Director of Tacoma Dome and other city venues to leave for job in Southern California
Story updated with more details.
The director of Tacoma Venues & Events is leaving to take a job in California.
Kim Bedier will resign effective September 2021 “to accept another venue industry position in Southern California,” according to a news release issued Monday afternoon.
That position is senior vice president/general manager of a new entertainment district that includes the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
“I wasn’t looking,” Bedier told The News Tribune in a Monday phone interview. “I would have happily played out my days in Tacoma.”
Bedier said, “They reached out. It’s a really cool opportunity for somebody in my career to go to basically a major market. They also have a 95-acre mixed use community and live entertainment district coming on board that’s breaking ground next year. ... So just a whole lot of things in the ‘go’ column, a whole lot of things in the ‘no-go’ column, and the ‘go’ column won out at the end.”
Opening in 2024, ocV!BE will be a live entertainment district featuring the Honda Center as its anchor.
Bedier will start work mid-September.
“We are pleased to welcome industry leader Kim Bedier to our team this fall,” said ocV!BE Chief Executive Officer Tim Ryan in a statement issued Tuesday. “Her commitment to the live event community is unparalleled, and her wealth of experience and knowledge makes her an exceptional addition to our organization.”
“I’ve gotten over my initial sticker shock,” Bedier said of house-hunting in the Anaheim area.
Bedier since 2012 has led management for City of Tacoma-owned facilities, including the Greater Tacoma Convention Center, Tacoma Dome, Cheney Stadium and downtown theaters, as well as oversight of the City’s Special Events, Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality and Tacoma Creates.
She also serves as president for Rotary Club of Tacoma No. 8 and on the boards of the YWCA Pierce County and Travel Tacoma – Mt. Rainier Tourism and Sports.
“Kim is a respected leader in our community that has developed an award-winning team dedicated to providing welcoming spaces and exceptional events. Her unwavering drive to provide value to the City and Tacoma residents by improving service, access and equity to City-funded events and venues is remarkable, the effects of which will benefit Tacoma for many years to come,” said deputy city manager Tadd Wille in Monday’s release.
“We are grateful for her service and wish her well,” Wille added. “The team she has mentored will build on this momentum, entertaining our residents and continuing to make Tacoma a destination for extraordinary experiences.”
In 2018, Bedier received the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) Venue Executive of the Year. The TVE team, staff members and venues have been recognized with multiple awards, including the IAVM Venue Excellence Award in 2019.
Bedier oversaw the $30 million revitalization of the Tacoma Dome in 2018, which included new seating and other upgrades.
Among her best memories, she said, is the gymnastics competition at the convention center, the first major event booked after vaccines started rolling out.
“Tons of memories. I mean anything from all the amazing concerts we had to the first time we saw the new seats hydraulically move in and out,” Bedier said. “I know that sounds really kind of geeky, but we worked hard to get those new seats.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dome hosted both testing and vaccination clinics, distributing food, hosting blood drives “and operating as a safe film set, currently seen nationally as the location for American Ninja Warrior on NBC,” according to Monday’s release.
She also oversaw new protocols and procedures to create more touchless services at the facilities for during and after the pandemic.
Bedier developed a partnership with Travel Tacoma in 2013 (later becoming Travel Tacoma — Mt. Rainier Tourism and Sports) to boost booking at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center.
“The Tacoma Dome and the Greater Tacoma Convention Center are major drivers of economic development through tourism, events, and meetings in this city, and throughout the county,” Dean Burke, president and CEO of Travel Tacoma – Mt. Rainier Tourism and Sports, told The News Tribune in an emailed statement. “Kim’s leadership, vision and understanding of the connection between venues and their potential to bring in visitors has absolutely been an asset to the city of Tacoma, and to Piece County as a whole.”
This year, she supported a change to Special Events funding, “creating a competitive model to increase access throughout Tacoma with a focus on equity and diversity,” according to the release.
Her work has not been without controversy.
The recent request for proposals of theater management of the Pantages, Rialto and Theater on the Square led to a strongly worded letter from current manager Tacoma Arts Live, which declined to take part in the process after 42 years of partnership and led to a public falling out between the city and TAL.
Monday’s release defined her role managing the negotiations as having “a focus on protecting the City of Tacoma’s investment in the treasured historic theaters.”
Bedier told The News Tribune that she’s “just ignoring the drama,” and the city’s public breakup with Tacoma Arts Live was not a reason for her departure.
“It’s interesting because that was in my ‘no-go’ column because I didn’t want people to be able to say that,” she said. “I’ll be able to see a lot of the transition through the summer which is great, and not leave a lot of things left undone. I would have loved to have seen things settle out and move on to the next chapter of the venues, but I believe, you know, we’re on the right track, and we’ve certainly done the right thing as best as we knew how.”
She said her next job is “an incredible opportunity. We have grandkids in San Diego, so we’re a lot closer to them in Southern California, and my husband’s work base — he has a lot of clients in in California — so there was a lot of reasons to take a look at it and pull the trigger.”
According to a release issued Tuesday by ocV!BE, “The first phase of ocV!BE is scheduled to open in 2024, with the full project being completed in 2028 and becoming a showcase for the Summer Olympics when Honda Center hosts Indoor Volleyball.”
It noted: “This $3 billion, 95-acre, mixed-use community will surround Honda Center, with new live entertainment venues, more than 30 new restaurant offerings, 1.1 million square feet of office space, two hotels, 1,500 residential units, and 10 acres of parks. ocV!BE will provide a full range of lifestyle amenities and entertainment, activating the district daily for the enjoyment of its residents and guests.”
After all these years, “It is still surreal to me to be talking about leaving the city I love so much,” Bedier said Monday.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to lead this team, and I am incredibly proud of the work we have done and the culture built during my time here in Tacoma,” said Bedier.
“We have a talented mission-driven team that is truly best in class and I know they are well-positioned for the future and will continue to deliver the legendary experiences for which they are known.”
This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
