In this ACEVenture, experience what it takes to develop, design, and build a state-of-the-art NFL Stadium in the heart of Las Vegas. Learn about a day in the life of the team that took the Raiders vision and made it a reality and gain insight as to what it means to be a part of a high profile construction project. Dive into a few of the unique features of Allegiant Stadium. Join us for an exclusive inside look at the road to GameDay.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2021 | 5PM EASTERN
[ 2PM Pacific – 3PM Mountain – 4PM Central – 5PM Eastern ]
PRESENTERS:
Charlie Thornton:
Charlie Thornton is Co-CEO of CAA ICON. Along with Co-CEO Marc Farha, Charlie is responsible for developing and directing company strategy and implementing short-term and long-term planning for overall business development. Charlie is a Major League Soccer (MLS) and large-scale stadium expert and brings 30 years of experience in the activation and management of high-profile stadium projects. He has overseen the design and construction of eight MLS stadiums along with the Las Vegas Raiders’ new home, Allegiant Stadium, and the restoration of Wrigley Field. Before joining CAA ICON in the early 2000s, Charlie served as General Manager for Turner Construction’s Special Projects Division and oversaw the construction of Empower Field at Mile High and various laboratory projects including Colombia University and Yale University.
Shannon Miller:
Shannon is a Senior Associate at CAA ICON. She served as Project Coordinator (PC) for the state-of-the-art Allegiant Stadium project, new home of the Las Vegas Raiders, and assisted on the Raiders new performance center and training facility in Henderson, NV. She’s currently serving as PC for Brightline West, a new high-speed rail line that will connect Las Vegas and parts of southern California. In her free time you can find her on the Peloton leaderboard or cheering on the sidelines of her kids’ events.
Sarah Narjes:
Sarah is a Project Executive with the Mortenson Sports + Entertainment Group. She’s been in the construction industry for 14 years, working on a variety of projects spanning from large and complex hospital projects to NFL Stadiums and everything in between. Sarah is currently leading a tri-venture team in St. Louis, building a new MLS Stadium for the St. Louis City Soccer Club. Sarah loves to be outdoors, trail running, fly fishing, skiing and spending time with her family.
Lanson Nichols:
Lanson is Senior Vice President at HNTB Sports Architecture. Continuing his 29-year relationship with the Las Vegas Raiders NFL franchise, Lanson Nichols served as principal in charge of the team’s new $1.6 billion Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Lanson led HNTB as the architect of record in completing the 65,000-seat facility that melds the iconic Raider brand with the Vegas strip’s high energy and fast pace. The stadium, completed in 42 months pencils up to hammers down, was delivered via a hybrid design-build method in time for the 2020 NFL season, one year earlier than planned. Lanson’s team masterminded only the second retractable natural grass field in the United States, a first-of-its-kind cable-net-supported ETFE roof system and 82-foot-tall by 200-foot-wide lanai doors that create a backdrop for the Al Davis Memorial Torch, the world’s largest 3D-printed structure.
Lanson held a similar role in delivering facilities for the San Francisco 49ers, the Denver Broncos and the Raiders both in Los Angeles and Oakland. Respected for his subject matter expertise, he was selected by the editors of Sports Business Journal as one of the Power Players: Leaders and Innovators in Design and Development for 2020. His article, “A Tale of Two Stadia,” in the publication’s spring 2015 magazine, compares HNTB’s work delivering the 49ers’ LEED-certified Levi’s Stadium with the revitalization and seismic retrofit of the University of California, Berkeley’s historic California Memorial Stadium.
Employed with HNTB since 1987, Lanson is a senior vice president in the firm’s sports architecture group and the NFL practice leader.
