FALL 2012 The Romeo Reporterromeoent.com/newsletters/RomeoReporter2012.pdf · GROUP THE ROMEO REPORTER | FALL 2012 ... they all play a role in making it a great ... BOSTON with special

The Romeo ReporterFALL 2012

In the past, The Greeley Stampede has hosted four to six indi-vidually ticketed concerts in its Grandstand. They found that one or two concerts would often sell well while the others suf-fered poor attendance. REG suggested trying a new ticketing format, and Greeley Stampede General Chairman Kyle Holman agreed that 2012 was the year to try it. With the current eco-nomic hardships in Greeley, Holman fi gured “throwing some-thing out there with a friendlier cost” would be met favorably.

The Stampede launched the “Stampede Super Stars Pass,” which would get the purchaser into all fi ve concerts at the 2012 Stampede. Passes were priced at $80 or $50, based on location. Tickets for individual concerts were still available, but anyone who planned to go to more than one concert immediately saw the value of buying the pass instead. Concerts included Justin Moore with James Wesley, Luke Bryan with The McClymonts, Creedence Clearwater Revisited with Great White, Skillet with We As Human, and Montgomery Gentry with Glen Templeton.

The Super Stars Pass was an overwhelming success. Luke Bry-an’s popularity surge spurred sales and more than 8,000 at-tended his concert. The Super Stars Pass served its purpose, and the crowds were increased for all shows, not just Luke Bry-an. For example, only about 2,000 individual tickets were sold for Justin Moore, but there were 6,000 people at the concert, which means 4,000 extra people on grounds to eat, drink, visit vendors, and buy tickets for carnival rides.

“The biggest diff erence was that people came to the event more than once. People used to come to just one show,” ex-plained Holman. He added that some people shared their con-cert pass with a friend or family member, but either way, the pass brought more people to the concerts and the grounds.

Educating the public on this new ticketing option was a chal-lenge, but ticket buyers appreciated the value once they un-derstood how the pass worked. The Stampede plans to make The Super Stars Pass a centerpiece of its marketing eff orts in 2013.

Another Pay-One-Price Ticket Success StoryThe Greeley Stampede in Greeley, Colorado is the latest REG client to try a pay-one-price ticket featuring multiple concerts.

PAGE 1 | THE ROMEO REPORTER | FALL 2012 ROMEO Entertainment GROUP

Luke Bryan performed to a packed house at The Greeley Stampede in Greeley, Colorado.

THE ROMEO REPORTER | FALL 2012 | PAGE 2 ROMEO Entertainment GROUP

A new wave of Classic Rockers could be found at REG venues this past summer. Boston, Journey, and Joe Walsh were among the Classic Rock names that played fair, festival, and casino venues for REG for the fi rst time in many years or in some cases, the fi rst time ever.

Boston, a band known for its ‘70’s and 80’s hits such as “More Than a Feeling,” “Cool the Engines,” and “Amanda,” played shows at the Affi liated Foods Midwest Music Festival in Norfolk, NE on September 2 and the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, KS on September 8. The show in Norfolk was a sell out with 6,000 tickets sold and 5,823 attended the show in Hutchinson.

Another legend of the late ‘70’s and early ‘80’s era, Classic Rock band Journey, played two dates for REG, along with tour guests Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo and Loverboy. Through the years, Journey has sold more than 48 million albums in the U.S. alone and their ubiquitous hit song, “Don’t Stop Believin’” is the top-selling digital catalog song in history. The band’s popular-ity was evident at Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, WY on July 26, where 16,399 fans attended their show. Journey and guests also played at the Montana State Fair in Great Falls, where there was a crowd of 6,165.

Joe Walsh has a tremendous record of hits songs from both his solo career and his years with The Eagles. Joe Walsh played to 4,888 fans at the Oregon State Fair in Salem on August 25. The Riverside Casino and Golf Resort in Riverside, IA hosted an out-door concert with Walsh on July 14 that attracted a crowd of 3,497.

“New” Classic Rock

Shawn Severson, General Manager of Divots (in Boston shirt), and REG’s Bogie pose with Boston before the sold-out show in Norfolk.

Classic Rock icon Joe Walsh rocked the house at The Riverside Casino & Golf Resort in Riverside, IA in July.

Photo: George Burrows

On October 18 Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report fea-tured a satirical news story on REG client, The Corn Pal-ace, in Mitchell, SD. The show, which is a parody of cable news programs, visited The Corn Palace on September 14 and spent a full day fi lming and interviewing staff members. The result was a comical tongue-in-cheek feature on how the Midwest drought has left The Corn Palace with two less colors of corn to use for decorat-ing the building this year – a problem The Colbert Report deemed “A Shucking Disaster.” All laughs aside, the seg-ment has brought The Corn Palace more publicity than they could ever buy, according to Corn Palace Director Mark Schilling. Schilling, who is featured throughout the Colbert piece, said that it has brought the venue a lot of positive feedback and re-connected a lot of people to The Corn Palace.

To see the sketch, go to: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/420364/october-18-2012/special-report---a-shucking-disaster---nightmare-at-the-mitchell-corn-palace

The Colbert Report Visits The

Corn Palace

The Mississippi Valley Fair has a new claim to fame. Rod-ney Atkins decided there was no better place to shoot his new music video than this fair in Davenport, Iowa. Atkins played the fair on July 31st. Atkins’ video crew came to the fair that day hoping to get some footage to use for the video of his new single, “Just Wanna Rock N Roll.” They got so much great footage that they declared the video shoot fi nished. The entire video is shot at the fair and includes Atkins hanging with his band playing a bean bag toss game in the afternoon, his interview and autograph signing at the WLLR radio booth, his perfor-mance on stage, and many shots of his fans enjoying the show.

