Cattle. Corndogs. Concerts. For two decades, the Aramark Sports + Entertainment and Aramark Facilities Management teams at NRG Park in Houston, TX, have supported the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world.
This year’s event, which took place February 27th to March 17th, was enjoyed by more than a million guests. The phenomenal facilities efforts, implementation of innovative technology, a tasty lineup of food and drinks, and a collaborative effort led by thousands of Aramark employees contributed to the success of the 2024 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
A Southern Setup
To accommodate thousands of livestock, ranchers, farmers, handlers, and guests, the Aramark Facilities Management team converted NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, into a dirt arena. The area housed 530 trucks of dirt, which took eight hours to unload. The team is also responsible for maintaining the stadium during the events/concert series – with several cleanings per day. The setup, maintenance, and breakdown process of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a huge undertaking for Aramark Facilities Management staff – and an incredibly impressive operation.
High-Tech Hoedown
Aramark Sports + Entertainment expanded self-serve and self-checkout at this year’s event where a number of tech enabled locations elevated the guest experience, including:
- Three Zippin checkout-free locations, including AI-powered software that provides checkout-free, grab-and-go food and beverage to guests
Seven Walk Thru Bru locations utilizing Mashgin, featuring smart self-checkout powered by AI that allows fans to pick out their beverage after validating their age and then pay faster than a traditional cashier
Two locations utilizing self-checkout kiosks and two utilizing self-order kiosks to ensure guests receive quality food quickly
A Taste of Texas
The culinary team at NRG Park boasts a wealth of experience in executing some of the world’s largest events, including multiple Super Bowls, NBA Finals, NCAA Final Four, and CFP National Championship. Each chef has a passion for creating outstanding culinary experiences for every guest at NRG Park.
This year’s NRG Park culinary team was inspired to create a hyperlocal menu with a variety of flavors from the great state of Texas. With Houstonians in mind, the chefs selected a variety of new and exciting menu items served on the Club Level and Suites for 2024.
Some of the locally inspired dishes included:
Gulf Bucket, chilled Texas Gulf jumbo shrimp, Seafood Campechana, cocktail sauce, lemons
Lonestar Goat Cheese Dip, jalapeno preserves, goat cheese spread, pita chips
Steak Churrasco, Latin American beef tenderloin dish with Guajillo garlic potatoes
HTX Signature Gumbo, shrimp, chicken, smoked sausage, white rice, crackers
Longtime Lone Stars
A dedicated team of remarkable individuals worked tirelessly to orchestrate this year’s event.
Among those individuals were Senior Executive Chef, Mark Cornish and Chef de Cuisine, Sonia Johnson. They have been with the NRG Park team for over 20 years, supporting the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
They both credit the support from the NRG Park team for their longevity.
"I love my job,” said Cornish. “Each day has its challenges, and no days are the same. The love and support from the management team is my favorite thing about working at NRG Park.”
“[The Rodeo] is 20 days of fun,” said Johnson. “Working with my coworkers is so special; we are a family.”
District Manager for Houston, Chris Devore affirms the sentiment of Cornish and Johnson.
“The team at NRG is a uniquely talented and unbelievably committed group of individuals working together towards the same goals,” said Devore. “Without them, there would be no Rodeo.”
