033-1999 LTC
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
http:\\cLmiami-beach.fl.us
L.T.C. No.
33-1999
LETTER TO COMMISSION
February 8, 1999
FROM:
Mayor Neisen O. Kasdin and
Members of the City Commission
Sergio Rodriguez b___
City Manager ~
TO:
SUBJECT:
BOXING AND WRESTLING BOOKINGS
Attached for your information is a memorandum from SMG General Manager Doug Tober regarding
Boxing and Wrestling Bookings.
If you require further information, please either contact me or Assistant City Manager Mayra Diaz
Buttacavoli.
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Attachment
c: Mayra Diaz Buttacavoli
Doug Tober
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MEMORANDUM
Private Management for Public FacilitIes
Doug Tober
General Manager
Miami Beach Convention Center
Jackie Gleason Theater
To: Mayra Diaz Buttacavoli
Date: February 5,1999
Re: Boxing and Wrestling Bookings
Per your request, below please find my thoughts concerning the viability of bookings for
boxing and wrestling at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Prior to the construction of the James L. Knight Center and the Miami Arena, the Miami
Beach Convention Center served as the principal venue for arena-type events in Miami-Dade
County. Our Halls C & D, fonnerly known as South and North Halls respectively, hosted
many wrestling and boxing events as well as circuses and concerts, dating back to the 1950's.
However, due to the proliferation of more traditional arena-type venues, these facilities have
presented much more viable options for these types of events.
Professional wrestling has grown from a small, hometown sporting event into a national
entertainment spectacle. The local "federations" have given way to the colossal giants of the
World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. These events, typically
booked live into South Florida about four to six times per year, require production rigging
capabilities and ceiling heights found only in arenas, with elaborate staging set-ups rivaling
the largest rock concerts. The capacities required, in the 15,000-20,000 range, exceed our hall
single hall capacities, and the costs associated with setting the portable seating, which must be
set in our venue while permanent seating is already set in the typical arenas, make it
oftentimes cost prohibitive for the Convention Center to be a viable consideration. Another
consideration in addition to the cost is the time required; for a capacity set-up, up to four days
may be required for set-up, show, and tear-out, while arenas are able to accommodate the
event in a single day, or sometimes even a half day time frame.
The sport of boxing has also changed with the advent of cable television and casino gaming.
The revenues generated by casinos help to subsidize the mega-fights; virtually all are held in
Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and other gaming destinations with the revenues to finance these
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endeavors. Even in minor casino destinations, i.e. the Miccosukee Gaming facility in West
Dade, those gaming entities are able to subsidize the events in a way in which we cannot. The
cable TV networks have also helped to subsidize the lesser fights, with networks like USA and
ESPN creating events in smaller venues that are geared much more toward television than to
live crowds. As above with wrestling, unfortunately the additional costs we incur that must be
passed on to the promoters for additional set-up and production make our venue a secondary
choice for these types of events.
We certainly will be pleased to work with any interested promoters to try to accommodate
date requests for boxing or wrestling when such dates are available between convention and
trade show bookings. We also will be happy to look into alternative rental charge options,
should the City desire, to lure this business, of course insuring that the actual costs incurred to
produce the event are covered in additional to the minimum rentals as set forth by the
Commission.
As always, I am available should you or the manager have any further questions regarding this
subject.
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