Longtime Arena Director Of Operations Is Retiring

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Imagine a job where you get to work with country and western acts, rock and roll legends, and Disney on Ice performers.
For a longtime employee at the Bancorpsouth Arena, that job has been part of his life, but now he says it’s time to retire.

Whether it’s a Disney on Ice performance, or a sold-out concert, Craig Russell has a major role to play.

“I am the liaison between the shows and the building,” Russell said.

Russell is the Director of Operations for the Bancorpsouth Arena.
He started as a stagehand in 1993. A year and a half later he was named assistant director of operations and in 1998 became the director.

“I do all production needs, hire all the people, to work for the shows, as far as stagehands, riggers, electricians, had a crew of 14 people who worked under me in operations department that set up every show in the building,” he said.

It means long hours for the events inside the building.

“Show day can be an 18 to 20 hour day, I’m the contact with production managers and it specifies in their riders that a representative is in the building until they leave,” Russell said.

He also makes sure performers get whatever they want, no matter how unusual the request.

“They have asked for things I probably don’t need to mention on camera, but we have had monkeys in the building, kangaroos in the building, they have asked for specific items to be brought in for their enjoyment,” Russell said.

There are some events that stand out, including the Eagles, and working with the White House and Secret Service when President Donald Trump held a rally in 2019.

“This was actually nicknamed Air Force Two, even though we aren’t in the air, but once they are in the building, it was locked down and we were the safest place in the country,” he said.

Russell’s co-workers organized a reception in his honor in the Bancorpsouth Club. Part of the major renovation and addition to the conference center Russell helped oversee. The next time he visits the arena, Russell says he is looking forward to actually watching a show, as a spectator.

Russell is also a “Certified Ice Technician” and he has put that training to use with ice shows and public ice skating in the arena. Russell retires at the end of this week.