The Cow Palace Arena and Event Center

“So when you look at the Cow Palace history, it’s certainly agriculture (the Cow Palace is officially the 1-A District Agricultural Association, a state agency of the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Division of Fairs and Expositions), but it’s also sports, entertainment, music, politics, and community services, which is probably one of the largest and most recent growth areas for us,” says Keaney. “We serve as a facility for bus and ambulance driver training; we have low-to-no-cost clinics for pets; the food bank is here every week; and in cases of disaster or emergency, we are ready and poised to respond to those as well. It’s a ‘Swiss army knife’ of properties and always has been.” A LEAN STAFF RUNS THE SHOW Like many other event facilities, where there is a natural ebb and flow of activity, the Cow Palace has a skeleton staff that is complemented by many others depending on need. “We have our core administrative and maintenance staffs,”says Keaney. “At our bare minimum, we’re probably about eight full and part-time employees. When we get busy, or when we load in a show, or we get ready to produce our Rodeo, we use a variety of retired annuitants, contracted employees, union house employees, and event staff that work here as well as at other arenas and event venues. So, when we’re in the middle of a show or getting ready for an event, we’re talking somewhere between 75 to 100 -- maybe more.” Regarding its core staff, Keaney says that it is constantly engaged in the activities typical of a busy events center: “We do payroll; we answer phones; there is outreach to clients; there’s outreach to community organizations as we try to help them put on affordable events here. We also deal with big promoters who are going to bring in thousands of people. So the events department is very busy.” (The Cow Palace Arena has 10,100 permanent seats surrounding its 237 X 142-ft. concrete arena floor. With elevated risers, box seats, and decking, the capacity increases to 16,500.) “Sometimes it’s ground chores,” Keaney continues. “Sometimes it’s walkthroughs; sometimes it’s settling out an event when it’s all over.Maintenance others. The venue has also hosted two Republican National Conventions (1956, 1964). Long term tenants of the Cow Palace include the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, the San Francisco Sport & Boat Show, the Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show, Body Art Expo, the Dickens Christmas Fair, Disney on Ice, and of course, the Grand National Rodeo. 6 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 12