We’re off to the land of Oz as we chat with Christine Pileckas, the Director of Booking & Marketing at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. Christine, who recently celebrated her 15 year anniversary with the venue, gives us the lay of the land on the venue’s place in the city, the city’s place in the state, and how she juggles her roles at the arena. Recognized as one of the Top 20 busiest arenas in the world for their venue size, INTRUST Bank Arena is somewhat unique with its blended marketing and booking departments, which provide a synergy which help both excel. Hear how things are structured, what motivated Christine to add booking to her resume, some misconceptions about both sides of the industry, and how their approach helps them chase and market shows. We learn about how she got her start in live events, from a shifted major at West Chester University of Pennsylvania to an internship and starting role in New Jersey to her time in Wichita – Christine talks about how not being afraid to take risks and working for the job you want has led her to this point in her career. As we hit our 150th overall episode (119 main + 31 bonus) enjoy this conversation packed full of great career tips, fun marketing ideas and strategies, and lots of interesting information about the Air Capital of the World.

Christine Pileckas: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
INTRUST Bank Arena: Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

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Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

We’re headed north of the border to Hamilton, Ontario to chat with Nick DeLuco, Senior Vice President & General Manager of TD Coliseum. This is opening week for the venue, which will open after an extensive $300 million renovation by Oak View Group this Friday, November 21, with a kick off concert with Paul McCartney. We chat with Nick about the arena’s place in the Golden Horseshoe market, Oak View Group’s investment in the cutting-edge venue, and their music-first approach to the design and strategies. We talk about the balance of paying homage to the 40 year history while also blazing a new path with innovations – including unique floor level suites built into the lower bowl. As they approach their opening, we hear about how the team worked together on the project and their focus on being present during the busy opening week. Nick also walks us through his venueland history, from taking Sports Management in school and wanting to be a sports agent to an internship at his hometown venue in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to his first job post graduation in ticketing in Mississauga. We talk about his path to opening new buildings in Kingston and New Brunswick as well as his time spent in Edmonton overseeing live events. Enjoy this fun look behind the curtain as they prepare to open this venue while also enjoying great career advice, fun stories, and recommendations for your next visit to Hamilton.

Nick DeLuco: LinkedIn
TD Coliseum: Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

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Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

Just like your favorite venue ghost, we’re back to bring you spine-chilling stories, spooky event info, and harrowing Halloween haunts to make all your nightmares come true! 🦇 For this year’s frightful feature, we learn all about Paramount Theatre in Austin, which in addition to being haunted also presents an annual horror film series – Panic at the Paramount! 🎬 Our (g)hosts are joined by Javier Ramirez, Director of Marketing at Paramount & State Theatres and Moontower Comedy Festival (largest annual comedy festival in North America). Javier acts as our guide through an overview of both theatres before we dive into their horror film series. We learn about how Panic at the Paramount was created, their thought process with ticket pricing and branding around the events, and how various actors and legendary film director Robert Rodríguez have gotten involved in presenting films for the series. We then learn about the 110 year old Paramount Theatre’s three resident ghosts, which have been seen around the venue, photographed disappearing into the seats, and even… smelled?! 👻 Enjoy this fun annual Halloween episode to get you in the mood for today’s holiday.

Javier Ramirez: Instagram | LinkedIn
Paramount Theatre: Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

Take a trip to the Queen City as we talk to Tim Murray, Athletic Trainer for the Cincinnati Cyclones, the ECHL pro hockey team that plays at Heritage Bank Center. Tim tells us about the Cyclones, a ECHL minor league hockey team affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) and Toronto Marlies (AHL), gives us an overview of the roles of an athletic trainer, and what a typical day is for him for home and away games. Learn what makes a good venue from his side of the industry, the differences of being an athletic trainer with different sports, and what he loves about hockey. Tim tells us what inspired him to pursue this career, and walks us through time in school at EKU (where he became friends with Paul) and Murray State, and his path that led him to his current role. We discuss competitive drive and how he has competed in different events and currently competes in CrossFit. Tim tells us about his work in spreading awareness for Dwarfism and #DwarfismAwarenessMonth (October) – using his platform to educate people and advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves. Enjoy this fascinating look into the athletic trainer side of the live events industry in this fun, educational episode.

