Tag: Erie Otters

Erie Events and Erie Otters Announce 10-Year Lease Agreement

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Otters 10 Year AgreementThe Erie County Convention Center Authority and Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters jointly announced today that both parties have agreed to and signed a ten-year lease extension that will keep the Erie Otters in Northwestern Pennsylvania. The agreement sees that the Erie Otters continue to play its seasons in the Authority’s Erie Insurance Arena for an additional ten years, commencing with the 2019-2020 OHL Season.

“All of us in the Otters organization are pleased and excited to have our new ten-year lease signed with the ECCCA,” Erie Otters Owner and Governor Jim Waters said. “The Otters are very fortunate to call this fantastic facility home. I’m ecstatic to join our many fans and community partners in Erie in continuing Otters success for years to come.”

“We’re thrilled to retain this important business in Western Pennsylvania,” said John “Casey” Wells, Erie Events Executive Director. “Not only does our hockey team provide great entertainment, it generates a positive economic impact, creates jobs, and improves the quality of life in our community.”

Coinciding with the lease agreement is the addition of a dedicated Erie Otters retail location and new team office space inside the Erie Insurance Arena in the near future. The Erie Otters have been the primary tenant of the ECCCA-managed Erie Insurance Arena since 1996, when it was formerly known as the Tullio Arena.

The Erie County Convention Center Authority (ECCCA) operates four unique venues in the heart of downtown Erie – Erie Insurance Arena, Warner Theatre, UPMC Park and the Bayfront Convention Center. The Erie Insurance Arena is home to the OHL Erie Otters and the NBA G-League Erie BayHawks. UPMC Park is home to the Erie SeaWolves, Double A Detroit Tigers.

Erie Events Impact Downtown Business

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by Brandon Boyd, Coordinator of Communications and Client Relations

GRAPHICFORARTICLEIn 2018, Erie Events drove nearly $88 million in direct spending to the Erie region. Erie Events, which operates the Erie Insurance Arena, Warner Theatre, UPMC Park and Bayfront Convention Center, is located in the heart of Erie’s downtown cultural, entertainment and sports district.

With a 2018 event attendance of 729,966, Erie Events is a major driving force that attracts people to downtown Erie.  In addition to attending events, those people also visited restaurants, bars, and other businesses. Downtown establishments prosper on event days.

Bertrand Artigues, owner of Cloud 9 Wine Bar, said he sees a direct correlation between events held in downtown Erie and how busy his business is.

“If [Erie Events] is busy, I’m busy. When we prepare, one of the first things we do is look at the Erie Events website to see what is bringing people into town,” he said. “A big piece of the pie for business here is having events downtown. When events occur, everything flourishes.”

Rochelle Carlotti, bar manager at Jekyll and Hyde’s, agreed.

“We absolutely see an influx in business when events are happening. Weekdays especially are greatly improved by downtown events. Events at the Warner and the Arena, especially Otters games, more than double our business. People often come in for dinner before the event and often stop by after for a drink.”

The Erie Insurance Arena drew 291,862 patrons in 2018, with an average of 3,423 people per game coming to see the Otters during the 2018-2019 season. UPMC Park brought in a total event attendance of 217,868 and the Bayfront Convention Center had a total event attendance of 133,686. The Warner Theatre brought in an additional 86,550 attendees.

For J.B. Innes, manager and owner of 1201 Kitchen, a Warner Theatre crowd brings in a tremendous amount of business.

“When reservations start coming in for a certain date, especially a weekday, I know something’s happening,” he said. “For us, the Warner especially does a great job in bringing in a lot of our customers.”

Downtown businesses unanimously agree that Erie Events plays a significant role in the amount of traffic they get during an event.

“When there’s events and things are going well, there’s a momentum downtown. We get bombarded. It’s fun to watch and be a part of,” Artigues said.

“These events are the cultural center of our city. They bring people in business to all of the bars, restaurants and shops downtown,” Carlotti said. “[Downtown events] bring us a large amount of business from people who may not think to stop into our establishment otherwise.”

