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Grand Rapids' SMG entertainment venues enjoy record attendance

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Grand Rapids’ major entertainment venues have broken attendance records this past year. WGVU’ breaks down the figures at DeVos Place, DeVos Performance Hall and Van Andel Arena.

Van Andel Arena celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016 and did it in style. On home ice, the 2016-2017 Grand Rapids Griffins won its second AHL Calder Cup Championship and musician Paul McCartney set a single event record with the most gross ticket sales. That show was just one of 60 performances and 37 events hosted by the downtown arena.

It’s one of three SMG-managed venues. It also oversees DeVos Place and DeVos Performance Hall sales. Add in those facilities fiscal year, July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017, attendance performances and the combination of ticket sales contributed to an attendance breaking year.

Patrick Center, WGVU News.

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.