Stockton Arena: IFG is out, SMG is in

Stockton, CA / Bilingual Weekly

The City of Stockton and International Facilities Group (IFG), the company that manages the Stockton Arena, Stockton Ballpark, Bob Hope Theatre and the Oak Park Ice Arena, announced today that they will end a six-year relationship.

There will be a thirty-day transition period to the new management company, SMG, beginning January 25, 2011.

SMG —formerly Spectator Management Group— is a worldwide venue management group headquartered in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, that specializes in managing publicly owned facilities. SMG began their operation in 1977 with management of the Louisiana Superdome and have grown to one of the largest property management corporations in the world. Today SMG operates entertainment venues and convention centers worldwide in Europe, Mexico, Latin American and Asia, as well as venues throughout the United States, including Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, Long Beach Arena and Convention Center and Moscone Center in San Francisco.

The City’s current agreement was for a 10-year period with an option to terminate the agreement in 2010 or 2012.

“IFG is definitely ending on a high note, “said Mayor Ann Johnston, “thanks to IFG’s efforts, we’ve recently seen fabulous bookings with big draws, such as Snoop Dogg and Carrie Underwood. IFG is working with us on a smooth transition to SMG, so we’ll see more shows of this caliber coming to Stockton.”

“I’m going to miss Stockton,” said Michael Reinsdorf, former owner of the Stockton Thunder hockey team and president of IFG. He was recently appointed to President and COO of the Chicago Bulls, a National Basketball Association (NBA) team.

The SMG contract with the City of Stockton will include performance goals and offer incentives for attaining certain goals.