George Kliavkoff has joined MGM Resorts International as the company’s president of entertainment and sports in which he will oversee the company’s large entertainment and sports operations that cover some 30 theaters, show rooms and arenas.
Kliavkoff replaces the company’s longtime entertainment executive, Richard Sturm, who left the position to form Las Vegas Live Entertainment and Sports, an entertainment consulting firm, that will work exclusively with MGM Resorts MGM under a three-year agreement.
In his new role, Kliavkoff is responsible for the operations, finance, strategy, booking, marketing, sponsorships, and ticketing for MGM Resorts’ entertainment venues. In Las Vegas, MGM’s facilities include T-Mobile Arena, MGM Grand Garden, Mandalay Bay Events Center, the Mandalay Bay Beach, and Park Theater. MGM also operates the Theater at MGM National Harbor in Maryland and the MassMutual Center at MGM Springfield in Massachusetts.
Kliavkoff will be based in Las Vegas and report to MGM Resorts President Bill Hornbuckle.
“George is joining our company at an exciting time and will play a key role as we both build on existing successful partnerships as well as continue to expand our industry-leading sports and entertainment offerings,” Hornbuckle said.
MGM Resorts is considered one of the largest live events companies in the world. The company’s venues are homes six Cirque du Soleil shows, A-list concerts, magic and comedy shows, eSports, and traditional sporting events including boxing, UFC, rodeo, and MGM’s WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces. T-Mobile Arena is home to the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights.
Kliavkoff joins MGM Resorts with more than 20 years of experience leading media and entertainment strategies. He most recently served as the CEO of Jaunt Inc., an augmented and virtual reality start-up that worked with the NFL, NBA, MLB, Manchester United, Uber, and Disney.
He previously served in executive roles with top media companies, including serving as co-president at Hearst Entertainment & Syndication, chief digital officer at NBC Universal and executive vice president of business for Major League Baseball Advanced Media.
Kliavkoff holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Boston University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law.
