Richard MacKeigan named Hall of Headlines Winner; Van Andel Arena a Top Stop in 2016

Venues Today magazine presented its “most prestigious award,” the Hall of Headlines, this month with Richard MacKeigan receiving the honor in the Bookings category.

MacKeigan, Regional General Manager for SMG at Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place, was nominated for bookings for breaking multiple venue records including Garth Brooks’ record for most tickets sold for a single engagement and Paul McCartney’s record for gross ticket sales for a single event, in addition to Kanye West bringing in one of the largest productions the venue has ever seen.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Van Andel Arena has seen one of the biggest years in its history in 2016, hosting over 30 concerts which is its highest number in 18 years.

“This says a lot about our community. We’ve had an incredible year with some big shows, but they were only as big as they were because of support from our community in West Michigan,” said MacKeigan. “That paired with ongoing confidence from the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority has laid the foundation and provided proof that this community can support some of the biggest events. We are all very excited to continue building on that momentum.”

Including MacKeigan, SMG had a record 14 nominees for this year’s Hall of Headlines, including four from Grand Rapids. Hilarie Szarowicz, (Director of Marketing at Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place), Jeff Dubin (Director of Food & Beverage for SAVOR at Van Andel Arena), and Eddie Tadlock (Assistant General Manager at DeVos Place) were nominated this year as well.

Among the other nominees from SMG, Meghan Doyle (Director of Marketing at the BOK Centre in Tulsa, OK) and Mark Anderson (General Manager and Vice President of Premier Food Services in Del Mar, CA) were named winners of the Hall of Headlines in the Marketing and Concessions categories respectively.

Van Andel Arena makes Top Stops list for 2016
Van Andel Arena was recognized elsewhere in Venues Today’s latest edition as well. The magazine included its final Top Stops list for 2016 and the arena showed up at #4 in North America and #11 worldwide for venues with a capacity of 10,001-15,000. The list ranks the top 20 venues in size categories by total gross sales between October 16, 2015 and October 15, 2016. In addition to Van Andel Arena, seven other SMG venues were also named to the Top Stops list in the 10,001-15,000 category. They are Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, MD, König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, Save Mart Center in Fresno, CA, Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL, Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS, Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD, and DCU Center in Worcester, MA.

Van Andel Arena and SAVOR Proudly Announce “The Chef’s Knife”

A New Carving Cart in Van Andel Arena’s Amway Section A

Van Andel Arena announces a new carving cart, The Chef’s Knife, located in Amway Section A, Van Andel Arena’s new concourse expansion area. The carving cart will feature fresh and local products from Michigan Turkey producers during all Griffins games and the majority of events at Van Andel Arena. The food is prepared by SAVOR… Grand Rapids, Catering by SMG’s Executive Chef Chris Simpson, as well as his staff. All items featured at The Chef’s Knife are $9.00 each. The Chef’s Knife made its debut Sunday, February 20th at the Griffins vs. Rivermen game, the Griffins won 4 to 2.

The delectable items featured at The Chef’s Knife, include:

• The Carved Turkey Grinder - hand carved turkey breast piled high on a sour dough roll with cherry chutney and pesto mayo.
• Smoked Turkey Thigh- Each thigh is hand rubbed with our Chef's own secret spices then slow smoked for 6 hours. The hand pulled turkey is packed into a sub roll with apple coleslaw and your choice of sweet or zesty BBQ sauce.
• Griffins Jumbo Wing - Jumbo turkey wings rubbed with ancho chili spice and fire roasted; served with southwest ranch dipping sauce or sweet BBQ.
• Turkey Sticks- Slow smoked turkey legs with a mild spice rub and a robust hickory smoke; served lightly glazed with Chef's own sweet sauce.

SMG offers food and beverage operations through its concessions and catering company SAVOR, currently serving more than 100 accounts worldwide. Savor Catering by SMG’s food and beverage expertise extends from elegantly catered events for up to 10,000 guests to thematic portable food carts, exquisite suite presentations and permanent concession stands designed to create a memorable experience for all of our patrons. Savor Catering by SMG raises the bar for culinary excellence for patrons, meeting planners and special events. By placing emphasis on freshness, quality, and customer care, we ensure that only the finest service is provided. Savor Catering by SMG displays detail in presentation, menu selections and decor to incorporate an ambiance and flavor for each unique event.