Courtney Jee

Catch a trolly and join us in the Bay Area as we chat with Courtney Jee, VP of Strategic Accounts at Legends Global. When stakes are high, such as buildings opening or contract renewals or big events, Courtney jumps in to offer support for milestone moments for venues throughout the Legends Global portfolio. We chat with her about her always-changing tasks which have kept her nimble and allowed her to bring a wealth of experience to solve challenges and help teams. We walk through some case studies with Courtney, who gives great advice on tips for opening venues, supporting marketing teams, and the importance of understanding and embracing local partners. We walk through Courtney’s career journey, from attending Auburn University with an interest in sports, landing an internship with Atlanta Spirit working with the Atlanta Thrashers and Atlanta Hawks, working at Gas South Arena, Stockton Arena, and SAP Center. She tells us about her decision to take a break from the industry and what ultimately led her to consulting with venues and her current role with Legends Global. Enjoy this informative and joyful episode which is sure to give you some takeaways and perspective to apply to your industry career.Courtney Jee: LinkedInLegends Global: Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter ––––––ADVENTURES IN VENUELANDFollow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/TwitterLearn more about Event & Venue Marketing ConferenceMeet our team:Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & MarketingDave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest ResearchMegan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital AdvertisingSamantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & PublicityCamille Faulkner | Audio Editing & MixingHave a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

BONUS EPISODE – It’s Halloween, which means it’s time to reanimate 🧟‍♂️ your favorite spooky venue series for another fun tale of facility frights! 🦇 This time our heads roll to the edge of Lake Eeeeeeerie, to the birthplace of the phrase “Rock-and-roll,” as we hear all about the ghostly apparitions and venue spirits of The Agora in Cleveland. Our podcast (g)hosts are joined by Mike Tata, Integrated Marketing Manager with AEG Presents in Cleveland, which manages The Agora and Jacobs Pavilion. With Mike as our guide, we get an overview of the venues and then flick on the ghost light and dive into the spooky spirits that inhabit The Agora. We learn about “The Man in the Yellow Raincoat” and “The Cleaning Lady” and just… “Mark.” From banging on metal doors to clapping, sweeping noises to a pacing shadow, and of course spirits in the basement — there are plenty of spine-tingling tales to help you celebrate the spooky season! 👻 Enjoy this fun annual Halloween episode to get you in the mood for today’s holiday.Mike Tata: InstagramThe Agora: Instagram | Facebook | X/Twitter ––––––ADVENTURES IN VENUELANDFollow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/TwitterLearn more about Event & Venue Marketing ConferenceMeet our team:Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & MarketingDave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest ResearchMegan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital AdvertisingSamantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & PublicityCamille Faulkner | Audio Editing & MixingHave a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

We’re off to Southern California to chat with retired industry legend Lee Zeidman, former President of Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater, and L.A. LIVE. With 45+ years running some of the most important venues in the world including 6,500 events, Lee was witness to countless stories and had a front row seat to historic sports, music, and entertainment moments. During his tenure at STAPLES Center/Crypto.com Arena they hosted 22 Grammy Awards, seven NBA Finals, two Stanley Cup Finals, five WNBA Finals, a Democratic National Convention, five All-Star games, and some of the most emotional moments in sports and music history. We chat with Lee about retired life and things he misses or doesn’t miss the most. We talk through his life and career, from moving with his family to Southern California at age 9 to jobs at Cal State Northridge, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, and his break into a major arena at the Great Western Forum with Ogden Entertainment. He tells us stories from the old Forum years and his time there which led to him being the first employee hired for STAPLES Center when that building opened. Lee tells us what he learned from industry greats Claire Rothman and Jerry West and what advice he gives to others navigating their careers. This episode is packed from great tips, fun stories, and fascinating venue history which you’re sure to enjoy.Lee Zeidman: X/Twitter | LinkedIn ––––––ADVENTURES IN VENUELANDFollow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/TwitterLearn more about Event & Venue Marketing ConferenceMeet our team:Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & MarketingDave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest ResearchMegan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital AdvertisingSamantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & PublicityCamille Faulkner | Audio Editing & MixingHave a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

