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New Year’s Eve bash at Corbin arena cancelled; only eight tickets sold
Posted On 30 Dec 2009
A special New Year’s Eve event at The Arena has been cancelled, and promoters are citing sluggish ticket sales as the main reason.
On Tuesday, Lisa Hopper, Officer Manager with THE ARENA at the David L. Williams Southeastern Kentucky Ag. And Expo Complex confirmed that the "Ultimate New Years Eve" event, set for Dec. 31, had been cancelled. Guests who obtained tickets for the event can get refunds at their original point of purchase.
The event was to feature Corbin native Tim Gore, an up-and-coming country music singer, and local band Cornbread Mafia as entertainment.
Mark Creech, President of Randmar Entertainment LLC., the local promotions company behind the event, said it just became financially problematic.
"We had tickets on sale for about a month and as of yesterday we had eight tickets sold," Creech said. "We might have had a big walk-up crowd but who knows … that was just a roll of the dice that we didn’t want to take."
Randmar was promoter for the recent "Legends of Rock" show at The Arena which featured musicians that looked and sounded like legendary rock performers. The group is also behind the upcoming American Freedoms Motorcycle Rally which will take place June 30 through July 4, 2010.
"It’s hard to really say what the problem is. I don’t know if it is the economy or what," Creech said. "Folks really need to try to support these shows and get some momentum back up and get some larger shows back in here. You have to establish some history with some smaller shows like this."
Creech said his company would not lose any money on the event.
"The Arena people have been super to work with," he said. "Our advertising money is about all we are out."
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I’ll tell you what happens if it rains.May 16,2009.Over 100 of us are there early for the Motley Crue concert.A very SEVERE thunderstorm hits Corbin and downpours at least 30 minutes.Rain so hard it was shooting off the roof like Cumberland Falls.Lightning hitting the ground all around the place.A very,very dangerous scenario.They came out to screen us with their magic security wands and as soon as the first drop hit the ground,the officials went in and shut the doors on us.So when it rains you stand out in it,that simple.There was enough room in the entrance area of the Arena to accomodate letting us in out of the severe weather.Needless to say,we voiced our opinions during that time.But like everything else that relates to the Arena,our complaints fell on deaf ears.
One: The New Years Bash was not properly advertised.
Two: Who wants to pay to hear unknown Rednecks; get a good well known DJ to play all genre of music.
Three: The economy is just an excuse; just look down the hill at Applebees. They have a packed house every night; whoever owns that place is making a killing.
The arena is a big flop like pratically every thing in Corbin due to poor planning. I was so disappointed the first time I went up there for the Circus; everything was disorganized. The crowd was wrapped around the outside of the building no one seemed to know where to go. What if it was rainning, it was bad enough that it was 90 degrees.
I was really shocked at the size. It had been so pumped up by the media I was planning on something wonderful. Its not really big enough to hold large events. The circus was a JOKE due to the area not big enough to have a real circus. I would never pay to see a truck pull in their; please.
I hope the land was free because way too much money was spent excaviting that spot to put in such a tiny arena. I wonder whose pocket or pockets got linned on that deal.
There were much better areas; what about the lots where Marine Meyers and Stidhams use to be or the old Corbin Drive In. Of course those areas would make too much sense. They are on the main road, level, room to expand in the future. I know they would have cost a little more but then again what does it cost to move a mountain.
Come to think of it; why arent those old car lots turned into a new Post Office; oh yeah, that would make too much sense; instead Marine Meyers lot is going to be used for the City Utilities; now thats a high profile business.
So say what you want in reality its nothing but POOR MANAGEMENT. I wonder how much our tax dollars are paying for that manager.
First I had heard of it…I know the economy is lbadright now, but seriously? This goes to show Advertising DOES bring business doesn’t it. Maybe you should try using some of that money you have and learn from this major mistake.
Mr. Creech:
I have noticed that the New Year’s event fell flat on it’s face, could it be due to the fact that the people running the Arenna are incopident and not senstive to the needs of the community. Being that the case, it apperes that they need to be replaced with someone with the knowledge of how generate sales. Then and only then with a little luck the place might start ot generate some decent revenue. Next on my things to do list the parking problem, the last time that I attended an event there was nowhere near enough parking, people were having to park under the hill, this appears to be a design flaw. Poor management and poor planning is the major problem, that should have been though threw well ahead, and maby this could have been prevented. I don’t about the rest of the world, but $8,000,000 is a waste if it’s just going to set there and rot away, it could have been used in a much better ways such as the flooding and drainage problems that Corbin has and don’t blame the economy.
It is also interesting that they pushed so hard to be able to sell alcohol,but they want to bring in events that are targeted more towards young audiences.Such as Disney on Ice,Elmo,motorcross,and monster trucks.The monster trucks were ok,but seriously there were only 4-5 trucks.The TNA wrestling was great,had a good crowd and everyone seemed to have a good time.Now we get to the concerts.All of the concerts were pretty successful as far as ticket sales.Is the concerts where the money is?Absolutely!!If the people in charge aren’t going to do any better than this,they need to be replaced by someone who understands the concept of “making money”.If not then the City of Corbin made a huge and costly mistake of building that big storage building on the hill.It is basically storing whats in it because the stuff in it is not being used because people aren’t really interested in what is going on there.People are spending money on things they want and like.So its not the economy.So the Arena officials need to decide on what is going to bring in the crowds with money instead of what the city officials families like.The old Corbin Civic Center could have been expanded and updated to accomadate shows like the Arena has scheduled for a lot less than $8,000,000.The parking was already better up there too.
I’ve been trying to tell the expo center in corbin IF they want people to come they need some GOOD ROCK IN ROLL BAND’S!!!! We all are not country listen folk’s I am a true Rock in Roller.. If Nibroc can get band’s like 38 Special, Starship, , The Outlaws, ect,, then why can’t the Arena in Corbin get good band’s???? Still waiting for good old rock in roll…..
Now i would like to see simon and garfunkel ,could it be possable to get these two great preformers and then let the public know well inadvance and maybe just maybe let the radio stations and the papers know when they can get their tickets and where how much .good advertising and public involvement will make it happen .
i agreed with you coy the arena should promote threw the radio stations and maybe even give away tickets to the listeners providing they get great proformers and not someone no one have ever heard of.Its called poor business not the economy Mr,creech and high ticket prices for a no name proformers.and bad viewing for the floors.advertise with radios and give away some tickets so people want to get involved ,you have to give in order to get .and with an 8 million dollars tax payers money wow whoes going to lose there.and we never got to vote on as tax payers.
The arena is poorely viewed when it comes to the floor tickets ,people standing and one cant see ,and if you advertise in a well timed manner ,and also get some good preformers well known not some wanna bees then tickets might make the sales.offer specials and stop making tax payers pay for city officals free tickets. who ever hear of cornbread mafia wow theres a winner with a crowd,hmmmm wonder why eight tickets were sold?anyone.
if they had actually gotten in someone we’ve actually heard of, we probably would have gotten tickets. who wants to pay money out to see someone that aren’t that good, or that they’ve never heard of?? get some more popular bands inthere and see don’t the house get packed!!
the arena,just 8 million dollars wasted !! great job corbin
The Arena is not doing a very good job when it comes to promoting any event that is being held there.Unless you visit the website you really don’t know what is going on.WE ROCK 102.7 in Williamsburg promoted the Motley Crue concert like crazy.Corbin stations didn’t.If the Arena is going to attract big names and bring in big money,they need to get with it and get everyone involved.
this is the first i have heard of the event and i listen to the radio at work all the time.