Van Halen brings their tour to the SMG Managed Sovereign Center on March 26

READING, PA—FEBRUARY 13, 2012—Van Halen, Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductees and one of the most important and influential rock bands of all time, will perform live at the SMG managed Sovereign Center in Reading, PA, Monday, March 26, as part of their 2012 North American tour.

Known around the world for some of the most iconic live performances in music history, this marks the first appearance for this legendary rock band at the Sovereign Center. Kool & The Gang will join Van Halen to round out the great night of entertainment. “We are thankful Live Nation and SMG partnered to enable us to bring Van Halen to Reading. It is a great testament for the community considering we are the smallest venue on the Van Halen tour this spring”, stated SMG Regional GM, Zane Collings. “We have seen other larger than life acts sell out the Sovereign Center. SMG anticipates the community will do the same and make Van Halen a sell out!” Other rockers that have sold out the Sovereign Center include Elton John, The Eagles, Cher, Pearl Jam, Tim McGraw, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks, Barry Manilow, Def Leppard and more.

Tickets will go on sale on Saturday, February 17 at 10 a.m. at the VF Outlet Box Office at the Sovereign Center, all Ticketmaster Outlets, charge by phone at 800.745.3000 or at Ticketmaster.com.

In addition, Van Halen released their new album, A Different Kind Of Truth, . by Interscope Records on Tuesday, February 7. The first single from the album, "Tattoo", and its accompanying video debuted simultaneously on Tuesday, January 10, with album pre-orders starting that day. A Different Kind Of Truth is Van Halen's first original studio album with singer David Lee Roth since the band’s classic multi-platinum album 1984.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1974, Van Halen changed the rock and roll landscape forever with the release of their self-titled, 1978 debut album displaying unparalleled stage presence, revolutionary musicianship, and extraordinary songwriting abilities. With more than 75 million albums sold worldwide, the band's record of achievement is hard to top. Among a long list of awards, recognition and accolades, Van Halen joins an elite short list of two time Diamond Award honorees in the history of the music industry. Presented with two Diamond Award RIAA Certified Status' for their albums Van Halen and 1984, the band has produced a repertoire of hits that remain some of the strongest and most influential rock songs ever written that fans will admire for decades to come.

Since 1977, SMG has provided management services to more than 220 public assembly facilities including arenas, stadiums, theatres and performing arts centers, equestrian facilities and convention, congress and exhibition centers. With facilities across the globe, SMG manages more than 11 million square feet (1.1 million square meters) of exhibition space. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides construction and design consulting, pre-opening services, venue management, sales, marketing, event booking, and programming. SMG also offers food and beverage operations through an in house catering company, Savor, currently servicing more than 100 accounts worldwide. For more information visit www.smgworld.com.

Save Mart Center Top-Ranked Collegiate Arena in 2011

The SMG-managed Save Mart Center at Fresno State was the top-ranked collegiate arena in the world in 2011, as reported by Pollstar Magazine.  Pollstar, the leading trade publication for the concert industry, ranks the Top 200 Worldwide Arena Venues based on ticket sales reported for entertainment events.  A total of 20 college and university arenas were included in the list.

Inclusive of all arenas, Save Mart Center ranked #48 in the United States and #87 in the world.

“To be included in the Pollstar rankings is a testament to Valley residents who support Save Mart Center through ticket sales, especially in these tough economic times.  We thank them, as this demonstrated support, combined with our regional and national relationships within the SMG network and touring entertainment industry, helps us continue to attract quality entertainment events and remain the premier entertainment venue in Central California,” said Steve Tadlock, Regional General Manager for SMG at the arena. “As we are also the proud home of the Fresno State Bulldogs basketball and volleyball programs, we are extremely pleased in how we compare to other collegiate arenas.”

As the recognized global industry leader in private management of public assembly facilities, SMG managed 36 venues listed in Pollstar's 2011 Top 200 Worldwide Arenas.

SMG in the News: Cobo Center more than doubled revenue

From Crain's Business Detroit:

Cobo ended the 2011 fiscal year Sept. 30 with $7.6 million, compared with $3.6 million in 2010. The level of state and federal subsidies also dropped from $20 million in 2010 to $12.5 million in 2011.
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[Patrick Bero, CEO and CFO of the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority] attributes the improved financial performance to the hiring of a professional management firm, West Conshohocken, Pa.-based SMG. The sales team has increased activity and negotiated more favorable vendor contracts.

