The Cross Insurance Arena in Portland has a new general manager.

Matthew Herpich, who had been running an arena in Cleveland, has been picked to run Cross Insurance Arena under its new management firm, Global Spectrum.

Global Spectrum was chosen to manage the arena, formerly known as the Cumberland County Civic Center, in early February. The county board that oversees the arena is hoping that the international management company – which manages more than 125 arenas around the world – will be able to draw in more big-name acts.

Before the arena reopened early last year after a $33 million renovation, it had been managed locally since opening in 1977.

Herpich has been general manager of the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, where it’s the home arena for the men’s and women’s basketball teams of Cleveland State. It has seating for about 13,000, about twice the seating at Cross Insurance Arena. In addition to basketball, the Wolstein Center also stages occasional concerts.

Herpich began at Global Spectrum in 2006 as an intern at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. He then went to the USC Aiken Convocation Center in South Carolina as box office manager and then events and operations manager before becoming general manager.

In Portland, he will be responsible for booking and scheduling, operations, finance, marketing, advertising and food and beverage concessions at the arena.

The county has a five-year contract with Global Spectrum. The company will be paid a base amount of $110,000, with annual increases based on the rate of inflation.

Global Spectrum also manages Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.


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