From Sod To Hardwood To Concert: Executing the Perfect Changeover (VNC Panel Recap)

VenuesNow Conference Panel: Event Operations: Executing the Perfect Changeover
Sept 10, 2025
Moderator: Ryan Borba, Managing Editor, Pollstar/VenuesNow
Panelists: Beth Pepper, COO,  Black Promoters Collective
Matt Miller, SVP, Facility Operation, Cleveland Cavaliers / Rocket Arena
Jason Carmello, Senior Architect, Senior Principal, Populous
Armen Dembekjian, SVP & General Manager, Sphere, Sphere Entertainment Co

From ice to hardwood to sod to rigging thousands of pounds of material from the heavens, making sure it’s done safely, expediently and by showtime with areas to store, marshal, load and unload is immensely challenging in the best of circumstances.  What VenuesNow insightful panel “Event Operations: Executing the Perfect Changeover” made abundantly clear from a variety of perspectives is that for any modern well-trafficked building, it’s essential changeovers are strategically executed at the highest level if they’re going to be a successful building.

As panelist Jason Carmello, a Populous Senior Architect, said, it’s crucal from the design stage onwards, that you listen to all perspectives, especially in regards to changeovers.

“I think the biggest thing that we can do as design professionals when we start to go over designs is to be really good listeners,” Carmello said. “Listen and observe to the people that have to live in the building for 10, 15, 20, 30 years The key to it is to build inherent flexibility to the project.”

Indeed, balancing the evolving needs of buildings, fans, artists, teams, security, operations, production perspective is a constant. Upgrading sports venues to a concert model with performance stages, backstage areas, green rooms, front-of-house audio and rigging is one thing; having premium spaces—which these days are not just suites, but on the ground level and closer to the stage, field or court—is another thing.  Plus there’s always considerations for security, circulation and storage—which if aren’t planned out correctly can have costs and inefficiencies that last years.

“Circulation paths,” Carmello continued, “that’s one of our biggest responsibilities. We spend time trying to watch load-ins and changeovers because if we have to navigate crossover circulation, as simple as it sounds, then you might have to staff that intersection point for 20 years. You have to pay someone to sit at that corner and direct traffic for 20 years. But if we get the pattern right, then it’ll happen and remain free flowing for 20 years.”

According to Rocket Arena’s Matt Miller, SVP, Facility Operation, the process of going from one event to another has improved immensely over the course of his 26-year career.

“Changeovers have become more efficient, everybody’s better,”  Miller said. “The teams and tours have done a great job and we can do it quickly and move a lot of the groups in and out so that every possible date can be scheduled and used. But it’s about efficiency and making sure that you can get people in and out quickly and a positive experience.”

Miller cited having to juggle the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers playoff run, minor league hockey and the Republican National Convention. “It was a busy June. For lack of a better term, it was a perfect storm.”  The Cavalier’s were able to open the building up to fans for an away game while covering the RNC’s signage. “It all worked out,” he said, “it just took a lot of collaboration, a lot of organization, and everybody was successful.”

Armen Dembekjian, SVP & General Manager, Sphere, said for his team, which has multiple events over the course of a day, said their changeover isn’t something they measure in days.

“We’re 365 so we don’t look at days,” he said. “We look at minutes. It’s broken down to minutes every single day. You have two hours and 15 minutes to change. You have two hours and 10 minutes to do X, an hour and 45 to do Y. So everything is broken down to minutes to maximize getting as many shows and experience shows. We just kicked off “The Wizard of Oz” a couple of weeks ago. It’s a hit. It’s amazing. It’s one of the best experiences.  Two weeks ago we did three Wizard of Oz shows and then went into a residency that night opening doors at 10:50 that night. So it was truly calculated for that minute. And then when that show was done they were out and we programming for something else. So it comes down to minutes. We don’t look at days. There are no dark days.”

Beth Pepper of the Black Promoters Collective, who has the Brandy and Monica Tour and The Queens Tour (with Gladys Night, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle and Stephane Mills) spoke on the importance of communication on dates and what other events may be in the market place – which isn’t always apparent at the time of routing a tour.

“As programming continues to grow and scale between sports and entertainment and we’re one of many trying to get a hold date, and we’re trying to put all those pieces of the puzzle together at come up with routing so we can officially announce the tour,  it’s about being upfront in the booking or availability of the venue and trying to determine any other risk factors of trying to nail down the date,” Pepper said.

“We were talking backstage about the NFL schedule coming out. Oftentimes, we’ve had to lock in dates with the venue. For our Brandy and Monica tour in Cincinnati that’s kicking off, it’s now the same night as the Cincinnati Bangles-Pittsburgh Steelers game. So there’s a lot of folks in town competing for two major events. In addition, we’re competing for hotels and those things. So sometimes there’s factors you can control and sometimes there’s not. But most of the time, the venue partner is great about trying to tell us about things like different sports schedules and the like.”