Every year VenuWorkers, our employee newsletter, has a Year-In-Review issue. Today's post is highlighting some of the articles that appeared in our newest that was just released today.
RELICS AND SHOWS AT HOYT IN 2012
Hoyt Sherman Place had another eventful year as each month brought exciting shows to the theater. Memorable performers include Craig Ferguson, Tower of Power, Trace Adkins, Here Come The Mummies, The Temptations, Kris Kristofferson, Lindsey Buckingham, Silversun Pickups, and Elizabeth Smart. To add to this December was full of great holiday shows!
In 2012 there was also an array of events in the art galleries. A standout weekend was August 17-19, with the worldwide exhibition of Buddha relics, entitled The Loving Kindness Tour. A precious collection of sacred relics of the Buddha and many Buddhist masters tours the world and made a stop in Des Moines, Iowa. This was a rare opportunity to view these relics, which resemble beautiful, pearl-like crystals. Found among the remains of Buddhist masters, Buddhists believe the relics embody the master's spiritual qualities of compassion and wisdom and are deliberately produced by the master at his death. The gallery was transformed into a shrine for the relics and other statues. More than 6,000 people visited over the 3-day event, some even waited in line for hours.
Besides staying busy with events, Hoyt Sherman Place began a new phase in art restoration to repair paintings in our art gallery. Private donations, grants, and fundraising projects such as “Adopt-A-Painting” will be developed to help fund and finish this restoration project in the coming years.
BIG YEAR IN RACINE
The Racine Civic Centre had a great year in 2012 with outdoor events such as the Color Run and Biggest Loser and indoor events including political rallies that had Michelle Obama and Paul Ryan! Things continued strong throughout the remainder of the year with Max and Ruby in the Nutcracker Suite, playing to a sold out audience on Wednesday, November 30.
“ACE” OF A YEAR IN EVANSVILLE
In Evansville 2012 was a very eventful inaugural year with 145 days of use and more than 500,000 patrons coming through the doors of the newly opened Ford Center. In addition, VenuWorks acquired the historic Victory Theatre. VenuWorks’ first concert at the Victory, Old Crow Medicine Show, did very well. Ford Center is helping Evansville to cement its reputation as the place to be for country concerts when three of its six country shows sold out. Two country shows scheduled for 2013, Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean, sold out in a matter of hours. The tri-state area also embraced a wide variety of other events, from Lady Antebellum to Cirque du Soleil: Quidam; Jeff Dunham to a televised WWE SmackDown. The Evansville IceMen and the University of Evansville Men’s and Women’s basketball teams also had well-attended seasons.
Ford Center staff worked hard to implement new fan-friendly features such as Ticketmaster’s interactive seat map, Bypass Lane (the ability to order concessions food from your seat using a smart phone app), and a new mobile website.
In 2012 Ford Center also attained LEED Silver Certification from the US Green Building Council, was the recipient of the Facilities Magazine Prime Site Award, and was nominated for a 2012 Concert Industry Award for the Best New Major Concert Venue by Pollstar Magazine.
To celebrate a successful inaugural season, Ford Center hosted a One Year Anniversary Celebration on Sunday, November 4 that was free and open to the public. The event featured gifts and giveaways; a special birthday cake and free popcorn, hot dogs, and sodas; a variety of activities like karaoke, a scavenger hunt, and a photo booth; and a very popular open skate. Several thousand people attended the three-hour event.
DAVENPORT IS OVER THE TOP
While Halloween can always make for an interesting day at the office, nothing could’ve prepared Rick Palmer and Chris Carton for what their day had in store! Just before a catering business meeting lunch, Rick approached Chris with an offer to go rappelling off the roof of the adjacent Hotel Blackhawk. Chris jumped on the opportunity did not quite realize what he was agreeing to. Chris said, “I had pictured a leisurely and secure stroll down the face of the hotel with a light breeze hitting our faces, I quickly realized that concrete building rappelling is more of an extreme adrenaline sport for the clinically insane and much different than the relaxing boulder rappelling which I had experienced in the Tetons many moons ago!”
The event was called “Over the Edge” and it was a bi-statewide fundraiser for the Special Olympics of Iowa and Illinois. Rick and Chris were given a short training off of the second floor railing inside of the RiverCenter before they securely rappelled down 11 stories (131 feet) to the cheering VenuWorks supporters at the bottom.
The statewide 2012 “Over the Edge” event raised more than $95,000.00.
BEER & SHELTER AT THE SWIFTEL CENTER
The Swiftel Center ended the year 2012 with their first ever Beer Expo on Saturday, December 8. Over 200 people attended the event where they had the opportunity to sample over 50 craft beers, speak to company representatives and the brewers responsible for creating some of the world’s most popular and award-winning brews. Patrons also had the opportunity to pick the brains of local brew masters from Wooden Legs Brewing Company and Heist Brewing and SDSU Brew Club. Local grocer Hy-Vee provided chili samples and information about food pairings. With the success of this home-grown event the staff at the Swiftel Center is excited for when the Beer Expo will be back in 2013!
