Sizing Up an Outdoor Concert Destination in Heber City

Client Challenge

Performative Inc. was advancing plans for the Sunset Ridge Amphitheater, a proposed 5,000-seat outdoor venue in Heber City, Utah, envisioned as a regional draw for concerts, community events and touring productions in the fast-growing Heber Valley. Before committing to the concept, the developer needed to know whether the market could support a venue of that scale, how it should be programmed and operated and what economic value it might generate for the surrounding community. Answering those questions called for independent research into regional demand, comparable venues, promoter interest and the venue's financial and operating outlook.

Approach

Victus Advisors conducted a two-phase feasibility study. The first phase examined market demand through a demographic and socioeconomic analysis of Heber City and the broader Heber Valley, a drive-time market profile, and a benchmarking review of both local community venues and regional outdoor concert amphitheaters along the Wasatch Front and Back, paired with interviews of community leaders, local arts groups and commercial concert promoters to test appetite and appropriate scale. Building on those findings, the second phase translated the research into a recommended building program, evaluated venue management and operating models ranging from a promoter-as-operator structure to a promoter-as-booking-agent arrangement, and modeled the amphitheater's economic and fiscal impact on both Heber City and Wasatch County.

Benefits to Client

The study gave Performative Inc. an independent, evidence-based read on the project's viability. The research confirmed a market gap for a right-sized venue, with promoters pointing to a 4,500-to-5,000-seat capacity as a strong fit and projecting a feasible season of 15 to 25 commercial concerts alongside community and cultural programming. The comparable-venue benchmarking and operating-model analysis laid out the tradeoffs between turning the venue over to a promoter and retaining control while engaging a booking agent, and the impact analysis estimated that annual operations could generate roughly $13.6 million in net direct spending for Heber City and about $13 million for Wasatch County, giving the developer the foundation to refine the concept, scale and operating strategy.