A Wellington City Council proposal could see the operation of six Wellington venues controlled by only one organisation.
The council will decide whether the St James Theatre, Opera House, Town Hall, Michael Fowler Centre, TSB Arena and Shed 6 should come under the control of a single Council Controlled Trading Organisation (CCTO) this week.
The Stetson Group’s Stewart MacPherson, who has brought hundreds of acts to the country since 1973, including Kris Kristofferson, Donny Osmond, The Ramones and Michael Buble, is one of 23 submitters concerned by the move.
MacPherson fears it may place concert promoters in a weaker negotiating position, and events may bypass the capital.
“Having experienced a similar organisation in Christchurch, [our group] have some misgivings about the flexibility of the approach, and how user friendly they are. We think that a monopoly may not be in the best interest of hirers due to a lack of competition.”
Former councillor Chris Parkin, chairman of both the St James Group and the transition group affecting the merger, says.
“It makes sense to run the whole lot under one organisation. It allows for greater size, more marketing muscle, and we expect it to be able to lift the performance of the venues.”
Director of City Services Neville Brown thinks there is a risk that Wellington overall is missing out on business. “There will be significant cost savings by shared services, better utilisation of resources, and better marketing.”
Brown adds that event promoters have nothing to fear when it comes to negotiations for venue hire.
“Clearly the venues will want business. There is no benefit if they are empty. We won’t want to lose that business”
Supporters say promoting Wellington as an attractive location to hold conferences will have a positive affect on the economy.
He also reassures promoters that, if approved, the current venue rules on the provision of catering, security, bar, and ticketing will remain unchanged until September 29, when all policy will be reviewed by a newly appointed CCTO board.
The proposal will go before the Strategy and Policy Committee for approval on September 9.