Core Entertainment Updates

[Jon Dalton]

Originally Posted by drpgq

Didn't they just fire 28 within the past couple of weeks?

Carmen's sacked all employees who worked at the Hamilton Convention Centre.

Global Spectrum / Live Nation must honour all existing collective agreements so all unionized employees who work at Copps and Hamilton Place keep their jobs. Non-union employees had to reapply for their jobs with Live Nation and this has been ongoing.

HECFI employees are also getting shafted because they will no longer have City of Hamilton employee numbers which give them access to internal job postings, whether or not they keep their jobs.

Hopefully Live Nation, being so good at what they do, can afford to ease the pain a little with a pay raise, benefits, comp tickets or at least a little something. These are mostly not high paying jobs.

[coalminecanary]

Wait a second - I thought "entertainment complexes" were going to be the future of employment for downtown Hamilton...

[thistleclub]

Copps Coliseum getting new paint job and LED light ring
(YourHamiltonBiz.com, Saira Peesker, June 14 2013)

Copps Coliseum is getting a fresh paint job, some new decorations in the lobby and an LED light ring around its interior – upgrades the Hamilton Bulldogs hope to unveil at the first game of the season this fall.

As part of its deal to take over operations of the City-owned arena, venue manager Global Spectrum is investing $500,000 into enhancements that will help generate revenue.

Rom D’Angelo – the City’s Director of Community Facilities and Capital Programs – says most of that money will go to the LED ring, which will circumnavigate the arena “bowl” and display advertisements and other messages.

He says Global Spectrum will also place new advertising boards in the arena’s main lobby “to make it more inviting. They have some other ideas as well but I don’t want to take their thunder.”

Several calls to Global Spectrum’s president and marketing department this week were not returned. The company took over the operation of Copps Coliseum and Hamilton Place from the City this spring. Local company Carmen’s took over the operation of the Hamilton Convention Centre.

The City still owns the buildings and has an annual budget of $800,000 to keep Copps and the Convention Centre in good shape.

“We try to find an equal balance of upkeep and esthetics,” said D’Angelo.

This year, Copps will get a new ice plant as well as the paint job. In coming years, it will likely get a new roof as well – the City is currently waiting on an engineer’s report to determine how soon it is necessary. That job is expected to cost the city about $2 million, according to its budget book.

[durandy]

ugh. Tear the damn thing down.

Content removed

[BCTed]

Originally Posted by durandy

ugh. Tear the damn thing down.

Why?

[durandy]

useless, decrepit, blight on landscape, moneyloser, welfare recipient, symbol of failed policy, aging, ghost of urban revival gone wrong, named after bonehead mayor, monument to fly-in city-building dreamers, purposeless, mausoleum of the NHL errand into the wilderness.

There may be some synonyms in that list but you get the gist.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

How dare you slander the greatest mayor this city's ever seen!

It should be noted that it was he who finally abolished the Orange Order parade in the 1960s, so he wasn't a complete dud.

[Beedok]

I don't exceptionally care about it, but unless there's a plan to build something else of similar size I'd rather it stay in place of being another parking lot.

[mattgrande]

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

It should be noted that it was he who finally abolished the Orange Order parade in the 1960s, so he wasn't a complete dud.

As someone who knows nothing about the Orange Order, why was their parade a bad thing?

[BCTed]

Originally Posted by durandy

useless, decrepit, blight on landscape, moneyloser, welfare recipient, symbol of failed policy, aging, ghost of urban revival gone wrong, named after bonehead mayor, monument to fly-in city-building dreamers, purposeless, mausoleum of the NHL errand into the wilderness.

There may be some synonyms in that list but you get the gist.

Gotcha.

I quite like the arena and believe that it has helped bring a ton of great events and attention to the city that would never have taken place otherwise.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by mattgrande

As someone who knows nothing about the Orange Order, why was their parade a bad thing?

The Orange Order is a fraternal Protestant organisation. Irish in origin, their sole purpose is to promote all things Protestant and, in the Canadian context, rally against things like immigration, bilingualism and to use violence and intimidation to promote their agenda. Its influence has waned in Canada but it's alive and well in places like Northern Ireland and Scotland.

