From Monster Jam to Michael Bublé, Prince to the Paladins, Beth Paul leads the encore as the Well celebrates 25 years
When cracking open accounting books at Presbyterian College, Beth Paul never imagined her studies would pull her into orbit with stars like Elton John and Kenny Chesney. Yet here she is. As general manager of the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, she’s involved with every artist, event, and game, with the venue drawing more than half a million visitors annually. And this year is a big one for the Well: number 25. “I’m proud of the overall impact the facility has on Greenville,” she shares. “It’s telling of what a strong community we have and the impact on quality of life. I think about what Greenville would be like without the arena, if folks had to travel to Charlotte and Atlanta for sports and music and family shows.”
As the Well celebrates its silver anniversary this September, Paul recalls the early days when she came on board in 1999 as an accounting manager. “I was fresh out of college and wide-eyed, taking in everything I could,” she reveals. “Time is a thief. It goes by so fast. It’s been fun to see the generations. Seeing people away from the day-to-day that becomes mundane, coming here to have a good time. It’s good to see.”
As a fan herself, she’s quick to acknowledge the honor of providing a place where people make memories. You see, she was a textile town kid who moved more than once. She remembers living in areas void of large-scale entertainment and the magic of moving to the Upstate. “I did attend a few shows at Memorial Auditorium,” she admits with a nonstop chuckle. “Yeah, one of my first was Milli Vanilli. Milli Vanilli!” She collects herself after sixty full seconds of laughter. “That’s why we do this. It’s exciting to see kids coming to concerts, moms bringing their daughters, families to sporting events.”
Sports anchor the Well’s schedule, with the Swamp Rabbits, SEC Women’s Basketball, professional bull riding, and longstanding Furman Basketball occupying more than half of booked dates. The ability to watch live action up close has impacted Paul’s own family. Her 14-year-old son Marshall is off to play hockey in New England after growing up rink-side with the Road Warriors and Swamp Rabbits. “He loves them!” she explains. “He would put on skates and come to public skate events. From the moment he could put them on his feet, he wanted to be a hockey player.”
While the public observes skilled athletes and rock stars, Paul watches her team of 450 full- and part-time employees tackle changes in the business, including transitioning from the BI-LO Center to the Well, introducing post-9/11 security, filling seats across the Great Recession, as well as navigating the more recent pandemic. “Our industry, in general, flows with the economy,” she explains. “Recovery after COVID, from booking and ticket sales, was tremendous. It was an increase beyond pre-pandemic numbers.”
And while seating capacity has held steady at just over 15,000, expansion is gauged in different ways. “We are always seeking new forms of entertainment as Greenville’s population grows in diversity and size,” she reveals. “We want to broaden the reach of our shows and make sure the Well remains relevant into the future. There are always opportunities and ways to impact the community in a favorable way.” May the show go on . . . for another 25 years.
The Well by the Numbers
- $70 million impact on the Greenville community
- 12 million fans have attended events
- 15,300 highest attended event with George Strait
- 120 events annually
25 Years of Shows and Sports
- Sept. 3, 1998: Opening with Janet Jackson and Usher
- Oct. 16, 1998: Greenville Grrrowl host their first home game
- June 4, 2002: Greenville Grrrowl win the Kelly Cup Championship
- Oct. 22, 2010: The Greenville Road Warriors take residence as the home hockey team and are rebranded as the Swamp Rabbits in 2015
- March 2017: SEC and NCAA Tournament Basketball games return to SC after removal of the Confederate Flag from the Statehouse
- April 25, 2022: The Eagles “Hotel California” tour becomes the highest-grossing show to date
- Sept. 3, 2023: Annual Spirit Fest! returns to celebrate 25 years at the Well with the First Lady of Gospel Shirley Caesar, who was part of the venue’s opening weekend in 1998
To check out the latest events on tap, go to BonSecoursArena.com.
