Green Day sold out their April 3 date at Liacouras Center in Philadelphia. (Photo by Joseph Labolito)
University venues fill their schedules with a mix of academic events and touring shows. Being on a campus opens opportunities for student involvement, which brings in fresh ideas. However, they still have to put in effort to reach out to young audiences.
Breslin Center Hosts More Events
An increase in events has caused the venue to renovate and reach out to stay relevant.
Sales Manager and Senior Event Coordinator Nanci Yeadon said that the number of events Jack Breslin Student Events Center hosts has doubled over the last couple of years, now clocking in at an average of 250 per year. In order to maintain a high level of customer service, the venue has added staff and embraced social media.
Yeadon said that the venue is in the process of updating its website. “It is important to us that we can help [our guests] in any way possible and it is important to provide them with the information they need so that they can have a relaxing and enjoyable time at the Breslin Center.”
Country music drew big crowds over the last year, with Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley on Feb. 23, and Carrie Underwood on April 13. The college set also came out for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, March 19.
Contact: (517) 432-1989
Chaifetz Arena Reaches Highest Gross
Elton John secures big numbers for the St. Louis venue.
Chaifetz Arena at Saint Louis University had a busy year, setting a record for its highest gross with Elton John, Nov. 24.
“It was a huge crowd, and a high energy concert where everyone knew most of the songs,” said facility GM Jim Wynkoop for Global Spectrum. A Nov. 1 performance by country duo Florida Georgia Line also set a record at the venue as its fastest sellout in less than nine minutes.
The venue switched to Ticketmaster this year and rolled out the company’s secondary ticketing platform, as well as mobile ticketing.
Wynkoop said he’s excited by the Disney Junior Live event Feb. 8 because it will bring a different demographic to Chaifetz Arena.
“Our Disney Junior Live event is not only selling really well, but is geared toward the youngest audience of any show we have ever hosted,” he said. “Ultimately we can convert the audience into lifelong fans of Chaifetz Arena and forge a relationship that lasts for generations.”
Contact: (314) 977-5001
Double Top Stops
Nutter Center’s a regular chart topper.
Executive Director Jim Brown at Wright State University’s Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio, said that his most memorable event wasn’t in the sports or entertainment category.
“This is not a corny statement, but receiving the same type of phone call from Venues Today within a few weeks is an honor,” said Brown. “It’s wonderful to be a Top Stop for the Midwest and for universities.”
He counts the most memorable concert event as Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, April 9, which grossed more than $525,000. Brown thinks the university venue has been so successful this year due to its strategy of acting just like any other facility.
“Some university venues don’t sell alcohol — we do,” he said, adding that the facility hosts any type of event from sporting to family shows, ice skating to motorsports. “Some university venues will only do basketball and some concerts, but we’ll do it all.”
Switching food and beverage companies to Chartwells WSU Hospitality Services, which provides the campus dining as well, has been a hit with the students, who can use their campus dining cards to purchase food at the venue.
Contact: (937) 775-4670
New Name in Orlando
University of Central Florida facility undergoes name change.
Nate Reuss stopped at CFE Arena with his band, fun., Sept. 19.
CFE Arena in Orlando increased attendance by more than 20,000 this year, in part by adding more aspects to its Light Up UCF, self-produced holiday event. The 50-day celebration added a 5k run and carriage rides, as well as a preliminary qualifier for a local chili cook-off’s eating contest.
The arena hosted two similar shows within a week, with fun. and Imagine Dragons on Sept. 19 and Sept. 23, respectively.
“We didn’t really have a choice with the way the routing worked,” said GM Brian Hixenbaugh of Global Spectrum on hosting the shows just five days apart. “I’m sure there was some crossover, but I really feel like they’re a different demographic with Imagine Dragons drawing a bit of a younger crowd.”
Fun. drew nearly 6,000 attendees for a gross of more than $200,000, and Imagine Dragons grossing more than $190,000.
