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Ticket sales are nothing to celebrate

By CRISTINA SILVA
Published April 18, 2007

Support for the city's marquee events, including 50th anniversary celebrations and the Beach Goes Pops music festival, has been unexpectedly tepid this year.

Volunteers for Beach Goes Pops, St. Pete Beach's annual celebration of live music, have sold considerably fewer tickets to the event's sit-down dinner gala than in years past.

Tickets to a gala in November to celebrate St. Pete Beach's anniversary also have not been purchased as quickly as organizers would have liked.

Some organizers blame a lukewarm economy, particularly the impact of the sluggish real estate market. But others suspect political discontent. They point to a lack of donations from local business owners.

The fundraising events come after a year of division among residents about what type of redevelopment the city will allow. Some want taller buildings that will give hoteliers incentives not to build condominiums; others want no change.

City Commissioner Harry Metz, who has volunteered for Beach Goes Pops in the past, said he has been told that some business owners no longer will support city events.

"I heard word from the hotel people that 'as long as Metz is in office they volunteers for Beach Goes Pops can raise their own money,' " said Metz, who was recently elected on a platform that advocated no height changes.

Beach Goes Pops organizer Mark Robichaux said the event will go on as planned April 27 and 28. He declined to comment on Metz's remarks.

"Our sales are down some this year, but the economy in general has not been what it has been in past years," he said. "We are doing okay, but we could be doing better."

Gary Renfrow, whose family owns the Alden Beach Resort, said his hotel has not bought a table at Beach Goes Pops in about four years.

"We just decided we have other causes that were worthy of our donation of cash," said Renfrow, who said the Alden has made donations to the Police Athletic League, among other charities. "I have got no ax to grind."

The anniversary committee, which has been meeting since April 2006, has planned on supporting a series of events, like Beach Goes Pops, as well as hosting its own, including a gala at the TradeWinds Island Grand Resort on Nov. 10.

Unless the anniversary committee raises $25,000 by late June, the gala could be canceled because of a lack of community interest, said city spokeswoman Natalie Strong. The group has collected about $4,000 in ticket sales.

Tickets to the gala are $55 per person or $550 for a table for 10. So far, ticket buyers have mostly been residents.

Members of the anniversary committee said they are optimistic that the gala will be successful.

"We are shooting for 400 attendees of the dinner, and so far we are pretty much on target," said Steve Traiman, a longtime resident and member of the committee.

"We are getting more reservations every day."

Cristina Silva can be reached at (727) 893-8846 or csilva@sptimes.com.

[Last modified April 17, 2007, 20:09:03]