They did construct nice buildings, however. The Vasco da Gama club (both Portuguese and Catholic, ironically enough) on James N is housed inside a former Orange Order building.

[SteelTown]

Global Spectrum is going to install a 360 degree "power ring" ($800,000) before the 2013/14 Bulldogs hockey season.

Power ring is those LED screens that will wrap around the arena above the lower deck and below the upper deck.

[SteelTown]

Merulla backs down from Copps ‘power ring’ plan after staff report

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/388655...opps-power-ring-plan-after-staff-report/

Councillor Sam Merulla has changed his tune on plans to install a 360-degree digital advertising ring around the inside of Copps Coliseum.

Merulla brought a motion to council's general issues committee Monday, supporting spending city money to install a so-called "power ring" around the inside of the arena, "pending the release of the report on our (expected) return on investment".

The report came back Wednesday and the Ward 4 councillor said it was not in the best interests of the city to pursue the idea any further.

"When I read the report it slapped me in the face, woke me up and I smelled the coffee," said the Ward 4 councillor. "I'm not confident in the business plan. The input for this far outweighs the return."

The "power ring" idea was initially put forward as profit-making endeavour for Copps and the city. The initial costs of up to $800,000 would yield a flow of advertising revenue to be split between the city and the HECFI operators, Global Spectrum.

"A few weeks ago, I was informed the advertising could be a catalyst for a revenue source for the city, an idea to create profit," he said. But now? "I'm not confident enough to go ahead with it."

[ScreamingViking]

Not that I'd rather see the city pay for it instead of GS, but I thought the city was on the hook for capital improvements? Doesn't this qualify?

[SteelTown]

Carmen’s bring Tony Bennett to the Hamilton Convention Centre

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/407624...nnett-to-the-hamilton-convention-centre/

By Graham Rockingham

Legendary jazz crooner Tony Bennett is coming to the Hamilton Convention Centre Nov. 8 to perform a special benefit concert for the Canadian Diabetes Association.

"It is an honour to be presenting Mr. Bennett, the last member of the jazz-era royalty," Loren Lieberman, Hamilton Convention Centre entertainment director announced at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Tickets for the performance start at $200 and will be available Friday morning at the Carmen's Box office at 1520 Stone Church Road E., or by phone at 905-387-0007.

Bennett, 87, is best known for classic hits like I Left My Heart in San Francisco. His latest CD, Album Duets II, hit No. 1 on the Billboard album chart and featured collaborations with Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga and Josh Groban.

Net proceeds from the concert will be donated to the Canadian Diabetes Association, Central South Region.

[KDP]

Originally Posted by durandy

useless, decrepit, blight on landscape, moneyloser, welfare recipient, symbol of failed policy, aging, ghost of urban revival gone wrong, named after bonehead mayor, monument to fly-in city-building dreamers, purposeless, mausoleum of the NHL errand into the wilderness.

There may be some synonyms in that list but you get the gist.

Is this about Jackson Square or Copps Coliseum?

I'm alright with Copps tbh. like someone else said, it brings people downtown. Hate Jackson Square though. Its ugly and it takes up SO MUCH ROOM. I wish they'd drop it a level and either build something useful on it or have it be a courtyard of sorts with restaurant patios spilling onto it (a bit like Hess).

[Beedok]

I like Jackson Square. Also most malls. Malls are nicer than street stores, cooler in summer and in winter you aren't taking your jacket on and off.

[KDP]

Originally Posted by Beedok

I like Jackson Square. Also most malls. Malls are nicer than street stores, cooler in summer and in winter you aren't taking your jacket on and off.

Yeah, its useful, and I'm not saying get rid of it entirely; but there's nothing about it that it needs to above ground. I wished we would drop it a level (kind of like the PATH in Toronto) and use the ground space for something more useful or beneficial.

[CaptainKirk]

I can't ever recall seeing such a great line up of shows for HECFI over the next 3 to 4 months.

Lots of fantastic choices. Who says downtown Hamilton is dead?

http://www.hecfi.ca/HECFI-Events/#2