BMO Harris Bank Center Receives 2014 Illinois Excellence Award

Rockford, IL (July 30, 2014) - The Rockford Area Venues and Entertainment Authority (RAVE) board announced today that the BMO Harris Bank Center has been selected for the 2014 Illinois Excellence Award by the United States Trade and Commerce Research Institute (USTCRI) in the Excellence in Sports and Recreation category.

“The RAVE Board is excited that the BMO Harris Bank Center has been recognized by the United States Trade and Commerce Research Institute,” said Craig Thomas, RAVE Chairman. “The BMO Harris Bank Center is an extremely valuable asset and we will continue to pursue and schedule great events and acts at the venue for our community.”

Each year the USTCRI conducts business surveys and industry research to identify companies that have achieved demonstrable success in their local business environment and industry category. BMO Harris Bank Center has been recognized as having enhanced the commitment and contribution of small businesses through service to its customers and community.

The BMO Harris Bank Center is managed by SMG, the world leader in venue management, and has consistently demonstrated a high regard for upholding business ethics and company values. This recognition by USTCRI marks a significant achievement for the BMO Harris Bank Center as an emerging leader and for setting benchmarks that others within the industry should follow.

As part of the industry research and business surveys, various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to select recognized companies in each category. This research is part of an exhaustive process that encapsulates a yearlong immersion in the business climate of Illinois.

For information on events taking place at the BMO Harris Bank Center, please visit thebmoharrisbankcenter.com. 

About USTCRI

The USTCRI is a leading authority on researching, evaluating and recognizing companies across a wide spectrum of industries that meet its stringent standards of excellence. It has spearheaded the idea of independent enterprise and entrepreneurial growth allowing businesses of all sizes to be recognized locally and encouraged globally.

Particular emphasis is given to meeting and exceeding industry benchmarks for customer service, product quality and ethical practices. Industry leading standards and practices have been developed and implementation of the same has been pioneered by the dedicated efforts of the business community and commerce leadership.

Pensacola Bay Center Tops the Chart for Ticket Sales

Pensacola Bay Center, managed by SMG, tops the charts once again! PBC has consistently ranked in the top ten for ticket sales for buildings with capacities between 5,001 – 10,000. Last year, the venue ranked #2 in Florida and #5 in 2011-2012 (Venues Today, international trade magazine), but has climbed to #1 for concert and event grosses from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014.

“This building has been here for almost 30 years, come January and we are still going strong. This is another great achievement under our belt and a true testament proving that our name is out there not only locally, but nationally as well. This past year has been one of the busiest for us and we hope to continue to see a rise in frequency and level of the concert and events in the near future. As we have said before, we are constantly competing with many facilities, new and old and now not only have we changed the conversation, we are a part of it." stated Cyndee Pennington, General Manager.

Below is a list in order of rankings:

1. Pensacola Bay Center

2. CFE Arena, Orlando

3. Germain Arena, Estero

4. BankUnited Center, Coral Gables

5. Lakes RegionalPark, Fort Myers

Venues Today Announces that the SMG managed Santander Performing Arts Center is Ranked 11th in Top Stops

READING, PA—July 21, 2014— Venues Today the leading source of original reporting for live entertainment and events, serving management, owners and suppliers to music, sports and meetings venues internationally has released its 2014 Mid Year Top Stops. The SMG managed Santander Performing Arts Center has ranked 11th on the list of Top Stops of venues with seating capacities of 2,000 or fewer. The rankings, announced in the July edition of the trade publication, are based on concert and event gross ticket sales from October 16, 2013 through May 15, 2014 as reported to Venues Today. 

INTRUST BANK ARENA RANKED AS 12TH BUSIEST STOP BY VENUES TODAY

(Wichita, Kan.) – The SMG-managed INTRUST Bank Arena ranked as the 12th busiest arena according to the Venues Today 2014 Mid-Year Top Stops for venues with seating capacities 10,001-15,000. The rankings, announced in the July edition of the trade publication, are based on concert and event gross ticket sales from October 16, 2013 through May 15, 2014 as reported to Venues Today. 

“It has been an exciting year for INTRUST Bank Arena as we hosted the sold out George Strait ‘The Cowboy Rides Away Tour’ on April 4th,” said A.J. Boleski, SMG General Manager. “George Strait’s final performance sold a record number of tickets in our venue for a single day, concert event. Additionally, during this timeframe, we hosted Lady Antebellum on Valentine’s Day along with 10 days of rehearsals for the Soundtrack of Summer Tour featuring Styx, Foreigner and Don Felder prior to their first show of the tour at our venue on May 14th.” 

