Bungled NYE gig: $1 million refund

Promoters of Sydney’s cancelled Wet’n’Wild theme park New Years Eve gig have been directed to refund around $1 million to the 8,700 punters with tickets. Owners of the theme park, Village Roadshow Theme Parks have refunded all proceeds they held, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

But Village Roadshow Theme Parks have dodged complaints, saying they simply hired the venue. The Herald article says Village should have done background checks on the directors of One Cube Entertainment, a $2 company formed to run the event, which was cancelled due to concerns about transport and safety. The Herald quotes promoter Diego Tobar (aka Tuff) complaining that Village demanded $250,000 venue hire and made them sign a contract four days priot to the event. These claims will doubtless be disused at the next board meeting and presumably raised by shareholders in the public company.

Shareholders would want to know why their company, Village Roadshow Theme Parks (VRTP), a wholly-owned division of Village Roadshow, took a massive reputational risk associating with the One Cube crew. VRTP operate Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World, Wet’n’Wild Water World, Paradise Country and Australian Outback Spectacular. Collectively these Village Roadshow Theme Parks enjoy around 5 million guests per annum.

Sydney’s Daily Telegraph claims as follows: ‘the mother of a partner in a separate business said: “I couldn’t believe those young boys were involved in such a big event. They were totally out of their depth.”‘