Mohegan Sun Names New Director of Entertainment Strategic Planning and Manager of Sports & Entertainment

Mohegan Sun promoted Matt Dole to Director of Entertainment Strategic Planning and Kayla Smith to Manager of Sports & Entertainment. The Uncasville, CT property also hired Elijah Panfili as Sports & Entertainment Publicist.

Dole will oversee strategic initiatives for the entertainment portfolio with a primary focus on Mohegan Sun Arena. His duties include revenue optimization, artist relations, long-term business strategy, and partnerships with Live Nation and artist agencies. His talent booking experience will support programming at the Wolf Den and Sun Patio.

Career Trajectories Behind the Promotions

Matt Dole joined Mohegan Sun in 2006 as a restaurant host at Cove Lounge. He later worked in VIP Services, Arena Club and Revenue Management before joining the Entertainment team.

Kayla Smith joined Mohegan Sun in 2005 as a Guest Receptionist in Hotel Operations. She later served as Hotel Supervisor and Dual Rate Manager before transitioning to Sports & Entertainment in 2020 as a Contract & Scheduling Specialist. In her new role she will oversee entertainment booking for the Wolf Den and assist with booking strategy for The Cabaret Theatre, Sun Patio and Mohegan Sun Arena. She will also manage contracts, scheduling of artist and tour hospitality needs and operational support for entertainment programming.

Publicist Hire to Support Venue Publicity

Panfili, a Central Connecticut State University graduate with a background in communications, public relations and marketing, will support publicity for concerts and sporting events at Mohegan Sun Arena and the property’s other entertainment venues.

“These promotions within our Entertainment team are well deserved, as Matt and Kayla have each played essential roles in the continued success of our entertainment venues,” said Joe Soper, VP of Sports & Entertainment for Mohegan. “Their leadership, dedication and ability to adapt in a fast-paced industry have helped elevate the guest experience across our live venues and I am excited to see them build on that momentum.”

The announcement was reported by Indian Gaming.