Ford Center
Ford Center is a 9,000+ capacity multi-purpose arena in downtown Evansville, Indiana, managed by Venuworks and hosting concerts, hockey (Evansville Thunderbolts), college basketball (UE Purple Aces), and community events for the tri-state region, with revenue from ticketing, premium seating, F&B, sponsorships, and parking.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersEvansville, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ford Center does
Ford Center is a multi-purpose arena located at 1 SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in downtown Evansville, Indiana, with a stated capacity above 9,000 seats. Founded in 2011 and currently staffed by approximately 140 employees, the facility operates under a management agreement with Venuworks, a venue management and hospitality company. The arena is built to NHL-regulation specifications — including a 100x250-foot ice floor (85x200 with retractable seating) and 180,000 lbs of rigging capacity — enabling it to host ice hockey, college and minor-league basketball, concerts, family shows, and community events, and it includes 114 wheelchair spaces, 114 companion seats, and 10 family restrooms across three levels.
The venue monetizes through five core revenue streams: ticket sales (via Ticketmaster online and the Main Street ticket office), premium seating and suites (sixteen 20-person suites, one 40-person suite, two 8- and two 10-person mini-suites, and 95 main-concourse loge seats, sold on multi-year contracts), food and beverage concessions (multiple stands, bars, and an exclusive Pepsi beverage deal), corporate sponsorships (Ford as the flagship naming sponsor, plus Old National Bank, Working Distributors, German American, YMCA, Hyatt Place, Performance Food Group, and others), and paid parking in city-owned garages. Distribution is concentrated through Ticketmaster as the exclusive ticketing platform, with Live Nation promoting major tours and a dedicated in-house premium-seating sales team handling corporate clients.
Ford Center serves three primary customer segments: individual event attendees (concerts, sports, family entertainment), corporate clients purchasing premium seating and suites for hospitality, and university/educational groups (notably the home tenants University of Evansville Purple Aces basketball and Evansville Thunderbolts SPHL hockey). The venue also operates the adjacent Victory Theatre as a sub-brand for smaller-format and historic programming. Marketing runs through the company website, an Insider Club email program, and active social channels on X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Ford Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ford Center
- Legal name
- Ford Center
- Website
- https://thefordcenter.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Ford Center is a 9,000+ capacity multi-purpose arena in downtown Evansville, Indiana, managed by Venuworks and hosting concerts, hockey (Evansville Thunderbolts), college basketball (UE Purple Aces), and community events for the tri-state region, with revenue from ticketing, premium seating, F&B, sponsorships, and parking.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ford Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Entertainment Venue & Arena Services
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sports & Arena Event Venues (Stadiums, Arenas) (THAHAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Arenas & Indoor Sports Centers (MPAKAEAB)
Keywords
Where Ford Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Evansville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ford Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from ticket sales for concerts, sporting events, and community gatherings through Ticketmaster and the Ford Center Ticket Office.
- Premium Seating and Suites: Revenue from 16 twenty-person suites, one forty-person suite, two eight-person mini suites, two ten-person mini suites, and 95 main concourse loge seats.
- Food and Beverage Concessions: On-site food and beverage sales through multiple concession stands including Grill Stands 106, 116, 120, loaded nacho cart, popcorn cart, Dippin' Dots, Main Street Bar, MLK & 6th Street Bars, and Corner Club Bar.
- Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from Ford, Old National Bank, Working Distributors, German American, YMCA, Pepsi, Hyatt Place, and other regional businesses displayed throughout the venue.
- Parking: Paid parking in city-owned garages and surface lots during events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Event Tickets |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Premium Seating |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | VIP Packages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Ford Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ford Center operates a 9,000+ seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Evansville, Indiana, hosting concerts, sporting events (basketball and hockey), family entertainment, and community gatherings. It sells standard event tickets through Ticketmaster and its on-site ticket office, premium seating and suites directly to corporate and premium customers, and on-site food and beverage concessions. The venue is professionally managed by Venuworks.
Product overview
Ford Center is a multi-purpose arena venue in Evansville, Indiana, operated by Venuworks. The facility offers a unified venue management and event hosting service with multiple product lines: the core Ford Center Arena hosting concerts, sports, and entertainment events; Premium Seating & Suites providing luxury event experiences with various suite configurations; Arena Food & Beverage concessions across multiple stands; Ticketing Services through Ticketmaster integration; and Victory Theatre as a sub-brand historic performance venue. The venue features NHL-regulation ice floor capabilities, wheelchair-accessible seating on four levels, and comprehensive guest services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ford Center Arena Event Hosting Multi-purpose arena in downtown Evansville, IN hosting concerts, basketball games, hockey games, family shows, and community events with capacity for 9,000+ attendees and NHL-regulation ice floor capabilities.
- Premium Seating and Suites Premium seating product including 16 twenty-person suites, one 40-person suite, two 8-person mini suites, two 10-person mini suites, and 95 main concourse loge seats sold directly to corporate clients for premium event experiences.
- Arena Food and Beverage Concessions On-site food and beverage service offered through multiple concession stands including Grill Stands 106, 116, 120, loaded nacho cart, popcorn cart, Dippin' Dots, Main Street Bar, MLK & 6th Street Bars, and Corner Club Bar. Pepsi products are exclusively available.
