Both featured concerts in The Dalles Summer Celebration series lost money, but promoters, most members of The Dalles City Council and Mayor Steve Lawrence are satisfied with the outcome.
Lawrence believes supporting the concerts was a good deal because the city was presented in a positive light, citizens were provided with entertainment and sales were boosted for local merchants.
“When you look at it, it cost the city about $16,000 to put on two large concerts,” he said. “That’s pretty darn good. That’s really something.”
In April, the city council voted 3-2 to authorize spending up to $96,500 to underwrite three concerts. In exchange, the city would receive all proceeds from ticket sales, while promoters Randy Haines and Nolan Hare would receive revenue from vendors, concessions, and parking receipts.
At the time, Hare and Haines set a goal of selling approximately 2,700 tickets for two shows at Lewis & Clark Festival Park, which can accommodate a crowd of 3,000 people.
In the end, however, ticket sales fell well short of the projected goal. For the July 3 show headlined by Country singer Dallas Smith, 942 tickets sold, and 784 tickets were sold for the Aug. 13 show, headlined by the Sceptre Brothers, Ants in the Kitchen, and Stone in Love, a Journey tribute band.
“We fell short,” Haines conceded in a report last week to The Dalles City Council. “We had hoped to break even on this (Aug. 13) show. It’s disappointing; however, I’m not discouraged by the number in attendance.”
According to Haines and Hare, ticket sales for the Aug. 13 concert brought in $14,070. However, the direct expenses to put on the show came to approximately $19,800, for a loss of $5,730.
The results for the July 3 show were similar. In the end, about $16,500 of the city’s $96,500 investment was spent to help cover shortfalls to put on the shows.
A third concert, a showcase for local performers and community members, that was scheduled for mid-September, was cancelled.
Despite the financial shortfall, Hare and Haines highlighted the benefits of the concerts in their presentation to the council.
Haines and Hare said they spent more than $16,500 for security, printing costs, and various infrastructure, such as lights, trussing, and fencing.
“Nolan and I spent over $21,000 on local businesses in the Columbia River Gorge, mainly in The Dalles,” Haines said. “That money went right back into our community. That’s $21,000 those businesses would not have acquired if we had not done these shows.”
Haines, who created and produced the “Neon Nights” concerts in The Dalles from 1997-2007, explained that, when he and Hare first came to the council to ask for financial support, making a profit was not a priority.
“We also indicated it shouldn’t be about money, but should be about positive experiences,” Haines said. “I don’t think attendance was a true gauge of those who are supportive of what we’re doing.”
City officials were hopeful the concerts would not only pay back the city’s investment, but also bring positive recognition to The Dalles, and boost tourism in the city to aid in economic development.
“There were a lot more visitors downtown through the summer, and transient room taxes showed an increase every month compared to last year and the year before,” Haines said. “I strongly feel our partnership had a lot to do with that. We helped to increase those numbers this year.”
Haines also believes the concerts helped increase attendance at the Cruise the Gorge car show in August.
“It’s all about partnering, and putting everything together with all of these wonderful possibilities to promote and support all of these signature events,” he said.
Outgoing council member Dan Spatz agreed.
“The concept is worthwhile, and my sense is that, as the event gains regional attention, it will gain fiscal strength,” Spatz said on Tuesday. “The city needs to at least break even on its investment, but the fact that didn't happen this first year is no reason to back away. Let's look at a revised marketing strategy for next year, and give the concerts time to establish themselves.”
Council member Russ Brown, who was one of the two “No” votes on
providing funding for the concerts, said he still had reservations about helping to fund the shows.
“It’s always been my belief that the government is responsible to provide basic services — sewer, water, police, fire, streets. Investing in entertainment is a worthwhile venture if all other things are fully funded, and they’re not.”
Brown stressed that he has no problem with the concerts themselves, but it’s simply a matter of priorities. “I just want the nuts and bolts of the city to be in better shape first,” he said.
Hare said he is optimistic about the prospects for next year based on this year’s “learning experience.”
“There are ways to make great events happen that don’t lose anyone any money,” Hare said. “We didn’t see the response from the attendance standpoint, but I’m already looking toward to next July 3 and 4.
“I’m not discouraged.”
Hare pointed out that the ticket sales gave him extra reason to be hopeful about the success of next year’s concerts.
“One of the things we were able to do is see where sales came in from,” he said. “There was a decent spike (of sales) from the Seattle area; some sales in California, Arizona, and from as far away as Wisconsin. The word definitely got out, and people definitely saw something happening.”
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