Bancorpsouth Arena Celebrates 25 Years Making Major Impact On Region

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – The area’s largest arena for concerts,  meetings and other events is celebrating a milestone.

Since opening 25 years ago, the Bancorpsouth Arena has attracted concerts, career expos and festivals.

In 2013, the arena also took over day to day operations at the conference center.  Both venues average 500 events each year.

“We were built to enhance the quality of life and to generate economic impact for the city, over 25 years I believe we’ve exceeded past anyone’s wildest dreams from back then,” said Todd Hunt, executive director of the Bancorpsouth Arena.

Hunt knows a successful year means a big boost for the local economy.

“Just this past fiscal year that wrapped up, the economic impact was a little more than $14 million for the year. So not only are people spending money with us when they buy tickets, but they are staying in hotels, eating in restaurants, shopping in local shops,” Hunt said.

The conference center’s success has led to expansion plans.  The space will be doubled and the conference center will connect to the arena with an enclosed breezeway.  That project will follow several major improvements for the arena in recent years.

Lower level, retractable risers have been overhauled.  This summer, all of the foldnig chairs were replaced and plans call for chairs in the upper level, or bowl, to be replaced soon.  The exterior has also been repainted.  Hunt says the arena and conference center is poised to continue attracting a variety of events.

“We’re happy to be able to bring it in, glad the community supports it and we look forward to our next 25 years,” he said.

Hunt and his crew stay busy when high profile concerts are in town, walking an estimated 12 to 15 miles around the arena until everything is wrapped up.

bcsarena.com