This Proposal is for funding and operating the Richardson Auditorium as an auxiliary enterprise.
Draft presented by Howard Karsh, Richardson Auditorium Manager, July 24, 2003.
The Richardson Auditorium has a legal occupancy of 1800 seats. Seats have been removed for ADA and theatrical lighting and sound control. Current seating capacity is 1751 and space for five or six wheelchairs. The current wheelchair arrangements do not meet ADA requirements and in some cases create hazards for the able bodied audience.
The DMC Auditorium was originally conceived as a community auditorium. It was the largest public auditorium in Corpus Christi from 1951 through 1978. In 1951 the Corpus Christi population was 201,313. In 1978 the Selena (Bay front) Auditorium opened. (2,256 seats) The Corpus Christi population had increased to 326,228. As of 2000 the Corpus Christi population has increased to 380,000. That is roughly ninety-five people for every seat currently available. The Richardson Auditorium is still the second largest public assembly facility in the Corpus Christi community. There is at least one new facility on the drawing board at TAMU CC. That facility is designed to seat 1500. It will be a concert hall without a proscenium which will limit its usage. The Richardson Auditorium will remain the second largest public assembly facility capable of proscenium theater. TAMU CC has increased the population of students looking for entertainment. These students are a new market that many of the clubs downtown and the Concrete Street Amphitheater are trying to tap. They are an additional source of revenue for Del Mar College.
The construction of the new 10,000 seat city arena, the Bay Front Convention Center renovation and the Corpus Christi Festival of the Arts are creating additional demand for the Richardson Auditorium. However, even after instructional use, many months of the year have few events scheduled. These dark dates are a potential financial resource for the auditorium and Del Mar College.
Mission
AUDITORIUM…The structure, …is used for college and civic functions alike. Among civic
Groups using the auditorium are the Civic Music Association and the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra. With near perfect acoustics, the auditorium includes 1,800 seats…”
From Dedication of New Buildings, February 17-20, 1952.
“This building was constructed for the dual purpose of serving both the college and the community. It is being used extensively by the cultural, civic, religious and charitable organizations of the city. In addition to the main auditorium the building contains … a large stage furnished with the most modern equipment...”
1952 DMC Catalogue, Buildings pg. 14.
"The auditorium was built to serve the community as well as the college…This is a large expensive building, and is justifiable as a college building from the standpoint of extensive college and community use." "Considerable attention is given by Del Mar in meeting the need of those intellectually curious individuals. ..The concerts of the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra and civic music association are given on the Del Mar campus and contribute to cultural and intellectual atmosphere. SACS 1960
"The Del Mar College Auditorium is literally the cultural center of Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend. It was conceived and planned as a community auditorium by a group of interested citizens and college officials."
"The auditorium may be used by any reputable group without regard to political interests, racial background, or religious faith. It is open to educational, civic, economic, religious, artistic and recreational activities of the community. It is used frequently by the Corpus Christi Symphony, the Community Concert Association, civic clubs and organizations, the Audubon Society, public and parochial schools, church groups, and judicial departments. Also, many groups and individuals sponsor programs such as Broadway productions, ballets, musicals, symphony concerts, and singing groups."
"The college auditorium is a community auditorium in fact. It is maintained as apart of the college program of community service. A full time manger and his staff schedule its use and aid any group using it. It is available for any educational, civic, economic, religious, artistic, or recreational activity which will contribute to the development of the community. The facility is used for school assemblies and other activities. Its frequent use shows that it does contribute much to community life." Sacs 1970
"…Del Mar College attempts to serve the people of the district through activities which are mainly cultural or aesthetic in nature. These activities have been labeled Community Resource Activities and fall basically into two categories…. The Del Mar Auditorium and other facilities also serve as a community resource in that a wide variety of activities come about because of the cooperation which exists between the College and numerous community agencies and groups."
"The College auditorium is rented for various commercial and civic functions at rates approved by the Board of Regents. The Vice President of Finance and Business affairs is responsible for financial management of the auditorium and approval of its use.
The auxiliary enterprise net income for the past five years is deposited into the general operating fund of the College. There is no special policy for handling these funds differently from others." SACS 1980
"The second meeting of the Richardson Auditorium Advisory Committee was held at 2 PM on Tuesday, April 2, 2002, in the Auditorium Conference Room. Committee members present were Howard Karsh, Anne Matula, Andy Russell, Nancy Sulik, Debbie Wallace, Maria Wallace, and Chris Tetzlaff-Belhasen.
