By Chrissy Deal

Raleigh Convention Center and its in-house caterer, Centerplate, have introduced “A Seat at the Table: Southern Cuisine Featuring North Carolina’s Women and BIPOC Farmers and Food Producers,” a new menu featuring products grown and raised by small-scale farmers in North Carolina.

Phil Evans, executive chef at Centerplate, spent a portion of the last year sourcing ingredients from farms across the state, selecting foods that not only enhance the menu, but also help tell the story of farmers historically underrepresented — those who are female and belong to BIPOC communities (Black, Indigenous and People of Color). This marks the first time every menu offering features something produced at one of those farms.

No other convention center menu in the U.S. is known to have prioritized female and BIPOC producers in this way.

As he put the finishing touches on the new menus, Chef Phil spent three weeks personally visiting the farms represented. They include:

America’s Best Nut Co, which offers gourmet peanuts roasted in Rocky Mount;

Hines Family Farms, growing fresh vegetables in Jacksonville;

Fogwood Farms in Reidsville, producing mushrooms and other produce;

Pine Knot Farms, a certified organic farm in Hurdle Mills;

New Ground Farms, growing heirloom and hybrid vegetables in Pembroke;

Paradox Farms, a creamery making cheese outside of Carthage;

Peggy Rose Pepper Jelly from Wake Forest;

Grass Grazed Farms, livestock raised in Northern Durham using ethical practices and regenerative grazing;

Sweet Pea Urban Garden, growing microgreens and vegetable shoots near downtown Raleigh; and

MG3 Farms, a hydroponic farm in Prospect.

“This isn’t simply delicious food — it’s food with a story,” said Kerry Painter, CVE,executive director of Raleigh Convention + Performing Arts Complex. “As visitors continue to return to downtown Raleigh, we’re excited to offer a first-class menu that sets us apart from other venues, of course. But we’re especially proud to be able to introduce those visitors to the people behind the flavors. Chef Phil chose products from small, family farms where quality is more important than quantity. The love and care they put into their products comes through with every bite.”

“I grew up working in the dirt, gardening with my mother,” Chef Phil said. “The vegetables we grew in our backyard were infinitely more delicious than anything we could have purchased from a large-scale store. And during my time in the restaurant industry, I’ve seen too often how smaller farmers — especially women and BIPIOC farmers — are repeatedly overlooked. I’ve met some incredible people across North Carolina who are producing amazing foods. They deserve to be showcased, and our guests deserve to taste the best of the best.”

The “A Seat at the Table: Southern Cuisine Featuring North Carolina’s Women and BIPOC Farmers and Food Producers” menu is the latest in the Convention Center’s efforts to bring more sustainable and socially conscious practices to its operations. The Center is home to gardens that are irrigation- and pesticide-free, and feature beehives and native grasses and perennials. Honey produced by the bees is already incorporated in drink and food offerings. By composting with Raleigh-based CompostNow, the Center has a 40 percent average landfill diversion rate, keeping more than 150,000 lbs. of food out of the landfill since 2017. That compost is then donated to the Camden Street Learning Garden operated by the Inter-faith Food Shuttle.

Chrissy Deal is Communications Director at the Raleigh Convention Center.

Pictured: Sue Hunter of Paradox Farms Creamery; Donald Hines of Hines Family Farm

By R.V. Baugus

So much for the confusion between Globe Life Park and Globe Life Field in Arlington, home of the MLB Texas Rangers. To recap, Park is the still-standing former home of the baseball team, while just across the parking lot stands Field, the second-year home to the Rangers. Got it?

Well, kiss the confusion goodbye as the Rangers has a new naming rights partner for Globe Life Park in Choctaw Casinos & Resorts.

Globe Life park opened in 1994 (proud to say I was there for the first-ever game, an exhibition against the New York Mets) and is still a beautiful and viable venue that is now even more multi-purpose hosting the Dallas Renegades XFL American football franchise and North Texas Soccer Club, which competes in the USL League One division. Major League Rugby team the Dallas Jackals will also play at the stadium from next year. The stadium also serves as a home football field for the Arlington Independent School District.

Globe Life Park will now be known as Choctaw Stadium through a multi-year agreement. The deal marks an expansion of a partnership between the Rangers and Choctaw which started in 2010.

Choctaw serves as the official and exclusive casino and resort of the Rangers and benefits from significant branding at Globe Life Field. Its naming-rights deal for Globe Life Park will eliminate any confusion between the names of the Rangers’ current stadium and the team’s former home.

“The Rangers are thrilled to extend our great partnership with Choctaw for many years to come,” Rangers Chairman and Managing Partner Ray Davis said. “Today’s naming rights announcement for Globe Life Park further extends Choctaw’s presence in the Arlington Entertainment District, which also includes Globe Life Field and Texas Live.

“Choctaw Stadium will be the home of numerous events in the days and months to come, including college and high school football, pro soccer, and Major League Rugby.”

Choctaw is owned and operated by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the third largest Indian Nation in the US with close to 200,000 tribal members and 10,000 employees.

Choctaw Casinos & Resorts is excited to expand our relationship with the Texas Rangers and be part of a stadium that has brought so much joy over the years to so many in North Texas,” added Gary Batton, chief of the Choctaw Nation. “We are proud to have our name on a field that continues to play an important role in the lives of North Texans and we look forward to sharing in the competition and enjoyment the stadium brings to the community.”

Globe Life acquired naming rights to the Rangers’ former home in 2014.

