Southeast Event Centre seeks additional funds

The Southeast Event Centre will post a large 2025 deficit, and they need financial assistance from the City of Steinbach.

That’s the message that Southeast Events Group (SEG) president Grant Lazaruk and treasurer Jarett Bishop shared with council at their strategic priorities committee meeting on Tuesday.

The group is requesting $435,000 for operating funds and $442,000 for capital funding for a total of $877,000.

The pair explained that operations were originally scheduled to begin in September of 2024, then delayed to December.

Partial occupancy began March 14, 2025 with full and complete occupancy only happening in October.

That delay cost an estimated $1 million in losses, something they are beginning to earn back as they project monthly surpluses for the rest of the year.

Capital shortfalls have also been posted according to the SEG.

Bishop broke down some of the added unanticipated costs.

He told council that the slow start impacted food and beverage sales, insurance costs were triple what they had budgeted, and hydro is expected to be more than budgeted as well.

But he told council that things are turning around.

“We’re expecting to run a surplus for the last four months of the year,” he said.

Those expected surpluses include $50,000 in September, $61,000 in October, $43,000 in November and $74,000 in December.

Lazaruk said they are also changing some of their strategy including stepping back from concert promotion and allowing promoters to book acts and take the risk themselves.

“We need to maximize utilization of this asset,” he said, explaining they want to focus on selling what they already have.

“Promoting concerts is a very dangerous business,” Bishop added.

Lazaruk also told council they have hired a new general manager and controller. While names were not released, he said the new GM will start Nov. 3 and the new controller on Dec. 1. Both are local hires.

Council would not confirm if and how they will pay the requested funds, saying only they’ll discuss it in budget meetings and have an answer in November.

Lazaruk urged councillors to have faith in the facility.

“This is a really cool place and so it’s going to generate surpluses,” he said. “We’ve just got to get there. It will happen.”