Sounds like good fortune is really raining down on you - NOT!     But you know we've all got your back as much as is possible.   As to the AC Entertainment note - welcome to my world.   but maybe like up here, they will focus on music more than "Fine Arts" and leave you a niche in there somewhere.  Hang tough.

-----Original Message-----
From: Tennessee Presenters, Board & Agents [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of EPB Email
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2015 3:22 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: And now from Chattanooga...

A few of you know of my dilemma with having to (suddenly) use 60% of my foundation support as seed money for a fundraising gala to support the Fine Arts Center here at the ol' learning' factory. And thanks to you with whom I've talked for providing some names for me to consider for an artist to help sell tickets to said fundraiser at our 1700 seat downtown venue, the Tivoli sometime next spring. What this means is that I have to pay for the artist, all rent, ticket fees (which are substantial), tech, advertising, etc., then generate the $35k that should have been going to our other artists and oh, by the way, can you make some money for scholarship funds in the departments of Music and Theatre?

This was dropped on me Monday. I'd been working under the assumption that "the Chancellor had $35,000 in seed funds for a gala next spring" as in, an additional $35k, not the series' $35k.

Today, the other shoe drops. I get a note from the Dean which attaches a note from the Provost saying they want to transition the series to be fully self-sustaining and do we really need the $25,000 in UC Foundation money?

Couple this with the announcement today that the city has divested itself of the Tivoli and Memorial Auditoriums by setting up a non-profit to operate them. The idea is that the non-profit can hire AC Entertainment to bring in the acts to the spaces much like they do at The Bijou and the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, which is not something that a government-operated facility can do, apparently. Contrary to some of our won experience. Anyway, as everyone familiar with the Knoxville market knows, there will most likely be a fine art component to AC's programming, competing with mine.

So while I'm busy wrangling an advisory committee of well-heeled subscribers to help me with the transition, I thought I'd pass this along for your entertainment today. Three folks have already said yes to helping me on the steering committee and I'm hoping to have four or five more in place by the end of tomorrow. Honestly, I kind of like the idea of learning to be a concert promoter on UTC's nickel, but as we all know, it's a young person's game and I'm not one of those anymore.

I'll probably be seeking advice and thoughts going forward but thought it a good idea to let you know what's going on.

Bob

 
Robert Boyer
Executive Director
Tennessee Presenters
www.tn-presenters.org