Rising costs, need for renovations prompt fee increases at Holt Arena

Idaho State University will increase fees for the use of Holt Arena by the start of the fall 2008 semester, the first such increase in at least a decade, ISU officials have announced.

Faced with rising costs and the need for renovations to the popular facility, the University will implement increases in rental and facility fees and will charge for parking for designated events.

The changes bring the arena’s fee structure in line with comparable facilities in the Intermountain West, officials said.

The University will continue to seek public and private funding for renovations, said Kent Tingey, D.A., vice president for university advancement.

The arena, located on the ISU campus in Pocatello, is used for an array of events. They include high school football games, concerts, theatrical performances, rodeos, monster-truck competitions, Spring Fair and the annual Ag Expo.

“Holt Arena has been a centerpiece of life in southeastern Idaho for more than a generation, and the University is committed to assuring that it will remain so,” said George Casper, ISU director of events.

The rental fee will be charged according to a three-tiered schedule that reflects the varied costs involved in staging different types of events.

The rental fees will be as follows:

Category I – single-event user (e.g., ISU football high school football, Simplot Games, graduation, etc.): $3,500 per day or 10 percent of gross ticket sales, whichever is greater, with a negotiated cap.

Category II – single-event user (e.g., festivals, theatrical performances, ice shows, cars shows, etc): $4,000 per day or 10 percent of gross tickets sales, whichever is greater, with a negotiated cap.

Category III – single-event user (e.g., rodeo, motor sports, concerts, trade shows, etc.): $5,000 per day or 10 percent of gross ticket sales, whichever is greater, with a negotiated cap. Events in this category tend to involve substantially more wear and tear on the arena, and additional setup and teardown time.

Facility rental packages will be negotiated with multiple event users.

Facility fees will be charged as follows:

• $1 per ticket for tickets less than $10;

• $2 per ticket for tickets $10 or more.

• $1 per ticket for ISU athletic, academic and auxiliary departments. Students with a valid Bengal ID card will not be charged for parking.

Parking fees will be charged as follows:

• $5 for motor sports, rodeo, concerts, etc;

• $1 for ISU athletic events

Fees for free-admission events will be negotiated with facility users.