New Menus at Erie Insurance Arena

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By Beth Wilkinson, Concessions Operations Manager

MenuBoardIdea2

When you go to order food at the Erie Insurance Arena this year, you’ll notice a different look.

Don’t be intimidated! We feel change is a good thing, and we’ll tell you why. We’re presenting options in a clear, concise way in bright colors and text that you can read from far away. This will allow you more time to scan for your favorite option, and our hope is you’ll know exactly what you want when you get to the register. If you’re at the Club Level, in our suites, or watching the BayHawks courtside, you’ll also see a new menu.

We’re also excited about where you see the Coca-Cola ad in our example picture above. There, it will be moving video that shows several options that you will have. In that spot, we’ll be showing you items like pop, beer, and popcorn to further help you visualize some of our options.

One item of note, as well: Don’t be afraid to move around the Arena! We have specific items at each area that can’t be found in the rest of the Arena. Those items include a walking taco, root beer float, brownie sundae, gyro, philly cheese steak, chicken tenders, poutine, and more.

We look forward to serving you this year at the Erie Insurance Arena!

Ignore the Weather: Things Are Heating Up At Erie Events

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By Brandon Boyd, Coordinator of Communications and Client Relations

If looking out your window and seeing April snow makes you melancholy, don’t worry, we’ve got just what can cheer you up.

While the weather has yet to make the turn, all of us here at Erie Events have our sights set on a bright and sunny future.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t start with our very own Erie SeaWolves. The SeaWolves have already taken to the field and their bats are beginning to finally heat up even if the weather hasn’t. We look for the SeaWolves to have another successful year both on and off the field. Just in the month of April, the SeaWolves have a fleece blanket giveaway, fireworks, catch on the field, and more. Personally, I’m excited for all the Buck Nights this year. In late April, one of the SeaWolves’ opponents, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (what a name!) bring Tim Tebow to the field. That will be a series you won’t want to miss!

On Friday of this week, Casey Wells, our executive director, will have information on a possible grant that will bring funding for renovations for UPMC Park and Erie Insurance Arena. If the grant is received, the Erie SeaWolves and Erie Otters will commit to 10 more years in Erie. Talk about a bright future!

Our events schedule for the upcoming months looks promising, too, with a number of concerts and performances ready to wow the Erie crowds. Our schedule of events includes:

  • April 19: Gov’t Mule, Warner Theatre
  • April 26: Brian Regan, Warner Theatre
  • May 12: Lloyd and Layton Greene, Warner Theatre
  • May 12: Brantley Gilbert, Erie Insurance Arena
  • May 16: Peppa Pig’s Surprise, Warner Theatre
  • June 29: Dierks Bentley, Erie Insurance Arena
  • September 25: REO Speedwagon, Warner Theatre
  • November 9 and 10: Monster Jam, Erie Insurance Arena

We also have a few family-friendly events that we’ll be announcing in the coming days.

As always, tickets are available at http://www.erieevents.com. We look forward to hosting you at any number of our events and we hope you have a great time! All said, despite the weather forecast bringing us down, the forecast for Erie Events is clear skies, sun, and a whole lot of entertainment!

 

Week Full of Fun in Downtown Erie

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If you’re looking for something to do this week, there is plenty going on in downtown Erie.

gala of the royal horses

Erie Insurance Arena will transform to host the Gala of the Royal Horses on Wednesday night at 7:30.

Tickets are still available for the unique show (http://www.erieevents.com/announcements/gala-of-the-royal-horses) that features horses from around the world that is a must-see show for horse lovers.

Boz Scaggs

Also on Wednesday night, Boz Scaggs will perform at the Warner Theatre with the Memphis Tour.

The show starts at 8pm with tickets on sale now http://www.erieevents.com/announcements/boz-scaggs.

Connor McDavid

On Thursday, your Erie Otters take the ice against the Plymouth Whalers at 7pm.

If you haven’t seen a game yet  this year, you don’t want to miss Conner McDavid and his teammates on home ice.