Ambassador Theatre Group Expands North American Footprint with the Acquisition of “Houston’s Hottest Music Venue” Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land


Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), the world’s number one live-theater company, is pleased to announce a major addition to its North American portfolio: the greater Houston area’s Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land located at 18111 Lexington Boulevard in Sugar Land. Declared “Houston’s Hottest Music Venue” by Houston
Press
, Smart Financial Centre is currently ranked 6th in the world in ticket sales for venues under 10,000 seats as reported by the concert industry’s Pollstar
Magazine
. The venue is a state-of-the-art, indoor performance venue with flexible seating capacities.

“The acquisition of Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land expands ATG’s footprint in North America to ten venues, extending our presence in a key region for live entertainment. We are grateful for the leadership of Gary Becker who has led the venue to date and will remain as part of the team and look forward to working with the City of Sugar Land. Our goal is to lead the industry with commercial-driven initiatives and to deliver our signature world class customer service,” commented Stephen Lewin, Ambassador Theatre Group’s CEO, North America.

Kristin Caskey, Ambassador Theatre Group’s EVP of Content and Creative, North America, added, “ATG is committed to diverse programming that will further contribute to Sugar Land’s positioning as a cultural destination for artists and audiences alike. We will also continue in expanding partnerships with local organizations, businesses and serving the needs of the local community.”

“In just two years since its opening, Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land has changed the regional live entertainment landscape and defined its role in solidifying Sugar Land’s position as an economic powerhouse and destination location – one of the many examples of the City’s long history of partnering with industry leaders to strengthen our community for residents, businesses and visitors,” said City Manager Allen Bogard. “Knowing that Ambassador Theatre Group’s relationship to Sugar Land began even before our venue opened, we are looking forward to working with ATG to continue to grow and expand the success of this important venue.”

Taking over the helm as General Manager is 35 year industry veteran David Skinner, who spent the last 10 years of his career managing the Mahalia Jackson and Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. “David Skinner brings decades of experience to Smart Financial Centre, having managed major venues throughout the country including the Louisiana Superdome, OMNI Arena and many more. We look forward to his leadership in propelling the venue to new heights and continuing to build Smart Financial Centre as one of the premier theaters in the United States,” said Stephen Lewin.