Howard Smith

Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Recreation

As Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Recreation, Howard Smith is responsible for leading Nickelodeon's business across a diverse range of complex and specialized entertainment segments including: Hotels and Resorts, Theme Parks and Attractions, and Broadway and Touring Shows. He has taken the Nick Networks brands and vast intellectual property libraries, and created compelling new businesses and developed innovative kid-driven experiences both domestically and internationally. Smith's area of business generates over $125 million in annual sales from box office receipts, merchandising, license fees and sponsorships and entertains over 22 million guests annually.

Under Smith's direction, Nickelodeon has become a presence in the theme park industry, with over 10 different Nick branded lands and attractions at major theme parks around the world. In the United States, Smith recently developed a partnership between Nickelodeon and the Mall of America to create the first-ever Nickelodeon theme park. The park, which is scheduled to open in 2008, will feature live entertainment, characters, retail and games. NICKLAND, a major interactive adventure zone at Movie Park Germany in Bottrop-Kirchhellen, recently opened in April 2007, featuring all-new immersive attractions and marking the first NICK-themed adventure site in Europe. Smith has also helmed deals to develop Nickelodeon attractions and lands at Universal Studios in Orlando and Hollywood, all five North American Paramount Parks, as well as Nick Central at Dreamworld on Australia's Gold Coast, the first Nick branded theme park outside North America.

Smith also pioneered Nickelodeon's expansion into the hotel industry. In 2005, Nickelodeon opened its first ever 777 suite resort hotel spanning 24 acres in Orlando, Florida. The hotel features unique two and three bedroom kids suites, two massive pool complexes and a wide variety of on site entertainment programs. Smith continues to expand the already successful Nickelodeon Family Suites brand into key markets and creating compelling regional resort destinations around the world.

Smith's team is renowned for producing the industries most compelling and creative touring stage productions for kids and their families. Having forged a successful partnership with Live Nation, Nickelodeon has produced 13 major stage productions in the past 10 years. The most recent production Go, Diego, Go Live! The Great Jaguar Rescue is currently touring nationwide and holds the box office record for family shows at Radio City Music Hall. Dora the Explorer Live toured the United States for three years and is now traveling to a wide variety of international markets. To date over three million people have seen the Dora Live production. Additional hit productions include: Blue's Clues Live, Rugrats: A Live Adventure, as well as several All That and More music festivals

Smith first joined Nickelodeon as Vice President, Marketing in the Recreation Group, where he was responsible for developing marketing plans to build awareness and drive ticket sales for all Nickelodeon Recreation ventures.

Prior to joining Nickelodeon, Smith worked in London as Director of Network Development for MTV Europe, where he was instrumental in launching MTV throughout 14 European countries building critical cable and satellite household distribution for MTV's first international network. Smith began his career at Turner Broadcasting, where he negotiated cable distribution for CNN and other networks in the southeast and northeast regions of the U.S.

Smith received a B.A. degree in mathematics from Washington and Lee University. He lives in New Canaan, Connecticut with his wife and two kids.