Adventures In Venueland

Hosted by Dave Redelberger, Paul Hooper

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175

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Oct 2026

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About the show

The EVMC Podcast - Explore the personal journeys and experiences of people in the live entertainment industry. Join hosts Dave Redelberger and Paul Hooper as they talk with guests who work in live entertainment about what they are currently doing, their history in the industry, and the challenges they faced along the way to lead them to where they are today. Adventures In Venueland is a side project of the Event & Venue Marketing Conference, a non-profit conference that brings together diversified events and venue professionals to cultivate inspiration, collaboration, and innovation for the growing entertainment industry. The AIV theme is comprised of elements from the Nine Inch Nails track 16 Ghosts II off the Ghosts I-IV album, and is licensed under a Creative Commons license (BY-NC-SA).

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60 recent

October 7, 202647 min

Sophie Prince

Grab your ticket 🎟️ and hop aboard in Convergence Station 🚇 as we explore worlds beyond with Sophie Prince, Event Marketing Manager at Meow Wolf Denver , and their out-of-this-universe venue — The Perplexiplex , an immersive performance venue within the larger space. 🪐 Sophie guides us from the accessible unknown through the surreal world of Meow Wolf , which started in 2008 as an artist collective in Santa Fe and has now grown to five immersive and maximalist exhibits in Santa Fe, Denver, Vegas, Dallas and Houston. The Denver location, which was built with music in mind, is one of many locations which hosts touring artists. Hear all about the 360° projection-mapped venue, the wide mix of events they host, and how they have carved their space in a dense Denver market. Sophie tells us how she fell in love with live events at Trinity College and her path from hosting a radio show and events at the campus venue to pursuing her dream job at Meow Wolf in Denver. ✨ This episode invites you to explore the unknown, expand your definition of venue, hear some amazing stories, and dive into The Converged Worlds of Meow Wolf Denver. Sophie Prince: LinkedIn Meow Wolf: Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn –––––– ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND Follow on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , or X/Twitter Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference Meet our team: Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email .

September 23, 202659 min

Stephanie Rivas

We’re venturing to West Texas to chat with Stephanie Rivas, General Manager at Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center and Vice President of International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA). With two decades of experience working in media, marketing, entertainment and performing arts, Stephanie tells us about her role with the venue and Legends Global , which manages the PAC. We learn about the Midland and Odessa market and the importance the venue has in providing arts programming to a huge part of the state – making it more accessible and equitable. We talk about her role on the board with IEBA and discuss the importance of conferences to career growth. Stephanie tells us about her career history from going to college at what is now Texas State University to beginning in broadcasting as a producer and anchor. Hear what tips she has for building relationships with local media and how you can help control the image and brand of your venue. Enjoy this great episode with interesting insight into “The Shining Star of West Texas” as well as excellent career advance and fun stories. Stephanie Rivas: Instagram | LinkedIn Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center: Facebook | Instagram | TikTok –––––– ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND Follow on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , or X/Twitter Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference Meet our team: Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email .

September 9, 202655 min

Chelsea Masler

We’re dancing our way to the Live Music Capital of the World – Austin, Texas to chat with Chelsea Masler, Marketing Director at Messina Touring . Whether she’s working on campaigns for major stadium tours like Ed Sheeran or strategically rolling out a legendary underplay tour for Phoebe Bridgers, Chelsea works with the Messina Touring team to act as an extension of management for their artist roster. We talk about some of her tasks from arranging radio campaigns, strategizing marketing content, working closely with venues, and how they dive into fan communities to understand what resonates to ensure tours remain authentic to fans. Learn what it’s like launching a tour from her perspective and how they use data to identify trends while also understanding special fan connections that the data can’t capture. Chelsea tells us about her industry path from writing for a music blog and joining the event board in college, starting at Oracle Arena as an intern and working her way up, time she spent at Goldenvoice and Facebook, all the way up to her current role. You’re bound to love this fun episode that’s packed full of interesting stories, perspective, and laughs. Chelsea Masler: Instagram | LinkedIn Messina Touring: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn –––––– ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND Follow on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , or X/Twitter Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference Meet our team: Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email .

