Monday, 15 October 2018

MGM Resorts Appoints New President of Entertainment and Sports

MGM Resorts International has appointed a new President of Entertainment and Sports.

The hotel and casino company announced last week that they had hired George Kliavkoff and placed him in charge of all operations for the company’s showrooms, theatres and arenas.

According to MGM, Kliavkoff, who will be based out in Las Vegas, will also be in charge of company strategy, marketing, finance, sponsorships, bookings and ticketing for the venues.

Kliavkoff will replace Richard Sturm, who recently started his own company Las Vegas Live Entertainment and Sports which signed a three-year consulting contract with MGM.

The deal will see Sturm act as an adviser to the casino operator and provide oversight to several business relationships.

Who is George Kliavkoff?

Before taking on this new position, Kliavkoff held the position of CEO at Jaunt, Inc, a virtual reality startup company and had worked as an executive for Major League Baseball Advanced Media, NBC Universal and Hearst Entertainment and Syndication.

Bill Hornbuckle, the Group President of MGM Resorts, stated that Kliavkoff will take an important role at the company as it expands its entertainment and sporting events portfolio.

He said: “His innovative approach and knowledge in the digital world will strengthen our reputation as a company that provides world-class experiences for our guests to enjoy.”

The news comes after MGM Executive Bobby Brown decided to step down from his role as Chief Customer Development Officer, but neither Brown nor MGM provided a reason as to why.

Meanwhile, the company struck a deal with the United Auburn Indian Community (UAIC) in an effort to target sports betting when it becomes legal in the state of California.

The partnership is the first of its kind to be based in California and to feature the Native Indian community.

Under the agreement, which is the first of its kind to be based in California and to feature the Native Indian Community, MGM would provide its technology to the UAIC so they can offer retail and mobile sports betting as well as online casino games