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Visit the City’s website and you’ll notice the Sleeman Centre marketed as an ideal place to host concerts, sporting and family events, trade shows and conferences.Yet, over the years the arena has become more of a community recreation centre than a premiere location for sports and entertainment. Home to the Guelph Storm the facility hosts 34 regular season games, three exhibition games and up to four playoff games. Add practices to those numbers and the Guelph Storm has 198 bookings per year at the Centre. What is the arena being used for the rest of the time? Private rentals aren’t listed on the website, only events where tickets can be purchased. So far on the summer schedule the only listing is the Royal City Roller Girls. In 2010 only six special events were booked in the arena, accounting for 140 hours. However, Storm games, the Junior B Hurricanes, figure skating, public skating and other ice events accounted for 421 bookings and over 3,000 hours of usage. With similar usage in 2011–averaged out, the arena was used 8 ½ hours per day, every day of the year. “The Sleeman Centre is heavily used,” says Colleen Clack, General Manager of Culture and Tourism.“As a rental facility we do as many booking as we can. It is very rare that we turn down a booking. We don’t currently have the resources to actively promote the facility for larger events, however we do respond to all incoming inquiries from promoters who represent those artists that want to come here.” “The Sleeman Centre was built for big events, but somehow it has shifted to a recreation centre instead of the sports and entertainment centre it was built as,” says Marty Williams, Executive Director for Downtown Guelph.“This is an asset to the City and the downtown, which isn’t being used to its fullest potential.” “It is important that there is a balance of what works for everyone,” adds Clack.“For every resident who wants the Sleeman Centre to be used more for large events, there is a parent with a child skating at the Centre and their main concern is having fewer events to conflict with the ice time for their child.” “Plus, we have a contract with the Storm,
so if we book the surface during their practices, we have to compensate the team at another ice surface in the city. Ultimately that displaces someone else, be it hockey or figure skating. There is no question that the demand for additional ice time is there,” continues Clack.“We have been clear on recognizing that need. It is all a matter of how it can be financially accommodated.” “As for summer events, it is not uncommon to have a ‘dark’ period during the summer months in the River Run Centre and the Sleeman Centre, when people are often attending outdoor venues.” Looking to other facilities in the area including the KW Auditorium, Bingeman Park, The Centre in the Square, The Hershey Centre in Mississauga, and John Labatt’s Centre in London–there seems to be no shortage of events. London alone books over 220 large events a year. “Yes there are other events that could be coming here, however, we have a lot of immediate competition in the market place. There are only so many times and places that a band can stop and still draw a crowd,” says Rich Grau, Facility Manager for Sleeman Centre.“Guelph will never hold as many events as a location like
London which is in a stand alone market, perfectly positioned between Detroit and Toronto.” With 5000 seats it seems the downtown facility falls into a narrow window for what space is required for an event. With 800 seats, the River Run works for the theatre style tours, larger events often go to the KW Aud which holds 2000 more people than the Sleeman Centre, plus they own their own stage. When it comes to the middle ground, the facility that often fits the requirements is The Centre in the Square with 2300 seats. “Whether it be a trade show or musical entertainment, some productions just simply need a larger surface to accommodate the event,” says Grau.“There will always be challenges with the size of the Centre and it isn’t something that can be changed.” “We are on the large promoters circuit, they know we exist, and they contact us when our venue fits their needs. We simply don’t always fit the need within this market share,” adds Gau.“The best way to encourage promoters to return is to make sure they have a fantastic time when in Guelph and not leave them with any bad experiences; so far we have been very successful at that.” “To have the facility used more with other
by Heather Grummett
larger events, we would have to become the promoter and seek out entertainers,” states Clack.“This carries a large financial risk. Council would need to authorize an amount of money to be put towards attaining and running those events.” There is a daily cost to run the facility including staff and security–rental rates are based on these hard costs with much of the City’s revenue coming from food and beverage sales. When booking the facility there is a financial risk if not enough tickets are sold. When a promoter books a facility, the risk falls on them, if the City acts as the promoter the risk falls back to the City. As the promoter booking a large entertainer, you are looking at $100,000 off the top just to pay the artist, then another $20,000 to $30,000 in building costs. That doesn’t include lighting and special effects costs which could be minimal–just a chair and a microphone–or it could be another $20,000 for lighting and TV monitors; it depends on the show as to what is required. “It’s a tough market and not all shows will sell out,” adds Clack.“Some shows we will not make money on, with any facility you hope to do very well on some and have it all balance out.” If not enough tickets are - cont’d page 5
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