New Lambeau atrium gets own business director

The Green Bay Packers, as part of their effort to make Lambeau Field a year-round attraction, have created a new position in the team's corporate structure: director of atrium business development.

The Lambeau Field Atrium, a five-story structure adjacent to the east side of the stadium, is a featured element of the $295 million Lambeau Field renovation. It's home to the new, 6,000-square-foot Packers Pro Shop and will be home to the new Packers Hall of Fame, restaurants, and interactive game centers and exhibit areas. Scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2003 season, the facility will be used year-round for corporate meetings, business conferences, banquets, receptions and parties, as well as for special events that could be tied to happenings such as summer training camp, mini-camps and draft day.

The Packers are expected to announce today that Steve Klegon, who most recently was Levy Restaurants' director of operations for the Southeast region, has been hired to fill the team's new executive slot. Levy Restaurants is a caterer for about 30 major arenas and stadiums across the country, including Lambeau Field.

Klegon, who will report directly to Packers Chief Operating Officer John Jones, will be in charge of developing and running new business ventures for the Lambeau Field Atrium. Klegon will "take the lead on [creating] non-game-day business opportunities year-round," Jones said.

Packers executives estimate that the renovated Lambeau Field complex could draw as many as 2 million visitors a year. The Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau estimated that the project could yield more than $20 million a year in revenue for the Packers.

"Our goal is to be more than just a football stadium," said Klegon, 44. "We want to make [Lambeau Field] a 365-day-a-year destination."