SALT LAKE CITY – Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment (LHMSE) announced today the promotion of Jim Olson to President of Vivint Smart Home Arena to oversee all functions related to ticketing, food services, facility operations and event booking for the region’s premier sports, concert and show venue and the home of the Utah Jazz.
Olson, who is in his 22nd year with the organization, will also serve as Executive Vice President for LHMSE and will continue oversight of the Salt Lake Bees Triple-A baseball team.
Most recently, Olson served as the Chief Operating Officer for business operations at LHMSE. His past responsibilities have included ticket, suite and premium sales and services, the Jazz 100 Club, food services, game operations, guest services, building operations and security and marketing for the Jazz and Vivint Smart Home Arena. In addition, he also oversaw the Salt Lake Bees, The Zone Sports Network, KJZZ 14 Television, the Tour of Utah and All-Star Catering.
“Jim is the ideal individual to lead Vivint Smart Home Arena into the future as a state-of-the-art building that provides best-in-class guest experiences,” said Steve Starks, LHMSE president. “He has a wealth of experience and knowledge that will be instrumental in making the arena the premier community gathering place for years to come.”
The 19,911-seat downtown arena has been an integral part of Salt Lake City for the past 25 years with more than 1.8 million annual visitors to 100-plus sports and entertainment events. The facility has hosted the 1993 NBA All-Star Game, the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, NCAA men’s basketball tournament and every major touring concert, including U2, the Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift and Garth Brooks.
Olson graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He then attended Northeastern University in Boston where he received a master’s degree in sports and recreation management. As part of his education, he worked in conjunction with the Boston Celtics, New England Patriots and the Boston Bruins. He originally joined the Jazz in 1994 in the ticket office and has held a variety of management positions throughout his company tenure.
Olson serves on the board membership for the Downtown Alliance, Visit Salt Lake, Salt Lake Chamber, University of Utah Alumni Association, Crimson Club and the Alta Club. He also teaches a sports business class through the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah.
