Barrow Journal

The Barrow County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a revamped facility use agreement for the Innovation Amphitheatre that relieves the county of paying entertainment, advertising, marketing and other expenses, marking a major change from the previous business model for the struggling venue.
Under the new one-year agreement, which takes effect July 1 with the start of Fiscal Year 2020, the county will lease the facility on a per-event basis to Loganville-based Golden Productions, which has handled event production services since the amphitheater opened in June 2017. Golden will also be responsible for all other costs related to each event and will retain all revenues from ticket sales and concessions.
The vote on the new agreement was 6-0 with commissioner Billy Parks absent.
The county has up to 45 days per year for use of the facility under a separate agreement with the Barrow County School System, which owns the property and built the facility next to Sims Academy of Innovation and Technology on Austin Road in Winder. On days that Golden doesn’t rent the facility, the county will have the right to lease to other third-party users under the same terms.
The agreement replaces the initial agreement between the county and Golden in April 2017 in which the county paid for booking expenses for entertainers, advertising and marketing costs and other expenses while receiving a portion of ticket revenues and concession sales and all parking fee proceeds.
See more in the June 26 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.