CITY VIEW: From box office to boss
Nick DeLuco is the general manager of TD Coliseum for Oak View Group, which is investing close to $300 million in Hamilton's downtown venue. It will open in late 2025.
NICK DeLUCO grew up in Sault Ste. Marie and studied sports management at Brock University, graduating in 2007. His school internship as a marketing assistant took him back to his hometown where a new arena was opening and he fell in love with the industry there. His first paying job was in a box office in Mississauga on a six-month contract. From there, he moved to Kingston to become a ticketing manager at a new arena. He worked his way up to assistant general manager of the venue. Pursuing his goal to manage a facility, DeLuco moved to Moncton, New Brunswick to open a junior hockey arena. He was offered a job as director of live entertainment and events at Rogers Place in Edmonton in 2021, and in 2023 became vice-president of live entertainment and events. He became general manager of Hamilton's arena renovation for Oak View Group (OVG) in 2024. The downtown venue, now called TD Coliseum, is undergoing a $290-million renovation and scheduled to open in late 2025.
What convinced you to take the job at Hamilton Arena (now called TD Coliseum)?
I oversaw all the content and programming at Rogers Place, the ICE District, all of it. It's just an amazing project, an amazing venue, great experiences. I loved, loved my time and the people in Edmonton. But in talking to Tom (Pistore, president of OVG) and Francesca (Bodie, chief operating officer) and Tim (Leiweke, CEO) and hearing the passion about what’s happening in Hamilton. It just brought me back to come back here and be a part of that.
As much as I love live entertainment and events, that's only a section of what we do, whether it's the marketing and the sales and the operations side. I wanted to be back in that world. I wanted to run a venue. So Hamilton's always been on the radar. We were always tight with OVG, even in Edmonton. Riley O'Connor, the chairman of Live Nation Canada, who's a partner on this project … one of the first emails I ever sent in my life was to Riley O'Connor. We've stayed close the whole time and talking to him and hearing, I'll say this a lot, the passion that people have for this project and the belief in what this building is going to do, not only locally and regionally but nationally for music and entertainment in this country, you can't not want to be a part of it. When the opportunity was there, I couldn't say no.
How do you describe the opportunity that the renovated venue will present for the city?
I think a lot of people might be skeptical on what's going on, because there have been so many promises with the arena and the renovations and things not happening. But transformative and transformational are words I use all the time. When you go in there for the first time, it's not going to be the same building you've seen for the last 40 years. It's unrecognizable in so many ways.
People were skeptical in Kingston and Moncton about what a venue could do. But to me, they're catalysts for growth and development. Hamilton is a great city. I can't imagine the next 10 years of growth that's going to go on here. And I feel like the $300 million investment in this building is a huge piece to changing the face of downtown and revitalizing it, bringing more shops and hotels and people to Hamilton's downtown. We're going to do 100 to 120 events a year, bring hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in, and getting to experience everything that Hamilton is, and be able to see and be a part of that change is what I really think the venue is going to do.
And you know, the OVG track record means our owned and operated venues are some of the most successful venues in the world. So between OVG and the partnership with Live Nation, the sky's the limit in a lot of ways on what we can do.
HUPEG is a partner in the project and they've done a great job on the community level. Because a lot of times when you come in as a corporation, you're this big outside firm coming from the U.S., or you're coming from wherever but you don't know the community. Having partners like PJ (Mercanti) and Lou Frapporti, and the people on the street that know who to talk to and how to get things done that's invaluable, too. They're a huge part of this.
How will this facility serve demand in the region?
There are roughly 10 million people in the catchment area between Toronto and surrounding cities and to have only one arena of this size that occupies 82 home dates a year for NBA and NHL really limits what can be done. So the second building is huge. Like I said, it's a game changer in a lot of ways for the market. To not have a second building is crazy for those numbers and the amount of money people spend on entertainment in this region. Everyone always asks me, are we going to be competitive with Toronto? Every now and again we may have to be, but I think we're also going to be complementary. You might be able to do two shows in Toronto and then you can't get that third date, so you can do the next show in Hamilton. So you can do three shows in the market now where you couldn't before and you'd have to go to Buffalo or Detroit or onto your next stop in Montreal. So I think for us, it's being involved in every conversation.
What are a couple of amenities or features in the new arena that you are most excited about?
We are building out an entire concourse that was hidden for 40 years and never used. It’s going to be a game changer. Everything that was painful before, the lineups to get your food and beverage or getting to the washroom, is going to change. Everything's going to be way more accessible than it ever has been before. And the floor-level suites are going to offer an experience you can’t get in any other arena anywhere. People are going to be amazed. To be four feet from the glass for hockey or to be 12 feet off the stage for a concert is an amazing experience in a suite.
And to have someone like Matty (Matheson) and his stature and his experience in the restaurant side, and to put a restaurant like Iron Cow in the venue that's going to be open for more than just events, it's going to be a destination for people. And you'll see more of that as we go along. But people want to be involved in this because they know what it's going to become.
Then I'm excited about the events that we're going to bring here. Hamilton actually punched above its weight in a lot of ways before, but you're going to see even more of the bigger shows. And with the acoustics and artist lounges and dedicated spaces and the load-in and load-out facilities we will have, we will be a memorable stop for artists. Then they talk to their promoters and managers and this place gets to be known as a great place to play.