Members discussed and revised the draft of the Richardson Auditorium mission statement, arriving at a final draft version.
RICHARDSON AUDITORIUM MISSION STATEMENT
Richardson Auditorium is a public assembly facility for Del Mar College and the community it serves. It is dedicated to providing access to educational, cultural, and entertainment
activities for all persons without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, or disability.
Specifically, the Auditorium has the following purposes:
To support college educational and cultural activities and functions through appropriate use of its facilities;
To develop and/or increase awareness of Del Mar College and its programs to patrons attending its events;
To provide a venue for performance events and/or meetings which are the result of the college's partnerships with other educational, cultural, and artistic organizations;
To provide a venue for performance events and/or meetings sponsored by nonprofit organizations, including educational, cultural, social, and governmental groups;
To provide a venue for performance events and/or meetings sponsored by commercial organizations, including business and entertainment groups.
AUDITORIUM MANAGER
At the regular meeting, July 16, 1951 The Del Mar College Board of Trustees (under the jurisdiction of The Board of Education) proclaimed:
“It is the opinion of the College Administration that an Auditorium Manager should be employed…. If such a person is employed he will be expected to keep an accurate schedule of engagements, collect all rentals, cooperate with the organization using the auditorium facilities to reduce misunderstandings and friction to a minimum, to see that all of the policies adopted by the Board for the community’s use of the building are carried out,…. The job of Auditorium Manager is a public relations job. Poor management of the Auditorium will embarrass the College while good management will insure that the purpose of the building relative to community use functions properly.”
I am the Auditorium Manager (AM). For the last eleven years, I have successfully managed the Richardson Auditorium and over five hundred events. I have worked in
almost every facet of the theatre. My credits include, The New York Shakespeare Festival; Café La Mama ETC, and the original Renaissance Pleasure Faire and Dickens Christmas Faire. I have worked in Broadcasting for the CBS Network center and several major television production companies in the New York area. I owned and operated a Property Management business, bought and sold property, leased, restored, and renovated several hundred year old brownstones, apartment buildings and commercial structures. I have been the owner/operator for merchandising several film-related projects. In addition, I have worked various artistic positions in the NY publishing industry and once held the title of Art Director for a weekly publication. My experience includes knowledge of theater, building systems, promotion, marketing, broadcasting, publishing, and auditorium management. I am qualified to fulfill the goals and objectives of this plan to fruition. I have a vision for the future of The Del Mar College Richardson Auditorium and its place in the Corpus Christi community and at Del Mar College. I know how to get there. I have one more very special qualification. I have a passion for what I do, for the events and performances on the stage and for the success of the DMC Richardson Auditorium.
“Recently, a Dutch psychologist tried to figure out what separated chess masters and chess grand masters. He subjected groups of each to a battery of tests – IQ, memory, spatial reasoning. He found no testing difference between them.
The only difference: Grand masters simply loved chess more. They had more passion and commitment to it. Passion may be the key to creativity.”
Corpus Christi Caller-Times, USA Weekend, Jan 1-3, 1999, pg.20.
As the auditorium manager it is my function to serve the whole community. In serving that community I also serve Del Mar College. I can do that best by filling the 1751 seats with patrons and bringing a cross section of culture to the community. This is a “quality of life” issue for our community. When the auditorium is in full use, it effects the economic gain of the whole community. When people plan on attending events they purchase new clothes, they go out to eat, they spend across the community. Increased spending means increased tax collection that brings more funding back to the College.
The DMCRA must be brought up to current entertainment industry technological standards and OSHA safety standards. OSHA, NFPA and safety standards in general are generations beyond the 1951 standards to which the DMCRA was built. Once accomplished the DMCRA can be in a position to better market itself to the Corpus Christi Community, State, National and International Community. I have arranged for the auditorium to be listed with Pollstar. I have also arranged for the Auditorium Manager to have a membership in the International Association of Assembly Managers and The Association of Performing Arts Presenters. The amount of inquiries I have received form outside promoters is steadily increasing.
TO ENSURE FULL USE
The auditorium is over fifty years old. Like most facilities built fifty years ago it no longer serves the purpose for which it was built. That is the whole point of renovation. Not just to bring it up to last years standards but to exceed last years standards. To take it into the twenty-first century.
