By BRUCE GOULD, guest columnist
Public interest in the construction at the Brown County Music Center project is increasing as the structure becomes increasingly visible from a distance.
Planning for the opening has been under way for some time, but as completion schedules become more predictable, moving from a construction period into actually operating the venue is proceeding with marketing at many different levels and plans to bring more management staff on board soon.
Event scheduling has been under way and the interest by a broad range of musicians to perform at the new venue has been very encouraging.
Performance schedules will be announced within just a few weeks and tickets for some of the events will go on sale in April.
The venue name of “Brown County Music Center” has been selected as a name that includes the highly recognized and respected location name of Brown County, so the question of “Where is the venue?” is answered in the name.
Now that a name had been decided, developing the branding and marketing can proceed. A brand logo was also selected, so the colors will be decided on and the logo released very soon.
The management group and building corporation will be retaining the Maple Leaf name but “doing business as” the Brown County Music Center, because changing every legal document that has been prepared to this point to reflect the new name would be very time consuming and expensive.
As of the end of February, the building is “under roof.” Windows and some door frames have been installed. Some floors have been poured and others will be done as all plumbing and electrical roughing in is completed. On any given day there are at least five or six subcontractor companies working on different parts of the building, from installing electrical wiring to hanging heat ducts.
We are especially proud to have Steven Durr Designs (stevendurr.com) and Bandit Lites (banditlites.com) working on this project. Steven Durr Designs has an international reputation for outstanding acoustical design and Bandit Lites designs and builds entertainment lighting for venues throughout the world. We are determined to provide the highest quality entertainment experience possible, and investing in the highest quality sound and lighting will help make that possible.
In the lobby area, the natural wood and timbers are even more attractive than was envisioned, so the lobby will make a great first impression. The lobby is large enough to provide event space by itself.
In spite of the abnormal amount of wet and cold weather in the past six months, construction has proceeded at an amazing pace.
Executive Director Dana Beth Evans has been very busy meeting members of the community, working on event scheduling and staffing, concessions, and many more of the details required for efficient operations of the venue from the start. She has also been busy interviewing prospective employees for box office, marketing and technology positions. If you have not met her yet, you will.
A bi-weekly update is planned with information about construction progress and important dates. If anybody has questions that would be of public interest, we will try to answer some of them in this column. Questions can be sent to [email protected].
Bruce Gould is vice president of the Maple Leaf Management Group.