Central Florida Educators came on board as a naming rights partner in the second quarter of the year, leading to the huge undertaking of changing signage.
“The university has been very aggressive with capital improvements regardless of this new revenue,” he said. “We commit a couple hundred thousand dollars each year.”
Contact: (407) 823-0128
Ohio State Venue Goes Big
Schottenstein Center changes concessionaires to offer unique items.
Having switched from Sodexo to Levy, Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio, switched up its menu.
“One of the things we’re trying to do is have products that people can’t purchase at the store or have at home,” said GM Mike Gatto. One such item is the Brutus Pretzel, named after mascot Brutus Buckeye. “It’s a giant pretzel that’s probably big enough for four people, so big it comes in a pizza box,” he added.
The Brutus Pretzel comes with three dipping sauces and costs $12.
Renovations this year upgraded the locker rooms for both the men’s and women’s basketball program, as well as adding a new practice gym.
Working around construction has been a challenge, but the facility didn’t have to pass on any events during construction. “We had to close some parking lots and had some construction dust, but we’re lucky and get tremendous support from the university,” Gatto said.
Contact: (614) 688-5561
The Pit Knows Priorities
University of New Mexico arena had a big year with basketball.
This year, the men’s basketball team clinched the regular season championship at The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M. The basketball program is strong at University of New Mexico, with about 98 percent of games sold out.
Not only does The Pit host 35-40 basketball games each year, but also practices during game week, and university graduation in the spring and fall semester.
“We definitely have our university priorities,” said Scott Dotson, associate athletic director/facilities, “but we’re always in the works of trying to get concerts in.”
Last year, the venue hosted George Strait’s final tour, April 5, which brought in more than $1.2 million.
Contact: (505) 925-5925
New Concessionaire Brings Upgrades
Patriot Center switches to Sodexo.
After 11 years with the same concessionaire, Patriot Center at George Mason University, Fairfax, Va., made the change to Sodexo, Oct. 1.
Sodexo added a new point-of-sale system to streamline sales and cut down on wait time.
The company also brought in “new digital video menu boards and has expanded the menu to include many new, tasty food options,” said GM Barry Geisler.
Patriot Center hosted its first Cirque du Soleil event in July with Quidam, drawing 18,000 attendees for a gross of more than $1.3 million. Their second Cirque show, Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, will be in March. Women of Faith, Marvel Universe Live and a robotics competition are already on the calendar for 2014.
Contact: (202) 628-3200
Cal State Fresno Tries EDM
Save Mart Center hosted Tiesto in its first electronic dance music outing.
Save Mart Center, Fresno, Calif., hosted 17 concerts in 2013, including George Strait’s farewell tour, which grossed more than $1.2 million on Feb. 1. More than 11,000 fans came out for Kenny Chesney, July 24.
“For a secondary market, 17 concerts is a very good number,” said Steve Tadlock, GM for SMG at the facility. He said the venue is geographically situated for good routing and can fit into West Coast runs a few different ways.
Save Mart Center hosted five big country shows, plus a variety of genres, with Jay Z, Bon Jovi, Paramore, and a few Christian bands. Tiesto drew a crowd of more than 4,000 for Save Mart Center’s first EDM concert.
“We looked at some of the industry best practices and really had an incident-free event,” said Tadlock, who added that the most important thing was to communicate with the audience what they’re allowed to bring into the facility, and make sure everyone stays hydrated.
Contact: (559) 347-3401
Capital Projects Increase Activity
Morrison Center for the Performing Arts emphasizes flexibility.
Diverse offerings at Morrison Center for the Performing Arts at Boise (Idaho) State University this year led to the highest attendance reported in our 5,000 or Fewer capacity category, with more than 111,000 people attending events at the facility.
Capital improvements this year included the installation of a flexible curtain system.
“It allows us to adjust our theatre size from 2,000 seats to about 1,000 seats,” said Executive Director James Patrick. Other improvements include adding ticket scanner technology, new spotlights, a stage projector, and a large LED digital display in the lobby.
