Interview With Kenneth Feld

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K.F.: I think all we have to do is look at what has become general fare on television, with these kinds of reality shows and things. They're what I call fake reality shows because there is the perceived threat of some danger or something. But the original reality show in the world is Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, and it goes from what these people do every day for a living. But their families are there. We have a preschool, we have a nursery, we have school, we have generations after generations of these wonderful circus people that do something that, in the mainstream, people don't get. And I think that's the thing about our business which is pretty amazing—that there's not that much of an industry, so there's no real understanding of the mentality and the drive and what makes the performers of the Greatest Show on Earth do what they do—and why. It is really that inner spirit of actually risking their life to entertain families and the public, and that goes beyond, I think, what most people ever do. And it shows you that spirit and it shows you why it is truly the oldest form of entertainment in the world and why it's still relevant and viable in today's world.

L.G.: To what extent are you pressured by the multiplicity of entertainment options—to what extent has that affected you and caused you to respond?

K.F.: Well, anyone in the entertainment business is vying for that discretionary dollar. I mean, we're three-dimensional entertainment. You can't get that from a film, you can't get it from television, you can't get it from the internet.

The internet is now probably 70 percent of our business. It's done through the internet because the most logical thing to buy on the internet is a ticket. Makes the most sense and it's the simplest thing to do. We do have a relationship currently with TicketMaster, and it's quite good. They're wonderful at processing the thing. They make it easy and they have a huge amount invested in the software that makes it happen and makes the acquisition of tickets easier than ever. And we have Ringling.com, and you go there and you can acquire tickets there through our website. But 15 years ago, maybe it was 2 percent on the internet.

L.G.: But in terms of what you're offering in the shows, the content, to what extent have you had to high-tech up your productions?

K.F.: We have, and what's been great is the use of LEDs [light-emitting diodes] and video. So, for instance, when you go to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey today, in addition to what the live performers do, there is a video component that's used as scenic element. Sometimes it's used to give you a view that from the seats you can't see. So, for instance, we have in this show Over the Top, which is currently in San Jose, seven motorcycle daredevils in this globe of steel at one time, and you will see, because of a camera mounted on a helmet in there, their point of view of what they see when they do the act. You couldn't get a sense of that before, so we use the technology to enhance the experience. The other thing that we've done, which has proved extraordinarily well received, is an hour before the show, we have an all-access preshow. The public comes in, you've got your kids, you can come down on the arena floor, you can meet the performers, you can actually be up close and see an elephant painting a picture, you can understand all the animal behaviors that we do, and you get a connection that you wouldn't get otherwise. Now when you go see the show, you say, "Hey, I saw that performer, now he's doing this," or "I met this clown." And so there's more of a rooting interest.

 
L.G.: By the way, I should've asked this before, but are you insured?
 
K.F.: We do have our coverage through Lloyd's in the U.K. And what's amazing is that we have one of the best workman's-comp rates in the world because we have so few injuries. I don't know exactly what the differential is, but I know that we focus so much on safety and we have safety managers, they're going around, there are procedures for everything. We're in a high-risk business, but it's calculated risk, and the people are perfectionists. They rehearse, they train constantly, and they're well aware of what can happen.
 
L.G.: Did you ever, to your satisfaction, find out the cause of the accident that killed Dessi Espana?
 
K.F.: I believe it had something to do with a rigging situation.
 
L.G.: Now, you mentioned that this is not a business that really fits into sort of a corporate, public-company kind of thing, it's a family business. But are there any possibilities? Can you see that some big content company, like Viacom or Time Warner, might make you an offer of sufficient generosity for you to, say, "okay, let's do that"? And this time, you won't take it in stock.
 
K.F.: We're getting approached all the time. It's a great thing to be independent, and I think that I'm having too much fun. And we do fine, and we all make good money, but we have a level of independence. We have the ability to have creative expression, in all of our shows, everything we do. And if we decide we want to do something, and we want to spend a little more on the show, to give a little more quality or a better experience to the customer, we're not questioned, we just do it. It's a business, there is no question about it. But when I go out to any of the shows, whether it's Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey or Disney On Ice or Disney Live, you see the reaction of the kids and the families, you say, now if I ever forgot, I absolutely remember.

L.G.: If somebody came in and said, "okay, we'll buy the business, we'll keep you on because we need you, you have the expertise." What about that? You could still go and travel around in your private jet or whatever.
 
K.F.: But you know, I would have to have a really good reason, and no one's given me a good enough reason to do that. It can't be just about money, because the motivation is to do more and to do better.
 
L.G.: What do you think a business like yours would be worth?

K.F.: I have no idea. It's worth what it's worth. I don't know—what do they say? I would say it's priceless.

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