Balzac, on the CP rail line in 1915. In 1920 the Balzac Trading Company was formed by a group of local farmers and a loading platform designated as a flag station was built by the CPR .
Surrounding the City of Calgary to the north, east and west, Rocky View’s landscape reflects the foothills environment; prairie shortgrass, rolling hills and coulees, beautiful river valleys, with the spectacular, snow-capped mountains providing a scenic backdrop in many areas.
Home of the Titan Entertainment Group Inc. Opening Early 2012!
8 thousand seat indoor acoustically excellent venue hosting 2 to 8 thousand guests! Some might call it a “teacup” theatre in the round, but it hosts Shania or Cirque du Soleil, or a public meeting of any sort! Entertainment, V.I.P. Lounges, Private Suites, Food and Vending Kiosks!
Entertainment Industry Campus! , Suited Hotels, Media village!
News available here! subscriptions and sponsorship plaques available!
The Business of Entertainment
by Rose Anne C. Hutchence
Along with warmer temperatures, Spring 2009 will bring the ground breaking of a new and much-needed entertainment venue to the Southern Alberta area!
With a burgeoning population of more than 2 million people, Albertans, long accustomed to and ardent supporters of arts and cultural events, have reached an impasse. We have numerous smaller entertainment facilities in southern Alberta, from pubs, nightclubs and live theatres to The Jack Singer Concert Hall and The Jubilee Auditorium. These venues provide some relief for our seemingly unending craving for entertainment, but we have nothing mid-size. Two million people need various forms of entertainment and some forms naturally attract larger crowds. The Saddledome, our largest facility, was built for hockey. It is a great venue for hockey. However, anyone who has ever been to a concert or performed at the Saddledome knows the acoustics leave a lot to be desired when music is involved.
Southern Alberta simply does not have a venue large enough to support either good-sized crowds or attract many high-caliber performers. Not yet.
Enter Philip Marcus and M. Shane David, partners in The Titan Entertainment Group. Titan is currently amidst negotiations to purchase land and begin construction for an 8,000-10.000 seat facility in the Calgary surrounding regions. The partners have already been approached by promoters and agents looking to bring acts to Alberta as soon as the new venue is up and running.
This project has been 6 years in the planning. Phil Bourque of Bourque Architecture in Calgary is involved, as is Ron Berg of Kellum Berg Engineering. Artec, considered by many to be the world’s foremost acoustic design firm, is providing their expertise .
Titan’s objective is to provide a world-class stage and exceptional entertainment facility focused on the comfort of guests and entertainers alike in order that all may fully enjoy the experience(s).
The Facility
The stage itself is an oval, teacup design which the audience will look down upon with ease and in comfort. The stage, complete with lights and rigging, moves 2/3rds the length of the facility and each seat swivels to enable an easy view. 18 private suites with balconies will provide corporate groups a measure of privacy and each will comfortably accommodate 16 persons. Each suite is served by private waiters and each contains a wet bar. The VIP room, also containing a wet bar and served by private waiters, is specifically for the use of stakeholders and dignitaries.
The sound- and light- systems are computer driven and ingress/egress has been designed for speed and efficiency as well as comfort. Television- and radio-media needs have been considered and audio/video compatibility are incorporated in the design. In every way, the latest, greatest and “best available” are benchmarks.
The entire facility can be easily re-sized for large groups or small and is highly adaptable to any kind of show: Cirque de Soliel, basketball, theater productions, concerts, graduation and corporate Galas, political rallies or the symphony orchestra.
The Business
Throughout the planning and proposal-writing stages, as with every new venture, “worst case” has been considered at every turn. The worst case for Titan? Failing to provide Albertans worthwhile entertainment on a regular basis. 2 million people. An 8,000-10,00 seat venue.
“The Guess Who” could draw 8,000 people to a performance. With the willing cooperation of booking agents and promoters from around the globe who plan Toronto and Vancouver on tour schedules, a decent venue in the Calgary area makes perfect fiscal sense as a profitable place to play. Informing Albertans and world travelers of upcoming tours will be a simple matter of advertising.
Aggressive marketing/advertising and capable management, under the Titan directors, will fill the house continually.