August 26, 202643 min

Carrie Samek

We’re off to “The Land” to chat with Carrie Samek, Vice President of Event & Media Marketing at Rocket Arena and Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland, Ohio. After learning about the arena and Carrie’s role with the venue and team, we chat through what it was like curating an exhibit around the 10 year anniversary of the Cav’s iconic 2016 NBA Championship, and the challenges of joys that came along with it. Carrie tells us about how they planned the arena’s 30th anniversary two years ago, which included a performance by Diplo and a drone show. We talk about her fun career path, from cold emailing the creator of Warped Tour to working phones at ClearChannel to touring with The Black Eyed Peas to her time with Belkin Productions and Live Nation and ultimately her current role. Whether you know her as Carrie, Wizzysis, Queen of Drones, or museum curator – to know Carrie is to love her and we know you’ll love this episode all about someone who has helped shape some of Northeast Ohio’s biggest moments. 🤘 Cleveland Rocks! Carrie Samek: Instagram | LinkedIn Rocket Arena: Instagram | Facebook | X/Twitter –––––– ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND Follow on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , or X/Twitter Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference Meet our team: Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email .

August 12, 202647 min

Hannah Flynn

Join us on the left side of the “Michigan mitten” as we head to Grand Rapids to chat with Hannah Flynn, Communications Manager with Legends Global, which manages Van Andel Arena , DeVos Performance Hall , DeVos Place , newly opened Acrisure Amphitheater , and Amway Stadium (opening Spring 2027). As a passionate social media and pop culture guru, we dive into the details of Hannah’s role, the structure of their department, and learn a bit about each of the venues. We talk with her about collaborating with local businesses and hear tips about pitching ideas and some examples of fun promotions. Known for dressing up as artists coming to their venues for TikTok videos, Hannah talks about their approach to following social trends and how to discover new ideas. We talk about how she got into live events as well as the creation of her concert social account ( @hangoestoaconcert ), which has evolved from providing tips for going to concerts to advice on joining the industry. This is a fun episode that’s sure to spark some ideas, give you some accounts to follow, and (for those of you not already in the industry) may just inspire you to dive in. Hannah Flynn: Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn Van Andel Arena: Instagram | Facebook | TikTok –––––– ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND Follow on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , or X/Twitter Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference Meet our team: Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email .

July 29, 202650 min

Barb Saito

Journey with us to the Aloha State as we visit Hawaii and talk with Barb Saito, President of Aloha Group International Inc. , who is based in the capital city of Honolulu on the island of O’ahu. Barb, who has 45 years of experience in the industry, supports concert promoters by consulting and assisting with financial and logistical challenges that come with promoting shows in Hawaii. She also works a lot with Asian artists who often do fan club flyaway events in the area. We chat through the many benefits of routing shows to Hawaii and learn about how they navigate challenges in keeping costs low and making adjustments to tours, using local vendors and shipping gear to make the finances work. Barb tells us about her start in live events, stage managing for plays in high school and ultimately getting a job as a book keeper with legendary concert promoter and DJ, Tom Moffatt. She shares memories from early shows and talks about what it was like breaking barriers as a woman handling settlements and production in the 80s and 90s. We also talk about her volunteer work with Hawaii Events Coalition, a group which formed during the pandemic to support overall live event business in the state. Enjoy this fun, fascinating episode filled with aloha, a love of live events, and amazing stories. Barb Saito: LinkedIn | Email Aloha Group International: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter/X –––––– ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND Follow on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , or X/Twitter Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference Meet our team: Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email .

July 15, 202643 min

Adam Straight

We’re off to the Midwest as we visit the city of Omaha, Nebraska and chat with Adam Straight, President & CEO of Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA). Adam tells us all about MECA, which is a venue management company which manages city-owned properties including CHI Health Center Omaha (which includes an arena and convention center), Charles Schwab Field Omaha (which hosts the College World Series), and The RiverFront (72-acre urban green space along the Missouri River). We hear what makes each venue special and how their combined strength makes the city competitive when attracting events. Adam tells us about what makes Omaha special, trends he is seeing in the convention side of the industry, and we discuss the importance of sustainability with venues. We learn about Adam’s history in the industry, which he started unconventionally as an electrician working sporting events at University of Maryland, eventually leading him to working at two of the top five convention centers in the country. Enjoy this episode which provides an interesting perspective of managing a diverse group of venues and is sure to add Omaha to your visit list. Adam Straight: LinkedIn MECA: Facebook | LinkedIn | X/Twitter –––––– ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND Follow on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , or X/Twitter Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference Meet our team: Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email .