When asked why the video was shot at the fair, Rodney Atkins said, “The crowds are always so enthusiastic and lively up at the Mississippi Valley Fair. They make it great as an entertainer to be out there, and we thought it’d be fun to give a little back - show off the fans, the vendors, everybody there - they all play a role in making it a great night.”

You can watch the video and see how well it show-cases the fair here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVfFyUKYFzI

The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota


Live from the Mississippi Valley Fair!

Rodney Atkins takes a break from his video shoot at the Mississippi Valley Fair to talk with crew members.

THE ROMEO REPORTER | FALL 2012 | PAGE 4ROMEO Entertainment GROUP

This 21 year-old from

Louisiana is on the

threshold of being a

big star.

Hunter Hayes may be only 21 years-old, but he’s been making music for most of his life. He sang on stage with Hank Williams Jr. and appeared on talk shows with Mau-ry Povich and Rosie O’Donnell playing the accordion at age 4. He’s been writing songs since age 6, and along the way he’s appeared in a fi lm with Robert Duvall and played music with County music icons like Johnny Cash and Charlie Daniels. By the age of 17, Hayes moved to Nashville and became a professional songwriter with Universal Music Publishing Group.

Hunter Hayes released his fi rst studio album on Atlan-tic Records in October of last year after spending the summer opening for Taylor Swift and building a legion of new fans. His fi rst single, “Storm Warning” sold more than 500,000 copies. His second release, “Wanted” went to #1 on the charts and has sold more than a million copies. “Somebody’s Heartbreak,” his latest single, is currently climbing the charts. He was also just named the Country Music Association’s New Artist of the Year and will tour with Carrie Underwood this fall and winter.

This talented young man plays the guitar, accordion, drums, bass, and keyboards. He is a natural showman.

Seven REG clients were able to experience his show-manship fi rst-hand this summer. Hayes played at Chey-enne Frontier Days where he opened for Reba, the SLV Skihi Stampede in Monte Vista, CO where he opened for Craig Morgan, the Canyon County Fair in Caldwell, ID where he opened for Jo Dee Messina, the Montana State Fair opening for Sara Evans, the Brown County Fair in Aberdeen, SD and the Chase County Fair in Imperial, NE opening for Travis Tritt, and the Trails West Festival in St. Joseph, MO, where he opened for Uncle Kracker. With the success Hunter Hayes has had in 2012, it’s safe to say he won’t be an opening act for long.

Hunter Hayes on stage at the Downtown Hoedown in Vegas.

Hunter Hayes invites the crowd to sing along at The Brown County Fair in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Artist to Watch: Hunter Hayes

Artist: Weird Al Yankovic

Venue: Lane County Fair – Eugene, OR Date: 8/18/12 Attendance: 9,000

Quote: “I think Weird Al did well at the Lane County Fair due to the fact that he encompasses so many genres and eras of music that he appeals to a huge and wide reaching demographic. There were young kids, teenagers, adults and seniors in the crowd and all of them had a GREAT time.” – Ra-chel Bivens, Lane County Events Center, Director of Market-ing and Sales

Artist: Journey with special guests Pat Benatar &

Neil Giraldo and Loverboy

Venue: Montana State Fair – Great Falls, MTDate: 8/1/12Attendance: 6,165

Quote: “Journey was the most amazing concert in the Pacifi c Steel & Recycling Four Seasons Arena with record atten-dance! We are looking forward to more concerts such as Journey here at this facility!” – Lisa Bracco, General Manager, Montana ExpoPark

PACK the HOUSEPAGE 5 | THE ROMEO REPORTER | FALL 2012 ROMEO Entertainment GROUP

REG is excited to share with you a list of shows that sold exceptionally well for our clients this summer.

Eric Church plays to a sell-out crowd at the Madison County Fair. It was the biggest concert the fair has ever hosted.


Artist: Jeff Dunham

Venue: Oregon State Fair – Salem, ORDate: 8/31/12 Attendance: 8,748

Quote: “Jeff Dunham’s performance was exceptional; the show was a huge hit, both to the sold out house and at the box offi ce! This show was well worth the investment.” -Eric Marcuse, Entertainment Producer, Oregon State Fair

Artist: Kid Rock with special guest Uncle Kracker

and Zac Brown Band (part of Country Show Pass

also including Luke Bryan, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Chris

Young, & Blake Shelton)

Venue: North Dakota State Fair – Minot, NDDate: Kid Rock – 7/20/12, Zac Brown Band – 7/21/12Attendance: Kid Rock – 14,887, Zac Brown Band – 14,307

Quote: “We are so pleased with attendance, but for us on staff , success hasn’t been measured in numbers. We are counting smiles of our visitors, the generally great safety record, the many youth, their parents and supporters who entered exhibits, and the fun that was had by folks who chose to take in our Fair.” - Renae Korslien, North Dakota State Fair Manager

Artist: BOSTON with special guests Survivor and

Starship starring Mickey Thomas

Venue: Affi liated Foods Midwest Music Festival – Norfolk, NEDate: 9/2/12Attendance: 6,000

Quote: “I believe this show’s success was due to a combina-tion of two things - an iconic classic rock headliner in Bos-ton, who had not been in the area in over fi ve years, along with the strong addition of Starship and Survivor, which made it a great rock lineup.” – Shawn Severson, General Manager, DeVent Center

Artist: Eric Church

Venue: Madison County Fair – Madison, NEDate: 7/15/12Attendance: 9,000

Quote: “The Eric Church show was super - high energy and great special eff ects. We were fortunate that a “superstar” like Eric had not been in the area recently and because of his recent hits, tickets were at a premium. It was the fi rst time in history that we sold every ticket and we did that in two and a half days of sales.” – Linda Haack, Madison County Fair Board of Directors

Weird Al Yankovic’s unique show entertained 9,000 people of all ages at the Lane County Fair.


