MILWAUKEE — Have you been to Fiserv Forum yet?
I know, it might sound like a crazy question. You’ve likely attended an event at the Milwaukee arena or will at some point. Almost every day or every few days, there is an event scheduled.
If you scroll through Fiserv's website, you’ll see all the many upcoming events. Sometimes these events and games fall on the same day, within hours of each other. Staff then has to make court conversions.
Here’s an example of one on an NBA and college game day. This is a Bucks court conversion to a Marquette court conversion. This usually takes about two and a half to three hours.
If converting from a Bucks game to a concert, the process can take six to seven hours.
Watch a timelapse video of the full conversion here:
In the video, you can see a group of people, with only a few hours to do so, pull pieces of the hardwood from the court to convert the arena.
This process involves a lot of preparation.
"My day-to-day is just to make sure that the arena and all of the events within the district are running smoothly,” assistant general manager of Fiserv Forum Katelyn Bogrand said.
Katelyn manages and oversees the event operations department, including all Deer District events.
“I manage our housekeeping, the events operations team, the scheduling team, the special event ticketing department,” Katelyn said.
“What do people say when they figure out what you do?” reporter Symone Woolridge asked.
“Do you get to meet Giannis?,” Katelyn laughed. “Or do you get to meet the artist, like are you meeting Olivia Rodrigo?
Katelyn said she meets a lot of people in her line of work but doesn’t necessarily see a lot of women in positions like hers.
“They're increasing, which is positive to see. You don't see a lot (of women) in the assistant general manager/general manager and president position, but I think over the past few years, I've met probably five to six women that are in those positions and I'm like, that's amazing.”
She said she is motivated by the supportive people she has met so far.
“There are people that will want to be in your corner and make sure you find those people. You want those mentors, you want those coworkers that will stand up for you when you're not in the room.”
Katelyn is always busy. From concerts to comedy shows to basketball games, the traffic at Fiserv Forum and in Deer District almost never ends.
We walked around the arena with Katelyn during a busy game day. We learned, that if you blink, you’ll miss her. Katelyn spends most of her time fast-walking past the crowds.
“I have two guests over at the ticket office entrance. One guest is a young girl who needs to use the restroom. They’re waiting on their tickets. Do you have someone that could escort them?” she asked as she talked with a staff member over the phone.
Her job consists of game and event day checklists that place her in the atrium first.
"I’m doing my walks just to make sure the floors are clean,” Katelyn said as she walked around the building. “From the security entrances, I'll then move to the main concourse again, making sure everything is set up how it should be.”
And the last box on the checklist is the arena food.
“Checking to see what the food quality looks like and how it's presented on the tables,” Katelyn said from the arena’s suites.
Her job is not one she takes for granted. She’s a Houston native who moved from Texas a few years ago. As a former softball player, Katelyn decided to study sports management in college. She then started as a marketing associate for the Houston Rockets. She remembers working livestock and rodeo shows at the Houston Toyota Center.
“There are times when I'm walking into a room and I am the only female and it's eye-opening at times and you always feel like huh? Should I be here? Am I supposed to be here?”
She is.
Fortunately, Katelyn said she has always felt comfortable enough to bring her ideas to the table, but she recognizes how much the business can improve.
Within the Bucks organization, Katelyn said there are about 12 to 14 executives that are women. An encouraging sign for those who will follow.
"Every day when I open my computer, I have a picture of all of us in the background and it's like, that's awesome to see and to see how far the industry has come too.”
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