Flexible Event Space with World-Class Audio and Professional Production Support

Tim Dingus (00:00) We're mainly concerned with putting on an event where the public can come and sit down and watch a show that we produce. And the biggest benefit that we found is a very supportive team there at The CO-OP. Heather Heckroot being the boss has just been wonderful to work with - both with Magic on Edge and with the Kansas City Juggling Festival. Hi, I'm Tim Dingus. I'm a juggler and magician, and I juggle with the Kansas City Juggling Club. And we use The CO-OP at Shoal Creek to host the 2025 Kansas City Juggling Festival. This was our first year using The CO-OP at Shoal Creek as our primary space for the festival. We used their big theater. The space itself is flexible enough to handle productions in which - It would not surprise me if I were to walk into that room one day and see a production of Cats on the stage, and the next day come in and see a convention on books. You know, local authors, that sort of thing. I do know also that the space is used as a place of worship. And so it just so much utility availble to it. That and the fact that they have a world-class PA system is incredibly helpful no matter who you're looking at, even if it's just to listen to tunes. really awesome to be able to work there. The Kansas City Juggling Club rented the... main auditorium, I guess is what you would call it. So inside that space we used the basic house lights, which were beautiful. And then the PA system just to make sure announcements were heard and music was played. We used the stage lighting system and the PA system there, which I believe is newly installed. And we're able to bring in a good-sized audience, not only from the festival itself, but from the general public. They were able to come out and watch the show. In 2024, the Kansas City Juggling Festival rented a separate space to hold the festival itself as well as the public show. It was a gymnasium, like a basketball court. Everything rattles around in your brain. It's just so loud in basketball courts. Whereas The CO-OP space, sound doesn't bounce around everywhere. Not only that, but carpeted. Most of the people that are coming out to the Juggling Festival, they're older. So having a carpet... sort of a cushion to stand on while you're juggling is incredibly helpful. The other big thing I would mention is we were looking at other spaces. We were looking at prices up to 5... for the same - same use case. We spent less than that this year, just on the space itself, and it was incredibly helpful. We got so much more use out of The CO-OP, and it was just a nicer in general location to be in. So I know I've mentioned her name a couple of times - and I promise she hasn't paid me to say it - but Heather Heckroot is always such a lovely person to work with each time I get in contact with her. Incredibly understanding. Also, this isn't something I typically see when I am out performing as a juggler elsewhere. I don't see venue management coming in to actually watch the show, and to be a part of it. So she came and she brought her family with her, and was able to really enjoy the festival as a patron and as venue management. Everything else being equal, if we can get this venue we had last year or CO-OP at Shoal Creek for the same price, biggest difference between the two would be Heather. And she'd be the reason I'd come back.