VenuesNow 2026 All-Star Honoree: Chelsea Cunningham

Chelsea Cunningham
Vice President, North American Venues
AEG Presents

FAVORITE PLACE IN A VENUE TO WATCH A SHOW:
“In the pit, facing the crowd. I love watching the audience experience the show as much as watching the artist perform.”

In May, AEG Presents named Chelsea Cunningham and fellow VenuesNow All-Star honoree Justin Miller vice presidents of North American venues, with Cunningham assuming executive responsibility for the company’s venue policies and procedures and Miller taking on oversight of all venue capital improvements and maintenance nationally.

Cunningham joined AEG Presents in 2019 as director of venue operations and events and most recently held the role of VP North American operations.
She got her start in the live business working at Ticketmaster as client relations coordinator, music services, and went on to work for The Madison Square Garden Company, where she held leadership roles at The Forum.

Her Greatest Success Over The Past Year
“Building a stronger bench of leaders and watching them step into bigger roles. When you invest in people, the results follow.”

On Conquering The Biggest Challenges
“Balancing growth with consistency. We stayed focused on clear standards, strong communication, and empowering local leaders to lead.”

The Social Cause That Has Her Heart
“Supporting women and advancing female leadership is especially important to me.

The Mentor That Changed Her Life
“My mom. Watching her navigate a successful career while raising a family gave me the confidence to believe I could do both, too.”
Best Show She Saw This Year
“Sir Paul McCartney at the Fonda Theatre.”

Words To Live By
“People will forget what you said and what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

What’s Next?
“More growth. We’re expanding into new markets, with venue openings in Austin and Portland in 2027. I’m excited about what’s ahead.”