Waterfront Hall Progress Report (January 2005)
From Nigov
Contents
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Purpose of Report
To provide Members with a progress report on various aspects of the Belfast Waterfront Hall.
Operations
Early January saw the end of the Hall’s first in-house produced seasonal pantomime production ‘Cinderella’ on a six week run in the Studio space, which had been very well received both by the media critics, and the public who went to see it. Over 17,500 people attended the shows, including 35 schools performances and reached both the attendance and income targets for the production.
The week long run of ‘Do You Come Here Often’? was very successful in the Main Auditorium with over 10,000 people attending the six shows. This included a New Year’s Eve Dance which attracted in excess of 1,600 people throughout the building, who saw in the New Year in great style and enjoyment.
The Ulster Orchestra had two successful Viennese concerts in early January too, a style which was followed by a Strauss Gala nearer the end of the month which also played to a packed house.
The three concerts by the original line up of Traditional Irish Music group ‘Planxty’ were sold out in a few days, and featured Christy Moore playing in the Hall for the first time. Performances were more limited in January in the Studio but the Youth Lyric production of ‘A Mid Summer Night’s Dream’ played to over 700 people over three nights very successfully.
Ulster Hall
The Ulster Orchestra Brahms season commenced in January with four concerts, three by the Orchestra and one by City Organist Colm Carey. All concerts were well received. Two concerts were arranged for the Tsunami appeal fund with the Rock for Asia Concert organised by Downtown Radio selling exceptionally well.
The pantomime season continued in the Group Theatre with productions by Belvoir Players, Centre Stage and Blackbird Youth Theatre.
National Lottery Computerised Box Office Ticketing System
Following the joint application to the National Lottery fund by the Waterfront and Ulster Hall’s, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) have written to the Managing Director informing him of the Council’s decision to offer only £112,095 of the total amount of £163,095 originally applied for by the Halls.
The Managing Director has since met with the Chief Executive of the Arts Council to express the Council’s disappointment, and has requested formally as a matter of urgency, that the Arts Council review its level of grant offer in light of further information supplied by the venue, and through a more informed and robust assessment of the Hall’s application, which will include a site visit to both Hall’s by the Lottery Officers concerned.
A full report on this issue will be presented to the Waterfront Hall Board on receipt of any communication following the Arts Council’s review of the application for funding.
In addition, Officers from the Waterfront Hall, Information Services Belfast Unit and Legal Services will be meeting with representatives from the Audience Development Agency to clarify the status of a number of the ‘Specific Conditions of Grant’ offer to ensure comparability and adherence with the Council’s own statutory procedures and guidelines.
Energy Management
At the May 2004 Board Meeting Members were advised that the Hall had been successful in an application to the Central Energy Efficiency Fund for funding totalling £167,300 towards the costs of conversion to gas and the installation of combined Heat and Power, CHP. Works on this project have now commenced and are expected to be completed by March 2005.
Following agreement from the Hall, the Carbon Trust have commissioned a report on the Hall’s energy management as a follow up to an earlier report, presented to the Board in September 2003. The Carbon Trust intend to use the new report as a Good Practice Case Study highlighting the savings made in energy consumption, emissions and cost following actions implemented by the Hall. It is intended to bring the completed report to the Board in February 2005.
Event Promotion and Conference and Business Sales
SALES 2004/05 Analysis
| Target | Actual YTD | % of Target | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conference & Business Events | |||
| Conference/Business Sales Enquiries | 800 | 839 | 105% |
| Conference/Business Income | £514,500 | £435,226 | 84 |
| Main Auditorium Occupancy Days | 62 | 48 | 77 |
| Studio Occupancy Days | 79 | 109 | 138 |
| Meeting Rooms Occupancy Days 466 | 218 | 47 | |
| Entertainment Hirings & Waterfront Promotions | |||
| Main Auditorium Occupancy Days | 125 | 145 | 116% |
| Studio Occupancy Days 140 | 170 | 121% | |
| Retail & Merchandising Sales | |||
| Income | £48,000 | £47,577 | 99 |
| Sponsorship & Commercial Development | |||
| Income £135,000 | £81,600 | 60 |
February Diary of Events
Arts and Entertainment Events – February 2005
5-13 All Ireland Irish Dance Championships 14 Errol Brown 15 Engelbert Humperdinck 17 Thin Lizzy 18 Tommy Tiernan 19 3 Tenors 19-24 Fortwilliam Musical Society 20 Jane McDonald 24 Erasure 26 Ulster Orchestra 27 Luka Bloom
Business Events – February 2004
1-4 Coca Cola Sales Conference 15 Translink Management Meeting 16-17 Exhibition for Belfast Gems 27-28 Institute of Electrical Engineers Faraday Lecture
Box Office Sales Year to Date
Total Box Office sales year to date are 176,532 tickets sold, worth £2,931,191
Conference and Business Meetings – Sales & Marketing
Forthcoming Conference Sales Promotional events include the following:-
London Showcase 25 January 2005
The Vinopolis will be the venue for the 2005 London Showcase in partnership with Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau. The event will include buyer’s workshop, presentation, drinks reception and supper.
