Nick Vaerewyck Promoted to Senior Vice President of Programming
Danny Cohen Joins as Director of Programming
SEATTLE (April 8, 2025) – Oak View Group (OVG), a global leader in venue development, management, premium hospitality services and 360-degree solutions, today announced the promotion of Nick Vaerewyck to Senior Vice President of Programming and the hiring of Danny Cohen as Director of Programming at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, the home to the Seattle Kraken, Seattle Storm, and the best in music and live entertainment.
“Nick’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping Climate Pledge Arena’s diverse and dynamic programming,” said Steve Mattson, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Climate Pledge Arena. “His vision and expertise will continue to elevate and grow the content we offer and drive our future success. We’re excited to see how he leads our programming strategy in this next chapter.”
As Senior Vice President of Programming, Vaerewyck will lead in the strategic planning of content development for OVG in the Pacific Northwest, joining the Executive Leadership Team in Seattle, which includes executives from both Oak View Group and the Seattle Kraken. His responsibilities include strategic oversight of programming goals and content development at Climate Pledge Arena, as well as overseeing private event sales, service, and ticketing operations.
“It has been an incredible experience to see first-hand and in just five years, Climate Pledge Arena grow into a world-class venue,” said Vaerewyck. “We have re-established Seattle as a must-play market and became the top venue in the Pacific Northwest and North America. I am excited to lead this team into the future with all the opportunities that lie ahead of us. Growing the programming team, with the addition of Danny Cohen, allows us to build upon our success and bring even more world-class content with the best talent in the industry to our region.”
Vaerewyck has been with Climate Pledge Arena since its inception, overseeing the programming of more than 200 events annually, including concerts, family shows, sporting events, and private events. He previously held leadership roles at Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, AZ, and Comerica Theatre. A Dallas native, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accountancy from Northern Arizona University and resides in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood with his two sons. Vaerewyck also serves as an active commissioner on the Seattle Music Commission.
Joining the team as Director of Programming, Danny Cohen will focus on day-to-day and strategic content development for concerts, family shows, and special events while supporting Climate Pledge Arena’s overall programming goals.
“I’m honored and excited to join the exceptional team at Climate Pledge Arena,” said Cohen. “The arena represents a groundbreaking approach to venue design and fan experience, and the work they’ve done is remarkable. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to bring my skills and experience to such an innovative environment.”
Cohen brings more than 15 years of experience in the music industry, with expertise in tour promotion, talent buying, and venue management across clubs, theaters, amphitheaters, festivals, and arenas nationwide. Before joining Climate Pledge Arena, he was General Manager of Public Events at Colorado Chautauqua in Boulder, overseeing programming, operations, and special events for multiple venues, including the historic 1,313-seat Chautauqua Auditorium. Cohen began his career at William Morris Endeavor (WME) as a music agent assistant, following an early passion for live events that began in college.
About Oak View Group
Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client roster of arenas, stadiums, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues either open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
About Climate Pledge Arena
Climate Pledge Arena, located at Seattle Center, is the complete redevelopment of an historic landmark, originally built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. The arena is home to the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, WNBA’s Seattle Storm, and the world’s biggest performers of live music and events. Climate Pledge Arena is owned by Seattle Hockey Partners and Oak View Group (OVG), a global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360 venue solutions.
The arena is named after The Climate Pledge, an initiative founded by Amazon and Global Optimism asking global corporations to become net zero carbon by 2040. Climate Pledge Arena has one of the most progressive sustainability programs of any building its size, including being the world’s first Zero Carbon Certified arena. Climate Pledge Arena opened October 19, 2021. climatepledgearena.com
About The Seattle Kraken
Launched in 2021, the Seattle Kraken are the National Hockey League’s 32nd franchise and compete in the league’s Pacific Division. The 2024-25 season will be the Kraken’s fourth at Climate Pledge Arena. Visit www.nhl.com/kraken for the latest news and information including press releases, multimedia and content.
Media Contacts:
Larry Solters, Sam Threadgill
Scoop Marketing for Oak View Group
solters@solters.com, sthreadgill@solters.com
Rosie Selle
Climate Pledge Arena
rselle@climatepledgearena.com