By Nancy Walker

The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), owned by the City of Los Angeles and managed by ASM Global, introduced the LACC Hall of Fame during the Center’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.

“We are thrilled to have the 50th Anniversary celebration be a platform to launch the LACC Hall of Fame. Here, we can celebrate three significant events that have contributed to the success of this Center,” said LACC General Manager Ellen Schwartz.

Ski Dazzle founders Jim Foster and Judy Gray commented, “We were totally surprised when Ellen Schwartz called Ski Dazzle to the podium to be honored as the first inductee into the Los Angeles Convention Center’s new Hall of Fame. Being the longest running event produced in the building, we are mindful of the special relationship we have with the City of Los Angeles and the LA Convention Center. We are honored to have been selected among those recognized.”

LA Auto Show (LAAS) owner Lisa Kaz added, “There is a long history between our event and the facility, so this acknowledgement is especially nostalgic for me. My grandfather moved the Auto Show to the Convention Center as soon as it opened its doors 50 years ago and we’ve been there ever since. To be among this initial group of inductees to the LACC Hall of Fame, as we plan our 2021 edition and the return to live events, is a great honor.”

“Since 2008, the Los Angeles Convention Center has been the home of Anime Expo and witnessed many of our important milestones,” said Ray Chiang, CEO of SPJA, the organizer of Anime Expo, “We are honored to be a part of LACC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration as an inaugural inductee into their new Hall of Fame. We look forward to returning to the Los Angeles Convention Center for an in-person event next year on July 1-4, 2022 as well as continuing our annual celebration of Japanese pop culture for years to come.”

To commemorate their induction, Mayor Eric Garcetti presented each of the organizers with a framed proclamation from the City of Los Angeles.

Each July, additional events will be named to the LACC Hall of Fame and collectively, these events will illustrate the vibrant history of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Nancy Walker is Vice President, Sales & Marketing, for the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Pictured: Hall of Fame Inductee Lisa Kaz with the LA Auto Show, and Mayor Eric Garcetti.

By Sarah McAlister

Raleigh Convention & Performing Arts Complex announced Melanie Margarum as the new Booking Manager for the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

Margarum is a North Carolina native and graduated from North Carolina State University. She got her start in the events industry as an Event Coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

She also spent five years at the Carolina Theatre in Durham, where she started as an Event and Development Coordinator and was later promoted to Event Sales Director. While at the Carolina Theatre, Margarum handled contracting for over 150 events annually, while also establishing and managing new business for the theatre. She also has experience working with varying clients including festivals, national promoters, universities, conferences, and community organizations.

“We are excited to have Melanie join our team. With her industry knowledge and true passion for the business she will be a tremendous asset to our venue,” said Michelle Bradley, Assistant General Manager of the Duke Energy Center.

Since 1932, the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts has served as Raleigh’s premier performing arts venue. The venue draws approximately 400,000 guests annually to its four separate event spaces and is home to the Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Theatre, North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Opera, and PineCone. With roughly 600 events each year, the venue draws an average of $35.4 million in economic impact to Raleigh’s businesses, hotels, and restaurants.

Margarum began her new position on June 21. She brings a wealth of knowledge in the events industry and will contribute to the ongoing success of the Duke Energy Center’s extensive events calendar.

Sarah McAlister is Marketing Managerat Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts

By PR Newswire

Oak View Group (“OVG”), a global venue development, advisory, and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industries, and Spectra, one of the industry’s leading venue management and hospitality providers, announced a definitive agreement under which OVG and Spectra will merge to create a leader in the live events industry. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Tim Leiweke, CEO of OVG, commented, “This merger brings together two dynamic leaders in the live events industry with complementary capabilities that will deliver a broad array of services to our clients. OVG’s core competencies in arena development and corporate sponsorships, coupled with Spectra’s leadership in food and beverage services will create a full-service live events company that will deliver a compelling and highly competitive set of offerings that meet our clients’ evolving needs. I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Spectra and bringing together our two organizations to create something truly unique.”

Dave Scott, CEO of Spectra, said, “This is an exciting development for Spectra and an important step in our journey to provide unparalleled services to our clients along with exciting growth opportunities for our team members as part of a larger, more diverse organization. This merger accelerates our existing strategy and will lead to significant opportunities to cross-sell food, beverage and sponsorship services across our combined client base. I look forward to working with Tim, Irving and the OVG team to enhance the future of live events for our valued clients.”

Founded in 2015 by industry veterans Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, OVG specializes in real estate venue development and financing, sponsorship sales and partnership management, media and content and facilities management and security. OVG has deep partnerships with prominent venues, including major league facilities such as Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle) and UBS Arena (Belmont, NY), among others.

Spectra has positioned itself as an industry leader by helping clients maximize venue budgets and operations, optimize sales and marketing, elevate relationships with top promoters and meeting planners, connect with fans and the community, and implement industry best practices to effectively and efficiently host extraordinary live events and entertainment.

The combined company will provide industry-leading expertise in booking and creating content for the venues it manages, and it will be committed to sustainability across its business operations by harnessing the power of the entertainment and sports industries to inspire positive change robustly and at scale.

Completion of the combination, which is expected in the fourth quarter of this year, is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Following the close of the transaction, OVG will remain headquartered in Los Angeles, with the headquarters for Spectra remaining in Philadelphia.

UBS Investment Bank acted as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal advisor to Oak View Group. Moelis & Company LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP acted as legal advisor to Spectra.