VenuWorks Plans To Invest In Sanford Center With New Contract

It has been an eight-year roller coaster ride for Bemidji’s Sanford Center. While there have been plenty of high points, there has also been its share of lows. After 90 minutes of discussion Monday night, the Bemidji City Council awarded the event center’s management company VenuWorks a new five-year contract, which city officials say was in the best interest of the facility.

One of the new contract’s biggest selling points was VenuWorks’ promise to invest $130,000 into the event center, beginning with an event risk fund.

One area being focused on is incentivizing and increasing lagging concession sales through the use of new technology. One of the commitments VenuWorks has made to the Sanford Center is an investment in a brand new POS system that is expected to help manage concession sales.

Despite the investments to be made by VenuWorks, there is still some opposition to the new five-year contract. Councilman Ron Johnson was the lone “no” vote against the new contract.

With a new contract set to begin next year, the hope is that the facility will stabilize and grow success.

The event center’s new contract is scheduled to begin in January of 2019.