Rodeo lessons

Posted September 6 at 07:38 AM

Here are four lessons Stockton officials, local promoters and fans should take away from the cancellation of the Stockton Rodeo:

1. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Promoters advertised the rodeo as one of the biggest entertainment events in Stockton history. It was hyped to be ten days of top-level bull riding and other rodeo events at the Stockton Arena capped off by concerts featuring country music superstars like Cowboy Troy and John Rich.

Unfortunately, it's not the type of event you'd expect to see an independent promoter organize in a small- to mid-size market like Stockton. And independent promoters have come to Stockton in the past and promised huge events, then failed to deliver.

City officials should have been immediately suspicious. Instead, the city spent $75,000 to sponsor the event, and taxpayers went on a ride.

2. Leave high-profile entertainment events to the professionals. This is the second time the city has gotten involved with a debacle at the arena. The first disaster was the Neil Diamond concert in 2006. At the time, then-city manager Mark Lewis ignored the recommendations of arena manager IFG-Stockton and decided to book his own show using $1 million in public money.

The result? Ticket prices eventually had to be dropped to ensure a decent crowd. Some fans found they could've saved $40 if they had just waited a week or so to buy tickets . Diamond's fees - and the concert's losses - were reported in the media because he was paid with public money, causing a political backlash. A professional promoter was brought in late to run the show. And eventually, Lewis was fired by city council.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice - the rodeo gets cancelled. The city should stick to paving roads and paying cops. Let professional promoters handle entertainment.

Of course, that does beg one important question about the rodeo:

How was IFG-Stockton involved?

3. Always do your homework. If city officials had made a phone call to either the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association or the Professional Bull Riders tour, they would have found out the Stockton Rodeo was overhyped. The PBR and PRCA represent the major league of rodeo, and promoters had promised that both were involved in the local event.

But all the details hadn't been worked out for PBR and PRCA sanctioning, and the organizations eventually backed off. If the city had talked to the PBR or PRCA, perhaps they would have hesitated before spending $75,000 on the rodeo.

4. Don't move ahead with an event until the details are finalized. Far too often, local promoters have hyped events before they have all their contracts signed and fees paid. They advertise concerts and shows and sell tickets without confirmation that their event will occur.

In 2006, for example, promoters advertised that Bay Area rapper E-40 would be performing at Stockton Arena before they had a deal with arena management. That deal was never worked out, and as a result, the promoters lost the money they had spent organizing and hyping the show.

The lesson is that it's always better to take your time, be overly cautious and triple-check your facts before you hype an event. Otherwise, you could find yourself in some serious debt. Ian Hill / 209Vibe editor