REG’s Mindy Klein recently had the chance to ask Josh a few questions over email while he was on a tour stop in Fort Worth, Texas.

Mindy: What’s the best thing about your job?

Josh: It takes me to a lot of interesting and beautiful places and allows me to sing-my favorite thing to do.

M: Which song that you’ve written resonates with you the

most?

J: Long Black Train

M: Tell us a little about your new single, “Find Me a Baby.”

I read that your wife and 3 young sons contributed to the

song.

J: Find Me A Baby features my wife Jennifer and our three boys. We had a blast recording this and I’m thrilled that it’s now a single! I really hope the fans love it.

M: I know that your wife plays in your touring band with

you. Do you bring the whole family on the road? Are any

of your sons showing an aptitude for singing or playing a

musical instrument?

J: Traveling with my family is something I cherish because I realize it’s something we may not always be able to do. We have fun seeing the world together. The boys love music but their interests seem to change everyday. After all, they’re all 6 and under! Haha.

M: Is it hard to adjust between life on the road and life at

home?

J: It can be hard adjusting between the road life and the home life. The fi rst day on the bus is always a struggle be-cause we have to be a little more patient with each other and share the space. The fi rst day at home after being on the road is hard to describe. We get to spread our wings but none of us want to do anything. We always seem to crave getting in the car and going to eat Mexican food right after we set ev-erything down inside. Very peculiar, I know.

M: As you know, we book a lot of fairs and festivals. What’s

your favorite part about playing at fairs or festivals? What’s

your least favorite part?

J: My favorite part of playing fairs and festivals is the people. They are always very excited to see us and make the show very worthwhile. My least favorite part is the facilities. We don’t really get dressing rooms or a good place to eat cater-ing and if the weather is bad it’s even worse.

M: Do you have a favorite “fair food?”

J: I’ve gotten away from eating fair food since I cleaned up my diet.

M: You’ve cut tracks with Ralph Stanley, Trisha Yearwood,

and Diamond Rio. Which other artists would you like to

work with in the future?

J: I’ve worked with a lot of cool artists but I don’t have any-body on my list at the moment. That could change tomorrow though!

M: What song or artist would people be surprised to know

is on your iPod?

J: Most people may be surprised that I have Andrea Bocelli on my iPod. I have no idea what he’s saying but it sounds good!

M: What hobbies or interests do you enjoy in your spare

time?

J: Hunting, fi shing, lifting weights, basketball.

M: If music hadn’t worked out, what do you think you’d be

doing for a career?

J: My backup plan for a week was forestry. Glad the music thing worked out!

M: What are your plans for the upcoming year?

J: My plans for next year are straightforward. We are gonna tour close to same amount as the last few years and 15 of those dates will be sponsored by Ariat International. I’m very excited to be working with them.

Small Talk with

Josh TurnerJosh Turner burst onto the Country music scene in 2003 with the Gospel-tinged hit single, “Long Black Train.” His distinctive baritone voice is his trademark. The South Carolina native grew up singing in church and attended Belmont University in Nash-ville. He has released fi ve albums with MCA Nashville, which have produced 12 Top 20 singles, including three number #1 songs. His latest album, Punching Bag, came out this past sum-mer and its fi rst release, “Time is Love” has already sold more than 500,000 copies.


Luke Bryan is on course to become Country music’s next superstar. Nowhere was his growing popularity more evident than the fi ve shows that REG booked with him in 2012. Here’s a look at how those shows did.

City Event Show Date

Luke Bryan

Concert Attendance

Burlington, IA Burlington Steamboat Days 6/15 15,000

Grand Junction, CO Country Jam 6/22 13,000

Greeley, CO Greeley Stampede 6/23 8,000+

Eau Claire, WI Country Jam 7/21 22,000

Minot, ND North Dakota State Fair 7/22 11,967

Luke Bryan fi rst experienced success as a songwriter in Nashville before becoming a recording artist. Bryan had his fi rst big hit in 2007 with “All My Friends Say.” Since then he has released three albums and has had a slew of platinum-selling singles including “Do I,” “Rain is a Good Thing,” “Country Girl (Shake it for Me),” “I Don’t Want This Night to End” and “Drunk on You.” A tour with Jason Aldean last summer helped bolster his move to the next level of stardom.

Luke Bryan’s live show does not disappoint. Scott Smith, Vice President of Marketing for Burlington Steamboat Days described Bryan’s show like this, “The atmosphere was much like that of a Garth Brooks Concert. For one and a half hours, as the heavens let loose [with rain], there was a connection between the artist and his fans with lyrics we all could relate to – a connection that only a Super Star could command. His lyrics brought laughter, excitement, and refl ection. It was a moment in time where everyone forgot about all that is happening around them. We were all connected to this Super Star and no one in the crowd wanted to let go as the ‘Luke Experience’ came to a close.”

In 2013, Luke will headline his fi rst major tour, the “Dirt Road Diaries Tour.”

Luke Bryan rocked the house at Burlington Steamboat Days despite the rainy weather conditions.

