LEADERS AT ALL LEVELS Leading At All Levels | By By Kimberly Mahoney, Ph.D., CVP
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resent not only the venue, but also the event and/or tenant. Both front-of-house and back-of-house personnel play a critical role in the delivery of the event experience to guests, and hopefully a memora- ble one at that. Venue managers are constantly challenged to recruit managed in-house or contracted out. They are looking for someone like Frederick “Gabe” Gabriel.
Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania and joined the Air Force at 17 years of age. He served for three years between the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and after basic training was stationed in Florida and Iceland. He worked in trucking for 31 years and retired in 1998. Gabe was drawn to working events because of the people and the opportunity to make others happy. The Schottenstein Center opened in November 1998 and is home
to The Ohio State University Buckeyes including men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and men’s ice hockey. Gabe and his wife, Mar- According to Carolyn Speicher, CVP, Director of Guest Services at the Schottenstein Center, “Gabe has been with us since the begin- ning. His devotion to the Schottenstein Center and Nationwide Are- na is evident in every interaction he has with our guests. He is exactly what you would want in a team member; friendly, caring, consistent, or meant to grab attention, but that you miss when he isn’t around. He just wants to be a part of things and take care of his guests.” Nationwide Arena opened in 2000 and is home to the NHL Co-
lumbus Blue Jackets. Gabe and Margaret have been members of the - ber of that year. Gabe has worked ALL the Columbus Blue Jackets the team’s inception in 2000 (which can only be matched by Greg Murray, the in-arena announcer for the Columbus Blue Jackets). This season, Gabe is on track to hit 700 Blue Jackets games! Accord- ing to Michael Hunter, Director of Event Services at Nationwide Arena, “Gabe has a warm, wonderful personality and both guests needed during events. He also gives tours during the day, so we have the pleasure of seeing him regularly. The fact that he has worked every single Blue Jackets game is an incredible streak, and I know a Gabe’s work at the arenas is very important to him, so much so that
- son so he would not miss events! His guests are very important to him too. Some season ticket holders brought their children to games when they were young and now bring them back as college students or graduates. The kids remember Gabe and it means so much to him that he was able to impact them in some small way. That’s an employee who cares. Also, his regulars look for him at every game or event. Gabe is truly part of the event experience for those guests and
He does not restrict his work to OSU athletics and CBJ games,
either. He works a variety of concerts and events at both buildings. In addition to the two arenas, Gabe previously worked for a few years at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and at Mapfre Stadium built in the U.S. He was at Mapfre Stadium for 11 years beginning with their opening in 1999. He has essentially opened three new ven- ues, which is a testament to his passion for the work.
Always be professional. Be patient. Treat people properly. Provide accurate information. Be willing to learn. Always smile … even if you’ve had a bad day.
While Gabe may not have the title of supervisor or manager, he is undoubtedly a leader amongst his peers. He recognizes the im- portance of his role and approaches his work with that in mind. He leads by example and provides the consistency and continuity that venue needs a Gabe Gabriel!
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