Grab your ticket 🎟️ and hop aboard in Convergence Station 🚇 as we explore worlds beyond with Sophie Prince, Event Marketing Manager at Meow Wolf Denver, and their out-of-this-universe venue — The Perplexiplex, an immersive performance venue within the larger space. 🪐 Sophie guides us from the accessible unknown through the surreal world of Meow Wolf, which started in 2008 as an artist collective in Santa Fe and has now grown to five immersive and maximalist exhibits in Santa Fe, Denver, Vegas, Dallas and Houston. The Denver location, which was built with music in mind, is one of many locations which hosts touring artists. Hear all about the 360° projection-mapped venue, the wide mix of events they host, and how they have carved their space in a dense Denver market. Sophie tells us how she fell in love with live events at Trinity College and her path from hosting a radio show and events at the campus venue to pursuing her dream job at Meow Wolf in Denver. ✨ This episode invites you to explore the unknown, expand your definition of venue, hear some amazing stories, and dive into The Converged Worlds of Meow Wolf Denver.Sophie Prince: LinkedInMeow Wolf: Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn ––––––ADVENTURES IN VENUELANDFollow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/TwitterLearn more about Event & Venue Marketing ConferenceMeet our team:Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & MarketingDave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest ResearchMegan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital AdvertisingSamantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & PublicityCamille Faulkner | Audio Editing & MixingHave a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

We’re venturing to West Texas to chat with Stephanie Rivas, General Manager at Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center and Vice President of International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA). With two decades of experience working in media, marketing, entertainment and performing arts, Stephanie tells us about her role with the venue and Legends Global, which manages the PAC. We learn about the Midland and Odessa market and the importance the venue has in providing arts programming to a huge part of the state – making it more accessible and equitable. We talk about her role on the board with IEBA and discuss the importance of conferences to career growth. Stephanie tells us about her career history from going to college at what is now Texas State University to beginning in broadcasting as a producer and anchor. Hear what tips she has for building relationships with local media and how you can help control the image and brand of your venue. Enjoy this great episode with interesting insight into “The Shining Star of West Texas” as well as excellent career advance and fun stories.Stephanie Rivas: Instagram | LinkedInWagner Noël Performing Arts Center: Facebook | Instagram | TikTok ––––––ADVENTURES IN VENUELANDFollow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/TwitterLearn more about Event & Venue Marketing ConferenceMeet our team:Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & MarketingDave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest ResearchMegan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital AdvertisingSamantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & PublicityCamille Faulkner | Audio Editing & MixingHave a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

We’re dancing our way to the Live Music Capital of the World – Austin, Texas to chat with Chelsea Masler, Marketing Director at Messina Touring. Whether she’s working on campaigns for major stadium tours like Ed Sheeran or strategically rolling out a legendary underplay tour for Phoebe Bridgers, Chelsea works with the Messina Touring team to act as an extension of management for their artist roster. We talk about some of her tasks from arranging radio campaigns, strategizing marketing content, working closely with venues, and how they dive into fan communities to understand what resonates to ensure tours remain authentic to fans. Learn what it’s like launching a tour from her perspective and how they use data to identify trends while also understanding special fan connections that the data can’t capture. Chelsea tells us about her industry path from writing for a music blog and joining the event board in college, starting at Oracle Arena as an intern and working her way up, time she spent at Goldenvoice and Facebook, all the way up to her current role. You’re bound to love this fun episode that’s packed full of interesting stories, perspective, and laughs.Chelsea Masler: Instagram | LinkedInMessina Touring: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn ––––––ADVENTURES IN VENUELANDFollow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/TwitterLearn more about Event & Venue Marketing ConferenceMeet our team:Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & MarketingDave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest ResearchMegan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital AdvertisingSamantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & PublicityCamille Faulkner | Audio Editing & MixingHave a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

We’re off to “The Land” to chat with Carrie Samek, Vice President of Event & Media Marketing at Rocket Arena and Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland, Ohio. After learning about the arena and Carrie’s role with the venue and team, we chat through what it was like curating an exhibit around the 10 year anniversary of the Cav’s iconic 2016 NBA Championship, and the challenges of joys that came along with it. Carrie tells us about how they planned the arena’s 30th anniversary two years ago, which included a performance by Diplo and a drone show. We talk about her fun career path, from cold emailing the creator of Warped Tour to working phones at ClearChannel to touring with The Black Eyed Peas to her time with Belkin Productions and Live Nation and ultimately her current role. Whether you know her as Carrie, Wizzysis, Queen of Drones, or museum curator – to know Carrie is to love her and we know you’ll love this episode all about someone who has helped shape some of Northeast Ohio’s biggest moments. 🤘 Cleveland Rocks! Carrie Samek: Instagram | LinkedIn Rocket Arena: Instagram | Facebook | X/Twitter ––––––ADVENTURES IN VENUELANDFollow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/TwitterLearn more about Event & Venue Marketing ConferenceMeet our team:Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & MarketingDave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest ResearchMegan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital AdvertisingSamantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & PublicityCamille Faulkner | Audio Editing & MixingHave a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

