(03-21-2019 04:59 PM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  

(03-21-2019 04:44 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(03-21-2019 04:04 PM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  People will come if the event appeals to them. I have coworkers who travel from Hburg about once a month to music acts in DC/C-ville/Richmond because they want to hear the artist. Logic would say there are others who live in those regions who would travel to see good acts come to Harrisonburg.

It would, wouldn't it? However, living in Charlotte, people in Charlotte simply don't go a little over an hour up the road to Greensboro or south to Columbia to go to events. There's so much more to spend your entertainment dollars on in Charlotte we simply don't find the need to travel to spend it.

You're not wrong at all. We don't need 8,000 people from DC or Richmond to fill the place if JT is in town. We need some from WV, Winchester, Staunton, Roanoke, all over etc.

The hard part is going to be priming the pump. Until they have hard numbers proving the arena can support acts that size, promoters are going to have to be convinced (incentivized) to take a risk on a venue competing against others in far larger markets. They could try packaging things with hotel stays, etc to help those from further away. Anything really to get those first events sold out.