TERI ORTON NAMED GENERAL MANAGER OF HAWAI‘I CONVENTION CENTER

TERI ORTON NAMED GENERAL MANAGER OF HAWAI‘I CONVENTION CENTER

HONOLULU, December 12, 2013 – AEG Facilities, which will assume management of the Hawai‘i Convention Center January 1, 2014, has named Teri Orton as General Manager of the 1.1 million square-foot facility located at the entrance to Waikïkï, O‘ahu. She will join AEG on December 18.

Prior to accepting the position, Orton was Vice President of Condominium Resort Marketing for Outrigger Enterprises Group, which consists of 16 properties across the Hawaiian Islands.

“Teri’s dynamic leadership skills, ability to motivate teams and proficiency in the hospitality arena combined with her experience and deep understanding of the destination make her the ideal person to oversee this great facility,” said Brad Gessner, Vice President of Convention Centers, AEG Facilities. “The addition of Teri along with the existing knowledgeable and professional staff to our experienced AEG Facilities team are uniquely qualified and poised to take the Center to new standards of success in service, bookings and guest satisfaction.”

In her new role, Orton will oversee all overall management of the Hawai‘i Convention Center, including sales and marketing, operations, finance, food and beverage and customer service, while implementing the strategic positioning and marketing plans for the facility in conjunction with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB), and the Meet Hawai‘i team.

“I am excited and privileged to have the opportunity to join the well-respected AEG Facilities management group in operating the world class Hawai‘i Convention Center,” said Orton. “Together with the veteran existing staff members, I am looking forward to working in conjunction with all of the community and hospitality stakeholders along with the HTA and Meet Hawai‘i sales team in marketing the Center and the Hawaiian Islands as an unmatched business meetings destination.”

“We are very fortunate to have found in Teri an individual born and raised in the Islands with outstanding travel industry credentials and a passionate belief in the strength and marketability of Hawai‘i as a meetings destination,” said Mike McCartney, HTA’s president and CEO. “Her proven track record of success and leadership will contribute greatly to elevating the Center’s global presence and optimizing its usage.”

Orton’s 17 years of hospitality experience includes posts as hotel general manager, director of sales and marketing and other management roles with Outrigger Enterprises Group, Embassy Suites, The Ilikai, W Diamond Head, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani and the Huntington Beach Hilton Resort.

Orton majored in communications at the University of Hawai‘i – Windward Campus and advanced her training in hospitality management through various certifications with Starwood and Hilton Hotels. She has also been a member of the Waikiki Roundtable Committee for two years and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) membership committee chair for two years.

AEG Facilities has more than 20 years of experience in the management of convention centers, as well as arenas, stadiums and other facilities. The company offers a network of elite
worldwide convention centers, all of which have a similar look and feel to Hawai‘i’s convention center. With a presence in more than 100 venues on five continents, the Los Angeles-based organization expects to immediately position the HCC in some of the HTA’s key Meetings, Conventions and Incentive (MCI) markets, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

AEG takes over the management of the Honolulu center from SMG, which has run the venue since it opened in 1998.

About Meet Hawai‘i
Meet Hawai‘i is a collaboration of the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) and Hawai‘i Convention Center (HCC) to reinforce the brand of the Hawaiian Islands as a world-class destination for business meetings, conventions, and incentive programs. The marketing efforts of the Meet Hawai‘i team are overseen by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), the state of Hawai‘i’s tourism agency. HTA was established in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry well into the future. Its mission is to strategically manage Hawai‘i tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with the state of Hawai‘i’s economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires, and visitor industry needs. For information about Meet Hawai‘i and the hosting of meetings, conventions and incentives, please visit MeetHawaii.com.

About AEG Facilities
AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, is the leading sports, entertainment and venue operator in the world. AEG Facilities, a stand-alone affiliate of AEG, owns, operates or consults with more than 100 of the industry’s preeminent venues worldwide, across five continents, providing complete venue management, as well as specialized programs in operations, guest services, ticketing, booking, sales and marketing. AEG Facilities also provides resources and access to other AEG-affiliated entities, including live event producer, AEG Live, AEG Global Partnerships, AEG Development, AEG 1Earth, AEG Encore and AEG Creative to support the success of AEG venues across the globe. The Los Angeles-based organization owns, operates or provides services to the world’s most elite venues, including STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, Calif.), StubHub Center (Carson, Calif.), Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE (Los Angeles, Calif.), Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.), KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, Ky.),
AmericanAirlines Arena(Miami, Fla.), Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.), Target Center (Minneapolis, Minn.) and BBVA Compass Stadium (Houston, Texas). Among the roster of world class convention centers and other facilities managed by the division are the Los Angeles Convention Center, Hawai’i Convention Center (Honolulu, HI), Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (Brisbane, Australia), Oman Convention and Exhibition Center (Muscat, Oman), Sydney International Convention, Exhibition, and Entertainment District, Cairns Convention Center and Darwin Conventions Centre. Other venues include Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum (Oakland, Calif.), CONSOL Energy Center (Pittsburgh, Penn.), Rabobank Arena (Bakersfield, Calif.), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), MasterCard Center (Beijing, China), The O2 Arena (London, England), O2 World (Berlin, Germany), O2 World Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany), Ahoy Arena (Rotterdam, Netherlands), Itaipava Arena Pernambuco (Recife, Brazil), Allianz Parque (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Allphones Arena (Sydney, Australia), Ülker Sports Arena (Istanbul, Turkey), Ericsson Globe Arena (Stockholm, Sweden) and the. For more information, please visit aegworldwide.com.