Venues Today is the leading source of original reporting for live entertainment and events, serving management, owners and suppliers to music, sports and meetings venues internationally. 

BOK CENTER RANKS 16TH IN POLLSTAR’S MID YEAR POLLS

(Tulsa, Okla.) July 14, 2014 - The SMG-managed BOK Center finished the first half of 2014 ranked 16^th in the United States and 47^th in the world in Pollstar Magazine’s 2014 Mid Year Top 100 Arena Venues. During the first six months of 2014, the BOK Center reported ticket sales of 142,235 tickets.

“SMG strives to bring the industry’s best concerts and live entertainment to Tulsa. This year is already off to a great start, and the lineup for the rest of the year is very strong and includes several sold out shows,” said SMG General Manager Jeff Nickler. “The credit goes to our team and also to our community who continues to show amazing support for the BOK Center.”

Through June 30, the BOK Center hosted 13 of the Top 100 Tours including: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Winter Jam, George Strait, Cher, The Harlem Globetrotters, Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Imagine Dragons, Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, Lady Antebellum, Sesame Street Live and Third Day.

Upcoming events include Dodgebrawl (July 19), WWE Live Summerslam Heatwave Tour (July 25), Michael Bublé (August 1), Professional Bull Riders (August 15-16), UFC (August 23), OneRepublic (August 28), KISS and Def Leppard (August 29) and Brantley Gilbert (September 20), Demi Lovato (September 21), One Direction (September 23), Katy Perry (October 6) and Pearl Jam (October 8). For a complete list of BOK Center events, visit www.bokcenter.com.

The O2 (London) topped the overall rankings while the Barclays Center (Brooklyn) earned the top United States spot.

The rankings are determined by tickets sold worldwide for concerts from January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2014. Pollstar totals do not include tenant sport team ticket sales. Pollstar is a weekly trade publication covering the worldwide concert industry. 

INTRUST BANK ARENA RANKED 27TH BUSIEST ARENA IN THE UNITED STATES

(Wichita, Kan.) – The SMG-managed INTRUST Bank Arena finished as the 27th busiest arena in the United States and 69th in the world in Pollstar Magazine’s 2014 Mid Year Top 100 Arena Rankings. Rankings are based on tickets sold worldwide for shows played between 1/1/14 and 6/30/14.

“It’s been an exciting year this far for INTRUST Bank Arena,” said A.J. Boleski, SMG General Manager. “We’ve hosted two huge farewell tours with George Strait and Motley Crue, and just recently announced a third with Cher’s D2K Tour set for November 3. We’re gearing up for a busy fall and look forward to continuing to bring top notch entertainment to downtown Wichita.”

INTRUST Bank Arena has hosted 11 of the Top 100 Worldwide Tours so far in 2014, including George Strait, Winter Jam, WWE, The Harlem Globetrotters, Lady Antebellum, Jeff Dunham, The Roadshow, Brantley Gilbert, Disney Live, Sesame Street Live and James Taylor.

SMG-MANAGED VENUES RECEIVE TOP RANKINGS BY OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE

BOK Center

(Tulsa, Okla.) July 7, 2014 – The SMG-managed BOK Center and Cox Business Center recently received top honors by Oklahoma Magazine in its annual ‘The Best of the Best’ rankings. The BOK Center was named ‘Best Concert Venue,’ and the Cox Business Center was named ‘Best Wedding or Party Venue.’ The BOK Center also finished in the top three in two additional categories: ‘Best Place to See and Be Seen’ and ‘Best Local Icon/Landmark.’

The annual awards are voted on by Oklahoma Magazine readers and were featured in the July issue of the publication.

Cox Business Center

“It’s an honor to be recognized by both Oklahoma Magazine and its readers,” said SMG General Manager Jeff Nickler. “The BOK Center has enjoyed amazing success since opening five years ago. Our ability to sustain that success is a tribute to everyone who has purchased a ticket or attended an event.

“The Cox Business Center continues to play host to the area’s top social events. The growth of our social and wedding bookings assures us that we are on the right path to delivering incredible experiences for our guests and clients,” Nickler added.

For more information about the BOK Center visit www.bokcenter.com.  For more information about the Cox Business Center visit www.coxcentertulsa.com.