San Antonio fills new marketing position for Alamodome, events facilities

This new position will help handle the news coming out of San Antonio’s sports facilities, including the Alamo City’s largest.

JERRY LARA /Staff file photo

San Antonio is pulling from the city’s tourism group, Visit SA, to fill its new communications role that will help better market the city’s convention and sports facilities, especially as the Alamodome approaches a milestone. San Antonio is attracting all kinds of events and concerts and Richard Oliver, the outgoing director of partner and community relations for Visit SA, will soon lead communications and marketing for the San Antonio’s Conventions and Sports Facilities Department.

There, Oliver says, he will help handle news and “tell the stories” for the Henry B. González Convention Center, Carver Community Cultural Center and, most importantly, the Alamodome. The new role was the idea of Convention & Sports Facilities Assistant Director Patricia Cantor, who says that the department was in need of a central role to lead communication and marketing. Until now, the responsibilities were split between several staff members, including herself.

“Frankly, with the upcoming 30-year anniversary of the Alamodome, we’re having more events on our calendars that we’re booking, and other priorities that we’ve set for ourselves to help market those events,” Cantor says.

Carver Community Cultural Center has its own public relations team, but this new role will only help add to help the facility garner more exposure.

Srijita Chattopadhyay /San Antonio Express-News

Oliver, who has been with Visit SA since 2013 and also worked at the Express-News for 14 years, says he is ready to help inform San Antonio of the “exciting things happening” with San Antonio’s event facilities.

“There’s a lot of the growth and evolution that’s happening with those facilities,” Oliver says. “The timeline of the Alamodome over the last 30 years has been absolutely incredible.”

Oliver didn’t reveal much but says the city plans on celebrating its first sports arena in big and exciting ways.

Cantor says Visit SA will still handle a lot of marketing for the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, but Oliver will only help add to that marketing support team.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

He is also coming in as the market for tourism, events, and conventions are starting to look up. Oliver says that over spring break alone, hotels across San Antonio were 90% occupied. He says he is also hopeful for the conventions market, especially after San Antonio lost around 300 meetings throughout the pandemic stretch.

“San Antonio is this place that is thought of as being a generational, warm, accommodating, safe place to visit,” Oliver says. “What better destination would you go to than one where you feel like it’s safe and you’re treated like family.”

Oliver’s last day with Visit SA is May 20 and he will start working with the city on May 23.

Correction: The article has been corrected to reflect Oliver’s start date with Visit SA in 2013 and not 2003 as previously reported.