Customer Network Evening – 26 January 2005
A Customer Network evening to coincide with the visit of the Moscow State Circus is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday 26 January in the VIP Suite, and 45 client acceptances/guests will be attending.
International Confex Exhibition – 15 – 17 February 2005
The Waterfront Hall as partner with the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau will be exhibiting at International Confex, one of the United Kingdoms Conference and Industry’s major exhibitions.
Sponsorship Update
Centre Stage Progress
- Ulster Bank - Currently considering a number of proposals including centre stage (Classical//Opera series) and Corporate Club
- Phoenix Gas - PG have indicated a willingness to sponsor celebrity /motivational/political speakers. Exact details to be discussed as part of overall programming strategy Potential. Sponsorship value around £8-10,000
- Harbour Office - Second meeting arranged with Harbour Office to further discussions regarding Corporate Hospitality and single event. Sponsorship. Proposals submitted to HO early Oct - awaiting reply
- Charles Hurst - Charles Hurst were due to become centre stage sponsors early December, but have pushed this back to start the agreement in Feb 2005 to allow a full year of promotional activity in the Hall that incorporates Dec/Jan period – value £15,000.
- PwC - To meet with Stella Gilmartin to discuss a range of proposals for Pricewaterhouse to consider.
- BT Broadband - Met with BT Broadband and Sponsorship Manager from BT (Parent Company) No budget available this year 04/05, but to submit proposals based on ‘Youth & Community’ for 05/06 (May be link with USA based venue – more discussion with Programming Department required to develop)
- GCAS - PR company met to discuss number of clients – in particular Vodafone. To submit proposals for several clients
- Citigate (PR) - Met with Account Manager for several multi-nationals – one idea is the concept of a summer festival – inside and outside building. To be discussed further internally, again within new department structure, before proceeding to proposals
- Budweiser - Plans well advanced for sponsorship of Rejuvenate type events – may be linked to specific Festivals and WFH promotions – but strictly music-based activities. They are also awaiting proposals for an Auditorium-based screening of 2006 world cup finals (to be investigated further within new department)
- Laganside - Currently writing Community Sponsorship proposals to support WFH detached youth worker – this will require 25% matched funding – application to COMT being prepared that would meet this financial criteria
- Tile Market - Set the Scene likely to be re-sponsored by Tile Market. Currently working on proposals to alter format to reduce costs and increase income from other sources such as the Big Lottery Young People’s Fund. WFH MD will discuss further with sponsor at a ministerial dinner in early Feb 2005
Funding Applications
- Application form submitted to Ragdoll Foundation to finance on-going youth work commenced as part of Laganside initiative. Foundation will ask for a full application form from WFH if they wish to consider further.
- Application to COMT being completed in conjunction with Arts & Community Officer
- Northern Ireland Events Company – Funding application for Revised Rejuvenate – due to funding structure, will need to make three applications over 12 months rather than one
- Application being completed for Paul Hamlyn Foundation to seek funding for current Community-based activities
Corporate Club
Eleven renewed – awaiting decisions from potential new members Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Ulster Bank and Harbour Office and six existing members
Arts and Entertainment
The seasonal ‘Performance’ magazine covering the period up to May 2005 has now been published and circulation and distribution across the Province is underway. It is anticipated however that given the Waterfront Hall’s revised means of operation under the recent Strategic Review that the format and content of the Magazine will need to be revisited.
Public Relations
Press coverage is outlined below. Press clippings are available on request.
Andersonstown News, Antrim Times, Armagh Observer, Ballyclare Gazette, Ballymena Times, Ballymoney & Moyle Times Belfast News, Belfast Telegraph, Carrickfergus Advertiser, Carrick Times, Community Telegraph, Coleraine Times, Daily Mirror, Derry News, Down Recorder, East Belfast Observer, Impartial Report, Irish News, Irish Times, Larne Gazette, Larne Times, Lurgan Mail, Mid Ulster Mail + South Derry, Newry Democrat, News Letter, Newtownabbey Times, Newtownards Chronicle, NL, Portadown Times, Strabane Constitution, Strabane Weekly News, South Belfast News, Sunday World, Tyrone Courier, Tyrone Times, Ulster Gazette, Ulster Herald, Ulster Star. Belfast Telegraph (Business), Irish News (Business), News Letter (Business), Buy & Sell, CIM, The Stage”
