The Ford Center

What The Ford Center does

The Ford Center is a 9,000+ seat multi-purpose arena located at 1 SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in downtown Evansville, Indiana, that hosts concerts, touring shows, sporting events, and private functions. It serves as the home venue for the Evansville Thunderbolts professional hockey team (ECHL) and the University of Evansville Purple Aces Division I men's basketball program, while also hosting a touring concert calendar that for 2026 includes Thomas Rhett, Brooks & Dunn, Koe Wetzel, Parker McCollum, TobyMac/Chris Tomlin/Third Day, and Ty Myers. The facility is built to NHL regulation with a 100x250 ice floor (85x200 with retractable seating), 180,000 lbs. rigging capacity, no obstructed-view seating, four passenger elevators plus one freight elevator and two public escalators, and ADA-compliant accessibility including 114 wheelchair spaces across four levels, assisted listening devices, and sign language interpretation on request.

The venue generates revenue through six primary streams: ticket sales (Ticketmaster plus the on-site Ford Center Ticket Office), premium seating (sixteen 20-person suites, one 40-person suite, two 8- and two 10-person mini suites, and 95 main concourse loge seats contracted on multi-year agreements), food and beverage concessions (grill stands, pizza, nachos, popcorn, Dippin' Dots, multiple bars), event parking (Stone Family Center lot ~200 spaces, Civic Center lot ~1,100+ spaces), corporate sponsorships (title sponsor Ford Motor Company via Tri-State Ford Dealers, plus Old National Bank, Pepsi, Hyatt Place, German American, and Performance Food Group among others), and a non-profit fundraising program that lets local groups staff concession or ID-check stations in exchange for revenue share. The venue is privately held and operated under a management agreement with Venuworks, a professional venue management company whose executive offices are co-located at the Ford Center address; Scott Schoenike is Executive Director.

Customer segments span individual event attendees (general public), sports fans (Thunderbolts and Purple Aces season-ticket bases plus visiting-team supporters), concert and music enthusiasts across country, rock, and Christian formats, and corporate/group clients purchasing premium seating and suites for client hospitality. Distribution runs through Ticketmaster's online marketplace, the on-site box office (12pm–5pm weekdays, event-day hours on weekends), group sales, and premium-seating direct sales, with marketing primarily conducted through social channels (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) and the Insider Club newsletter operated via Ticketmaster Engage.

Name

The Ford Center

Legal name

Ford Center

Website

https://fordcenter.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Ford Center operates a 9,000+ seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Evansville, Indiana, hosting concerts, touring shows, and sporting events for the Evansville Thunderbolts (ECHL hockey) and University of Evansville Purple Aces (Division I basketball). The privately held, Venuworks-managed venue earns revenue from tickets, premium seating, concessions, parking, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Evansville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales and Service Charges: Revenue from ticket sales for concerts, sporting events, and special events. Ticketmaster serves as the primary online ticketing platform with the Ford Center Ticket Office handling in-person sales. Service charges and convenience fees are added to ticket purchases.
2. Premium Seating and Suites: Revenue from suite rentals, mini suites, and loge seat rentals. Includes access to private hospitality lounges for VIP ticket holders.
3. Food and Beverage Concessions: Revenue from concession stands and bars throughout the arena, including grill stands, pizza stand, loaded nacho cart, popcorn cart, Dippin' Dots, and multiple bar locations.
4. Parking: Revenue from event parking in surrounding garages and lots including Stone Family Center lot (200 spaces) and Civic Center lot (1,100+ spaces).
5. Sponsorship and Advertising: Revenue from corporate sponsors displayed on arena signage, digital displays, event promotions, and the official website. Major sponsors include Ford Motor Company, Old National Bank, Pepsi, and Hyatt Place.
6. Non-Profit Fundraising Opportunities: Non-profit groups can work concessions or ID check stations to raise money for their organizations, creating a revenue-sharing arrangement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Ford Center operates a 9,000+ seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Evansville, Indiana, hosting concerts, sporting events, touring shows, and community gatherings. The venue provides event ticketing (via Ticketmaster and on-site box office), premium seating including suites and loge seats, food and beverage concessions, ADA-compliant accessibility services, and event production capabilities, while serving as home arena for the Evansville Thunderbolts hockey team and University of Evansville Purple Aces basketball team.

