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The Ford Wyoming Center, formerly known as the Casper Events Center, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. It has hosted some of the biggest names in entertainment, music, politics and sports over the past four decades. Wyoming Public Radio’s Hugh Cook spoke with Brad Murphy, the facility’s general manager, about its history, how it’s celebrating 40 years, and its future.
Brad Murphy: Our city leaders had a vision in the late 70s, early 1980s, and they had the idea to pass a one-cent tax that would fund a $22.6 million hilltop overlook facility. the Casper that will bring entertainment all over the ride to our city. And through that process, they were able to build what was then called the Casper Events Center.
Hugh Cook: The Event Center is solely funded by one percent sales tax revenue?
BM: That’s right. So, I mean, it’s a one-time shot and fully paid for. The building itself, Hugh, was paid for before it was even built. You don’t see it very often now.
HC: For the past 40 years. What are some of the names that go by Casper?
BM: Oh, boy, I mean, you’re talking about the biggest of the big: Garth Brooks and Metallica, the Elton Johns, the Eric Churchs the Carrie Underwoods, the Bob Hopes, you know, the Jeff Dunhams, the Gabriel Iglesiases recently . And now coming up, we have Snoop Dogg who has reinvented himself and is now just another major act and Journey, playing in their 50th anniversary celebration of being a group. They played in the building in 1982. And now they’re playing again in 2023, so it’s really exciting for that kind of act to come back.
HC: Is there anything special marking the 40th anniversary? I know the logos appear [for] the 40th anniversary, but are there any specific events or initiatives to help celebrate four decades?
BM: It is a year-long festival. It’s a collaborative partnership between the Ford Wyoming Center, Visit Casper, the City of Casper, and Natrona County to really trumpet it and encapsulate the building, you know, get it out there in front of social media and have events. . We had three art walks downtown where we went to Nicolaysen [Art Museum] and Scarlow’s and on [Art] 321. I mean, just showing the posters and the tickets and the pictures from the Ford Wyoming Center. And we’ll celebrate it in a grand way on December 10 when we play Sawyer Brown. Sawyer Brown is the most played act in the building’s history. They have played to 30,742 people, this will be their ninth appearance at the building. We just felt it was appropriate to have them and then have our own aspect as well and that was Chancey Williams and Josh Dorr, I mean, local Wyomingites who have done well for our state, and really, they did -post of our state and brought us out there in front of the whole nation. So Dec. 10 is really a huge final event to say, ‘Hey, thank you Ford Wyoming Center, thank you, City of Casper, thank you to our community.’

HC: Does the Ford Wyoming Center host as many shows and conferences and activities as it used to? Or has little changed in the past 40 years?
BM: So really, we’ve changed quite a bit, I would say, variety of programming, the fact that we host all the state high school tournaments inside our building, which is volleyball, marching band, state spirit, wrestling, two sections of basketball. And that has changed quite a bit, the programming as far as available dates. So, I mean, you might not see as many concerts, but you still have many event days, probably more because of the nature of the type of events that we host now, which are more multi-type days.
HC: At entertainment and sports arenas around the country, even those of the same age as the Ford Wyoming Center, they are often expanded or demolished to build new facilities or be remodeled in the future. What is the future of the Ford Wyoming Center for the coming years, say, even the next 40 years? What do you think the future looks like for the facility?
BM: Well, for the building itself, yes, I mean, we did a master plan, you know, completed a complete renovation master study that included the expansion of the arena with some VIP experience areas, like suites and walks out area , and then also the addition of a banquet/convention center to be attached to the building. I think it’s really important that we continue to grow and expand and move that dial forward and how we do it. We need to change our building. It’s a wonderful, wonderful building, but it’s tired. It’s 40 years old, and it’s seen a great occupancy life, but now we need to give it some TLC and really prepare those VIP experiences and what our customers want today.
HC: Some of that TLC and those experiences, in addition to the luxury suites and things like that, what other aspects of the facility have improved after four decades?
BM: I think infrastructure is really important. We have heating, we have ventilation, we have plumbing, all kinds of places, too, that need to be upgraded now, and those are things that people don’t see, but are very important to the overall day-to-day operation of building. So, yes, we also have all the internal needs.
HC: Are they original to the building or have they been upgraded in the last 40 years?
BM: Oh, that’s the kicker, Hugh. They are original. So you know, that’s cast iron pipe for the plumbing, the original duct work for the airflow, you know, that kind of stuff. The electrical panels are still original. That’s really what we need to do is rise to the 21st century with our infrastructure so that it’s manageable and efficient and works well for us. The technology of the 1980s was definitely not what it is today and so we have to upgrade everything to be more up to date with all the technology.
HC: In terms of the economic impact on Casper, Natrona County and Wyoming, what has happened to the Ford Wyoming Center in recent decades?
BM: I mean, our building comes in every year [an] economic impact of $25 [million] up to $30 million a year in our economy. In our most recent study that provides 287 full time jobs. That’s someone who works in a restaurant, or someone who cuts meat in a grocery store, or someone who sells clothes that our retail stores sell, because we carry those kinds of numbers and those that person from across the state and region that brings more money into our economy. And that’s really what we’re talking about is the economic impact that we bring to our city and the jobs that we provide.
HC: Is there anything else you’d like to add or expand on?
BM: I think it’s been a great building, and we’re going to keep dialing it forward and forward. You know, we have youth sports that want to come into our city and with the addition of the WYO-Plex on the ground at the Ford Wyoming Center, that completely changes the game plan. Now we can become a state, regional and possibly national hub for big time use events so I’m excited about it.
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