The New Orleans Pelicans (NBA) announced Smoothie King Center upgrades focusing on the fan experience for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, including the installation of a new center-hung HD videoboard. (more…)
Tag Archives | smg
New UNO arena set for fall opening
Word proceeds apace on a new $81.6 million University of Nebraska-Omaha arena, set to open this fall as the home of the Mavericks. (more…)
Fallout of AHL/ECHL realignment: Manchester
We have one potential victim of last week’s AHL/ECHL realignment: the Manchester Monarchs, a successful AHL team moving down to the ECHL. (more…)
IceHogs welcome BMO Harris Bank Center renovations
BMO Harris Bank Center renovations carried out this offseason should entertain fans of the Rockford IceHogs (AHL) used to a more Spartan atmosphere. (more…)
Ohio State to continue managing Nationwide Arena
Under a management deal that seems to be benefiting both facilities, Ohio State will continue to run both Schottenstein Center and Nationwide Arena, home of the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL). It is an odd situation, to be sure, from top to bottom. First, the arena is actually owned by Nationwide Insurance; the Blue Jackets hold […]
Chesapeake Energy snares OKC naming rights
{jathumbnail off} The home of the Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA) will have a new name and a new look for the 2011-2012 season (if it happens), as Chesapeake Energy buys naming rights to the arena. The deal for Chesapeake Energy Arena is an extension of an existing relationship between the pair, as Chesapeake is one […]
SMG retains New Orleans Arena management deal despite scare
SMG, which has held the management deal for the Superdome and New Orleans Arena for 30-some years without a competitive bid process, will retain the deal despite an attempt by some Louisiana lawmakers to put the contract up for bid. Legislation that would have required a new bid process was pulled from the table today. […]
Was Quebec City arena bidding process legal?
With Quebecor and NHL officials discussing a team for Quebec City, the possibility that the Canadian media giant illegally gained the right to manage a new arena is causing some to question whether the process should have been more open. In theory, the bidding process for the naming-rights/management deal snared by Quebecor should have been […]
Columbus, Blue Jackets stall on Nationwide Arena changes
Despite lots of chatter about the city of Columbus taking over Nationwide Arena to give the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) some financial relief, there have been no further talks on the issue — and there are whispers the Blue Jackets may be looking to move. The whispers are bouncing around NHL circles, and they’re confirmed […]
Wichita arena turns million-dollar profit in first year
Any city looking for a template for building a new community-based arena could do worst than emulate what Sedgwick County accomplished with a new Wichita arena, as the county was presented yesterday with a $1.1 million check covering taxpayers’ share of net building income. Overall, Intrust Bank Arena had a net building income of slightly […]
City, county spar over new Evansville arena management
{jathumbnail off} A decision to hire VenuWorks as the manager of a new downtown Evansville arena has been delayed after county officials say they weren’t part of the decision-making process — but there are some agendas at play as well. The Arena Management Interview Committee decided on Friday to award the management deal for a […]
SMG takes over management of Stockton Arena
SMG is in and International Facilities Group is out on the management side of Stockton Arena, as the city looks for more entertainment booked at the seven-year-old arena. The deal calls for SMG to receive $270,000 annually for five years, as well as inventive payments tied to increased attendance and revenue at the waterfront facility. […]
