Michael Crawford — Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO of the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company, which he joined in December of 2018.

The Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment company is a publically traded organization (trading as HOFV on the NASDAQ) headquartered in Canton, Ohio. Spanning media, gaming, entertainment, resorts, and sports — the company is dedicated to making legendary moments for fans and leverages the power and popularity of the Hall of Fame Village, the 100-acre immersive destination centered around the Pro Football Hall of Fame and one of the largest commercial development projects in Ohio, with assets worth over $250 million.

Before his role at the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company, Michael spent four years with the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company, serving as Global President of Portfolio Management.

Prior to that, Michael had a nearly twenty-five-year tenure at the Walt Disney Company where he rose to Senior Vice President and General Manager of Shanghai Disney Resort, as well as President of Shanghai’s Walt Disney Holdings Company. From 2007 to 2014, he led the negotiation and multi-billion dollar development of Shanghai Disney Resort. As General Manager of Shanghai Disney, he led a talented team throughout the formation of the company and development of the new destination resort. He also managed relationships with the resort’s local business partners, community and government leaders, and industry experts supporting the new venture in Disney’s portfolio. Additionally, Michael currently serves on the Board of Directors for Texas Roadhouse — the multibillion-dollar steakhouse chain.

Michael also recently authored "From the Mouse’s House to the Penthouse." — a book that we’ll reference throughout our conversation where he recounts personal stories, lessons, and techniques from his career.

An Ohio native, Michael holds an undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame; he and his wife, Kim, enjoy traveling, hiking, playing golf, and spending time with Michael’s daughter, Kaitlin, who recently graduated from the University of Notre Dame.

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Connect with Michael Crawford on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecrawfordhofv/
Follow Michael Crawford on Twitter @HOFVILLAGECEO — https://twitter.com/HOFVILLAGECEO
Learn more about The Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company
Learn more about The Hall of Fame Village
Follow The Hall of Fame Village on Twitter @HOFVillage — https://twitter.com/HOFVillage
Follow The Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company on Twitter @HOFRECO —  https://twitter.com/HOFRECO
Purchase Michael's book, "From the Mouse's House to the Penthouse" (Amazon)

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For more episodes of Lay of The Land, visit https://www.layoftheland.fm/

Past guests include Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Steve Potash (OverDrive), Ed Largest (Westfield), Ray Leach (JumpStart), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Lindsay Watson (Augment Therapy), and many more.

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