800 The Midway, Salina, KS 67402 P 785.826.7200 F 785.826.7207 www.bicentennial.org

SALINA VENUE CELEBRATES THIRTY-THREE YEARS OF HOSPITALITY FOR CONCERTS, CONFERENCES & MORE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Kay Quinn at (785) 826-7200 or at [email protected]

(Salina, KS 05-11) Thousands of concert goers, conference attendees, and sports fans have passed through the halls of the Salina Bicentennial Center since it opened in 1979. Performing artists including Donny and Marie Osmond, Brooks & Dunn, Bob Dylan, and Dierks Bentley, as well as entertainers from circus tightrope walkers to Harlem Globetrotters are among those who’ve been part of the backstage magic of this long-time concert and conference venue. Constructed when the closest performance coliseum was four or more hours away, the Bicentennial Center was built as a tangible expression of the community’s pride and growth in the late ‘70s. Today, the Center faces competition from newer, splashier venues. So, while some facilities are promoting their posh VIP seating and all-digital signage, the Bicentennial Center finds that its most strategic advantage is the staff’s decades of ‘road show’ experience, combined with its catering, sales, and operations expertise. Event clients including state and national-championship sports groups, school districts, state associations, and local businesses find that the commitment the Center’s staff brings to table makes for a winning formula. Dennis Lauver, President and CEO of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, is one regional client that appreciates what the Bicentennial Center has to offer. Lauver’s 1,200-member organization puts on its Annual Meeting and Banquet featuring speakers like Cal Ripken Jr. and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and also coordinates the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship, and the regional Mid-America Farm Expo at the Center. “When we hosted the largest Chamber of Commerce annual meeting ever held in America—with 6,000 attendees in 2010-every- thing was handled professionally,” Lauver says. “We continue to recognize the partnership potential of our work, and we look forward to creating more great events at the Bicentennial Center.” As the Center looks ahead, it will rely on the strong leadership of its City Commission, City Manager, and Interim Manger Jacob Wood to help ‘steer the ship,’ as it books clients and explores additional revenue and sponsorship opportunities. For March of this year, conference and meetings bookings have nearly doubled compared to 2010, while wedding and special-occasion inquiries and bookings are up 30 percent from the same period last year. “Overall, we anticipate a strong season while we work to bring more new acts to town for our regional audience,” says Wood, who brings skills from his military service as well as familiar with municipal governance, as the Center continues to strategize and plan. Since 1979, the Salina Bicentennial Center has provided economic stimulus to the Salina area as a regional meeting, conference, and concert venue. For more information on space and venue availability or concert capacity, call the Salina Bicentennial Center at (785) 826-7200 or visit www.bicentennial.org. -30-