The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) announced Tuesday substantial progress toward reaching profitability while reducing operating costs of Boston’s most innovative outdoor space, The Lawn On D Powered by Citizens Bank.
Strong attendance, food and beverage sales, and a significant increase in private event sales have dramatically improved The Lawn On D’s financial performance reducing the annual deficit from $2.3 million in 2015 to just a few hundred thousand dollars in 2016 (currently projected in the $250,000-$350,000 range).
The Lawn On D is on track to reach over $1.2 million in net revenues for the full 2016 season – three times the net revenue of $400K, generated in the year prior.
“One of our key goals for The Lawn On D was to operate more efficiently while continuing to deliver a great experience for our guests,” said David Gibbons, MCCA Executive Director. “We are proud of the outstanding financial results we achieved working with our partners Citizens Bank and Rebel Restaurants throughout the season.”
Highlights of the 2016 season include:
- Number of visitors YTD: 200,000+
- Number of public events YTD: 101
- Number of private events booked YTD: 87
- Revenue from private events and sponsorships YTD: $856,000
- Net revenue from food & beverage sales YTD: $345,000
- Capital improvements: construction of the Signature Pavilion and upgrade of Swing Time
Even with the substantial reductions in costs which were driven in large part by bringing all marketing and venue management in-house, The Lawn On D continued to deliver robust public programming for the community and an enhanced customer and attendee experience.
Named “2016 Best Summer Scene” by the Improper Bostonian, The Lawn On D continues to be a favorite local hangout spot with over 200,000 visitors and 100 successful public events between May and October 2016. Some of the most popular events this season were Opening Weekend (8,500 attendees), the Kite Festival & Carnival On D (3,400 attendees), PorchfestFEST (5,500 attendees), Blue Point Toasted Tour (6,080 attendees), D Street Art Walk (11,543 attendees), Kids Really Rock (6,200 attendees), and Pints & Oysters (6,242).
The Lawn On D continued its popular Berklee Music series on Friday afternoons and launched a Fitness On D series in collaboration with Equinox, FitBit, and Boston Sports Clubs to further expand its public programming. The Lawn On D also welcomed Boston Herald Radio as they broadcast live every Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, June through September.
Furthermore, hundreds of kids enjoyed visiting The Lawn on D this summer as Community Centers from across the Greater Boston area were invited to The Lawn On D through the MCCA’s community outreach program.
The Lawn On D was able to provide free entertainment to the community thanks to successful partnerships with Citizens Bank and Rebel Restaurants.
Citizens Bank was named the title sponsor of The Lawn On D in February 2016 and in July 2016 debuted The Lawn On D Powered by Citizens Bank kiosk with a 24-hour full service ATM and free portable charging units provided by Oomf. The kiosk is staffed by Citizen Bank colleagues Friday evenings through Sunday evenings. All signs point to Citizens Bank returning as The Lawn On D’s title sponsor for 2017.
In 2016, Rebel Restaurants was awarded the rights to serve food and beverage at The Lawn On D. In addition to expanded dining options, Rebel Restaurants has played a key role in providing live entertainment options for the guests of The Lawn On D and catering services, through its Seaport Catering division, for private events on The Lawn On D. Food and beverage net revenues for the season have reached approximately $345,000, which is nearly double the net revenues from last year.
This season, The Lawn On D established itself as a premier outdoor venue for private and corporate events. With the addition of the Signature Pavilion (a separate venue option, which allows private bookings without blocking public access to the main lawn) more than 80 private events were booked into early November that are estimated to bring in $606,000 in rental revenue - almost three times more than what was originally anticipated.
Another improvement to The Lawn On D included the upgrade of Swing Time, The Lawn On D’s most popular attraction, featuring a sleeker design and new fabrication techniques to make the swings easier to maintain and more durable for the type of use they have experienced.
Thank you to everyone who came out this season to enjoy The Lawn On D. If you’re interested in holding your event at The Lawn, check out our planning section to learn more.
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