Read More.

Latin Music's Top-Touring Band of 2011 Comes to Oracle Arena

Mana, announced today that, that they will be bringing the second leg of their eagerly-awaited "Drama y Luz Tour" to four additional venues in California, including a performance at Oracle Arena in Oakland on Friday, April 27th at 8:00 PM.

Kicking off the tour on April 3rd in Texas, the U.S Tour features performances at The Staples center, Madison Square Garden and at the Bay Area's own Oracle Arena in Oakland. Mana played two sold out shows at Oracle Arena back in September of 2007 and the venue is thrilled to have them return in 2012.

General Manager Ron Little states: "We are thrilled to continue to work with AEG Live to bring top international performers, such as Mana, to fans in the Bay Area." 

Tickets for Mana, "The World's Most Successful Latin American Rock Group", go on sale this Friday, February 10th at 10:00 AM. Ticket price are $140, $110, $99.50, $69.50 and $49.50 (additional service charges may apply) and will be available at the Oracle Arena Box Office, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge by phone at 800.745.3000. 

Mana's "El Verdadero Amor Perdona" Is Once Again The #1 Latin Song In The Country This Week. It Is The Third Consecutive #1 Single From Mana's Multi-Platinum Album "Drama y Luz" And Extended The Group's Own Record (8) For The Most #1 Singles By A Band on Billboard's "Hot Latin Songs" Chart. 

Having Already Won This Year's LATIN GRAMMY Award For "Best Rock Album" And Premios People En Espanol Awards For "Best Album Of The Year" And "Best Rock Group", Mana Currently Holds Another GRAMMY Nomination For "Best Latin Pop, Rock or Urban Album" And FIVE PREMIO LO NUESTRO Nominations. 

Other top performers that have been announced to perform at Oracle Arena during the 2012 season include The Black Keys on May 4th, Van Halen, June 3rd and The Red Hot Chili Peppers on August 14th and 15th. 

The Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum Complex is jointly owned by the City of Oakland and Alameda County and managed by the Oakland Coliseum Joint Venture (OCJV), owned in majority by SMG. SMG is the world's leading company in the private development and management of public assembly facilities, including more than 200 properties in arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers and recreational facilities around the world.

Another Profitable year for Intrust Bank Arena

SMG brought another successful year to Wichita's Intrust Bank Arena in 2011, with the arena bringing in $385,000 net income. General manager A.J. Boleski was optimistic that the arena would continue to do well in 2012, with SMG booking some great acts, along with the popularity of college sporting events and Wichita Thunder hockey. “We have six concerts and comedians in the first quarter,” Boleski told KAKE news. “Brad Paisley nearly sold out, Jason Aldean is selling very well.”

SMG in the News: BOK Center general manager named worldwide executive of the year

From Tulsa World:

The BOK Center's John Bolton was honored Friday night as the 2012 Pollstar Facility Executive of the Year at an awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

Bolton was chosen out of all venue managers in the world by the industry organization.

...

"I have so many colleagues and friends that do such an amazing job and that I respect so much," he told the Tulsa World. "I am honored beyond belief.

"The truth is that I could never have received such an award without the staff that I work with every day in Tulsa. They are the ones that truly deserve the recognition and accolades, not me."

Read more at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20120205_350_A24_CUTLIN82673

SAVOR and Service Perfect Together

The Savannah Area Tourism Leadership Council has announced the finalists for their 2011 Tourism Awards and three members of the outstanding SAVOR... Savannah team have been nominated!

• Jason Touchberry – Bartender SAVOR…Savannah
• Robert Hurst – Housekeeping Maintenance Tech
• Judy Johnson – Senior Accounting Manager

Jason and Robert are Service Star finalists: The Service Star Award is presented to a tourism and hospitality industry employee who consistently demonstrates exemplary job performance and goes above and beyond the call of duty as he/she services guests.

Judy is a Service Leader finalist: The Service Leader Award is presented to a managerial level employee who exhibits phenomenal service not only to guests but also to their colleagues through their exemplary leadership.

Congrats, Jason, Robert, and Judy!