City Commissioners are scheduled to hold a public hearing during their Jan. 2 meeting on updating the fee structure for the Mansfield Center for the Performing Arts.

The proposed resolution would keep the same fees for room rental fees and services that commissioners approved in August 2021, but reflect the new business model city events staff have been developing.

The Civic Center Events office operates the Mansfield and is responsible for promoting, coordinating and providing affordable event space and box office services.

City approves theater fee change to retain symphony

The 52,000-square-feet of meeting space includes the Mansfield Theater, Mansfield Convention Center, Missouri Room, Gibson Room, Commission Chambers and several other meeting rooms in the Civic Center.

“The landscape of the event space industry has changed, with more competing venues opening and providing services within our community. To compete with, and to keep partnerships intact the MCPA recently embarked on developing a new business model that allows for variations in how business had been previously conducted,” according to city staff.

In October, the city and Great Falls Symphony agreed to a one-year test of continuing to use the Mansfield Theater for performances and events without the requirement of using the Mansfield box office.

Owen Grubenhoff, Mansfield events manager, told commissioners in October that retaining the symphony is essential as they’re the theater’s largest customer with 12 shows annually.

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Under the previous agreement, the Mansfield was taking 8 percent of gross ticket sales and $2 per ticket, as well as $4 per ticket sold online or by phone for each show.

On Oct. 3, commissioners approved a new agreement with a flat fee of $5,000 per symphony performance and $2,000 per youth orchestra concert.

Grubenhoff said they were averaging $5,216 per symphony concert from 2017 to 2020.

Fee structure change proposed to help keep Broadway series in Great Falls [2021]

He said they’re planning to pilot the new model for a year and track the impact to the city’s ticketing website and box office.

“This had not been done before, but in order to keep the symphony as an active partner and facility patron, both parties agreed to test this business model component for a year,” according to the staff report for the Jan. 2 meeting.

The proposed resolution also includes language allowing the city to negotiate or adjust fees established by the resolution.

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Under the proposed resolution, the ability to negotiate fees will be handled on a case-by-case basis with final approval authority through the city manager’s office, according to the staff report.

The Mansfield events manager will not have the ability to change fees, according to the staff report.

“This component of the new business model will enable the [Mansfield] to better compete with other community venues by being able to obtain multi-room, multi-year or multi-event commitments and expanding the adjustment criteria to include current and former employees, military and veterans and a preferred or partner user,” according to the staff report.

According to city staff, the proposed change won’t cause a loss of revenue on any event already scheduled or booked event and the resolution language requires all costs associated with the event or service must be covered for each event.

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“At this time, the impact of this new concept is not fully known, but will be reviewed on an annual basis prior to each budget,” according to the city staff report.

Staff recommends that commissioners approve the resolution due to “increasing competition from new event venues, changes in industry practices, and the impending loss of revenue from the Missouri Room being converted to court space.”

City approves new fees for Mansfield [2019]

Over the summer, commissioners opted to move forward with a plan to renovate the Missouri Room upstairs in the Civic Center into the Municipal Court, which is currently in the basement of the building.

in August, commissioners unanimously approved a $321,950 design contract to Cushing Terrell for the court remodel.

The contract will be funded by with American Rescue Plan Act funds, according to city staff.