Conshohocken, PA (October 22, 2015) - This December, Venues Today will be presenting its “most prestigious award”, the Hall of Headlines, with SMG receiving an outstanding 12 nominations. The categories featured in the nominations include News, Bookings, Operations and Tech, Marketing, and Concessions with SMG nominated in all 5 categories.
SMG’s Executive Vice President Doug Thornton was nominated in the News category, along with Regional Vice Presidents Steve Tadlock and Michael Krouse for leading the effort in acquiring the management contract for the iconic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.
Staff at three SMG venues were nominated for Bookings. Tim LeFevour, GM of Chicago’s Soldier Field was nominated for hosting the last of the Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well farewell shows, bringing out more than 213,000 fans to the stadium for three sold out performances and generating $6.74 million in revenue. Booking nominations also included Jeff Nickler, GM, and Michael Owens, Director of Booking at the BOK Center, Tulsa, OK as well as Chris Semrau, AGM, of the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD. The BOK Center finished its busiest fiscal year since opening its doors 6 years ago. The venue hosted a two-week Garth Brooks residency that included 7 sold out shows, along with the only One Direction arena date on their North America tour, and many other successful events. Hosting their own series of outstanding shows, the Premier Center brought in 22 different national touring acts, including sold out performances by The Eagles, Ed Sheeran, Luke Bryan, and other notable acts.
For Operations and Tech, SMG SVP Jim McCue and VP John Bolton were nominated for developing a specialized tool with a dedicated web-based intranet marketing support services site, enabling SMG facilities to achieve higher and consistent standards and results. The BOK Center’s Casey Sparks, AGM, and John Dodd, Director of Operations, also received nominations for completing a $100,000 ecologically sustainable new exterior landscaping project that included a massive rock garden, inspiring the trending #rocktheBOK social media hashtag.
Marketing nominations included Intrust Bank Arena’s GM, AJ Boleski, and Director of Sales and Marketing, Christine Pileckas. Celebrating the venue’s 5th year, Boleski and Pileckas helped organize the 5th Anniversary Concert Series while promoting highlights and achievements of the venue’s last 5 years and presenting an outlook at what’s planned for the next five. Also nominated was Meghan Doyle, Director of Marketing for the BOK Center, for organizing an extensive marketing campaign for Garth Brooks’s two-week residency. Brandon Tattersall, Box Office Manager, Rogers K-Rock Centre, received a nomination for launching a newly-designed website in order to create a stronger connection with the venue’s social media platforms, improve the timeliness of the information posted, and personalize the venue’s image by including profiles, pictures, and videos.
Included in the Concessions category were nominations for the BOK Center, the Santander Arena in Reading, PA, and the Intrust Bank Arena. Kelly Ortiz, AGM/Food and Beverage, and Chaning Queen, Premium Services Food and Beverage Manager, helped the BOK Center launch its new bar concept, Copper Stills, a bar that prepares craft cocktails by 10 highly-trained, skilled bartenders. EJ Randolph, Food and Beverage Director, Santander Arena, introduced $1 refills for the hockey season, resulting in 4,500 units sold in only 4 months, generating a $40,000 incremental increase. Intrust Bank Arena’s Greg Read, Regional Director of Food and Beverage, received a nomination for introducing the Brewhaus Bros. craft beer bar that features 14 local craft beers on tap and has since increased revenues at the concession stand location by 30%.
Voting is currently underway for the nominees.
