Right on the edge of the Chesapeake Bay, join us for a visit to wonderful Baltimore as we chat with Aly Katz, Brand Manager for CFG Bank Arena, an Oak View Group facility. Aly talks about her role at the venue, where she oversees three key areas: back of house (artist gifting, crew activities, promoter relations), front of house (fan activations, photo ops), and social media (branding, aesthetic, graphic strategy, content creation). Hear how she honors the legacy of the venue, which originally opened in 1962, while also highlighting its amazing new amenities since its recent, game-changing renovation. We dive into some of her favorite activations for touring crews and talent, from regular puppy parties working with rescues to pop-up flash tattoos to unique venue merch. She tells us about her commitment to working with local and minority-owned businesses for artist gifts to make them more personal and unique while showcasing local talent. We hear about Aly’s career history, from working at an EDM venue in Washington D.C. to managing logistics and a merchandising business for content creators. She shares insights on what she’s learned on the content creator side and offers tips on making the best pitches. If you like puppies, coloring books, creative ideas, and fun stories, you’ll definitely love this episode.

Aly Katz: Instagram | LinkedIn | Email
CFG Bank Arena: Facebook | X/Twitter | Instagram

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

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Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

It’s Episode 100 and we’re running it all the way back to Episode 1 by having back on our first return guest – Nina Jackson, Director of Marketing & Public Relations at NRG Park, an ASM Global managed property in Houston, TX. Nina oversees marketing and PR at NRG Park, a 300 acre sports and entertainment complex that hosts over 500 events and over 5.5 million people a year – which includes NRG Stadium (home to Houston Texans and Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo), NRG Center (1.4 million square foot exhibition center), NRG Arena, and 26K onsite parking spaces which are also used for events. After catching up with Nina about the last four years since we had her on as a guest, we talk about team building, hiring tips, and how to create a great culture in the workplace. We learn about how NRG Park venues support and provide for the community outside of hosting events and chat through current challenges facing live event marketers. To know Nina is to love her and she’s truly one of our all time favorite people and guests. You’re sure to love this episode brimming with fun stories, a discussion about hosting the Beyoncé Bowl, and lots of laughs.

Nina Jackson: LinkedIn | Email
NRG Park: Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

Put on your party hat, grab some champagne, and meet us in The Big Apple! For this special episode we ring in 2025 by taking a look at the most viewed event worldwide – New Years Eve in Times Square, New York City. We talk with Damian Santucci, SVP of Production & Operations at Times Square Alliance, a non-profit business improvement district (BID) that works in partnership with the city and surrounding businesses to manage Times Square and produce events. We learn about Damian’s background of working with the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden before moving to his current role fifteen years ago and the big differences from an indoor event versus one in Times Square. With a load-in beginning just after Christmas in a space that never closes and is visited by around 400,000 people daily, hear what goes into setting up and putting on this incredible event that is streamed on thirty networks nationally and hundreds throughout the world. We learn all kinds of fun facts and numbers as Damian tells us about staffing, how the confetti system works, clean up, and of course… the iconic ball. Enjoy this fun episode that will make you further appreciate the logistics of this iconic event and may inspire you to visit the city sometime to see it in-person.

Damian Santucci: LinkedIn
Times Square Alliance: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

Happy New Year Venuelanders! 🎊 As we kick off 2025 and look ahead to our official Episode 100, we decided to get our team together to look back at episodes one through ninety nine (as well as our variety of bonus episodes) and talk about some of our favorite movements. This isn’t your normal clip show though! Join us for some interesting behind the scenes stories and other great memories with our team of Paul, Dave, Megan, Samantha, and Camille. What are some of your favorite episode memories? Take a moment and leave us a comment to celebrate our century mark and let us know your favorite episodes and quotes. We’d love to hear them!

