EDTA approves hire of Ray Bingham Productions to contract talent for Bluegrass & Barbecue Festival

The Pryor Creek Economic Development Trust Authority on Feb. 10 approved an agreement with Ray Bingham Productions to contract talent and assist with production and staging for the city's Bluegrass & Barbecue Festival in October.

The trust authority approved language that Ray Bingham Productions will negotiate and contract artists and charge 10 percent of artist fees for those services, with the festival entertainment budget capped at $44,500 unless the Economic Development Trust Authority approves an increase. "Once terms with each artist are agreed upon, Ray Bingham Productions will contract with all the artists," a trustee recorded in the meeting minutes.

The authority's festival committee had recommended using Bingham to handle bookings and production because committee members said the firm has a large network and experience with regional festivals. Meeting discussion noted the authority spent about $44,000 on talent and about $22,000 on stages last year; 10 percent of the talent costs was calculated as roughly $4,400.

Trustees and staff clarified that the contract should reflect the existing festival budget and that any artist fees above the $44,500 entertainment cap must return to the Economic Development Trust Authority for approval. One trustee pressed for explicit language so the committee would review and the authority would approve any contract terms that would exceed the budget cap.

After that change was proposed and incorporated into the motion, the authority voted to move forward with the agreement with the additional language requiring committee review and limiting artist expenditures to the $44,500 entertainment allocation unless the Economic Development Trust Authority approved an increase.

Votes recorded at the meeting were: Anderson '1: Yes; Sordahl '1: Yes; Dirk '1: Yes; Miller '1: Yes. The motion passed.