16 | MARCH 12 • 2020
Jews in the D
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sure venues have the right per-
formers and events. He will focus
on finding ways to grow the busi-
ness, including attracting highly
competitive national events to
the city. He also has oversight on
marketing campaigns, integration
of the latest technology trends
and front-end and back-end
operations. Recently, he launched
the redesign of 313presents.com.
Handler has inherited some
top-grossing venues. DTE Energy
in Clarkston was named the No.
1 amphitheater in the world, with
close to 600,000 paid attendees
in 2019, according to Pollstar,
an industry trade publication
that provides year-end rankings.
Little Caesars Arena, home of
the Detroit Red Wings and the
Detroit Pistons, moved up to No.
2 in the U.S. for top arenas for
concert ticket sales, behind only
Madison Square Garden (where
Handler also once worked). LCA
sold more than 900,000 tickets
last year.
“I love every one of our ven-
ues,” Handler said. “Meadow
Brook Theatre is almost like a
summer camp, nestled in the
woods at Oakland University.
Comerica Park will be the host
of four very, very big concerts
this summer, and it provides a
tremendous atmosphere in the
great outdoors.”
Among its seven venues,
313 Presents also operates the
intimate 400-seat Sound Board
at Motor City Casino Hotel
and the historic and grand
Fox Theatre in Downtown
Detroit and produces events at
Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre
at Freedom Hill County Park in
Sterling Heights.
Handler views his new role
as a way to impact economic
activity in Detroit. “More qual-
ity events and shows will result
in more activity downtown,”
he said.
He’
s most looking forward to
helping the team achieve its full
potential. “There are 40 people
on the team now. I think they’
ve
got incredible talent,
” he said.
“We want to do some big ambi-
tious things together.
”
To that end, 313 Presents will
be hosting the 2020 Frozen Four
on April 9 and 11. That will be
the second of four NCAA events
at LCA. The company also will
host the NCAA Men’
s Basketball
first and second rounds in 2021.
And it’
s got the NCAA Wrestling
Championships in 2022. All four
bids were awarded before LCA
opened its doors.
313 Presents partners with
the Detroit Sports Commission,
which prioritizes the region’
s
efforts to secure these big events.
Arn Tellem, vice chairman of
the Detroit Pistons and a board
member of the Detroit Sports
Organizing Corporation, said
he is excited to have Handler on
board at 313 Presents.
“He not only has fantastic
work achievements behind him,
but he also has deep roots in the
city,
” Tellem said. “We are looking
forward to his contributions to
the community in years to come.
”
Handler sees many positive
opportunities to sell Detroit to
outsiders. “I think we perfected
R&B and punk and hip hop, in
addition to Motown and tech-
no,
” he said. “Detroit is looked
at as a sports-loving town. The
four major professional teams
are beloved. I think people see
Detroit is a city with a vibrant
and still-emerging food and
restaurant scene. I think a lot
of people see Detroit is a city of
industry and creativity and art
and design and innovation.
“So, I think there are lots of
different ways that people view
and embrace and are inspired
by Detroit — Detroit is making
its mark.”
“He not only has fantastic work
achievements behind him, but
he also has deep roots in the city.
We are looking forward to his
contributions to the community
in the years to come.”
— ARN TELLEM
TOP: Handler’
s office desk: photos of his two children and his wife — and a U-M
Red Wings cap. ABOVE: This AP photo hangs in Handler’
s office. It shows his
great-uncle, referee Lou Handler, declaring “The Raging Bull” Jake LaMotta the
1950 Middleweight Champion in a win over Frenchman Lauren Dauthielle.