Things are changing at 1 The Tragically Hip Way in Kingston, Ont., as the city and the company that manages the Leon’s Centre, ASM Global, are shaking up the partnership.
“In this case now, we’re taking more of a partnership approach. Where, obviously, ASM is still going to be very much in charge of looking at the actual acts and entertainment and managing,” said Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson of the changes.
However, the city will be taking a more active role in the partnership moving forward.
The partnership that Mayor Paterson spoke about is one that will see the city take care of the behind-the-scenes things, but more specifically maintenance.
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“Making sure that it’s maintained well. Obviously, we’ve got some expertise there about how to make sure that all of those details on the building side are taken care of,” said Paterson.
This comes on the heels of a contract extension between the city and the management company that will see ASM Global continue to run things on the entertainment and sports side.
All this begs the question: why the shakeup? Mayor Paterson says that over the years, attendees have brought questions, comments and complaints about the Leon’s Centre to the city, and they saw it as an opportunity to lighten the load and improve the overall experience.
“There were some questions, obviously, on the quality of the sound system, obviously, other maintenance issues, that sometimes do come up,” he added.
However, this does come with some benefits for the city. The new arrangement will see the city getting a piece of the pie for the work that they’re chipping in.
“It’s a different model. We’re obviously going to be sharing in the revenue, so, revenues from different shows and events at the Leon’s Centre will now be split between ASM and the city,” said Paterson.
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