EVERETT — Comcast Arena downtown has a new manager responsible for booking concerts, sports teams and special events.
Global Spectrum, the Philadelphia-based company that manages Everett’s events center, has named Jeffrey M. Schumacher the facility’s general manager. He began work Tuesday. Schumacher comes from Trenton, N.J., where he managed Sun National Bank Center, also overseen by Global.
“Jeff has done a tremendous job for Global Spectrum in Trenton, increasing the profile of the venue, booking new events and generating positive revenue for our client,” John Page, Global’s chief operating officer, said in a statement.
Schumacher is only the second general manager to serve at Comcast Arena, which includes the arena, the Comcast community ice rink and the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center. Former general manager Kim Bedier helped open the $71.5 million facility in late 2003 and left her position in November to oversee public facilities in Tacoma, including the Tacoma Dome.
Comcast Arena was developed by the Everett Public Facilities District as part of an effort to revive downtown. Local restaurants, bars and retailers benefit from a events at Comcast to bring customers downtown.
“We look forward to his leadership at the helm of the Comcast Arena at Everett, and his demonstrated enthusiasm and ability to attract new events,” Gary Weikel, president of the Everett Public Facilities District, said in a statement.
In recent years, Comcast Arena’s income has dropped as fewer people paid to attend concerts and Silvertips hockey games there. In 2011, the arena’s net income was $329,869, down $1.1 million from 2010.
At his position in New Jersey, Schumacher brought multiple first-time events to Sun National Bank Center and attracted an indoor football team to the venue, according to Global Spectrum’s statement. Prior to that position, Schumacher managed events centers in Lewiston, Maine, and Hidalgo, Texas.
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