Joe Giordano Jr. — Jersey guy — was able to turn Tulsa into a must-play stop for the biggest acts on tour.
That’s Tulsa, Oklahoma, the 49th-largest market in the country.
Now, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment is giving him a chance to show what he can do in his home state.
HBSE announced this morning that it has hired Giordano, one of the top young booking executives in the business, as Senior Vice President of Entertainment Booking. He will oversee booking at Prudential Center in Newark and Loew’s Jersey Theatre in Jersey City, which reopens Nov. 13 after a restoration of its historic interiors and exteriors. He also will help program the company’s other venues.
It’s a great get. So said Sean Saadeh, HBSE’s Chief Programming Officer and Head of Entertainment.
“Joe has a rare ability to pair creative vision with instinctive talent spotting, consistently identifying and elevating entertainment experiences that resonate deeply with audiences,” Saadeh said. “As we expand our entertainment footprint across New Jersey and beyond, his expertise will help us continue to deliver world-class events and experiences to our audiences.”
Giordano obviously is eager for the opportunity.
“Having grown up in New Jersey and spent a lifetime cheering for the Devils, joining HBSE is both a professional milestone and a personal dream realized,” he said.
Giordano is joining a strong group.
The Prudential Center was named one of Billboard’s Top 10 venues worldwide in 2025, according to HBSE, and Pollstar ranks it among the top venues in North America. At HBSE, Giordano will help program year-round, from major music acts to culturally meaningful events to new and emerging sports and entertainment properties.
Billboard named Giordano to its 40 Under 40 list in 2024. His résumé shows why.
As Assistant General Manager of the BOK Center, he helped turn Tulsa into one of North America’s top touring markets. The arena won the International Entertainment Buyers Association’s Arena of the Year award twice, in 2016 and 2018.
Then he did it on the national stage. As Vice President of Stadium, Arena and Theater Alliances at Oak View Group, he oversaw a portfolio of more than 30 NHL and NBA arenas, more than 40 theaters and a half-dozen Major League Baseball stadiums. He launched the OVG Theater Alliance and the Arena Alliance+ program and helped cut new booking deals in San Antonio, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Nashville, Phoenix, Memphis and Tulsa.
Before all that, Giordano spent nearly a decade booking nationally for ASM Global, formerly Legends. Now, he’s coming home.
“I’m excited to hit the ground running,” he said.
