User:JSFarman2/sandbox/Venu
Venu Holding Corporation ("Venu") is an American entertainment and hospitality company based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded by JW Roth in 2017 as Notes Live, Venu designs, develops, markets, and owns luxury amphitheaters; concert halls; entertainment campuses; and restaurants.
| Formerly | Notes Live |
|---|---|
| Company type | Public |
| AMEX: VENU | |
| Industry | Entertainment Hospitality |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder | JW Roth |
| Headquarters | Colorado Springs, CO |
| Brands |
|
| Website | venu |
History
[edit]Founding; Boot Barn Hall, Bourbon Brothers
[edit]Venu was founded by JW Roth, an entrepreneur and lifelong music fan. He founded Venu -- then known as Notes Live -- in 2017 to focus on entertainment. His son succeeded him as CEO of Roth Industries, the prepared foods company, with Roth becoming executive chairman.
In 2019, in addition to opening the first Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern, a restaurant serving southern and traditional American food, Venu opened Boot Barn Hall, a 10,000-square-foot live event space adjacent to Bourbon Brothers. [1] In 2023, a second location, which hosted both live music and community events, opened in Gainesville, Georgia. [2] (Notes Bar?)
Sunset Amphitheaters
[edit]Ford Amphitheater, Colorado Springs
[edit]In 2022, Venu announced the development of its first Sunset Amphitheater, an upscale open-air venue in Colorado Springs. [3] The prototype for a series of proposed concert venues in midsize cities, [4]each using the name Sunset until its naming rights were sold, the amphitheaters were partially designed to appeal to an affluent audience. In addition to traditional reserved seating, the Sunset prototype included privately owned suites with individual gas-fired firepits and access to amenities such as rooftop bars, private entrances, and priority parking. Selected by Billboard as a "venue to watch" in 2022, [5]the firepit suites in Colorado Springs sold out two years in advance of the venue's opening. [6]
A $90 million, 8000-capacity venue lo, Venu developed the amphitheater in tandem with an entertainment campus that included the third Boot Barn Hall and Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse Tavern, Roth’s Seafood and Chophouse, and an Owner's Club. [7] In June 2024, Ford bought the naming rights, and the venue was renamed the Ford Amphitheater. [8] It opened on August 9 with three sold-out OneRepublic shows. Booked and managed by AEG, more than 20 touring artists played the Ford during its opening season, including The Beach Boys, Primus, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.[6] After the Ford opened, Venu altered its acoustic profile and footprint [9] in response to a lawsuit brought by neighborhood residents and more than 600 complaints related to noise and parking. [10]
McKinney, Texas; El Paso, Texas; Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
[edit]In March 2024, Venu announced the development of the 20,000-capacity Sunset Amphitheater in McKinney, Texas, a suburb of Dallas–Fort Worth. The $300 million 46-acre amphitheater was the largest Venu property in development when it was announced. [11] In addition to traditional reserved seating, the plans for the venue included 250 fire pit and custom owner's suites. As of July 2024, McKinney Sunset was expected to create 1,300 direct and indirect jobs in the community with an economic impact of $3 billion over the first 10 years. [12]
The Sunset in El Paso, announced as a 17-acre amphitheater in April 2024, was expanded to 20 acres and approved by the city in April 2025. [13] The Sunset Amphitheater in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, a $93 million, 12,500-capacity venue outside Tulsa, broke ground in October 2024. The firepit suites sold out before the groundbreaking. LiveNation was chosen to book and manage both amphitheaters. [14]
All three amphitheaters are public–private partnerships.[12] [13] [11]
Aikman Clubs, IPO, Venu Arts and Culture Foundation
[edit]Roth and football player Troy Aikman first discussed a partnership after Aikman's 8 Mile Beer was launched in 2022. In late 2024 it was announced that Venu and Aiken, a music fan, had partnered to develop the Aiken Club at the Sunset Amphitheaters in Texas and Oklahoma. The clubs were introduced with an ad that aired during Monday Night Football in November.[11][15]
Venu went public in November 2024. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange as VENU, [16] Roth rang the NYSE opening bell on the day of the IPO.[17] $13 million was raised on the first day of trading. It was the first IPO for a Colorado Springs company. [18]
In December 2024, the company founded the Venu Arts and Culture Foundation, a non-profit that provides scholarships and grants to artists, musicians, and children. It was initially funded by a $3 million donation by Roth. [19]
References
[edit]- ^ Steele, Anne (2022-07-24). "First Came the Urban Transplants. Now Come the Concerts". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ Keene, Pamela A. "New venue now open in downtown Gainesville | Lakeside News - Lake Lanier, GA". Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ Mims, Taylor (2022-04-06). "A New $40 Million Amphitheater is Coming to Colorado Springs". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ Boyce, Dan (2025-02-12). "New concert venues could make mid-size cities live music hotspots". Marketplace. Retrieved 2025-03-17.
- ^ Brooks, Dave (2022-09-19). "29 New and Renovated Venues to Watch in 2022". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ a b Frank, John (2024-01-31). "The luxury Sunset Amphitheater in Colorado Springs set an Aug. 9 debut. Here's who will perform". Axios. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ Pearl, Wendy (2024-08-22). "Ford Amphitheater Opens With OneRepublic - Pollstar News". news.pollstar.com. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ "Sunset Amphitheater is now Ford Amphitheater, thanks to multimillion-dollar naming deal". The Denver Post. 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ Calhoun, Patricia. "Ford Amphitheater Making Changes After Noise Complaints: What to Expect". Westword. Retrieved 2025-03-17.
- ^ Chalfin ·, Andrea (2024-08-09). "After protests by neighbors and a winding path, the Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs is ready to open". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ a b c "Venu Amphitheaters To Debut Troy Aikman Clubs - Pollstar News". news.pollstar.com. 2024-12-05. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ a b Radford, Bill (2024-07-29). "Meet the man behind El Paso County's new luxury amphitheater". The Record. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ a b Powell, Adam. "El Paso City Council expands Sunset Amphitheater footprint, boosting event capacity". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ Tramel, Jimmie (2024-01-25). "Live Nation selected as operator of planned Broken Arrow amphitheater". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ Tsiaperas, Naheed; Rajwani-Dharsi, Tasha (2024-12-06). "Pic du jour: When Troy Aikman was just a baby". Axios. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ "Venu Wants to Elevate Music Concerts". Bloomberg. January 24, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ "Disrupting The Music Industry: Venu Holding Corporation Rings NYSE Bell". Cheddar. 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ Rogers, Andrew (2024-11-27). "Colorado Springs-based Venu Holding Corp. celebrates IPO". Colorado Springs Business Journal. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ Mulson, Jen (2024-12-27). "New Colorado Springs foundation to offer $3 million in arts grants, scholarships". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
External links
[edit]www.venu.live