Morrison Center had a mix of resident arts groups, Broadway series shows, and single performances including Pink Martini and Mythbusters, which grossed more than $100,000, Nov. 26. The facility also hosted the technical rehearsal and kickoff of the second national tour for “Memphis the Musical,” which earned nearly $175,000 in its Oct. 9-11 run.
Coming up, Morrison Center will host “Wicked” for the first time since 2011 when it sold out 16 performances. This year, the show will return for 24 performances — the longest run in Morrison Center history.
Contact: (208) 426-1609
Country Backbone
John Paul Jones Arena has solid grosses.
University of Virginia in Charlottesville’s John Paul Jones Arena hosted some tried-and-true successes, as well as a rock surprise. Jason Pedone, general manager there for SMG, called country artists the “backbone of the arena’s success this year.” The facility hosted Luke Bryan, and also Taylor Swift, who grossed nearly $1 million in her Sept. 14 show.
One particularly special show for Pedone came Oct. 29, when the facility hosted Pearl Jam for the first time. “It gave us great balance for the year,” he said.
Using a curtained theater configuration that cuts the capacity in half allows the arena to host a Broadway series each year. Roberts Group partners with the arena to bring in various Broadway touring shows, from “Cats” to “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Contact: (434) 924-4288
Not Just the University
Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center at UTPB focuses on the approach.
“Yes, we’re a university building and we do university events and commencements, but we’ve also become a really major road house,” said Ty Sutton, general manager for SMG at Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.
“In our wildest dreams as an organization, I don’t know if anyone thought this building — in a market that had never had a performing arts center or a theater with more than 500 seats — would have so much more volume than anyone ever anticipated,” he added. “It’s impacted the way that we approach things.”
Jerry Seinfeld brought more than 3,000 fans to the venue Oct. 25 for a performance that grossed more than $250,000. Sutton said a concert with Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen, May 29, is one he still hears about from attendees.
“They just sat on the stage telling stories and playing songs, and it really felt almost personal like you were just sitting in your family room,” Sutton added, of the show that brought out more than 1,700 people.
Contact: (432) 552-4430
Bieber Fever in S.C.
Colonial Life Arena grossed nearly $1 million with Justin Bieber.
Being the only play in the region can make for a very hot ticket. For University of South Carolina’s Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, Bieber was that ticket on Aug. 5. More than 12,500 fans came to see the artist for his only play in the Carolinas.
“In a town where country is king, Columbia proved itself yet again as a diverse market by selling this one out in no time,” said GM Lexie Boone, who works for Global Spectrum.
The venue’s marketing department found a way to get fans involved well before the performance by encouraging them to take photos of themselves with homemade signs welcoming Bieber to Columbia, and emailing or posting them to Colonial Life Arena’s social media pages.
“We made a collage of Justin with all of the pictures posted and gave it to him as a gift from his fans here in South Carolina,” said Boone.
The show, as well as performances from Miranda Lambert, Rick Ross, and Taylor Swift, helped Colonial Life Arena increase its gross nearly $2 million over last year.
Contact: (803) 576-9050
EDM Becoming A Safe Bet
Strong attendance encourages Event Center to host more EDM events.
Though some EDM events have gotten a bad reputation due to drug use, Event Center at San Jose (Calif.) State University has had positive experiences with the genre.
“We do a lot of things to ensure that it’s a good experience, like safety checks in the garage before the event and making sure we book artists that are self-conscious about the safety of the events,” said Event Operations Manager Jon Fleming. Bassnectar, which sold nearly 5,500 tickets for a Sept. 21 performance, brings am’bass’adors to each show to look after the audience and encourage people that EDM can be a fun, sober experience.
Tiesto also encourages responsible behavior in his fans, and grossed more than $200,000 during a March 5 show at the venue.