The Next Big Thing: Luke Bryan


Demi Lovato makes her debut at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, WA.

Red River Valley Fair Assistant Manager Jodi Buresh and General Manager Bryan Schulz take time for a photo with REG’s R.J. Romeo during the fair.

An aerial view of the Styx concert at the Western Idaho Fair in Boise, ID.

Billy Currington is happy to be at the Montana Fair in Billings.

Charlie Daniels plays the fi ddle like only he can at the Grays Harbor County Fair in Elma, WA.

The crowd waits for a show to begin at the Canyon County Fair in Caldwell, ID.

Creed plays at the Clark County Fair in Ridgefi eld, WA.

2012 Photo Memories


Dierks Bentley owned the stage at the Medi-cine Hat Stampede in Alberta.

Rodney Atkins gets his picture taken with Buf-falo County Fair Man-ager Dave Roseberry before his show at the fair in Kearney, NE.

County duo Thompson Square performs at the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mount Pleasant, IA.

Hot Chelle Rae rocks out at the Deschutes County Fair in Redmond, OR.

Heart performs at the Eastern Idaho Fair in Blackfoot.

Preston Brust of the LoCash Cow-boys ventures into the crowd with a camera at Country Jam in Eau Claire, WI.

Zac Brown looks out into the crowd of more than 15,000 people at the North Dakota State Fair.

Jake Owen lit up the stage at the First Premier Bank employee party in Sioux Falls, SD.

3 Doors Down’s Brad Arnold locks hands with a fan during the show at Fremont Street in Las Vegas.

Wyoming State Fair

The Wyoming State Fair in Douglas, Wyoming celebrated its 100th year from August 11-18, 2012. The fi rst Wyoming State Fair was held in 1905, but there were seven years in which the fair was not held because of extenuating circumstances such as World War II, The Great Depression, and a polio outbreak. This eight-day annual fair features rodeo, live musical enter-tainment, a carnival, many 4-H and open class exhibits and competitions, vendors, a demolition derby, and many other activities. The fair has maintained its focus on agriculture and Wyoming heritage throughout the years.

To celebrate its 100th year, the fair did several things includ-ing hosting additional free stage entertainment, perfor-mances by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, an enhanced parade, new competitive events for both adults and youth, and off ering more special rewards and prizes for those com-petitions. Another way the fair celebrated is by having several concerts. In recent years, the fair has put on just one big con-cert, but in 2012 there were four big shows – Western Under-ground did two shows, one on August 12 with the Doo Wah Riders opening, and one on the 18th with Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band, The Guess Who performed along with Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band on Aug. 14, and Dierks Bentley headlined with Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers as special guest on August 15. The Dierks Bentley show was the fi rst concert to ever sell out at the Wyo-ming State Fair, with 4,500 tickets sold.

When asked the biggest way the fair has changed in the past 100 years, Fair Director Vicki Rupert mentioned the type of livestock exhibits that are off ered for competition and chang-es in rodeo and entertainment off ered. She also explained that the fair started out strictly as an agricultural event and the challenge over the years has been to maintain that tradi-tion, but also off er a complete entertainment package. The fair strives to educate and entertain, and put an important focus on the youth because they play such an important part in the future of agriculture.

Rupert thinks the Wyoming State Fair’s founders would be proud of today’s event and the way the fair has served the youth of the state. She thinks the founders would be shocked by the change in livestock, horses, and other agricultural products on display, and also amazed by the role technology plays in the fair.

Here’s to another 100 years!

Medicine Hat Exhibition

and Stampede

The 125th Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede took place from July 25-28, 2012 in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The Medi-cine Hat Exhibition & Stampede (MHE&S) is a “Not for Profi t” volunteer community service organization, established to provide the City of Medicine Hat and District with programs, events and facilities. Its premiere event is the Stampede each July, which celebrates the community’s western heritage.

The Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede is put on with the help of more than 500 volunteers, led by a Board of Directors and small core of paid staff . The an-nual Exhibition and Stampede includes rodeo events, night shows (concerts), a parade, midway rides, casino games, beer gardens, dances, horse shows, exhibits, dem-onstrations, and a wide range of free entertainment.

The fi rst Exhibition was held in 1887, and it consisted of livestock exhibits which were displayed at the CPR stock-yards and other exhibits such as poultry, grains, garden vegetables and preserves shown in a place called Govern-ment Hall. The purpose of this fi rst exhibition was to bring urban and rural people together, which is still part of to-day’s mission statement for the event and organization.

An anniversary cake and ice cream presentation was held the opening day of this year’s event to commemorate the 125th anniversary. Also, a special 125th anniversary fl ag was fl own by the Grand Entry Girls prior to each ro-


Anniversaries

Observed

THE ROMEO REPORTER | FALL 2012 | PAGE 12 ROMEO Entertainment GROUP

IAFE Convention 2012~ Las Vegas, Nevada ~

Nov. 25TH

– 29th

, 2012

In appreciation for your business,

You are cordially invited to attend a private reception

Monday, November 26, 2012

From 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

At the Romeo Entertainment Group Suite

In Bally’s Las Vegas

(Call Bally’s front desk or any reg staff member to get suite number)

Cocktails & Hors d’oeuvres will be served

Performances by special guest artists

Hosted by Fran Romeo, Bob Romeo

& the Romeo Entertainment Group Staff

We look forward to seeing you in Vegas!

deo performance. Other special events for the 125th an-niversary included a daily performance by native Indian group The Nekaneet Dance Troupe, a Best of the Best event showcasing local talent, trick shot riders at the rodeo, and the Alberta Light Horse Cavalry parade on horseback.

