By StadiumBusiness.com

The Toronto Blue Jays have completed the first stage of the major renovation of Rogers Centre with a number of areas having been demolished.

The Major League Baseball team said the first stage of the two-year, C$300m project focused mainly on the 500 Level, which covers the venue’s entire fifth level, and the outfield. All 500 Level seats have been torn up – nearly 17,000 of them – and will be replaced prior to next season, which begins in March 2023.

The team said crews are beginning to build the new infrastructure, which will make up a noticeable portion of the project that will continue at the 49,000-seat Rogers Centre through next offseason. On the lower levels, this offseason will see the addition of new social spaces and bars, raised bullpens, and 100 Level seats brought closer to the action. There will also be some major renovations to player facilities, including a family room, a 5,000-sq. ft weight room and staff locker room.

“We are committed to building a sustainable championship organization for years to come, and this renovation to Rogers Centre will give new and lifelong Blue Jays fans a ballpark where they can proudly cheer on their team,” said Mark Shapiro, the team’s president and chief executive.

“This project would not be possible without the support of Edward Rogers, Tony Staffieri, and our Rogers ownership group, who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the Blue Jays, both in fielding the best team to win championships, as well as in the infrastructure needed to create a modern ballpark for our fans and players.”

The team said 2.2 million pounds of materials were recycled during the work, including 1.3 million pounds of concrete and 900,000 pounds of steel. Over the 35-day demolition, the average construction crew size each day was 110 workers inside Rogers Centre, six days a week.

Rogers Centre was previously home to the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts and has hosted major concerts since it opened in 1989.

“From the idea stages through early announcements and now the demolition, the Blue Jays have maintained the same philosophy with this project: turning a stadium into a ballpark,” the team said in a statement.

“While the building has done well and undergone some smaller changes, this is the first large-scale renovation in its history.”

Plans for the major renovation were announced in July 2022.

By Corey Eldridge

Ungerboeck, the global leader in venue and event management software, announced the appointment of Alex Alexandrov as its new chief executive officer. Alexandrov has spent his career at the forefront of innovation as an established senior executive with an extensive background in high growth global technology markets.

Alexandrov joins Ungerboeck from SoftwareONE where he served as a member of the executive board, chief operating officer and president of the Latin American region. During his tenure at SoftwareONE, Alexandrov and the executive team grew revenue by more than 300% and quadrupled EBITDA. Alexandrov was instrumental in driving profitable growth, industrializing global shared service centers, building an M&A and post-merger integration program with 20 acquisitions, and creating internal digital transformation. He also led the company’s successful IPO in 2019. Prior to this, Alexandrov was a managing director at Thomas H. Lee Partners, where he participated and led investments in technology services and fintech with Systems Maintenance Services, CompuCom, Black Knight, ServiceLink, System One, Nielsen, and FIS.

“Alex has the professional background, customer centricity, business expertise, and strategic acumen to lead and inspire the next phase of excellence at Ungerboeck,” said Vic Chynoweth, managing director at Cove Hill Partners and Ungerboeck board member. “We are confident that under his leadership we will see accelerated innovation, extreme focus on customer success, and continued global growth.”

“The venue and events industry has experienced an important inflection point in the last few years and Ungerboeck is perfectly positioned to capitalize on the market opportunities that have emerged as a result,” Alexandrov said. “We have a sharp leadership team that is ready to realize new and exciting growth avenues. I am honored to be taking the helm as we build on an impressive reputation for quality and reliability.”

Alexandrov holds bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Corey Eldridge is with Force4 Technology Communications, LLC.

By Tampa.gov

David Ingram, one of America’s most experienced and innovative convention center experts, has been selected as the new executive director of the Tampa Convention Center. Ingram most recently served as the general manager of the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC).

“This is a home run hire for Tampa residents and the Tampa Convention Center. Few people on the planet are as well prepared to take our convention center to the next level as David Ingram,” Mayor Jane Castor said. “His leadership will be immensely beneficial to Tampa’s economy as the convention center attracts even more business to the city.”

Ingram started at Orange County Convention Center in 2003 and has served as its acting executive director, assistant director, event operations division manager, event set-up supervisor, and event manager. He also worked for Walt Disney World Co. and Gaylord Palms Resort.

