Derek Boczkowski was named senior event manager/coordinator for Palace Sports and Entertainment (PS&E). Boczkowski joined PS&E as an intern in the Palace Marketing department in 1994 where he was responsible for assisting with shows and Pistons games along with other marketing tasks and was then hired as an events assistant in 1996 followed by event coordinator in 1998.

Linda Forsyth was hired as the director of Project Management – British Columbia and the director of Corporate Sales for the Abbotsford (B.C.) Sports & Entertainment Centre. She will oversee the on-site Front Row Directors in Penticton and Dawson Creek. She will also operate as the on-site director of Corporate Sales for the new arena in Abbotsford. Forsyth had worked as an advertising sales representative for BlackPress and its various publications for the last 23 years.

Bryan Furey was hired as the new director of Corporate Partnerships for the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League for Front Row Marketing. For the past four years, Furey led the sports marketing department at the EFK Group, where he managed the Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk. Prior to 2003, Bryan worked for IMG selling corporate sponsorships for major events and professional athletes.
 
Matt Johnson was hired as the new Corporate Sales Manager for the Iowa Events Center and the American Hockey League’s Iowa Stars, Des Moines, for Front Row Marketing. Johnson started with the Iowa Events Center in 2005 as the Group Sales manager. He previously worked in Stadium Operations and as the director of Community Relations the past five years for the Iowa Cubs.

Splyce Inc. has hired Deryl McCartney as director of Marketing & Sales.  He will be responsible for driving expansion into new markets. Other changes in the company include the exit of programming lead Kevin Kendrick.  Doug Munday, current Manager of Technical Operations, will lead the programming department during the expansion of both the marketing and programming departments.

Compass Group has appointed Lisa McEuen to the newly created position of senior vice president, business excellence, beginning in January 2008. McEuen will report to Tom Ondrof, CFO and joins the North American officer executive team. McEuen has 25 years of foodservice management experience. Prior to joining Bon Appétit Management Company, McEuen held a number of senior operational and marketing roles with Epoch Foodservice and Vending, Gardner Merchant, and Aramark. She joined Bon Appétit in 1996 as district manager for Cisco Systems and was most recently regional vice president of operations.

Deborah O'Mara was hired as the new Director of Corporate Sales for the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton, British Columbia, for Front Row Marketing.  Since 1997, O’Mara has been the executive manager for the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Region, where she generated endowments and grants for the foundation
 
On Dec. 3, Greg Ortale will join the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau as president and CEO. Ortale currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Meet Minneapolis, Official Convention + Visitors Association where he founded the Minnesota Alliance for Convention Center Expansion, a group of business and community leaders whose influence helped make the Minneapolis Convention Center expansion a reality in 2002. Previously held positions include executive vice president and general manager of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Council in 1984 and he was elected the first president of the Texas Travel Industry Congress, a lobbying coalition of travel-related associations in 1985.

Steve Rex has been hired as director of Project Management, based in Portland, Maine, for Front Row Marketing. He will oversee Front Row projects including the Portland Pirates (AHL), New York Dragons (AFL) and other New England/ Northeast based projects. Prior to coming to Front Row, he was the vice president of Sales for the AHL’s Portland Pirates.

AEG Live has announced the opening of its newest regional office in Minneapolis. Brad Saks has been named the talent buyer for the office, booking the Target Center as well as various theaters and clubs in the region. Minneapolis marks AEG Live’s 12th Regional Office in the U.S. Prior to joining AEG Live, Saks was a senior talent buyer at OCESA Presents in New York.  Previous to that, Saks was a talent buyer in New York for Metropolitan Talent Presents.

Larry Thompson was named vice president of Sponsorship Development for Palace Sports & Entertainment (PS&E), Auburn Hills, Mich. Thompson joined the organization in 2004 as director of Corporate Marketing. Prior to joining PS&E, Thompson was account director for CBS Sports in Southfield, Mich. and president of SMS Consulting in Livonia, Mich.

Maura Thomson is the new director of Events for the Comcast-Spectacor Foundation, Philadelphia. She joined Comcast-Spectacor in 1999 as a member of the Advertising Sales Department.  She has been the Sponsorship Manager for the past eight years.  Prior to her experience with Comcast-Spectacor, she spent two years in advertising with Backe Communications.

David Touhey has been promoted to vice president of Booking & Entertainment for Verizon Center, Washington. Touhey was previously the senior director of Entertainment. Prior to working for Washington Sports & Entertainment, Touhey worked for Global Spectrum, an event and arena management company, for eight and a half years where he started as a box office coordinator and worked his way up to general manager.

Opening in mid 2008, the Darwin (Australia) Convention Centre has announced two additional senior executive management appointments to join their pre-opening team. Abigail Trewin is the new Event manager, with 10 years experience in the event, convention management and hospitality industry studying hotel management with the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School and IHTTI Neuchatell Switzerland. She had been chairperson of the Northern Territory for the Australian College of Ambulance Professionals Northern Territory Branch (ACAP) for the past three years.  Aaron Roussos also joins the team as Food and Beverage manager. Prior to this appointment, Aaron was Venue Catering manager for the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds for the past four years and is a qualified chef. J.D. FLOYD — 80, carnival and theme park owner, Sept. 22 in Lebanon, Tenn. Flody and his wife, Ann, and and the late Billy Baxter and his wife, Jane Baxter, founded Floyd and Baxter Amusement Co., operating Cumberland Valley Shows and Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park in Rossville, Ga. Floyd was inducted into the Outdoor Amusement Business Association Hall of Fame in 2003 and received the International Association of Amsusement Parks & Attractions “Over the Years Award” in 1996. He was on the OABA board of directors for 25 years. He was preceded in death by his parents Dallas and Insa Laine Floyd and son, Jimmy Dallas Floyd. He is survived by his wife; sister Jane Baxter; grandchildren, Jason Floyd, Jeremy Flord and Jennifer Cox; great granddaughter, Abigaile Laine Floyd; and daughter in law, Janet Floyd.

AARON ‘AL’ MALL — 77, concessionaire, Sept. 16 in his motorhome at the Kern County Fair, Bakersfield, Calif. Mall and his wife, Loretta, started Midway Souvenir Co. more than in the Seventies. Mall’s parents were vaudevillians. He was born in Lakewood, Ohio, and his first job in the business was working a concessions stand for the Cleveland Indians and the Cleveland Browns. Legend has it that when it was too cold to  sell cotton candy and souvenirs outdoors, he moved the operating into the bathroom. He worked as a ringmaster for Ringling Bros.-Barnum and Bailey Circus, performed magic under the name Mistin. Mall is survived by his wife, Loretta, who continues the souvenir business.

WILLIAM WADSWORTH “BILL” WIRTZ — 77, president of the Chicago Blackhawks, Sept. 26 in Evanston, Ill. Wirtz was instrumental in the expansion of the National Hockey League from six to 30 teams. He presided over the family owned hockey business for 41 years and served as chairman of the NHL board for 18 years. He established Chicago Blackhawk Charities in 1993 and it has since donated more than $7.5 million to charitable organizations. At one time, Wirtz also owned a 20 percent interest in the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association, and with Jerry Reinsdorf, principal owner of the Bulls and the Chicago White Sox, was a driving force in building the United Center, Chicago, which was financed with private funds. Wirtz is survivd by his wife, Alice; five children, Rocky, Gail, Karey, Peter and Alyson; and seven grandchildren.