NAC Names George Raub IV as 2023 Mickey Warner Recipient

The National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) announced that George Raub IV, ECM, Delaware North’s General Manager at AMALIE Arena in Tampa, has been named the 2023 Mickey Warner Award Recipient. The Mickey Warner Award is bestowed upon an individual each year by NAC to recognize leadership and significant accomplishments in the non-theatre concession industry.

The award honors the late Mickey Warner, the father of the NAC Concession Manager Certification Program and one of the greatest innovators and educators of the concessions industry. The 2023 award presentation will take place on Wednesday, July 19 at the Awards Luncheon during the Concession & Hospitality Expo at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis.

George Raub IV has been a member of NAC since 2009, and joined the NAC Board of Directors in 2015, where he currently serves as Vice President. He also serves on the Communications Committee and Expo Committee. Raub has provided leadership at the past two Expos serving as a moderator for the Stadiums/ Arenas/ Convention Centers Venue Breakout groups, and as a panelist and moderator for numerous sessions throughout his tenure. He holds both the CCM and ECM certifications from NAC. He has promoted and driven others from his organization to pursue education opportunities and attend NAC events. In 2015, he supported a Regional Seminar in Memphis by hosting the class to a ballgame and a tour of Autozone Park. In 2018, he hosted a Regional Seminar event at Sun Trust Field in Atlanta.

Raub currently serves as Delaware North’s General Manager at AMALIE Arena in Tampa, FL., home to the back-to-back NHL Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, and hundreds of other events annually. His time at the helm has seen the introduction of a revamped concession experience featuring on-stage cooking with expanded grab & go markets and a new sports pub restaurant featuring a twist on Tampa classic items. As the General Manager through the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, he ensured that the closed arena continued to make an impact on the Tampa community, leading his team to produce over 200,000 meals for those in need and volunteer over 1,200 hours in the community, additionally leading the business shift to off premise and socially distanced meal services. Through close client, regulatory, and community partnership, Raub ensured the safe return of patrons for playoff watch parties and the launch of the 20-21 NBA and NHL seasons. Leading into the new normal, George built out a data and reporting infrastructure from the ground up providing near real-time insights into the product sales, optimization, and productivity, with feeds from numerous sources, allowing his team of leaders to make data driven decisions where pre-pandemic knowledge no longer applied.

Raub began his foodservice career as a teenager, serving as a fry cook for a popular local restaurant in his hometown of Rochester, Michigan. He parlayed that early experience along with non-profit group volunteer experience to rise through the food, beverage, and entertainment industry ranks. Over the past twenty years, he has held various leadership positions at many prominent sports, entertainment, and vacation attractions nationwide.

Prior to his current role, Raub served as Delaware North’s Assistant General Manager for SunTrust Park for two seasons, where he was responsible for the overall food and beverage operations at the 41,250-seat ballpark. Starting in 2016, he onboarded two Atlanta properties as Director of Operations, overseeing $40 million in food and beverage revenue at both Turner Field and SunTrust Park. He also played a crucial role in leading the multi-year project planning and execution of the team’s successful relocation to SunTrust Park.

Raub is no stranger to handling large events. He is an experienced and skilled leader in successfully executing marquee events including multiple Super Bowl events, World Series, All-Star Games, and bringing the American tradition of in-seat vending to the UK for the inaugural MLB London Series in 2019. His project responsibilities for events from large conventions, trade shows, high-end galas, and new openings for MLB, NHL, & NBA teams have included design, planning, and overall F&B project management. He is adept in planning and managing complex operational projects, technology rollout, and event logistics to ensure fan and client satisfaction.

Additionally, he has held various other leadership positions at venues including AutoZone Park, Globe Life Park, the Fort Worth Convention Center and the Walt Disney World Company.

Away from the world of sports, Raub is an avid traveler and always includes foodie destinations in the travel plans. His volunteer work includes support of several Pediatric Cancer Awareness organizations, the Tampa Humane Society, and the Ronald McDonald House of Tampa Bay.

Past recipients of the Mickey Warner Award include: Shelly Feldman of Shelly Feldman Associates (2002), Walter Dunn of the Coca-Cola Company (2003), Frank Liberto of Ricos Products Company (2004), Jeremy M. Jacobs of the Delaware North Companies (2005), Chris Bigelow of Bigelow Companies (2006), Phil Noyes of Proof of the Pudding (2007), Ken Young of Ovations Food Service (2008), Charlie Cretors of C. Cretors and Company (2009), Gary Horvath of Ovations Food Service (2010), J. C. Evans of Gold Medal Products (2011), Larry Etter of Malco Theatres (2012), Terry Conlon of the University of Illinois (2013), Gary Wattie of Centerplate (2014), Dan Kroeger of Gold Medal (2015), Charlie Neary of Spectra Food Services & Hospitality (2016), Joe Joyce (2017), Jon Muscalo of Legends Hospitality Management (2018), Brian E. McMillin of The Lexington Center Corporation (2019), Charlie Gomez of Ricos Products Company (2020), Jeff Scudillo, of PIM Brands, Inc. (2021) and Dave Guepfer of the La Crosse Center (2022).

About NAC: The National Association of Concessionaires is the trade association for the recreation and leisure-time food and beverage concessions industry. Members are comprised of the owners and operators of facilities such as: Movie Theatres, Stadiums & Arenas, Zoos & Aquariums, Colleges & Universities, Foodservice Contractors, Park & Recreation Departments, Amusement Parks & Family Entertainment Centers, Ice and Roller Skating Rinks, Racetracks, Bowling Centers, Outdoor facilities, Convention centers and Performing Arts Centers. Our members also are the companies that provide products and services to these facilities, including: Suppliers, Equipment Manufacturers, Popcorn Processors, Jobber Distributors, Consultants and Brokers.

For more information:
Chris Dammann
Executive Vice President
612-849-8418
cdammann@naconline.org

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