Less than 2,400 paid attendance. I have to believe their are some Chicago area high schools that have better numbers.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20160308/BLOGS04/160309864/depaul-finishes-season-still-stuck-in-attendance-doldrums
More people showed up at Allstate Arena for Blue Demon games for the second straight year this season, raising average attendance by 9 percent to 2,395 per game over 12 contests at the Rosemont venue.
Paid attendance, as the school reports its figures, totaled 71,449 fans this season (5,954 per game). That includes complimentary tickets given to charities and at least a couple thousand seats the school buys to block out space for students, regardless of whether they actually go.
But actual attendance at DePaul games—the number of people that actually walked through Allstate Arena turnstiles—totaled just 40 percent of that, according to arena ticket records obtained by Crain's.
How is this suppose to happen?
In order to meet its goal of breaking even on costs in year one for the currently-named "McCormick Place Event Center," McPier expects an average attendance of 152,000 over 16 DePaul men's games, or 9,500 fans at each.
(http://www.chicagobusiness.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/CG/20160308/BLOGS04/160309864/AR/0/depaul-finishes-season-stuck-in-attendance-doldrums.jpg&maxw=600&q=100&cb=20160308050404&cci_ts=20160307203440)
(http://www.chicagobusiness.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/CG/20160308/BLOGS04/160309864/V2/0/V2-160309864.jpg&maxw=600&q=100&cb=20160308050404&cci_ts=20160307203440)
Construction on the new McCormick Place Event Center as of Jan. 26.
I'll be at McCormick Place in a couple of weeks...this reminds me to check out how the construction is coming along.
Maybe I missed it in the article (or elsewhere)...but the expectations are 9,500 paid attendees for the new arena to hit targets? In a 10,000 seat arena? To do that - among other things - the university would have to stop providing free tix to students, and still somehow convince them to go to games.
Even if it's 9,500 total (with 7,500 paid), it's quite a stretch to assume that paid attendance will triple.
#thegiantwillcontinuesleeping
Quote from: GooooMarquette on March 08, 2016, 11:31:34 AM
Maybe I missed it in the article (or elsewhere)...but the expectations are 9,500 paid attendees for the new arena to hit targets? In a 10,000 seat arena? To do that - among other things - the university would have to stop providing free tix to students, and still somehow convince them to go to games.
Even if it's 9,500 total (with 7,500 paid), it's quite a stretch to assume that paid attendance will triple.
#thegiantwillcontinuesleeping
Based upon that article, it certainly appears that the project was based upon an entirely unrealistic projection of attendance figures. Employing the ever-popular, "If you build it, they will come" theory of project planning. What could possibly go wrong?
Quote from: StillAWarrior on March 08, 2016, 12:56:02 PM
Based upon that article, it certainly appears that the project was based upon an entirely unrealistic projection of attendance figures. Employing the ever-popular, "If you build it, they will come" theory of project planning. What could possibly go wrong?
Are their projections of breaking even with an unrealistic attendance figure before or after the inevitable cost overruns?
Quote from: elephantraker on March 08, 2016, 05:46:54 PM
Are their projections of breaking even with an unrealistic attendance figure before or after the inevitable cost overruns?
Before.
If they were after, they'd need to average 28,000 per game for the next 25 years.
This is going to be an excellent venue and I think it will be a big help to reviving the DePaul Program. They will be able to find 4 good recruits a year who will buy into the dream. I think a lot of the tickets will be sold to companies looking for an entertainment venue during trade shows. That said it will still be a financial disaster. I think DePaul could have sold the same dream for the 10 year free rent deal that the United Center offered.
It was a stupid, stupid deal all the way around.
Maybe if they played somewhere near like... Anything at all they would get a couple 100 more people
Quote from: elephantraker on March 08, 2016, 05:46:54 PM
Are their projections of breaking even with an unrealistic attendance figure before or after the inevitable cost overruns?
I found out yesterday I know a project lead, and they are currently under budget. Mild winter has been fantastic for construction.
Quote from: GooooMarquette on March 08, 2016, 11:31:34 AM
Maybe I missed it in the article (or elsewhere)...but the expectations are 9,500 paid attendees for the new arena to hit targets? In a 10,000 seat arena? To do that - among other things - the university would have to stop providing free tix to students, and still somehow convince them to go to games.
Even if it's 9,500 total (with 7,500 paid), it's quite a stretch to assume that paid attendance will triple.
#thegiantwillcontinuesleeping
This is 16 dates for the new arena. What about the other 349 days? This project will fail and people will go to jail for fraud, corruption and bribery no matter how many Depaul gets.
(Note all Chicago projects require a certain number of arrest/convictions for fraud, corruption and bribery or they do not get approved.)
Quote from: Heisenberg on March 08, 2016, 10:38:43 PM
This is 16 dates for the new arena. What about the other 349 days? This project will fail and people will go to jail for fraud, corruption and bribery no matter how many Depaul gets.
(Note all Chicago projects require a certain number of arrest/convictions for fraud, corruption and bribery or they do not get approved.)
It'll fail as a success for DePaul, but I think it will be a fine as a revenue source with it being tied into McCormick Place. There will be plenty of convention and concert usage. I think the UIC Pavilion takes a pretty hard revenue hit
Quote from: MUsoxfan on March 08, 2016, 10:46:26 PM
It'll fail as a success for DePaul, but I think it will be a fine as a revenue source with it being tied into McCormick Place. There will be plenty of convention and concert usage. I think the UIC Pavilion takes a pretty hard revenue hit
This.
I'm also surprised that they didn't try to get the Dleague team to play here instead of out in Hoffman Estates
Quote from: BagpipingBoxer on March 09, 2016, 12:40:51 AM
I'm also surprised that they didn't try to get the Dleague team to play here instead of out in Hoffman Estates
I am too. I wonder if it will still be in the cards down the road.
If nothing else, I suspect more students will show up. At least they have an option to now.