NFR Still Has Fighting Chance

Fingers are crossed across Las Vegas as many wait to hear if the National Finals Rodeo will stay in town. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association submitted a counteroffer to Las Vegas Events on Tuesday. Details of that offer have not been disclosed. The PRCA didn’t accept LVE’s initial offer to keep the NFR in Las Vegas, instead entering into a memorandum of understanding with Osceola, Florida to take the NFR there. Many in the local community were outraged to hear the decision. Past reports have Pat Christenson of Las Vegas Events calling the move ” a big mistake.” Now, hope remains alive for the huge money-maker to stay. The event sells out each year and brings tens of thousands of visitors to Las Vegas who spend money on hotels, food and entertainment for 10 days. The event generates nearly $100 million in non-gaming revenue for the city each year. According to Lacey Stevens, Marketing Executive with Rodeo News, the cowboy community wants the NFR to stay put. Stevens says she’s hopeful Las Vegas Events gives the cowboys what they deserve. Reports show Florida offered $16 million in annual prizes, compared to Las Vegas’ $6 million. “The cowboys deserve more money. They travel all year. They have a lot of sleepless night. They are out there trying to make it just like we all are. I think they deserve a bigger purse and however the PRCA goes about getting that for them, I think that’s in their best interest, ” said Stevens. Still, she’s hopeful that purse comes from Las Vegas and not Florida. “You know, you can get airfare really cheap into Las Vegas…that, plus it’s just easier access. I don’t think Florida can provide what Las Vegas does, ” Stevens added...more

PRCA planning to submit counteroffer on rodeo today

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is fine-tuning the terms of its counteroffer to Las Vegas Events regarding the future of the prized National Finals Rodeo after 2014 and plans to submit the counteroffer by the end of the business day Tuesday, according to a PRCA spokesman. Spokesman Jim Bainbridge said he understands the Las Vegas Events board plans to then meet Wednesday to decide whether to accept the counteroffer.  Las Vegas is competing with not only Osceola County in Central Florida to host the NFR, but also with Dallas, where NBA Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Texas Gov. Rick Perry have expressed support for the Lone Star State to host the NFR. The Las Vegas Events offer to the PRCA was valued at $15 million a year, which is less than the Osceola County and Dallas offers.  On Dec. 15, the PRCA board rejected the LVE offer and voted to make a counteroffer. On the same day, Osceola County Commissioners held a rare Sunday meeting to approve an NFR bid that is offering about $10 million more in prize money to the NFR contestants than what Las Vegas Events is offering. During this past weekend, PRCA officials were touring Central Florida, while PRCA Commissioner Karl Stressman met with Perry in Texas last week. Osceola County Chairman Fred Hawkins said on Tuesday the competition to host the prized national rodeo is a three-way battle between his county, Dallas and Las Vegas. “Las Vegas is still in play. I’m not going to rule out anybody. Every place has its good points,” Hawkins said Tuesday. “The PRCA has a big decision to make,” Hawkins said. “They have a lot of information to sort through.”...more

Rodeo’s future in Las Vegas entering (another) crucial phase

By John Katsilometes

The back-and-forth between Las Vegas Events and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in the continuing Wrangler National Finals Rodeo saga is reaching yet another critical juncture this week.

The future of the rodeo remains uncertain, with at least two municipalities fighting for the lucrative event. But the WNFR could return to Las Vegas, and that decision might be rendered as early as this week.

Eradicated about a month ago was the idea that the rodeo is certain to be moving to Osceola County, Fla. LVE officials have issued a deadline of Jan. 14 to receive a counteroffer of its proposal to renew the WNFR contract for another 10 years after this year’s event concludes.

This is an extension of the original deadline, which was Jan. 1, to give the PRCA time to dissect the Las Vegas offer. But Tuesday is not the actual hard-and-fast deadline set to determine where the WNFR will be held after 2014. LVE is expecting to receive a counteroffer from the PRCA Board of Directors this week, but this week is not an ultimatum for these discussions.

It is possible, even probable, that Las Vegas officials will review whatever counteroffer is issued beyond the Tuesday deadline.

What the PRCA is weighing, at least as far as has been reported, is a $16 million offer from Osceola County to hold the WNFR annually for 20 years after it leaves Las Vegas. The offer from LVE, which includes prize money and all the related costs of staging the rodeo in Las Vegas, is $11 million to $12 million.

That offer was rejected during what has become an infamous day in these negotiations, Dec. 14. That was the date of the twin developments of the PRCA board’s rejection of the LVE offer and the Osceola County Commission’s announcement that it was entering a 90-day memorandum of understanding to negotiate with the PRCA to uproot the WNFR from Las Vegas to Florida.

If the PRCA were to agree on a new pact in Florida, the WNFR would be held this year at Amway Arena (home of the Orlando Magic), then move to a new, 24,000-seat, $100 million arena planned for Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee in 2015.

What threw the future of the WNFR in Las Vegas, its home since 1985, into doubt was the fact that the PRCA turned down the LVE offer without issuing a counteroffer or even making clear (at least initially) to Las Vegas officials that a new offer would be discussed.

Simultaneously, the Osceola County Commission announced that it was entering a 90-day MOU, leading LVE to issue its own announcement that the rodeo was leaving Las Vegas after this year’s event, which is not necessarily the case.

At least, not yet.

READ ENTIRE COLUMN

Letter - National Finals Rodeo

National Finals Rodeo

To the editor:

Was no one appalled by the way Las Vegas Events’ grand poobahs and other city leaders responded to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s announcement of possibly taking the National Finals Rodeo elsewhere? The entire upper echelon from Las Vegas Events and others in leadership roles related to the NFR should be summarily dismissed. They fell over themselves, rushing to the nearest microphone/camera to announce that, in effect, it was no big deal if the NFR left. Michael Gaughan yammers he can cobble together a competing event in no time. What a way to conduct diplomacy and carry out sensitive negotiations, by use of threats and attempts at intimidation.

We looked bush-league in the extreme. Everyone knew the NFR contract was coming up for renewal. Didn’t Las Vegas Events expect other cities would attempt to lure away a big player like the NFR? Arrogance ruled the day as Las Vegas Events assumed the PRCA would re-up at whatever modest scraps were offered as incentives. When the PRCA looked at another very lucrative offer from Osceola County, Fla., Chicken Little ruled the day around here. The clucking and flapping of arms was deafening. Have our representatives never heard of quiet negotiation?

Everything else being equal and proper respect shown, together with quiet discussions, I think the PRCA would probably prefer to stay in Las Vegas. But Las Vegas needs to accept that it is all about the money. Who should know that better than people in this town?

Many of these rodeo participants have a short shelf life. It’s just too hard and dangerous a sport. A lot more prize money is very tempting. The Florida offer was way above what Las Vegas was paying. Who can blame the PRCA if it accepted that offer, especially after the dressing down they received in the media, courtesy of the very people we trusted to keep the event here? Too bad these jokers never heard the old sales axiom that it’s easier to keep a good customer than to find a replacement.

JERRY SALYERS


LAS VEGAS

Source

Radio Interview - Is The NFR Leaving Las Vegas

Here's an interesting interview from back in December which gives more background on this story.

KNPR 98.7-Nevada Public Radio http://www.knpr.org/ interviews Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Alan Snel on December 18, 2013 

http://youtu.be/N5uG7MUpyTw