This resolution will add in a bundled rate package to the fees for The Edition at the Hartsville Museum. We are seeking to add a bundle to include 8 hours of rental availability for $350 for the conference room only and $800 for the full facility. Current hourly rates are $75 per hour for the conference room and $150 per hour for the full facility.

Special event staff has noticed since renting this facility that renters interested in longer duration rentals have strayed away from renting The Edition. Instead, they often opt to use other venues in the area even though they may not meet their needs as well as The Edition does. We believe that implementing a bundled rate will allow us to pick up more rentals for individuals and businesses that are interested in renting the venue for more than a couple of hours. This addition of the bundled rate will allow The Edition to be more competitive with venues in the surrounding area.

After researching competitive event venues in the area, including City of Hartsville Venue, Lawton Park Pavilion, we have determined that a bundled rate for 8 hours is often customary. This will make our venue more affordable and realistic for those that wish to rent for more than a couple of hours. The daily rate for conference rooms in the area ranges from $200-$400. We settled upon $350 because our conference room is nicer than other competitive conference rooms; however, it does not currently have the ability for teleconferences. The full facility rate was chosen based on competitive venues that range from $500 - $1,000 per day. We settled upon $800 because of the size of this venue compared to others in addition to the quality of this facility which we found to be superior.

If denied, The Edition will continue losing potential renters to other venues that offer bundled rates. We have a beautiful building that will sit empty while continuing to have bills to pay despite the lack of rentals. 

If approved, The Edition will likely see more full day rentals which will generate more revenue. As discussed above, there are many fixed expenses with rentals despite the length of the rental. This bundled price will still cover the fixed expenses plus the variable expenses that do depend on the length of the rental.

In 2019, The Edition only had four full day rentals. This number was exponentially lower than that at the Pavilion at Lawton Park. We believe that although, we may not make as much per full day rental, we will see increased rentals. The cost of cleaning and staffing is essentially the same regardless of the rental time.

We ask that City Council consider the addition of these bundled rates to help our office increase rentals of The Edition. Increased rentals will allow us to continue to make needed additions and improvements to the building to preserve the life of the facility.