“We don’t want to compete with what is already here,” says Richard Michaud of MultiSpec, one of three area firms selected as a consortium to manage and handle programming at the Theatre du Casino.
MultiSpec will look after the programming and marketing of shows, Reservation Outaouais will manage sales and the ticket office while Audio Design will handle the technical aspects. The group is collectively titled 3GE, which stands for three generations of experience.
Mr. Michaud got his start organizing end-of-year celebrations at his high school and has organized shows for decades, including performances at the NAC and the Robert Guertin Arena. In Ontario, his company operates as Spec Plus.
He says the consortium is planning a press conference for early November to release further details about the group’s vision for the Theatre du Casino.
3GE takes over from a Montreal-based consortium, 2P3, which is made up of Groupe Phaneuf Inc. and Zone 3.
3GE was selected following a competitive tender process, says Casino de Lac Leamy spokesperson Catherine Schellenberg.
“We’re quite happy with the fact that they’re from the area. It will be a big plus that they know the area and know the market,” she says.
Ms. Schellenberg says the contract will run for three years, with a mutual one-year option. She deferred questions about the structure of the contract to 3GE.
Mr. Michaud declined to discuss any details about the contract, including the revenue model.
The casino’s theatre offerings have evolved in recent years from matinee performances to a greater emphasis on dinner theatres, galas, meetings and other special events, says Ms. Schellenberg.
The facility has a capacity of approximately 1,100 seats if configured for a theatre-style show and about 350 seats for dinner shows, she says.
In the last fiscal year, Casino du Lac Leamy revenues dipped slightly to $265.8 million from $267 million a year earlier, according to Loto Quebec.
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