 The financial performance of the Sanford Center showed that 2016 was not a good year for Bemidji's event center. Josh Peterson breaks down the numbers and shows us some of the changes that may come in the future to help fix the event center's losses. We're not going to be talking about good news today. We're not, you know, let's, we're going to have to deal with this issue. The news was not good at the Sanford Center's advisory board meeting where the event center's annual report was presented. The financial profit and loss report for 2016 showed the most loss in event expenses. The Sanford Center's management company, Benewerks, says that overbooking was a contributing factor. Last year we did multiple concerts and towards the end of the towards the end of the season we had concerts that were there was four concerts in October and November and early November and it was, they weren't well attended and one of them actually had to get canceled so you know we had a less than great year because of that. In 2016 the Sanford Center had an operating loss of five hundred and thirty six thousand two hundred and thirty five dollars on an operating budget of three hundred and forty nine thousand two hundred and eighty eight dollars meaning that the event center ran over budget by one hundred and eighty six thousand nine hundred and forty seven dollars creating a need for change and how Benewerks will manage the facility in twenty seventeen. You know we're looking to this year to do maybe four or five as opposed to fifteen and try to get a larger crowd you know bigger names if we can and work towards less but higher quality. For the city of Bemidji making the event center a success is top priority in hopes of getting a proposed hospitality tax off the ground so the event center would not have to operate off money from property taxes. One of the things that one of our goals is a hospitality tax to transfer some of these investments that we're making year in and year out in this facility and in this community to a food and beverage tax instead of the property taxpayer. With twenty seventeen already in full swing changes in how the event center will be managed and noticeable changes for its guests are expected to begin later this summer. In Bemidji Josh Peterson Lakeland News. While no major announcements for upcoming concerts have been made yet this year the Sanford Center is expected to make a large summer concert announcement tomorrow. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Lakeland public television.