Smiles galore in show business

It's been nearly two years since Feld Entertainment announced it would move its global production headquarters to north Manatee County, and by most accounts the transition has been a glowing success.

That goes from logistics inside the $30 million facility now home to 500 employees to the actual work, which includes top-secret rehearsals for the new hit show, Disney on Ice presents Frozen. But the company's top executive, in a rare interview, says the biggest challenge yet could commence in less than a month. That's when the company will literally bring the circus to town to train, rehearse and prepare for multiple versions of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus.

“The next big test will be in November and December when the circus is here,” Feld Entertainment CEO and Chairman Ken Feld says in a recent phone interview from his Vienna, Va., office. “That will be a whole new challenge because there are a lot more people involved. We'll really see how the facility works.”

Feld tells Coffee Talk he's confident the circus will come through without a hitch, given how well the rest of the transition has gone. Feld Entertainment, backed by more than $3 million in state and Manatee County incentives, began to move into its production facility in early 2012. The move, into a 46-acre complex on the north side of the Manatee River, was a consolidation of multiple facilities from places including Tampa and North Carolina. The firm's corporate offices remain outside Washington, D.C.

One of the best aspects of the facility and Manatee County consolidation, says Feld, is intangible: employee morale.

“It's the first time we've ever had the whole company under one roof,” says Feld, who plans to spend most of his working days in Manatee County in November and December. “There's a pride that has come to this company that I haven't seen in 40 years because of that.”

Feld, recently named one of the 400 richest people in America by Forbes magazine, has been with the business since 1970, when he joined his father, Irvin Feld. The company has since grown into a billion-dollar global entertainment juggernaut, with performances in more than 75 countries — including a recent debut in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Feld oversees the business with the help of his three daughters, Alana, Nicole and Juliette Feld. The senior Feld likens himself to the “football coach” who orchestrates the operation.

“Changes are coming fast and furious” in live global entertainment, says Feld. “I'm not smart enough to predict the future, but our company is nimble enough to act quickly and adapt to the changes.”