Evaluating the Economic Contribution of a Large Indoor Entertainment Venue: An Inscope Expenditure Study

Music events are elements of entertainment that are important to people's social lives. Large indoor entertainment venues meet this need through the provision of entertainment such as live music performances. While large indoor entertainment venues impact the economies of the communities in which they are located, there is minimal research that investigates their economic contribution. To address this gap, this article examines the inscope expenditure arising from a range of events held at the Sydney Entertainment Centre (SEC) for the areas surrounding it—Chinatown/Haymarket precinct, the Darling Harbour precinct, and the City of Sydney local government area. It was found that the SEC benefits the immediate venue location, as well as adjacent business precincts, with backward and forward economic linkages evident in visitor expenditure patterns. Surprisingly, free concerts were also found to generate high expenditures in surrounding areas. Implications for stakeholders are discussed.