Despite low ticket sales and a $90,000 cost to students, last month’s ‘Dead Week Live’ concert was “a success,” Campus Entertainment Director John Stiles told MSU’s student senate. Stiles called the event “relatively inexpensive” and said that it “enhanced the social, cultural and educational benefit to students.”
The concert, which featured pop bands 3Oh!3 and the Plain White Tees, was the largest event hosted by student government in recent years. But after experiencing booking trouble and lower-than-anticipated ticket sales, the show used five percent of ASMSU’s annual student fee revenue, costing around $8 per MSU student.
During a presentation to student senators last Thursday, Stiles cited numerous event accomplishments, emphasizing that it provided a new kind of social experience for students as well as unique leadership opportunities for student organizers. He listed “financial outlook” as the concert’s one shortcoming. Campus Entertainment has no money remaining in its budget for the spring semester.
Stiles said Campus Entertainment has “served more students last semester than in the past five or six years.” Around 2,400 people attended the 3Oh!3 show, many of whom were MSU students, and last Fall’s foam party recorded over 2,000 student attendees.
At-Large senator Cody Floerchinger criticized Campus Entertainment for not returning to the senate for support after planned acts Nelly and Cobra Starship fell through, in part because the names were leaked to a radio station before contracts were signed.
Campus Entertainment later decided to contract the Plain White Tees to perform alongside 3Oh!3, in hopes of boosting ticket sales, Stiles said. At Thursday’s meeting, Floerchinger questioned Stiles’ decision to pay more for the concert’s supporting act than its headliner.
When asked whether Campus Entertainment could survey students’ band preferences, Stiles noted that factors other than the acts themselves can affect event attendance.
Stiles said that organizing the concert was particularly difficult because Campus Entertainment did not have past experiences to reference. He said he is currently working to compile a binder that future directors will be able to draw upon when planning large events.
Meanwhile, the concert left Campus Entertainment with no remaining funds for spring semester.
A previously-booked comedy act featuring the cast of Reno 911! is scheduled for Feb. 24. Stiles said he hopes the free event will attract 1,200 attendees. However, the show is currently scheduled to be in the Procrastinator Theatre, which holds 200 people, and many of MSU’s larger venues are unavailable on the scheduled date.
Stiles said that Campus Entertainment would have to “be creative” in finding ways to continue serving students this semester.
“Can you do it with a budget of zero?” Floerchinger asked.
Stiles said the senate would have to decide if and how to provide more funding for Campus Entertainment, but that his committee would “work within its means to provide the best for the student body.”
Additionally, Stiles said he plans to meet with student leaders across campus to seek input for future event programming. “The only thing we can do is move forward,” Stiles said.
