2011 - Romeo Entertainment Group

Transcription

FALL 2011
The Romeo Reporter
Disaster Strikes
Tornado and Floods
Free Shows Pay Off
Record Attendance & Revenue
Summer Sellouts
Checkout Successful Events
PAGE 1 | THE ROMEO REPORTER | FALL 2011
ROMEO Entertainment GROUP
DISASTER STRIKES
North Dakota State Fair
The city of Minot, North Dakota, home to the North Dakota
State Fair, experienced the worst devastation in its history
in the summer of 2011 when the Souris River flooded. More
than 11,000 of the city’s 41,000 residents were displaced due
to the flooding.
The fair first became aware of the impending flood on June
20. In the days before the flood hit, a professional company
was hired to build a 14-foot dike around the State Fair Center
and new $15 million grandstand (just built in 2010), to protect them from the flood waters. The office staff was forced
to pack up their computers and files and move to the Minot
Convention and Visitors’ Bureau for three weeks. Other State
Fair employees stayed and worked around the clock to keep
pumps running on the grounds. They were able to keep the
State Fair Center and Grandstand dry, and fair officials were
determined to still hold the fair that was to start on July 22. In
early July, it was announced that the fair would go on, but on
a scaled-back level, since parts of the fairground were under
water. Soon it became apparent that despite all their efforts,
even a scaled back fair would not be possible as the flood
waters were receding slower than expected. On July 9th, the
fair was canceled for 2011.
The North Dakota State Fair Center is protected by a 14-foot dike while surrounded by flood waters.
Mother Nature wreaked havoc
across the Midwest and Great
Plains states this summer. Here
are three examples of how the
weather impacted the summer
for REG and our clients.
Boomtown Days
Boomtown Days is a three-day festival that takes place each
June at the historic Landreth Park in Joplin, Missouri. The
event includes a variety of vendors, kid’s activities, contests,
food, and concerts each evening featuring several regional
and national artists. On May 22, three weeks before the 2011
Boomtown Days was to take place, a horrific tornado swept
through the city of Joplin. It was the deadliest tornado in the
United States since 1947. According to The Red Cross, 25% of
Joplin was destroyed, including 2,000 buildings. 162 people
lost their lives in the tornado, and 990 were injured.
THE ROMEO REPORTER | FALL 2011 | PAGE 2
At the time of the cancellation, concert tickets were selling
very well, making the cancelation even more disappointing
for both fair officials and fair fans. The concert line-up included Lady Antebellum, Toby Keith, Kid Rock, and more. The Kid
Rock concert had already sold approximately 10,500 and was
on track to possibly set a record. 9,200 tickets were already
sold for the country show package. The fair will try to re-book
as many of the concert acts as possible for 2012 and will find
replacements for the others.
Flood waters have now receded and the fair has repaired several buildings. There are still 18 damaged buildings that will
need to be repaired. Most of the work that has been done
and that will still need to be done is electrical. The fairgrounds
have already hosted some big events since the flood, including a benefit concert put on by The Black Eyed Peas on Sep-
Boomtown Days was immediately canceled for 2011. The
grounds for the festival were not affected by the tornado,
but the entire community was immersed in recovery operations and dealing with the aftermath of the deadly twister.
About 30 days later, the Boomtown Days committee members reassessed the situation and decided to reschedule the
event for late August. Patrick Tuttle, Entertainment Chair for
Boomtown Days, explained that is was important to hold the
festival “to provide normalcy, to give volunteers a chance to
breathe, and a chance to hug their neighbors.” Boomtown
Days took place on August 25-27 with a “Restore Joplin”
theme. The festival was able to re-book two of its headline
acts, including Blues Traveler and Diamond Rio.
John Popper of Blues Traveler poses with a fan and a “Restore Joplin”
shirt at Boomtown Days.
tember 3rd in the Grandstand and the five-day Norsk Hostfest festival. Most importantly, the fair will be back next year,
stronger than ever!
The REG office became an island for most of the summer.
Romeo Entertainment Group
Office Relocates
As the water levels continued to rise on the Missouri River,
REG staff members spent June 2nd and 3rd packing up their
offices. Since 2000, the REG office has been located a few
miles northeast of Omaha, Nebraska, just a few hundred
yards from where Interstates 29 and 680 meet, and about 4.5
miles from the “Mighty Mo.” By the end of May, the Missouri
River continued to reach record heights and the Army Corp
of Engineers predicted flooding for many locations in Iowa
and Nebraska, including the area where the REG office sits.
The REG staff packed their computers, files, desks, and other
equipment and moved to a new office space in northwest
Omaha. The office headquarters will remain in this location
until all the damage can be assessed at the old location.
As of late September, the flood waters have receded and it is
possible to drive to the office, albeit by a much longer route.
Water did not reach the main floor of the office building, but
6 to 8 feet of water sat in the basement for most of the summer causing extreme mold growth and structural damage as
well as a complete loss of many items, such as furniture that
was being stored on the lower level. The Interstate 29 and
680 interchange, which is used by all staff members to reach
the office, was reduced to huge slabs of broken concrete.
Road crews are currently working around the clock to repair
this key transportation route. The REG staff will keep everyone informed as decisions are made regarding a permanent
office location. For now we can be found at 5247 N. 129th
Street in Omaha.
Free Shows Pay Off
Remembering Larry Gerlach
Country artist Jerrod Niemann with special guest Thompson Square drew about 6,000 people. Ted Nugent drew
approximately 6,500. A show with Tracy Lawrence and
special guest Steel Magnolia ended up getting canceled
due to weather, but about 4,000 people showed up before
the show was called. Rock act Hinder drew almost 8,000
fans.
