Adventures In Venueland

We’re off to “The Land” to chat with Carrie Samek, Vice President of Event & Media Marketing at Rocket Arena and Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland, Ohio. After learning about the arena and Carrie’s role with the venue and team, we chat through what it was like curating an exhibit around the 10 year anniversary of the Cav’s iconic 2016 NBA Championship, and the challenges of joys that came along with...

Join us on the left side of the “Michigan mitten” as we head to Grand Rapids to chat with Hannah Flynn, Communications Manager with Legends Global, which manages Van Andel Arena, DeVos Performance Hall, DeVos Place, newly opened Acrisure Amphitheater, and Amway Stadium (opening Spring 2027). As a passionate social media and pop culture guru, we dive into the details of Hannah’s role, the structure of their departm...

Journey with us to the Aloha State as we visit Hawaii and talk with Barb Saito, President of Aloha Group International Inc., who is based in the capital city of Honolulu on the island of O’ahu. Barb, who has 45 years of experience in the industry, supports concert promoters by consulting and assisting with financial and logistical challenges that come with promoting shows in Hawaii. She also works a lot with Asian artists who...

We’re off to the Midwest as we visit the city of Omaha, Nebraska and chat with Adam Straight, President & CEO of Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA). Adam tells us all about MECA, which is a venue management company which manages city-owned properties including CHI Health Center Omaha (which includes an arena and convention center), Charles Schwab Field Omaha (which hosts the College World Series)...

Live from Sacramento – Join us on the red carpet as we interview award winners at the 11th Annual Event & Venue Marketing Conference Awards. Dave and Paul speak with award recipients in the various categories and get insight into their experience and advice they have for others wanting to be in their shoes. In addition to this audio version, click this link to watch the video version: 🎥 Watch Video Interviews

Winners (in...

Live from Sacramento – Sit in on this 2026 Event & Venue Marketing Conference session as we chat with Vanessa Mancao (Tour Marketing Manager, Red Light Management), Karl Crudup (Director of Event Sales & Production, Sacramento Kings), and Jessica Eckley (Managing Partner, Crackerjack Media) in front of a live audience. In this session, titled "Beyond Venue Walls: Creative Strategies for Marketing Experiences Beyond Tr...

Join us as we head to the Sparkling City by the Sea – Corpus Christi, and chat with Krystal Gonzalez, Director of Sales at Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds (RMB Fairgrounds). We learn all about the fairgrounds, which is home to a conference center, two exhibit halls, arena pavilion, and equestrian arena which host a wide mix of social events, expos, rodeos, concerts, and dinner events. We learn about the city, Kr...

BONUS EPISODE – Warm up your taste buds and meet us in the Farm to Fork Capital because the 2026 Event & Venue Marketing Conference (EVMC) is just around the corner! This bonus episode is filled with everything you need to know as you pack and prepare for this year’s conference in Sacramento, California. Hosts Paul and Dave are joined by a couple special guests which help craft this podcast KBYG — Kim Allen (E...

Ahoy Venuelanders! 🛳⚓️ Join us for a revelry at sea as we set sail with Jeff Cuellar, CEO of Sixthman, a promoter focused on “tearing down walls” by creating community-inspired festival experiences that use cruise ships as their venue. Celebrating their 25th anniversary as a company, Jeff gives us an overview of Sixthman, their approach to their experiences, and the history of the company. Learn how they bring to ...

Welcome to Messina Touring Week on Adventures In Venueland! 🎉 As we celebrate 2️⃣5️⃣ years of Messina Touring, we’ve got a couple special episodes dropping this week to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what makes them one of the top concert promoters today. — For this bonus episode which extends our Breaking In series, we talk with Rachel Powers, VP at Messina Touring Group, about artist growth from clubs to Sphere...

Welcome to Messina Touring Week on Adventures In Venueland! 🎉 As we celebrate 2️⃣5️⃣ years of Messina Touring, we’ve got a couple special episodes dropping this week to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what makes them one of the top concert promoters today. — To kick things off, we’re chatting with Kate Des Enfants McMahon, Executive Vice President at Messina Touring Group, who has been with the company since...

We’re headed to the Home of the Blues, Memphis, for this episode where we chat with Crystal Carpenter, Event & Marketing Coordinator at FedExForum. In a city known for its culture, music, soul, and food, Crystal tells us all about FedExForum, which is the home for the Memphis Grizzlies (NBA) and Memphis Tigers (NCAA). We discuss her role with the building and some of the unique ways their departments are structured. She t...

We’ve had a good run at Adventures In Venueland but we’ve decided to shift focus and give the live event industry what they really want (and need) – a good night’s rest. Introducing… Snoozing In Venueland… or Adventures In Slumberland… honestly we’re too tired to decide. Having a hard time settling in for some sleep after a crazy run of show days? Enjoy 8 hours of the familiar, com...

Join us in beautiful San Juan as we chat with a force behind many unforgettable live event experiences in Puerto Rico – Roxey Garcia, Founder of RXY Marketing. We talk with Roxey about starting her company, which provides promotions, event production, artist logistics, and digital marketing to not only tours and venues but also other businesses in the area. She talks about the emphasis she puts on being a great communicator a...

We’re headed back to Tinseltown to chat with Vanessa Mancao, Tour Marketing Manager in Los Angeles for Red Light Management – the largest independent artist management company in the world. Vanessa works closely with artists like Jon Pardi, The Fray, Trombone Shorty, Maoli and Slightly Stoopid, helping behind the scenes of major tours, collaborating closely with promoters and venues to turn strategy into sold out shows....

We’re headed to one of the most legendary small rooms in the country to chat with this episode’s guest, Megan Loveless, Talent Buyer for The Blue Room at Third Man Records – the independent record label in Nashville run by Jack White. Megan tells us all about the venue, which previously had been used for underplays, photoshoots, and special experiences, but in 2021 was rebranded as a full venue to host a wide rang...

Join us where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain as we journey to Oklahoma and chat with Lucy Albers, Director of Marketing & PR for Paycom Center, home to the Oklahoma City Thunder. With plans in motion, we dive into talking about the new arena coming to OKC in 2028, its unique design, and what to expect from the exciting addition – which is slated to open the same year the city hosts two Olympic events. We tal...

Pull up a chair as we head to "America's Farm to Fork Capital," Sacramento, for a special in-person episode with James Rasmussen, VP of Arena Programming at Golden 1 Center. Our hosts sit down with James in the Sacramento Kings podcast studio and dig into what makes the city special and things to look forward to for those coming to the Event & Venue Marketing Conference in June. Fresh off a venue tour before recording, we talk ...

We 🫶 New York and are heading back to the City That Never Sleeps for this episode with Missy Zedeck, Marketing Director for AEG Global Touring Division. We hear from Missy about how a typical day or week might look – reviewing marketing budgets, national campaigns, overseeing marketing plans for the tours, and making any adjustments based on needs and sales which vary by tour. She tells us about how she checks in with venues...