AEG Presents has appointed Crissie Rushton as general manager of The Halls Wolverhampton.

Formerly the Wolverhampton Civic Halls, the West Midlands venue – which comprises the 3,404-cap The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton and 1,289-cap The Wulfrun at The Halls Wolverhampton, will reopen its doors in June following a multi-million-pound regeneration project in partnership with the City of Wolverhampton Council.

Rushton has worked with the venue for more than two decades in various capacities during her tenure with the council, spanning senior roles including head of visitor experience, visitor economy manager and duty events manager.

“We are delighted to welcome Crissie to the AEG Presents team,” says Stuart Dorn, group venue operations director, AEG Presents. “Crissie knows this iconic venue inside and out and, as we gear up to open the doors to the public in June, I am thrilled that The Halls Wolverhampton will continue to benefit from her strong leadership and long-standing passion for this very special venue.”

“I am excited to play a role in this next chapter as we re-establish The Halls as the home of live entertainment in the West Midlands”

In her new role, Rushton will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the venue’s operations and identifying potential new partners and content.

“I have loved being a part of this extraordinary venue for more than 23 years and am delighted to be continuing my journey with The Halls Wolverhampton as part of the team at AEG Presents,” she says. “As the venue prepares to reopen its doors in June, I am excited to play a role in this next chapter as we re-establish The Halls as the home of live entertainment in the West Midlands for generations to come.”

McFly, Penn and Teller, Leftfield, Siouxsie and Sparks will all perform in the venue’s opening month.

Last week, it was revealed that AEG is to manage the 2,000-cap Watford Colosseum when it reopens in 2024. AEG’s UK venue network also includes the Eventim Apollo London, Indigo at The O2 in London and the new live music venue at Olympia London, set to open in 2024.

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AEG Europe has announced a handful of new appointments within AEG Presents UK as part of its growth and development plans across the venues and touring business.

The company has promoted Jacqui Harris to the role of VP and general manager, responsible for all operational functions for the events, touring, marketing and ticketing teams.

In addition, Lucky Thompson is named senior director, events and operations, assuming overall leadership responsibility for the company’s cornerstone events division, which includes Summer Series, C2C, Eden Sessions and Just for Laughs, among others.

Elsewhere, Connie Shao becomes VP and general manager for international touring, tasked with managing the international touring division and operations of its tours and events.

“It’s an exciting time for our business as we break new ground and in turn, build out a people structure that powers the successful delivery of our growth plans”

Plus, Leonie Wakeman is appointed director of commercial operations, with a focus on identifying, developing and implementing new revenue opportunities, while Stuart Dorn is installed as group venue operations director, responsible for AEG Presents venues, such as Indigo at The O2, The Halls Wolverhampton, Eventim Apollo and Olympia London.

“It’s an exciting time for our business as we break new ground and in turn, build out a people structure that powers the successful delivery of our growth plans,” says AEG Presents UK CEO Steve Homer. “From our recently announced appointment of Lucy Noble as our inaugural artistic director, or our expanded footprint into the world of comedy, to our continued investment in venues like The Halls Wolverhampton or Olympia London… We’re heading into 2023 with strong momentum and I look forward to what’s to come.”

The company says the expansion will bring further opportunities across AEG Europe, with a number of open roles due to open in 2023.

PHOTO L-R: Jacqui Harris, Lucky Thompson, Connie Shao, Leonie Wakeman, Stuart Dorn

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