Not very long ago my job as auditorium manager came under attack. A new position was posted for hire. That position used this phrase, to ensure full use as if to imply that I had not done everything in my power to ensure full use of Richardson Auditorium. I have booked and scheduled the auditorium beyond any one mans capacity. Many is the time I questioned why I was doing this? I have always had to weight the safety of the patrons and participants. I can no longer in good conscience continue over booking the auditorium with the lack of staff to manage safety. To ensure full use the auditorium must meet professional public assembly facility management standards. There must be an adequate staff and crew. There must be an adequate budget. There must be support from the administration. To ensure full use there must be instructional programs taught in the auditorium for example, public assembly facility management, stagecraft, and the performing arts. I have been working with the local IATSE to offer a training program that would benefit them and the DMC.
The Music Department is the only DMC department that uses the auditorium for extended rehearsals, band camps etc. That use is mostly limited to the large stage and to raising scholarship funds for the Music department at the expense of the auditorium. The 1751 seats generally sit empty. There is talk of recruitment by every instructional department that uses the auditorium. I have seen no statistics on recruitment or proof that anyone is recruited due to these events. I have never seen recruitment materials in the auditorium lobby. Still the majority of the 1800 seats go empty for almost all of these instructional related events. The Music department books auditorium dates for rehearsals and band camp instruction because they lack an adequate rehearsal space. Most public assembly facilities can provide rehearsal space that does not tie up their auditorium. I would suggest that a rehearsal space the size of the stage is added to the auditorium on the North side of the building for these Music department events freeing the 1751 seat venue to earn funds. This rehearsal space can also be used for catering and small performances. I am always getting requests for a facility that can seat 100 or 200 people.
The current lobby is too small for an 1800 seat auditorium. The Box Office is poorly situated and is not ADA accessible. Office space is limited. There is no concession space. We have to few rest rooms and the ones we have are not ADA accessible. There is no storage. A new lobby needs to be built on the South side of the building that could house all these support facilities and could act as a small performance space. That would ensure full use.
To ensure full use dressing rooms and back stage support facilities need to be expanded. We have no kitchen, no laundry room, no shop space, no ADA accessible restrooms and no storage in the back stage area. We are going to be doing an event in October featuring deaf and blind dancers. The backstage area is not ADA prepared for these performers. These ADA improvements can be incorporated into the new lobby and rehearsal space additions.
Accountability
The auditorium rental contract requires update yearly or as needed. The current contract has many clauses that are out of date or no longer valid. The contract is so poor that many conflicts have been generated between auditorium management and event promoters. It's a situation that could have been avoided with a current public assembly facility contract. I have submitted a new contract for review by the DMC attorney but have received no response to date. This contract should contain the rules and regulations by which the renter of the auditorium is bound. If these rules and regulations are explained, understood, than agreed to up front there will be less opportunity for misunderstandings and conflict. A concise version of this contract should be signed by faculty and staff who wish to use the auditorium. These same rules and regulations need to apply to DMC employees, faculty and staff if only to protect the safety of all involved. There can only be one authority in the auditorium and that authority must rest with the auditorium manager.
The Fee Schedule requires a yearly update. There must be a written policy governing classifications, the fee schedule and discounting of the auditorium. I have submitted both a classification policy and a fee schedule. These documents need to be accepted as a package and not integrated into the campus facility fee schedule. The auditorium must be operated as an auxiliary enterprise separate from DMC instruction. There must be a clear understanding that the auditorium manager can submit updates and changes to these documents as necessary. It should be mandatory that these documents be reviewed yearly.
There must be an in-house ticket operation.
"Box office ticketing systems have evolved from manual paper-based systems to sophisticated integrated software suites with enhanced functionality and efficiencies. Recent versions of most ticketing software require fairly sophisticated hardware configurations involving up-front capital expenditures, implementation challenges and a continuing need for expensive resources to maintain, upgrade and customize. Day-to-day maintenance activities such as backups, database re-indexing, upgrades, general cleanup, etc. bog down many a Box Office Manager, their staff members, and other facility administrators. These activities prove to be costly in terms of resource expenses and lost revenue. The bottom line is that many facilities have found themselves in the position of maintaining systems instead of selling tickets!