GLOBAL RECOGNITION SET TO ATTRACT INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

GLOBAL RECOGNITION SET TO ATTRACT INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
Global recognition highlighting the beauty and “must-see” aspects of Sultanate of Oman is good news for the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre which is scheduled for completion in 2016.

Speaking at one of Europe’s premier meetings industry trade fairs, IMEX, in Frankfurt, Geoff Donaghy, the Director of Convention Centres for AEG Ogden which manages the Oman Centre, said the importance of international awards could not be understated as a tool to promote venues to prospective customers.

“Oman and its capital city Muscat recently being acknowledged by both Lonely Planet and National Geographic for its range of attractions was very timely.

“Oman has been trading with the world for more than 5,000 years and is an active global community member so it comes as no surprise that our preliminary research and promotional activities has uncovered strong interest in the Sultanate as a destination,” he said.

Mr. Donaghy said Oman’s diverse landscape, natural attractions, pristine coastline and rich heritage and culture had contributed to its emergence as a business events destination and becoming the Arabian Tourism Capital in 2012.

“AEG Ogden has been working in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Oman’s key stakeholders in introducing the world to Oman and as the new hub for major international conventions, meetings and business events. Many international and regional organisations have already expressed a strong desire to hold future or expand events in the sea side city of Muscat.

“Our message to these decision-makers is consider Oman not only for the world class venue that will be there but the diversity of attractions at their disposal. It’s a total package that delegates will be inspired to attend and an experience they won’t forget,” Mr. Donaghy said.

The Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre will be a world-class venue within a fully integrated precinct housing a five star hotel, two four star and a three star hotel totalling 1,000 rooms, supported by a shopping centre, business park within four kilometres from Muscat International Airport.

The Centre will play an important role in the country’s Vision 2020 strategy to diversify the economy and build employment opportunities for the Omani people and open their country to the world. It will also offer an additional choice to international and regional associations, organisations, institutions and corporations to grow business opportunities, impart knowledge in a destination that has serious delegate appeal.

IMEX is being held in Frankfurt from 22 to 24 May. The Centre will feature on the Oman Ministry of Tourism stand E620. For more information view www.omanconvention.com

About the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre
The Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre is located in the Hayy Al Ifran district only four kilometres from Muscat International Airport.

The design of the Centre will ensure a flow of the meetings space to suit the most discerning conference and exhibition organisers. It also incorporated expansive concourse areas to enable ease of large delegations with floor to ceiling windows overlooking landscaped gardens and water features.

The Centre will feature an elaborate tiered auditorium to seat 3,200 while the exhibition halls will feature 22,000 square metres of column-free exhibition space. Halls 1 and 2 will have a superior fit out, specialised acoustic treatment, advanced lighting and rigging requirements to act as a multi-purpose space for plenary sessions, concerts, performances, gala events on a larger scale of up to 10,000 seated, theatre-style.

The Centre will also include an additional 14 meeting rooms for 70-360 delegates, two well-appointed ballrooms to seat up to 2,360, VIP Pavilion, a spacious food-court and a multi-storey carpark with capacity for 4,000 vehicles.

The Precinct will provide the infrastructure necessary to host successful international, regional and local events and for the enjoyment of the community. These include a five star hotel linked to the convention centre, two four star, and a three star hotel and apartments with a combined total of 1,000 rooms. A business park, retail shopping mall surrounded by a nature reserve which will be a haven for Oman’s exotic birdlife, parklands and wadi (valley) park are also part of this picturesque precinct. http://www.omanconvention.com

About the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre
AEG AEG Ogden is a joint venture between Australian interests and AEG Facilities of the United States.

AEG Ogden manages venues throughout the Asia Pacific region, including the Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Kuala Lumpur and Qatar convention centres and the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (under construction), Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, five live theatres including Perth’s His Majesty’s Theatre, the Perth Concert Hall and Subiaco Arts Centre, and a network of arenas including Sydney’s Allphones Arena, the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, and the Perth Arena (currently under construction). www.aegogden.com

AEG, a subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, is the leading sports, entertainment and venue operator in the world. AEG Facilities, a stand-alone affiliate of AEG, owns, operates or consults with 100 of the industry’s pre-eminent venues worldwide, across five continents, and works in concert with affiliated AEG entities, including live event producer, AEG Live, AEG Global Partnerships and AEG Development to support the success of AEG venues across the globe. AEG owns, operates or provides services to venues including STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, Calif.), The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.), Nokia Theatre L.A. Live (Los Angeles, Calif.), Citizens Business Bank Arena (Ontario, Calif.), Valley View Casino Center, (San Diego, Calif); Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.), XL Center and Rentschler Field (Hartford, Conn) The Rose Garden (Portland, Ore.), KeyArena (Seattle, Wash.), KFC YUM! Center (Louisville, Ky.), American Airlines Arena (Miami, Fla.), AT&T Center (San Antonio, Tx.), Time Warner Cable Arena (Charlotte, N.C.), Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.), Target Center (Minneapolis, Minn.), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), MastercardCenter (Beijing, China), The O2 Arena (London, England), O2 World (Berlin, Germany), O2 World Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany), Ahoy Arena (Rotterdam, Netherlands), Pernambuco Stadium (Recife, Brazil), Allphones Arena, (Sydney Aust), Globe Arenas (Stockholm, Sweden), Turk Telekom Arena (Istanbul, Turkey) and the Qatar National Convention Centre (Doha, Qatar). For more information, visit www.aegworldwide.com.

For more information contact:
Rochelle Uechtritz
Group Manager, Convention Sales Development
AEG Ogden