SONOMA COUNTY, CA (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Rick Bartalini is striking out on his own as an independent promoter, hanging his shingle as Rick Bartalini Presents.
According to the Press Democrat, Bartalini, formerly the programming director at the Wells Fargo Center, has struck a deal with the the Sonoma County Fair board of directors, who voted unanimously to enter into a year long "trial" with Bartalini for a year's worth of booking at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
"It could potentially establish us as a major concert venue and entertainment venue," fair manager Tawny Tesconi told the Press-Democrat. "I don't know if that's ever really been established because we've never done a series of things. It's been more hit and miss, or a couple of things a year. So this will start establishing us as the event venue in Northern California, is what I'm hoping. It would also be a big shot in the arm financially for the fairgrounds, which we could use right now."
Although the details of Bartalini's agreement with the Fair board is are still being negotiated, Bartalini would like to produce 3,200 capacity indoor concerts, 4,000 capacity comedy shows and outdoor events with attendance targets of 5-15,000 with many tickets priced within the $35-$55 range.
Bartalini is also developing plans to expand to other No-Cal venues, including booking the Marin Center in San Rafael, and the Lincoln Theatre in Napa.
Bartalini built a solid reputation after 11 years booking shows at the Wells Fargo Center. The Press-Democrat reports that during his time there, he booked 350 shows with more than 250 million in ticket sales. He abruptly left his post at the WFC in January, citing an "ongoing conflict" with management. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
