Tad Bowman is Red Rocks' venue director for the city. Bowman calculates that he's been "up there for about 900 shows - seen bits and pieces of some (more from some and less from others)." Bowman started as an intern with the city in 1987, and his duties have included functions at Red Rocks since 1998. When he's not overseeing the management of Red Rocks directly on site during concerts, that's where Tad Bowman, venue director for Red Rocks and the Denver Coliseum, works. The primary logistics center for Red Rocks is located within an office at the Denver Coliseum. The city also makes money off of a tax added to the sale of concert tickets as well as from the sale of food, beverage and merchandise at the amphitheater. Rental fees start around $15,000, but other charges such as staffing and security need to be paid. Working with concert promoters such as AEG Live and Live Nation, Denver Arts & Venues oversees the scheduling of Red Rocks Amphitheatre, giving the okay for the specific dates requested by promoters, and working out contractual details. So the benefit to the city of Red Rocks is twofold: You get that concert venue with a worldwide reputation, but then it also has very practical, financial benefits, as well." All put back into venue maintenance, and city programs that are free to the public like the Five Points Jazz Festival and visual arts programs. Kitts says, "Arts & Venues is what's called a special revenue fund: It's all the money that is generated by Red Rocks, the Convention Center and the Performing Arts Complex. In 2015, Denver raised $23.5 million through various events at Red Rocks, according to a Denver Post article. In fact, the agency generates money for the city. While the overall park, with its hiking trails, is overseen by Denver Parks and Recreation, the concert amphitheater within the park is under the purview of Denver Arts & Venues - a self-supporting city agency that receives zero tax dollars to operate. "A lot of people don't realize that Red Rocks is owned and operated by the City of Denver and has been for 75 years," says Kitts, noting the amphitheatre's three-quarters-of-a-century anniversary this year. "We've got dates held three years out," says Brian Kitts, marketing director for Denver Arts & Venues. In fact, that dream concert taking place in 2019 might already be booked. As the 2016 concert series at Red Rocks Amphitheatre begins to wind down, planning for next year's live music schedule is already underway.
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