Kent’s ShoWare Center is projected to draw a record-setting 400,000 people this year to more than 195 events, another record high since the city-owned facility opened in 2009.
About 50,000 of those people will walk through the arena doors during the 12 shows of Disney on Ice’s “Frozen” from Nov. 11-16.
“We have sold more than 35,000 tickets and we have capacity for 50,000,” ShoWare general manager Tim Higgins said about Disney on Ice during a report at the city’s Public Facilities District meeting on Oct. 29. “It will sell out.”
The arena drew 370,015 people through its doors in 2014 after hitting 381,159 in 2011.
Despite the large attendance numbers and events this year, the arena continues to lose money. But the financial losses are much less than what SMG, the arena operators, had projected for 2015.
The arena lost $391,383 through the first nine months, according to ShoWare’s income statement on Sept. 30. That’s $144,171 lower than the projected losses of $535,555 through the third quarter. Disney’s big crowds should help the bottom line even more when SMG releases the 2015 income statement early next year.
The amount of rental income is up $122,576 from budget through the third quarter while food and beverage revenue is up $17,254.
SMG has lined up more concerts than it anticipated – including seven in the last few months – and those concerts help boost revenue at the $84.5 million arena.
Ben Wolters, city economic and community development director, said SMG will submit a proposal in the next month or two to the city’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee to use funds to market the ShoWare Center.
“We have put a lot of stuff in place to what is turning out to be a very good year,” Wolters said. “We are looking going forward to take that success and market it more broadly.”
Wolters said funds from the city’s lodging tax on hotels could be used to spread the word about the ShoWare Center, which he added many people outside of the Kent area still don’t know about.
“It’s a marquee regional facility gaining real traction and one of the key ways we attract positive attention to our economy,” Wolters said. “It’s becoming one of our calling cards and we are going to take advantage of that with our proposal. We are trying to build off this positive momentum and expand on it.”
ShoWare Notes: Higgins told the Public Facilities District board about plans to replace the arena lights with LED lights at a cost of about $145,000. That money will come from a capital expense fund set up by a 10-year loan of $500,000 from SMG to the city. The 66 new lights will provide more robust lighting, Higgins said, as well as eventually save on costs by using less energy. …Within the next six weeks or so, the arena will feature new digital menu boards at concession stands. That project will cost about $38,000 from the same loan fund. The menu boards have been shown at other venues to help increase sales.
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