VenuesNow 2025 All-Star Honoree: JW Roth

JW ROTH
Founder & CEO
VENU Holding Corporation

ON THE BEAT
One-time Denver cop goes public on stock market.

The VenuesNow All-Stars list is a unique group that includes rank and file venue operators, high-level executives overseeing major operations, business leaders and big-idea generating moguls who invest in the live sports and industry infrastructure and make new things possible. Still, JW Roth stands out as someone doing things differently and impressively.

“We took the company public on the NYSE American in November 2024 under the trading symbol VENU, and our stock has risen 70% in the months since,” says Roth, whose VENU company developed and opened the new Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs last year, with unique fire-pit suites, climate controlled lawn and other amenities not typically seen at outdoor venues. “Much of the credit goes to the launch of our Luxe FireSuites and the associated Triple Net Program, where the investor receives predictable rental income. Fractional ownership sales in our FireSuites have skyrocketed to the point where they are now approaching $1 million a day. That’s a huge sign of investor confidence.”

Outdoor Sunset Amphitheaters are planned in multiple markets with varying capacity, venue operators and booking agreements, with Roth wanting to do what makes the most sense in each market rather than stick to one particular model. There’s also Troy Aikman-branded, members-only clubs, featuring the Hall of Fame NFL quarterback’s “EIGHT Elite Light” lager, a low-calorie, healthfully minded beer. A one-time membership fee costs $150,000. Premium focused, Roth says inflation is a concern but demand is not. “Our FireSuite sales are going strong even though they start at $400,000,” says Roth, whose various amphitheater projects total more than a $1 billion worth of investment, including around $300 million into a 20,000-capacity amphitheater in McKinney, Texas. Other venues are in development in El Paso, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. With an already ambitious rollout and business model, other surprises are in store.

“We are building a massive soft ticketing platform that will launch in 2026 that will be industry-changing and provide live content globally,” Roth says. “Details to come soon!”