- Ticketing Services Ticket office services for event admission, will call, group tickets, and accessible seating options, with primary sales handled through Ticketmaster and on-site at the Ford Center Ticket Office on Main Street.
- Victory Theatre Historic theatre venue operated alongside Ford Center, offering live performances and entertainment events as a sub-brand.
Quantifiable outcome
- Hosts major touring acts including Brooks & Dunn, Thomas Rhett, and Parker McCollum
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Ford Center
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ford Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ford Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- VenuworkscoreVenuworks is the venue management company that operates Ford Center. The executive offices are located at 1 SE MLK Jr. Blvd. Venuworks manages day-to-day operations including staffing, event coordination, and facility management.
- TicketmastercoreTicketmaster is the official ticketing provider for Ford Center, handling all online ticket sales, seating charts, and will call services. The ticket office phone is (812) 422-1515.
- Ford Motor CompanyflagshipFord logo appears on venue branding and is the venue's namesake sponsor. Tri-State Ford Dealers are acknowledged as sponsors on the website.
- Old National BankcorePresenting sponsor of the River City Classic basketball event between University of Evansville and University of Southern Indiana. Displayed on sponsor page.
- PepsicoreBeverage sponsor for Ford Center. Pepsi products are exclusively sold at concession stands throughout the venue.
- Live NationcoreConcert promoter for major events at Ford Center including Thomas Rhett: The Soundtrack to Life Tour and Brooks & Dunn: Neon Moon Tour.
- Compassion InternationalminorPresenting sponsor of the TobyMac, Chris Tomlin, and Third Day tour date at Ford Center.
- Evansville ThunderboltscoreHome hockey team of Ford Center. The Thunderbolts are a tenant at the venue, with specific camera policies for their games (professional cameras not permitted, digital cameras allowed without flash).
- University of EvansvillecoreHome basketball team (Purple Aces) plays at Ford Center. Ford Center is the home venue for UE men's and women's basketball programs.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Ford Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Old National Events Plaza: Convention and events complex located in downtown Evansville, IN, directly competing with Ford Center for concerts, trade shows, and community events in the same metro — the most relevant head-to-head competitor in the local market.
- Resch Center: Multi-purpose arena in Green Bay, WI operated by PMI Entertainment Group, hosting concerts, hockey, and family events at a comparable mid-market scale and Midwestern draw area.
- Hertz Arena (Suncoast Credit Union Arena): Multi-purpose arena in Estero, FL hosting ECHL hockey, concerts, and family entertainment at comparable capacity — a strong functional peer for tenant-anchored arena economics.
- Grossinger Motors Arena: Multi-purpose arena in Bloomington, IL, also managed by Venuworks, hosting hockey, concerts, and community events of comparable size and Midwestern market profile to Ford Center.
- Chaifetz Arena: Mid-sized arena on the Saint Louis University campus hosting concerts, college basketball, and touring acts of comparable scale and Midwestern market positioning to Ford Center.
- Tyson Events Center: Multi-purpose arena in Sioux City, IA, also managed by Venuworks, hosting concerts, hockey (Musketeers USHL), and family shows at a similar mid-market scale — directly comparable in operating model, content mix, and management structure.
- TaxSlayer Center: Mid-sized multi-purpose arena in Moline, IL (Quad Cities), hosting concerts, hockey, and family entertainment with a comparable capacity and Midwestern catchment — a strong functional analog for touring routing and tenant economics.
- UPMC Events Center: Multi-purpose events venue in Moon Township, PA hosting concerts, sports, and family shows at similar capacity and program mix — directly comparable in event-driven revenue model and corporate hospitality emphasis.
Broad incumbents
- Bridgestone Arena: NHL-caliber arena in Nashville, TN operated by ASM Global, hosting Predators hockey and the largest touring acts — a broader incumbent that competes with Ford Center for promoter routing decisions in the broader regional touring market.
Others
- Live Nation (Venue division): Major concert promoter and venue operator that supplies touring content to Ford Center (e.g., Thomas Rhett, Brooks & Dunn tours) and competes for promoter relationships — a critical channel partner and ecosystem participant.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ford Center social profiles
Digital presenceFord Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ford Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Ford Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ford Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ford Center
What does Ford Center do?
Ford Center operates a 9,000+ seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Evansville, Indiana, hosting concerts, sporting events (basketball and hockey), family entertainment, and community gatherings. It sells standard event tickets through Ticketmaster and its on-site ticket office, premium seating and suites directly to corporate and premium customers, and on-site food and beverage concessions. The venue is professionally managed by Venuworks.
Is Ford Center a public or private company?
Ford Center is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Ford Center founded?
Ford Center was founded in -1. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Ford Center based?
Ford Center is headquartered in Evansville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ford Center make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are premium Seating and Suites, food and Beverage Concessions, sponsorships and parking.
Who are Ford Center's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Old National Events Plaza, Resch Center, Hertz Arena (Suncoast Credit Union Arena), Grossinger Motors Arena, Chaifetz Arena, Tyson Events Center, TaxSlayer Center and UPMC Events Center. Bridgestone Arena is listed as a broad incumbent. Live Nation (Venue division) is listed as an others.
Does Ford Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ford Center.
What industry is Ford Center in?
Ford Center's product category is Live Entertainment Venue & Arena Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAAAF, Sports & Arena Event Venues (Stadiums, Arenas), with a secondary code of MPAKAEAB, Arenas & Indoor Sports Centers. Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7900.