The staff is recommending increasing rental rates for the Large Meeting Room and North Meeting Rooms at the Convention Center to better align with other local venues and maximize revenue. For the Large Meeting Room, they propose requiring full room rentals on Saturdays and increasing non-commercial rates by $100-300, which could generate an additional $5,000-$7,000 annually in lost revenue. For the North Meeting Rooms, rates would rise to $200-600 per section rented.

1. Convention Center
rental rates
June 19, 2012

2. Convention Center rental rates
Staff is requesting a rate increase in the Large Meeting
Room (for non-commercial events) and the North
Meeting Rooms.
• The Convention Center is undervalued compared to
other venues in San Angelo and outside the
community.
• A need to maximize revenues to adequately operate,
maintain and support the facility.
• Costs have increased in the four-plus years since rates
were set.

3. Staff recommendation
• Leave convention rate as is. Other proposed rate
changes effective Oct. 1.
• Saturday bookings in LMR must be for full room.
• Non-commercial non-fundraiser rate rises 25% to
$500 (1/3), $1,000 (2/3) and $1,500 (full room).
(Increases of $100, $200 and $300, respectively.)
• Non-commercial fundraiser rate rises 22% to $550
(1/3), $1,100 (2/3) and $1,650 (full room). (Increases
of $100, $200 and $300, respectively.)

4. Staff recommendation
• NMR rates rise to $200 (1/3), $400 (2/3), $600 (full).
(Up from $150, $300 and $450, respectively.) Half-day
rates of $125 (1/3), $250 (2/3), $300 (full).
• Kitchen fee of $100. Includes ice, water, refrigerator,
warmers, and food prep. No cooking.
• No changes proposed in rates for South Meeting
Room ($100 - $350/day), Upstairs Meeting Room
($200 - $450/day) or entire building ($2,000-$2,500).

5. Convention Center rental rates
• City Council approved in 2008 during renovation. No
adjustments since.
• All rates are TURNKEY. Only additional expenses for
spotlights, linens, dinnerware, security and insurance.
• Rates for 8 a.m.-midnight.

6. CJ Davidson Center rates
• ASU facility seats up to 300 banquet style. No
reservations beyond 6 months. Hours: 8AM –
10:30PM M-F, 10AM – 7PM Sat-Sun.
• Social events = $600. Commercial = $700. (As of
1-1-12).
• Utilities = $17/hour from availability ‘til event’s end.
• Custodial = $21/hour/employee for cleanup.
• Other costs: tables = $15/each, staging =
$15/section, sound = $80 setup + $10/hour/tech,
spotlight and stagelights = $65 + $10/hour/operator,
digital projector = $125, computer setup = $80,
screens = $25/each.

7. Cactus Hotel rates
• Pricing effective 2-1-12.
• Ballroom accommodates up to 350, lobby 200,
mezzanine 160.
• Lobby, mezzanine, ballroom = $1,200 (Fri), $1,600
(Sat), $800 (M-Th).
• Other costs: kitchen = $150-$350, tables = $8,
skirting = $15, chairs = $1-$2, staging = $25/section,
podium = $10, PA = $25, cleanup = $200.

8. LeGrand Alumni Center
• Facility at ASU. Ballroom accommodates up to 168,
courtyard and open-air pavilion up to 400.
• Ballroom = $850 (M-Th), $1,250 (F-Sat). Courtyard
and pavilion = $650 (M-Th), $750 (F-Sat).
• Entire center and WEDDINGS = $1,500 (M-Th),
$2,000 (F-Sat). (10 hours. Additional hours =
$50/hr). Rates include tech assistance, A/V
equipment, set-up and clean-up.
• Other costs: bar servers $25/hour, carpet cleaning
$70-$80, tablecloths $3-$4 each. Vases and table
decorations available for “nominal fee.”

9. Midland Center rates
• Full bay = 12,500 sf. Must rent entire space Fri-Sun.
$700/day.
• 1/3 bays (2 available) = $200 each/day (M-Th).
• Center bay = $250/day (M-Th).
• Meeting rooms (644 sf – 2,138 sf) = $150-$200/day.
• Other costs: video projectors = $75-$100, screens =
$25, A/V cart = $50, mics = $25-$40, mic stand = $10,
portable sound/speakers = $75, booths = $30/each,
pipe and drape = $3/ft., tablecloths = $10/each, risers
= $25/each, podium = $15, gaffers tape = $20-$35,
tablecloths = $10, skirts = $5-$10.