The recent explosion in the use of the Internet gave birth to Application Service Providers or ASPs. ASPs deliver and manage applications and computer services from remote secure data centers to multiple users via the Internet. In simple terms, ASPs provide web-based software normally paid for with recurring fees. ASPs offer the benefit of powerful multi-faceted software without the cost of buying and supporting the software, or buying, maintaining and upgrading the hardware required to run such packages. " New Era Tickets.
The auditorium manager must be enabled to control and operate auditorium concessions.
Safety
The community has a right to know that when they enter the Richardson Auditorium they will be safe. The National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code 101 and 102 regulations require that there be assigned to each event one person, who is trained in crowd management for every two hundred and fifty spectators in attendance. NFPA Crowd Managers, Assembly Occupancies 31-2.1, A 31-2. Which states, There shall be trained Crowd Managers or Crowd Manager supervisors at the ratio of one Crowd Manager/Supervisor for every two hundred and fifty occupants who shall have received appropriate training in crowd management techniques.
As the Richard Auditorium, seats 1751 we need to have seven Crowd Manager/Supervisors for all full houses. Commencement, Nutcracker, Symphony etc.
There is a legal assumption that workers and patrons in the Richardson Auditorium can work or be entertained free of harm. In liability issues, everyone involved shares the responsibility. Ignorance is not a legal defense. “Liable” is defined as “obligated according to the law; responsible.” A liability is any legally enforceable obligation. Professional liability dictates that you do know or you can be found negligent. More seriously, criminal negligence is the intentional failure to correct an unsafe problem or to induce or coerce someone to act unsafely.
The following are safety-related issues;
Contracts that are not current and do not spell out the responsibilities of the renter, faculty, staff and the college.
Fee schedules that are artificially low and enable groups or persons to book the auditorium who do not have the resources to safely hold their event.
Non existent ticket information. Ticket sales indicate attendance to events and enable a manager to plan for adequate house staff and crowd management. Ticket sales enable a manager to control attendance at an event. Tickets are the contract between the College and the patron. Tickets can reduce liability by including a disclaimer. Should an emergency exist, ticket sales records will enable authorities to determine if everyone has been safely evacuated from the building.
I have requested a theatrical architect and engineer due to many of the following identified problems that exist in the auditorium that require their specialized knowledge .
Egress to the auditorium. Emergency exit doors with panic locks that stick and do not easily open. Solid wood entrance doors that do not allow safe two-way traffic. NFPA.
The auditorium lobby that is to small for the occupancy load of the seating area.. Building layout, outside architectural landscaping and lighting all lead the audience to exit and enter two doors on the south side of the building creating crowd control problems. Now further complicated by a poorly planned ADA ramp.
Seating that does not meet NFPA 101 standards requiring more time for the audience to vacate the auditorium in an emergency coupled with the failure of the college to deal with NFPA crowd control standards.
No ADA wheelchair access from the auditorium to the stage. No wheelchair access from the front of the seating area by which to exit the building. Box Office and restrooms that are not wheelchair accessible.
The Richardson Auditorium has no storage space on the orchestra seating level and no space in the lobby to store wheelchairs, carriages etc.
Emergency exits on either side of the seating area that require the audience to step over an obstacle at the bottom of the door. NFPA.
Various areas in the lower seating area and the balcony that are not defined by different color carpeting or markings, hiding changes in elevation or steps.
No handrails or hand holds in the balcony stadium style seating area. No handrails in the orchestra level for wheelchair bound patrons.
Inadequate aisle lighting, through out the building. The aisle lights use incandescent lamps and as such require constant attention and a supply of lamps that Physical Facilities does not stock.
There is more often than not standing water in the HVAC "icebox" plenum.
The current HVAC system does not allow for the exchange of air per hour for the volume of Richardson Auditorium creating air quality issues particularly as there is standing water in the HVAC main air return plenum. Fungi is growing on lobby ceiling architectural molding.
There is no storage for the stage. Acoustic reflectors, grand piano and man lift must be stored on stage due to lack of storage space. Lighting instruments are stored on the back stage wall. No storage for band instruments and instrument cases, music stands etc. This lack of storage creates safety hazards particularly during Nutcracker and orchestra and band events.
