CHICAGO, Illinois (February 15, 2012) – In the six months since the Metropolitan Pier and Exhibition Authority (MPEA) selected SMG to manage the McCormick Place Complex, the firm has moved to bring the best and brightest industry executives into the operation. The senior leadership team comes from within McCormick Place, from SMG’s corporate headquarters and leading industry veterans.

“We were very pleased when the MPEA agreed that SMG keep David Causton on as general manager. The relationship he has with both clients and staff is now just as strong with David’s new SMG family,” said Wes Westley, SMG President and Chief Executive Officer. “The next step was to build a strong support team for him.”

It was announced to McCormick Place staff today that Adrienne Tiritilli has been promoted to Assistant General Manager – Sales and Services. This newly created title highlights the critical nature of both selling and servicing events for the nation’s largest convention center. “We have been impressed with Adrienne from the very beginning,” said Gregg Caren, Senior Vice President of Strategic Business Development for SMG. “It was clear that the optimum step to enhance our level of customer service and to expand our sales efforts would be to promote from within.” In this role, Adrienne will continue as the facility’s primary liaison with the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau (CCTB), as well as the local hospitality community. Bob McClintock, Senior Vice President – Convention Centers for SMG, noted, “As a company, we have long held the vital connection between sales and event services.” He added, “This not only enhances the critical communication among staff, but also acknowledges the vital need for client communication in the booking cycle.”

Shortly after SMG was awarded the contract, and in an effort to ensure its fiduciary role in finance and accounting, SMG named company veteran Joseph Scheper Assistant General Manager – Finance and Administration. Prior to this move, Scheper had worked in the company’s headquarters in Philadelphia, PA as Executive Director of Finance. In this capacity, Joe was responsible for the facility accounting processes at all of SMG’s convention centers and worked with in the establishment and operation of SMG’s proprietary accounting systems and processes. Prior to his corporate role, Scheper served as Director of Finance at the SMG-managed Hawai’i Convention Center.


Lastly, SMG returnee Ryan Thorpe was named McCormick Place’s new Director of Facilities. In his new role, Ryan has oversight for engineering, maintenance, contracted services, security and short-term capital projects. Ryan comes to McCormick Place/SMG with 18 years of experience in facility operations management and technical systems design and maintenance. He most recently worked as Director of Operations at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. Prior to that, Ryan was the Director of Facilities for SMG at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Ryan also served as a maintenance technician in the U.S. Navy for four years.

“As we move forward into the new year, we could not be more pleased with the combination of talent we have assembled in Chicago,” concluded McClintock. “We are proud to acknowledge the talent of both the incumbent team and our SMG bench strength as we help move the needle for this landmark venue.”

SMG is responsible for the management and marketing of more than 225 public assembly facilities worldwide. The company has built a specialized Convention Center Division, including 68 convention and exhibition centers. SMG’s seasoned executive team works actively with municipalities, convention bureaus and hospitality partners in offering first class service and fully integrated management and marketing systems. At 2.6 million square feet of prime exhibit space, McCormick Place is the nation’s largest convention facility.

About SMG
Founded in 1977, SMG provides management services to more than 225 public assembly facilities including convention and exhibition cen¬ters, arenas, stadiums, theatres, performing arts centers, equestrian facilities, science centers and a variety of other venues. With facilities across the globe, SMG manages more than 14.6 million square feet (1.46 million square meters) of exhibition space and over 1.75 million sports and entertainment seats. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides venue management, sales, marketing, event booking and programming, construction and design consulting, and pre-opening services for such landmark facilities as the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, Houston’s Reliant Park and the Louisiana Superdome. SMG also offers food and beverage operations through its concessions and catering company SAVOR, currently serving McCormick Place and more than 100 accounts worldwide. For more information visit www.smgworld.com

About McCormick Place
McCormick Place, the largest exhibition and meeting facility in North America, is comprised of four state-of-the-art buildings, the North, South and West Buildings, the Lakeside Center, and the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place hotel. Combined, McCormick Place offers 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space, 173 meeting rooms, the 4,249-seat Arie Crown Theater and one of the largest ballrooms in the world.

Located on Chicago’s lakefront, just minutes from downtown, McCormick Place is owned by the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority and managed by SMG, a worldwide convention facility management company. For more information, please visit mccormickplace.com or on facebook.com/mccormickplace and twitter.com/mccormick_place.