“It was the best fair ever as far as revenue,” according to
Beal. The Sioux Empire fair definitely plans to keep this format in the future.
A crowd of 10,000 gathered for a free concert by Eric Church at The
Lane County Fair in Eugene, Oregon.
Fairs are continuing to find success by changing their ticketing format. Two more REG clients recently abandoned
the concept of having hard ticketed shows and started
hosting concerts where all or some tickets are free with
paid gate admission to the fair. The strategy is increasing
crowds and revenue for fairs and leaving customers feeling more satisfied with their fair experience.
The Sioux Empire Fair in Sioux Falls, South Dakota decided
to try free shows after listening to a round table discussion
about it at last year’s IAFE convention. The fair had been
doing four hard-ticketed concerts during the fair, but they
were only drawing about 2,500 people per night, leaving
a lot of empty seats in a grandstand arena that boasts a
capacity of more than 10,000.
The fair decided to sell affordable tickets for the most desirable areas of the venue – the standing room only area in
front of the stage and the first several rows of the grandstand, but to make the rest of the seats free with paid admission to the fair. For $10, fans could buy a ticket for the
standing room only area and $20 bought a V.I.P. ticket that
included a seat in the grandstand and access to a V.I.P.-only
bar.
Jo Beal, Interim Fair Manager for the Sioux Empire Fair, admitted that it was hard to communicate the change to the
public at first. She said that first people thought they were
kidding because concerts in the grandstand were never
free in the past. She explained that it took a lot of work
to get the message out to consumers about how the new
format would work, but it paid off.
The Lane County Fair in Eugene, Oregon has a similar story.
This was the event’s second year of trying free shows. The
fair does not have a permanent concert venue. The outdoor area designated for concerts is gated, but the stage is
still visible from the rest of the fairgrounds. A lot of people
were choosing not to buy a ticket, but were still watching
the concerts from just outside the gates. The fair decided
to steer away from ticketed shows and make the shows
free with gate admission. This would allow all fair patrons
to enjoy the concerts and provide added value to the admission fee.
Like The Sioux Empire Fair, The Lane County Fair typically
drew 2,000 to 2,500 people for each concert in the past
when the shows were ticketed. In 2011, approximately
10,000 fans came for the Eric Church concert. Another
3,500 were present for Creedence Clearwater Revisited.
A third show by Tommy Tutone only drew a few hundred,
but overall the free format is a hit for fans.
There was a demand for seats for artists such as Eric Church.
So next year the fairs plans to add in some reserved V.I.P.
tickets for a fee, but keep the concerts free for the majority
of fair-goers.
Rachel Bivens, Director of Marketing and Sales for the Lane
County Fair, explained how the free concerts have been
beneficial for the overall fair. “We have seen a direct correlation between the caliber of entertainment and the ancillary revenues (for the fair),” she stated. “Bigger concerts
tend to bring in a population that might not otherwise attend the fair, increasing gate admission. As the shows are
after the dinner hour, many concert goers come right after
work, sit, have dinner, and then buy beverages during the
show.”
A sign commemorates the new Larry Gerlach Grandstand at the Brown County Fair.
Romeo Entertainment Group lost a long-time friend and client on February 7, 2011 when Larry Gerlach, manager of the
Brown County Fair in Aberdeen, South Dakota, passed away
suddenly. Gerlach was 64 years old and is survived by his
wife, Susan, two children, Amy and Alvin, and two grandsons.
Gerlach started as a member of the Brown County fair board
in the 1980s. He went on to become fair board president, and
in 1992, he became manager of the fair. Gerlach served as
President of the South Dakota Association of Fairs from 1997
to 2001 and was inducted into the Fairman’s Hall of Fame in
2003.
During his time as fair manager, Gerlach was a leading advocate of bringing big-name entertainment to the fair. He was
dedicated to providing a quality, affordable fair for the community. Under Gerlach’s leadership, the Brown County Fair
became one of the largest fairs in the Dakotas.
stand the fair industry, which helped make me a better talent
buyer. I could bounce an idea off him and his answers always
came with an explanation that gave me better insight into
the fair business.”
Gerlach’s accomplishments were honored at the 2011 Brown
County Fair. In a ceremony held during the fair, U.S. Senator
John Thune read a list of Gerlach’s accomplishments and presented a copy of the list to Susan Gerlach. The list had been
entered into congressional record by Thune earlier in the year.
In another ceremony, the fair’s grandstand was re-named the
“Larry Gerlach Grandstand.”
Perhaps the most fitting tribute of all was the number of people that attended the fair. The Brown County Fair’s concerts
had the highest attendance ever in 2011.
Gerlach’s assistant, Amy Scott, was named Interim Fair Manager for the 2011 fair and was recently officially hired as the
new manager for the fair. Scott says that she misses Larry every day, especially his sense of humor. Scott worked as Gerlach’s assistant for three years.
“He taught me a lot of things,” said Scott. “It sometimes felt
like I was with him 24 hours a day. He told me the ins and outs
of the fair.” Scott also said that what Gerlach loved most was
to see smiles on the faces of children at the fair.
REG’s Fran Romeo considered Larry both a friend and a mentor. “Larry was not just one of my first clients, he was a close
personal friend,” shared Romeo. “He really helped me under-
Larry Gerlach
ASK the CLIENTS
The Kids
Are Alright
Which Country song title best describes you or your event?