Join us on the left side of the “Michigan mitten” as we head to Grand Rapids to chat with Hannah Flynn, Communications Manager with Legends Global, which manages Van Andel Arena, DeVos Performance Hall, DeVos Place, newly opened Acrisure Amphitheater, and Amway Stadium (opening Spring 2027). As a passionate social media and pop culture guru, we dive into the details of Hannah’s role, the structure of their department, and learn a bit about each of the venues. We talk with her about collaborating with local businesses and hear tips about pitching ideas and some examples of fun promotions. Known for dressing up as artists coming to their venues for TikTok videos, Hannah talks about their approach to following social trends and how to discover new ideas. We talk about how she got into live events as well as the creation of her concert social account (@hangoestoaconcert), which has evolved from providing tips for going to concerts to advice on joining the industry. This is a fun episode that’s sure to spark some ideas, give you some accounts to follow, and (for those of you not already in the industry) may just inspire you to dive in. Hannah Flynn: Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn Van Andel Arena: Instagram | Facebook | TikTok ––––––ADVENTURES IN VENUELANDFollow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/TwitterLearn more about Event & Venue Marketing ConferenceMeet our team:Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & MarketingDave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest ResearchMegan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital AdvertisingSamantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & PublicityCamille Faulkner | Audio Editing & MixingHave a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

Journey with us to the Aloha State as we visit Hawaii and talk with Barb Saito, President of Aloha Group International Inc., who is based in the capital city of Honolulu on the island of O’ahu. Barb, who has 45 years of experience in the industry, supports concert promoters by consulting and assisting with financial and logistical challenges that come with promoting shows in Hawaii. She also works a lot with Asian artists who often do fan club flyaway events in the area. We chat through the many benefits of routing shows to Hawaii and learn about how they navigate challenges in keeping costs low and making adjustments to tours, using local vendors and shipping gear to make the finances work. Barb tells us about her start in live events, stage managing for plays in high school and ultimately getting a job as a book keeper with legendary concert promoter and DJ, Tom Moffatt. She shares memories from early shows and talks about what it was like breaking barriers as a woman handling settlements and production in the 80s and 90s. We also talk about her volunteer work with Hawaii Events Coalition, a group which formed during the pandemic to support overall live event business in the state. Enjoy this fun, fascinating episode filled with aloha, a love of live events, and amazing stories. Barb Saito: LinkedIn | Email Aloha Group International: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter/X ––––––ADVENTURES IN VENUELANDFollow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/TwitterLearn more about Event & Venue Marketing ConferenceMeet our team:Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & MarketingDave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest ResearchMegan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital AdvertisingSamantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & PublicityCamille Faulkner | Audio Editing & MixingHave a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.

We’re off to the Midwest as we visit the city of Omaha, Nebraska and chat with Adam Straight, President & CEO of Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA). Adam tells us all about MECA, which is a venue management company which manages city-owned properties including CHI Health Center Omaha (which includes an arena and convention center), Charles Schwab Field Omaha (which hosts the College World Series), and The RiverFront (72-acre urban green space along the Missouri River). We hear what makes each venue special and how their combined strength makes the city competitive when attracting events. Adam tells us about what makes Omaha special, trends he is seeing in the convention side of the industry, and we discuss the importance of sustainability with venues. We learn about Adam’s history in the industry, which he started unconventionally as an electrician working sporting events at University of Maryland, eventually leading him to working at two of the top five convention centers in the country. Enjoy this episode which provides an interesting perspective of managing a diverse group of venues and is sure to add Omaha to your visit list. Adam Straight: LinkedIn MECA: Facebook | LinkedIn | X/Twitter ––––––ADVENTURES IN VENUELANDFollow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X/TwitterLearn more about Event & Venue Marketing ConferenceMeet our team:Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & MarketingDave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest ResearchMegan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital AdvertisingSamantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & PublicityCamille Faulkner | Audio Editing & MixingHave a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email.