From Tuesday, May 24 to Thursday, May 26, the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX) will host its first in-person FANCENTRIC™ International Conference & Expo at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Conference & Expo will bring together leading thought leaders, subject matter experts and vendors from all aspects of the sports and entertainment industry, and the organization just added five new FANCENTRIC speakers to the lineup.
Register for the FANCENTRIC Conference & Expo
Nick Spampanato brings over 25 years of industry experience in music venue management, currently serving as SVP, Venue Operations at AEG Presents. Nick oversees the national portfolio of venues and their respective General Managers. Prior to AEG, Nick worked for Madison Square Garden Entertainment for 10 years – first at the legendary Beacon Theatre in 2009 and then the famed Forum arena in 2012. Nick worked on the development agreement with the City and then oversaw the renovation, construction, and grand opening of the Forum. He was named SVP and General manager of the building in 2013. Throughout his career, Nick has been instrumental in executing production requirements for high-profile special events including the Billboard Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, AIDS Project Los Angeles, NAACP Image Awards, The Tony Awards, and for various MTV and VH1 award shows.
For over 35 years, Pat Christenson has been instrumental in the development of special events in Las Vegas. Pat is serving in his 21st year as president of Las Vegas Events. During his tenure, Las Vegas Events has increased the number of events it has supported from 21 in 2001 to an average of 41 over the past five years. The non-gaming economic impact of these events has increased from $108.9 million in 2001 to an average of more than $467.6 million. As both the director of the Thomas & Mack Center and president of Las Vegas Events, Pat has played a prominent role in the growth of the National Finals Rodeo since it first arrived in 1985. To date, the Wrangler NFR has sold out 330 consecutive performances.
Julie Giese currently serves as the President of Phoenix Raceway of the NASCAR Cup Series. Prior to her role at Phoenix Raceway, Julie served as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Daytona International Speedway, overseeing project management on a $400 million construction project. In her career Julie has showcased her dedicated and hard-working work ethic, specializing in extensive event, operations, and brand management. Julie has been hands on with strategic planning, qualitative & quantitative research, digital and social marketing, and creative development.
Jeff Keas currently serves as the Senior Principle and Event Group Leader for Populous. Throughout his career, Jeff has worked on several major events including seven Olympic and Paralympic Games and two FIFA World Cups, NCAA Final Fours and Super Bowls. Additionally, Jeff is a sport architect having lead and assisted on the design of several professional and university facilities in the USA and internationally. Jeff and Populous work with all the professional leagues in the US including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS – and in addition over 100 universities.
Brian Herbert currently serves as the Vice President of Security at the Chase Center, home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. Brian has dedicated over 25 years towards a combined professional duty in law enforcement, administration, and security related work. Prior to his current role, Brian worked with the Cleveland Cavaliers for 9 years and has worked for the NBA supporting security initiatives on numerous All-Star Games and international association activities.
Over the past few weeks, IIFX has showcased a handful of industry leaders who will be speaking at the FANCENTRIC Conference. The speakers highlighted today will be joining confirmed speakers Larry Olmsted, Russ Simons, Lee Zeidman, Kim Stone, Mario Coutinho, Jim Mercurio, Paul Turner, Scott McCartney, John Petrone, Shawn Trell, and many others.
Visit the official FANCENTRIC website to learn more about conference details, hotel accommodations, and sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities. To register, you can purchase a ticket HERE.