By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Three years ago, Great Bend city staff determined a 10% charge should be assigned to all caterers on their food and alcohol receipts for events at the Great Bend Events Center. The practice was not well enforced, although the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) notified caterers and organizations that the 10% rule would be strictly enforced in 2023.
As a way to make the Events Center self-sufficient, Great Bend City Council member Kevyn Soupiset agreed rates needed to go up, but suggested the room rental fees to increase rather than charging a 10% fee to caterers and vendors.
"We have to look at this from an operational standpoint and a business," said Soupiset. "We can't lose money on it. I think our fees are way under market value, especially for the ballrooms. Adding this 10-percent fee I think muddies it up and leaves open room for less than straightforward accounting from the vendors."
Great Bend charges $1,000 a day to use the big ballroom. The Convention Center in Hays charges $2,500 for wedding-type events and is smaller than the Events Center ballroom. Camp Aldrich, northeast of Great Bend, charges $1,100 per day Friday through Sunday. St. Patrick's Parish gym rents for $1,509.
CVB Director Christina Hayes estimated up to eight non-profit organizations use the Events Center for their annual fundraisers including Sunflower Diversified Services, Family Crisis Center and Central Kansas CASA. Jennifer Gregg, executive director of the local CASA, told the council Monday night an additional fee would put a significant dent in their fundraiser.
"For CASA, our annual auction provides 87-percent of our operating budget," said Gregg. "It is the primary source of income that keeps our doors open and allows us to serve our community in need. This 10-percent fee being charged to vendors and caterers is a significant amount of money that will in turn, be passed on to the person hosting the party."
Gregg added last year's catering receipts would have required a 10% fee of approximately $2,200.
The Events Center receives revenue in two ways. One, room rental fees. Two, by the 1% of the transient guest tax, which is generated by overnight stays in hotels.
To make it less confusing and to not have to rely on vendors to accurately pay 10% of their receipts, the city council was in favor of setting increased room rental fees plus raising set-up and clean-up day fees.
Great Bend currently allows for a free set-up day, the day before your event. The Events Center rental also provides a free clean-up day, the day after the event. Any additional days of use beyond that costs $100 per day.
With a new fee structure for all of the city’s services coming to a vote in December, the city council voted to table the measure and vote on the increased Events Center fees at that time.