End of Thursday Canalside Concerts- Did Rich Product’s “Be Out Guest” Breach Their Contract?
In 2017 the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation terminated their agreement with Spectra and hired Be Our Guest, a subsidiary of Rich Products. Robert Gioia, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation Board Chairman said BRG made a name for itself managing events at the baseball stadium for the Buffalo Bisons. Spectra based in Philadelphia had been managing events at Canalside for the previous three years.
Be Our Guest was to handle booking and “continuing the signature Thursday night concert series which are a major attraction for the downtown waterfront destination.”
Since there is only ONE Thursday concert in 2019, and not weekly and what started out as FREE, then $5,now you will have to pay $10 to $40, we question as to whether Be Our Guest has breached their contract with ECHDC. Additionally, Be Our Guest has indicated that couldn’t book concerts on Thursdays which was one of their directives when taking over the contract. Now they say they are unable to get bands to come on Thursdays. Yet, two are coming this year on a Tuesday???
Spectra did it, why couldn’t they? It was done in the past and if nothing else, see who is coming to Toronto on a weekend and engage the acts to come to Buffalo on a Thursday before one of their concerts there.
Each of these changes dramatically affects the demographics of concert goers. FREE attracted 16-20 year olds (great since their alternative was a mall), $5 attracted 30 to 45 year olds, and we expect paid concerts on weekends will attract 23-35 year olds with more alcohol issues. And, definitely will affect families that go to concerts and don’t want to pay $40 to $160 to go to a concert at Canalside.
So, we ask ECHDC as to whether Be Our Guest has breached their contract and whether we can get Spectra back with Thursday concerts and a $5 cover.
