A note from DECC Board President Peter Singler: "October has come around on the calendar again. As the board president of the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, I am pleased to say that things are trending better for the DECC. You may recall in October 2023, the institution asked to open a line of credit with the City of Duluth. I'm happy to say the DECC did not use any of the credit and are not seeking to extend it at this time.
There is still much misunderstanding about how the DECC found itself in that precarious position. The short version is simple math: Our utility bills have gone up over $800,000 since 2019. Employee wages were up over $2 million with fewer hours worked, and the DECC experienced $600,000 of emergency maintenance that had been deferred for decades.
The team has made considerable progress in 'righting the ship,' given the financial realities. Last year the DECC had 19% new revenues. This was done while hosting 602,385 guests and bringing the region $53,200,000 of economic impact.
Given our complex campus of nine venues, there will surely be more interesting times ahead. However, we want to take a pause and celebrate. Big shoutout to our staff who have done more with less, while simultaneously hosting new business. The DECC also owes a debt of gratitude to my fellow board members for the directional leadership that has steered us well, and to the City of Duluth and its past and current leadership and councilors for providing the safety net.
Lastly, thank you to everyone in our community for supporting the DECC during our challenging moments. If you’ve seen a show, bought a beer, eaten nachos or toured the Haunted Ship, you’ve been part of the DECC and our community's success."