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Post by Jack Bauer on Oct 19, 2023 9:09:47 GMT -4
Interesting conversation happening lately on social media following a poorly attended concert @ C200. Fans of the country music artist Kip Moore were throwing C200 under the bus for the lack of promotion around his recent show. Many people, and rightfully so, blamed the local promoter. Arguing that ultimately promoters pay for the buildings and put their own marketing behind their event to try and sell it. There is another upcoming concert in early December also selling poorly with very little promotion. A newer Canadian rock band The Glorious Sons. Not here to argue which act should sell more....I'd argue both should be at the HAT or Savoy...but doing a little digging into social media of different arenas shows a pretty telling story. We all know Halifax is the heart of the region and province. Scotiabank Centre is the biggest arena. But if you take the Halifax Forum out for most major things...C200 in Sydney is the 2nd biggest arena. Then you get into the smaller Jr A buildings around the province in places like Truro, Yarmouth, Bridgewater. But here's what is interesting: Go look at the Facebook pages the these buildings: Scotiabank in Halifax: www.facebook.com/ScotiabankCtrRath Center in Truro: www.facebook.com/RathEastlinkCCMariners Centre in Yarmouth: www.facebook.com/marinerscentreLunenburg County Lifestyle Centre in Bridgewater: www.facebook.com/lclcnsC200 in Sydney: www.facebook.com/pages/Center-200/1643928702411725 different venues. All of different sizes. All benefit from more people attending events in the buildings. Concesssions are likely the key way any are generating revenue beyond the rental prices for the buildings so the more people attending means more money the building makes so there is an incentive in the building to participate. If you looked at the 5 facebook pages here's what you noticed: C200 has no official page. The leadership of the building are literally doing nothing on social media to promote events. We're a small place. Sometimes refusing to adapt with the times. In this case the buildings leadership has a history of making very poor decisions and refusing to adapt with the times in other areas of business. But this whole thing is for me to ask this question: Why are Truro, Yarmouth, and Bridgewater ALL using social media to promote the events in their building under an official page meaning staff are daily if not multiple times per day using social media for reminders of upcoming events and our people are literally doing absolutely nothing but being landlords and providing zero additional promotional efforts? You can argue we're not Halifax. But you can never argue that 3 Jr. A markets should be making us look like we're in the Jr. B league promotion wise. This ties right into our dysfunctional municipal politics in the bigger picture but seeing what smaller building are doing with less resources is extremely frustrating. We're literally making no effort at all.....like not even enough to create an official page....that part is simply mind blowing in 2023.
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Post by islander19 on Oct 19, 2023 14:52:02 GMT -4
You’re completely right…the fact that a “major building” doesn’t even have a Facebook page in 2023 is actually insane.
It would be bad enough to have one and not post anything on it…but not even having a page. I’m in my mid twenties, and I know any time I check for an event, etc I’m going looking for the venue FB page before using google or any other social media.
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Post by sherwood1020 on Oct 19, 2023 17:26:45 GMT -4
I've see this weird aggression on Facebook it feels like every day about something.
This scenario is kind of a three pronged shit fork, we're coupling a venue who still thinks terrestrial radio and the newspaper is still a viable source of advertising, and a C+ Level country singer who in the grand scheme of things, isn't going to be capable of selling out a 4500+ seat arena when you factor in floor seating.
The big third prong is the concert was smack in the middle of the week, when the usual people who like to go out to shows and have some drinks on the weekend are all going to work the next morning.
Everything about this concert was kind of doomed to fail from the beginning, but everyone will get on Facebook and complain the sky is falling and think we will never get another musical act here ever again because a minor name in the country scene sold hardly any tickets.
Boney M came here last year before Christmas and it was pretty well sold out, and they're coming back again this year, so it really depends on the act performing I think.
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Post by jamesnorris on Oct 20, 2023 10:41:05 GMT -4
"Chicken? Chicken. Chicken? Chicken. Chicken? Chicken."
What an amazing night of comedy the C200 is in store for!
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Post by Mika on Oct 20, 2023 10:45:57 GMT -4
I've never been to C200. Is it a bowl-like arena like a place like Avenir centre, or a walk up like Charlottetown?
