LOS ANGELES, Ca. August 28, 2023 – Entertainment consulting company Venue Coalition recently
announced industry veteran Steve Kirsner will be joining the company as Vice President of Booking. In his
new role, Kirsner will focus on servicing the company’s 150+ member venues across North America, assisting
them with national and regional booking as well as providing strong advocacy within the touring industry.
The addition of Steve comes on the heels of steady growth within the company adding several new arena
members to its roster over the past few months. These venues include Capital One Arena in Washington, DC
and sister venue EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA, Agganis Arena in Boston, MA, Great Southern Bank Arena
in Springfield MO, John F. Savage Arena in Toledo, OH, Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, FL, and Mexico
City’s Pepsi Center WTC.
“I’m excited to join the team at Venue Coalition,” stated Kirsner, who most recently served as Vice President
of Booking and events at SAP Center in San Jose. “As a former venue client and member of Venue Coalition, I
have intimate knowledge of how valuable their services are to independent venues. I’m eager to get started
and represent so many members, many of whom I call friends, and to assist as we drive more first-class content
into their buildings and help them navigate the touring landscape”.
Kirsner’s forty-seven-year career runs deep in the live entertainment industry. He spent a decade as an integral
part of magician Doug Henning’s team, working his way up to vice president and general manager of
Henning’s company where he was responsible for all aspects of the magician’s business. In the early nineties,
Kirsner left Los Angeles and moved to Omaha, NE producing tours, music videos, and special events for
Mannheim Steamroller, where the group was based. Looking to return to California, in 1996 Steve took on a
role he would play for over two and a half decades as Director, and then VP of Booking & Events at SAP
Center at San Jose (formerly San Jose Arena, Compaq Center, and HP Pavilion). Booking the venue under the
mentorship and leadership of Frank Jirik and Jim Goddard, the arena became one of the top twenty venues in
the country for ticket sales. Steve was also instrumental in several industry innovations including the transition
in Pollstar and Billboard of ranking venues based on ticket sales rather than grosses as was once industry
practice.
“We are so excited to bring Steve on board,” says Andrew Prince, President of Venue Coalition. “He has
decades of extensive operational and programming experience running one of the most successful venues in
the country. We welcome his expertise and passion for this industry and know his strong relationships and
stellar reputation will be a great benefit to our organization”.
About Venue Coalition
Venue Coalition is a live entertainment consulting company that provides strategic planning, project
management, and talent booking services for independent arenas, theaters, stadiums, and public assembly
venues. On behalf of its venue clients, Venue Coalition actively reaches out to key decision-makers in the
live entertainment and touring industries with the goal of increasing event days in each of its participating
member arenas. Today, Venue Coalition represents over 150 venues in North America.
