American venue-management companies are looking to expand
their operations to foreign markets, where government-managed
facilities that cater to large markets could give these companies
large earning potential. Ogden Corp. and Spectacor Management
Group (SMG) have been leaders in exoanding into foreign markets,
with ventures ranging from arenas in London and Oslo to Australia
and Japan. Latin American expansion is also on the menu, with
large markets having a "huge" potential upside, translating "into
big dollars." While most markets in Europe and Latin America
currently have an arena and stadium these facilites usually
generate less money than their American counterparts because of
the lack of "top shelf concession stands, premium seats and space
for inbuilding billboards." This could change with the sports-
management expectations of expansion into European and Latin
American markets by the "top four" American sports -- baseball,
basketball, football and hockey. Manuel Marrerro, Ogden Director
of Business Development for Latin America: "This is not a stab in
the dark. ... We have a strategy, we have a commitment" (Eric
Conrad, Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 12/20).