Further, Canada is home to a great number of exceptionally good entertainers. Colin James, Jack Semple, Anne Murray, Trooper, Valdy, Gary Fjellgaard, Bare Naked Ladies, Tom Jackson, Tom Cochrane, Tom Connors, Ian Tyson, Randy Bachman, Celine Dion, Melissa Etheridge, K.D. Lang, to name a few from the music side of the street. Theatre arts are host to another equally sizable block of talent.
Political rallies, graduation exercises, fund-raisers: Titan is equal to all. Filling the venue with appealing performances and audience will not be a problem. 1 million people. A mere 8,000-10,000 seats. Reasonable ticket prices in conjunction with plentiful parking and an easily accessible locale will help to produce positive results.
Titan’s hospitality and retail “value added” ancillary components will also generate cash flow while promoting tourism in Alberta. Titan is in the process of building partnerships with Promoting Calgary, Calgary Economics Board, Tourism Calgary, Calgary Corporations, Calgary Business Bureau and Travel Alberta.
Titan supports all genre of entertainment and Philip Marcus asserts this project as
“an excellent opportunity for Alberta to become a major component in the international entertainment market. Titan will help make Alberta one of the most popular destinations in Canada.”
Certain and specific ancillary components – hotel, offices, shops, restaurants - remain in the planning stages and will not see development until venue profits (an ultra-conservative estimate of 25% ROI in the first year alone) permit re-investment. Development partners would speed the process.
Partners in Progress
Philip Marcus, Founding Director, President and COO of Titan brings to the table more than 40 years experience in both the entertainment & hospitality as well as sales & marketing industries.
In his youth and as an accomplished musician, Phil toured with many notable professionals and is a talented guitarist, percussionist, songwriter and record producer. At one point and for a number of years, he owned and operated a prominent concert promotion agency. Most recently and for the past number of years, Phil has concentrated his considerable intellect and abilities toward advertising, marketing and management concerns.
With Titan, Philip co-develops policies, goals, budgets and programs and will oversee the front-to-back operations in the Venue as well as within the company. He is responsible for implementing and overseeing - to completion - the activities approved by the Board of Directors. Administrative control and approval of overall personnel planning, business development goals, cost controls, facilities and equipment improvements are also within his bailiwick.
M. Shane David co-founder and Chairman, specializes in strategic and business planning, marketing research and product/service development, with experience in entertainment and hospitality services. Shane brings to the Titan table 30 years expertise in business and financial review, briefs and executive summaries, business plans and financial models as well as financing and investment proposals; in short, sales, marketing and management experience. Over the years, Shane has managed and participated in the growth of many different business ventures. He has managed millions of dollars in sales for the graphics, publishing and print media industries. Most recently, Shane has conceived and funded entrepreneurial corporations which have since become productive and innovative technology-based communications and marketing companies. He served as Chairman of the Board or is a Director of many of these companies.
Within the company, M. Shane David directs executive meetings and works with the executive team in developing policies and goals for the company. He also works closely with government and corporate concerns in developing funding, market opportunities and contractual relationships. His vast experience taking business to market will benefit Titan.
Why do we need an 8,000-10,000 seat venue? We’re ready! It is the perfect size. Not too large, not too small. Carlos Santana or Eric Clapton? Phantom of the Opera? Cats? The CPO with Elton John (a dream performance, I’ll admit)? The finest of the fine deserve acoustic perfection when they perform for us. We want an acoustically perfect venue to hone every nuance. Josh Grobin or Michael Buble? Acapella?
We currently have no suitable venue (and we needn’t be purists to realize as much). If we don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for parking or line up for an hour to see a good play or concert? How appealing is that? If we can go early, miss the crowds, sit down for a nice meal before ambling over to listen to a great entertainer? Or decide to stay the night and drive home the next day? Why not.
Summer 2009 is all-too-optimistic, unfortunately. Given the dearth of skilled tradesmen and the overwhelming numbers of construction projects in process throughout the province, our new venue will probably not be ready until the Spring of 2010.
See you there!
For additional information or to answer any questions,
contact Philip Marcus
M. Shane David may be reached at this e-mail