Business View Magazine | September 2019

142 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2019 Rabo bank Arena, The Theater and Convention Center A LOT TO OFFER T he Rabobank Arena, Theater and Convention Center, owned by the City of Bakersfield, and managed by AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group), a worldwide sporting and music entertainment presenter, is the area’s home for concerts, sports, family shows, community activities, and many other events throughout the year. The first building of the complex, the 3,000- seat Civic Auditorium, was originally constructed in 1962 to house the communities’ musical groups, such as the Bakersfield Symphony, as well as serve as a venue for touring Broadway shows and other entertainment options. In 1976, the city began planning the facility’s first major expansion, which included the construction of a convention center and a hotel directly adjacent to the theater. The convention center was completed in 1980, and the name of the facility was changed to the Bakersfield Convention Center. The hotel was completed in 1993, and is now a Marriott property. In 1998, the facility was again modified - the parking lot, located east of the facility, was removed for the construction of a $36 million, 10,000-plus-seat sports arena and the combined complex was renamed the Centennial Garden and Convention Center. Incorporated in the design of the sports complex was a connection