Cast photo from November's Cirque Musica that performed for a full house at Co-op Place.--PHOTO COURTESY RANDY FEERE
Our community loves to enjoy live entertainment and we are fortunate to operate two amazing events facilities: Co-op Place and the Esplanade.
Both venues can accommodate a range of entertainment experiences, from Monster Trucks to concerts, and Globetrotters to ballet. Compared to other communities of our size, we host more entertainment experiences across multiple genres. Thanks to our two stellar venues, we can place the right entertainment experience in the perfect size venue for any event.
A good example of this is the upcoming Smalltown Somethin’ tour by High Valley. We’re presenting this show in February at the Esplanade, and we will come close to selling out all available seats. Lethbridge is also presenting High Valley at the Enmax Centre. Being a much larger venue, with close to 6,000 seats, with about 2,500 available for sale, it is much less likely to sell out.
From both an audience and entertainer’s perspective, wouldn’t you rather see your favourite artist in a venue full of like-minded fans that is vibrating with energy?
For our community of 63,000, roughly six big shows at Co-op Place, of between 2,500 and 5,000 tickets, is the right balance between quality entertainment and ticket sales. We can then attract a variety of entertainers to the Esplanade with the promise of an enthusiastic and full audience.
When we do bring those big shows and sell out Co-op Place at around 6,000 seats, we bring nearly 10% of our population under one roof. By comparison, Calgary would need to sell out the Saddledome seven times over to equal 10% of its population.
Entertainers are running a business, and one of the main drivers is their bottom line. Much like how we have seen inflation impact most areas of our lives, so has the entertainment industry. The top reason an entertainer chooses to perform in any community is profitability. The negotiation process can be long and complex, but the core question is: how many tickets can they sell to cover their costs, and how much money can they make?
The more expensive an entertainer, the more tickets need to be sold. We are a smaller market than Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge, and it is difficult for bigger acts to sell enough tickets at a high enough value to cover their costs. Even if they would like to perform here, many large venues like the Saddledome in Calgary or Rogers Place in Edmonton make entertainers sign a contract with a radius clause to ensure they do not perform within 350 km of their venue within 90 days of the performance.
Why? Precisely so folks from communities like ours will travel to the bigger centres, so they can sell more tickets.
Fortunately, we have a dedicated team that knows this business, and they connect with agents, promoters and agencies across Canada and the U.S. to find the best entertainers for our venues.
This fall alone, we have hosted some pretty big names including Tom Cochrane, Finger Eleven, Mackenzie Porter, Hunter Brothers and Bryan Adams. We’ve got more exciting announcements coming for Co-op Place, so keep you eye out in the New Year.
At the end of January, the city will be asking you for your input on all things arts, heritage and entertainment. We’ll be offering plenty of opportunities for you to engage with us the last week of January. Stay tuned for details regarding an online survey and in-person engagement opportunities.
Have your say! We want to hear from you!
Aaron Nelson is the manager of cultural experiences and events for the City of Medicine Hat