“Here For a Good Time” by George Strait
“Where Corn Don’t Grow” by Waylon Jennings
– Bob Fox, Mississippi Valley Fair
– Mark Schilling, Corn Palace Festival
“This Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad” by Tammy Wynette
“You Find Out Who Your Friends Are”
– Harold Phillips, Douglas County Fair
– Julie Hammer, Sioux Empire Fair
“Hell Yeah” by Montgomery Gentry or for the more conservative attendee, “Six Pack Summer.”
“Here For a Good Time”
– Chris Miller, Genesee County Fair
– Scott Smith, Burlington Steamboat Days
“Alaskan Women” by Jim Boyd
Selena Gomez belts out a song before a sold-out crowd at the Colorado State Fair.
Finding an act to please the fickle tastes of the “Tween” crowd
can be a real challenge, but when those acts are booked
there’s sure to be a box office boom. REG was happy to find
and book of slew of dates with two of those acts this year,
Selena Gomez and Big Time Rush.
Selena Gomez is Disney’s newest “it’ girl. The nineteen-yearold Gomez has starred in the Disney series “Wizards of Waverly Place” since 2007. She has also acted in about a dozen films,
including a starring role in the 2011 film Monte Carlo. She recorded songs in the past as part of her TV and movie roles,
and some of those songs were played on The Disney Channel. In 2009, she officially formed her band, Selena Gomez &
The Scene. The band has sold more than 1,400,000 albums.
REG booked shows with Gomez at Werner Park in Papillion,
Nebraska, The Colorado State Fair in Pueblo, and The Oregon
State Fair in Salem. All three shows were completely sold out.
band performs original music in every episode. Big Time Rush
(often referred to as BTR) released its first album in 2010 and
it went gold. A new album will be coming out in November
of 2011.
REG booked Big Time Rush for the Jackson County Fair in
Central Point, Oregon, the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson,
Kansas, and also for a show next spring as part of a larger promotional deal with Crush (the soft drink company).
“The single best entertainment decision made for Jackson
County Fair was the recruitment of Big Time Rush by Romeo
Entertainment Group,” said Dave Koellermeier, Jackson County Fair Manager. “That decision got us record crowds, revenue
and new attendees to our venue. It gave us differentiation
versus other venues.”
– Cheryl Marrow, Wind River Casino
– Sandra Hawke, MontanaFair
Billy Currington’s “God is Great, Beer is Good and People are
Crazy.”
When things aren’t quite falling into place, I feel like “Jesus,
Take the Wheel” because “It Happens”!
– Amy Robbins, Lewis and Clark County Fair
- Stephanie La Torre, Lucky 7 Casino
Shannon came up with a great song for the North Dakota
State Fair. After all of our challenges this year, it still is “It’s a
Great Day to Be Alive” by Travis Tritt.
That’s an easy one for the Clark County Fair: “Red Necks,
White Socks, and Blue Ribbon Beer!” by Hank Thompson
“Selena Gomez performed an incredible show to a sold-out
house of 8,700 this year at the Oregon State Fair,” explained
Eric Marcuse, Oregon State Fair Entertainment Producer. “The
heightened interest in this show really paid off for the fair and
its patrons. Not only were the ticket revenues strong, but the
ancillary revenues associated with merchandise, concessions
and carnival were substantial. This show really hit a home run
with the fair’s goal to provide wholesome entertainment to
the next generation of fair loyalists!”
Big Time Rush is a made-for-TV band with its own TV series of
the same name on Nickelodeon. The show was just renewed
for a third season. The show’s creator admits being inspired
by The Monkees from the 1960s and the show operates in a
similar musical comedy format. Nickelodeon partnered with
Columbia/Epic Label Group to produce the show and the
MontanaFair: “If I (We) Ain’t Got It, You Don’t Need It.” (Positioning statement) “High Cost of Low Living” (explanation to
those who complain about the price of tickets/rides/food/or
anything at all!) “Who’s Gonna Take the Garbage Out When
I’m Dead And Gone?” (Nightly comment by G.M. Bill Dutcher
as the fair shuts down just after midnight.) “My Head Hurts,
My Feet Stink, and I Don’t Love Jesus” (Sung in four part
harmony by MontanaFair staff on Sunday morning when the
fair is over and they still need to turn up at work to clean up
and help exhibitors pick up their stuff. Usually accompanied
by copious amounts of warm stale beer left in kegs from the
night before).
“The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends” by
Robert Earl Keen…not because we sell drugs or fight in bars
but because the CSF has been here for years with a lot of
ups and down and we just keep coming back, missing only
one year in 1917…and of course the party never ends at the
Colorado State Fair.
– Dani Griffith, Colorado State Fair
– Renae Korslien, North Dakota State Fair
– Justin Kobluk, Clark County Fair
“Country Fair” by Lonestar
– Debbie Donk, Evergreen State Fair
“Keepin’ It Country” by Jake Owen
– Lennis Moore, Midwest Old Threshers
Knox County has to be “What Do You Want” by Jerrod Niemann
– Jerry Nipp, Knox County Fair
Big Time Rush entertains the crowd at its Jackson County Fair
show in Central Point, Oregon.
We have a tie: “Momma, Jesus and the Devil” by Jackson
Taylor Band and “(Sittin’ in the Parking Lot) Finger on the
Trigger” by Brandon Jenkins.
