Vanderburgh County approves wind-down of ASM management and paves way for VenueWorks takeover at Old National Events Plaza

The Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners on July 29 approved a wind-down agreement with ASM and moved to authorize a new management contract with VenueWorks to operate the Old National Events Plaza (ONEP), with final reconciliation delegated to county counsel, the auditor and President Elpers.

The wind-down vote, approved unanimously, directs county legal staff to reconcile outstanding amounts and close out ASM’s management role so a replacement manager can take over. County Attorney Mike Schottmeyer described the agreements as a “collaborative breakup” intended to avoid prolonged litigation while transitioning operations.

The commissioners then considered a management agreement proposed with VenueWorks. The contract would run through the existing term that ASM held (through 2027), with VenueWorks receiving $120,000 a year as base compensation, 5% of food-and-beverage sales, and an additional incentive if the county subsidy is reduced below $600,000. Schottmeyer said the new management model is “much simpler than the old one.”

Tom White, president of Explore Evansville, told commissioners the venue’s highest economic return comes from overnight meetings and conventions and that Explore Evansville will work with VenueWorks to recruit events that generate hotel room nights and restaurant spending. “You wanna bring in groups anywhere from 20 people all the way up to thousands of people depending on the size of your destination,” White said, adding that larger conventions are often booked several years in advance.

County staff and the study committee who reviewed the proposals recommended the transition, noting the committee’s view that the ASM contract situation was not remediable and that a negotiated wind-down would avoid costly litigation. Schottmeyer said both parties cooperated on the wind-down and that the target date for transition activity is September 1.

Commissioner Gable moved to approve the wind-down agreement and to delegate approval authority for settlement of outstanding amounts (section E of the wind-down) to county counsel, the auditor and President Elpers; Commissioner Canterbury seconded. The motion passed with all three commissioners voting yes. A second motion approved advancing the VenueWorks management agreement by the same unanimous vote.

County officials said the contracts do not yet include reconciled accounting for amounts owed between ASM and the county. Auditor Teresa (surname not specified in the record) confirmed outstanding sums exist; Schottmeyer said reconciliation is expected to be completed next week and asked the board to delegate authority to finalize the settlement language.

The county and stakeholders—including Explore Evansville, the hotelier group and the redevelopment commission—framed the agreements as a collaborative approach intended to stabilize operations, increase bookings and reduce the net subsidy over time. The commissioners approved both items and delegated final approval of financial reconciliation to counsel, the auditor and President Elpers.

Looking ahead, commissioners said Explore Evansville and VenueWorks will actively market the facility for overnight conventions and concerts to grow economic impact and employment tied to the venue. President Elpers and other commissioners thanked the study committee and partners for the months-long collaborative effort to reach the transition agreement.

Votes at a glance: the board approved (1) the wind-down agreement with ASM, delegating settlement authority to counsel, the auditor and President Elpers; and (2) the management agreement with VenueWorks. Both motions passed unanimously.