Oak View Group Facilities to Provide Event Booking Services to Iconic Rupp Arena
Los Angeles, CA. (February 5, 2018) – Lexington Center Corporation and Oak View Group Facilities have entered into a three-year exclusive Event Booking agreement for Rupp Arena. OVG Facilities will be focused on all areas of event programming with the exception of University of Kentucky athletic events. The booking strategy will focus on creating new programming, attracting more diverse national tours to the Lexington market, creating unique premium experience opportunities, and enhancing the fan experience.
“Our aggressive booking campaign focuses on bringing the right events to the market that we know will be successful.” said Oak View Group’s President of Facilities, Peter Luukko “With that, we are looking to create signature events and bring new events into the market. Rupp Arena has an epic sports history, and we want to broaden that to an epic live entertainment history. With our team’s depth of connections and relationships with show promoters and producers and our strategic alliance with Live Nation, we know we can make Rupp Arena a “must-play” venue.”
“The Oak View Group brings a broad range of expertise, service, and support to Rupp Arena beginning with attracting and enhancing the success of shows and in the other needs critical to our core business components. OVG is strategically the best choice as our booking partner,” said Bill Owen, Lexington Center Corp’s President & CEO.
OVG Facilities has hired David Farrar as the Director of Booking at Rupp Arena. Most recently, Farrar was the General Manager at Santander Arena and Performing Arts Center in Reading, PA. “David is a great addition to the OVG Facilities team” added Luukko. “He has strong relationships in the industry and an extensive background in booking and creating events.”
Located in Lexington, KY, Rupp Arena opened its doors in 1976. Since then, the 23,500 seat venue has hosted storied history sporting events making the venue recognized as an epicenter of sports excellence. The Rupp stage has also hosted some epic artists including, the Rolling Stones, Garth Brooks, Dave Matthews, Cher and Red Hot Chili Peppers, to just name a few. The arena is the home of the University of Kentucky Men’s Basketball program and continues to hosts family shows, concerts and the “Sweet 16” Boys High School Basketball Tournament.
Oak View Group Facilities, a division of the Oak View Group, which was founded by Irving Azoff, Tim Leiweke, with Madison Square Garden Entertainment. OVG Facilities is a full-service venue management company that creates customized management plans for each of their venues. The Group currently manages arenas, theaters, convention centers and amphitheaters all over the US and specializes in event programming, venue assessments, and security and emergency preparedness.