What have been your top three priorities since taking on this job?
The big one is working with the project management team. They are amazing. They are second to none in terms of what they can do and the knowledge they have and making sure everything's on time and on schedule. Second is getting to know the staff and building out our team properly and efficiently. So that's a huge one. And then just figuring out the content side, too. I mean, there's a million things, but I would say those are the big three. Who's going to open the building, naming rights, what's our schedule going to look like? Now that tours are planning their fall and winter schedules, now you're going to start seeing more of those announcements as we lead into the summer.
The venue will be music first but will there be sports, too?
We're working on it. Obviously, the Rock were there before, and we're talking with them, and expect that they're going to be back for sure. It will not be the NHL but hockey in some form. The city has a passion for it, and we're saying live entertainment first, but I definitely think that having a sports team and a tenant in there, a partner, goes a long way, too. If they’re putting on 30 to 40 games a year, that will be a big piece of what we do. Maybe there will be opportunities with the WNBA or Raptors preseason. We have the ability to be flexible, and, you know, we're open to anything.
What is the best thing about your job?
The best thing about my job is the people I work with, the fact that every day is different, the fact that you got to create amazing events and memories for people. I fell in love with the industry when I started as an intern, and nothing's been different since then. I can't imagine working a nine to five, and I can't imagine not going to concerts and live events and all of what comes with this. There's a lot of highs, and then some days are tougher than others, too, but at the end of the day, I think we have some really amazing jobs. I wouldn't trade my job for anyone else's.
Whether it's booking calls or if it's operational questions, the OVG network is so vast and so big, and honestly, we have the best people in the world. No BS, we have the best people in the world. And if you need advice, it's one phone call away to ask how have you done this, or what's your deal look like for that. We have that structure, we have that experience, we have that knowledge, and it's truly world class, and makes everything we do even better.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
There’s always things, different things going on every day, that sometimes you're jumping from thing to thing, but I don't know if that's challenging or just part of the job. You might be dealing with a problem with a show, or a private event that you're having to figure out. But I mean, I don't, I don't look at them as challenges as much as just how we operate.
We're 24/7 365. I always tell my girlfriend, she's in the industry too, but like, the only day I truly think we have off is Christmas. You have to have passion. You have to love what you do. Because if you don't, this industry will eat you alive. But I love it.
What have you discovered about Hamilton since arriving here?
How passionate Hamiltonians are about their city. I mean, they love the city and they love what Hamilton is. Its grit is there. If you're from Hamilton, you're passionate about it, and we want to bring a venue that you know, incorporates Hamilton into it as much as we can.
How have you been welcomed to the city?
Everyone's been great. I mean, when you talk to people about the venue, you know, everyone's excited, but like I said, there's some skepticism about ‘Hey, what's really happening?’ Well, those people who you know, may be a little bit worried or holding back a little bit, they'll be blown away when they walk in. Skepticism is always part of it, no matter what market you're in, whether it's in Hamilton or Moncton or Kingston, no matter where it is, everyone's going be a little skeptical until they see it and get to live it themselves.
Is there one concert or musical experience of your life that stands out for you?
I was fortunate enough that one of my last shows in Kingston was The (Tragically) Hip show, the final show. Nothing's going to top that. Opening this building's going to be amazing. Opening Moncton was fantastic. But being involved in that last show is something I'll have for the rest of my life.
Who inspires you?
Our boss, Tim. I’m inspired by people that are passionate about the things they do and don't care about changing the game. Tim leads by example every single day. Another one is Riley O'Connor, who I mentioned before. He’s so passionate about this industry and the growth and development of individuals and music in Canada. So Riley and Tim are two people I’ve looked up to and said I want to be that someday.
Tim understands this market. He believes in Hamilton. When he believes in something, it's never going to fail. So, you know, he had this opportunity. He took it. We’ve invested $300 million into Hamilton because he believed in it, and he sold that. And you know, he's telling that to all of us, and we're all on board. We all believe in it, too. So when Tim believes in something, we all believe in something, and Tim doesn't miss.
What’s your ideal way to spend a lazy day in Hamilton?
I’m a big shopper. I'll go grab a coffee at Relay and walk around downtown. I go to Jackson Square. There's some pretty cool shoe stores there. I love breakfast, too. So Electric Diner is perfect.
What’s is your favourite meal so far in the city?
Rapscallion. Their bone marrow appy, When my girlfriend comes to town, she has that request for sure. Standard is also another one we pop into. Once the building gets open and it’s operational, it's going to give me a chance to explore more. So if you do this with me again in a year, I can tell you different ones.
What is Hamilton’s best-kept secret?
The second concourse of the venue, honestly. People are going to be like, I never knew this existed. People are going to be so surprised and shocked, and just, where has this been all the years I’ve been coming to the arena? It was always there, but it was hidden.
What does Hamilton need more of?
I would say infrastructure that helps get people to and from events quicker. GO trains and transit that get people to and from our events more effectively and more efficiently. Because the easier it is for people to get here, the more they're going to come and the happier they're going to be. So if we can get more of that infrastructure, more of those trains and busses and automobiles and ways of getting people around, I think that's going to help everybody in the event side, whether that's the Ticats or whether that's us.
What does Hamilton need less of?
Less one way streets. Less of those would be great. If you miss a turn, you have to go a long way to come back around.
