Hot News

After a concluding a four month bidding process, the contract to manage the newest Northwest event center has been awarded to SMG, considered the largest manager of public assembly facilities in the United States. The venue is the currently under construction 6,025 seat -Kent Events Center, in Kent, Washington. "SMG is arguably the best in the business, and due to its size and established relationships, it will have great leverage in booking events, further making Kent a leading destination in South King County and beyond," said Suzette Cooke, Mayor of Kent.

With a population of more than 86,000, the City of Kent is the fourth largest city in King County (which also includes Seattle). A culturally rich destination, Kent features captivating neighborhoods, award-winning parks, an exceptional school district and nationally accredited police and fire departments. In addition, Kent is easily accessible by major highways, including Interstate-5, Highway 167 and Highway 18, and is a major mass transit hub, with its Kent Station a central link to both King County Metro System and the Sounder Commuter light rail system. Kent has experienced impressive economic growth recently, and is a leading location for manufacturing in the U.S.

"The Kent Events Center will be an important centerpiece for the city and region on many levels, and we look forward to contributing to the venue's success," said Harry Cann, Senior Regional Vice President of Operations for SMG

The Kent Events Center is due to open in January 2009. The arena will be the new home of its anchor tenant, the Western Hockey League's Seattle Thunderbirds who are expected to play roughly 40 games at the new facility. 

"We are very excited about this tremendous opportunity to partner with the City of Kent and the Seattle Thunderbirds," said Cann. "It is clearly a great partnership that exists already, and we enthusiastically embrace being a new member of the team."

Philadelphia-based SMG was founded in 1977 to manage the Louisiana Superdome. Since then, it has grown to manage more than 200 facilities worldwide including 76 arenas, nine stadiums, 62 convention centers, 49 performing arts centers, and 13 other recreational/equestrian facilities. SMG arenas stage everything from professional, minor league and NCAA collegiate sporting events to family shows plus concerts for every age and musical taste.  SMG-managed facilities grossed more than $1 billion in 2006, hosting 10,000 events and attracting more than 50 million patrons.

In addition to booking events, SMG will manage all day-to-day operations of the facility including the budget, vendor selection, public relations and marketing, and staffing. "The proposal presented by SMG was so strong that it led the selection committee to this recommendation and my acceptance of it," added Mayor Cooke.