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

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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

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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.

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

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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 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

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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.

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

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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.

BONUS EPISODE – What does a UFO, bloody hatchet woman, haunted miners, and a ghost rattler snake have in common? They’re all regulars at one of the world’s (and universe’s?) most iconic venues - Red Rocks Amphitheatre! For our third annual Halloween episode we chat with our friend Brian Kitts, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer for Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Denver Performing Arts Complex, who is our guide through the various spooky and mysterious tales echoing off the red sandstone of this iconic venue. We first hear about a recent UFO sighting at 1AM on June 5, 2024 following an All Time Low show. For EVMC attendees keeping track at home, that is the night prior to our opening night reception at the venue! From intergalactic visitors to a ghastly ghoul, we next hear about the iconic Hatchet Woman which has been seen numerous times around the venue enjoying shows and haunting fans in the parking lot. Lastly, we learn about the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, nicknamed the “Ghost Rattler,” which in the winter is known for creepy, slow rattles and catching the unassuming off guard. We hope you enjoy this Halloween treat of an episode that is sure to send some shivers down your spine.

Brian Kitts: LinkedIn | Email
Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Facebook | Twitter/X | 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.

Tuck your drafting pencil behind your ear and unfurl those blueprints because we’re talking venue design with this episode, where we chat with Geoff Cheong, Senior Principal and Senior Architect at Populous. With a focus of drawing people together around the things they love and amplifying the atmosphere of excitement and joy, Populous has designed some of the world’s most renowned venues. Geoff, who served as lead designer on Climate Pledge Arena and had a significant role in the design of T-Mobile Arena and many others, walks us through his experience as a venue and event designer and how he found his way into the field. From a love of sports at a young age to designing some of the most cutting-edge sports and entertainment venues, he provides fascinating insight into how venue design is approached and the importance they place on their project teams immersing into communities. We talk about the trends of more music-first venues as well as the importance they are placing on venue accessibility and inclusivity. From his home base in Kansas City, traveling for meetings, and a design-focused mindset with project collaborations and leading teams – hear a bit of what it’s like to be a venue designer and some of the designs and innovations that inspire Geoff. Enjoy this interesting look into what goes into creating amazing new venues and retrofitting iconic legacy buildings on this fun, informative episode.

Geoff Cheong: LinkedIn | Email
Populous: 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.

Come along as we visit the Bay Area and chat with Sam Hunt, Executive Vice President and Managing Executive at Wasserman Music. One of the youngest to ever win Pollstar’s Agent of the Year in 2016, Sam oversees a powerhouse roster of electronica, indie, pop, and hip-hop artists including names like Diplo, Major Lazer, Flying Lotus, Jamie xx, Animal Collective, Run The Jewels, Big Boi, 100 gecs, Still Woozy, and Caroline Polachek. We learn what his day to day is like as an agent, where essentially his role is to do everything he can to improve and guide artist careers and provide opportunities and guidance - largely involving live performances and touring, but also brand deals, bigger picture projects, and concepts. Hear about some of the unique projects he’s worked on and how interesting challenges often provide creative fulfillment. We learn about Sam’s career journey, from working in record stores as a teen and in college, to working at a label and club in Chicago, to joining the upstart Windish Agency where he learned under Tom Windish who he still works with today. Sam drops some great advice for anyone wanting to be an agent or understand more of that side of the industry as well as insight into what makes a good agent and how to handle the highs and lows of artists you represent. Enjoy this look inside the life of an agent, what it’s like sharing a name with a popular country artist, and fun stories from throughout his career.

Sam Hunt: LinkedIn
Wasserman Music: X/Twitter | Instagram | Spotify

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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.

For this episode we head back to the hustle and bustle of Music City and catch up with former pro-drummer turned entertainment marketer, Brian Bauer, President of Bauer Entertainment Marketing (BEM). We immediately jump into learning what BEM does as well as interesting discussions on trends in live events and some of the most important things for venues and events to establish. We peel back the layers of small business ownership and talk about the pros and cons of striking out on your own and how Brian learned a lot from previous jobs when shaping his company and what type of boss he wanted to be to his employees. We talk shop about stats, CRO, and what data you should be paying attention to with your shows. We learn about Brian’s previous roles before starting his own business, such as being a successful touring drummer including some gigs in the Nashville area with Cage the Elephant and Chris Stapleton. Looking to dive into data and find out some interesting things you should be tracking? Thinking about starting your own business and wondering what that is like and what challenges you might face? For all of the above and more, enjoy this episode all about live events and what it is like leading the client voted “top-rated entertainment marketing agency.”

Brian Bauer: LinkedIn
Bauer Entertainment Marketing: 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.

BONUS EPISODE – Tomorrow, on Mexican Independence Day weekend, UFC is gearing up to host Riyadh Season Noche UFC, which will honor Mexico's rich history and vibrant culture. Oh... and did we mention... it's the first sporting event to be hosted at Sphere in Las Vegas? On this special episode we chat with Heidi Noland, Sr. VP of Global Brand & Creative with UFC, who pulls back the curtain and gives us an inside look at what goes into preparing for this incredible event at such a unique venue. We talk through their approach as soon as they confirmed the event, and how UFC has been intentional to set the bar on what is possible at Sphere. Heidi tells us about the Noche UFC events and how this event collaborates with numerous artists for a unique experience to celebrate Mexican Independence Day weekend and Mexico's contributions to live combat sports. With UFC hosting massive events throughout the year, we discuss what prep is like for those events, and how Riyadh Season Noche UFC has been different and required planning further out. Enjoy this fun primer that teases some features and innovative approaches that are sure to make this event memorable for those working in live events and fans alike.

Watch: ESPN+ PPV

Heidi Noland: LinkedIn
UFC: Facebook | X/Twitter | Instagram

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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.