Record year for Pueblo Convention Center, Memorial Hall is only 'scratching the surface'

A pair of popular Pueblo venues posted record-setting years in 2023 thanks to big names and new acts that drew significant crowds from across the Front Range.

The Pueblo Convention Center and Pueblo Memorial Hall each set revenue and attendance records last year, Oak View Group, which managed both venues, announced in a news release.

The convention center, which opened in 1997, pulled in more than $2.8 million, a spike from the approximately $2.4 million collected in 2022. Its attendance that year was around 47,000, but it surged past 50,000 last year.

Pueblo Memorial Hall had its best financial year since its 2014 remodel. Its 2023 gross revenue totaled $1.3 million, a $675,000 increase from the year before.

Ticketed attendance at the venue exceeded 44,000. That number does not include turnout from people who went to free events, which likely pushes total attendance closer to 50,000, said Kevin Ortiz, general manager of the Pueblo Convention Center and Pueblo Memorial Hall.

In 2016, a then-record 45,000 people visited the hall.

“What this proves between both buildings is Pueblo is really becoming an entertainment hub for southern Colorado and people are looking at us for things to do,” Ortiz said. “I think it’s showing that Pueblo is also really developing into a city people want to frequent, not just for entertainment but for meetings and events as well.”

Though Puebloans contributed their share to last year’s numbers, people from La Junta, Rocky Ford, Colorado Springs, Alamosa, Walsenburg, and Trinidad also frequently visited both venues.

How both venues posted record-setting numbers

Ranging from meetings and conferences to conventions and trade shows, there were more than 270 events at the convention center last year. Some of its most highly attended events were a commemoration of chemical weapons destruction at Pueblo Chemical Depot, the Colorado School Nutrition Conference and Slovenian Union of America Conference.

One of its most intriguing draws is the USA Boxing Olympic Qualifier, which has called the convention center home for the past two years. The event will be held at the venue again this year.

The facility received additions in 2019 that today allow the space to be more versatile with the types of events it can offer, Ortiz said. The Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority’s investment and desire for capital improvements in the facility have helped make it a “prime destination” for locals and people outside of Pueblo, he added.

“I really think we’re just scratching the surface of what our capabilities are,” Ortiz said.

Pueblo Memorial Hall also capitalized on its remodel as it hosted 65 events, the most since 2014. Most of those were concerts, graduations, dance recitals and comedy and family shows.

There were a trio of sold-out productions, two of which involved big-name acts: Theo Von and Rob Schneider. The other was country singer Travis Tritt’s Sept. 21 performance.

In October, Ortiz said the hall was on track to set records for attendance and revenue. He cited the venue’s variety of content and ability to attract more well-known names as a few reasons why a record-setting year was within reach.

“We’re seeing a tremendous amount of growth in meetings and entertainment in Pueblo, and it should make the community feel proud that people from outside city limits are coming to town and wanting to experience what we have in downtown Pueblo,” Ortiz said.

What acts are headed for the Pueblo Convention Center and Memorial Hall in 2024?

A popular state dart tournament helped kick things off this year at the convention center. In April, the venue will host USA Boxing’s international event and a SkillsUSA competition, among other special events.

The Arc of Pueblo’s Golden Tortilla contest will also return alongside dance competitions, galas and meetings that are scheduled throughout the year.

At Pueblo Memorial Hall, Black Violin, the “Chicago” musical and a Johnny Cash concert kick off February. Killer Queen, a tribute to rock band Queen, and a performance by Benise, the “Prince of Spanish Guitar," are slated for March. The “Come from Away” musical rounds out the schedule that month.

A lineup of other concerts, musicals and performances is on the Pueblo Memorial Hall schedule through June.

“We have a pretty jam-packed year," Ortiz said.

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Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: How Pueblo Convention Center, Memorial Hall set 2023 attendance records