On with the shows: Meet arena's new GM
| Wednesday, Jan 11 2012 05:18 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Jan 17 2012 07:18 AM
"We rely on the community to fill seats. You're not going to get everyone, but we'd like to keep the venues as busy as possible, increase bookings and keep the lights on. There's an old saying in this business: 'We're afraid of the dark.'"
-- Scott Neal, new GM of Rabobank Arena
The sparsely decorated office that belongs to new SMG General Manager Scott Neal is slowly coming to life.
The Missouri native moved to town in November and has made getting acquainted with the community his top priority after landing the job of running SMG's family of Bakersfield venues -- Rabobank Arena being the big one, but also the downtown convention center and ice rink as well as the Bright House Networks Amphitheater in the southwest.
Not that he can't wait to spruce up his office with some career-spanning mementos, namely framed autographed photos taken with the likes of Elton John, Billy Joel and Bon Jovi, which are stacked neatly with others near his bookcase.
The photos are proud reminders of his biggest successes working in entertainment venue management, but he hopes to fill his office walls with new triumphs in Bakersfield. And, considering the slow year for concerts at Rabobank in 2011, the venue could use some big-name acts.
"I tell all of our employees we are going to act like we're a major-league facility, because that's what we are," said Neal. "I truly mean that."
Neal, 39, replaces former general manager Steve Womack, who left in September, one of several key changes at SMG that includes the departure last year of its marketing director, a key post that has yet to be filled.
"The GM position was open and I knew other people throughout the industry who were interested in it," said Neal, who, at the time, was an SMG employee at the Intrust Bank Arena, a 15,000-seat venue in Wichita, Kan., where he worked as assistant general manager.
"I had to go through the same interview process like those in SMG and outside SMG. It was open to everyone."
Without ever having visited Bakersfield before, Neal pursued the job and in November and was named the new general manager of the city-owned venues.
"My goal was to become a general manager, and that's why I continued to move around the country to do it. I'm fortunate enough to have a supportive family. There are so few opportunities like this. You have to go market to market. For every person like me, there are those people who become a GM right away. I hope to stay for a very long time."
Neal graduated with a master's degree in education from the University of Kansas in 1997 before kicking off his career with the Minneapolis-based Vee Corp., which produces the "Sesame Street Live" tour.
"That was an experience," he recalled. "We used to send an Elmo costume to each venue to be used in media previews that got a lot of wear. Then there was the Cookie Monster costume that got lost in shipment. It was pretty funny, as you can imagine."
Two years later, he went to work in guest services and event management at the 12,000-seat Delta Center -- now the Energy Solutions Center in Salt Lake City -- home to the Jazz, two NBA Finals, and the 2002 Winter Olympics, which took place just months after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"Very few people get a chance to have the eyes of the entire world on them, and I'll never forget being a part of that."
Following Neal's marriage to wife, Audrey, he moved on to an extended stay at the Fargodome in North Dakota and became a member of the Harlem Globetrotters organization.
"I remember telling my wife that if she didn't like moving around, I probably wasn't the guy for her," he said, pointing to a family portrait that includes his three young children. "My wife and kids are used to it, but I've always maintained a balance between work and being a family man."
In 2008, SMG, the Pennsylvania-based company that oversees several major venues in the United States and around the world, tapped Neal to join the team in Wichita.
Still getting accustomed to his new job and life in the Central Valley, Neal plans to use all of his big-market experience to boost Bakersfield's reputation as a major entertainment stop.
"I really like Bakersfield," he said. "It's very similar to Wichita in terms of size and market, and some of the other places I've lived: Phoenix, Las Vegas, Fargo. There's bits and pieces you take from places you've been, too."
Neal is busy conducting research locally and in Los Angeles, where he's already met with various entertainment agencies to get more insight.
"Our job is to make people have a good time, and serve the community by providing diverse entertainment. It's still a business to the city and SMG, but I will be working within those parameters to try and be all things to all people. Our building is safe, clean and maintained."
Early 2012 already looks promising, with upcoming shows by heavy hitters Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson. Only time will tell whether Neal can keep up that pace.
"I have a lengthy spreadsheet. I'm following everything. The minute it's updated, I'm making phone calls."
But Neal can't count on industry connections alone.
"We rely on the community to fill seats. You're not going to get everyone, but we'd like to keep the venues as busy as possible, increase bookings and keep the lights on. There's an old saying in this business: 'We're afraid of the dark.'"
Neal said he's open to feedback and can be reached via email at sneal@rabobankarena.com.
