LEXINGTON, Ky. — Oak View Group Facilities, in a partnership with Lexington Center Corporation, today named industry veteran Brian Sipe as director of Booking at Rupp Arena.
Sipe joins OVG Facilities after serving as general manager of Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes Barre, Pa; where under his leadership the Arena recorded its fastest sell-out with the upcoming Kenny Chesney concert this Spring. In addition, Sipe helped put the building on international television with two back-to-back sold out WWE events. The venue is annually ranked in Pollstar Magazine’s Top 200 Arenas World-Wide chart due to sold out and near capacity shows, including Kevin Hart, Blake Shelton, Barry Manilow, Amy Schumer, Alabama, Jeff Dunham and Thomas Rhett. In September 2017, Sipe was named the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professional of the Year Award.
Sipe also spent time as Box Office manager at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ; Booking and Box Office manager at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pa; general manager of the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in Huntington, WV, where his venue was nominated twice for the Academy of Country Music Venue of the Year award. Sipe was also recognized by his peers with the Generation Next Award from Venues Today Magazine in 2013.
Sipe has a professional voting membership in the Country Music Association, International Association of Venue Managers, Academy of Country Music, and International Entertainment Buyers Association.
“Brian is a well-respected leader in live entertainment,” said Bill Owen, president, Lexington Center Corporation, owners of Rupp Arena. “We’re fortunate that he will be joining us here in Lexington to lead Oak View Group Facilities vision for enhancing our event schedule. Oak View Group continues to bring outstanding live entertainment to Lexington, and we appreciate their partnership with us at Rupp Arena.”
“We’re excited to have Brian join our team and lead our efforts in Lexington,” said Hank Abate, president, OVG Facilities. “Brian brings a tremendous amount of experience in bookings to Lexington, and we will lean on him to help us secure events at some of our additional properties.”
OVG Facilities and Lexington Center Corporation entered into a three-year partnership in February 2018 whereby OVG will focus on all areas of event programming with the exception of University of Kentucky athletic events. The booking strategy focuses on creating new programming, attracting more diverse national tours to the Lexington market, creating unique premium experience opportunities, and enhancing the fan experience. After the first year of the partnership, bookings at Rupp Arena increased 100 percent over the previous year.
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