The rigging system is antiquated beyond its expected working life. The grid is most probably undersized for the loads it is carrying. The head bloc support beams have already shown signs of failure. No engineering study of the rigging dynamics and how the rigging support structure is effected has been done. .There are design issues that were built into the system make it unsafe. The spacing between loft blocks and pick up cables, size of battens, double purchase arbors and lack of a loading dock. The recommended limit for wire guided counterweight rigging is 35 feet. Richardson Auditorium cable length is 40 ft. Current standards require a minimum design factor of 8 to 1 with respect to rigging equipment and its components. The most recent engineering report only used an impact factor of 1.3. These engineers did not understand the rigging system. I was required to explain to them the way the rigging works. I require an engineer who can explain to me the workings of the rigging system and its dynamics. Robin Crews, who was contracted to examine the rigging is not an engineer nor is he an architect. He is a theatrical consultant. Robin Crews report states that the equipment in use in the auditorium would not be installed today. He states the life time of a theater rigging system is thirty five to fifty years assuming proper maintenance. The rigging system is now fifty two years old. It has never been properly maintained. He states that the safe usage of a rigging system requires a combination of quality hardware and qualified rigging system operators. This system has many components that can no longer be called quality hardware. One such component that Robin mentions is cast arbor tops that are still in use in this rigging system. Robin points out that these cast materials had failed in the past. He states in his conclusion referring to the rigging, "its general condition is fair to good with the exception of specific items listed above." This is like saying that a model 1951 vehicle was good equipment in its day. A working 50's vehicle maintained, can be stated to be in fair to good condition. I would not want to drive that vehicle to work every day. What Robin nor any of the
engineers or our coordinating architect have done is evaluate the rigging and grid as a system which is what it is. None have evaluated the rigging and grid under shock load conditions. All it takes is one minor accident to shock load the system.
There are OSHA violations for the working crew, including, catwalks, railings, ladders, the grid, no loading dock, etc.
There are operational failures. There is the failure of the College to identify who is in authority in the auditorium. This is evident in the auditorium emergency evacuation plan.
Liability Insurance
All non DMC events will be required to carry a minimum of $1,000,000 in liability insurance.
Staffing
Auditorium Manager/Director
The auditorium manager oversees all operations in the Richardson Auditorium. The auditorium Manager is responsible for booking, scheduling, budgeting, purchases, negotiating contracts, and marketing the auditorium. The Auditorium Manager works with Physical Facilities to insure proper maintenance. (There has been a consistent failure of Physical Facilities to work with the Auditorium Manager to resolve construction and maintenance issues that in some cases have gone on for years.) The Auditorium Manager will directly supervise the House Manager and the Stage Manager. The Auditorium Manager would report directly to the VP of Business and Finance or the President of Del Mar College. The Auditorium Managers should be upgrade to Auditorium Director as the Auditorium Manager is doing the work of an Auditorium Director. The Auditorium Manager would submit contract updates to the DMC lawyer for approval. Once the basic contract was approved the Auditorium Manager would have responsibility for sending them out. The returned contract with payment would be confirmation of the booking. Signed and completed contracts would be sent on to the business office. (If these contracts are returned in a timely manner with full payment, those funds can be invested and earn interest or be used to bring in other events to earn additional funds.)
House Manager
The House Managers function is to monitor the Box Office and front of house staff. This would include, ticket sales, ticket takers, ushers, concessions, security etc.
Technical Stage Manager
The TSM would monitor all on stage activities. The TSM would be the competent person who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the workplace and has the authorization to take prompt corrective action to eliminate them. This individual would work with all events to insure their technical and backstage needs were met.
Additional Management Employees
If it is indeed the intention of Del Mar College to ensure full use of the auditorium additional staff will need to be hired. To ensure full use the auditorium should be available seven days a week 18 hours a day. This would demand that at minimum three employees per day for five days would be required for stage management. The same for the house management. That would still require an additional six workers to cover the weekend.
House Staff
The industry standard for ushers is one for every hundred patrons. A full house will require eighteen. There are currently five entrances to the auditorium seating area. This requires five ticket takers. At the current time there is only room for three ticket sellers in the Box Office. Depending on the size of the event one to three concessionaires might be necessary. NFPA also requires crowd control coordinators, one for every 250 people in attendance.
Stage Crew
The stage crew size depends on the event. The stage crew might include the following persons: Light Operator, Sound Operator, Two Follow Spot Operators, Three Rigging Operators, Stage Hands as needed.