Three big concerts were also part of the 125th event in-cluding Dierks Bentley on July 25, Big & Rich with spe-cial guests Cowboy Troy and Brad Gaskin on July 26, and Craig Morgan featuring Mackenzie Porter on July 28.

When asked about how the Stampede has changed through the years, Corporate Development Manager JT Tennant stated that the biggest change has been the rising cost of entertain-ment, competition for entertainment, and how people’s per-ception of entertainers has changed over the years. The cost of securing big name entertainment and production costs create a challenge for smaller events like the Medicine Hat Ex-hibition and Stampede. Tennant added that he thought the event’s founders would probably be most surprised at the amount of money it takes to put on the annual exhibition today.

Through the work of many dedicated volunteers, the Medi-cine Hat Exhibition and Stampede will continue their mission of promoting community events that celebrate western heri-tage.

Craig Morgan rocked the stage at the 125th Annual Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede.

Here’s a look at some venues that were new to Romeo Entertainment Group in 2012. Autumn Fun FestLocation: Swift Current, Saskatchewan, CanadaEvent Date: September 14, 2012Concert: Dwight Yoakam with special guest JT Hodges

American Fork City Steel Days CelebrationLocation: American Fork City, UtahEvent Dates: July 14-21, 2012Concert: SheDaisy on July 21

Black Oak Mountain AmphitheaterLocation: Lampe, MissouriEvent Dates: Multiple Dates in 2012Concerts: Country Throwdown featuring Gary Allan, Justin Moore, Josh Thompson and more on May 19; Cinderella with Sebastian Bach & Quiet Riot on July 20; Def Leppard with special guests Poison and Lita Ford on August 29

Bluegrass at the FairLocation: Pueblo, ColoradoEvent Dates: June 1-3, 2012Concerts: Claire Lynch Band on June 1 plus additional regional and local acts

Emery County FairLocation: Castle Dale, UtahEvent Dates: August 1-4, 2012Concert: The Lost Trailers & Glen Templeton on August 4

Eureka’s Big Q CelebrationLocation: Eureka, South DakotaEvent Dates: July 5-7, 2012Concert: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on July 6

Family Service, Inc. “Hope for Solid Ground” Benefi tLocation: Billings, MontanaEvent Date: October 20, 2012Concert: Craig Campbell

First Premier Bank Private Party for EmployeesLocation: Sioux Falls, South DakotaEvent Date: September 16, 2012Concert: Jake Owen

Fremont Street ExperienceLocation: Las Vegas, NevadaEvent Dates: Multiple Dates in 2012Concerts: Summer Concert Series:Vince Neil on May 26, Dennis DeY-oung on June 9, Night Ranger on June 22, ASIA feat. John Payne on July 7, Warrant & Skid Row on July 21, Bret Michaels on August 4, Survivor on August 18, Dee Snider on September 1; Concert with UFC Event - 3 Doors Down on July 4; The D Grand Opening - Bret Michaels on October 13 and OneRepublic on October 20; Down-town Hoedown on December 5 – Dustin Lynch, Uncle Kracker, Jana Kramer, and Clay Walker; New Year’s Eve – Downtown Countdown – Quiet Riot, Queensryche, Otherwise, Buckcherry, Pop Evil

Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce BanquetLocation: Garden City, KansasEvent Date: August 16, 2012Concert: Henry Cho

Glanbia Foods 21st Birthday BashLocation: Filer, IdahoEvent Date: June 30, 2012Concert: Montgomery Gentry

Hamilton County FairLocation: Aurora, NebraskaEvent Dates: July 26-29, 2012Concert: Casey Donahew Band on July 28

Midwest Balloon FestLocation: Olathe, KansasEvent Dates: August 10-11, 1012Concert: Clay Walker on August 11

North Umpqua Music FestivalLocation: Roseburg, OregonEvent Date: July 20, 2012Concert: Elvin Bishop plus local and regional Blues acts

Rock the Foundation MultiCare Health FoundationLocation: Tacoma, WashingtonEvent Date: September 21, 2012Concert: The Doobie Brothers

NEW CLIENTS


Poison’s CC DeVille gets a great reaction from the crowd at Black Oak Mountain Amphitheater.

Elvin Bishop and his band play at the North Umpqua Music Festival.

Tooele Arts Council Fourth of July CelebrationLocation: Tooele, UtahEvent Dates: June 29-July 4, 2012Concert: Little Texas with Restless Heart on June 30

Washington County FairLocation: Hurricane, UtahEvent Dates: August 8-11, 2012Concert: Little Texas on August 10

Brewfest at the BallparkLocation: Centene Stadium, Great Falls, MTEvent Date: July 13, 2012Concert: Eddie Money


Last February, REG sent two permanent staff members, Bogie and R.J., and two of our service reps, Johnny Setser and Rob Tamisea, to a specialized course to learn more about how venues can be better prepared in the case of severe weather. The conference was called “Severe Weather Preparedness and Planning for Public Assembly Venues and Events” and was presented by the International Associa-tion of Venue Managers (IAVM) and the Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS) and was held February 28-29, 2012 at the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

The class lasted two days, and students learned how to develop a severe weather preparedness plan for all types of venues, fairs, expositions and other events where large crowds assemble. Topics covered included: severe weather, atmospheric electricity, large damaging hail threats, straight line winds, tornado threats, storm prediction center products for all venues and events, the weather forecast offi ce, tour the national weather center, tools to assess risk and maintain situational awareness, role of private meteorologi-cal fi rms, legal considerations, crowd dynamics, and social science issues.

