Its charge was to determine if Lincoln has a problem attracting concerts and other entertainment events and if facilities or current policies are creating obstacles. The task force's final meeting was in mid-May. Jim Ritzman of Arjay Advertising chaired the task force. In general, concerts are getting more expensive to produce, and ticket prices are going up. Most venues need to realize maximum usage of all revenue streams to create a profit.
Artists also charge different amounts based on the size of the venue.
Lincoln has a lack of appropriate venues. As indicated by L. Kent Wolgamott in several Journal Star columns, the concert industry considers Lincoln and Omaha as one market. The larger city is more attractive to tour promoters. The survey subcommittee designed a questionnaire to gather opinions about concert opportunities in Lincoln. The survey was developed by the task force with help from Cheryl Wiese, Associate Director of the UNL Bureau of Sociological Research.