MSG hires head of content for Sphere venues

The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) has announced film industry veteran Jennifer Vogt as president of creative content and productions.

In the newly created position, Vogt – most recently show design and production executive for Galaxy’s Edge, the Star Wars-themed area at Disneyland – will oversee content strategy and development for the state-of-the-art new MSG Sphere entertainment venues in London and Las Vegas.

In addition to heading up the creation of content that will utilise the Spheres’ headline-grabbing range of immersive technology – including wall-to-floor HD screens and spatial sound – Vogt will work alongside the venues’ construction and technology teams to develop a set of tools, called the ‘palette’, that will “make content creation for MSG Sphere an intuitive experience, enabling artists, creators and educators to maximise the potential of the venue’s immersive technologies”, according to MSG.

The first MSG Sphere, in Las Vegas, is expected to completed in 2021, with its London sister venue following a year later. MSG submitted its plans for the London sphere in March, revealing it will sit on a 4.7-acre former coach park located on the site of the 2012 Olympic games, and have a seated/standing capacity up to 21,500.

MSG submits plans for 21,500-cap. Sphere London

Jennifer Vogt will report to MSG president Andrew Lustgarten, who comments: “The success of our vision for MSG Sphere comes down to content: how we will utilise fully immersive experiences on an unprecedented scale to transform the entertainment industry and utterly change the relationship between artist and audience.

“Jennifer’s experience in bringing some of the world’s most complex and high-profile entertainment projects to life make her ideally suited to help us make MSG Sphere a reality.”

“The success of our vision for MSG Sphere comes down to content”

Prior to joining Walt Disney Imagineering, Vogt worked as a management consultant for film studio DreamWorks Animation, where she played a key role in setting up its Chinese division, Oriental DreamWorks (now Pearl Studio). She started her career at her own design company, which worked with major studios to conceive, design and execute over 150 feature films and TV and live theatre shows.

“I am energised by this incredible opportunity,” comments Vogt. “I believe MSG Sphere will revolutionise the entertainment experience through sight and sound, and feel confident that we can take the beloved Radio City Christmas Spectacular and Rockettes to even greater heights while respecting their incredible legacy.

“This is an important time for MSG, and I am deeply honoured to help build on the company’s reputation as a world-leader in entertainment.”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.