STORY:
Promoters Pull Plug on Two Canada Events

Poor ticket sales prompts sends to big New Year's Eve parties into oblivion

(Everything2000) - Another Y2K bug has bitten at two big Canadian New Year's Eve parties. The Millennium House Party at the Corel Centre, which was slated to be the biggest New Year's Eve bash in the Ottawa-Carleton region, has been cancelled.

In a statement, Pop 2000 Inc., the organizers of the Dec. 31 event at the Corel Centre claim lack of enthusiasm canceled the party. "Unfortunately, across the world, the popularity of spending New Year's Eve at a major event has been overestimated. This trend has affected the Millennium House Party," Pop 2000 Inc. said in a statement.

When the Millennium House Party was first announced back in February, Pop 2000 Inc. revealed the party would contain seven stages with 11 theme rooms, five DJs, a world satellite video link, a fireworks spectacular and about 15,000 revellers. Organizers also intended to spend more than $1 million to bring "the largest millennium rock festival in Canada."

Headlined by Canadian rockers Our Lady Peace and Moist, the Millennium House Party would have featured 16 bands, including local ska band Rude Boy, which was actually cut from the lineup two weeks before.

The Millennium House Party wasn't the only high-profile event to feel the pinch. Promoters in Toronto cancelled Millennium Ball 2000, a dance extravaganza at Maple Leaf Gardens that was to feature food, champagne and a midnight pyrotechnics display.

Peter Kirby, a 33-year-old stockbroker, had invested $160,000 in the event at the former hockey shrine but said Gardens management cancelled it, citing a number of reasons including possible labour problems.

The 2000 Millennium Ball needed at least 800 tickets sold at $200 apiece in order to break even, publicist Danielle Iversen said two weeks ago.

At that point, only 200 to 300 tickets had been sold for an evening of live music, drinks, catered food, plus champagne and an elaborate indoor fireworks display.  Kirby said 400 tickets were paid for in the end, but he was confident sales would have increased in the final days.

DATE: 12/30/99

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