NAC Names Shelly Olesen as 2024 Mickey Warner Recipient

The National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) announced that Shelly Olesen, ACS, Vice President Sales & Marketing, C. Cretors and Company, has been named the 2024 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 2024 award presentation will take place on Wednesday, July 17 at the Awards Luncheon during the Concession & Hospitality Expo at the Marriott St. Louis Grand. Olesen is also a past recipient of the prestigious NAC Bert Nathan Award. She is only the ninth recipient of both Association honors.

“We are very excited to honor Shelly Olesen for her outstanding contributions to the entertainment Food and Beverage Industry,” stated Rob Novak, President of NAC. “Shelly continues to amaze with her service, boundless enthusiasm and passion for our Association and her fellow NAC members.”

Before entering the concession industry, Olesen received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education/Science from the University of Illinois. Student teaching abroad in Bath, England opened her eyes to the world of travel. To date, Shelly and Martin, her Danish-born husband of 27 years, have shared their travel passion by visiting all 7 continents and more than 80 countries.

Today, Olesen continues to utilize her teaching and mentoring skills with 33 years at Cretors, working her way up through the ranks from Western Regional Sales Representative to Senior Sales Manager, to Senior Market Manager, to Director of Sales and Marketing and finally to her current position as the first female Executive VP in which she directs the company’s overall domestic and international commercial sales and marketing efforts.

Olesen has been a member of the National Association of Concessionaires for 33 years and currently sits on the executive board. In addition, she is a member of Women in Exhibition and has been honored as Friends of Exhibition, Person of the Industry, Bert Nathan Memorial Award, Key Women in Exhibition and Distribution and Top Women in Global Cinema. In October of 2023, she was honored with the NAC ICON Award at ShowEast.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Mickey Warner Award recognizing leadership in the extended concession industry,” said Olesen, “The NAC laid the foundational network for my career and representing the company that ‘Invented the Business of Popping Corn’ is a privilege. It allows me to leverage my education background to teach, train, mentor, and coach others in this global field.”

Shelly is married to industry veteran Martin Olesen who is the Director of National Accounts for Great Western Products/Mountain Manufacturing a division of PFG.

Past recipients 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 Comcast Spectacor (2016), Joe Joyce of Playhouse Square (2017), Jon Muscalo of Legends Hospitality Management (2018), Brian McMillin of The Lexington Center Corporation (2019), Charlie Gomez of Ricos Products Company (2020), Jeff Scudillo of PIM Brands, Inc. (2021), Dave Guepfer of the La Crosse Center (2022), and George Raub IV of Delaware North (2023).

The National Association of Concessionaires, founded in 1944, 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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