A rendering of the Ovation Project depicts crowds of people watching a concert at the outdoor venue located n the Ohio River across from downtown Cincinnati.

Corporex Companies Reaches Agreement with AEG Presents to Build $40 Million Music Venue as First Phase of Ovation Project on the Newport Riverfront

Newport, Ky. (May 9, 2019) – Corporex Companies and AEG Presents / PromoWest, announced today that they have reached agreement for Corporex to construct a world class music venue on a riverfront site in Newport, Ky.  The announcement came as part of a ceremony with local officials that took place this morning on the future site of the facility.  The venue will be part of the first phase of the Ovation development, a 25-acre mixed use development located on the Ohio River across from downtown Cincinnati.   Site preparations are beginning immediately with full construction commencing once final building permits are secured.

With over 180 events a year, the ground-breaking design will accommodate indoor audiences of up to 2,700 and an outdoor capacity for the summer shows of up to 7,000 concert goers.  The facility is expected to attract over 350,000 to 400,000 fans annually to this intimate music setting.  The concert hall, with its unique sweeping roof design, will sit atop a 550-car structured parking garage. The Venue Plaza will be linked to the future phases of the Ovation development via a pedestrian walkway over the recently opened Route 9 extension.  The pedestrian bridge will be linked to the restaurants, night life and other entertainment spots that will make up the main pedestrian streets dubbed Broadway and Main Streets within the mixed-use Ovation development.

According to Tom Banta, Managing Director of Corporex Companies, LLC, “we began working with Scott Stienecker, CEO of PromoWest, more than a year ago, with a goal of securing an entertainment venue that would be a centerpiece to the Ovation development.    During the course of our negotiations, PromoWest was acquired by AEG Presents, one of the largest live music companies in the world. We are delighted to now be working with two, best in class, live music promoters attracting both regional and national talent”.

“The Newport location provides AEG/PromoWest the perfect opportunity to expand our Midwest presence to the Cincinnati marketplace,” said Scott Stienecker, CEO of PromoWest.  “We intend to bring many of the same groups that play at our EXPRESS LIVE! in Columbus, Ohio, and STAGE AE in Pittsburg, Penn. to Greater Cincinnati.”
“The Ovation development is exciting on many levels,” said Shawn Trell, Chief Operating Officer for AEG Presents.   “At its core, it represents a marriage between a first-class developer and a first-class content provider and venue operator.   The venue design and capabilities fill a void in the market and are a natural fit with our venues in Columbus and Pittsburgh as well as other properties we own or operate in Cleveland and Detroit.   We look forward to working with the Corporex team to make this venue a reality.   I know it will be one that artists and music fans will enjoy tremendously, and that the region will be proud to call its own.”
 
“We truly appreciate the effort and thought that Corporex and AEG has put into this project,” said Thomas Fromme, Newport City Manager.  “The City of Newport eagerly looks forward to working with these great companies as they start the first phase of Ovation,” added Newport City Mayor, Jerry Peluso.


About AEG Presents, LLC
AEG Presents is one of the largest live music companies in the world. The company is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global and regional concert tours, music events and world-renowned festivals. AEG Presents operates in North America, Europe and Asia through 16 regional offices that support its tours which include such artists as Elton John, Celine Dion, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Justin Bieber, BTS, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry and Kenny Chesney; produce or support over 25 music festivals, including the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Stagecoach, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Hangout Festival, Electric Forest, and Firefly; and owns, manages or books more than 90 clubs and theaters. AEG Presents produces and promotes more than 11,000 shows annually worldwide and conducts business under such globally renowned brands as AEG Presents, Goldenvoice, The Bowery Presents, Concerts West, Messina Touring Group, Marshall Arts, Madison House Presents, PromoWest Productions and Zero Mile Presents. 

About Corporex Companies 
Corporex is a Covington, Ky. based national development and investment firm that is currently developing Ovation, a $1billion mixed use development in Newport, Ky, directly on the Ohio River across from Cincinnati CBD.  Corporex has a 53 + year history of developing world class hotel, office and mixed-use developments in 15 states across the United States.

About PromoWest Productions 
Prior to being acquired by AEG Presents in 2018, PromoWest Productions was the largest full-service, independently owned and operated entertainment company in the Midwest and was named in the top 10 largest rock promoters in the United States. Now a division of AEG Presents, PromoWest and its CEO Scott Stienecker, take pride in bringing today’s biggest names in music, featured in an intimate setting, while also showcasing up-and-coming artists.  PromoWest Productions currently books and promotes more than 700 events, manages several of the industry’s most renowned venues and prides itself in bringing today’s biggest names in music to intimate settings, including the EXPRESS LIVE! in Columbus, OH, STAGE AE in Pittsburg, PA and the Bunbury Music Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio.