Venue Concession Sales Tend To Be Highest For Jam Band Shows

A study of the breakdown of revenue that the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville, NC brings in yearly has noticed a very interesting pattern: concession revenue tends to be highest for jam band shows.

According to the Citizen-Times, the venue generates more than $2 million annually, with approximately half of this coming from concessions sales. In the years that the venue booked popular jam bands — Widespread Panic, Trey Anastasio, The String Cheese Incident, Umphrey’s McGee, and Warren Haynes Christmas Jam, for instance — concession sales peaked and revenue was at an all-time high. A further breakdown reveals that these shows in particular were amongst the top grossing each year.

U.S. Cellular Center revenues

Listed are the fiscal year (runs July 1-June 30); that year’s top revenue shows; total fiscal year ticket revenue; total fiscal year concession revenue; total fiscal year revenues*

2010 — Warren Haynes Christmas Jam, Avett Brothers, Toughman Competition, Further, Toby Mac. Concessions: $549,212. Total revenue: $1.9 million.

2011 — Sugarland, Warren Haynes Christmas Jam, Avett Brothers, Widespread Panic, Mumford and Sons. Concessions: $1 million. Total revenue: $2 million

2012 — Trey Anastasio, Moogfest, String Cheese Incident, Warren Haynes Christmas Jam, Southern Conference Basketball Championships. Concessions: $602,810. Total revenue: $2.4 million

2013 — Moogfest, Warren Haynes Christmas Jam, Southern Conference Basketball Championships, Bob Dylan, Old Crow Medicine Show. Concessions: $728,359. Total revenue: $3 million

2014 — Widespread Panic, Warren Haynes Christmas Jam, Umphrey’s McGee, Darius Rucker, Moogfest. Concessions: $1.3 million. Total revenue: $3.3 million

* Revenues include tickets, concession, rentals and other sources

[Via Citizen-Times]