“I am thrilled to be able to lead the Tampa Convention Center through the most exciting time in its history,” Ingram said. “The Tampa Convention Center is a premier destination and a leader in the convention industry with a talented team of event professionals. I am eager to accelerate the center into the future through historic improvements and toward even more growth and success.”

Tampa Convention Center selected Ingram after an extensive, nationwide search, following the retirement of the former director, Una Garvey, in May.

“David has led an impressive career with outstanding experience in the conventions and tourism industry here in Florida,” said Nicole Travis, administrator of Development and Economic Opportunity for the City of Tampa. “We are delighted to have him joining the team and we look forward to seeing the positive impact he will have on the Tampa Convention Center and the city’s tourism industry.”

Ingram graduated from the University of South Florida and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in fine arts. Ingram must be confirmed by the Tampa City Council. He is scheduled to start his new role as executive director on November 28.

From Tixly

Tixly announced a new partnership with the Heymann Performing Arts Center, the company’s first client in North America. The partnership with Tixly as their ticketing & CRM platform will begin in December.

Heymann Performing Arts Center opened in 1960 in Lafayette, Louisiana and is an auditorium which offers internationally renowned performances. It has served the people of Acadiana, a prominent region in Louisiana, for over 50 years and is the home to Broadway musicals, popular concerts, symphony, theater, and more.

The Heymann Performing Arts Center is a 2,200-seat proscenium theater with an adjoining 16.000 sq. ft. Convention Center. The Convention Center comprises two ballrooms that can be used independently or as one great hall. The Convention Center has three additional meeting rooms and a full-service kitchen. Heymann welcomes over 100,000 ticketed visitors annually and hosts over 100 events each year.

“We are excited to be the first in the U.S. to partner with Tixly to provide elite ticketing services to Acadiana,” said Brian McGrath, Arts & Culture Manager at Heymann Center. “Tixly shares our vision of elevating the guest experience by enriching customers’ journeys through innovative technology and modernizing the ticketing process. This partnership offers customers added levels of convenience and optionality, allowing them to buy tickets in a way that saves time and reduces the need for paper ticketing.”

“Tixly offers a great alternative to other systems,” added Dennis Skerrett, Venue Administrator at Heymann Center. “We were impressed by the Tixly platform’s ease of use for both employees and customers alike by providing powerful features at a great value. We found that Tixly offered our venue much more control over branding, sale parameters, and revenue streams. And with Tixly, that revenue lives in our own bank account, earning interest.”

Venue Box Office Coordinator India Roberts Filer said, “When we began researching ticketing companies, we wanted one that was user friendly for our patrons, simple to learn for our staff, and one that offered quick and genuine support. Tixly is that and so much more! Heymann Performing Arts Center values its patrons. We aim to keep them happy, comfortable, and coming back to visit us. Tixly’s hands-on support team and easy-to-use system guarantees the best experience for Heymann Performing Arts Center’s loyal patrons.”

“We are proud and excited to start this partnership with the team at Heymann Center,” said Tixly US Operations Manager Aren Murray. “The fabulous staff and the organization’s focus on creating a pleasing sales flow for their customers fit perfectly with Tixly’s business model. We are grateful for the opportunity they’ve given us to help them achieve their goals.”

“The partnership between Tixly and Heymann Center is extra special for us at Tixly as Heymann Center is our first client in North America. I am thankful and truly couldn’t think of a better fit as a first client. The collaboration has so far been characterized by joy, trust, and excitement on both sides and we look forward to continuing on that journey together,” said Hrefna Sif Jónsdóttir, Managing Director at Tixly.

“As part of Tixly’s standard implementation past patron account activity, including barcodes, will be integrated for Heymann, allowing administration and patrons to obtain their ticket history, barcodes, and account details quickly and easily. Simplicity in use, even during the process of switching systems, is our method of operation. Creating a seamless transition to the Tixly system for Heymann’s guests who have already purchased tickets for the spring events is key. In other words, guests will be able to use the tickets they bought before the ticketing system switch as well as tickets purchased after the switch to gain admittance with no additional steps. It’s the Tixly way, simply innovative!” concluded Hrefna Sif Jónsdóttir.