– Connie Hilger, Dawson County Fair
In spite of everything Joplin has been through in 2011, with
the fact we literally pulled some of our planning committee
out of the ruins and lost one member to the devastation, our
title choice would be, “Jesus Take the Wheel.”
– Patrick Tuttle, Boomtown Days
Summer Sell-Outs
The Show Must Go On
REG is proud to announce that several of our clients were able to boast of completely soldout shows this summer. Here is a recap of those shows:
Artist: Sara Evans
Venue: Cattlemen’s Ball - West Point, NE
Date: 6/4/11
Attendance: 3,000
Artist: Jason Aldean with special guests Mark Chesnutt &
Thompson Square
Venue: Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, WY
Date: 7/23/11
Attendance: 21,505
Artist: Eric Church
Venue: Adams County Fair – Hastings, NE
Date: 7/29/11
Attendance: 5,000
Artist: Zac Brown Band with Blackberry Smoke & Sonia Leigh
Venue: Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, WY
Date: 7/29/11
Attendance: 21,505
Artist: Eric Church
Venue: Montana State Fair – Great Falls, MT
Date: 8/1/11
Attendance: 6,200
Artist: Dierks Bentley
Venue: Richland County Fair – Sidney, MT
Date: 8/6/11
Attendance: 3,000
The Newsboys perform at the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden.
Eric Church performs before a sold-out crowd at the Adams County
Fair in Hastings, Nebraska.
Artist: Selena Gomez with special guest Allstar Weekend
Venue: Werner Park – Papillion, NE
Date: 8/12/11
Attendance: 9,000
Artist: Josh Turner with special guest The Band Perry
Venue: Corn Palace Festival – Mitchell, SD
Date: 8/24/11
Attendance: 3,141
Artist: Selena Gomez with special guest Allstar Weekend
Venue: Colorado State Fair Event Center – Pueblo, CO
Date: 9/3/11
Attendance: 7,163
Opening act Blackberry Smoke warmed up a sell-out crowd at Cheyenne Frontier Days for the Zac Brown Band show.
Artist: Selena Gomez
Venue: Oregon State Fair – Salem, OR
Date: 9/5/11
Attendance: 8,773
Northwest Washington Fair manager, Jim Baron, had
never dealt with an artist cancelation in his eight years
of being fair manager. In 2011, he had two artist cancelations happen within two weeks of each other, and both
cancelations occurred during the month of the fair.
In this case, the cancelations could not be prevented.
Country legend Loretta Lynn was forced to cancel her
August 18th show because she needed to have knee surgery. Christian group MercyMe canceled its performance
just two days before the August 17th show date because
the lead singer had a death in his family.
Artist cancelations are always a dreadful thing to deal
with in show business, but even more so for fairs and
festivals, because they must provide programming during the fair and often already have the production for a
concert in place. This means finding a replacement in a
timely manner. REG Talent Buyer, Fran Romeo, was able
to do just that, and she was able to find replacement artists that were similar in genre and equal in appeal to the
ones that canceled. Tanya Tucker was booked to replace
Loretta Lynn within two days of the cancelation, and REG
was able to get Christian act Newsboys to fly in and play
the fair in Lynden, Washington, on what was supposed to
be a day off for the band.
The fair was forced to refund some tickets, but most people chose to keep their tickets and attend the new shows.
Some fair-goers even stated that they preferred the new
artists that were booked. Fair manager Jim Baron said
most people were amazed at how quickly the fair was
able to book artists of equal caliber.
“We couldn’t have done it without Romeo Entertainment,” stated Baron “If we weren’t convinced of the importance of having a talent buyer before this, we are now.
When Fran called us about the cancelations, she already
had information about other acts that were available to
fill in.”
Romeo was also grateful for how it turned out.
“I’m so glad we were able to find good replacement acts
in a short period of time,” stated Fran. “I think it lessened
the burden on Jim and the Northwest Washington Fair
and that’s an important part of my job as a talent buyer.”
Joe Nichols performs at The Lewis & Clark County
Fair in Montana.
REG’s Bogie poses with Country artist Tracy Lawrence and
Stan Benis, Operations Manager for the CenturyLink Center
in Omaha, during The River City Rodeo.
Joan Jett enjoys performing at The Jackson County Fair
in Oregon.
Josh Kelley takes time for a photo with members of The
Grays Harbor County Fair Board in Elma, Washington.
The Beach Boys on stage at The Colorado State Fair.
American Idol alum Crystal Bowersox performs at The Triple
Crown Sparkler in Denver.
Mike Eli of the Eli Young Band gets into the show at The
Adams County Fair in Nebraska.
Classic rockers REO Speedwagon trade guitar licks at The
Montana State Fair.
Dierks Bentley takes a photo with Serenity, the daughter of Richland County Fair
Manager Jamie Larson, before his show.
2011 Photo Memories
Chris Daughtry shakes hands with the front row as he sings at Divots in Norfolk, Nebraska.
David Nail performs at The New Mexico State Fair.
Three Days Grace rock the house at MetraPark in Billings
during The MontanaFair.
Jerrod Niemann plays a uniquely-decorated guitar
while performing at The Logan County Fair in
Colorado.
Frankie Ballard looks at home on stage at
The Brown County Fair in South Dakota.
Dierks Bentley entertains at The Clark County Fair in
Washington.
Uncle Kracker cracks a smile during his show
at The Red River Valley Fair in Fargo, North
Dakota.
Zac Brown peers out at the sold-out crowd during the
show at Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Jake Owen plays with the crowd at The Old Threshers
Reunion in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.
