INTRUST Bank Arena Staff Nominated for Industry Awards

(Wichita, Kan.) – INTRUST Bank Arena staff received multiple nominations for the Venues Today 2015 Hall of Headlines awards. The annual awards celebrate headline-making people and the events that changed our thinking in 2015 in the categories of News, Bookings, Ops & Tech, Marketing and Concessions.  

AJ Boleski, General Manager, and Christine Pileckas, Director of Sales & Marketing, were nominated in the marketing category for the 5th Anniversary Concert Series commemorating that milestone and featuring a diverse lineup of concerts: Bob Seger (Feb. 17), Fleetwood Mac (March 31), Florida Georgia Line (Sept. 24), and Foo Fighters (Sept. 30). A special commemorative section was inserted into the major local daily paper, the Wichita Eagle, in January and featured milestones and achievements throughout the first five years. In addition, a completely new, redesigned website was launched to kick off the fifth anniversary. Finally, commemorative ticket stock and souvenir cups were rolled out and fifth anniversary themed banners were installed on street poles throughout the entire downtown arena neighborhood.

Greg Read, Regional Director of Food & Beverage, was also nominated for introducing the Brewhaus Bros. craft beer bar at INTRUST Bank Arena, capturing the explosion of the craft brew sector in beer sales. A low-impact concession stand was repurposed in December 2014 and transformed into a premier destination location for all arena patrons. The unique craft beer bar features 14 local craft beers on tap, with more than half of them brewed within 50 miles of the arena. The Brewhaus Bros. concept has increased revenues from this concession stand location by 30% and has since expanded into portable draft cart locations throughout the arena to keep up with the demand. In addition, the destination location features a food menu of tasty snacks that pair well with craft beer.

Venues Today is a monthly industry trade magazine that tracks industry trends and profiles live entertainment professionals. Winners are determined by vote through Venues Today subscribers and staff. Winners will be showcased and caricatured in the Year-End Issue December 2015.