Highly Decorated Industry Leader Brings More Than 25 Years of Expertise in Sports and Entertainment to the Award-Winning Downtown Venue

 

ATLANTA – Today the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena announced that Amanda Mann has been hired as Executive Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer. In her new role, Mann will oversee the operations of all Hawks properties, including their business offices within Centennial Tower, the Emory Sports Medicine Complex and State Farm Arena. At State Farm Arena, she will also be responsible for the event, facility and financial management responsibilities of the venue, optimizing the efficiency, profitability and fan experience for all attending the downtown venue.

 

Mann brings more than 25 years of experience in the sports and entertainment industries to the Hawks and State Farm Arena, having worked for the National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: LYV), the world’s leading live entertainment company, and Clear Channel Entertainment. For her outstanding work, she has been recognized by Sports Business Journal (‘Game Changers’ 2021), VenuesNow (‘Women of Influence’ 2020) and the Portland Business Journal (40 Under 40 – 2019).

 

She is the first woman to lead arena operations in the Hawks 56-year history.

 

“We are excited to add Amanda to our executive team. She has a proven track record as an outstanding arena operator, event booker and revenue generator, bringing an analytical lens to not only optimize operations but also elevate the fan experience which drives our business. Her people-first leadership style will be felt by fans and our staff alike,” Hawks and State Farm Arena’s Chief Executive Officer Steve Koonin said.

 

“I have always admired the culture of the Hawks organization and the vision that Tony and Steve have for the arena and fan experience. The arena renovations changed the landscape of how fans experience games, concerts and other events, and I am honored to contribute to the Hawks’ and State Farm Arena’s future. My family and I are excited to be a part of the community and experience the beauty and diversity of Atlanta.” Mann said.

 

Most recently, Mann served as general manager for Live Nation Entertainment in Ridgefield, Wash., increasing revenue by nearly $2M in under two years while modernizing fan-facing spaces and increasing sustainability diversion by more than 20 percent. RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater is in the top five of Live Nation’s large outdoor venues in food & beverage per caps.

 

Prior to joining Live Nation, she served as general manager, senior vice president of the 30-acre Rose Quarter sports and entertainment district where she led the master plan design of both Moda Center, home to the Portland Trail Blazers, and Veterans Memorial Coliseum while doubling the number of events from 2016 to 2022, increasing ticket sales by more than 40 percent and turnstile by 12%. Under her leadership, she boosted employee KPIs by 17% spearheading new programs and helped the Moda Center become the first existing arena to achieve LEED Platinum for Operations and Maintenance.

 

In Houston with the Rockets/Clutch City Sports & Entertainment as vice president of booking and event operations from 2006 to 2016, Mann led the day-to-day management, vision and strategy for over 150 events annually. During her tenure, she enhanced their event count by 66 percent and revenue by more than 300 percent over her tenure. She also led Houston’s winning bid and the execution of the 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend. Prior to Houston, Mann worked for Clear Channel Entertainment, starting as a talent buyer before ascending to vice president of booking for venues in Austin, Texas and San Antonio.

 

Throughout her career, Mann has used her platform and positions to create opportunity and impact for others. In 2017, she partnered with the Portland mayor’s office and local nonprofit Right 2 Dream Too to create safe spaces near the Rose Quarter where people without housing could rest or sleep safely. In 2019, she co-founded WISE Portland, a nonprofit organization that offers leadership training resources to women in sports. WISE — Women in Sports and Events — is the leading voice and resource for women in the business of sports. Outside of work, Mann has been a Girl Scout troop leader and is passionate about uplifting and empowering girls to be strong, independent, future leaders.

 

Mann attended Vanderbilt University, graduating with a B.S. in computer science and mathematics.