Executive in Residence welcoming Brad Gessner, Sr. VP & General Mgr., AEG Facilities
SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Experience Industry Management Department will host Brad Gessner, who is responsible for the overall management of the Los Angeles Convention Center as an executive-in-residence November 6-8.
Gessner, senior vice president and general manager of AEG Facilities, will lecture in classes and meet with faculty, students, industry members and the community to share his expertise regarding convention services, revenue generation, green practices and sustainable programs.
AEG is billed as one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG is a subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, which owns, controls or is affiliated with a collection of companies including over 100 of the world’s preeminent facilities such as the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif, the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. and the Coliseum, in Oakland, Calif.
The company secured the management and operations contracts for the Los Angeles Convention Center and the Hawai'i Convention Center in 2013.
Gessner is responsible for oversight and new contract acquisitions for the Convention Centers Department of AEG Facilities, including new business development, responding to request for proposals for convention center management, and oversight of all management agreements for convention centers.
The public is invited to attend Gessner’s keynote presentation at 6 p.m., Nov. 7, at the Performing Arts Center Pavilion located in building 6, room 128.
About Experience Industry Management
Experience Industry Management is the facilitation of experiences across all sectors of industries related to tourism, hospitality, event planning, outdoor recreation management, community recreation, and sport management. It is one of nine departments in Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. Graduates of the program have started their careers at some of the industry’s most compelling organizations, such as the San Francisco Giants, Pebble Beach Resorts, Apple, and George P. Johnson.
About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, including ranch land, orchards, vineyards and forests, all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country, with 4,000 undergraduate students.