IATSE
All productions including DMC will be required to utilize professional theatrical labor. The cost of this labor is less than hiring a full time stage crew. IATSE workers are experienced professionals. Theatrical Professionals provides liability insurance for IATSE workers.
Fee Schedule
Current 1987 Fees.
The current fee schedule was initiated in 1987.
Non Profits pay $500 for performances, $125 for rehearsals per four hours.
Commercial pay $875 for performances, $175 for rehearsals per four hours.
Proposed Fees.
The ideal way for setting fees would be to know the costs of utilities and other building expenses. Over the years I have never been able to obtain this information from Del Mar College. An acceptable method for setting fees is to look at equivalent operations or the competition. I have used the Selena Auditorium and determined a price per seat.
For Commercial events I suggest the following fees;
The base fee would be $838 plus 8% of ticket sales until a maximum of $1676 per four hours.
A non –profit would pay 15% of the commercial fee;
The base fee, $712 plus 8% of ticket sales until a maximum of $1425 per four hours.
Events that did not charge for tickets, commencements, meetings etc;
$698 for four hours plus $200 for each additional four hours.
Events that take offerings or collections;
$838 for four hours plus $1,257 for an eight hour day..
Del Mar College events, $475 per eight hour day plus out of pocket expenses.
Special Events, Nutcracker and the Symphony would only pay fees after initial sales of $5,098 in ticket sales pay a fee of 12% for an amount no less than $629 not to exceed $1257.
Based on this fee schedule Co-sponsored events would no longer be free. Del Mar College departments would be required to pay a minimum fee for use of the auditorium. This would put an end to the abusive practices that are associated with co-sponsorships.
Tickets
Tickets represent cash. To allow the users of the auditorium to control that cash is to do a disservice to the taxpayer. If a non-profit group is really in need of help it will be evident at the Box Office. In today’s world there is no excuse for not controlling ticket sales through the auditorium. Computer software, ASP providers and equipment are readily available. Ticket software can track sales, generate mailing lists and sell multiple tickets for multiple events. Ticketing software and box office operations should increase attendance at all events..
For example: Interticket is an ASP provider and has offered their system usage to Del Mar College for a fee of 2.3% of tickets sold. The fee may be buried in the ticket price. This offer acknowledges the fact that we may sell discounted tickets or print free tickets. Interticket would host the ticket server for a $99/month hosting fee. (We still have the choice to buy our own server and bring our ticketing database in-house at any time in the future.) 24 hour tech support would be available. The up front costs would include on site computers, ticket printers, ticket scanners, etc. Depending on availability of campus computers, I estimate the cost at less than five thousand dollars. Potential earnings are $2 to $5 for every ticket sold. TicketMaster charges $5 per ticket service charge. Credit Cards can be used through Interticket's hosted site. If the auditorium sells $10,000 in tickets over the course of the year with a $2 to $5 ticket fee per ticket earnings can be $20,000 to $50,000 on ticket sales alone.
Interticket will maintain a database that is exclusive to Del Mar College and can be used to track audience for email notifications of events they might be interested in or for generating mailing lists etc.
Novelties, Merchandise, Food and Beverage
At most events the auditorium holds a captive audience. In the past, I invited Aramak to operate a food concession at the Nutcracker. The way the auditorium currently operates I was unable able to see the sales numbers. Aramak has expressed interest in repeating this experience. Aramak chose to sell burritos and egg rolls, their standard fare in the cafeteria. The lines were four deep from one end of the lobby to the other. Unfortunately the Nutcracker trustees were offended by Aramaks choice of foods to sell. There is currently a soda machine in the lobby which is empty most of the time. Even when it is filled it sells out almost immediately when large events take place in the auditorium.
There is an untapped market for a food and beverage concession in the auditorium. The information I have been able to gather is that food and beverage may represent a large potential for generating additional earnings for the auditorium. At some events several dollars per capita may be spent on food and beverages if available in the auditorium.
At this time many road shows and visiting guest artists sell merchandise in the lobby. This merchandise can represent large sums of money to the guest artist and the facility. As I have no staff, the sale of this merchandise continues without controls and without a percentage for the College.
The following is a list of what various events can generate in merchandise sales.
Event Low High
Family shows 1.00 $4.00
C & W Concerts $2.00 *$15.00
R&B Concerts $2.00 *$10.00
Rock Concerts $3.50 *$15.00
Performing Arts $0.15 $2.00
*Exceptional shows may generate as much as a $25 per capita.
