{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"The News Journal","provider_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net","title":"Corbin Arena wins Best Live Venue Award &ndash; The News Journal","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"uwUbrmwkPH\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/corbin-arena-wins-best-live-venue-award\/\">Corbin Arena wins Best Live Venue Award<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/corbin-arena-wins-best-live-venue-award\/embed\/#?secret=uwUbrmwkPH\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Corbin Arena wins Best Live Venue Award&#8221; &#8212; The News Journal\" data-secret=\"uwUbrmwkPH\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/WIDE-CROP-4-col-APPYS-GROUP-PHOTO.jpg","thumbnail_width":480,"thumbnail_height":302,"description":"The Arena in Corbin has been named the best place across 13 state to catch a live show. Arena Director Kristi Balla was presented with the Best Live Venue Award at the 2022 Appalachian Arts and Entertainment Awards last Saturday at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg. \u201cWe just kind of screamed and were excited,\u201d Balla said of the group of Arena employees who, along with Balla and Corbin Tourism Director Maggy Monhollen, attended the ceremony. \u201cYou hope at some point people will recognize the hard work that you have done,\u201d Balla said. Balla said it is unknown who nominated The Arena for the award. The nominees had to be from the Appalachian Region, which includes: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee Virginia and West Virginia. Once online voting pared down each category to the top three, a panel of qualified judges selected the winners. Balla will celebrate six years since she took over as Arena Director in August. \u201cIt is all kind of a blur,\u201d Balla said of her tenure noting that she spends so much time at the venue doing everything from booking and marketing to finances and updating the sign and website. \u201cI think it is a bigger accomplishment than what some people realize,\u201d Balla said about the success the venue has seen noting that her staff is four full-time people with two working in maintenance and housekeeping. Like everything else in the entertainment industry, Balla said The Arena must continue to evolve to remain relevant. After previously hosting acts, such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams, Jr., Flo-Rida, Kane Brown and adding the 13th Region Basketball Tournament and one of the state wrestling tournaments to the schedule, Balla has scheduled Snoop Dogg to play Corbin on May 7. \u201cWe have a couple of really big concert announcements in the next few weeks,\u201d Balla said. \u201cOther venues in the area don\u2019t do those things,\u201d Balla said of hosting rap and hip hop concerts which have drawn some of the biggest crowds. As to what she would like to do to improve the venue, Balla said she would like to add more parking and continue to work on facelifting the venue. \u201cNext up is corporate sponsorships,\u201d Balla said noting that adding those would help with revenue. \u201cIf you go to any venue, there are sponsorships everywhere.\u201d Balla said The Arena is well on its way to having more than 100,000 people come through the doors in 2022 noting that it has already smashed the 2021 attendance record in the first quarter of the year. \u201cWe are rolling and it is only going to get better,\u201d Balla said. &nbsp; &nbsp;"}