Name: Chip Wade
Job title: Director of marketing and promotion, Carolina Coliseum and Koger Center for the Arts
Background: Born and raised in Union; attended USC Union and USC Spartanburg; bachelor of arts degree in art with emphasis in graphic design, USC Columbia, 1996; former art director, Carolina Retail Packaging, Lexington; joined Carolina Coliseum as assistant marketing director in July 2000; named marketing director in December 2000.

Describe your job. I act as a one-person advertising agency and media buyer for outside promoters that bring shows to the Coliseum and the Koger Center. When acts perform at either venue, I buy advertising space for them from Columbia area radio and TV stations, and newspapers. Sometimes I establish the marketing plan for the acts; at other times I'll implement the plan provided to me by the promoter. During events at the Coliseum I also serve as a building manager. At the Koger Center, I work events that are sold out or if they need extra help on the floor, and fill in for the house manager when she's out of town. The primary parts of my job are marketing for the Koger Center and event management for the Coliseum.

How do you describe the Coliseum and Koger Center in terms of how they serve the community? The Koger Center is the performing arts center for Columbia that is home for the Columbia City Ballet, The Columbia Classical Ballet, the S.C. Philharmonic and the Palmetto Master Singers, plus outside entertainment. The Carolina Coliseum is home to the Columbia Inferno hockey team that plays 36 home games a year there. It also is the site for all high school graduations in Richland and Lexington counties, Boys' State, and at least one concert a year for the Black Expo Gala, plus whatever else might come up.

What's been the most memorable time in your tenure with the Koger Center and the Coliseum? When I first took the job as marketing director in 2001, because it was so busy. We had a lot going on in both buildings that had fallen into my lap, which included marketing the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, the World Wrestling Federation, the Boston Pops, Chicago, Betty Buckley, and other shows at the Koger Center. It was kind of crazy and exciting and fun to switch gears from the Boston Pops to the WWF (now World Wrestling Entertainment).

What's the best part of your job? The diversity, and being able to see so many different things. I have seen many shows that I might not have had the chance or desire to see otherwise, but now I would see them again because I know how great they are. I think I have the best job in town.

What kind of advice would you give to young people who aspire to a career in your line of work? A good way to get started is to work at the Koger Center as an usher, which is what I did. I was there working as an usher the night the Koger Center opened. Ushering allows you to see so much while you get paid to do it. It also opened my mind to what was out there that I didn't know about or hadn't been exposed to.

What do you do to unwind when you're not working? The YMCA's Boot Camp, a general conditioning program that meets for an hour and a half three times a week in the evening. I've gotten to the point where I actually like the running and crunches and pushups. When I'm stressed, a workout cleans out my mind and enables me to let go of whatever happened during the day, and I'm getting in better shape. I also have an old house, so there is always something to do there.

6/06