At the end of the course, all attendees had to take an exam and received certifi cates.

“With all of the weather related issues we face while putting on concerts, it is necessary in today’s post-Indiana world to have a deeper understanding of the threats we face and safety measures that should be taken to protect the public and our clients,” ex-plained R.J. Romeo. “REG’s decision to send several of our service representatives to obtain the IAVM certifi cation demonstrates our commitment to safety and providing the highest quality service to our clients.”

Service Reps Get Schooled (on Weather)

coo

See Us Online!You can fi nd us online at our website

www.romeoent.com

Facebook: Search for Romeo

Entertainment Group and “Like” our page!

Twitter: @RomeoEntGroup

Please send your 2012 photos to add to our website!

(Email: [email protected])


Country artist Jake Owen poses with The Corn Palace staff before the show, which was the fi rst off season show REG has booked for this venue.

Romeo Entertainment’s history lies in booking entertainment for fairs, but over the years we have expanded to booking fes-tivals, casinos, corporate events, charity events, one-off con-certs, and more. So besides booking talent for the upcoming fair season, REG also spends the off season producing many non-fair events. One of those successful ventures has been booking concerts at fair venues in the off -season. Many REG clients have the perfect facilities to do concerts year round, not just during a fair or festival.

The Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD is a client that recently started booking shows with REG in the off season. REG books four nights of concerts during the annual Corn Palace Festival each August. In 2012, we worked with The Corn Palace to book two additional concerts outside of the festival, including Billy Cur-rington with special guest Jake Owen on September 14 and an upcoming Christmas show with the Oak Ridge Boys that will take place December 20.

Corn Palace Director Mark Schilling is excited to work with REG to bring more concerts to the venue. “This is what the people of Mitchell have been waiting for,” said Schilling. “Our patrons want more shows and bigger shows outside of the festival.”

The Corn Palace has booked concerts through other promot-ers as well. When asked about the advantages of working with REG Corn Palace Director Mark Schilling explained, “They are professional and will give you honest answers. Some enter-

tainment companies want to sell you a show, whether it is right for your venue or not. Romeo Entertainment works with you to fi nd the right show and helps you from start to fi nish.”

Divots in Norfolk, NE is another client that works with REG to put on concerts in the off season. REG works with Divots to produce two or three concert events each summer, but also books shows year round in its indoor venue, the DeVent Cen-ter. (The summer concert series takes place outdoors.) Divots will host an Oak Ridge Boys Christmas show on December 19. Country artist Lee Brice has been booked for a show in March, which will be part of a fundraising eff ort for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

The Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds in Helena, MT is home to The Last Chance Stampede and Fair in July, but also works with REG to book an event called SpringFest in May. In 2012, the fairgrounds also booked a concert by new Country artist Glen Templeton to follow a rodeo competition in April.

Promoting concerts in the off season can be a great revenue generator for fairs and festivals. A concert can also be a great addition to existing events held on your event grounds includ-ing corporate meetings, trade shows, holiday parties, and ro-deos. Are you interested in working with REG to bring a con-cert to your fair venue in the off season? Contact your Romeo Entertainment agent to discuss the possibilities.

The Off Season


REG Sweeps 2012 IEBA Award NominationsRomeo Entertainment Group accomplished a very unique feat at the annual International Entertainment Buy-

er’s Association (IEBA) Conference this year. REG was the fi rst talent buying agency to have agents nominated

for awards in three diff erent categories.

Fran Romeo was nominated for Corporate Buyer of the Year, Steve Bogdanovich was nominated for Casino

Buyer of the Year, and R.J. Romeo was nominated for Fair Buyer of the Year. Fran went on to win for Corporate

Buyer of the Year.

IEBA hosts the SRO Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction each year during its annual conference in

Nashville. Fran Romeo, Bob Romeo, and Don Romeo have all been IEBA Award winners in past years. Don

Romeo, founder of Romeo Entertainment Group, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010. This year, Don’s

grandson, R.J. Romeo, continued the family legacy by receiving his fi rst IEBA Award nomination.

We would like to introduce some of Romeo Entertainment Group’s newest service representatives. Some of these guys have been working shows for a few years now, but we wanted to take the chance to formally introduce the newest members of the Romeo Staff !

Name: Rob Tamisea

Home: Omaha, NEEducation/Experience: I went to undergrad and Law School at Creighton University. I’ve worked as In-house council for First National Bank of Omaha and In-house council for Fidelity National Financial. I’ve worked as a production assistant on Fremont Street during ACM

week for fi ve years.Personal Note: I grew up on a 5th generation family farm that I am still a part of to this day. Favorite time of year is fall. If it doesn’t burn gasoline or gunpowder I’m not interested :). In my spare time I enjoy restoring hot rods and classic cars. I’m currently working on two Model A Ford’s.Favorite Thing about Being an REG Service Rep: I enjoy meeting new people and hearing people’s stories when they come to see the enter-tainment. No matter who you are it seems like you can always make a connection with someone through music.

Name: Phil Potter

Home: Lincoln, NEExperience: Lifelong career in the entertainment indus-try as a musician, agent, promoter, and talent buyer. Personal Note: Avid Baltimore Orioles baseball fan…also avid golfer. I didn’t say GOOD! I keep up with cur-rent music trends via my 18 year-old son.

Favorite Thing about Being an REG Service Rep: I love the spirit of the fairs…I have learned there is nothing on a fairground that can’t be ac-complished!

