The Owensboro Convention Center and Sportscenter are reporting record-breaking numbers as they ramp back up to hosting the usual number of events, concerts and conventions.
Jamie Scheffer, Assistant General Manager at both facilities, said that during the pandemic their financials were almost decimated. But the Fiscal Year 2022 numbers have bounced back, with the locations combined beating budget by almost $276,000 so far. By the end of the fiscal year, Scheffer projects that both facilities will be $443,000 over budget.
“Part of the success with these financials in our year-to-date numbers is from conventions that canceled or postponed from last year,” Scheffer said. “So we were able to navigate through those tricky waters and keep those clients and schedule them in the new year.”
Over the coming year, Scheffer said they project 278 events that will welcome 150,000 attendees — providing a gross income of $3.2 million to the city.
Scheffer said they always try to have around $1 million dollars by the end of the year, and with $650,000 they are currently on track to meet that goal.
Dave Anderson, Regional Vice President with Spectra Venue Management, said that Owensboro’s facilities have become the “poster child” for convention centers in their system as it comes to self-produced events.
Self-produced events are events that the Convention Center and Sportscenter host on their own rather than relying on a convention to approach the venue, such as the St. Patrick’s Day Silent Disco happening this week.
“Of all the buildings that we actually manage, Owensboro is the number one building as it relates to self-produced events,” Anderson said. “… Literally this building produces more self-produced events than most of our other buildings combined, [this team does] a phenomenal job.”
