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August 25, 2025
OSHKOSH – Andy Linten, executive director of VenuWorks of Oshkosh, said the Oshkosh Arena is on an upward trajectory as it broadens its programming to attract a wider audience.
Among the newest additions is the announcement of Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band® – the first concert to hit the arena’s stage in nearly two years.
Linten said the show follows a growing lineup of diverse programming, including a comedian competition, boxing, car shows and a variety of banquets and corporate events.
The “Rock of Ages” musical, he said, features musicians and lead singers from the original Broadway cast who will deliver performances of the five-time Tony Award-nominated show for more than seven years when they take to the stage Oct. 18.
Linten said the concert will mark the first concert hosted at the arena – which has been under the management of VenuWorks of Oshkosh since last August – since October 2023.
“It’s a really good show, one of those shows that is widely popular with ’80s music that will bring in a good mix of a crowd and give us an opportunity to get our feet wet [with concerts], so to speak,” he said.
The show, Linten said, will feature songs by Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, AC/DC, Joan Jett, Styx, Pat Benatar, REO Speedwagon, Quiet Riot and Journey, among others.
Quite the journey
Linten said breathing new life into the Oshkosh Arena has been a journey since he and his team assumed management of the facility.
VenuWorks was contracted by the receiver of the building, represented by bankruptcy attorney Paul Swanson.
The goal, Linten said, is to restore the arena’s former glory while reaching new heights in programming and community engagement.
“Our job coming in was to mend some fences and get the building back up and running and make it profitable,” he said. “That’s what VenuWorks does – we have another 50 buildings across the U.S., and most are this size. We came in and cleaned up the building, enhanced food and beverage, [as well as] enhanced customer service.”
Linten said he views his role as one of support – ensuring his team is equipped for success so they can, in turn, provide excellent service to customers.
“Customer service is at the top of the list, and we do a lot of customer service training as I want people to have a good experience when they come to the arena,” he said. “One of the things that drew me to VenuWorks is that it’s very family-oriented – take care of your staff and people and the profits will come, and that’s true in more ways than one. We’re one of the top five venue management firms because of our values.”
When VenuWorks took over operations of the facility, Linten said they needed lead time to book the venue – for example, concerts book a year out.
They were still operating within the confines of the former management’s booking decisions.
Concerts, like “Rock of Ages,” he said, were selected by the VenuWorks team with great intention to appeal to residents of the area who used to come to the arena but have since gone to Milwaukee, Madison or Green Bay for shows.
“They’re taking the money they made here and taking it out of town, and we want to get that back to Oshkosh,” he said.
Linten said the arena is ecstatic to continue to host the Wisconsin Herd, the NBA G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks that calls the arena its home court.
“We’re lucky to have them, and they are great partners,” he said.
To ensure that continues, Linten said he and his team sat down with Herd management to make sure they could express their issues and needs as they embarked on enhancing the arena experience.
“A lot of what they saw [as needed changes] is what we did – enhancing food and beverage, speed of service, overall cleanliness,” he said. “It was also about being responsive. We hit the ground running.”
Though his most recent past includes working in several VenuWorks facilities like the Oshkosh Arena, Linten said he started in the customer service business as an executive chef.
As such, he said elevating the food and beverage options at the Oshkosh Arena was top of mind for him.
“I’m one of the few who, as a chef, have come up to become an executive director, and I think one of the reasons the company asked me to come here is because I understand food and beverage and speed of service,” he said.
Linten said the past year has been one of defining, attacking and correcting issues.
On the food and beverage forefront, he said that means offering quality food for a fair price, provided with prompt service, so everybody has a good time.
Big plans
Collectively, Linten said those improvements add up to the elevated experience VenuWorks aims to deliver, regardless of what type of event it is.
“In a perfect world, we have 24 dates a year, or so, depending on if they make playoffs, with the Herd,” he said. “I’d like to have another 340 events if I could – that is the ultimate goal.”
Linten said concerts are a key part of that, complemented by everything from the Wisconsin State Arm Wrestling Champions to nonprofit events with a smattering of popular Friday fish frys and banquets in between.
The arm wrestling event alone, he said, drew 500-600 people from throughout Wisconsin, which in turn filled local hotels.
“One thing I believe in is diversity, and you will see a wide range of shows,” he said. “Right now, the building is often known as the Herd Arena – we want to change that mindset to be the Oshkosh Arena where the Herd plays and not the other way around. What people don’t always know is we do things like banquets.”
Linten said his team delivers top-notch food service and can accommodate events with up to 400 people, both for businesses and consumers.
He said this includes working with the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis and other local organizations to host their events, as well as individuals who want to host a personal event – a wedding, for example.
“We just had a 400-person banquet in here, and they loved it,” he said. “It was amazing. We can transform the building from a basketball court to a really nice venue with plated meals. I’m confident we could set up [a wedding] as beautiful as anywhere else.”
Linten said he credits a hardworking and dedicated team of about 160 employees, including full- and part-time staff, for the arena’s recent success – which includes five managers who oversee everything from marketing and sponsorships, box office, operations, food and beverage and the building engineer.
All staff members, he said, are employed by VenuWorks.
“If you call today, we could do an event tomorrow, if need be,” he said. “And people are amazed that we can go from basketball to a rock concert and back to basketball in three days. I’d be remiss if I didn’t commend my crew, because I have a really good core crew who are awesome.”
Learning the demand
Linten said it will take about two to three years to really grasp what sells in this market, learning what the right mix of events is for the Oshkosh community.
In the meantime, he said he’s grateful to have the backing of the full VenuWorks team, who work in other similar venues across the U.S., as well as having access to a promoter who books all the venues.
Linten said VenuWorks’s promoter is not only a great source for connecting with acts, including concerts, but has a great read on what is and isn’t selling in other similar markets.
Another reality check, Linten said, is that during every presidential election and for a period after, there is typically a slump in ticket sales.
Fortunately, he said he’s seeing people coming out of the slump and starting to buy tickets again, providing the team inspiration to figure out what resonates with Oshkosh and the surrounding communities.
“This past Saturday, we hosted a local car show, and we’re hosting these things to give back to the community as we want to be a part of it,” he said.
Linten said his ultimate goal – whether it’s through popular ’80s music, arm wrestling competitions, cheerleading competitions, graduations or corporate events – is that the arena positively impacts the community at large.
“My goal is to make sure everybody who comes here has a good experience,” he said. “At the end of the day, buildings like this are built for quality of life. We want to be a building for the people, and there is something here for everybody at some point. We need to be something to everybody.”
Linten said he hopes the community will continue to rally behind the arena and is inspired by how dedicated his team is to ensuring visitors have a great time.
“When I came to look at the building when I was offered the position, nobody knew me, and I was able to ask a lot of questions,” he said. “All the people I talked to during my four days here wanted to support the building, love the building and want it to succeed. When you take care of people, the profits will follow. We’re going to make it happen.”
