Sanford Center Over Budget In 2016

The news was not good at the Sanford Center’s Advisory Board meeting where the event center’s annual report was presented. The financial profit and loss report for 2016 showed the most loss in event expenses. The Sanford Center’s management company VenuWorks says that overbooking was a large contributing factor.

In 2016 the Sanford Center had an operating loss of $536,235 on an operating budget loss of $349,288, meaning that the event center ran over budget by $186,947. Creating a need for change and how VenuWorks will manage the facility in 2017.

For the city of Bemidji, making the event center a success is a top priority in hopes of getting a proposed hospitality tax off the ground, so that the event center would not have to operate off money from property taxes.

With 2017 already in full swing, changes in how the event center will be managed and noticeable changes for its guests are expected to begin later this summer.