Artist Spotlight: The Band Perry
Find out why The Band
Perry is this year’s “Artist to
Watch.”
REG staff member Katie Kinderknecht was able to catch The
Band Perry’s performance at The Nebraska State Fair in Grand
Island, where the The Band Perry played to a full house. “The
Band Perry sounded great live,” said Kinderknecht. “Their vocal harmonies are amazing, and it’s a high-energy show. Not
only that, but the group is very easy to work with, so it was a
great day.”
The Eric Church
Phenomenon
Hastings, Nebraska, Church’s tour manager said he felt overwhelmed as the audience sang along and seemed to know
the words to every song – songs that were just released three
days earlier and had never received airplay. This was the second year in a row that the Adams County Fair booked Church,
and they hope to have him perform again next year.
Church, a 34 year-old North Carolina native, seems to have a
cult following across the entire western half of the country,
including the six venues that REG booked this summer.
The Band Perry is making their mark in country music. All four
songs the group has released have been Top 20 singles, including the chart-crossing #1 single, “If I Die Young.” The band
also made their mark at fairs and festivals across the country
this summer. Romeo Entertainment Group booked 11 dates
with The Band Perry in 2011, and all were successful shows.
Every REG venue that hosted the group reported above average ticket sales and attendance numbers.
Events that hosted concerts by The Band Perry included
the Brown County Fair (Aberdeen, SD), The Chase County
Fair (Imperial, NE), Trails West! Festival (St. Joseph, MO), The
Corn Palace Festival (Mitchell, SD), The Nebraska State Fair
(Grand Island, NE), The Colorado State Fair (Pueblo, CO), The
Evergreen State Fair (Monroe, WA), Walla Walla Frontier Days
(Walla Walla, WA), the Oregon State Fair (Salem, OR), The Lake
County Fair & Round-Up (Lakeview, OR), and The Twin Falls
County Fair (Filer, ID).
Eric Church performs to a full house at the Montana State Fair.
The Band Perry performs at The Evergreen State Fair in Monroe,
Washington.
The Band Perry is comprised of siblings Kimberly, Reid, and
Neil Perry. Kimberly sings and plays guitar and piano. Reid
plays bass guitar and provides background vocals. Neil plays
drums, mandolin, accordion, and also supplies background
vocals. All three siblings are in their twenties and have been
playing and singing together since they were young children,
though they didn’t actually form a band together until 2005.
In 2008, they were discovered by Garth Brooks’ manager, Bob
Doyle. They have been managed by Doyle since then.
The Country trio released its first album in November of
2010. Hit singles from that album have included “Hip to My
Heart,” “If I Die Young,” “You Lie,” and the current hit climbing
the charts, “All Your Life.” The Band Perry won the Academy
of Country Music’s (ACM) Top New Artist and Top New Vocal Group Awards in 2011, and have been nominated for five
awards by the Country Music Association (CMA) in 2011.
Eric Church doesn’t Tweet. He doesn’t have a Facebook page.
His songs aren’t the most downloaded on iTunes and he’s
never had a #1 song on the Billboard Charts. His fan base is
largely comprised of young adults, college, and high school
kids and he’s selling out concert venues across the country.
How is he doing it? The old-fashioned way. In the tradition
of “Springsteen,” whom he wrote a song about on his latest
album, he’s winning people over with his live show.
Eric Church released his third album, Chief, on July 26, 2011.
Three days later at his show at the Adams County Fair in
Approximately 10,000 people attended the Eric Church
show at The Lane County Fair in Eugene, Oregon. 6,200 fans
showed up to see Church in Great Falls, Montana at The Montana State Fair. In Burlington, Iowa , there was a crowd of
8,000 for Church’s show at Steamboat Days, making Church
the best attended Country show at that event. Church drew
another 8,000 fans at the Western Idaho Fair in Boise. Church
was the opening act for Toby Keith at Cheyenne Frontier Days
in Wyoming, and together they drew 18,489 people.
“Eric Church rocked the Four Seasons Arena!” said Lisa Bracco, General Manager of the Montana State Fair in Great Falls.
“What a great concert for our 2011 Fair. We even had to turn
people away at the door because the concert went over so
incredibly well!”
IAFE Convention 2011~ Las Vegas, Nevada ~
Nov. 28 – Dec. 1, 2011
In appreciation for your business,
You are cordially invited to attend a private reception
Monday, November 28, 2011
From 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
At the Romeo Entertainment Group Suite
“The Band Perry concert was amazing!” stated Debbie Donk,
Fair Programs Specialist for the Evergreen State Fair. “The Perrys are so down-to-earth and stayed until midnight to take
photos with everyone after the show. Fran Romeo, as usual,
knows how to pick them!”
Everyone is excited to hear new music from this group in the
upcoming year. REG hopes to do many more shows with The
Band Perry.
In Bally’s Las Vegas
(Call Bally’s front desk or any reg staff member to get suite number)
Cocktails & Hors d’oeuvres will be served
Performances by special guest artists
Hosted by
Fran Romeo, Bob Romeo & The Romeo Entertainment Group Staff
REG’s Katie Kinderknecht and Nebraska State Fair production manager
Don Adams pose with The Band Perry before the show in Grand Island.
We look forward to seeing you in Vegas!
