Remember when finding something to do at a sports arena in the summer months required creativity and ingenuity? In 1993, when Peter Luukko was president of the Spectrum in Philadelphia, the staff was looking for something to do in those in-between months. Hockey, basketball, and college games were over. “We decided to do a rib […]
The headline about the time an 80,000-ton boulder crushed part of Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colo., was never written. Gary Lane, who managed Denver’s eight sports and entertainment venues at the time, kept it quiet, an amazing feat that would not have been possible today. Red Rocks was a gem among the venues he […]
Mother Nature and the media walloped Allen Johnson Jan. 1, 2010 when Citrus Bowl stadium hosted what became known as the “Mud Bowl.” The executive director of Orlando Venues learned a lot that year about covering all your bases and making sure everyone is doing their job. In December 2009 the Citrus Bowl [now Camping […]
Thirty-one years later this September, Rip Rippetoe still conjures up lessons learned from Jerry Lewis and Siegfried and Roy during his Las Vegas days. Those memories reinforce his philosophies that we’re all in this together and how you show up makes a difference. In 1989, Jerry Lewis’ MDA Labor Day Telethon moved out of casinos […]
Remember the day you had options when the headliner couldn’t perform? There were ways to save the day for the entrepreneurial risktakers in the concert business. Experience helped tip the scale. Mike McGee had an experience in Lakeland, Florida, in October 1975, that turned out quite differently than originally planned. It was the first time […]
Robyn Williams had returned from a performing arts industry conference full of ideas. The late, great Rodney Smith had done the unthinkable by allowing water into his theater. “I remember him sending me all the hate mail he was getting from symphony musicians and stuff. We thought that was so bold and brave,” Williams recalled. […]
Speaking with Brad Gessner revealed a few key lessons: Don’t be afraid to tackle new projects. Don’t be adverse to moving. Have a supportive spouse. While some of those may be more easily attainable than others, there are definite actionable takeaways for all from his story. Gessner has been quick to identify as “a San […]
Jay Roberts was super excited he had booked Lady Gaga to open Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh in 2010. David Morehouse, president of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, had charged him with finding someone somewhat on brand and big-time to open the new arena, which was replacing the classic Mellon Arena, the oldest National Hockey […]
When someone says ‘no’ or ‘it can’t be done’ or you have a thought or idea that doesn’t get to first base or you have a dilemma when you do get to first base, remember: There’s always a way. Tom Cantone, now president of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, Uncasville, Conn., has spent his career turning […]
John Harig always knew he wanted to be in the music business, but he didn’t know there were so many career options outside the artist’s entourage. He did know it’s a relationship business. He started out managing a showcase club, Bogart’s in Cincinnati, way back in 1981. “I hadn’t really settled,” he remembers. “I quickly […]