By Jim Yeager
The Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority (PCCA) board of directors has approved a five-year contract renewal for ASM Global as its venue management company with the convention center poised as the launch location for a dramatic series of innovations in ASM Global’s convention and conference portfolio — the largest in North America and worldwide.
The new agreement will commence on Dec. 1, 2023, for five years, through Nov. 30, 2028, with the 
international entertainment leader planning to bring many of its most innovative designs to a leading group of convention centers beginning with PCCA. It will be the first in a program creating unique environments such as immersive LED moments, speed-action offerings to accelerate business strategies, elevated VIP lounges, and quiet spaces for business connectivity.
“We are thrilled to announce the continued partnership between the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority and ASM Global as the venue-management provider for the Pennsylvania Convention Center,” said David A. Nasatir, Esq., chair of the board, PCCA. “For 10 years, ASM Global has been a valued collaborator and, because of their outstanding contributions, has elevated the Pennsylvania Convention Center to world-class status.”
In 2013 the PCCA first made the decision to privatize management of the center with an initial contract being awarded to SMG, which was subsequently rebranded to ASM Global following the 2019 merger of AEG Facilities and SMG. The merger created a venue management powerhouse that spans five continents, 14 countries and more than 350 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, theaters, and convention centers and has positioned ASM Global as the world’s preeminent venue-management and live-experiences company.
“The ASM Global team at the Pennsylvania Convention Center is, without exception, the finest in the industry,” said John J. McNichol, president and CEO, PCCA. “Their innovative leadership and commitment to delivering an unmatched customer experience have positioned the center, globally, as an industry trailblazer and venue of choice, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we take the Pennsylvania Convention Center to the next level.”
Under the management of ASM Global, the Pennsylvania Convention Center has already implemented several cutting-edge and industry-changing initiatives such as the 2014 execution of the Customer Satisfaction Agreement, a document that guides the relationship between the center and the labor unions that work at the facility with the goal of providing a more productive, customer-centric and cost-effective worksite for guests and the ASM Global Acts program, under which the center has successfully executed a robust sustainability and social impact plan.
Dan Hoffend, ASM Global executive vice president, convention centers, said, “We’re excited to begin the next chapter for the convention universe beginning with the Pennsylvania Convention Center. This includes sustainability features that create substantial movement toward carbon neutral; new Flex-space exhibit halls that can adapt to the needs of our diverse attendees; and LED walls that provide sponsorship, wayfinding, and entertainment.
“We’re bringing our proven best features from our stadiums and arenas directly to our convention centers to create a premium line of facilities like no other in the industry. Our attendees require entertainment as a part of their business paradigm. We are changing the industry by creating a unique environment for all of our guests,” Hoffend said.
PCC’s ASM Global general manager, Tony Hodgins, said, “We thank the PCCA for their continued trust in our ASM Global team and for their unwavering support over the years. Our team at the center remains focused on our goal of providing a first-class customer experience to all our guests, and we are honored to be able to continue working with our key partners to showcase all that Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Convention Center have to offer.”
Jim Yeager is with breakwhitelight (for ASM Global).
