Ted Constant Convocation Center

Ted Constant Convocation Center
The Ted
Location	4320 Hampton Boulevard Norfolk, VA 23529
Broke ground	2000
Opened	October 25, 2002
Owner	Old Dominion University
Operator	Global Spectrum
Surface	Hardwood
Construction cost	$33,537,394
Architect	Rossetti Architects Moseley Architects
Capacity	9,520
Tenants
Old Dominion Monarchs

The Ted Constant Convocation Center is a 9,520-seat (219,330 square feet) multi-purpose arena in Norfolk, Virginia, located on the campus of Old Dominion University. "The Ted" has 7,519 (fixed) fully cushioned seats, 16 luxury suites, and a state-of-the-art scoreboard. The arena currently seats 8,639 for basketball games. In addition to being used for home basketball games and wrestling matches for ODU, the Constant Center hosts family-oriented events as well as concerts and lectures.

"The Ted" opened in October 2002, and was designed by Southfield, Michigan architecture firm Rossetti.

Big Events

There have been many big events held at the Constant Center. These have ranged from concerts and shows by BB King, Dave Chappelle, and Green Day.^[1] There have also been many other events such as the Harlem Globetrotters, Disney performances, Cheerleading competitions, as well as ODU events such as a career fair.

The biggest event that has ever taken place at the Constant Center was the Elton John Concert. This took place March 18th, 2011 at the Constant Center. The tickets for this huge event sold out in 3 1/2 hours.^[2] The Ted had to add about 1,000 extra seats to accommodate all of the audience members who purchased tickets. There were close to 9,500 people at the event, in a building that holds around 8,500.

Behind the Scenes

At the Ted Constant Convocation Center the Event Staff that works all events is overseen by the company Global Spectrum. They also try to help the surrounding community. Global Spectrum of the Constant Center donated over 2,300 items to benefit local food banks for ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. ^[3] Food vendors located inside the Ted are run by the company Aramark. They sell many different foods for the audience, ranging from pizza to dip 'n dots to specialty items such as BBQ.

Important People

Steve Ballard is the builder of the Constant Center, as well as Foreman Field located at Old Dominion University. It was finished in 2002 as he and his local company S.B. Ballard completed the construction. The Constant Center General Manager is Doug Higgons. He says, “Our goal is to provide something for everyone in the Hampton Roads community at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.” ^[4] Mike McRory is the boss of the Event Staff in the building and he makes sure every single event at the Ted runs smoothly. He handles hiring of the Event Staff, ensures the itinerary of all events, and is a daily part of why the Constant Center is so successful.

External links

1. ^ http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?attrid=49950
2. ^ http://hamptonroads.com/2011/01/elton-john-provides-teds-first-360-sellout
3. ^ http://www.frontrow-marketing.com/goya/files/Newsletters/(53)%2520Spring%25202011%2520Globe_low.pdf
4. ^ http://www.constantcenter.com/about/

• Constant Center Home Page
• Constant Center Events/Seating Chart
• Ted Constant Center Virginia

Coordinates: 36°53′3.01″N 76°18′4.43″W / 36.8841694°N 76.3012306°W / 36.8841694; -76.3012306