IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario will soon be under new management.
SMG, the company that operates the Ontario Convention Center, will replace AEG Facilities effective July 1, according to a statement released Wednesday.
AEG has operated the arena, which is owned and operated by the city of Ontario, since it opened in 2008.
The Los Angeles-based company also owns the Ontario Reign, the minor league hockey team that is the arena’s main tenant. AEG officials are giving up control of the arena so they can focus exclusively on running the team, which is a Los Angeles Kings affiliate.
The move means the convention center and the arena can work together to market themselves, said Sue Oxarart, the convention center’s director of communications.
“We view this as a great opportunity,” Oxarart said. “We will have marketing, staffing and ticket sales all in one place. We already include the arena in a lot of our marketing anyway, so the move makes sense.”
