50 Dark Nights for Key Arena
Posted on Thursday, August 14th, 2008 at 11:37 am by Mr. Baker (thinking good thoughts for George Karl))
As reported in the Seattle Times, Tuesday there was a briefing and presentation to the Seattle City Council sub-committee on Parks on the Century 21 Master Plan for the Seattle Center, Key Arena as part of the briefing
KeyArena struggles to fill vacant Sonics schedule
Seattle’s KeyArena is stepping up its efforts to fill its calendar now that the Sonics have left town, with modest success so far.
Those 100 nights that freed up at KeyArena when the Sonics left — most of them are still free.
Without the basketball season as its anchor, KeyArena can expect to book about 30 percent fewer dates each year than in the past, officials said. To pump up its marketing efforts, Seattle Center may hire a professional booking agency to run the arena’s calendar.
But so far, replacing game nights with other events has been slow going. Thirty-five dates have been booked since a July 2 settlement allowed the Sonics to head off to Oklahoma City, said Seattle Center spokeswoman Deborah Daoust.
There will be holes in the schedule, and they will pay somebody to find events to fill those dates = lose, lose.
Although the Sonics played only 41 home games each season, KeyArena reserved 100 nights to give the NBA scheduling flexibility. So the Sonics’ move to Oklahoma City blew KeyArena’s schedule wide open.
After losing both the Sonics and the Thunderbirds minor-league hockey team, which moves to Kent in January, officials said they can now anticipate being able to fill KeyArena 80 to 110 nights out of the year, down from the past estimate of 130 to 160.
The combined deficit from the sports events accounts for 77 nights, so the net loss of 50 reflects the expectation that about 27 can be replaced.
“There’s no way we could replace every basketball game we lost,” Daoust said.
A renewed marketing push should produce new bookings within the next several months, said City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who chairs the council’s Parks and Seattle Center Committee.
Because most major concerts are booked two years ahead, July was short notice to start filling dates starting in November, Daoust said.
There will be holes in the schedule, and they will pay somebody to find events to fill those dates = lose, lose.
Since most booking has to be done long in advance, City Council President Richard Conlin said he would expect major progress by early fall, but that wouldn’t translate into filling a lot of dates until the beginning of next year.
He looked clueless saying it.
“In 2009, the arena will be able to actually be returning revenue,” he said. “2008 is much more complicated.”
In a briefing to the City Council on Tuesday, Seattle Center Director Robert Nellams said the arena can remain profitable by seeking out high-volume, high-margin events. If the arena is dark more often, he said, that doesn’t necessarily hurt its profitability because operating costs also shrink.
But that does mean some arena employees, such as ushers and vendors, can expect less steady work, Daoust said. It also could hurt the businesses, especially the restaurants, bordering on Seattle Center who rely on KeyArena events to attract foot traffic to the lower Queen Anne area.
There will be holes in the schedule, and they will pay somebody to find events to fill those dates, fewer people will have less to do = lose, lose, lose some jobs.
I watched the sub-committee meeting online, Richard Conlin finally came to the realization that there will be less activity at Key Arena.
he asked Mr Nellams how many events are planned for 2009, the answer was that they would try to fill the Sonics dates on short notice, and the Thunderbirds planned leave, but between 80 and 120 are the amount of evens.
Here is a summary exchange NOT reported in the Seattle PI:
What was it before?
120 to 160.
So, the 80-120 is with some of the Sonics dates filled?
Yes.
Will the arena lose money?
No, the service on the debt is gone, so any event the makes money generates positive revenue. There will be a loss in labor, few events mean fewer people to support them.
Oh.
In a strange way, Bennett leaving should paint an interesting picture next year for those running for re-election and the arena lights off 40-60 times a year.
How many meetings did the council have on the Sonics leaving, resolutions, the Licata pseudo-study, public statements. Well Seattle City Council, welcome to the white elephant. It doesn’t even have a competing venue in the city, just don’t ask why Seattle will sometimes still get bypassed on some tours.
It’s the arena, stupid.
You can watch the briefing HERE!
August 14th, 2008 at 11:53 am
kind of off topic here, sorry, but Sonics just traded Ridnour and Griffin for D-Mase and Joe Smith. Another darn good trade…damn it.
August 14th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
There will be holes in the schedule, and they will pay somebody to find events to fill those dates = lose, lose.
How much of the $45M settlement will they use to pay their salary? I mean really, the Key could sit completely empty for the next seven years and the City still comes out way way ahead on the deal.
August 14th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Here is the part that’s troubling to me.
So, the 80-120 is with some of the Sonics dates filled?
Yes.
Will the arena lose money?
