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New Queen of the Coliseum
Audi readies to face new era of competitive challenges
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Business New Haven
8/20/2001
By: BNH
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Formerly director of marketing for the Pepsi Arena in Albany, N.Y., Lisa Audi, 32, arrived in New Haven May 29 to replace John Burnap as general manager of Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven, managing a full-time staff of about 20. (Both facilities are managed by SMG.)
How did this opportunity come about for you?
John [Burnap] had already left the company. SMG is a company that always tries to identify future general manager candidates. Every year you sit down as part of your annual review [and management asks], 'What would you like to do?' I went to lunch with Glenn Mon, our senior vice president, and the topic of New Haven came up. He invited me to come [to New Haven], so I came out the next week and met with the staff here. Obviously I knew the situation in New Haven, the obstacles and opportunities that [existed]. I thought the staff was very solid, which was an important part of my decision-making process. I was here on a Monday and Tuesday, and by Thursday afternoon I had accepted the job, and by the Tuesday after Memorial Day I was on the ground here, working.
When you met with the staff, what did they have to say?
I saw people who really wanted to make the building successful. I saw an eagerness. And I saw passion. I think they needed someone to come in and bring them the events so that they can be successful. That what the job has been since SMG took over - to bring in additional events, and hopefully I'm going to be able to do that.
You referred to 'obstacles and opportunities.' What are they?
The opportunities: We need to get out into the entertainment industry and do even more to build relationships, meet with promoters. In the two months I've been here I've literally driven to New Jersey for a lunch appointment with one of the bigger promoters in the Northeast, just to break bread, have a conversation, interact. I've had a dinner appointment with the WWF [World Wrestling Federation] just to see where they're at with things and let them see where we're at with things. There's as much opportunity as there are dates on the calendar.
Obstacles?
The building is what it is, and I'm not going to be able to come in here with the genie jar and be able to correct the issues that the building has. It's a 28-year-old building, and I'd like to find another 28-year-old building in the country that doesn't have similar issues. Ours are probably a little more pressing because of the climate in this marketplace with a new building opening at Mohegan Sun and a new building in Bridgeport, Hartford, the Meadows [Music Theater], Oakdale - there's a fair number of venues in this area for the number of potential clients.
Among the different kinds of event opportunities, do you find yourself thinking in particular more about sports, family shows or concerts?
I don't necessarily see them more in one area than in another. I think John Burnap did a great job in reaching out to Yale. In Albany we had a similar relationship with Siena College, which in the early '90s played three or four [basketball] games a year [at Pepsi Arena], and then after a couple of years moved to six or seven [games], and then three years ago they moved every single [home] game to the Pepsi Arena. I am by no means saying that Yale hockey is headed in the same direction, but I think it's similar in that it's an opportunity for Yale to grow its program by having the ability to draw more fans than would fit in [3,486-seat Ingalls Rink]. We both have needs: Yale has a need for more seats for some games; we have a need for a first-class hockey program playing in our building.
How many Yale games will be here this year?
Three games [including a January 6 game against defending national champion Boston College].
How about family shows?
There are always new family shows out touring, so it's a matter of being on the radar screen when [for example] Barney is starting another touring show in the fall of '02. You've got any number of circuses; a lot has been made of the Ringling [Bros. & Barnum & Bailey] Circus and the situation in Bridgeport, but that's not to say that we can't do another circus if Ringling decides never to play New Haven again - which [by the way] is a decision that hasn't been made. Sporting event-wise, that's more a special-event type of thing. The nice thing is we've got the [UHL New Haven] Knights back; we've got Arena Football 2 coming in April, and having two sports tenants is very important to any facility. It becomes the basis of your programming, and then you can fill in with special events - WWF, some figure skating, and then trade shows. And then there's creating your own shows: There are buildings out there that do rib fests, Latin festivals - there are as many ideas out there as you want to put together.
In two months here, what has surprised you - good or bad?
The community has surprised me a little bit. There's a lot of interconnection. When you meet people, they know somebody who knows somebody. That's not a negative. I've also been surprised by the number of folks willing to help us. The folks from the [Greater New Haven] Chamber of Commerce have been phenomenal. As the new kid on the block, it's been challenging to find out the people to meet and getting out to meet the right people to explain what we're trying to do.
Have you established a relationship yet with the people in City Hall?
I have not. I spent a little time with [city budget chief] Frank Altieri and [development czar] Henry [Fernandez]. But I have not had a good amount of time to sit down and share what we're trying to do.
Well, one of the mayoral challengers has called for the Coliseum to be demolished. Where is the mayor on this?
From the comments I've seen, the mayor has been pretty neutral on the issue.
Did he call you when you arrived here to say, 'Welcome to New Haven, we'll support your efforts in any way we can?'
No.
Do you think this facility has the political support to sustain itself over the long term?
Well, SMG has been very upfront about [the fact] that this building is going to need funding. At what level, I can't exactly say. But given the money that's been invested in similar facilities elsewhere in the state - name one that hasn't - we're going to definitely need funding. I think we have a building that's worth keeping. Yes, we're going to need some financial support to do some additional renovations. But weigh the cost of not having a building in terms of city life.
What are the three top renovation/repair priorities?
One would be doing some repairs to the roof. During the AAU basketball tournament we had some leakage going on. Second probably would be finishing the second helix. Third would be putting a marquee sign on the outside of the building.
What will really happen when Bridgeport opens this October?
It's going to be interesting to see what the impact really is. Right now it's all speculation. Will there be some impact? Yes. To what degree and for how long is what's up for debate. The fact that it is definitely going to be more competitive might be to the detriment of both of us, because if I'm a show [I can play the two off against each other]. And a building like Bridgeport will definitely have a 12- to 18-month honeymoon period.
Well, you book months or years ahead. Has there already been impact on booking shows?
I would say yes, there has been some. A big issue is, will they attract [audiences] from west [of Bridgeport]. We both have a pretty specific goal: It's called filling in calendars. A lot of people don't understand that the way the tourism business works comes down to date availability. Somebody calls, and says, 'Do you have this date, this date or this date?' you either have them or you don't.
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