Charlie Beirne, the general manager at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center for the last 10 years, has been appointed general manager of the Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Florida.
ASM Global, the management firm for both facilities, has launched a $1.3 billion expansion at the Fort Lauderdale facility. Beirne oversaw the $60 million capital improvement project in Long Beach that created the Pacific Ballroom inside the Long Beach Arena.
An innovative curtain and suspension system that acts as movable walls and roof creates the ballroom, hiding the 13,500 permanent seats. Raising the curtains returns the space to a 360-degree arena.
Beirne joined the firm that now is ASM Global in 2006 as general manager of the Atlantic City Convention Center. He came to Long Beach in 2012.
“I am deeply honored for this next-step opportunity in my ASM career, one that will allow me to move back to the East Coast where I started by career,” Beirne said in the announcement. “I look forward to working closely with our clients and municipal partners in Fort Lauderdale and Broward County to strengthen the community and provide customized solutions that are the hallmark of ASM.”
While in Long Beach, Bierne worked closely with Steve Goodling, president and CEO of the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. Together, they upgraded all of the center’s spaces, including the Terrace and Beverly O’Neill theaters, the convention halls and outside spaces — particularly the Terrace Plaza, with its programmable fountains and outdoor furniture.
“Charlie was the right person at the right place at the right time,” Goodling said. “He came here for what was supposed to be four months and stayed for 10 years. I can’t say enough good about him.”
ASM Global manages venues around the world, saying it is the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences, venue management and event strategy.