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Post by Jack Bauer on Oct 20, 2023 10:52:43 GMT -4
I've see this weird aggression on Facebook it feels like every day about something. This scenario is kind of a three pronged shit fork, we're coupling a venue who still thinks terrestrial radio and the newspaper is still a viable source of advertising, and a C+ Level country singer who in the grand scheme of things, isn't going to be capable of selling out a 4500+ seat arena when you factor in floor seating. The big third prong is the concert was smack in the middle of the week, when the usual people who like to go out to shows and have some drinks on the weekend are all going to work the next morning. Everything about this concert was kind of doomed to fail from the beginning, but everyone will get on Facebook and complain the sky is falling and think we will never get another musical act here ever again because a minor name in the country scene sold hardly any tickets. Boney M came here last year before Christmas and it was pretty well sold out, and they're coming back again this year, so it really depends on the act performing I think. I wasn't going to get into this aspect of it...but since you ripped the band aid off .... Ultimately good artists sell. What is "good" is personal preference. I've seen Blue Rodeo...at the stage by the fiddle back in "rock the dock" days...at C200...and the Savoy They can sell C200...but its a much better experience in the smaller venue. These newer artists who get little to no local radio play and have little to no local influence should not be trying to sell 6000 seat arenas. After the initial ticket sales how did they not look for a smaller venue or just cancel the show? That aspect is just terrible planning. Bryan Adams comes here and sells 4000 tickets without any extra promotion because his music appeals to the generation who has disposable income. I don't think that generation knows who Kip Moore or The Glorious Sons really are as artists. And before people pull the "concerts USED to sell here..." In 1997ish the Tragically Hip came here and sold out C200. 5-6 years later they came back and there was barely 3000 people. The time after that they were outdoors at CBU. Legendary Canadian rock bands in their prime can't necessarily sell out in our region. Why do people expect a newer country/rock artist with limited air play to move any more then a Jimmy Rankin or other well known regional act who plays smaller venues?
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Post by Jack Bauer on Oct 20, 2023 10:55:34 GMT -4
I've never been to C200. Is it a bowl-like arena like a place like Avenir centre, or a walk up like Charlottetown? Its a full lower bowl with say 1/2 of the lower bowl having an upper bowl behind it on 1 side of the lower bowl and the other side has the private boxes and press area. You probably have about 3200 seats in the lower bowl and 1500-1800 in the upper bowl. For many concerts they will curtain off the upper bowl and just sell the lower bowl. Or curtain off the upper bowl and do a half of a lower bowl alignment for more of an intimate 2000ish person show.
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Post by Mika on Oct 20, 2023 10:58:17 GMT -4
I've never been to C200. Is it a bowl-like arena like a place like Avenir centre, or a walk up like Charlottetown? Its a full lower bowl with say 1/2 of the lower bowl having an upper bowl behind it on 1 side of the lower bowl and the other side has the private boxes and press area. You probably have about 3200 seats in the lower bowl and 1500-1800 in the upper bowl. For many concerts they will curtain off the upper bowl and just sell the lower bowl. Or curtain off the upper bowl and do a half of a lower bowl alignment for more of an intimate 2000ish person show. So walking in you're kinda in the middle of the two then. That would appeal to a lot of artists performing. I know when Elton John performed here on PEI, that was the winning factor to him going to Summerside instead of Charlottetown. They obviously need to hire better people at C200 and get with modern times with advertising.
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Post by Score on Oct 20, 2023 10:59:05 GMT -4
I've been to C200 twice. I feel it's a great facility to watch a hockey game. Much better then the Eastlink Centre here in Charlottetown.
