Concert season remains secure

This year's Fall Rock Show sold significantly fewer tickets than last year's show, resulting in a more than $500 difference between the Concert Board's expected and actual revenues. But despite the loss, the Concert Board _ which has the third largest budget of Tufts Community Union (TCU)-funded on-campus organizations _ will not have to make any significant changes in the current concert season.

The vast majority of the Concert Board's 2002-2003 budget of $171,165 comes from the TCU's Activity Fund. The Board also earns money from three main concerts during the year that charge for tickets _ the Rock, Jazz, and Hip-Hop Shows. The ticket price of $5 per person per show, however, raises only a fraction of the costs of staging the events.

Last year, with the TCU facing a $50,000 budget shortfall, the Concert Board was forced to make some hard decisions. The Fall Talent Budget lost $5,000 in funding and the Spring Fling's funding was cut by $1,000.

Despite these cuts, the Board has actually increased its total cash flow the past two seasons due to increased needs. When the President's Lawn was reconstructed two years ago, the flat area where Spring Fling was traditionally staged became a hill, making the cost of staging the event significantly higher.

"[The Concert Board] basically came to us and said that they would need the extra funding or they wouldn't be able to have Spring Fling," said Benjamin Lee, a senior and the second-year TCU Treasurer.

The Senate gave additional money for last year's Spring Fling, and also increased the staging costs allotted for this year's spring festival. "Concert Board is one of those organizations which could always find use for extra money," Lee said.

The Board usually receives additional funding through the Senate's Buffer Fund, which this year amounts to $50,000. The Buffer Fund is money set aside from the Council's normal treasury for any emergencies that may arise during the year. In order to make a request, a Concert Board member must appear at an Allocations Board (ALBO) meeting to detail the reason for funding.

"They usually come to us in the spring, around early March, requesting any additional monies we have left over for the Spring Fling. They've done it every year I've been at Tufts," Lee said.

The Concert Board typically receives about $10,000 extra from the Senate's Buffer Fund, which it uses to get high-priced talent to play. Concert Board co-chair Omar Ellis said that the process of requesting additional funding is not automatic.

"We're not sure if we're going to request additional funding for the Spring Fling [this year]," he said. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

This spring, the TCU Senate approved additional funding for the group because of "rising entertainment fees and overly optimistic ticket sales forecasts." The Senate allocated funds that were originally earmarked for this year's Fall Fest to cover the shortfall.

The Concert Board then had to book bands for the Fall Rock Show on a $15,000 budget, compared with $20,000 for the year before. The Board requested $25,000 in funding both years.

The Fall Rock Show only recouped about four percent of its costs in ticket sales. If the Concert Board relied solely on ticket sales to cover costs, prices would more closely resemble the $35 charged to see Billy Joel last December _ and that show was still half-funded by the University.

Every February, the Board is required to submit a detailed budget estimating funding needs for the following year. Representatives from the Concert Board spend the month working with the Treasury Department deciding on a final allotment.

Most of the arbitration is done in individual committees, and Concert Board is included in Council Two: Social Programming Activities, which typically receives the biggest percentage of the TCU's funding. Other Council Two organizations include the Entertainment Board, Film Series, and Apple Jam.

After the council head works out a passable budget with its member organizations, the budget is taken to the whole Treasury Committee. Once the Committee agrees on the budgets, the Senate body votes on them.

Any student can come to a Concert Board meeting and suggest a band to play at upcoming events. After suggestions are made to the council, Pretty Polly Productions, Tufts' agent, looks to see who is available and communicates its findings to the board.

While the Concert Board has suffered from decreasing ticket sales, there has been a rising interest in membership on the Board, with as many as 100 people showing up to board meetings. Concert Board co-chair Amy Dunphy sees great potential for this group.

"I think this going to be a great year for the Concert Board," she said. "We have a lot of interest, and I'm really looking forward to working with this group."

The Concert Board is currently focusing on this year's Hip-Hop Show, which is scheduled for Nov. 21.