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decade of entertainment

By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
Steve Mocarsky on Facebook   |   @TLSteveMocarsky on Twitter

WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Call it “The Little Arena That Could.”

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Kevin Blaum, left, and Steve Barrouk outside the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Township.

S. John Wilkin/The Times Leader

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OPEN HOUSE

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Civic Arena and Convention Center’s opening, the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza will host a free “Open House Festival” today from noon to 3 p.m.

The arena will open its doors to the general public for self-guided tours of the facility.

The festival also will feature the following:

• Country music artist Easton Corbin on stage at 12:30 p.m.

• Country music artists Steel Magnolia on stage at 1:15 p.m.

• Contemporary artist Jessie James on stage at 2 p.m.

A silent auction between noon and 2:30 p.m. with gift baskets and other memorabilia from various shows and sponsors with all proceeds being donated to the Luzerne County Convention Center Community Fund of the Luzerne Foundation in support of local youth education and local libraries. For a list of auction items, visit www.wachoviaarena.com/newsdetails.aspx?nid=79.

A chance to win a 2010 Nissan Sentra.

A photo session with Tux from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins between 1 and 2 p.m. and an autograph session with Star Wars costume characters throughout the day to promote the upcoming Star Wars In Concert show on Nov. 17.

Games and raffle prizes including the arena’s version of Bingo and a “Family Trivia Challenge.”

Kid’s Corner featuring games, coloring contest and face-painting.

Light refreshments available for purchase.

Visit www.wachoviaarena.com for more information.

What began as the brainchild of a few people more than a quarter century ago was buoyed by the election of an area man to governor in 1986, survived the loss of a bitter referendum battle over public funding in 1995 and was transformed into reality in 1998 after a banker believed in it enough to put his firm’s stamp of approval on $22 million worth of financing.

One year later, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Civic Arena and Convention Center opened its doors. And today, the since renamed Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza celebrates the 10th anniversary of an edifice that brings pride – and hundreds of thousands of paying event-goers – to Luzerne County every year.

Over the past decade, the arena has brought in dozens of big-name acts and shows – from hard rockers to skating Disney characters – that were enthusiastically embraced by Northeastern Pennsylvanians who once had to travel for hours to see such acts.

And then there’s the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – the American Hockey League franchise and feeder team for the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins that brought the Calder Cup finals to Luzerne County three times in the last decade and calls Wachovia Arena home.

Kevin Blaum, the man whose name became synonymous with the word “arena” throughout the building’s difficult birth, believes the facility has had an incredibly positive impact on the lives of Northeastern Pennsylvanians.

While a state representative from Wilkes-Barre, Blaum worked closely with Steve Barrouk, who moved with his family from Pittsburgh in 1989 to take the position of president of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry.

“The whole thing is very personal to me,” Barrouk said. “I had three young children. When anticipating moving my family from one place to another, I made a list of pros and cons. One of the negatives was that there was no arena, which meant no Sesame Street shows, no hockey games,” he said.

The chamber owned 350 acres of strip-mined land near Interstate 81, but Barrouk saw possibilities. “I said the chamber should think about putting this land to use in a way in which the chamber could give something back to the community,” he said.

The men sold Gov. Robert P. Casey on the idea, and Casey approved millions in state backing for the facility. And although arena supporters lost a hard-fought and bitter referendum battle for county funding, Blaum and other supporters convinced First Union Bank to guarantee bonds that would be repaid through a 5-percent tax on hotel room bills.

During a recent interview, Blaum, who served until last year as chairman of the quasi-public authority that oversees the arena, recalled some of his favorite arena memories.

“I think standing there during a big-time goal or on Dec. 12, 1999 – our first concert, Neil Diamond – and you see all of our people from Northeastern Pennsylvania jumping up and down and screaming and happy. Those are the poignant moments that keep you two feet off the ground, (seeing) how much it has changed their lives,” Blaum said.

The arena is successful, Blaum believes, because the right people were involved in the project, including the first manager, Andy Long, of Ogden Entertainment. “He was a remarkable guy … very knowledgeable, friendly, professional and strong,” Blaum said.

An Iowa native, Long saw the arena through its infancy and resigned his position about five years ago after a new arena was built in Des Moines and he agreed to take a position there.

When Long resigned, the decision for a replacement came down to two people, Blaum said. “Rebecca Bonnevier was the one – a tough lady, friendly, very smart. We made the right choice there, too. … She’s taken it to the next level.”

Bonnevier, an area native, had been director of marketing at a Louisiana facility when Long resigned. She immediately asked for an interview and got the job. She was pleased with what she found when she started.

“A lot of the people that were here from the very beginning are still here today, which says a lot. This is like the prized possession of this area. It’s the prized job. And so operationally, things were good,” Bonnevier said.

Dave Chesler, director of marketing for show promoter Live Nation, likes Wachovia Arena because of the facility and its access to a new market.

“It has a nice capacity, the people there are great. There’s not another building in the general area to play,” Chesler said, noting that Live Nation has brought Trans-Siberian Orchestra concerts to the arena since 2001 and other acts, including The Dead.

Steve Yaros, vice president of event marketing and sales for Feld Entertainment, which brings the Barnum & Bailey Ringling Brothers Circus, Disney on Ice and motorsports shows to the arena, said his company prefers Wachovia Arena in some ways to larger venues such as Madison Square Garden. “It’s an intimate arena. … People get a better appreciation and closer, personal interaction with the shows,” Yaros said.

Gene Marinelli, 54, of Wilkes-Barre, and his wife, Pam, have been coming to games and shows at the arena since it opened. The couple has been season ticket holders since the Penguins’ second season.

“It’s a great family atmosphere. And going up continuously, you get to know people there. The crowd isn’t rowdy in a troublesome type of way. They’re very enthusiastic in backing the team,” Marinelli said. “You see people from every age group from grandparents to small children and everyone has a smile on their face. You have the arena, the noise, the crowd, the Penguins, and what’s most fun is watching them win.”.

Bonnevier said keeping the customers happy is an essential part of the business, and she tries to make sure her employees make it a priority.

“My philosophy is that we’re all here to do a job and business is important and generating revenue is important. But what we’re here for is entertainment. We’re here for other people to have fun. We’re here so other people can maybe forget their problems for a few hours. So when they’re here, don’t treat them like it’s business. Treat them like it’s fun and be a part of the fun and a part of the experience,” she said.