Mar. 28—GRAND FORKS — The 2024 financial numbers are in for the Alerus Center, and they confirm what Anna Rosburg anticipated: It was a big year for the Grand Forks events facility.
The Alerus Center broke several records, ranging from most tickets sold in a single year to most ticketed events, and ended the year with just over $1.4 million in gross revenue — a 13% increase from 2023 — and a final profit of $744,481.
"The only way I can describe the way I feel about 2024 is immense gratitude — gratitude for the shows that came, for the events that came, for our staff that put it together, all of our clients and really just the community support," said
Rosburg, the facility's general manager
. "I don't know that we really could have dreamed up a better year. It's going to be a hard one to top, but we're going to continue to be aggressive and creative and really just try to continue to grow our business."
The city-owned facility opened in early 2001 and has since been the home of UND football, along with hosting concerts, trade shows, conventions and even weddings. It was directly operated by the city until a third party, Philadelphia-based Spectra,
took over management in 2017
. Spectra later merged with Oak View Group, the current management company.
The Alerus Center is funded by its own event revenue, plus money that comes in from various other facility-generated sources, along with a portion of sales taxes. A 0.75% sales tax funded construction of the building and other capital projects, and now will also be used to help fund the new
and nearby Altru Sports Complex
. Also, a 0.25% hospitality tax continues to help pay for operating costs.
In 2024, the Alerus Center saw $4,118,931 in total event income and $1,089,141 in "other" income, which includes things like partnership income, interest on bank accounts, vending machine collections and cell tower revenue. Add $827,057 from the hospitality tax, $15,725 in ATM fees and $7,860 in revenue from the nearby
BMX track,
and it comes to a total revenue of $6,058,714.
The total event revenue includes ticketing revenue, as well as "ancillary" revenue, which includes dollars generated from food and beverage sales, parking and generally anything that isn't a ticket or facility fee.
Expenses for the year totaled $5,314,232, leaving $744,481 and change in operating income. That's the third-highest profit in facility history, behind 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Attendance and event income both were well above budget, at 20% and 23%, respectively. Expenses were 11% above budget, due to the higher-than-anticipated number of events and corresponding increase in people passing through the gates, as well as investments back into the facility.
Although the number of ticketed events was up — a record 32 — much of the year's success can be summed up in two words: Zach Bryan.
The country music star played back-to-back shows at the Alerus Center in August,
drawing more than 25,000 attendees the first night
and more than 15,000 the next. (Due to contract stipulations with the artists, the Alerus Center does not provide exact data on attendance size, so the Bryan crowds are estimates.)
The attendance at Bryan's opening night set an Alerus Center record. Also set that night were records for ticket sales, gross revenue and food/beverage sales, the latter of which generated more than $464,000. Over the course of the two nights, the facility also set its merchandise sales record (more than $700,000).
The Bryan concerts brought in an estimated 25,000 overnight attendees, according to Alerus Center data, and had an estimated $8.2 million in economic impact from direct business sales in lodging, retail and food. Overall,
the concerts stirred some $12 million in economic impact
, according to data provided by the Alerus Center and Visit Greater Grand Forks.
The Alerus Center's total 2024 economic impact was $32.3 million, also according to Alerus Center and Visit Greater Grand Forks tracking data.
In 2023, the facility's estimated economic impact was $16 million
.
"One of our records this year was most ticketed events, at 32. Which was huge," Rosburg said. "But we had great diversity in our lineup as well. And another record in consumer and trade shows. But I would say the standout in my mind was Zach Bryan. We had several records with that show alone."
While Bryan's concert was the most visible win of 2024, Rosburg said, there were behind-the-scenes victories that most visitors probably didn't notice.
She commended the staff members who worked 357 events in 2024, saying the entertainment and convention business is "the ultimate team sport." She said the Alerus Center has become a training ground of sorts for employees who move on to bigger jobs in the industry, and she also noted a handful of 2024 developments at the Alerus Center.
A new roof was completed last year, as was
a renovation of the suite level
, sponsored by Happy Harry's Bottle Shops. Additionally, five new suites were developed at the press-box level — upstairs from the traditional suite level — for concert patrons, and new field-level seating areas were created for UND football attendees.
It's new revenue, but it isn't just about the money, according to Derek Hoffert, assistant general manager. Customer experience is important too, he said.
"Anecdotally, the response was really positive," Hoffert said of the new seating options. "I think the numbers speak for themselves and the return business speaks for itself. We will pitch (new options) in an email. They'll respond by saying they can't picture what we're talking about because it hasn't been done before. But they'll come by and see the space and all of a sudden, they're seeing a show or game from it. That, in my opinion, really reinforces what I can provide anecdotally."
Other top concerts in 2024 included appearances by national acts
Kane Brown
,
Chris Stapleton
,
Journey (with Toto)
and Toby Mac.
Additionally, according to the Alerus Center's 2024 financial report, there were:
* 16 consumer shows, with total attendance of 28,344.
* 18 trade shows and conventions, with total attendance of 15,147.
* 141 meetings, with total attendance of 8,211.
* 69 banquets, with total attendance of 16,987.
* Five weddings and 20 wedding receptions, with attendance of 4,908.
The consumer and trade show combined attendance of 43,491 set a facility record.
Visit Greater Grand Forks and the Alerus Center tracked 50 events for economic impact, estimating how many were considered "day attendees" and "night attendees." The report also estimated how much the event generated in "direct spend" to the community.
The Zach Bryan concert topped the list, with an estimated 10,948 day attendees, 25,015 overnight attendees and a direct spend of $8.2 million.
Other top events, based on estimated economic impact, included:
* Junior Grand Am basketball tournament: $2.8 million spend, 800 day attendees and 7,200 overnight attendees.
*
Great Northern Regional FIRST Robotics
: $1.2 million, 1,969 day and 656 overnight.
* Kane Brown concert: $1 million, 6,223 day and 4,149 overnight.
* Chris Stapleton concert: $837,000, 6,291 day and 2,140 overnight.
* Journey/Toto concert: $659,982 spend, 4,994 day and 2,140 overnight.
* International Sugar Beet Institute show: $638,000, 4,994 day and 2,140 overnight.
* International Crop Expo: $626,000, 2,931 day and 500 overnight.
* PRB Chute Out (bull riding): $588,400, 2,680 day and 1,786 overnight.
*
UND spring commencement
: $560,148, 5,250 day and 2,250 overnight.
Rosburg said economic impact is determined via an industry calculator, based on the number of times a dollar rolls over in a community. Direct spend, she said, "is without a dollar rolling over at all."
Economic impact, Rosburg said, is the goal of the facility and its staff.
"Not every year is going to be a record year. We've had a few record years, but it was definitely one when we absolutely served our mission of economic impact and quality of life," she said. "I'm really proud of it and proud of our team that made it happen."
