The Classic Center: Accelerating Builds to Keep Promoters Coming Back

Introduction

The Classic Center is located in downtown Athens, Georgia, and operates a trio of world-class venues including a convention center, a 2,100-seat theatre, and the 8,000-fan Akins Ford Arena. Their aim is to enhance the quality of life in Athens-Clarke County by serving as the cultural, civic, and social center for the region while also maximizing impact on the local economy.

The Challenge

Venues must woo promoters for concerts, shows, and events. They can’t fill seats without content. For promoters, confidence in a venue begins with how quickly and accurately shows or events can be built, tested, and brought to onsale.

Before using Paciolan’s PAC io for ticketing, building shows and events required significant coordination and lead time, which made it difficult to be responsive to promoters. Copying existing seat maps was the most time-consuming aspect of the process. While effective, the process would take as many as two business days and constrained how quickly The Classic Center could respond to promoter requests, particularly when timelines were tight.

When venues have to compete for content, it becomes critical that you make it easy for promoters to work with you.

The Solution

The Classic Center uses PAC io for their ticketing which accelerates their event build process, enabling faster turnaround times, greater accuracy, and stronger promoter relationships. When it comes to the seat map copy scenario, PAC io Maps brought down the lead time from two days to under a minute.

At the center of this operational shift is Ticketing Services Manager Christina Russell, who oversees ticketing operations across all three venues and ensures that every show or event is built to spec and ready on time. From her perspective, “Before PAC io Maps, our build process took days. Now it’s under a minute. That gives us nearly two full days back to test, make revisions, and ensure everything is right before we go onsale.” Reclaiming this staff time for every show or event improves consistency and reduces last-minute issues, creating better outcomes for promoters, patrons, and staff alike.

“When we can confidently tell a promoter, ‘We’ll have that turned around today,’ and then actually deliver, it builds trust. That responsiveness makes us a more attractive venue partner and keeps promoters coming back.” - Christina Russell, Ticketing Services Manager, The Classic Center

Promoters rely on accurate timelines to plan marketing, announce onsales, and coordinate tours. The Classic Center is now better able to respond with confidence and deliver as promised. That responsiveness builds trust and positions the venue as a reliable partner who understands urgency and follows through.

More Than Just Efficiency Gains: A Competitive Advantage

According to Russell, the ability to deliver fast, accurate builds makes The Classic Center stand out. Not every venue has the tools or workflows to support tight turnarounds. When promoters know they can count on a venue to deliver under pressure, they are more likely to return with additional events. By pairing strong operational leadership with modern ticketing tools, the organization aims to strengthen promoter relationships, increase trust, and position itself to secure more shows across all of its venues.