Page 25 - BusinessWest October 13, 2021

Hall of Fame President and CEO John Doleva
Hall of Fame J
ohn Doleva says that, when it comes
Looks to
Be a Bigger Player in
Events Market
The biggest of these factors, though, is the refurbished Hall itself. Indeed, as the leader- ship team at the shrine blueprinted a mas- sive, far-reaching, $25 million renovation of the facility, they did so with the goal of mak- ing it a more attractive venue for everything from those bar and bat mitzvahs to wed- dings; from corporate meetings to memorial services.
“It’s a very important part of
our business, and we want to
”
“When we the redid the museum, we designed it first to be a great museum expe- rience, but we also looked at every gallery, every presentation, and every interactive with the opportunity to integrate it with someone coming in and doing a corporate
By George O’Brien
Tourism & Hospitality
to bar mitzvahs — and probably bat mitzvahs, for that matter — there has always been an informal type of com- petition among those young people
(and their families).
“From what I understand, each bar mitz-
vah has to outdo the last one that your kid went to,” said Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “And we think we have the right venue to outdo that last one.”
see it grow.
Taking Its
Game to a
New Level
This phenomenon is just one of many factors working in the favor of the Hall as
it tries to up its game when it comes to an always-important part of the business plan but one that has never really lived up to all its promise — events. Others include loca- tion, the popularity of basketball, and the lure of being in that sport’s shrine.
TOURISM & HOSPITALITY
OCTOBER 13, 2021 25
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