NBA Arena GMs Amanda Mann & Alex Rodrigo Announced For VenuesNow Conference Sustainability Panel

Amanda Mann, senior vice president of Rose Quarter Operations and general manager of Portland Trail Blazers and Moda Center in Portland, Ore., and Alex Rodrigo, senior vice president and general manager of Sacramento Kings and Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., will participate in the panel discussion titled “Clean & Green: Keys to Operating a Sustainable Venue.” Mann was among VenuesNow’s 2020 Women of Influence, which has now been rebranded as Women of Live. 

Following three successful runs in Los Angeles and New York, VenuesNow Conference will take place in Seattle Oct. 21-22. The event, a symposium for professionals in the sports and live entertainment venue business, will explore the industry through the lens of sustainability. The conference is being held at Seattle Center to coincide with the opening of Oak View Group’s Climate Pledge Arena, home to the NHL’s newest expansion team, the Seattle Kraken.

As the first carbon-neutral arena in the world, Climate Pledge Arena is being touted as the most progressive, responsible and sustainable arena in the world. VenuesNow Conference attendees will be among the first to exclusively tour the $1 billion Climate Pledge Arena and view the venue’s industry-leading features. 

Oak View Group is the parent company to both Pollstar and VenuesNow.

A few weeks ago, Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of family show giant Feld Entertainment, and his daughter Juliette Feld Grossman, the company’s chief operating officer, were announced as taking part in an on-stage Q&A session at VenuesNow Conference. The discussion will be moderated by Eric Bresler, senior vice president of programming for Oak View Group and Climate Pledge Arena.

Feld Entertainment was among the leaders in bringing shows safely back to live audiences at stadiums and arenas after the COVID-19 shutdown, re-creating the experience to adhere to health and safety protocols. Its Monster Jam truck event returned to the road Oct. 24-25 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and Disney on Ice returned Nov. 6-15 at Dallas’ American Airlines Center.

Other confirmed speakers at VenuesNow Conference include Jake Crumbine, head of global influence, Impossible Foods; Justin Toman, head of sports marketing, PepsiCo; Anneliese Mesilati, head of brand activation & sponsorships, UBS; Jason McLennan, CEO, McLennan Design; Amy Latimer, president, TD Garden and chief development officer, Delaware North; Ed Bosco, PE, LEED AP BD+C, managing principal, ME Engineers; Dr. K. Elizabeth Hawk, president, Ampersand Intelligence; and Akmal Ali, founder & CEO, Aluma.

 

While much of the discussion at VNC 2021 will cover sustainability, topics will continue to take on leading-edge innovation in the world of live event venues, with a deep focus on sanitization, security, and more. 

CAA ICON, the world’s leading owners’ representative and strategic management consulting firm for public and private sports and entertainment facility owners/operators, professional franchises and leagues, is the presenting sponsor for VenuesNow Conference 2021. The conference is also presented in association with Delaware North, the global leader in hospitality management & food service management.  

All registrants for VNC will be required to show proof of vaccination prior to gaining entry to the conference.