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2006 Essence Music Festival Moving To Houston

houstonsemipro

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GovernorAggie

GovernorAggie

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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metrop...an/4029979.html

As the article says, Houston only had 7 months to plan this event, so we probably did the best we could. Not to say that the major complaint of sprawl is unwarranted, even I complain about it and I have lived here all my life, just with more planning we can put on a great show. I love the idea of using multiple venues such as the Toyota Center and GRB. Can you imagine it? It would be another super bowl with all the activity downtown. Lets hope they give us another chance and Houston can put on the show we know we can.

I saw this story today. I think one of the key points from Essence's representative is that Houston didn't take the event serious enough. This I agree with and the Chronicle is guilty of it as well. I had already questioned why a 200,000 person event was getting B1 coverage.

I also agree with the 7 months scheduling problem. My guess is that is likely a reason why Reliant was picked instead of downtown--the availability of the facilities on such a short notice. The main thing would be the concert venue and let's face it, between Comets games, ice shows, concerts, and comedy shows, Toyota Center is full to the brim almost all year, and I would guess that the folks at Rocketball (remember the Rockets schedules events at Toyota Center, not the city) have stuff in the works for 2007 and 2008 even as we write. The GRB doesn't seem to be as busy as Toyota Center, but that's not as important from what I can tell. The complaints were about two things--access to parties and Reliant's acoustics. So it seems to me that if Houston were to try again, Toyota Center would be the main piece.

However, if things go as planned with the Downtown Park, Pavilions, Park Tower, and even Frank Liu's subdivision, a huge chunk of that side of downtown will be torn up and under construction during that time. Sounds like the foundation for more complaints to me <_<

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RedScare

RedScare

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A big requirement for Essence is a 50,000 seat arena for the concerts, so Reliant likely will stay part of the mix. Agreed on the "not taken seriously" part, though. 200,000 is actually MORE bodies than the Super Bowl, even though the corporate types spend much more.

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TJones

TJones

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That ain't nothin compared to the White Entrepreneurs Conference in Vidor!

Talk about having all your venues nearby.

Coog, you would have to elaborate a little more for some of the folks lurking on here. But, I did here that one of the participants hit the jackpot when the delegate from Alabama found out he owned a sheet factory. ;)

Well, at least we now know Coog's REAL objection to the Essence Festival. :angry2:

mmmmm hhmmmm,C'mon it was funny Red, you 'ol stuff shirt you, I never got a REAL answer from 713 as to why he was so opposed to hosting the essence awards in Dallas either, but his reaction was obvious. Red, I think you need to cross-examine. -_-

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MidtownCoog

MidtownCoog

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Well, at least we now know Coog's REAL objection to the Essence Festival.

LOL. Lighten up, Francis! Us white folk have our Lollapalooza and the West Fest in West, TX.

If you read closely, I really don't have any objections other than Essenceres with unrealistic expectations.

Hell, one lady's quote said "I did't know Houston was big". Oy vey, hello Mapquest.

New Orleans was destroyed and Houston threw this together.

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GovernorAggie

GovernorAggie

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A big requirement for Essence is a 50,000 seat arena for the concerts, so Reliant likely will stay part of the mix.

Really? If that's the case, do you think that the Superdome and the Georgia Dome have better acoustics than Reliant?? Those two are 30+ and 10+ years older than Reliant and really haven't had any kind of remarkable updating done on them.

I just think that when you're having a bad time, you complain about everything.

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RedScare

RedScare

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Really? If that's the case, do you think that the Superdome and the Georgia Dome have better acoustics than Reliant?? Those two are 30+ and 10+ years older than Reliant and really haven't had any kind of remarkable updating done on them.

I just think that when you're having a bad time, you complain about everything.

Exactly...and why I say one should put little stock into what quotes a reporter coaxes out of a couple of tourists. But, some people have fragile egos, I suppose.

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TAK

TAK

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if i were Houston, i would want every convention that comes to town to be fantastic. that's how a reputation gets built.

