JACKSON, MS (August 20, 2020) –The City of Jackson approved a recommendation by the Capital City Convention Center Commission to enter into a new partnership with Oak View Group Facilities, a global firm and specialist in providing premium services, content and streamlining venue operations for its clients, to manage, operate, market, and schedule events for the 330,000-square-feet Convention Center.
Oak View Group will begin overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations for the Convention Center on October 1, 2020. In addition, the company will work closely with Visit Jackson and the Capital City Convention Center Commission to aggressively sell and market the venue, secure live entertainment, and increase meetings, conventions, consumer shows, trade shows and local corporate and social events. Shura Garnett, Senior Vice President, OVG Facilities, a highly-respected industry executive in convention center management, will oversee the account for OVG.
“Oak View Group has an outstanding reputation for creating new and exciting customer experiences and providing world-class entertainment,”
said Rickey Thigpen, President, Visit Jackson.
“We look forward to working with OVG in reestablishing Jackson as a premier destination for meetings, conventions, and live entertainment.”
“As live events, conventions and meeting business make their come back, it will be important to work with a company like OVG who has been a leader in discussions on making sure convention centers like ours can return to hosting events safely,”
said Jackson, MS Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba.
“We’ve seen what OVG has been able to do at their other convention centers and we’re excited about the opportunities they will bring to our city.”
OVG Facilities is at the forefront of assisting public assembly facilities worldwide in the new protocol to reopen post-COVID-19. The company established a Venue Reopening Task Force of engineering, health testing, and various mechanical systems and chemical applications to help these venues ensure guests, exhibitors, conventioneers, performers, athletes, and employees can return confidently and comfortably to live entertainment venues and convention centers.
“We look forward to working closely with Visit Jackson and the Capital City Convention Center Commission in creating new opportunities to fill the Convention Center and generating new levels of excitement here in Jackson,”
said Peter Luukko, Chairman, OVG Facilities.
“We also see tremendous potential to bring live entertainment into the convention center and reestablish Jackson as a premier destination.”
OVG’s innovation and entrepreneurial spirit to make a positive disruption in the live entertainment and sports industry is making a difference in the hospitality industry, as well. In addition to securing the contract for the Jackson Convention Center Complex, OVG recently added the Fredericksburg Expo and Convention Center to its management portfolio and is in contract negotiations with another convention center. The company also reduced the City of Grand Junction (CO)’s subsidy by $200,000 in 2018 at the Grand Junction Convention Center; and continues to reestablish financial best years running at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Kovalchick Complex in Indiana, PA, since 2016.
OVG Facilities is successful in delivering new event content and programming opportunities for its clients. The company is experiencing a 587% growth since 2018, including 10 new accounts in 2020.
Oak View Group Facilities, a division of the Oak View Group, which was founded by Irving Azoff, Tim Leiweke, and supported by Silverlake, specializes in event programming, venue assessments, and security and emergency preparedness. Oak View Group Facilities can also provide full management services for arenas, stadiums, convention centers, and performing arts centers. Oak View Group is the largest developer of sports and entertainment facilities in the world with $4.5 billion of deployed capital across eight projects.