(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) —
SMG's contracted to manage the Baton Rouge River Center, formerly known as the Riverside Complex, has been extended though 2006 by an unanimous vote by the Baton Rouge City Council. Under the agreement the City of Baton Rouge, LA expanded SMG’s scope of services to include operation of the food and beverage services and also includes incentive based components based on performance.
During SMG’s tenure at the facility, SMG has improved the operating performance of the Center an average of $700,000 per year and event days have grown to more than 500 per calendar year and attendance at these events continues to increase.
Glenn Mon, SMG senior vice president of stadiums and arenas stated, “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to build upon the hard work and progress we have made in Baton Rouge. The new Convention Center should add to an already booming downtown revitalization and SMG is proud to be a part of it.”
The Baton Rouge River Center is a multipurpose facility comprised of three main facilities: the River Center Arena, a 10,000-seat arena, with over 30,000 square feet of exhibition space and more than 7,000 square feet of meeting space, the 26,000 square foot Grand Ballroom and the 1,900-seat Theatre of Performing Arts.
As the downtown area continues to grow, The Baton Rouge River Center has responded with the current expansion of the new Convention Center. This new venue includes 100,000 square feet of continuous, state-of-the-art exhibition space and will prove to be a cornerstone development in Baton Rouge. The design incorporates regional architectural elements as exterior shutters, deep sunlight filtering spaces and double height porticos. The main lobby as well as second floor veranda offers spectacular views of the Mississippi River.
With the inclusion of the three Baton Rouge River Center facilities, SMG provide facility services to 11 venues in the State of Louisiana; the Louisiana Superdome; New Orleans Arena; Shreveport Convention Center (under construction and is scheduled to open in early 2006); New Orleans Cultural Center; New Orleans Municipal Auditorium; Mahalia Jackson Theater; CenturyTel Center and the Ponchartrain Center. –Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner
