DPAC Wins IEBA Theater Of The Year Award

DPAC was just named the 2018 Theater of the Year by the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA), a leading trade organization for live entertainment industry professionals. The award was announced Oct. 2 during IEBA's 48th annual conference in Nashville, TN.

"It's a great honor for all of Durham, from the City leaders who envisioned and built this great theater, to all of Durham's residents who so proudly welcome almost 500,000 guests a year to a vibrant Downtown Durham full of energy and diversity that is unique in the region," said DPAC's General Manager Bob Klaus.

This is DPAC's first nomination for the IEBA honor, called the Ryman Auditorium Theater of the Year Award. Managed by Nederlander and PFM, DPAC was one of seven nominees:

• The Anthem - Washington, D.C. (capacity 6,000)
• Beacon Theatre - New York, NY (capacity 2,900)
• The Chicago Theatre - Chicago, IL (capacity 3,600)
• DPAC - Durham, NC (capacity 2,700)
• Microsoft Theater - Los Angeles, CA (capacity 7,100)
• Orpheum Theatre - Minneapolis, MN (capacity 2,600)
• Smart Financial Centre - Houston, Texas (capacity 6,400)

"It was great to be nominated for this award - and especially to have won the first time being nominated," said Brad Saks, DPAC's Director of Programming, who was in Nashville to accept the award on behalf of Nederlander and PFM. "DPAC is a beautiful venue with an organization of people who strive to create the best possible experience for their guests. "We are grateful for the partnership we have with the City of Durham as well as with the many promoters we work with to bring memorable events to DPAC."

In DPAC's recently completed 10th season, the theater held 219 events with a total attendance of 488,900 guests and 130 sellout performances. Built and owned by the City of Durham, DPAC broke ground in December 2006 and opened November 30, 2008. The largest performing arts center in the Carolinas, DPAC is annually rated the Triangle's favorite live entertainment venue and among the nation's top ranked theaters.

DPAC operates under the direction of the successful theater operators Nederlander and Professional Facilities Management (PFM), who collectively own, operate or program more than 30 theaters across the United States including nine venues on Broadway.

Nederlander, a family-owned and operated company founded in 1912, is one of the world's most experienced operators of entertainment facilities. Nederlander owns and/or operates 24 facilities worldwide including theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego, Tucson, and London. PFM was co-founded in 1989 to fill a growing need for objective evaluation and management of a wide range of venues in geographically diverse locations. PFM specializes in consulting, management, and presentation in public and private performing arts facilities, working with twelve theaters in nine states.

In addition to the IEBA award, the venue was nominated in 2014 and 2015 for the Touring Billboard Awards for Top Venue Under 5,000 Seats. DPAC's annual attendance is also consistently ranked among the nation's top-five theaters by renowned publications such as Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Now.

Founded in 1970, IEBA is a not-for-profit trade organization for live entertainment industry professionals. With more than 1,300 members and represents billions of dollars in buying power, IEBA provides networking opportunities and continuing education to its members to strengthen relationships, foster growth and increase revenue for the live entertainment industry.

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