NE W CLIENTS
Genesee County Fair
Tooele County Fair
Location: Mount Morris, Michigan
Event Dates: August 15-21, 2011
Concerts: Jerrod Niemann on August 18; Rodney Atkins on
August 19
Location: Tooele, Utah
Concert: Troy Olsen on August 4
Grand Falls Casino Resort
Location: Larchwood, Iowa
Event Dates: Multiple dates in 2011
Concerts: Frank Caliendo on June 17-18; Charlie Daniels Band
on July 23; Bret Michaels on August 21; Sawyer Brown on
September 24; Rick Springfield on October 8; Vicki Lawrence
on October 28; Louie Anderson on October 29; Kathleen Madigan on October 30; Clint Black on November 19; Jingle Bell
Rock on December 9
Jackson County Fair
Location: Central Point, Oregon
Event Dates: July 19-23, 2011
Concerts: Big Time Rush on July 19; Clay Walker on July 20;
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts on July 21
Ashley For the Arts by Ashley Furniture
Dawson County Fair
Location: Arcadia, Wisconsin
Concerts: Lee Greenwood on August 20; Bucky Covington on
August 21
Location: Glendive, Montana
Concert: Former Bad Company Lead Singer Brian Howe on
August 12
Bloomin’ Temple Days
Location: Temple, Texas
Event Dates: April 15-17, 2011
Concerts: The Fabulous Thunderbirds on April 15; Brandon
Rhyder and Charlie Daniels Band on April 16
Boone County Fair
Location: Boone, Iowa
Concert: Joey + Rory on July 16
Downtown Hoedown at the
Fremont Street Experience
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Event Date: December 1, 2010
Concert: Stealing Angels, Kevin Fowler, Trailer Choir, Eli Young
Band, Randy Rogers Band, Jack Ingram, Jason Jones, & Brett
Eldredge
Empire Rockfest
Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Concert: Cinderella with special guest Quiet Riot on July 22
Location: Multiple locations including Peoria, Illinois; Comstock Park, Michigan; Frankfort, New York; Lolo, Montana; Billings, Montana; Duluth, Minnesota
Concerts: Sick Puppies & Seether on June 10 in Peoria and on
June 11 in Comstock Park; Rodney Atkins & Jeff Bates on June
18 in Frankfort; Ronnie Dunn on July 22 in Lolo and July 23 in
Billings; Trace Adkins & Glen Templeton on July 29 in Duluth
Washington County Fair
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Concert: Clint Black on July 30
Western Speedway
Like That Productions
Location: Victoria, British Columbia
Event Date: July 22, 2011
Concert: George Canyon
Location: Molalla, Oregon
Event Date: September 17, 2011
Concert: Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson
Utah County Fair
Charlie Daniels Band performs at the Bloomin’ Temple Days festival.
Here’s a look at some venues that were new to Romeo Entertainment Group in 2011.
Townsquare Media
Lucky 7 Casino
Location: Spanish Fork, Utah
Concert: Thompson Square (re-scheduled for 2012)
Location: Smith River, California
Concerts: Curtis Salgado on August 6; The Drifters starring
Bobby Hendricks on September 3; Pam Tillis on December 10
Nebraska State Fair
Location: Grand Island, Nebraska
Event Dates: August 26-September 5, 2011
Concerts: The Band Perry on August 26; Larry the Cable Guy
on August 28; LeAnn Rimes on September 2; Willie Nelson on
September 4; Cheap Trick on September 5
Sunlife Financial
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Event Date: March 28, 2011
Concert: The Beach Boys
See Us Online!
You can find us online at our website
www.romeoent.com
Romeo Entertainment Group
is now on Facebook!
Search for us and hit Like!
Please send your 2011 photos
to add to our website!
(Email: mromeo@romeoent.com)
Small Talk
with Jake Owen
Country artist Jake Owen, a native of Florida, signed to RCA Records
in 2005 and released his first album, Startin’ With Me, that same year.
Jake just achieved his first #1 single in September of 2011 with his
monster hit, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night.” He is currently on tour with
Keith Urban and took a few minutes to talk to REG’s Mindy Klein during a day off in Los Angeles before an upcoming show at The Staples
Center with Urban.
Mindy: How did you celebrate your recent #1 hit “Barefoot
Blue Jean Night?”
Jake: I’m still celebrating! Just by being really appreciative.
My band and I, we’ve been working a long time to have a #1
song. We’re trying to savor the flavor as much as possible.
M: I read that your first name is actually Joshua. How did
you become Jake?
J: I’ve gone by “Jake” for a long time. It’s my grandpa’s name
and it’s what everyone calls me.
M: I also read that you are a twin. What does your twin
brother do for a living? Does he have any musical talent?
J: He thinks he does! (laughs) He sells insurance and is a 9 to
5’er guy. But in his mind, he has musical talent!
M: How do you like to kill time on the tour bus?
J: I like to do lots of stuff. Just hang around, play golf. I listen
to a lot of music. There’s 12 of us on the bus, so there’s always
someone to talk to.
M: You are currently on tour with Keith Urban and you’ve
toured with some of the biggest names in country music –
Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood. Which tour has been the most fun?
J: They all have their differences. Kenny Chesney is a great guy
and a lot of fun, and he puts on a great show. This Keith Urban
tour is great because there’s just two of us. I get 40 minutes
(to play), so I’m very fortunate. It’s been a great tour as well.
M: Your cover of “Life in a Northern Town” with Little Big
Town and Sugarland became very popular. Are you a fan of
80’s pop hits?
J: I’m a fan of music in general. A great song is a great song. I
don’t discriminate.
M: Who are your biggest influences musically?
J: There’s so many. Again, I listen to so many kinds of music.
