Several factors influenced Matthew Wolf’s decision to join the Straz as its new chief operating officer.
There’s the Straz’s reputation as both an entertainment and an educational facility, and the potential to grow both of those operations. There’s the city of Tampa itself, expanding economically and culturally, creating an even larger market for the Straz.
There’s also the opportunity to wear shorts in November.
Born in Connecticut and having spent most of his years in the Northeast, Wolf is sweating through his first Tampa summer and keeping his eye on the prize: winter minus the cold and snow.
He imagines calling friends up north in November to let them know: “You’ve got snow and I’m wearing shorts!”
Warm weather always has been a selling point for Tampa as an occupational and/or residential destination. Wolf understands the benefit and potential of our temperate climate when it comes to growing the Straz.
Wolf envisions guests “being able to float inside and outside and really use the Florida weather to the utmost advantage.”
“We have this beautiful river. We have this expansive area where people can hang out,” Wolf said.
Wolf’s career has included stints in venue management, operations and programming for heavy hitters such as SFX/Live Nation. He’s keen to note the differences between Tampa audiences and those he observed in the Northeast.
Show-goers in cities such as Philadelphia, Wolf said, are more inclined to make mad dashes to the hall five minutes before the curtain.
In contrast, “it was exciting to see people on campus an hour, an hour and a half before a show really enjoying themselves,” Wolf said. “They’re dressed up and walking around and looking at the fountains and the river. That’s been an eye-opening and fun experience.”
Opening up the venue even more, creating a gathering place for anyone enjoying a night downtown whether it’s to see a show at the Straz or not, is one of the goals of the multimillion-dollar expansion plan, which Wolf said is moving toward ground-breaking in the not-so-distant future.
“We’re on track right now,” Wolf said. “We’re securing all of the remaining portions of funding, and we’re starting the permitting phase soon.”
Another vital segment of the planned expansion is the growth of the Straz as an education center.
“First and foremost, we’re expanding our education, which is going to be exciting because that means we can serve more students,” Wolf said. “The long-term health of the organization really is based on doing the best shows, world-class shows, both bringing them in and producing them here.
“As these students grow up, we’re creating that interest and that hunger for art and creativity,” Wolf said. “And quite frankly, that’s what ultimately makes the best executives and the best performers. I don’t think there’s really a career where art doesn’t have some impact on how you handle it or treat people or learn those emotional skills that you need to interact or challenge yourself.”
As an operations manager, Wolf knows that a successful big picture is created by attention to all the elements from which it’s created.
Meeting the big goals, Wolf said, requires “making sure our overall experience is the best in this region. Making sure the guest experience in every way is top-tier. So our food has to be excellent. You have to be able to get a drink quickly. And once you achieve the goal, you have to maintain it.
“I want to make sure the employees feel valued,” Wolf said. “I want to make sure they’re positive Straz ambassadors. We want to make sure all our volunteers want to be here and act as ambassadors, just like our students.
“We’re growing our own audience,” Wolf said. “We’re creating a connection not only to the Straz, but to entertainment in general.”