By Amy DiNorscio AMPHITHEATERS & FAIRGROUNDS:
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?
“It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine? ... ”
-Fred Rogers Amphitheater and fair-
ground events take place in open, outdoor spaces, which can be uniquely positive, but sometimes challenging for our neigh-
bors. Who are our neighbors? Nearby businesses of all types: re s t a u - -
idential communities, and adjacent roadways for sure. Sometimes, the size and scope of this group can change quite literally based on which way the wind is blowing that day. - ed in downtown Boca Raton, Florida, at the north end of an out- door, upscale mixed-use retail/residential/business and shopping center, surrounded on the back side by a residential neighborhood. We have some very close businesses, such as retail merchants, pri-
to having an amphitheater or a fairground nearby. For example, if you own a bar within walking distance and have a popular happy hour taking place before a show starts, the direct impact on your business should clearly be positive. If your business is a nearby fami- ly friendly restaurant, and there is an event that day is targeting that demographic, it’s very reasonable to expect great turnout and a very For other businesses, the positive impact we strive to create isn’t always as clear and direct. Event attendees may or may not specif-
44 Facility Manager Magazine
ically patronize those retail stores, or visit the museum on that same day, but our events have brought these patrons and customers to the doorstep of these businesses, creating at minimum awareness and an advertising opportunity for future patronage. The residents and nearby roadways are also our neighbors, and the decisions we make impact them greatly, as well. What kind of neighbor are we? On occasion, our neighbors may see us as the rowdy, unpredictable college student next door who throws parties, makes too much noise, and whose friends park on our lawn. In contrast to the other businesses and residents nearby, amphi-
theaters and fairgrounds don’t operate on a routine schedule. When we are operating, we are attracting large crowds, making noise, using parking spaces and producing waste. We can be viewed as a nuisance; an inconvenience to the routine operations of the otherwise routine functions in our neighborhood. On occasion, we hear negative feedback from our neighbors regard- ing the impact our events have on their businesses and homes, and concerns that some events we have on the schedule may have a nega- tive impact in the future. To those of us in the amphitheater and fairground sector, operating
our venues and events outdoors, some of these scenarios may sound familiar. Frankly, this feedback is upsetting, and goes against the very mission of our community-centric purpose. We are striving to be good community partners. What are we trying to achieve? After all, the reasoning behind the creation of our amphitheaters
and fairgrounds was to have a positive impact on our communities. To have a positive economic impact is one of the primary reasons.
Many of us are owned and operated by municipalities to serve as an - economic impact, and others are more indirectly for the overall posi- tive economic impact of the area and the surrounding businesses. In addition to the positive economic impact, my primary mission is a steward of and a representative of the venue is community. “Com- -
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