Contact: (408) 924-6360
Students are Key at Liacouras Center
Philadelphia’s Temple University has a student-centric venue.
Joe Sheridan has only been in his new Global Spectrum job as GM for the Liacouras Center for a few weeks, having begun Jan. 9. He has been getting phone calls with advice from former GM Fran Rodowicz, but has hit the ground running.
The biggest difference he’s noticed at Liacouras Center, having come from nearby Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, is the impact of students.
“Right off the bat, I’ve noticed the student involvement with students that are interns or work on our part-time staff,” said Sheridan. “Our company [Global Spectrum] has a tremendous number of Temple University alumni because they have such a strong sport management program.”
One of the biggest successes of the past year was Green Day, April 3, which Sheridan attended along with 8,540 others.
“A lot of our students came for the show, which is great for an on-campus building,” he added.
Contact: (215) 204-2400
IU Auditorium Shows Professionalism
Venue management credits the economic recovery with a boom in sales.
Blue Man Group rocked IU Auditorium, Bloomington, Ind., Sept. 21-22, performing to more than 6,000 people total. Willie Nelson visited the venue April 6 for a gross of more than $125,000.
Director Doug Booher said those events, and more, are a result of the economy turning around. With more acts touring, IU Auditorium has the opportunity to book more shows and bring in different audiences.
He credits the energy of the students, both in the audience and on the staff teams, for helping the venue stay current and exciting.
“Their unique perspective better enables us to serve their peers, respond more quickly to shifts in the market, and stay on top of the latest trends,” said Booher.
Contact: (812) 855-9528
Bon Jovi rocked United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas, March 17.
Living on a Prayer in Lubbock
United Spirit Arena at Texas Tech University promotes the local touch.
Bon Jovi’s March 17 show at United Spirit Arena, Lubbock, Texas, encompassed more than just a performance. The event added unique components, too. The band offered behind-the-scenes tours to local media, and provided student opportunities through the Community Service College Campaign.
On top of all the extras, the show was a financial boon, too, grossing more than $1.2 million.
Rascal Flatts brought the Texas Tech University mascots, Raider Red and the Masked Rider, on stage during the final song of their Oct. 4 show.
“Our mascots loved the opportunity and the crowd, of course, went completely wild,” said Associate Director Cindy Harper. “When artists take the time to incorporate a local touch it makes such a huge impact on campus and community.”
Contact: (806) 742-7362
Boston Strong
Agganis Arena at Boston University shows pride in itself.
One thing General Manager Kristoffer Brassil takes pride in is keeping Agganis Arena spotless, or at least as clean, well lit and well maintained as possible.
“It goes to the thought that guests will respect and appreciate your home when you show that you care for it,” he said.
April 5-6, Agganis Arena tried something a bit different, hosting the International Skating Union World Synchronized Skating Championships. The event brought in more than 9,500 attendees and $350,000.
“We hope to keep our momentum of booking and hosting some amazing shows so that we can once again have this conversation with Venues Today next year,” said Brassil. “It truly is an honor to be placed in the Top Stops, and it’s something that is an annual goal for the entire team.”
Contact: (617) 358-7000
Wharton Center Connects with NextGen
A new program aims to bring a younger demographic to the theater.
Wharton Center for the Performing Arts at Michigan State in East Lansing launched NextGen, geared toward young professionals.
“We’re trying to get younger people into the theater by giving them special opportunities, like a reception before the show where artists will sometimes come in to mix and mingle,” said Bob Hoffman, Wharton Center PR manager. The working list for advertising the events has about 400 people, with about 50-80 people showing up at each event.
Paciolan installed its newest iteration of software at the venue and sent out representatives to train the staff.
“It was just seamless,” said Executive Director Michael Brand. “We’re using scanners now so our house staff knows exactly how many people are seated and how many are in the parking lot.”
It also lets the venue know where the audience is coming from by storing zip codes, as well as keeping track of donor contributions and season ticket holder information.
Contact: (517) 884-3115