PITTSBURGH, PA (Sept. 13, 2023) – As PPG Paints Arena is in the midst of a big September filled with many of the nation’s top concert touring acts, Oak View Group, operators of PPG Paints Arena, today named Kevin Grove as Vice President, Programming, at the 18,000-seat multi-purpose arena that is home to the Pittsburgh Penguins and live entertainment in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Grove joined Oak View Group in 2017 as Director of Booking where he led national booking efforts for OVG’s Arena Alliance, Stadium Alliance and OVG360 venues. Prior to joining OVG Grove was Vice President of Event Programming at the South Florida-based Sunrise Sports & Entertainment, parent company of FLA Live Arena and the NHL’s Florida Panthers.
His live event booking experience also includes time as Vice President and Assistant GM for Hicks Cedar Park where he oversaw booking for H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, TX, home to the AHL’s Texas Stars, and Comerica Center in Frisco, TX, which is home to the NHL’s Dallas Stars corporate offices and training facility.
Grove also has a background in advertising where he directed integrated marketing campaigns, with a focus on entertainment partnerships and influencer marketing, on behalf of major clients including General Motors and Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep.
Grove got his start in the live entertainment business as Director of Events at Michigan based Brass Ring Productions which promoted concerts throughout the U.S.
The Penguins, together with their ownership team at Fenway Sports Group, selected OVG360, the full-service venue management division of Oak View Group, to manage, book, and operate PPG Paints Arena in 2022.
September is a big month for live concerts at PPG Paints Arena, featuring Aerosmith’s Peace Out tour (Sept. 6), Eric Clapton with special guest Jimmie Vaughan (Sept. 8), Duran Duran with special guests Nile Rodgers & Chic with Bastille (Sept. 9), Old Dominion (Sept. 15), $uicideboy$ (Sept. 16), Peter Gabriel (Sept. 23), Jonas Brothers (Sept. 25), Stevie Nicks (Sept. 27), and Farruko (Sept. 30). This is the most concerts PPG Paints Arena has hosted in one month in the venue’s history.
“September is a big month for us and we want to continue to build on this momentum,” said Hank Abate, Senior Vice President at OVG overseeing facilities in the Northeast. “With Kevin’s expertise, knowledge and resources, combined with our OVG network, and our promotional partners, we look forward to bringing additional live entertainment to Pittsburgh and creating ever-lasting memories for our guests across Southwestern Pennsylvania.”
About OVG360
OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client-partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client-partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and public safety and more.