The Spokane Public Facilities District board plans to launch a new entertainment division that would produce, and market live events to be held at its venues here.

The new entertainment division, which doesn't yet have a staff or budget, will be set up to attract more events to Spokane, says PFD Executive Director Kevin Twohig.

Twohig says the PFD already does some promoting and co-promoting of events, but mostly has had to rely on national and regional promoters to schedule shows at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena and the INB Performing Arts Center, both of which it owns and manages.

He says Los Angeles-based Live Nation Worldwide Inc., a prominent promoter in the entertainment industry, hasn't done enough to bring events to Spokane. "We have not got much of (Live Nation's) attention," Twohig says.

Meanwhile, he contends, Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment presenter Anschutz Entertainment Group, known as AEG, also hasn't been active in bringing shows to this area. Live Nation and AEG are two of the nation's most active promotion and presentation companies.

The PFD's new entertainment division, which was approved at the district's monthly board meeting in April, should fund itself "by presenting profitable events," Twohig says.

"There is the risk of losing money anytime the district promotes or co-promotes events," he says. "But the biggest risk is not doing anything and losing events."

Recruitment for staffing the new division has not begun yet, and no timeline for those hires has been set, Twohig says. A division head likely will be hired first and that person would assist with hiring others, he says, adding that up to four people would be hired for the division.

The PFD also hasn't created a budget yet for the new division, but could do so soon, he says.

In addition to the INB center and the arena, the PFD owns and operates the Spokane Convention Center.