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Post by Jack Bauer on Oct 20, 2023 11:00:39 GMT -4
Its a full lower bowl with say 1/2 of the lower bowl having an upper bowl behind it on 1 side of the lower bowl and the other side has the private boxes and press area. You probably have about 3200 seats in the lower bowl and 1500-1800 in the upper bowl. For many concerts they will curtain off the upper bowl and just sell the lower bowl. Or curtain off the upper bowl and do a half of a lower bowl alignment for more of an intimate 2000ish person show. So walking in you're kinda in the middle of the two then. That would appeal to a lot of artists performing. I know when Elton John performed here on PEI, that was the winning factor to him going to Summerside instead of Charlottetown. They obviously need to hire better people at C200 and get with modern times with advertising. Yes you walk in and need to go down stairs to the lower bowl or walk up stairs to the upper bowl. We're also tied to a casino that you would think would offer some cross promotion opportunities but there's nothing happening there. Elton played here on that tour as well. I had floor seats. Phenomenal concert...once in a lifetime for a small place like ours.
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Post by jamesnorris on Oct 20, 2023 11:04:27 GMT -4
tbh I've been to all of the QMJHL arenas and C200, until recently, was one of the better ones. I say until recently because a number of QMJHL teams got new arenas like Moncton, Gatineau, etc. and a 40 year old rink isn't going to compete with brand new.
It just seems like any event that happens there, every possible corner is cut and the end product suffers.
It's classic Cape Breton really. We want X, Y, and Z but we don't want to put in the money or work.
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Post by jamesnorris on Oct 20, 2023 11:05:35 GMT -4
So walking in you're kinda in the middle of the two then. That would appeal to a lot of artists performing. I know when Elton John performed here on PEI, that was the winning factor to him going to Summerside instead of Charlottetown. They obviously need to hire better people at C200 and get with modern times with advertising. Yes you walk in and need to go down stairs to the lower bowl or walk up stairs to the upper bowl. We're also tied to a casino that you would think would offer some cross promotion opportunities but there's nothing happening there. Elton played here on that tour as well. I had floor seats. Phenomenal concert...once in a lifetime for a small place like ours. When people hear there's a casino attached to the C200, they never picture 1 big room full of slot machines and not much else.
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Post by Mika on Oct 20, 2023 11:07:48 GMT -4
tbh I've been to all of the QMJHL arenas and C200, until recently, was one of the better ones. I say until recently because a number of QMJHL teams got new arenas like Moncton, Gatineau, etc. and a 40 year old rink isn't going to compete with brand new. It just seems like any event that happens there, every possible corner is cut and the end product suffers. It's classic Cape Breton really. We want X, Y, and Z but we don't want to put in the money or work. It's too bad since that'll ultimately lead to you losing the team when people get frustrated and don't show up anymore.
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Post by hal on Oct 20, 2023 11:09:53 GMT -4
Its a full lower bowl with say 1/2 of the lower bowl having an upper bowl behind it on 1 side of the lower bowl and the other side has the private boxes and press area. You probably have about 3200 seats in the lower bowl and 1500-1800 in the upper bowl. For many concerts they will curtain off the upper bowl and just sell the lower bowl. Or curtain off the upper bowl and do a half of a lower bowl alignment for more of an intimate 2000ish person show. So walking in you're kinda in the middle of the two then. That would appeal to a lot of artists performing. I know when Elton John performed here on PEI, that was the winning factor to him going to Summerside instead of Charlottetown. They obviously need to hire better people at C200 and get with modern times with advertising. Any chance you can come to Sydney for a CBRM Council Meeting . They truly believe they have the Best Guy on the Island running C200 . I remember speaking to a Former Councillor who was on Council when the current manager was hired and you would think that he was hired away from Madison Square Garden in NYC with the praise that he was heaping on him .Remember he admitted that he didn't know that he had to apply to Hockey Canada to host Pre Tournament Games for the World Junior's ....................must of thought they would call him ....
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Post by Jack Bauer on Oct 20, 2023 11:39:45 GMT -4
Yes you walk in and need to go down stairs to the lower bowl or walk up stairs to the upper bowl. We're also tied to a casino that you would think would offer some cross promotion opportunities but there's nothing happening there. Elton played here on that tour as well. I had floor seats. Phenomenal concert...once in a lifetime for a small place like ours. When people hear there's a casino attached to the C200, they never picture 1 big room full of slot machines and not much else. Yeah thats true. Not near what it used to be with live dealers and a real casino feel. Now you might as well be playing your slots at Ziggy's or the Bonnie.
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