Features
Texas’ Outhouse Tickets Hosting ‘Save The Small Venues Fundraiser’
– Outhouse Tickets
Although live concerts are on hold for the foreseeable future, Texas Outhouse Tickets is selling tickets as a fundraiser in hopes of keeping small- and medium-sized venues alive while the world continues battling COVID-19.
Like many businesses in the live industry, Outhouse Tickets has come to a standstill. The Allen, Texas-based company, which has been around for over 15 years, contracts with venues and events to be their primary ticket company, selling mostly to small and medium-sized venues across the U.S.
CEO Greg Satterwhite launched the “Save The Small Venues Fundraiser” March 30 with a goal of raising $2 million, which he estimates will help 40 small venues pay rent and utilities and keep staff paid in the coming months while no funds are coming in from ticket sales or F&B. The fundraiser page points out that along with the musicians, roadies and production crew who are affected by the coronavirus-related event shut down, venue owners will need to pay an estimated $50,000 to $100,000 out of pocket just to keep their buildings from foreclosure.
Supporters can purchase fundraiser tickets for $5, $10 or $20, or donate in $1 increments.
“What inspired me to launch the fundraiser was that I was seeing my customers, who have become my friends, having to shut their doors and potentially lose their businesses,” Satterwhite told Pollstar. “That, along with all of the people who these businesses support with a paycheck are having to sit at home with no income. Also, without these small and medium sized venues, there will be no place for the up-and -coming musicians to play! My passion as a business owner is to bring the joy of music to the masses who either cannot or do not want to pay the high ticket prices that the big acts are charging now along with the high services that go along with them.”
Proceeds from the fundraiser will be given to venues in the most need, with a committee reviewing each request to prioritize funding. Satterwhite said, “The committe will be myself along with a couple of venue owners I work with who will not be eligible to receive any money.” The grants will be based on need and how much the fundraising raises.
Applications are open to any venues that depend on live concerts as a major means of staying alive with a capacity of 2,000 or less. Satterwhite notes that it is not limited to Texas and “definitely NOT limited to my venue customers only.”
He adds, “Neither Outhouse Tickets, nor myself, will profit from this other than maybe a little good publicity. ALL the proceeds will be distributed. We are not a non-profit and thus will have to pay the state some sales tax, but other than that, there are no other expenses that will come out of the proceeds.”
Supports can donate to the “Save The Small Venues Fundraiser” here: http://www.outhousetickets.com/Event/13236-Save_the_Small_Venues_Fundraiser/
Venues can sign up at the link below to request funds: http://info.outhousetickets.com/venue-submission-form/