U.S.-based Spectra receives positive reviews from Canadian customers

Spectra Venue Management Services appears to have a solid reputation and strong work ethic in the communities in which it operates, based on research the Moose Jaw Express has conducted.

Spectra is set to take over management operations at Mosaic Place this fall. It operates 13 other arenas, convention centres and performing arts venues in eight Canadian municipalities; it also manages dozens of venues in the United States.

The Moose Jaw Express contacted several Canadian municipalities to gauge how well Spectra has managed their buildings.

Spectra manages the EnCana Events Centre arena in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. Dawson Creek is a city of more than 12,000 people in northeast B.C. “Overall, they’ve created some pretty incredible opportunities for the City of Dawson Creek,” said CAO Duncan Redfearn.

The management services company has brought many musical acts to the events centre over the years, such as KISS, Alan Jackson, Rascal Flats, Dean Brody, Florida Georgia Line and Toby Keith. Redfearn believes these performances were made possible due to Spectra’s experience in the industry.

Spectra has also attracted Hockey Canada to Dawson Creek for a five-year contract, which could see the municipality host three to five hockey-related events a year.

Dawson Creek and Spectra have had a successful partnership since 2006, said Redfearn. In creating the reU.S.-based Spectra Venue Management Services will look after operations of Mosaic Place beginning this fall. Spectra has received positive reviews from the municipalities in which it operates. File photo

lationship, city council’s goal was to create an events hub in northeast B.C. By providing quality events, Spectra has helped Dawson Creek be successful and grow into a desirable tourism events location. Both organizations signed a second 10-year agreement in 2016.

Redfearn added he didn’t have concerns with how Spectra has managed the EnCana Events Centre.

Spectra has managed the Budweiser Gardens arena since the building opened in 2003, said city manager Martin Hayward. Most people are pleased with the company’s services; very few have complained. The company has brought many events to the city — such as the Brier curling championship — that it otherwise would not have attracted. It supported the community when it hosted the Junos, while it has brought life to the downtown and made it an attractive hub. “I don’t think, as a municipality, we could do near as good a job as (Spectra is) doing for us,” Hayward remarked. “I think most municipalities aren’t geared for it anyway.”

Spectra has lived up to the terms of the agreement, including returning money to the municipality, he said. Each year the company provides a report to city council about its activities. It also operates free of political interference since it is a private company. Neither Hayward nor London’s city council have any concerns with Spectra’s services. Even when the economy has declined, Hayward added, Spectra has kept London going “even in the dry times.”

Spectra has managed the City of Abbotsford’s arena since 2009. This building is the fourth-largest arena in B.C. and offers the largest indoor capacity for sports and entertainment events between Vancouver and Calgary, Alex Mitchell, public affairs and innovation officer, explained in an email. The centre is also an important part of the municipality’s recreation and entertainment infrastructure.

“Spectra has been a strong manager and key partner in the operations of this facility since the centre’s opening (in 2009),” she said.

Venues Now Magazine recently named The Abbotsford Centre as No. 1 in the Pacific Northwest for venues with a capacity between 5,001 and 10,000, Mitchell continued. The centre has hosted many exciting events over the years, including nine sold-out shows last year. This contributed to the regional entertainment landscape and provides significant contributions to the economy.

According to the arena’s website, since opening, it has hosted many major concerts and events, such as Cirque du Soleil, Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Motley Crue, Florida Georgia Line, Jerry Seinfeld, Sesame Street, and the World Famous Harlem Globetrotters. More information about Spectra can be found at www. spectraexperiences.com.