Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-06-24 Daily Xml

Contents

Riverbank Arena

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:31): I just have a question for the Treasurer about big concert events. In the event that they have to sell off, and will sell off the Entertainment Centre, what would happen to these big concerts should there be a clash of dates with conventions or basketball events or tennis events? What happens to those big concert events? Will they probably have to fly over Adelaide?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:32): No. What happens around the world is that the people who manage these venues organise programs which are booked sometimes two years ahead. The world-class promoters who bring the acts to a particular country book ahead. They say, 'I'm going to bring'—someone I am sure the Hon. Mr Pangallo will be delighted about—'Pink to South Australia to perform. I will only bring Pink to South Australia to perform for the Hon. Mr Pangallo, if the Hon. Mr Pangallo will be there, but, secondly, if you can guarantee an audience of up to 15,000 people', because that is what generates the revenue.

The venue organisers or managers book it in and make sure that you do not book at the same time as a conference or a convention. That is how big venues around the world are organised. You manage conferences, conventions, ice-skating shows, world-class performances, Disney on Ice—whatever it might happen to be—the Wiggles, if that is your preference, the Hon. Mr Pangallo. All of those things are organised by the venue manager, but they do it sometimes up to a couple of years ahead.