I’m a big Alabama fan. I like Tom Petty, Dean Martin, Lionel
Richie. Anything that’s good!
M: Of all your songs, which is your favorite song to sing live?
J: “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” has been pretty good to us, so
I’m really enjoying playing that one right now.
Happy Holidays from all of us at
Romeo Entertainment Group!
Here’s to a happy and healthy 2012!
M: If you could choose anyone to write a song with, who
would it be?
J: I’m a big Ronnie Dunn fan. He’s a great writer and has had a
lot of hits. It would be really cool to write a song with Ronnie
Dunn.
M: As you know, we book a lot of fair and festival events.
What is the best part about playing these events? What’s
the worst?
J: There’s not really a worst, but I guess I’d say the temptation for fair food! Trying not to eat five funnel cakes! The best
– I just think these events are the real heartland of America.
The whole family comes out. I love that. I love seeing families
come out to shows together and enjoying each other. And I
like meeting the committees that work so hard to put these
events on.
M: Do you have a favorite “fair food?” Is it the funnel cakes?
J: Yes, funnel cakes are on the top of the list.
M: Did you attend any fairs or festival events while growing
up in Florida?
J: Yes, I played quite a few of them and went to them with my
family and friends. Our local fair was the Indian River County
Firefighters Fair. I saw a lot of entertainers there.
M: I know you love to play golf. Where is your favorite
course?
J: My favorite course is the one I’m playing on at the time!
M: What are your plans for 2012?
J: Just keep on keepin’ on.I know nothing comes overnight,
but rather with hard work. We’ll keep doing what we’re doing. We haven’t established a tour schedule yet. We’re looking
forward to playing more fairs and festivals!
Where in the World is Bogie?
Here are just some of the adventures of REG’s most ubiquitous service rep.
Fran Romeo
Steve Bogdanovich (Bogie)
Katie Kinderknecht
Robert J. (R.J.) Romeo
Margaret Ryan
Position: Owner/Agent
Position: Vice-President/Agent/
Production Manager
Position: Assistant to Steve Bogdanovich/Publicity Assistant
Position: Senior Account Representative/General Counsel
Position: Executive Assistant to
Bob Romeo & R.J. Romeo
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Hometown: Hays, KS
Hometown: Missouri Valley, IA &
Omaha, NE
Hometown: Osmond, Nebraska
Hometown: Currently – Nashville, TN and Omaha, NE
Educational/Work Background: I’ve been immersed in the entertainment business for most
of my life. I began my entertainment career as a
Country music recording artist and songwriter
with The Romeo Sisters trio. In 1997, after spending many years based out of Nashville, I came to
work for Romeo Entertainment Group in Omaha,
NE and quickly learned the talent-buying trade
under the guidance of my father Don Romeo
and brother, Bob.
Educational/Work Background: Degree in Electronic Technology from GEI / Production Manager /Audio Engineer – Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum
(25 years)/ REG for the past 11 years. In 2011, received ACM Talent Buyer of the Year award.
Educational/Work Background: Graduated from
Creighton University in 2007 – began working
here as an intern in the summer of 2007 and
started full-time after graduating.
Educational/Work Background: B.S.B.A. from Educational/Work Background: B.S. in Business
Creighton University / Juris Doctor, Creighton Administration. Started working at the office in
University School of Law- Area of Concentration: May of 1994.
Dispute Resolution
Personal Note: My husband Billy and I have a
Personal Note: My wife April and I have been new puppy at our house! She is a 4 pound Pomarried for almost three years. April is an avid meranian and her name is Peanut.
runner and tri-athlete and was recently invited
Favorite Thing about the Job: Lots of things, but
to join the U.S. women’s kayak polo team. In adthe new commute is right up there!
dition to my work at REG, I am also involved with
a management company in Nashville that represents a rising country star named Glen Templeton. Glen’s first single entitled “I Could Be The
One” recently charted on the Billboard Country
Bob Romeo
chart.
Chairman of the Board
Favorite Thing About the Job: Helping our clients
to produce successful concert events. Anyone
who has ever produced a concert can tell you
that there is a lot of pre-planning that goes into
the final product that the customer sees. I live
for that moment when all of the hard work and
planning comes together; that moment when
the artist steps out onto the stage in front of
thousands of screaming fans. Knowing that you
are a part of creating those unique moments and
special memories for others is a fantastic feeling.
REG Service Reps
Richard Ashby
Keny Griffith
Meet the Staff
In January 2000, TBA Entertainment Corporation
purchased Romeo Entertainment Group and
also Concert Services in Seattle, Washington. I
became the Managing Director of the Seattle office and split my time between offices in Seattle
and Omaha. I currently serve as talent buyer for
many fairs and events in the Midwestern and
Western regions of the United States. In September of 2003, I assumed the role of Executive Vice
President of TBA Entertainment’s Fairs and Festivals division. In 2008, I was honored and proud
to become an owner of Romeo Entertainment
Group, along with my brother, Bob.
Personal Note: I have been married to Nancy for
38 years, and we have two daughters, Shawn
and Jody. We also have two grandchildren, Steven and Sydney. I enjoy wood-working in my
spare time.
Personal Note: I enjoy hanging out with my
boyfriend, spending time with my family and
friends, and drinking Guinness.
Favorite Thing about the Job: Our new office is
only a few blocks from my house!
Favorite Thing about the Job: The people I work
with and making events happen for our clients!