While there was a lot of planning that went into the Beer Expo on Saturday there was not a lot of time to prepare for the blizzard the next day! The Swiftel Center was opened up as a shelter for 47 stranded motorists and 3 dogs during the storm when the interstate by the venue closed on Sunday, December 9. Police Chief Miller notified the operations department that the interstate was closing, the hotels would be full and the venue needed to be prepared to take people in. The Daktronics Banquet Room was converted into an American Red Cross Shelter with a cots for individuals to sleep on, pipe & draped areas for individual privacy “family units”, Swiftel Center couches, tables and chairs and even a TV to watch Sunday night football! The stranded individuals came throughout the afternoon and evening and were gone by 9AM Monday morning when I-29 reopened. The Swiftel Center was proud to be a part of the emergency team that included county and governmental agencies working together for the good of the community!
2012 IN DODGE
In Dodge City 2012 was a great year for events. The Eli Young Band had a great concert and the Oak Ridge Boys were the magic of the Christmas season.
The United Wireless Arena started a charity drive in 2012 with the hope that it will continue for years to come. The Christ, Milk and Cookies with Santa, is a toy drive for the local Salvation Army. With the assistance of one of the venue advertisers who is a local dairy and helped sponsor the event. Next year the UWA hopes to expand the event with ice skating and ginger bread houses.
The UWA ice rink has continued to grow in popularity with a number of group ice skating parties through the end of 2012. With the success of the ice rink the hopes are high that it will help the charity grow in 2013.
CATCH “FOXCATCHER”, SEE CALU
The Convocation Center at the California University of Pennsylvania hosted a movie shoot over the holidays for the upcoming movie “Foxcatcher,” starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo. The movie is based on the story of John du Pont, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and killed Olympic wrestler David Schultz in 1996. The Convocation Center was transformed by the movie crew to resemble a 1987 French Olympic wrestling site, and over the course of the week-long film shoot our staff watched the elaborate production and details that go into directing a feature film. The film shoot was a huge success for our venue, and we are looking forward to seeing the film when it is released.
VICKSBURG CHANGES IN 2012
Vicksburg enjoyed a lively year with great attendance on 174 event days and a great budget that cut the FY 2012 deficit cut by 88%.
The year was marked with increased concert activity ranging from annual events like Miss Mississippi and our local blues events to Ron White, Sesame Street Live, SILK, Shirley Murdock.
With increased activity a new Operations Director- Tom Dunlop, was hired to help transition the VCC into running even more efficiently and working to control expenses. He comes to Vicksburg via Dallas, TX with 28 years experience in facilities and event management.
In addition to new staff the venue also installed a new fire alarm system to replace the antiquated one that originally came with the 15 year old building and a new server to back up financial and historical data.
On the sales front, the Convention Center partnered with several industry partners- hotels and the CVB- in the area to create the “Master Key Gala” to bring meetings planners on a familiarization tour of Vicksburg. There were around 12 planners and their guests that took part in the weekend that ended with a Gala event.
Amongst all of the happenings at the Convention Center, staff enjoyed some milestones in their lives. Lisa Sanders, Events Coordinator welcomed a new granddaughter, Zoey, in July and Erin Powell Southard, Sales and Marketing Manager got married in March to Ritch Southard.
NEW HOTEL COMING TO KENNEWICK
The SpringHill Suites in Kennewick, WA will be an All-Suite Hotel located adjacent to the Three Rivers Convention Center opening in 2014.
The Kennewick Public Facilities District recently approved the final documents for the sale of adjacent property to a developer paving the way for a SpringHill Suites by Marriott attached hotel. This is the culmination of almost two years of negotiations resulting in an attached hotel which will open the spring of 2014. The absence of the attached hotel has been one of the most requested amenities for the Three Rivers Convention Center and the news of the new hotel has been met with praise from current clients and has initiated new interest from many new meeting planners. VenuWorks will be providing all food and beverage services for the hotel as well as all booking responsibilities beyond 12 months.
Amenities:
• 112 rooms
• 2 Meeting rooms (1) approx. 700-1000 sq. ft. plus an executive boardroom
• Breakfast area
• Lounge
• Wireless internet
• Indoor Pool, spa
• Expanded Fitness Area
• Large bedroom with separate bathroom & shower areas
• All rooms are large with a "living room area" separate from the bedroom area
NEBRASKA ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME TO INDUCT PHIL POTTER
Before he started booking bands, Phil Potter, VenuWorks’ National Director of Booking, spent the 80’s playing in one. This coming summer, his former band ‘Footloose’ will be inducted into the Nebraska Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
‘Footloose’, who subsequently changed their name to ‘The Loose’ , performed from 1980 until 1989, touring 15 states and releasing 2 albums. The band played clubs, colleges, and festivals, sometimes as many as 270 nights a year. For a time, the band was managed by Noel Monk, who had previously managed Van Halen.
Part of the induction ceremonies to be held in July, will include a reunion of the band…some of who haven’t seen each other in over 25 years. Phil says ‘ I need to learn to play again…and I promise I won’t wear my tiger skin blazer and black leather pants. That wouldn’t reflect well on anyone.’
Some previous inductees include singer Max Carl of .38 Special / Grand Funk Railroad, former Jimi Hendrix drummer Buddy Miles, and founding Eagles member Randy Meisner.
achieve the best solutions and the best outcomes possible.