200,000 people coming for a music festival? make it happen. don't give excuses. build a rep. you want to get the olympics, but can't deal with a 200,000 person summer event?

you want another superbowl? of course, the city works REAL HARD on that because it's football and 95% of the participants aren't of one minority ethnic group.

the complaints were real. i had the same complaints, and i live in houston. reliant IS NOT a conference/festival friendly area. sure, it has plenty of conference space, but that's it. do you expect a LARGE contingent of any conference to hang around the Reliant area? perhaps we now know what needs to happen on the astroworld space - something for conference attendees to be involved in.

and no, expecting thousands of out of town folks to pile into our one little train at 10p to go downtown is not reasonable. it's not even feasible. and when they get downtown, what are they going to do? last call is 1:15a... and then where do they go? back on the train to reliant, unless they're staying in a downtown hotel.

we hardly have cab service.

seriously, this is not just about Essence. this is about putting all of the conference space we've paid for to good use by luring some major events. the city has to work at this.

on the flip side, 7 months is not enough time to prepare for Essence. not at all. i doubt it will return, but i'd like it to, to see how we handle it next year.

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Trae

Trae

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I hope it returns, too. Your wrong about the Super Bowl thing. The NBA All-Star game was a success, except for the weather. Houston needs to do a better job for conventions. The Downtown Park and HP should help a bit. I wish the University Line could start construction now. When will that be completed, because it would help a lot.

Lastly, the GRB needs a facelift.

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GovernorAggie

GovernorAggie

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Maybe we should be thinking about what would make Reliant a better area to hold a large event, since it seems to be a local reflex to do so.

1. Add MORE greenspace to the area--in fact, replace a lot of the parking with greenspace and build parking garages. I think a well-designed set of garages fronting 610 would do well in the area. More trees would soften the asphalt of the area.

2. Do more landscaping/decorations to Main, Fannin, Kirby, etc. To me, the Reliant area should scream activity. I think that it could take on a more festive look there. Maybe more in the way of sports decor as well as rodeo decor.

Who else has suggestions?? A sea of asphalt surrounded by Popeyes and cut-rate motels shouldn't be the only things around one of the finest collection of sports/convention facilities in America.

By the way, I'm completely with the GRB facelift. In fact, I'd be happy if they just paint the whole thing white. Or at least paint the exhaust vents blue. The red isn't working too well for me.

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nmainguy

nmainguy

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How does the GRB need a facelift? I'm in and out of the GRB all the time and it's a fine facility, in fact they expanded just a couple of years ago.

I agree. I'm always impressed at how well kept it is-especially for a government facility.

B)

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Trae

Trae

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How does the GRB need a facelift? I'm in and out of the GRB all the time and it's a fine facility, in fact they expanded just a couple of years ago.

On the outside. It is one ugly building.

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jghall00

jghall00

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Not until we've reached the status of Fresno. :P

Nice try. I was in Houston for 10 years before I moved to Fresno. Houston is just as, if not more insecure then Fresno. That's not saying much, considering the Houston Metropolitan area is like 4X the size of Fresno's. Houston shares a feeling of inadequacy with a CMSA less then 1/4 its size. Tsk Tsk.

No wonder Houston didn't get the Olympics...it can't even handle the Essence festival.

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nmainguy

nmainguy

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Nice try. I was in Houston for 10 years before I moved to Fresno. Houston is just as, if not more insecure then Fresno. That's not saying much, considering the Houston Metropolitan area is like 4X the size of Fresno's. Houston shares a feeling of inadequacy with a CMSA less then 1/4 its size. Tsk Tsk.

No wonder Houston didn't get the Olympics...it can't even handle the Essence festival.

Well, you asked and the first hell-hole that popped into my mind was Fresno. So glad you're not here. :D

B)

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jghall00

jghall00

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Well, you asked and the first hell-hole that popped into my mind was Fresno. So glad you're not here. :D

B)

You're not the only one. I'd hate to have Houston's inferiority complex impress itself upon me.

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VelvetJ

VelvetJ

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My word. I called my sister to this website so she could read some of the trash sprayed with perfume people have been spewing. She is young and inexperienced but I wanted her to witness some of the sad mindsets of this very multicultural city we live in.

Just as there will always be people that visit Houston and have complaints, apparently there will always be those that have what I call "ethnic issues".

TAK- That was a great post.

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houstonsemipro

houstonsemipro

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Nice try. I was in Houston for 10 years before I moved to Fresno. Houston is just as, if not more insecure then Fresno. That's not saying much, considering the Houston Metropolitan area is like 4X the size of Fresno's. Houston shares a feeling of inadequacy with a CMSA less then 1/4 its size. Tsk Tsk.

No wonder Houston didn't get the Olympics...it can't even handle the Essence festival.

He's right about that one. Houston trying to host the Olympics, and can't handle something small like the Essence Festival. That's one strike against Houston for the Olympics.

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