Public Assembly Venue Management: Sports, Entertainment, Meeting, and Convention Venues

Dr. Mahoney has over 30 years of experience in the sports and entertainment industry. Currently, as Principal with Venulogix, she manages various projects for public assembly venue clients. She has worked in public assembly venues as a contractor, client, and part of the venue management team. She has been involved in the opening of three new public assembly venues, including a convention center, an NFL stadium, and a 20,000-seat arena. Her early career with Show Pros Entertainment Services provided opportunities to work in amphitheaters, speedways, stadiums, and arenas, in addition to her previous work for the Charlotte Coliseum and Charlotte Convention Center. She served as the Assistant Director of Event Services at the Schottenstein Center, as an Assistant Commissioner with the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), and as the Director of Communications & Program Development with Columbus Arena Sports & Entertainment (CASE), which oversees the day-to-day operation of Nationwide Arena and the Schottenstein Center. She also previously served as a full-time faculty member at the University of New Haven (tenured), Ohio State University, and the University of South Carolina. Dr. Mahoney co-authored the previous editions of Public Assembly Venue Management (2015 and 2020) and authored The IAVM Blueprint: Event Management (2016). She received the 2007 Harry E. Varney Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award for the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management at the University of South Carolina, the 2017 Unsung Hero Award from the Stadium Business Awards, the 2018 University of New Haven College of Business Excellence in Service Award, and a 2022 IAVM Chair Citation. She is an IAVM Certified Venue Professional (CVP) and serves on the Board of Directors for VenuWorks. She received her B.A. in communications from the University of Kentucky, her M.Ed. in sport and facility management from the University of Georgia, and her Ph.D. in sport management from The Ohio State University. Dr. Mahoney and her husband Mike, with Musco Lighting, live in NW Connecticut.

Mr. Esckilsen is an Associate Professor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI and is the Chair of the Department for Sports, Entertainment, and Event Management. He is active in the development and management of sports and entertainment venues and events through his consulting company, ESVenues. During his 40-year career, Esckilsen has been involved in the development and management of public assembly venues in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Mr. Esckilsen also served as the Executive Director of six arenas, notably the pre-opening and management of the 10,000-capacity Mullins Center (UMass-Amherst) and the 21,000-capacity Manchester Arena (NYNEX-UK). He has booked and successfully managed more than 1,500 sports and entertainment events during his career. Esckilsen is a Certified Venue Executive (CVE) awarded by the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). In addition, he is a Trained Crowd Manager (TCM), a Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) certified trainer, and a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE), awarded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AH&LEI), Washington, DC. Esckilsen was a co-author of Public Assembly Facility Management: Principles and Practices, 2nd Edition (2009), published by IAVM, and a co-author of Public Assembly Venue Management: Sports, Entertainment, Meeting, and Convention Venues, 1st Edition (2015) and 2nd Edition (2020). Mr. Esckilsen received his A.S. Degree in Recreational Leadership from Dean College, Franklin, MA, his B.S. Degree in Recreation Administration from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, and his M.S. Degree in Recreational Sports Management from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. Mr. Esckilsen was awarded the IAVM Education and Service Award in 2023. He serves on the Board of Project Goal and lives in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Adonis “Sporty” Jeralds is a retired senior instructor and assistant dean at the University of South Carolina College of Hospitality Retail and Sport Management. He is also a senior advisor for the NBA Charlotte Hornets. Mr. Jeralds is a native of Fayetteville, NC, and attended Guilford College on a basketball scholarship and graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice. He has a master’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in Public Administration and a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts in Sport Management. Mr. Jeralds began his career in public assembly venue management at the Hampton Virginia Coliseum, and then accepted a position at the Charlotte Coliseum as Assistant Manager. In 1990 he became Manager of the Charlotte Coliseum, a position he held for 15 years. In that position, Mr. Jeralds oversaw the day-to-day operations, managed a $12 million operating budget, and a staff of over 60 full-time and six hundred part-time employees. Mr. Jeralds is certified by the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) as a Certified Venue Executive (CVE), a designation currently awarded to approximately 400 worldwide. During his career, Mr. Jeralds helped coordinate such internationally recognized events as the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four, NBA All-Star Weekend, ACC Basketball Tournaments, a visit by Mother Teresa, and a variety of major concerts. Mr. Jeralds is the author of four successful books, The Champion In You, Let Your Light Shine, Follow The Bouncing Ball, and From The Locker Room To The Classroom. In 2006, he was awarded the Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Sport Management Department at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. In 2018, he was awarded the IAVM Education and Service Award, and in 2019 was the recipient of the Harry E. Varney Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award, College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management—University of South Carolina. Mr. Jeralds and his wife, Teresa, reside in Charlotte, NC, and are the proud parents of Jazmine and Jacob.

After retiring from a 34-year career in public assembly venue management, destination marketing, organizational management, and sports-related event management, Steve Camp continues to serve his industry and live a rewarding and active life. Mr. Camp has been certified by the International Association of Venue Managers as a Certified Venue Executive (CVE) and has distinguished himself as one of the industry’s leading Southeast professionals. Mr. Camp has been involved with four major public assembly building projects in North and South Carolina and has successfully established organizations to manage and operate those venues. Mr. Camp learned his trade at the Charlotte Coliseum under the legendary Paul Buck and honed his experience at the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center at UNC-Chapel Hill, then in 1988 returned to Charlotte to open a new Charlotte Coliseum. In 1989, Appalachian State University designated Mr. Camp as a Distinguished Alumnus. From 1989 through 1997, Mr. Camp served as managing director of Charlotte’s Auditorium / Coliseum / Convention Center Authority, overseeing the operation of four venues with an operating budget of approximately $23 million and a full-time staff of over two hundred. While in this position, Mr. Camp also oversaw the construction and staffing of a new Charlotte Convention Center. Beginning in 2001, Mr. Camp served as president and CEO of the Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism, overseeing the construction and staffing of the new Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in South Carolina, which opened in 2004. During his career, Mr. Camp has managed venues that have hosted the very best in the sports, entertainment, and meeting and convention industries. Those events include the 1994 NCAA Final Four, ACC basketball tournaments, major musical concerts, Broadway plays, and various other high-profile events. Mr. Camp co-authored the first and second editions of Public Assembly Venue Management, published in 2015 and 2020, and authored Pathway to Contentment, published in 2017, and Unconventional Plan, published in 2023. Mr. Camp and his wife, Jackie, live in Charlotte, NC.