ABOUT VSG
We’re an independent advisory firm founded by veteran venue operators. We’ve sat in your seat — and we built Venue Solutions Group (VSG) to be the kind of partner we always wished we’d had.
NASHVILLE, TN
COLLEGE STATION, TX
Plenty of firms will give you an opinion. Here’s what makes ours worth trusting.
We don't sell products and we're free from vendor influence. Our only agenda is your venue's success.
Our advisors have managed venues, opened buildings, and answered for the results. We've been where you are.
You work directly with experienced partners, not junior staff — and we respond fast, because your venue can't wait.
GRAND FORKS, ND
Venue Solutions Group is led by partners who’ve spent their careers inside venues like yours. Get to know the team you’ll be working with.
RALSTON, NE
Operations, engineering, security, guest experience, and administration. We know venues inside and out, because we've run them.
Our team is active in IAVM, the Stadium Managers Association, TEAM Coalition, and the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) — keeping us current on where the industry is headed.
We've instructed at IAVM's Venue Management School at Oglebay and the Academy for Venue Safety & Security, and served on numerous industry committees.
In 2015 we founded the Venue Operations Summit to bring operators together to learn and share ideas, work that continues in partnership with IAVM.
Whatever your venue is facing, we’d welcome the conversation. Reach out, and let’s talk.
HOUSTON, TX
Russ Simons, Mike Wolley and Tom Williams co-founded Venue Solutions Group in 2011. Russ has spent more than 40+ years in the sports facility industry. He has dedicated his career to the field, winning several awards and working in roles spanning design and construction to security, marketing, public relations, and operations.
Before establishing Venue Solutions Group, Russ was a senior principal at the global design firm Populous, directing the firm’s facility operations as well as its evaluation and analysis efforts. He spent time working with operators at every level, channeling his experiences into designing facilities that were safe, efficient, revenue positive, and sustainable.
Previously, Russ rose to the level of senior vice president for Leisure Management International and was appointed general manager at the Bridgestone Arena.
Career highlights to-date include working with Orlando Magic, the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Steelers, Nashville Predators, Major League Soccer, and the University of Oklahoma.
Russ holds a bachelor’s degree in sports marketing from the University of Connecticut, and he is a graduate from the International Association of Assembly Managers’ (IAAM) Venue Managers School, becoming the immediate past-chair of the school’s Board of Regents.
Mike Wooley, Russ Simons and Tom Williams co-founded Venue Solutions Group in 2011. Mike is a proven veteran in the public assembly facility industry. Throughout his career, he has focused on operations, engineering, and financial management, using his hands-on experience to lead the VSG team in 40+ facility condition assessments at high-profile venues.
Mike has worked on sports and athletic facility projects with some of the biggest arenas in the U.S., as well as led operational reviews and managed plans for top-notch venues from coast-to-coast, including deals with the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Texas A&M Athletics, Spectrum Center, Mosaic Stadium.
Recently, Mike assisted the Sacramento Kings with operations at Golden 1 Center. He has also been involved with LAFC’s Banc of California Stadium, the Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center, and the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District – home to the NFL’s Rams and Chargers.
Previously, Mike was a Principal for the global design firm Populous. He also held senior roles at Bridgestone Arena and became a founding member of the International Association of Venue Management’s (IAVM) Sustainability Task Force.
A LEED Accredited Professional, Mike holds a master’s degree in education and sports management from The University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from Presbyterian College.
Tom Williams, Russ Simons and Mike Wooley co-founded Venue Solutions Group in 2011. Tom brings 30+ years of progressive experience in the public assembly facility industry, including positions within multiple facility types as well as consulting roles.
Tom has performed virtually every task required of a venue—from mopping floors to tearing tickets to overseeing an operations department to managing his 14,000-seat sports and entertainment arena—there is not a facility job that he does not understand. With VSG, Tom oversees the firm’s administration (accounting, legal, insurance, marketing) and provides project management in the areas of guest experience benchmarking, facility condition assessments, and facility operations reviews and analysis.
Prior to VSG, Tom was a facility operations consultant for global design firm Populous. In that role, he managed guest experience benchmarking programs, consulted on pre- and grand openings, and worked with the firm’s designers and architects to help ensure functional and efficient plans. Before Populous, he was General Manager of CenturyLink Center, a 14,000-seat sports and entertainment arena in Louisiana. Initially employed as the first Director of Operations, Tom oversaw the preopening, grand opening, and ongoing efforts of the Operations Department before progressing to Assistant General Manager and finally General Manager. Tom’s experience also includes event and operations work at the Palm Springs Convention Center and startup of Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators.
A LEED Accredited Professional, Tom holds a master’s degree in business administration from Centenary College of Louisiana and a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Tulane University. He is a member of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), where he is a past-chair of the organization’s Sustainability Committee.
Richard Andersen, renowned leadership development facilitator and Russ Simons, formed Venue Solutions Group’s Advantage Training to take guest experience, leadership and organizational development training to new heights.
Richard serves as Chief Illuminations Officer for VSG. He is passionate about maximizing human potential, drawing upon 35 plus years of experience in professional sports, venues, and hospitality management to design and facilitate leading-edge training and development programs that deliver those “aha moments.”
Well-known motivational and keynote speaker, Richard is sought after for his experience and success in the areas of leadership, career and personal development, strategic planning and team building.
Over the course of his career, Richard has held leadership roles with prominent organizations, including President & CEO of Seafair, the premier festival management company of the Pacific Northwest, President & CEO of Northlands, one of Canada’s largest multi-purpose entertainment and meeting complexes, EVP of the San Diego Padres, General Manager of PETCO Park, President & CEO of Sun Life Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins, and a senior member of the Super Bowl XXIX Hosting Committee.
He is an instructor at the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) Venue Management School and Graduate Institute, Chair of its Board of Regents, and a faculty member of the Graduate Institute of the Venue Management Association (Australia and Pacific). He is also a past Chair of the Board of Directors for IAVM.
Richard holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh and an International Corporate Directors designation from the University of Toronto. Additionally, he is a past faculty member of San Diego State University, where he facilitated classes in the Sports MBA program.
