Concert Venue Director Concert Venue Directory
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CONCERT VENUE DIRECTORY EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW my role and go do my own that stint, I returned to the sponsorship track (I dabbled Nets at a high level, as senior with sponsorships when sell- VP of sales. I parlayed the early ing tickets). Again, you sold years of the Nets, the sports/TV everything. Following the Nets, sales at KATZ and more of that I went to work for a company fully integrated sales environ- called KATZ Sports, part of ment at the Pistons and Palace KATZ Communications. I and Pine Knob to a senior posi- moved to the Midwest and tion at the Nets. From there I I sold the TV time for the Mil- went to NASCAR because I was waukee Bucks, the Milwaukee back in New Jersey. NASCAR Brewers, Minnesota Timber- was looking to open a New York wolves and Minnesota Twins. office. They were looking for I really developed a skill set someone to open that office, for sponsorship sales although staff it, and really concentrate it was predominantly TV sales. on bringing in good brands to I worked very closely with the the sport. And that’s what I did teams to package and sell spon- there. I really loved the track sorships. From there, I went to I was on because I was able rett Yormark, CEO of the Detroit Pistons. If you think in my different stops to gain BBrooklyn Sports & Enter- NASCAR but there isn’t much about my career, I learned the great insight into the business tainment, is responsible for all information about your history ticket sales with the Nets, I but also a much-needed skill operations of the company’s before that. learned sports TV sales at KATZ set to sell more than just expanding portfolio of venues, I started my career in 1988 and I kind of combined both sports. Then, going to NASCAR which began with the building working for the then-New Jer- skill sets and really became afforded me to be on the more and opening of Barclays Center sey Nets. I cut my teeth in the a sponsorship seller at the national platform. And you in 2012. Since then, BSE has business as a ticket seller, right highest levels when I joined know what happened since bought the iconic Webster Hall, out of college. I went to Indiana the Detroit Pistons. They were then. the equally historic Nassau University and always aspired the first team to build a new Coliseum – rebranded NYCB to be in the sports business. building – the Palace of Auburn You’ve been credited with LIVE, home of the Nassau Vet- I was provided an opportunity Hills – so in addition to selling having a major role in NASCAR’s erans Memorial Coliseum – and to start at the lowest possible the Pistons I was selling life- expansion, yet you left. the LIU Brooklyn Paramount style sponsorships to the Pal- level, at that point in time. The NASCAR was definitely a Theatre. All three venues have only way you could break into ace, I worked on Pine Knob either undergone or are under- and I was selling sponsorships great run for me and gave me the industry was to sell tickets exposure to national brands, going renovations, with the and that’s exactly what I did. to events at Pine Knob. I guess Coliseum debuting with a Billy in some respects, that was the and how to truly sell and pack- Back then, franchises were age on a national level, and Joel concert earlier this year. a lot smaller than they are to- first introduction to the part Yormark also oversees the busi- of the business that was not I spent eight years there. But, day. The front office staff; there obviously, having the oppor- ness enterprise that manages weren’t many of us. In many sports, more entertainment. and controls the NBA’s Brook- And I really liked it. and that’s tunity to become the CEO of respects, you did a little of ev- the Nets, having started there lyn Nets, the NHL’s New York erything. At that point in time, how I started diversifying my Islanders business operations, skill sets. in 1988, and the opportunity when I started with the Nets, to move the team to Brooklyn and the Nets’ NBA G League I sold season tickets. I was affiliate, the Long Island Nets. Are there any of those skill sets and build a world-class venue also involved in group sales like Barclays Center, I jumped These are heady times for and I also played a role in game that you use today? the company in a marketplace at that opportunity. Even presentation / operations be- When I worked for the Pistons, though NASCAR was a great that always sees competitors cause everyone wore different at a much lower level obviously, on the horizon. Yormark ex- place, I just felt this was a hats. Back then, in the late it gave me insight and expo- dream come true. plains why they’ve chosen ’80s, when you wanted to work sure into my current environ- the direction they are heading, for a professional sports team, ment. It wasn’t just team- When you took the position of who reports to whom, and why you did whatever it took to be focused, it was building- Nets CEO, what were the first they have a West Coast office, successful. focused and entertainment- among other things. By day I was selling tickets focused. I learned how things things you knew you had to do? to hopefully sell seats and, at were becoming integrated at We were in a challenging state. Can you please tell us about night, I was part of the game an early part of my career. We had declared to the New your background? You have presentation staff. It gave me great exposure to Jersey community that we were been credited with playing I was there for about 2 1/2 beyond the team side of things, leaving the state. Looking back, a big part in the growth of years and I wanted to diversify which I enjoyed. Following we may have done that prema- 2017-2018 Edition 13 EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW CONCERT VENUE DIRECTORY turely but it was something In 2012, was Brooklyn Sports & I inherited. It was part of Entertainment the name of the the narrative. So, while the company that ran Barclays team was in Jersey you had Center alone or were there an eroding fan base because other properties? the fans were no longer in- vested; they knew we were That’s a good question. Here’s leaving to Brooklyn. It took a little peek under the hood: We a lot longer to get to Brooklyn were Brooklyn Sports & Enter- than anticipated, so that fan tainment en route to Brooklyn base really started to erode but what defined BSE was truly and, in the later years in Jersey, just the Barclays Center and it surely showed. While that the Brooklyn Nets. Our vision was happening, the team and was that if we got to Brooklyn the product weren’t up to the and did it the right way, launch caliber we hoped it would be. the Barclays Center in grand It was tough to time the arrival fashion, become a destination, in Brooklyn, strategically, while reinvigorate the Nets with the building the team and attract- opportunity to rebrand them – ing the right players. Being which we did – that ultimately THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE IN BROOKLYN as reimagined by Brooklyn Sports & a team in flux, it was very there would be a journey be- Entertainment. The renovations, which are just beginning, include restoring the 1928 yond just arriving in Brooklyn. theatre’s rococo ceiling and Wurlitzer organ as well as bringing back 1,500 seats to challenging. the original 3,000 capacity. So that was one part of it – And that we could ultimately maintaining the business and evolve into a real sports and being somewhat relevant in entertainment company. I think (sports marketing guru) Lonnie County put out an RFP, we New Jersey even though you in a very short period, as we Cooper and Cooper Holdings responded to it, we won it, declared you were leaving. embark on our fifth anniver- in Atlanta, and then we have and now, suddenly, we’ve got The other part of the job, sary, we’ve done that. Now, our foray into the lifestyle and a footprint in Long Island. obviously, was while we were when you think of Brooklyn performance merchandising On the heels of that, the making a living in Jersey, Sports & Entertainment, we’ve business with Brooklyn Boxing downtown Paramount in Brook- we needed to seed the brand got three verticals: we’ve got and our eCommerce site lyn approached us and said, in Brooklyn to create the anti- our team vertical, which is the BrooklynBoxingShop.com. So, “Boy, would you guys like to get cipation for our hopeful arrival Brooklyn Nets, the operating we’ve grown enormously over involved? We’ve got a venue which, again, took a little rights to the New York Island- the last five years. We’ve got here that’s been dormant for longer than expected. But we ers, and also we own and oper- offices now in Brooklyn. We years that, back in the day, was finally arrived here in 2012, ate the Long Island Nets, which have an office in New York City a true destination for some of which was almost seven years is our G League team at the on Park Avenue, and we have the greatest artists,” and we after I hired.