Tim Murray: Instagram | LinkedIn
Cincinnati Cyclones: Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

On our latest adventure we chat with Ritesh Patel, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Ticket Fairy, an advanced AI-native vertical SaaS platform built specifically for the live entertainment industry. Similar to the show How It’s Made, we talk with Ritesh about what Ticket Fairy is and how it was turned into what it is today, such as: thinking of the concept, coding and developing, testing it on his own gigs, beta testing with his friends, pitching and selling investors, scaling the business and product, and continuing to enhance and grow the platform’s capabilities. It’s a fascinating look into an interesting industry platform and what goes into building a business. Additionally, Ritesh is the creator of LOCUS, which he originally started to promote shows in 2000 and revived in 2022 into what is now two multi-day annual festivals in Tulum and Bali. We talk through both events and how they allow him to continue to follow his passion for being a promoter, which was incubated by falling in love with the rave scene while in college in Bristol. Enjoy this interesting, educational episode that is steeped in a love for live events and exploring ways to make things easier for those that put them on.

Ritesh Patel: Instagram | X/Twitter | LinkedIn
Ticket Fairy: Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

We’re headed to Rock Town for this episode as we chat with Cai Lane, Marketing Specialist for Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau. LRCVB, which is a destination marketing organization, also manages venues in the Central Arkansas Region, including Robinson Center, Statehouse Convention Center, First Security Amphitheater, and River Market Pavilions. Cai tells us about the city and about each of the venues their CVB manages. We learn about the culture and scene of Little Rock, which Travel + Leisure declared the most underrated city in the south. We dive into a day in the life with him, learning about his role with the venues, digging into buyer personas, and how he works with promoters to set realistic and stretch goals before making a comprehensive plan. From making Little Rock shine and promoting venues to his side businesses in real estate and recording music – you're bound to enjoy this episode, which is filled with infectious joy, fascinating information, and great BBQ recommendations.

Cai Lane: Instagram | LinkedIn
Little Rock Convention & Visitor's Bureau: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

Monster Jam trucks, Disney On Ice skaters, dirt bikes, and even the circus – join us as we dive into all things family shows with Windy Reeves, Senior Director of Event Marketing & Sales for Feld Entertainment, the leading global company of live touring family entertainment. Feld is the powerhouse behind Monster Jam, Supercross, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and Disney On Ice, and Windy gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how these productions come to life. We chat through exciting new additions to the tours, and how she builds the Atlanta shows, sets the pricing, works with PR and group sales to develop campaigns and promote their shows. Learn how she and other promoters leverage new exciting things each year to pitch media, and how they have been leaning more into influencer and celebrity marketing. Learn how Windy got her start in her career, from attending Georgia College State University to stints at the Union Reporter and Macon Centreplex before joining Feld, and how the excitement has kept her in this role while giving her fulfilling opportunities like being a Lead Adjunct Professor at University of South Carolina for a class offered by Feld. Buckle up and listen in as we run away with the circus on this fun, informative episode.

Windy Reeves: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Email
Feld Entertainment: Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

Rocket off 🚀 to Space City with us as we chat with Alyssa Patani, Arena Marketing Manager at Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets. Lyssa gives us the lay of the land – Toyota Center’s place in the market, what her role is at the venue, and what makes Houston such a special place. We chat with her about social strategies, their approach and her recommendations on graphics, and how she balances the demand for graphics with managing time by using templates. Learn what other venues she follows and how important it is to create a social aesthetic and visuals unique to your venue. Lyssa tells us about how she developed a love of design through early days of MySpace which led her into teaching herself Photoshop which has come in handy when working with tour admats. She tells us about her history in the industry and how she has been challenged over the years, and through that, has gained new perspective and been able to network with peers from other venues. You’ll love this episode, which is packed with fun stories, candid vulnerability, and great conversations with plenty of laughs.

Alyssa Patani: Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn
Toyota Center: Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter

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ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND

Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/Twitter
Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference

Meet our team:

Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing
Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research
Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising
Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity
Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing

Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.