NRG Park rudder to remain in ASM Global hands

Article posted by Coliseum, September 18^th, 2023

Image: ASM Global

The Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation officials have announced a long-term management renewal with ASM Global, the world’s largest venue management company – beginning in 2025 – as part of an ambitious multiyear strategy to leverage ASM Global’s international multidiscipline expertise in the future development of the Houston (US) 350-acre NRG Park campus.

‘ASM Global’ stated that the ASM Global has operated the county-owned venue since 2000. It is home to the National Football League’s (NFL)’s Houston Texans and the renowned Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which is the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world. It’s been a fixture at the NRG Stadium for 20 years.

Houston (US)-based the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation (HCSCC) is a component of Harris County, Texas (US) which was created by the Commissioners Court of Harris County, Texas for the purposes of aiding and acting on behalf of the Harris County in managing, operating, maintaining, and developing the sports and entertainment complex located on the County-owned property, known as the NRG Park.

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Los Angeles (US)-based ASM Global is the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences. It is the global leader in venue and event strategy and management, delivering locally tailored solutions and cutting-edge technologies to achieve maximum results for venue owners. The company’s elite venue network spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 350 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues.

The NRG Park, formerly Reliant Park and Astrodomain, is a complex in Houston, named after the energy company NRG Energy. It is located on Kirby Drive at the South Loop West Freeway (I-610). This complex of buildings encompasses 350 acres (1.4 km2) of land and consists of four venues: NRG Stadium, NRG Center, NRG Arena, and the NRG Astrodome.

The NRG Stadium, or Reliant Stadium, is a multipurpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002 at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retractable roof.

The NRG Center (former name Reliant Center) is a convention center in Houston, Texas, United States. It is part of the NRG Park complex that was constructed around the NRG Astrodome and NRG Stadium. The NRG Center hosts various events year-round, including portions of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, who maintains its offices on the second floor of the building. The grand opening of the facility was on April 12^th, 2002, with the Houston Auto Show. Hermes Reed Architects was the architect for the facility.

The 8,000-capacity NRG Arena is a 350,000 square feet sports center in NRG Park in Houston, Texas, US.

The 70,000-capacity NRG Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world’s first multipurpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, United States, with a record attendance of 67,925 set by the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2001.

‘ASM Global’ further stated that the NRG Park site is part of ASM Global’s network of more than 350 venues around the world that host 20,000 events and welcome 165 million guests every year.

2022 and the first half of 2023 have marked one of the most successful financial performances in the NRG Park’s history, highlighted by multiple soldout events, including the 2023 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ® Division I Men’s Basketball Final Four®, the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (three soldout shows in April 2023), Karol G (Colombian singer) and Beyoncé (American singer-songwriter): World Renaissance Tour (September 2023).

Indianapolis (US)-based the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student-athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and helps over 500,000 college student-athletes who compete annually in college sports.

The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams that compete in seven rounds for the national championship. The penultimate round is known as the Final Four, when only four teams are left.

The NRG Park also annually hosts the Offshore Technology Conference, Houston Auto Show/Houston Boat Show, Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker Market, Feld Entertainment’s Disney On Ice, and Monster Jam.

The College Football Playoffs Championship Game is slated for this coming January, and the NRG Park will welcome FIFA World Cup™ matches in 2026.

Inside NRG Park’s exhibition center, NRG Center, ASM Global Insights program – the largest live-event customer-feedback database in the industry – will provide the benefits of engaging clients, monitoring guest satisfaction in realtime, evaluating performance across various metrics, and benchmarking success across the industry, ultimately providing the business acumen to inform and propel the business forward.

Said Ryan Walsh, head honcho/Executive Director Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation, “This agreement demonstrates that the ASM Global is aligned with our belief about the tremendous future for NRG Park. Much of our success throughout the years is because we have positioned ourselves with high-impact, respected partners like ASM Global. The NRG Park is proud to be one of the crown jewels in an unparalleled international portfolio that includes some of the most prestigious, iconic and successful venues. We look forward to continuing our partnership to elevate and build on our continuing standard as one of the top sports, entertainment and convention destinations in the world.”

Stated Ron Bension, ASM Global President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), “We’re very appreciative of this vote of confidence. We passionately believe in Houston and the area’s track record of hosting spectacular events like the Super Bowl, NCAA Men’s Final Four and partnering with amazing organizations such as the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, the NFL’s Houston Texans franchise, and, of course, the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation. We’re eager to grow the property even more to enrich the Houston-Harris County community.”

Utilizing its global relationships in content, programing, planning, technology, sustainability, guest experience, and enhanced premium experiences, the ASM Global will continue to meet the needs of NRG Park-hosted events.

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