No, the service on the debt is gone, so any event the makes money generates positive revenue. There will be a loss in labor, few events mean fewer people to support them.
Oh.
Not the definition of a white elephant to me - we can only hope the tours that come through aren’t profitable for the city because if they are I see very little chance of something getting done by the gov’t.
August 14th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
50 dark nights for the businesses might give them some notice.
August 14th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
MANY major tours pass up Seattle strictly because of the arena. There is only one place to load/unload. That’s why most major tours skip Seattle or go to White River Amphitheater
August 14th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
they view the profit per event. The could have one event a year that turned a profit and close the doors the other 354 days and say they made a profit.
50 dark nights means just that.
If everybody gets to do the math without the service to the debt then bring in another team to fill those 50 dates, otherwise it is a waste.
August 14th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
RONA
Not something we are supposed to care about with pulblic facilities, but the financial lense was applied by People for More Important Things.
August 14th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Because most major concerts are booked two years ahead, July was short notice to start filling dates starting in November, Daoust said.
- This doesn’t seem logical to me for some reason…I know that there is obviously a lead time. But all these artists that are doing concerts to promote their records are planning these concerts two years in advance. That just doesn’t pass the smell test…
How much of the $45M settlement will they use to pay their salary? I mean really, the Key could sit completely empty for the next seven years and the City still comes out way way ahead on the deal.
- What I don’t get is that they act like the Arena does not generate any operating costs when it is not being used. That if the Key Arena just laid dormant for a year they’d end up with completely neutral return (no loss/no profit).
It has to cost money to just turn the lights on, to do the minor maintence required on any building. There still must be at least a skeleton crew that is hired to help run the arena…
August 14th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Seattle is lead by MORONS.
In case no one realized it yet.
Well garsh, maybe we should have accepted Ballmer’s 150 mil and rebuilt Key Arena. Absolute shortsighted morons.
August 14th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Eric E- you’re right on the mark!
After I read that article in today’s paper I was like “What kind of idiots do we have around here?” Doesn’t take much to figure out that 41 nights w/o Sonics basketball = less revenue for city and the local businesses suffer. Don’t think concerts and ice skating shows are going to make up for that.
August 14th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
But don’t worry, Greg Nickels said they are in negotiation with Seattle University basketball. Key Arena will be fine
Keep up the faith ladies and gentlemen..
…cricket… cricket… cricket….
August 14th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
50 dark nights for the businesses might give them some notice.
I hope - I don’t have much faith in city gov’t though. If they gave a rip about the businesses around the Key they wouldn’t have settled the Sonics case and left a gaping hole in their schedule in the first place.
August 14th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
OKC average ticket price at $47.51 is 36 percent higher than in Seattle. No surprise. They’ve gotta pay for their new toy somehow.
Good luck in sustaining interest, Okies. Look forward to some dark nights in OKC, too.
Why any future free agent would want to play there is beyond me. Those bastards better start throwing money left and right come next year.
Good luck Luke. Glad you made it out.
August 14th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
there is the debt, then there is about 25 million in basic construction the have to do to the building no matter what. There are things about a giant building that eventually require attention.
There isn’t going to be a dime left of the 45 million, in fact, the changes that the Storm want might increase the statement of work.
On a side note, the NBA and AEG entered into an agreement with China to operate the arena Olympic basketball is being played in. There was a story on NPR this morning with a reporter from Sports Business Daily (Trip Mickle), the arena did not have concessions, he could not buy a hot dog at a basketball game
August 14th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Why doesn’t Conlin ask Nick Licata or his assclown pal Chris Van Hypocrite? According to him and this is a direct quote “Non-Sonics options pencil out.” Now the arena’s empty and guess what Nick … you’re wrong. Big surprise!
August 14th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Re: the concert schedule it’s true. 99% of tour managers and promoters are not going to sign a contract rider promising that they and all of their subcontractors agree to recycle all paper, use double sided copies and provide full health care insurance for domestic partners. And that’s just a few of the blanket contract riders I can think of off the top of my head.
Nevermind if you think these are good ideas or not, they don’t belong in a business agreement, especially since the City has no practical way to enforce them anyways. It’s just catering to their base. A small 10 or 20 person company providing lighting support for a KeyArena show or backline amplification rental can’t get in on that action, so it’s bad for business all the way around. Just really stupid, stupid management on the City’s part.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
OT… Vincent Askew’s been a very naughty boy.
August 14th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Sweet… 50 Dark Knights…. imagine what we could do with 50 Batmans? We’d own the basketball court
August 16th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Shawn Kemp has signed to play in Italy:
http://www.sutorbasket.it/newsHome.php?nid=710