OCEAN CITY– When professional bull riding comes to Ocean City in June, the promoters could be looking for a little extra funding from the town in exchange for a revenue-sharing program.
During Monday’s Tourism Commission meeting, members got an update on the Bulls on the Beach event scheduled for June 3-5 on a portion of the Inlet parking lot. Bulls on the Beach is a Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Bull Riding and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeo.
An arena and bleachers will be constructed on a portion of the Inlet parking lot. Several truckloads of dirt will be hauled to the Inlet lot in advance of the bull-riding event in June, creating an eight-inch surface on which the rodeo will be held. Event organizers will haul the dirt back out of the Inlet lot and restore it to its pre-event condition after the rodeo is completed.
The bulls themselves will be housed off the island during the event and trailered on the days of the competition. The rodeo’s producer, Triple Creek Events, will be responsible for the event set-up and breakdown, hauling the dirt in and out and restore the Inlet lot to its pre-event condition after the event is over.
Because of the scope of the set-up, including setting up bleachers and hauling in tons of dirt, the producers will start setting up the event in the days prior to the actual rodeo, including creating the arena of sorts on the Inlet lot even before Memorial Day weekend.
Special Events director Frank Miller said on Monday the event’s footprint will be smaller in the days leading up to the rodeo, minimizing the impact on Inlet lot revenue. Miller also said although the memorandum of understanding for the event is still in draft form, the producers are seeking a financial contribution from the town due to unexpected expenses.
“They are looking for financial assistance,” he said. “This is a large undertaking for a first-year event and they are looking for roughly $75,000. It would come with a revenue share of $5 per ticket. They are expecting to sell out and we are working on a draft memorandum of understanding (MOU).”
Tourism and Business Development Director Tom Perlozzo explained the reason why the producer was seeking extra financial support.
“The bleacher provider came in higher than expected,” he said. “They are looking for some extra help with that.”
Perlozzo said early interest in the rodeo has been brisk thus far.
“They had sold over 1,000 tickets as of this morning,” he said. “It’s general admission, so there’s no real urgency to get in early. It’s a new event and its creating a lot of buzz out there. We’re just looking for some direction.”
Council Secretary Tony DeLuca said he could support the financial assistance request, but likely not at the same level the producers are seeking.
“The recommendation is to take it to the council,” he said. “I think it’s a great event. My motion would be for something more realistic like $30,000.”
Perlozzo said the rodeo was the exact kind of event the town was seeking when they created his position.
“With the first two weeks of June, you gave me the direction to find some things for families,” he said. “This is one of them. That’s why Jellyfish moved up. That’s why Fiddler on the Roof is on June 16. There are a lot of things I’m trying to do.”
Miller said the event set-up was complicated.
“The bleachers have to go in before the soil comes in,” he said. “There are some logistics to consider. This is an event that is going to bring in new visitors. This is a demographic that doesn’t typically visit Ocean City.”
Commission member Kevin Gibbs downplayed concerns about the pre-event set-up on the Inlet lot.
“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” he said. “I think you can put a positive spin on it. People will see the event getting set up and it creates a positive buzz. They’re saying, “hey, we’re going to bring bulls in here in a week.’”
