Starting this spring a company with local roots will be taking over event management at Canalside.
A subsidiary of Buffalo based Rich Products Corporation, Be Our Guest, submitted the winning bid for a new 5-year contract to manage events at Canalside.
Robert Gioia, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, Board Chairman says, BRG made a name for itself managing events at the baseball stadium for the Buffalo Bisons.
"Many of us throughout the community have experienced their great event planning and successes at Coca-Cola Field and other venues that they are involved with," Gioia said.
For the past year, Be Our Guest has managing events and programming on Buffalo's Outer Harbor. Under its new contract BRG's duties will include producing the Thursday concert series during the summer. And in winter managing the ice rink at Canalside. BRG President, Jon Dandes says, the company is excited about its new opportunity.
"We've got an extensive program of daily programming as well as event management programming that we are in the works now with getting the approval of ECHDC. So there's not a lot we can make public until we talk with them," Dandes said.
Be Our Guest won the bidding over Philadelphia based Spectra - which has been managing events at Canalside for the past three years.