ASM Global has been actively working on a number of initiatives this year to expand its operations and improve the guest and client experience across its portfolio venues. These have included sustainability initiatives as well as venue upgrades and enhanced amenities using tech, such as food ordering at venues.
As the company looks to further expand its development projects, it has brought on Live Nation veteran Liam Thornton as EVP, Real Estate Strategy. Thornton formerly served as executive vice president at Live Nation Entertainment and will apply his expertise to help ASM grow its project development program going into 2023.
Thornton will be responsible for everything related to project development, including strategic planning, market research, site selection, lease and partnership negotiations, development feasibility, site planning, project advisory, and investment analysis.
“This will drive tremendous value for private and municipal partners and ultimately guests,” commented ASM Global President and CEO Ron Bension. “We’re going to leverage the coming years for a period of unprecedented growth in our business space. Liam’s extensive experience, particularly in creating new developments and enhancing existing assets, will provide far and away the most diverse and enriching opportunities the industry has ever seen.”
ASM Global operates a large portfolio of both business and entertainment venues across the world, and has also been building out a robust marketing platform with Qualtrics to deliver better value and experiences to its partners and guests. Thornton noted that the company’s growing focus on development will help it continue expand to new areas and bring even more people through its venues every year.
“We’re now accelerating our entry into equity investments and strategic partnerships as well as ramping up our project advisory services including feasibility studies, master planning and bringing startup projects to fruition,” he said. “The world is craving live-event experiences more than ever, and ASM Global and investors want to be a part of those moments. No one has the breadth of events, venues, tenant partners and boots on the ground like ASM Global.”