Whether it’s unlocking the potential of a ballpark in ways not envisioned before, engaging with Pope Francis at a Sport at the Service for Humanity conference or serving in leadership roles with MPI, Stephen Revetria is ready for the task

Revetria, president of Giants Enterprises and recipient of MPI’s 2025 Industry Leader Award—which was presented at the World Education Congress in June—firmly believes that work should be a passion and not just a job. He has also never been afraid to embark on new ventures.

While today it’s not unusual for a sports stadium or ballpark to be an important part of what a destination offers among venue choices for corporate meetings, general assemblies, festivals and assorted other events, this was far less true before Revetria took the helm of Giants Enterprises in 1999. He was tasked with boosting “fan engagement” for Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants while improving the financial return of the team’s new ballpark—a state-of-the-art bayfront facility (then called Pacific Bell Park and now Oracle Park) that was only in use during the 82 days a year when games were played.

“I was the first person hired by a major league sports franchise to have a job focused on building an identity around the ballpark and how we relate to the customer experience,” he says. “Hospitality wasn’t one of their proficiencies—at that time hot dogs and beer were about the extent of what was offered. I looked at what is possible—business meetings, concerts, a wide variety of events to use the venue in ways that hadn’t been done before.”

Among those possibilities was a Jubilee Mass at the park in 2000 that drew over 40,000 people, making it the largest Catholic gathering in San Francisco since Pope John II visited the city in 1987. Another involved simulcasts of live performances from the War Memorial Opera House by the San Francisco Opera, a popular event that has become an annual tradition at the ballpark for nearly 20 years.

“We said ‘yes’ a lot, including when the opera approached us about doing a simulcast,” Revetria says. “’Opera at the Ballpark’ is an event that draws tens of thousands of people. The programs are free and accessible, minus the black-tie opera experience. It’s been a huge success.”

BEYOND HOT DOGS AND BEER

Realizing the value of business events, Revetria was instrumental in adding a variety of new venues to the ballpark, including Pier 48, The Gotham Club and Giants Maritime Services, a luxury yacht charter experience. He also applied a major upgrade to catering and concession services at the park, forging partnerships with local chefs and placing an emphasis on regional and ethnic foods associated with San Francisco.

“We wanted to take things beyond hot dogs and beer,” he says. “At the time it was unheard of to serve sushi at a ballpark, but it worked.”

Revetria was able to further stretch creativity through such high-profile events as citywide celebrations to honor the Giants’ World Series wins in 2010, 2012 and 2014. When the America’s Cup came to San Francisco in 2013, Giants Enterprises was called upon to orchestrate the festivities around the international yachting competition.

“We worked closely with Oracle Team USA on this, as Oracle brought the event here, but didn’t know how to monetize it,” he says. “We built an amphitheater on the bay with bleacher seating, had a music program and helped create an incredible summer of yacht sailing on the bay.”

Giants Enterprises and its innovative programming have attracted international attention over the years. It’s credited with helping start what has become a widespread trend—partnerships between professional sports franchises and destination marketers designed to boost tourism, business and social events and community engagement.

“We started getting noticed for what we were doing, especially by other teams and other leagues, not just in baseball, but in basketball, rugby and hockey,” Revetria says. “It happened during a time when a lot of these teams were asking their communities for new stadiums. That brought a need to find ways of making these privately financed stadiums pay for themselves. It’s been wonderful to share our experiences with others. We didn’t do everything right, but we certainly tried. We kept moving through and coming up with ideas.”

MAKE THE WIDER WORLD A BETTER PLACE

Another career highlight happened in 2016 when Revetria was invited to attend the inaugural Sport at the Service of Humanity conference at the Vatican, convened by Pope Francis. The conference brings together leaders from the sectors of sport, spirituality and business as part of a multi-denominational movement.

“I was able to meet with people around the globe on how we can use our influence in the sports world to make the wider world a better place,” Revetria says. “That’s when I became entrenched on an ecumenical level with the idea of bringing faith and sports together. Regardless of race, culture or religion, sports are about people coming together through compassion, respect and joy.”

For Revetria, being an active participant in state, local and national tourism organizations as well as MPI has been an important part of advancing his own career path and achieving goals close to his heart. He works closely with San Francisco Travel and serves on various boards, including the Executive Committee of the U.S. Travel Association. In March 2024 Governor Gavin Newsom appointed him to serve on the California Travel and Tourism Commission.

“It’s important to talk with others about tourism and how we can work together to get things back open and bring in visitors for an authentic experience,” he says. “There’s so much I couldn’t have done in terms of strategic planning if I was just working on my own.”

MENTORS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

Also integral to his career has been his long and active association with MPI, which he joined in 1992 at the very start of his career in the meeting industry. He has served as chairman of the International Board of Directors and the Global Board of Trustees and on the RISE Awards and Board Development committees. He also co-chaired the 2003, 2015 and 2022 World Education Congress (WEC) Host Committee when the event was held in San Francisco. The WEC Opening Night Celebration that Revetria orchestrated at the ballpark’s Pier 48 venue in 2015 earned an Esprit Award from the International Live Events Association.

“You get out what you put in,” Revetria says when asked about his involvement with MPI and other organizations. “I really want to see the next generation go far. I want to be a mentor and supporter of those who are looking at a ladder of opportunity. People were mentors to me and that made all the difference.”

To this end, Revetria is also actively involved with the University of San Francisco (USF), his alma mater, and its Business Administration and Hospitality Management programs. He helped develop the Pat Gallagher Fellowship, which rewards a USF Sports Management Masters student a year-long internship with the San Francisco Giants organization.

While mentorship and involvement with industry and civic organizations are two things Revetria considers essential to a rewarding career, his biggest piece of advice to young people is to only enter a profession that you feel passionate about.

“I advise them not to get into something in order to get paid well or receive praise,” he says. “The main motivator should be that you’re committed to your field of interest. You have to be happy in what you do, to be where your heart is.”

While Revetria has found great satisfaction in the hospitality and sports industries, it didn’t happen in a straight line. A San Francisco Bay Area native, he graduated from USF with an eye on marketing and hospitality, but came close to taking a different path toward working in public health as a hospital administrator. He quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit for him, so instead entered the meeting and event industry by taking a job with a yacht charter company, combining a love of sailing with creating unique customer experiences.

Today, his joy outside of work is spending time with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two teenagers.

“Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is very important to me,” Revetria says. “I’ve been married for almost 20 years. My wife was a meeting planner when we met and she still does some consulting, so she understands the industry and its demands.”

There are times when his job and personal life form a happy intersection, including a recent experience where he was able to bring a Giants player to pitch for his son’s Little League team at a practice event.

“All the kids from the other fields ran up and he pitched to every child who wanted to take a swing off of him,” Revetria says. “It was a special day for so many kids—and me.”