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| Global Spectrum Names Gunnar Fox as General Manager of Soon-to-Open PPL Center in Allentown | “Gunnar is a dynamic leader that knows how to maximize opportunities that will be beneficial to our clients, our partners, our sponsors, and most importantly, our customers, in the Lehigh Valley,” said Global Spectrum President John Page. “He has a tremendous amount of experience in opening a new arena and has a lot of familiarity with the Phantoms organization.” In Rio Rancho, Fox directed the activities of 15 full-time staff in operating the 8,000-seat multi-purpose events center. He was responsible for the day-to-day operation, booking, and sales and marketing of the venue, as well as direct oversight of a $6-million budget. During his six years at the Santa Ana Star Center, he increased event bookings and attendance by 29%. He was also responsible for the recruitment of a new ice hockey, basketball and indoor football tenants. Prior to his time in Rio Rancho, Fox spent two years as General Manager for the Global Spectrum-managed EnCana Events Centre where he directed the activities of 18-full-time staff in the construction, pre-opening, grand opening and operating phases of the 5,000-seat venue. Fox was an Event Manager at Global Spectrum’s flagship arena, the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA, where he managed events for the 21,000-seat venue, including the Philadelphia Flyers, Disney on Ice, concerts, corporate events, and trade shows. He was also a sales intern with the Phantoms when they played in Philadelphia during the 2005 American Hockey League season. Fox received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Ithaca College in 2006. He and his wife, Moira, and their two daughters will be relocating to the Lehigh Valley. Jim and Rob Brooks, owners of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey team and BDH Development (the master leaseholder of PPL Center), announced their partnership with Philadelphia-based Global Spectrum, a worldwide leader in managing and operating arenas and stadiums, to book and operate PPL Center in Allentown, PA, on January 30, 2014. Global Spectrum, a subsidiary of the Philadelphia Flyers parent company, Comcast-Spectacor, has agreed to partner with BDH Development to ensure the financial and promotional success of PPLCenter. Global Spectrum manages more than 120 other public assembly facilities around the world. Nearly 20-million people attended more than 15,000 events in Global Spectrum venues last year, which include Citizens Bank Park and the Wells Fargo Center, both in Philadelphia. Under
Fox’s direction, Global Spectrum will assist in the pre-opening phases
of managing the arena. This includes working and consulting on the final
stages of facility design and construction; preparing marketing programs
and marketing the arena; recruiting and hiring a staff for the arena; assisting
in the procurement of furniture, fixtures and equipment; booking the arena;
and consulting on the selection of subcontractors and analyzing the operational
details.
Scheduled to open in September of 2014, PPL Center will seat more than 10,000 for concerts and more than 8,500 for Phantoms American Hockey League games, making it the region’s largest events venue. The amenities-packed PPL Center will host more than 140 events each year, offering something for everyone, including the Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Flyers, live concerts, family shows, trade shows, figure skating events, youth sports, high school and collegiate events, Disney on Ice, conferences, and graduations. Many of the world’s top-touring shows, including Disney On Ice, the Harlem Globetrotters, WWE, and the world’s leading recording artists like the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, P!nk, Jay Z, Bon Jovi, and Kenny Chesney, perform in Global Spectrum-managed venues. Global Spectrum brings its industry resources and relationships to the Lehigh Valley to make the PPL Center a true multi-purpose facility with concerts, family shows, sporting events, trade shows and many other events. About
Global Spectrum
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PPL Center
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Fox
and the staff he will build in Allentown, will handle, upon opening, the
day-to-day management of the arena, including booking, scheduling, marketing,
maintenance, contracted services, staffing and other operations.