Links to episodes mentioned:
• Episode 36 – Lionel Bea
• Bonus – Ancient Venues: Amphitheatre of Capua
• Bonus – Mental Health Series: Work/Life Balance
• Episode 10 – Barry Gabel
• Episode 1 – Nina Jackson

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

For Episode 99 we catch up with our friend and EVMC Hall of Famer, Jim Delaney, Founder/CEO of Activate Sports & Entertainment. Jim, who is a 30-year veteran sports and event marketer, talks to us about his latest adventure becoming what he calls a “digital nomad” – working on projects remotely as he visits venues and lives in different cities for a couple months at a time. We talk about how he processes his life in cycles or waves of every seven years, exploring and challenging himself each time a new chapter is presented. We learn about Jim’s time working for teams such as the Seattle Sonics, Washington Bullets/Wizards, and New England Patriots before landing at TD Garden in Boston where he oversaw marketing and PR for ten years. Hear what it was like to strike out on his own, advice he has for those considering it, and ways he constantly looks for the new challenge to keep him engaged. Jim talks about his excitement around AI and the sandbox it could provide for live events and his approach when pursuing new trends. From book recommendations to industry advice to fun stories and perspective, you’ll enjoy this wonderfully unique episode that may inspire you to find that next exciting challenge.

Jim Delaney: LinkedIn | Email

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

Live from backstage at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, we chat with Rachel Bomeli, Vice President of Facility Operations for the facility. We join Rachel the morning after a big show the previous night and learn all about this truly unique venue which features a wide array of architectural styles. We talk about the design of the theatre, their early plans as the venue approaches its centennial in five years, and how theaters often provide interesting perspective in venue stewardship and preservation. We learn how Rachel got her start in live events – from an interest in the industry during her time at Michigan State to a spontaneous move south with a friend that led to a job with Broadway Across America. We talk about her time at Fox Theatre and how her role has developed over the years, allowing for professional growth and exciting challenges. We talk about the city of Atlanta, where the Event & Venue Marketing Conference will be in 2025, and its place in the live event landscape with its numerous venues. Please Note – Stick around to the end of the episode to hear some audio of Rachel touring us around the venue as we discuss: different rooms, the recent Andre 3000 show, beautiful plaster molding, a hidden porch overlooking Ponce De Leon Ave, and lastly a visit to their VERY impressive climate-controlled archive room. As they say, “Atlanta Influences Everything” and it’s easy to see why.

Rachel Bomeli: Instagram | LinkedIn
Fox Theatre (Atlanta): Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

It’s a party all day in RVA! Join us on the east coast as we head to Richmond, Virginia to chat with Brittany Herndon, Director of Sales & Marketing for Altria Theater and Dominion Energy Center – both managed by ASM Global. Brittany, who also serves as Regional Marketing Director for ASM Global's theatrical venues, tells us about Richmond and what it’s like working at gorgeous, historic theaters. With multiple Pollstar Award nominations, learn what it is like working for the number one theater in Virginia, what a typical theater season looks like, and how marketing for a theater varies from marketing at larger venues. We dig into tips for working with and building trust with promoters - how to challenge and suggest alternatives to requests, fleshing out plans to make them more valuable, and knowing when the juice is worth the squeeze. Brittany walks us through her career adventure, from attending Sweet Briar College with an interest in being a film composer to various marketing jobs to finally landing in the live event industry, and various guidance she received along the way. From fun stories to career advice - enjoy this great episode that may inspire you to visit a historic theater, support your local parks department, and pursue your next great opportunity.

Brittany Herndon: Instagram | LinkedIn
Altria Theater: Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Dominion Energy Center: Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

From the 313 to the 303, we’re chatting with Omar Gates, Marketing & Advertising Coordinator for the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche at Kroenke Sports & Entertainment in Denver. After chatting with Omar about Denver and some exciting development plans announced recently, we dive into his history in the industry which led him from a passion for sports and a bachelor’s degree in economics at University of Missouri to a boot camp with the Marcus Graham Project. After landing an internship with the Detroit Pistons, his hometown team, Omar cut his teeth on advertising and marketing before heading out to Denver earlier this year for his current role. We talk shop and strategies about email marketing best practices, how to use data and analytics, SMS marketing, AI applications, and the importance of looking beyond traditional ROI. We talk about what it was like attending and being a panel moderator at his first EVMC conference this past June, where we met him, and how it gave him an opportunity for growth. Enjoy this great perspective of someone earlier in their industry career who talks about the importance of mentorship, embracing challenges, and looking for ways to grow.

Omar Gates: LinkedIn
Denver Nuggets: Facebook | Instragram | X/Twitter
Colorado Avalanche: Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter

––––––

ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.