NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Madison Square Garden Company (NYSE:MSG) today announced that John Caparella, a well-regarded executive with more than three decades of experience in the hospitality industry, has been named executive vice president of venue management, effective October 26, 2015. Mr. Caparella joins the Company from The Venetian, The Palazzo and The Sands Expo and Convention Center, where he served as president and chief operating officer.
In this role, Mr. Caparella will direct all operations for MSG's portfolio of iconic venues: New York's Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre; the Forum in Inglewood, California; and The Chicago Theatre. With the overarching goal of delivering extraordinary experiences for both partners and fans, Mr. Caparella will have daily oversight of financial and operational matters, as well as all other matters that impact the company's facilities. He will also be responsible for developing and maintaining key relationships that support the business's goals and help drive the overall advancement of the company. Mr. Caparella will report to MSG president and CEO, David O'Connor.
"This position will be responsible for ensuring that all of our celebrated venues deliver a consistent standard of excellence, as we build on MSG's industry leading position as a company focused on live sports and entertainment," said Mr. O'Connor. "John's demonstrated ability to inspire world-class operations focused on exceptional customer service will play a crucial role in the company's future success as we pursue strategic opportunities to grow our venue business."
"I am honored to be joining The Madison Square Garden Company. There are very few organizations anywhere in the world that house such a legendary collection of facilities, and I look forward to working with MSG's outstanding venue management team to develop new and innovative ways to better serve customers, while focusing on the continued growth of our business," said Mr. Caparella.
Mr. Caparella has more than 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including in operations, franchising, development, design and construction, asset management, entertainment and retail development/operations and openings. He joins MSG after spending four years at The Venetian, The Palazzo and The Sands Expo and Convention Center, where he most recently served as president and chief operating officer. Mr. Caparella oversaw all operations for the world's largest resort, which includes 7,000+ rooms, 2.25 million sq. ft. of meeting space, 800,000 sq. ft. of retail, over 50 F&B outlets, and 207,000 sq. ft. of gaming. Specific areas of responsibilities included: hotel, food and beverage, entertainment, casino, retail, human resources, finance, marketing, sales and convention facilities. During his tenure, the properties garnered international recognition as leading destinations, including as a AAA Five-Diamond property and as the largest resort in the world to receive a Four-Star rating from Forbes Travel Guide.
Prior to his role in Las Vegas, Mr. Caparella was a principal at Redmont Hospitality, working with a leading global financial services firm, focused on aggressive asset management, due diligence, distressed property analysis and management, and sell/hold/invest strategies. Before that, he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Gaylord Hotels, where he was responsible for operations, human resources, training, sales and marketing efforts for four premier resort hotel properties, as well as The Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, General Jackson Showboat, Wild Horse Saloon (downtown Nashville) and a golf course. Mr. Caparella also spent time at Planet Hollywood as executive vice president of Planning, Development, and Administration for Planet Hollywood International and president of planethollywood.com. He began his career at ITT Sheraton where, for 17 years, he served in a variety of roles at different locations along the east coast.
Mr. Caparella holds an Honorary Degree of Doctorate of Humane Letters and an honors undergraduate degree in Hotel Management from State University of New York Delhi. He also holds an MBA from Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College, where he graduated first in his class.
About The Madison Square Garden Company
The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) is a world leader in live sports and entertainment with a portfolio of legendary sports teams, exclusive entertainment productions and celebrated venues. MSG Sports owns and operates some of the most widely recognized sports franchises: the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL) and the New York Liberty (WNBA), along with two development league teams -- the Westchester Knicks (NBADL) and the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). MSG Sports also presents a broad array of world-class sporting events, including: professional boxing, college basketball, tennis, bull riding and e-gaming events. MSG Entertainment features exclusive, original productions that include the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the New York Spring Spectacular, both showcasing the Rockettes. MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts a wide variety of live entertainment offerings, including concerts, family shows and special events, in the Company's diverse collection of iconic venues. These venues are: New York's Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre; the Forum in Inglewood, California; The Chicago Theatre; and the Wang Theatre in Boston, MA. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com
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