A new era will soon begin in the life of the OnCenter in downtown Syracuse. A national management group will take over the operation of the convention center and some other downtown venues.
SMG, a private firm out of Philadelphia, will be responsible for booking events at the OnCenter, the War Memorial, the Civic Center, Alliance Bank Stadium, and the Everson Museum.
Senior Vice President for Strategic Business Development Gregg Caren says the move brings all the resources of this national group into Central New York.
"Our goal is to start connecting the facilities, the entertainment venues, and the convention center to a national network; give them the access to our database and our clients and as we are booking events around the country, help put Syracuse and Onondaga County in the forefront of the decision-makers who are going to rent this facility," Caren said.
The move by the Onondaga County Legislature dissolves the OnCenter Management Corporation, which has run the OnCenter for the last two decades.
Legislator Kathleen Rapp says this deals with a changing entertainment world in Syracuse.
"We've got a different game in town now with the SRC Arena, the Landmark and everything else. We can either try to cannibalize ourselves, or lift everything to the next level, and bring in more so everyone has more to share," Rapp said.
The change goes into effect July 1.
