In the case of the Delta renewal, that deal includes naming rights to the three suite levels at Staples Center. Those spaces had gone unnamed for many years — until Silvers came up with the idea for the Los Angeles venue after seeing what the airline has done nationally with branding premium areas at sports facilities.

Silvers said he thinks it’s more difficult to renew a deal than it is to negotiate a new agreement.

“The renewal, for me, is a tougher sell because you know … the secrets are out of the closet, so the partners understand what they can and can’t do and what their limitations are,” he said. “There will always be hurdles along the way, [but] you want to make sure that your partner feels and believes that their brand is being amplified, they’re getting a return on investment and their objectives are hit … and that takes a lot of effort. When you don’t get a renewal done, to me, it’s a crushing blow, because I think it’s a direct reflection of us and whether or not we’ve done our job.”

A former decathlete at USC, Silvers started at AEG fresh out of college in 2003, working as the track and field coordinator in the AEG Sports division. His responsibilities included selling tickets to events. Two years later, he joined the global partnerships group and has never looked back.

“Seeing where we’re going next with the new arena in Las Vegas and a new entertainment district in Berlin … there’s so much in the hopper right now,” he said. “I see myself staying here and continuing to build the relationships we currently have to see this through as long as I can.”

— Don Muret