Mindy Klein
Position: Marketing Director
Harlan Burggraaf
Hometown: Remsen, Iowa
Position: Accountant
Hometown: Rock Valley, Iowa
Educational/Work Background: Graduated from
Creighton University in 2001 and have been
Educational/Work Background: B.A. Business Ad- working for REG ever since.
ministration, Dordt College – Sioux Center, IA/13
Personal Note: My husband Steve and I have a
years working for REG.
two-year old daughter, Laney. She is the love of
Personal Note: I am married to Sara. I have two our lives, even though she is definitely going
daughters: Jacey is 8 years old and Emmy is 2 through her terrible twos! We also have a dog
years old. I like to spend my free time with my named Maisy. In my spare time I love to watch
family.
college basketball (go Creighton Jays!) and listen
Favorite Thing about the Job: The staff. We have to music. I recently began my political career by
all worked together for years and have built being elected to the Remsen City Council.
I serve on the Board of Directors for both the
Academy of Country Music (ACM) and International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA). I
have also been nominated for the Pollstar Talent
Buyer award and have been awarded the ACM
Talent Buyer/Promoter of the Year twice and
a CMA Talent Buyer/SRO award. In 2009, I was
given the Rocky Mountain Association of Fairs
Service Member of the Year Award and in 2010, great relationships with each other and our cus- Favorite Thing about the Job: When a show sells
I won the IEBA Entertainment Buyer Award and tomers.
out!
the IEBA Chairman’s Award.
Personal Note: In September of 2005, I married
Ken Griffith, and am now the proud step mom to
his three beautiful children: Kyle, Courtney, and
Cody. Ken and I spend most of our spare time
in Nashville at our lake home enjoying boating,
gardening, and spoiling our Yorkie, Vinney. I recently have become an avid fisherwoman! I now
like to say that “bass is my passion.”
Favorite Thing about the Job: I have the benefit
of working with a great staff that has grown with
me over the past fourteen years. I have come
to realize that in this business it’s all about relationships, not only with the agents, but also my
clients.
When it comes to talent buying, I like the complexity of routing artists and putting a run of
dates together. It is like a huge puzzle that
when the last date falls into place it turns out
to be a beautiful picture. As a former singer/
songwriter, I love listening to up-and-coming
artists and trying to pick the next BIG THING.
Jenny Fitzpatrick
Position: Executive Assistant to
Fran Romeo
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Michelle Romeo
Position: Junior Agent / Email
Marketing / Publicity
Hometown: Missouri Valley, IA &
Omaha, NE
Educational/Work Background: Graduated from Educational/Work Background: B.A. in Music
Oklahoma City University with a BMBA (Bachelor Business with an emphasis in Marketing from
in Music with an emphasis in Business Adminis- Belmont University in Nashville, TN.
tration). I have been working for REG since 2003.
Personal Note: I have lived in Tennessee for 11
Personal Note: My husband Joel and I have a years. I enjoy my time in the South with my husone-year old daughter named Piper. I enjoy band Jake and our dog Leo at our home in the
drinking wine and doing crafts in my spare time, country about 40 minutes north of Nashville.
but spare time eludes me these days!
Jake and I got married on October 22nd of 2011.
Favorite Thing about the Job: All the unique per- It was a beautiful ceremony in Nashville and we
hope to have pictures soon to share with everysonalities we deal with on a daily basis.
one. I love music and all its aspects and believe
that music is what makes the world go ‘round.
Favorite Thing About the Job: The people you
meet and the relationships you make!
Staff News
Bogie is ACM Talent Buyer of the Year
REG Staff member Michelle Romeo married Jake West on October 22, 2011 in
Nashville at the Cathedral of the Incarnation. The couple is residing north of
Nashville and will enjoy a honeymoon
to Cancun in January. No photos were
available yet at press time; we hope to
include a photo in next year’s newsletter!
REG is proud to announce that Steve Bogdanovich (Bogie) was named the 2011 Talent Buyer of the Year by the Academy of
Country Music (ACM). This is the first time
Bogie has been nominated for the award.
He accepted the award at The ACM Honors ceremony at The Ryman Auditorium in
Nashville on September 19th.
Fran Romeo was the recipient of two
awards at the 2010 International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) Conference. She received the IEBA Entertainment Buyer of the Year Award and the
Chairman’s Award. Fran has served as
an IEBA board member for several years.
Fran was unable to attend the award ceremony, so Country artist Trace Adkins
stopped by the REG suite in Las Vegas
during the IAFE Convention last year to
present Fran with her awards.
Rick Later
Eric Marcuse
Steve Owen
Wayne Rouse
Johnny Setser
Carv Thompson
Wedding Bells!
Fran Romeo Wins Two IEBA Awards
Dave Harrington
Bogie poses on
the red carpet
with his 2011
ACM Talent
Buyer of the Year
Award.
Fran and Bob Romeo
accept the award for
Don Romeo’s IEBA Hall
of Fame induction.
Don Romeo Inducted Into Hall of Fame
REG founder Don Romeo was inducted into
the IEBA Hall of Fame in 2010. It was the
40th anniversary of IEBA and the inaugural
year for the Hall of Fame. Don Romeo was
one of the original members of IEBA and
served as a board member, including Chairman of the Board, for IEBA for many years.
REG’s Fran Romeo and Bob Romeo were at
the 2010 Induction Ceremony to accept the
award on their father’s behalf.
5247 North 129th Street
Omaha, NE 68164
402-359-1010
www.romeoent.com

2011 - Romeo Entertainment Group

Transcription

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