COUNTRY IS KING, OF COURSE

Venues in the Deep South have seen huge financial gains, with many arenas logging millions more in gross sales in the last 12 months compared to 2015. Revenue drivers include family shows, throwback concerts featuring stars from the 90s and pop music, but one thing remains true — country is still king in the South.
“That’s certainly what sells the best for us,” said
Todd Hunt, executive director of BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Miss.
Like most venues in the Deep South, BancorpSouth had a smashing lineup of country artists that helped the arena, which reported more than $3 million in gross revenue from March 1, 2016 to Feb. 28, 2017.
That figure is up more than $1 million for BancorpSouth’s gross revenue for the same period a year before, and the venue is looking forward to an even busier time in the months to come.
“For us, we’re going to have the most shows this year than we’ve had in the last 15 years,” Hunt said. “The economy is doing well in this area, unemployment is low, so people have a little extra money in their pockets to spend on a good time.”
Another common theme among venues is ensuring the fan experience is top notch.
“I think today’s fans demand more amenities from venues,” Hunt said, highlighting that great WiFi, short lines and comfy seats are all in demand now more than ever.
Competition between venues is always at the forefront of a marketing director’s mind, so when the CenturyLink Center, Bossier City, La., ranked highest in sales and number of visitors for a 12-month period in the Deep South, Kourtney Washington, sales and marketing director for CenturyLink, was elated.
Washington has no doubt that it was the high-profile lineup of country artists that helped land the venue a reported $5.6 million in gross sales, which is a $3 million financial gain compared to last year.
From March 1, 2016 to Feb. 28, 2017 the venue reported 29 shows and 111,964 guests.
“We book the shows and they show up. We really don’t have to struggle to get the word out about our shows. (Guests) call us,” Washington said with enthusiasm.
Artists such as Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Garth Brooks and Florida Georgia Line graced the stage at CenturyLink in the last 12 months.
Perhaps another key to the arena’s success is the fact that everyone who works at the venue seems to love what they do.
“I think one of the great things about CenturyLink Center is we’re all fans at the end of the day. We all love our jobs,” she said. “We love that in two hours time, people can come to our venue and enjoy themselves. They can come and relax and have a really good time with their loved ones. We as a staff don’t take that for granted.”
Last year, the 14,000-seat venue renovated all of its concession areas with a B52 Bomber theme, as the Barksdale Air Force Base is located near the arena.
“We just want them to feel welcome and appreciated for all they do for their community,” Washington said.
Overall, her goal is to continue a positive attitude with guests and her team. “When we book a show, we’re doing summersaults down the hallway,” she said.
Landers Center in Southhaven, Miss., reported grossing roughly $4.5 million in 2016, hosting 22 shows drawing 83,972 in attendance in a 12-month time.
“We did change a lot of our marketing approaches and strategies over the past year; I think that had a lot to do with it,” said Hallie Hogan, marketing manager for Landers.
The venue had three sold-out shows within five weeks of each other in February and March, and Hogan and her team have no plans of slowing down.
“This fall, the Memphis Grizzlies G-League will be playing their 25 home games at Landers Center, just minutes away from downtown Memphis and the FedEx Forum where the Memphis Grizzlies play,” Hogan said. “This will bring a new type of clientele to the building and to the North Mississippi area as well as expand our reach with a different sport.”
Currently, the venue hosts the Mississippi Riverkings minor league hockey team.
Marketing pushes for Landers Center include a large social media focus on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The 10,000-seat venue also uses e-blasts for announcements and presales. Hogan and her team have billboards around the Memphis metro area that tout upcoming shows and sporting events.
They also, of course, use advertising in local newspapers and on the Interstate marquees for upcoming shows.
UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, reported $4.3 million in gross sales, with 47 shows and 127,592 in attendance. The arena’s gross revenue was also up roughly $300,000 compared to last year.
“We’ve had an eclectic assortment of shows, ranging anywhere from comedy to family shows and groups trying to make comeback tours,” said Lakefront Arena General Manager Marco Perez.
“The comeback tours (The Cure, Vanilla Ice, Salt-N-Pepa, TLC) are doing really well. We had this crazy tour of I Love the 90s, and it sold out,” Perez said.
The University of New Orleans’ basketball team primarily plays at the 10,000-seat arena.
“The UNO Privateers won the conference championship. It’s the first time to appear (at the championship) in 21 years. It was a fantastic season. It was very exciting for us, and we’re looking forward to this coming season,” Perez said.