Product overview

The Ford Center is a multi-purpose arena venue in Evansville, Indiana offering event ticketing through Ticketmaster, premium seating options (suites and loge seats), food and beverage concessions, and accessibility services. The venue hosts concerts, sporting events, and private functions. Premium seating includes multiple suite configurations ranging from 8 to 40 person capacity. The facility features an NHL-regulation floor, production capabilities with substantial rigging capacity, and ADA-compliant accommodations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Event Ticketing Ticket sales and distribution for concerts, sporting events, family shows, and performances held at the Ford Center arena, processed through the Ford Center Ticket Office in-person and Ticketmaster online.
• Premium Seating and Suites Luxury suites and loge seating for individual buyers, groups, and corporate clients, including sixteen 20-person suites, one 40-person suite, two 8-person mini suites, two 10-person mini suites, and 95 main concourse loge seats, with VIP Hospitality Lounge access for premium ticket holders.
• Food and Beverage Concessions Concession stands, carts, and bars throughout the arena offering grilled sandwiches, pizza, loaded nachos, popcorn, Dippin' Dots, Coca-Cola and Pepsi products, and alcoholic beverages, plus a VIP private cash bar with complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and select concession items.
• Event Production and Venue Rental Arena production and venue hosting for concerts, sporting events, theatrical productions, and private events, leveraging an NHL regulation size floor (100x250; 85x200 with retractable seating), 180,000 lbs. rigging capacity, no obstructed views, and professional event management staff.
• Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities

Quantifiable outcome

• 114 wheelchair accessible seating spaces across 4 levels ensuring full accessibility
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, strategic and minor.

• VenuworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenuworks is the professional venue management company that manages and operates the Ford Center. The company provides comprehensive venue management, event production, and operational expertise. Executive offices for Venuworks are located at 1 SE MLK Jr. Blvd.
• Ford Motor CompanycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of the Ford Center - Tri-State Ford Dealers are thanked as sponsors on the website. Ford branding is prominently featured including the Ford Center logo and Ford Logo displayed on the homepage.
• Old National BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of the River City Classic basketball game. Old National Bank is listed as a major sponsor on the Ford Center website with logo display.
• TicketmastercoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial ticket provider and ticketing platform for the Ford Center. All ticket purchases for events are processed through Ticketmaster.com. Ticketmaster also provides the seating chart integration on the website.
• PepsimajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage sponsor for the Ford Center - Pepsi products are available at concession stands and bars throughout the venue.
• Evansville ThunderboltscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome hockey team tenant - the Evansville Thunderbolts professional hockey team plays home games at the Ford Center. The team is featured on the Events & Tickets page and has its own section on the homepage.
• University of EvansvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome basketball team tenant - the University of Evansville Purple Aces Division I men's basketball team plays home games at the Ford Center. The university is featured on the homepage with its logo.
• Compassion InternationalstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for the TobyMac, Chris Tomlin, and Third Day tour event at the Ford Center.
• K-LOVEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting sponsor for the TobyMac, Chris Tomlin, and Third Day Christian music tour event at the Ford Center.
• Hyatt Place EvansvilleminorOthersPreferred hotel partner recommended on the Ford Center's Area Hotels page - located at 202 SE 2nd St, Evansville, IN
• DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown EvansvilleminorOthersRecommended hotel partner on the Ford Center's Area Hotels page - located at 601 Walnut Street, Evansville, IN 47708
• Holiday Inn Express WestminorOthersRecommended hotel partner on the Ford Center's Area Hotels page - located at 5737 Pearl Drive, Evansville, Indiana 47712
• Live NationstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor tour promoter for concerts at the Ford Center - promoting Thomas Rhett: The Soundtrack to Life Tour and Brooks & Dunn: Neon Moon Tour events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TheFordCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/FordCenterEvansville
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefordcenter/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Ford Center