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Catfish Bend Casino, Fun City exploring more musical acts
By Joe Benedict/MVM News Network
FORT MADISON - Catfish Bend Casino and the rest of the Fun City Complex may be seeing some more musical acts in the future.
CEO Jerry Baum gave an update to the Southeast Iowa Regional Riverboat Commission on Tuesday at the Ivy Bake Shoppe.
The facility recently saw some success with the Platters concert. Baum said many have told him the casino could have sold the tickets for more than the $15 it charged.
“But it was the first concert we've sold out,”” Baum said.
SIRRC member Sharon Schull-Nabulsi asked Baum if the casino was going to get more acts like the Platters. She attended that concert and enjoyed it.
Baum said they are looking at similar acts around the same price range.
The acts they are looking at will be geared toward the casino demographic of about 60 years old.
The said they are looking at the Temptations, a Johnny Cash tribute, Garth Brooks tribute, Tommy Dorsey and Glen Miller tributes as well. Cost is a factor.
“We're not as concerned about making money as we are losing money,”” Baum said.
Baum said the management is getting more excited about bringing in entertainment. They are planning to create a seating arrangement for different price tickets for different zones that will allow them to provide a ticket price for everyone who wants to attend.
Baum also said considering the problems with flooding this summer and Burlington being cut off from Illinois for more than a month, the casino has not done badly this year. Revenues are up about 9.8 percent. SIRRC did see an 11 percent drop in revenue from the casino in September from last year's numbers. Baum said this most likely is because Labor Day weekend was in August this year, with Labor Day being Sept. 1.
Baum said overall the complex was down 4.5 percent in revenue in September. He said compared to other Iowa facilities, some down as much as 15 percent, it doesn't look that bad. He said with the economy starting to get bad, the first thing people cut back on is the entertainment dollar.
The facility is using its direct mail database extensively to try and bring people in.
The CEO also addressed some operational streamlining at the facility. Baum said there are three areas of concentration, the casino, hotel and entertainment, which includes the arcade and restaurants. The management is busy working on promotions for each.
One system that they would like to implement is a points card for spending money anywhere in the complex, similar to the points cards casino patrons use to earn free plays. Visitors could earn points to buy free meals or hotel rooms with the new card.
Baum said the facility will pay attention to the Iowa Legislature this year to monitor whether the no smoking rule could be applied to the casinos. He said Illinois casinos saw a very large drop in revenues when they went smokefree and fears the same will happen in Iowa.
Dave Walker, SIRRC treasurer, reported the commission has distributed $100,603 to Burlington, Fort Madison and Keokuk in the past three months and $6,288 to the two counties. The commission saw a $30,000 drop in distributions compared to last year. Walker said this could be because at this time last year, the casino was operating in both Fort Madison and Burlington.
The next SIRRC meeting is in January and the election of officers will be held then. SIRRC Chair Larry Smith said the next year will be his last on the commission, so he would not be opposed to handing the chairmanship to someone else while he is still on the board to assist them with questions. He said he believes it's time for the commission to get a different perspective from someone else in the community.
CEO Jerry Baum gave an update to the Southeast Iowa Regional Riverboat Commission on Tuesday at the Ivy Bake Shoppe.
The facility recently saw some success with the Platters concert. Baum said many have told him the casino could have sold the tickets for more than the $15 it charged.
“But it was the first concert we've sold out,”” Baum said.
SIRRC member Sharon Schull-Nabulsi asked Baum if the casino was going to get more acts like the Platters. She attended that concert and enjoyed it.
Baum said they are looking at similar acts around the same price range.
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The said they are looking at the Temptations, a Johnny Cash tribute, Garth Brooks tribute, Tommy Dorsey and Glen Miller tributes as well. Cost is a factor.
“We're not as concerned about making money as we are losing money,”” Baum said.
Baum said the management is getting more excited about bringing in entertainment. They are planning to create a seating arrangement for different price tickets for different zones that will allow them to provide a ticket price for everyone who wants to attend.
Baum also said considering the problems with flooding this summer and Burlington being cut off from Illinois for more than a month, the casino has not done badly this year. Revenues are up about 9.8 percent. SIRRC did see an 11 percent drop in revenue from the casino in September from last year's numbers. Baum said this most likely is because Labor Day weekend was in August this year, with Labor Day being Sept. 1.
Baum said overall the complex was down 4.5 percent in revenue in September. He said compared to other Iowa facilities, some down as much as 15 percent, it doesn't look that bad. He said with the economy starting to get bad, the first thing people cut back on is the entertainment dollar.
The facility is using its direct mail database extensively to try and bring people in.
The CEO also addressed some operational streamlining at the facility. Baum said there are three areas of concentration, the casino, hotel and entertainment, which includes the arcade and restaurants. The management is busy working on promotions for each.
One system that they would like to implement is a points card for spending money anywhere in the complex, similar to the points cards casino patrons use to earn free plays. Visitors could earn points to buy free meals or hotel rooms with the new card.
Baum said the facility will pay attention to the Iowa Legislature this year to monitor whether the no smoking rule could be applied to the casinos. He said Illinois casinos saw a very large drop in revenues when they went smokefree and fears the same will happen in Iowa.
Dave Walker, SIRRC treasurer, reported the commission has distributed $100,603 to Burlington, Fort Madison and Keokuk in the past three months and $6,288 to the two counties. The commission saw a $30,000 drop in distributions compared to last year. Walker said this could be because at this time last year, the casino was operating in both Fort Madison and Burlington.
The next SIRRC meeting is in January and the election of officers will be held then. SIRRC Chair Larry Smith said the next year will be his last on the commission, so he would not be opposed to handing the chairmanship to someone else while he is still on the board to assist them with questions. He said he believes it's time for the commission to get a different perspective from someone else in the community.
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