By Amy Procaccini

Sodexo Live!, the global hospitality leader that manages prestigious, cultural, sporting venues, and major events around the world, announced the launch of its new People Ambition initiative – to attract, retain and grow its ranks of best-in-class hospitality providers. Based on quantitative yearlong findings from 50+ surveys of current employees across all roles from culinary to front-of-house to management, the new initiative represents Sodexo Live!’s increased focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment, development, and management, and the prioritization of career development with deeper training and mentorship opportunities for every employee. The company will also provide more mental health resources as part of its increased focus on wellbeing.

“At Sodexo Live!, we are experience makers. We are committed to leading the charge in creating tangible programs that encourage active learning and development while increasing our focus and support on employee wellbeing,” said Tracey Jenkins, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Sodexo Live! North America. “Our investment in this significant Employer Value Proposition initiative comes at a time when the hospitality industry is at a crossroads. The People Ambition proactively addresses our resolve to be employee-first while engaging team members to build fulfilling lifelong careers here. And yes, we are hiring.”

Sodexo Live! leaders have identified four pillars for EVP and what it represents:

Belong: Ensuring a sense of belonging and purpose, rooted in family and teamwork.
The organization maintains an 80% employee engagement rate and offers nine Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRGs) which foster a culture of inclusion and provide networking, learning, and development opportunities.

Act: Values diversity, equity, and inclusion as a key performance driver for all.
Sodexo received a perfect score on the 2022 Disability Equality Index (DEI), was named by Forbes as a 2022 Best Employer for Diversity and was acknowledged as a Best Company for Multicultural Women by Seramount.

Thrive: Promotes personal and career growth opportunities and establishes opportunities for employees to succeed and be promoted internally.
Over the past year, Sodexo Live! promoted 142 employees across the company – 46% of promoted employees were women.

Be Live: Creating exceptional events and memories that last a lifetime – for 21 World Series, 15 Super Bowls, 14 College Football Championship Games, 12 Final Fours, 6 of the top 10 Meeting Destinations in North America, 15 LEED-Certified Convention Centers and more – starting with employees who are the fabric of these moments.

As part of this new initiative, Sodexo Live! will be creating and implementing new programs that encourage diversity, equity, and inclusion such as “She Leads,” which is a global mentorship program for women. Launched this past October with an inaugural class, participants are taking part in a nine-month program which will introduce them to other female leaders globally within the organization and help them learn more about their individual leadership styles. Sodexo is committed to having women represent at least 40 percent of its global leadership by 2025. Currently, women represent 60 percent of Sodexo’s board members and 45 percent of the executive committee.

Sodexo Live! by the Numbers:

The average tenure for Sodexo Live! full-time employees is seven years. In contrast, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers overall in leisure and hospitality have an average of 2.3 years per job. Sodexo Live! also achieves an 80% satisfaction and engagement rate among employees.

Over the past year, Sodexo Live! expanded its number of employees in management positions by 68%, proving that employees stay with and grow their careers with the organization.

In this time, Sodexo Live! also increased its African American representation in senior leadership roles by 28%.

Additional examples of programs that support the company’s new EVP initiative include:

The Diversity Learning Lab, a mandatory program for upper-level management.

Tomorrow’s Leaders Program is designed to accelerate employees’ development and enhance their current and future leadership capabilities. In partnership with San Diego State University’s esteemed School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, employees develop the curriculum and participate in five virtual sessions over the next calendar year.

A dedicated Mentorship Program gives staffers an opportunity to learn from upper-level management.

A retooled Internship Academy currently has over 50 active students across different disciplines from operations, finance, human resources, data analytics, and more. It includes lunch-and-learns with subject matter experts and client partners.

“A motivated and energized workforce is one of the greatest assets we can provide our venue partners and the top-tier events we host on a regular basis. Working here is more than a job; it’s a chance to be part of something greater and build a long-term career,” said Steve Pangburn, CEO of Sodexo Live! North America. “Our experiences are unique, and so are our people. We encourage everyone to bring their personality, their background and a desire for delighting others. In return, we’ll give you all you need to thrive. After giving it all, you’ll return home knowing you’ve played your part in creating truly unforgettable moments.”

Amy Procaccini is Strategic Brand Communications Manager for Sodexo Live!