Name: Paul Fleming

Home: Carpenter, WYEducation/Experience: Attended Western Connecticut State University, where I majored in Justice, and Law

Administration. Played both football and baseball there. I am the Sales Manager for Wyoming Building Supply, and have been for the past 17 years. Prior to that I was the youngest Store Manager in the history of Ernst Home Centers. I became involved with entertainment through my involvement in Cheyenne Frontier Days. I have been Involved with the Night Show Entertainment there for the past 20 years. I started ser-vicing shows for Romeo Entertainment about 15 years ago. I am a for-mer Volunteer Of The Year For Cheyenne Frontier Days, and a member of the Heels Of CFD. In addition to several other awards, I was recently named Cheyenne Business Person of The Year for 2012.Personal Note: I am married to my best friend Dee, and we have 2 chil-dren. Jasmine is a senior at the University of Wyoming, and Trey is a sophomore at Cheyenne East High. I have coached basketball, base-ball, soccer, hockey, and football in Cheyenne for over 20 years. I con-tinue to coach youth football at this time and run the Seminole Football Team. I am a life member to the Southeast Wyoming Builders Associa-tion Board of Directors and Life Member of The Wyoming Home Build-ers Board. (In short, I’m kind of a big deal). Favorite Thing about Being an REG Service Rep: It was a natural pro-gression for me because of my involvement with so many shows that I have run for Cheyenne Frontier Days. I enjoy the challenges and satis-faction of the position. Once all the fi res are put out and the show goes on, my biggest satisfaction comes from watching the enjoyment the crowd has during the performances.

Name: Chris Semrau

Home: Grand Forks, NDEducation/Experience: My full-time job is the Director of Events/Booking at Ralph Engelstad Arena, and I have been at the facility since its opening in 2001. It is grati-fying to work with a dedicated staff at a beautiful facil-ity and host amazing events.

Personal Note: Truly blessed to have a wonderful spouse who is under-standing of my irregular work hours and have two amazing kids (Nora, 4, and Gordon, 1) who keep my priorities in order.Favorite Thing about Being an REG Service Rep: It is great to see other venues and meet new people with a common passion for the live event experience.

Meet the Newest Service Reps

Staff Round-Up

We asked the Romeo Entertain-ment Group Staff to answer the following question:

“What is your worst travel experi-ence in recent history?”

Fran Romeo, President/Agent: This past summer I was rushing to the airport one morning because I was running late. When I got to the airport, I received a call from my husband asking if

I had forgotten anything. I didn’t think I had. That’s when he informed me that I forgot my luggage! Luckily, he was able to get it to the airport in time, but that wasn’t the end of my forgetfulness. Later that day, after a layover in Minneapolis, the plane I was on was about ready for take-off when a voice came over the loudspeaker asking if someone had forgotten their luggage at the gate. I sheepishly had to raise my hand and admit it was me!

Steve Bogdanovich (Bo-gie), Vice-President/Agent/Production Man-ager: Earlier this year, my wife and I were traveling and we were supposed to have a connecting fl ight in Minneapolis.

We somehow ended up in Atlanta instead of Minneapolis (we are still trying to fi gure out how that happened). Well, once we got into Atlanta we forgot to set our watches ahead an hour to Eastern Time. We real-ized it right as our fl ight was boarding. We sprinted halfway across the airport, then fl agged down a guy with a cart to drive us the rest of the way to our gate (which was actually slower than walking!). When we got there the door was closed and they would not let us on our plane. We ended up having to spend the night in Atlanta and fl y out the next day!

Harlan Burggraaf, Accoun-tant/Offi ce Manager: On our favorite vacation, my wife and I were touring the islands of Hawaii. Every-thing was great until Maui, the last island stop.

Maui had the worst storms in years. I lost the keys to our car and house. Then we missed our fl ight to go home. This was only two months after 9-11-2001. We were

thoroughly searched everywhere because we changed our fl ights at the last minute to get home, making us a terror threat. Then we spent a night on a bench in the O’Hare airport.

Jenny Fitzpatrick, Executive Assistant to Fran Romeo: Anytime I run out of Drama-mine, it’s a bad travel experi-ence.

Katie Kinderknecht, Assis-tant to Steve Bogdanovich/Publicity Assistant: A few years ago, I was scheduled to service a show for our cli-ent at the Riverside Casino in Riverside, IA. I left a day early

to avoid a blizzard that was supposed to hit the morning of the show. Instead, the blizzard came early and I drove through it during the second half of my drive. Perfect timing! I’ve actually driven through a few blizzards, fl ooding, and rain on trips to Riv-erside, but at least now I’m good at fi nding the buttons for the windshield wipers and the defrost in most rental cars!

Mindy Klein, Marketing Di-rector: Last summer I fl ew into Denver and planned to drive up to Cheyenne for Frontier Days. When I got to the rental car counter they informed me that my

driver’s license had expired in February. I had no idea! Luckily, after a few phone calls, I was able to fi nd a shuttle bus that runs from Denver to Cheyenne, but I had to rely on others for rides during the fi ve days I was in Cheyenne. Needless to say, I will always pay attention to when my driver’s license expires in the future!

Michelle Romeo, Junior Agent / Email Marketing / Publicity: Getting to the air-port only to be told when I checked in that I had missed my fl ight by 24 hours – showed up at the right time

just on the wrong day. The worst part of the story was that I was fl ying to Omaha for Fran’s wedding and I was the Maid of Hon-or! Thankfully I was able to hop on a later fl ight. That was my biggest “oopsy” mo-ment. My close second was being snowed

in after IAFE a few years back – we stayed an extra 3 days after the convention was over. However, you can’t really complain about being stuck in Las Vegas!

