2023.

CFG Bank, which is headquartered in Baltimore, agreed to the multi-year deal with Oak View Group, which is overseeing the project. As part of the deal, the venue will officially be known as CFG Bank Arena.

The agreement also includes prominent exterior and interior signage, exclusive benefits for CFG Bank clients, cardholders and team members, and the launch of a new community engagement program.

Financial terms of the deal, which is the first stadium or arena sponsorship for CFG Bank, were not disclosed. The deal was announced the day following the 60th anniversary of the original arena’s opening on October 23, 1962.

OVG commenced work on the $200 million redevelopment of Baltimore Arena back in June, as US rapper and record producer Pharrell Williams signed on as the latest partner of the project. The project aims to transform the city-owned arena into a new multi-purpose, state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue.

Bill Wiedel, CFG Bank chief executive and president, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Oak View Group and secure the naming rights for Baltimore Arena, now CFG Bank Arena. We are so much more than a traditional bank and this partnership is a great example of our entrepreneurial approach and how we do things differently to make change happen for the better.

“We have grown tremendously over the years, and CFG Bank Arena reinforces our commitment to Baltimore and our leadership position in the banking industry. We look forward to continuing to support the growth of Baltimore through the excitement and benefits CFG Bank Arena will bring to our community and our clients.”

Tim Leiweke, chairman and chief executive of OVG and leader of the arena project, added: “CFG Bank has had a long-standing presence in the Baltimore area for nearly 100 years, and we are pleased to have them on board as our naming-rights partner.

“CFG Bank understands our vision for the project and recognizes the economic need for a modern world-class arena. CFG Bank Arena will be a major destination for the biggest shows and be life-changing for the entire community.”

Once fully renovated into its new 14,000-capacity guise, the arena will serve as a key anchor on the west side of downtown Baltimore and help drive further investment and development in the area. Fundamental Advisors and Thirty Five Ventures (35V), a company co-founded by NBA star Kevin Durant and businessman Rich Kleiman, are also involved in the project.

As part of the planned renovations, OVG, Fundamental Advisors and 35V will fully fund the cost of the arena’s total reconstruction through a combination of private debt and equity, which in aggregate is estimated to $200 million, up from the previously reported $150 million. In return, they will lease the building for the next 30 years through an entity called Baltimore Arena Co.

Renovations include the removal of the permanent stage, adding seats and suites, refurbishing concourses, upgrading concessions areas, and changing the building’s appearance. Additional upgrades to the facility will include focuses on sustainability such as using locally sourced materials, LED lighting, low flow and waterless fixtures, and more.

World-class acoustics will be introduced to amplify the audio experience; along with next-generation touchless and self-serve technologies for food & beverage and merchandise purchases. Renovations will be made to the venue’s back of house, while the arena’s telecommunications infrastructure, wireless network, and video/network/security systems will be upgraded.

By Jim Yeager

ASM Global has appointed Kimberly Weedmark of Universal Studios Hollywood as the new general manager for the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Weedmark, who brings a wealth of experience to the LA venue, has worked in the LA convention space for over two decades. Los Angeles Convention Center is part of the ASM Global portfolio, the largest and most diverse network of premier convention and trade show venues for millions of exhibitors and attendees across an extensive worldwide footprint that spans five continents.

In making the announcement, ASM Global’s Dan Hoffend, executive vice president of convention centers, said, “Los Angeles continues to grow as a hub for many of the world’s significant conventions and events; and with Kimberly’s longtime experience with one of the city’s iconic and most popular destinations, we anticipate LACC’s growth will be even more robust in coming years.”

In Weedmark’s new role, the former vice president of special events and group sales of Los Angeles’ most popular tourist attraction will work closely with the City of Los Angeles to grow even more beyond what is already one of the industry‘s leading convention halls.

“Playing a role in continuing to expand the growth of the LACC is an amazing opportunity,” Weedmark said. “It’s a venue with a remarkable history and a remarkable path ahead. “I‘m excited to be working closely with our clients and partners in one of the greatest cities on Earth to provide customized solutions that are the hallmark of ASM Global. I’m looking forward to working with our convention center leadership team to leverage ASM Global’s industry-leading innovations to deliver exceptional experiences for organizers, attendees, and exhibitors.”

“Kim Weedmark is an outstanding addition to the LA Convention Center team, and we are excited to work with her,” said Doane Liu, chief tourism officer for the City of Los Angeles and executive director of the city tourism department. “I know that Kim will continue the excellent stewardship that has marked ASM Global’s management of the convention center for the past nine years. Kim brings unmatched leadership qualities and experience, and I look forward to her invaluable input as the city moves forward with the expansion and modernization of the convention center.

Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, the award-winning LACC recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.

By R.V. Baugus

We are a couple of months late to this retirement party, but want to wish Jody Ulich, Convention & Cultural Services Director at City of Sacramento, all the very best in her next exciting chapter of life.

The retirement actually happened in August and from here we will let Jody tell from her LinkedIn page why that particular month made the most sense to her. We know you will understand!

“Well – today is the day to let all of you know about “Infinity and Beyond”. Or at least my beyond. As I told the Executive team – 8 is my favorite number. My birthday is in August (8), on the 18th – and for this message – I will be getting to that 8 years of service with the City of Sacramento. What better way to bid adieu and announce my retirement than surrounded by the incredible infinity symbol – 8 – signifying a concept of limitless eternity.

“I have been so privileged to serve the cities I have worked in: Phoenix, Tempe, Fort Worth, and now Sacramento. My time in each has been etched in eternity – leaving my mark, ever so subtly in each. Helping to establish the Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture; a new Performing Arts Center (The TCA) in Tempe, secured funding for the arts in Fort Worth; and renovations to our facilities here in Sacramento – those accomplishments in each city will live on way past my time and I am honored to have been a part of each (and so much more in all reality!). Overall – a total of 35 years of service to these four communities!

“Ready to be “RED” – retired, extremely dangerous.”

Eight is great and so are you, Jody. Thank you for an incredible career!