July 1, 202616 min

LIVE at EVMC 2026: Awards Red Carpet Interviews

Live from Sacramento – Join us on the red carpet as we interview award winners at the 11th Annual Event & Venue Marketing Conference Awards. Dave and Paul speak with award recipients in the various categories and get insight into their experience and advice they have for others wanting to be in their shoes. In addition to this audio version, click this link to watch the video version: 🎥 Watch Video Interviews Winners (in order of appearance): Mortgage Matchup Center – Most Creative Artist Gift (Under $500) Intrust Bank Arena – Marketing & Publicity Campaign of the Year Fiserv Forum – Most Creative Artist Gift (Over $500) Fiserv Forum – Most Creative Artist Welcome Paycom Center – Grassroots Campaign of the Year Kaseya Center – Impact Award Alyson Katz – Breakthrough Professional of the Year Jeff Johnson – EVMC Hall of Fame Inductee Kate Bean – Gigi Award of Excellence –––––– ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND Follow on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , or X/Twitter Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference Meet our team: Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email .

June 17, 202642 min

LIVE at EVMC 2026: Beyond Venue Walls Panel

Live from Sacramento – Sit in on this 2026 Event & Venue Marketing Conference session as we chat with Vanessa Mancao (Tour Marketing Manager, Red Light Management ), Karl Crudup (Director of Event Sales & Production, Sacramento Kings ), and Jessica Eckley (Managing Partner, Crackerjack Media ) in front of a live audience. In this session, titled "Beyond Venue Walls: Creative Strategies for Marketing Experiences Beyond Traditional Events" we explore how creative marketing and branding can promote activities tied to other events, plaza parties, and unique experiences beyond traditional events inside venue walls. Walk away with actionable ideas to craft fun interactions, boost awareness, maximize assets, create a larger community impact, and build deeper fan connections beyond event night. Hosted by Adventures In Venueland’s Dave Redelberger and Paul Hooper, this episode gives you a taste of this year's sold out conference at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. If you joined us in-person, this is a great way to re-listen for notes and share this episode with a boss or colleague for them to get a taste of the EVMC experience. Vanessa Mancao: LinkedIn Karl Crudup: LinkedIn Jessica Eckley: LinkedIn –––––– ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND Follow on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , or X/Twitter Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference Meet our team: Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email .

June 3, 202645 min

Krystal Gonzalez

Join us as we head to the Sparkling City by the Sea – Corpus Christi, and chat with Krystal Gonzalez, Director of Sales at Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds (RMB Fairgrounds). We learn all about the fairgrounds, which is home to a conference center, two exhibit halls, arena pavilion, and equestrian arena which host a wide mix of social events, expos, rodeos, concerts, and dinner events. We learn about the city, Krystal tells us about her role, and we talk about how they leverage the versatility of all their venues to sell clients and market their spaces. We talk with her about her history in the industry and how all her experience working on different sides in different departments prepared her for her current role where she handles different tasks and collaborates with coworkers to make sure they are meeting their client’s needs. Enjoy this fun, unique episode which includes some nerdy venue talk, great career advice, and interesting perspective. Krystal Gonzalez: LinkedIn RMB Fairgrounds: Facebook | Instagram –––––– ADVENTURES IN VENUELAND Follow on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , or X/Twitter Learn more about Event & Venue Marketing Conference Meet our team: Paul Hooper | Co-host, Booking, Branding & Marketing Dave Redelberger | Co-host & Guest Research Megan Ebeck | Marketing, Design & Digital Advertising Samantha Marker | Marketing, Copywriting & Publicity Camille Faulkner | Audio Editing & Mixing Have a suggestion for a guest or bonus episode? We'd love to hear it! Send us an email .