Robert J. (R.J.) Romeo, Se-nior Account Representa-tive/General Counsel: The story that sticks out in my mind is one that happened on a personal rather than a business trip.

In October of 2008 my wife (then fi ancé), April, and I were leaving for Jamaica to con-duct our nuptials and start our married life together. We were to go from Omaha to Memphis then from Memphis to Jamaica. April had called ahead to the airline and made sure to ask if the plane we would be fl ying on would have a captain’s closet so she would be able to hang her wedding dress. Both planes were supposed to have closets and all was right in the world. That was until we boarded the fl ight to Memphis and were told that there was no closet avail-able and the dress would have to go into the overhead bin. April’s eyes began to well up at the thought of folding up her beau-tiful dress and watching it be crushed and dirtied up by luggage. The stewardess was not very friendly when we informed her that we called ahead and were told there would be a closet. I believe her response was something along the lines of we don’t have a closet; deal with it. After going back and forth with the stewardess in a friendly banter and telling her that the dress was not going in the overhead she said you can hold it on your laps, but keep it out of the aisle. Ah-ha - a plausible solution that did not involve tears and a trampled dress. April leapt on the suggestion and yours truly was tasked with holding my arm up the entire fl ight to keep the dress in pristine condi-tion. The drama wasn’t over though. During the fl ight my arm would tire and I would oc-casionally rest it. During those occasional rest periods the tail end of the dress would seep over into the aisle a couple inches. It was then that our previously unfriendly stewardess would walk by and tell April to keep her dress out of the aisle. The steward-ess came by at least twice and told us this, problem was that every time she came by April had her earbuds in and could not hear her. So I would relay what I think I heard and on we went. About 30 minutes before landing the stewardess came by again, but this time she handed April a typewritten note saying she was in violation of federal law for not following the fl ight crews’ in-structions and if she did not immediately


my purse (which happened to end up there accidentally without my knowledge). After a few tense minutes, they let me proceed through security….only after inspecting and returning the knife to me. Fly safe ev-eryone!!

Bob Romeo – Chairman of the Board: I was sitting at the gate and it was time to board the plane. The airline rep-resentative came over the loudspeaker and said there would be a “short

delay for some minor mechanical repairs.” I sat there for a minute and looked out the window. I saw that they had the cover off the engine and it looked like they were taking the engine out of the plane! I went ahead and booked another fl ight and got out of there. That plane never did leave despite the airline’s assurance that there would just be a “short delay.”

comply she would be fi ned up to $25,000 and be subject to imprisonment upon our landing. Needless to say both April and I were shocked and appalled by this threat. I don’t really recall what transpired after that because the experience was so surreal, but I do remember having a heated chat with a customer service representative in Mem-phis after we landed. Despite this awkward beginning, the next fl ight was great and the stewards much more accommodating. We made it to Jamaica, had a wonderful wed-ding celebration and honeymoon. I have never fl own the airline since, and I don’t plan to.

Margaret Ryan, Executive Assistant to Bob Romeo & R.J. Romeo: My worst travel experience was last year coming back from the IAFE convention in Las Vegas. I got pulled out of line at the

airport by a TSA offi cial for having a knife in

Staff News

REG Service Reps

Richard Ashby Keny Griffi th

Dave Harrington Rick Later

Eric Marcuse Steve Owen

Wayne Rouse Johnny Setser

Carv Thompson

into “The Daddy of ‘em All.” ® REG has booked the concerts for the CFD Night Shows since 1988. Throughout the years, REG has guided CFD through not only entertainment matters, but also consulted on production, ticketing, pro-motion, legal, and logistical issues. Bob Romeo, agent and member of the CFD Contract Acts Committee, accepted the award.

Carv Thompson Inducted into

South Dakota Hall of FameLong-time REG Service Representative Carv Thompson was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame this year. Carv was recognized for his tireless devotion to promoting his home-town of Faith, South Dakota. Throughout the years, Carv served as the Faith Country Devel-opment Corporation and headed numerous volunteer projects, including fundraising ef-forts for a new church and new school, but is best known for his role in bringing grandstand entertainment to the Faith Stock Show, begin-ning in 1963 – a tradition that continued for 28 years. He later became the Entertainment Director for the South Dakota State Fair. In ad-dition to all of this, he was a successful busi-nessman, once owning as many as seven phar-macies in South Dakota. He has also served on numerous state and local boards and even served as a South Dakota legislator for four years. Congratulations to Carv for his well-de-served induction.


Trooper of the YearTrooper of the Year award goes to REG’s Steve Bogdanovich, best known as “Bogie.” Bogie suff ered a broken leg on July 4th, but that didn’t stop him from servicing all of his nor-mal gigs throughout the summer. He even has a commemorative cast signed by all the artists he worked with this summer! Runner-up award goes to REG Service Rep Johnny Setser who broke his ankle while servicing the Colorado State Fair. Nothing keeps these guys down, and you can look forward to seeing them out on the road next year!

CFD Hall of FameRomeo Entertainment Group was inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) Hall of Fame this year. The CFD Hall of Fame show-cases individuals and organizations whose distinctive contributions to Cheyenne Fron-tier Days have helped grow one man’s dream

Bob Romeo ac-cepting his induc-tion into the CFD Hall of Fame.

Bogie shows off his cast in Catering.

5247 North 129th StreetOmaha, NE 68164402-359-1010www.romeoent.com

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