10. Midland Center

11. Midland Center

12. Abilene Civic Center rates
• 3 tiers: non-commercial non-fundraising (lowest rate),
non-commercial fundraising, commerical (highest).
• Daily rates are for 8 a.m.-midnight.
• Conference Center (banquet facility) = 13,400 sf.
$375 - $550 + move-in costs of $150 - $175.
• Exhibit hall (trade show space) = 20,000 sf. $400 -
$600 + move-in costs of $175 - $225.

13. Abilene Civic Center other costs
• Effective 10-1-05.
• Tables = $2/each, chairs = 75 cents/each, staging
$15/section, podiums = $15, sound = $10, mics =
$15-$50, projectors = $10/each, A/V cart = $10,
spotlight = $30 + tech, screens = $15-$120, booths =
$13/each, extension cords = $5/each, kitchen = $75,
catering = 12%-14%, tablecloths = $8/each, skirting =
$15-$22, mirrored ball = $25, place settings = $1.50.

14. Abilene Civic Center

15. Abilene Civic Center

16. Convention Center Large Meeting Room rates
• 1/3 of LMR = 4,059 sf. Can accommodate up to 220
banquet style or 300 theater style.
• 2/3 of LMR = 8,142 sf. Can accommodate up to 500
banquet style or 650 theater style.
• Full LMR = 12,201 sf. Can accommodate up to 700
banquet style or 1,200 theater style.

17. Large Meeting Room rental rates
• 3 rate tiers: non-commercial non-fundraiser (lowest),
non-commercial fundraiser, convention rate (highest).
• Non-commercial non-fundraiser = $400 for 1/3,
$800 for 2/3, $1,200 for full space.
• Non-commercial fundraiser = $450 for 1/3, $900 for
2/3, $1,350 for full space.
• Convention rate = $500 for 1/3, $1,000 for 2/3,
$1,500 for full space.

18. Wedding cost comparison
• Actual wedding w/ 40 tables w/ linens, 400 place
settings, chairs, sound, A/V, screen, space for buffet
setup. (No other venue offers napkins [20 cents each].
Only Abilene has place settings [$1.50 each].)
• Convention Center = $1,916 under current pricing,
$2,471 if proposed rates applied.
• CJ Davidson Center – Not large enough. $2,600.
• Cactus Hotel – Probably not large enough. $3,800.
• LeGrand Center – May not be large enough. $2,630.
• Midland Center – $2,323.
• Abilene Civic Center -- $2,950.

19. Convention Center discounts
• 10% for Monday-Thursday uses of Large Meeting
Room.
• 5% for two or more consecutive days of use.
• 50%-plus for creating 200-plus local hotel room night
stays.

20. North Meeting Room rental rates
• 1/3 of NMR = 1,148 sf. Can accommodate up to 115
theater style. $150/day.
• 2/3 of NMR = 2,131 sf. Can accommodate up to 213
theater style. $300/day.
• Full NMR = 3,279 sf. Can accommodate up to 328
theater style. $450/day.

21. Staff recommendation
• NMR rates rise to $200 (1/3), $400 (2/3), $600 (full).
(Up from $150, $300 and $450, respectively.) Half-day
rates of $125 (1/3), $250 (2/3), $300 (full).
• Kitchen fee of $100. Includes ice, water, refrigerator,
warmers, and food prep. No cooking.

22. Staff recommendation
• Leave convention rate as is. Other proposed rate
changes effective Oct. 1.
• Saturday bookings in LMR must be for full room.
• Non-commercial non-fundraiser rate rises 25% to
$500 (1/3), $1,000 (2/3) and $1,500 (full room).
(Increases of $100, $200 and $300, respectively.)
• Non-commercial fundraiser rate rises 22% to $550
(1/3), $1,100 (2/3) and $1,650 (full room). (Increases
of $100, $200 and $300, respectively.)

23. Convention Center rental rates
2011 Saturday rentals of LMR
• Full space = 36 rentals
• 2/3 = 6 rentals
• 1/3 = 4 rentals
(22% of rentals for less than full space)
• Lost revenue under current rates = $5,600 (5.1% of
budgeted revenue, 4.2% of actual revenue)
• Lost revenue under proposed rates = $7,000 (6.4% of
budgeted revenue, 5.6% of actual revenue)

24. Convention Center rental rates
2012 Saturday rentals of LMR (as of 6/7)
• Full space = 40 rentals
• 2/3 = 3 rentals
• 1/3 = 5 rentals
(17% of rentals for less than full space)
• Lost revenue under current rates = $5,200 (4.2% of
budgeted revenue, 2.7% of projected revenue)
• Lost revenue under proposed rates = $6,500 (5.2% of
budgeted revenue, 3.4% of projected revenue)