PHILADELPHIA, PA – SMG, the worldwide leader in convention and entertainment management, is proud to announce that SMG's John Bolton and David Padilla have each won a Venues Today's 2008 Hall of Headlines Award in the Booking, and Concessions category, respectively. SMG received six nominations in the four categories (News, Bookings, Marketing, Concessions), more than any other company.
General Manager John Bolton and his staff were honored for their work surrounding the grand opening of the 19,000-seat BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Since the grand opening on August 31, John and his staff have booked 55 events for the first six months of operation. Shows ranging from concerts by The Eagles, AC-DC, Rascal Flats and Jeff Dunham, to events such as American Idols Live, World Tour of Gymnastics Superstars, and an NBA exhibition game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets.
“John and his staff have done a phenomenal job in turning the already beautiful BOK Center into one of the industry's most talked about facilities,” said Hank Abate, SMG's Senior Vice President of Arenas. “Hosting 55 events in the first six months means the BOK Center will host, on average, two major events every week, outstanding numbers for any facility. Everyone in the SMG arena division congratulates the BOK Cener staff, and wish them continued success in the months and years to come,” Hank added.
David Padilla is the Food and Beverage Director for the Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico. David and his staff won the concessions award after receiving two “Best in Puerto Rico” awards in the span of one month. On September 13, 2008, the Convention Center's Ficus Café won “Best Original Mojito,” as awarded by Bacardi. The Ficus Café Mojito beat out 30 other restaurants. Then, one month later, Padilla accepted first prize in the “beef category” of the Cattleman's BBQ Competition. Again, the Café beat out 20 other competitors.
“The planning strategy and creative effort behind our success involved many hands, including our talented ‘mix master' Luis Rodriguez,” said Thom Connors, Senior Regional Vice President of SMG. “David challenged Luis to take our existing Mojito recipe and kick it up a notch while maintaining consistency to create the award-winning ‘Bacardi Mojito.' For the Cattleman's BBQ Competition, Sous Chef Federico ‘Fico' Figueroa captained our team in the beef category, producing what was judged the best brisket on the island. A great double victory for the outstanding culinary staff under David and Chef Luis Alvarez-Principe.”