Russell Gordon

Russell Gordon is the Vice President & General Manager of YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park.

Gordon oversees the evaluation, execution and management of events at YouTube Theater, a state-of-the-art 227,000 square-foot, three-story indoor performance venue that seats 6,000. The intimately designed venue hosts concerts, comedy, award shows, esports, community events and more, and it is located under the same roof canopy as SoFi Stadium.

Gordon and his team are responsible for the lifecycle of the event management process. He works closely with internal and external resources to ensure seamless development and execution of all event related details, including leading and managing the YouTube Theater day-to-day operations, third-party contractors and hospitality partners. In a competitive Los Angeles region, Gordon concentrates on creating an extraordinary YouTube Theater experience for guests while developing the venue into a must-play stop for entertainers.

Gordon has 20-plus years’ experience in the entertainment industry across multiple areas, including events, hospitality, and venue management. Prior to joining YouTube Theater, Gordon was the Vice President, Venue Operations & Special Projects for Oak View Group focused on operational planning and guidance for opening new arena developments, including Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, UBS Arena in New York, Enmarket Arena in Savannah, and Moody Center in Austin.

Gordon also served as the Vice President, Events for Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles with Anschutz Entertainment Group, AEG. While there, Gordon played a key part in operational and event strategy for numerous productions including the American Music Awards, BET Awards, EMMYS, ESPYS, GRAMMYS, VMA's, and the People's Choice Awards among others.

He is a recognized leader with honors from Pollstar (All-Star Executive Honoree in 2024), C-Suite Quarterly (2017 Sports & Entertainment NextGen 10 Award Recipient), and VenuesNow (Generation Next Award Recipient in 2015).

Prior to AEG, Gordon worked in sales & marketing for Universal Music Group, food & beverage for the former Gibson Amphitheatre, and special events for Universal Studios Hollywood. He studied Cinema & Television Arts at California State University, Northridge and currently resides in Hollywood, California.