If you’ve ever attended a show at the Clyde Theatre, you may have wondered: Who commands this well-maintained and charming venue?

Gregg Coyle, executive director at the Clyde, has been shaping the customer experience since he arrived in 2018.

“There’s really nothing like it anywhere around here,” he said in an interview with Whatzup.

Coyle books entertaining acts, manages staff, and leads projects that have contributed to the Clyde’s success in northeastern Indiana.

His role as executive director extends beyond simply managing the venue itself. 

Coyle also oversees the Club Room and Crescendo Coffee & More, which are both part of the Sweet Family of Companies.

“There’s just all of these great, unique experiences we’ve been able to cultivate in a really unique space,” Coyle said.

He came to Fort Wayne after Sweetwater founder and chairman Chuck Surack reached out to him with the opportunity to steer the success of the historic Fort Wayne theater. 

“We literally had a 15-minute conversation and [I] just fell in love with the opportunity to work for him and help put this thing together,” Coyle said.

Coyle also mentioned a unique facet of the Clyde Theatre experience, saying that the venue is designed to foster the connection between the artist and their fans.

In summary, he says, his job is to make artists love playing at the theater, to make fans love coming to see a show, and to foster a good workplace for employees. 

Operating the Clyde for the benefit of the community, Coyle added, is another important aspect of his role as executive director.

He referenced a recent event to demonstrate this charitable aspect of the venue. 

This month, the Clyde Theatre hosted a Christmas party for hundreds of kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne, which was attended by Surack and his wife, Lisa.

Joe Jordan, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne, expressed his appreciation of the venue in a recent interview with The Journal Gazette.

“To be able to bring them to the beautiful Clyde Theatre and say, ‘Hey, we appreciate and we love and care about you,’ and give them a gift from the family is amazing and we’re very appreciative of it,” Jordan said.

It’s exemplary work such as this that embodies the characteristics of a Liddell Award honoree. 

Not only has Coyle contributed to the arts and culture of Fort Wayne by bringing big name acts such as Sum 41 and Little River Band to northeastern Indiana.

He has also made a profound impact through the Clyde Theatre’s community outreach and engagement initiatives.