Wednesday, February 2
Arena Managers Meeting or How Do Arenas Fit Into The Changing Business Model (Presented by IAAM)
Moderator: John Siehl, Nutter Center
Ed Rubinstein, Bi-Lo Center
Rick Franks, Cellar Door Companies
Danny Eaton, AEG Live South
John Branigan, William Morris Agency
Jack Utsick, Jack Utsick Presents / Worldwide Entertainment
Randy Brown, Allen County War Memorial Coliseum


One thing this panel agreed on was that communication between venue managers, promoters and agents is key for a successful future in the concert business.

In an industry that has been “turned upside down recently,” as moderator John Siehl of the Nutter Center put it, the question of how arenas fit into the new business model is one worth investigating.
“I think it all comes down to creating a partnership between agents, promoters and the buildings,” Siehl said. “From the building’s standpoint, people have to go out there and be aggressive and be on the phone. Go out there and find out what kind of talent they’ve got, what kind of deals you can create on new talent and let them bring them into the newer facilities.”

William Morris Agency’s John Branigan pointed out arenas are facing a growing marketplace of competition – theatres, fairs, festivals, new arenas, NFL stadiums and casinos, to name a few.
“There’s no reason you shouldn’t have relationships with agents, whether it’s once or twice a month you’re checking in,” Branigan said, suggesting that as a way for arenas to compete for and get more business.

“They should know who you are. You should be on the phone talking about your marketplace, talking about the success that has been going on there and relate that to the agents.” Branigan also pointed out that trust, honesty and discussion between agents and building managers is a necessity.
“There have been building managers that have told me something because they need a show, [the concert] doesn’t do the type of business that I was expecting and there becomes an awkward position with the manager and artist.”

Another point was that arenas need to know their demographics so they can assist promoters when they come into their markets.

“Arena managers or their marketing folks should know every program director in their market, every general manager of the radio station; they should be having lunches with them,” the Bi-Lo Center’s Ed Rubinstein said. “They should be keeping them up to date on those who are touring and let them help ... entice promoters in coming to their market.”

Rick Franks of Cellar Door pointed out that today it’s difficult for major cities to see more than a dozen “solid arena shows” per year.

“The artists that can fill [9,000-plus] seats are becoming fewer and far between; it just keeps going down,” he said. “We’re not creating a whole lot of new events and bands.”
The first thing Franks looks for when he’s trying to place an artist or make a deal is someone who will share the risk.

“I look for someone who’ll say, ‘All right, you didn’t sell as many tickets as you thought. You are losing money (but) I parked a lot of cars, I sold a lot of beer, we sold some merch,’” he explained. “I want someone that’s going to roll back on the costs. I want to make sure I can’t lose.”
A venue GM recently asked Siehl, “How does a building acting as an independent with a promoter or an agent expect to get fair treatment?” Reactions were mixed.

“I think promoters have a problem with venues who are out there hustling trying to get dates for themselves,” promoter Jack Utsick said, adding that co-promoting might be another way of doing it. “Quite frankly, I think if the venue is going to be a promoter, then goddamnit, be a promoter. If they want to be a venue, then be a venue.”

While AEG Live South’s Danny Eaton agreed with Utsick, Rubinstein pointed out that he wasn’t aware of any promoters that live in his market.

“Unless you’ve got a promoter that’s constantly calling you and saying, ‘I want to do such and such act,’ what choice do you have than to get the acts yourself?” he asked.

The panel closed with a discussion of what a facility can do to make the overall concert experience enjoyable for people from all perspectives.

“It’s more than doing the minimum possible; it’s going that extra 10 yards,” Allen County War Memorial Coliseum’s Randy Brown said. “It’s partnering with the radio stations for a pre-concert party; it’s making the event bigger than the event itself.”

Franks chimed in saying, “Don’t ever drop the ball on a band.”

“If they show up in the morning and the venue is dirty from the night before and the stage isn’t completely built, or the caterer slept in and the hot breakfast isn’t up, I don’t think you’ll ever get out of Branigan’s penalty box at that point,” he said, laughing. “And there’s 20 Branigans out there that say, ‘I will never go back there again.’ So you don’t have the wiggle room to make a mistake.”
Siehl added, “You’ve got to make your building hot for the promoter and the agent and the act. But just as much, you’ve got to make it a hot building for the public to come into.”