Conclusion
In previous years the Richardson Auditorium earned approximately $10,000 to $15,000 per year from auditorium rental fees. The suggestions I have presented above will allow the auditorium to operate as an auxiliary enterprise, documented and operated in a fiscally responsible manner. If the fee schedule, ticket sales and concessions I have recommended are adopted it might be possible to increase revenues by $10,000 to
$20,000 dollars. That could give the auditorium an income of $20,000 to $30,000 dollars. These funds could than be used to book profitable events into the auditorium without using taxpayer funds. Performers who would play the Richardson Auditorium for roughly $5000 per performance at $10 average ticket price could generate $10,000 while only selling half the house. This could be done while still booking the DMC instructional events that are now booked in the auditorium.
Income sources that have not been available to the auditorium could be pursued if the above recommendations are followed. I have found that there is a potential for sponsorship funds from business and from private donors if the auditorium were to have some way to accept those donations as in a foundation. The organizations I participate in are also sources for funding and information that are not readily available to the DMC administration. As the Auditorium Director I would be in a better position to take advantage of these resources. There are also grants available to Arts Presenters if I actively book the performing arts. The auditorium must be operated in a fiscally responsible manner and show a history of presenting performing arts before these grants can be obtained.
Professional Resources
I have been in contact with Webb Management Services, Inc. 27 West 24th Street, Suite 507, New York, New York. They have the experience and credentials to better document the potential for the auditorium. For a fee of $15,000 and expenses they will do the following;
Materials Review: Review any previous studies on the arts market, arts activity and the need for arts facilities, as well as economic development and master plans for the area.
Market Analysis: Using existing studies and information, consider the potential market for new arts facilities, including the definition of the market area, a demographic analysis, analysis and mapping of existing arts audiences, and the non-resident market.
Facility Uses and Users: Meet individually or in a workshop setting with local performing arts groups, representatives of the College, regional presenters, entertainment providers, facility operators and educators, and review programs of local performing arts groups to assess the demand for renovated facilities.
Local Facility Assessment: Consider the use and evaluate the condition of other performing arts facilities (both existing and planned) in the immediate region, to suggest if there are needs not being met by the current stock of facilities. Also consider the impact of the renovated hall on the market and operation of other facilities in the area, and how they might respond.
Demand Analysis: Prepare an activity profile for the improved hall, listing types and levels of use by the College, regional arts organizations, presenters, also identifying other potential uses for new facilities.
Comparable Projects: Research comparable facilities in the region and elsewhere to inform the business plan. Key areas of research are governance and operating models, the scheduling of facilities, levels of utility and cost, the impact of new facilities on other community facilities and programs, partnerships used to develop and sustain new facilities and key factors that led to successful operation of new facilities.
New Facility Operations: Propose an operating model for improved facilities, addressing governance, programming, staffing requirements, and operating issues such as community access, scheduling and presenting.
Pro-forma Operating Budget: Construct a pro-forma operating budget for a base year (usually the second year) of operations in the renovated hall, identifying all sources of earned revenues and expenses, an appropriate capital reserve and the likely result of operations. Also estimate operating revenues and expenses in the opening year, as well as for the period leading up to the opening of the new hall.
Funding Operations: Develop a preliminary strategy to raise funds for the continuing operation of renovated facilities from identified sources, including local and regional government, federal government, corporations, foundations and individuals. Offer preliminary guidance on the creation of a funding plan to sustain facilities.
Economic Impact: Forecast the economic impact of renovated facilities, including the impacts of operation and ancillary spending associated with attendance at facilities. Use the RIMS II model developed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis to estimate the direct and indirect impacts of the project on the market area, including outputs, increased earnings and employment.
Final Report & Presentation: Present the findings and recommendations of the business plan and deliver a final report including all findings and recommendations.
Here are the pieces to be completed by a physical planner.
Space Program: Develop a preliminary program of accommodation for renovated facilities describing major spaces and components, their size and capacities.
Order-of-Magnitude Budgets: Using the Space Program, prepare an order-of-magnitude budget for the renovation of facilities, based on the cost of developing similar projects around the country, and information obtained on development costs in the region.
Conceptual Design: Prepare rough sketches in plan and section showing the program, form and configuration of proposed facilities.
