Oak View Group will additionally serve as the official food and beverage provider and caterer at the Rhode Island Convention Center
(PROVIDENCE, RI – JULY 1, 2024) – In an effort to enhance its live
event experience and promote the City of Providence as a prime
destination for entertainment, meetings, and conventions, the Rhode
Island Convention Center Authority today announced a new
manager/operator for the Rhode Island Convention Center, Amica Mutual
Pavilion, and the Authority’s three parking garages. Oak View Group
[2], the global leader in live experience venue development, management,
premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions, will begin
managing all properties on July 1, 2024.
In addition, OVG Hospitality, known for redefining the culinary
experience at cultural attractions, live performance spaces, sporting
events, concerts, and other live events, will become the new food and
beverage provider and caterer at Rhode Island Convention Center on July
1. OVG Hospitality’s fresh approach to creating new and exciting
dining experiences includes partnering with many local food purveyors
and vendors with a specialty menu that highlights the tastes of the New
England region.
“We are excited to announce our strategic partnership with the Oak
View Group, a collaboration designed to drive significant economic
impact for our community,” said Ernie Almonte, Chairperson of the
Rhode Island Convention Center Authority. “By leveraging our combined
expertise and resources, we aim to bring world-class events, new
business opportunities, and exceptional experiences to the Amica Mutual
Pavilion and Rhode Island Convention Center. This partnership represents
a shared commitment to fostering prosperity and enhancing the quality of
life for everyone in our region. We look forward to the positive changes
and developments this collaboration will bring.”
“We are excited to partner with the Rhode Island Convention Center
Authority and look forward to taking over management of these great
properties,” said Greg O’Dell, Oak View Group President of Venue
Management. “Providence has always been an outstanding market for live
entertainment. Some of our executives have come up through the industry
through Providence and this will be an exciting time for many of us as
we reignite the market and make it a must-play stop, as well as a
popular destination for meetings and convention.”
Several Oak View Group executives, who led OVG’s efforts to secure its
partnership with RICCA, spent the early parts of their career at the
then Providence Civic Center, including Peter Luukko, co-Chair, Oak View
Group and Hank Abate, President – Northeast Division, who will oversee
the account. Peter Zingoni, who leads business development for Oak View
Group, is a former student-athlete who played men’s hockey for the
Providence Friars.
Oak View Group will retain the current staff at the properties and
utilize the synergies of its other New England-area properties to help
attract new events into Providence.
“We are thrilled to engage with a partner who fully embraces our
incredible existing employees to deliver world class service to our
clients and guests. The opportunity to leverage nearby venues will only
enhance our ability to deliver outstanding content to our patrons,”
said Dan McConaghy, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Convention
Center Authority.
Additionally, Oak View Group, under the direction of Joe Leung, Vice
President of its Parking & Mobility division, will help develop
operational strategies to optimize the guest experience, generate
revenue, reduce environmental impact, and support the surrounding
community at the adjacent parking garages.
In New England, Oak View Group provides management or food and beverage
services to Ryan Center on the campus of Rhode Island University in
Kingston, RI; Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, ME; Cross Insurance
Center in Bangor, ME; Mullins Center on the campus of University of
Massachusetts at Amherst, MA; MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA;
Polar Park in Worcester, MA; Tsongas Arena in Lowell, MA; Total Mortgage
Arena in Bridgeport, CT; XL Center in Hartford, CT; Trinity Health
Stadium in Hartford, CT; Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in
East Hartford, CT; and Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT.
Oak View Group continues to demonstrate its success as the preeminent
venue management and hospitality company in the industry with recently
acquired management and/or food contracts at Footprint Center in
Phoenix; BOK Center and COX Convention Center in Tulsa; McCormick Place,
the nation’s largest convention center, in Chicago, IL; the Greensboro
Coliseum Complex and Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in
Greensboro, NC; Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, AL; and the Gateway
District, Allen Fieldhouse and the reimagined David Booth Kansas
Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, KS.
About Oak View Group
Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue
development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree
solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client
roster of arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts
centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving
Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues either
open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com
[3], and follow OVG on Facebook [4], Instagram [5], LinkedIn [6], and X
[7].
