ODEUM Cooperative:

The return of the 3rd Space

Welcome to the heart in the Operavi mission. While Operavi restructures the journey—creating equitable, repeatable tour routes for artists—the Odeum Cooperative (Odeum Coop) is our foundational reimagining of the destination. It is not just a venue; it is the essential local node in a decentralized network, built to prioritize artistic connection over transaction.

Community owned and operated, Odeum represents the evolution of the “3rd space”

A place we gather because we co-create, co-own, and co-benefit

A cultural commons

A democratic venue

A neighborhood engine

A cultural and economic anchor

A hybrid work/play ecosystem

A site of shared surplus value and shared meaning

The Problem: A Broken Foundation

The traditional touring model isn't just strained at the booking level; it is fundamentally compromised at it’s point of contact: the venue. The current standard operates on a high-risk guarantee system, where venues or promoters must pay artists a fixed, upfront fee regardless of actual turnout.

This model forces venues to become conservative gatekeepers, prioritizing "safe bets" and established names over vibrant, diverse local scenes. The financial risk is so immense that it:

Stifles Artistic Diversity: New and mid-career artists are often deemed too risky

Inflates Ticket Prices: To cover high guarantees and potential losses

Creates Adversarial Relationships: Booking becomes a tense negotiation over risk allocation, not a creative partnership

Commoditizes the Experience: The art becomes a product to be presold, shifting focus from shared experience to financial minimums

The Odeum Coop Solution: A Foundational Unit for Shared Success

The Odeum Coop is designed as the physical and philosophical anchor of the Operavi touring network. It is a venue model built on cooperation, not competition; on sharing, not guaranteeing.

Why This Shift is Non-Negotiable

Switching to a sales-split model is not merely an accounting change; it is essential to prioritizing the art over its commoditization.

  • Art First: When the financial pressure of a guarantee is removed, venues can confidently book artists based on artistic merit and community interest, not just projected sales figures. The question changes from "Can we afford them?" to "Will our community love them?"

  • Sustainability Over Speculation: Venues gain a predictable, sustainable model. They are no longer gambling on a night's success but building long-term partnerships with artists and their community.

  • Empowerment for All: This model empowers independent venues to thrive outside the corporate ecosystem. It empowers artists to reach new audiences without their agent needing immense leverage. Ultimately, it empowers communities by ensuring their local stage hosts a dynamic and varied array of voices.

The Operavi tour system is the roadmap. The Odeum Coop is the home base. We are seeking passionate venue owners, community spaces, and "feet on the ground" local advocates to establish these cooperative nodes in cities and towns across the map.

A community-owned cultural engine that captures nightlife surplus and reinvests it into the people who create it: artists, workers, and members.

By treating surplus value as a collective asset, we create an anti-gentrification cultural institution rooted in democratic governance and municipal collaboration

ODEUM Co-op % Net Revenue Split

Core Principle: The Equitable Sales Split

We replace the risky upfront guarantee with a simple, transparent sales split. Here’s how it works

  1. Shared Risk, Shared Reward: The venue and the touring artist(s) agree on a percentage split of the night's total revenue (e.g., from ticket sales, bar), our standard split is 70% Net for artists. There is no daunting fixed fee to meet.

  2. Aligned Incentives: Both parties are instantly motivated to make the show a success. The venue is incentivized to promote locally and create a great experience. The artist is empowered to connect deeply with the audience.

  3. Operavi's Frictionless Integration: As a stop on an Operavi tour route, the Odeum Coop benefits from a pre-organized tour with shared logistics. The complex booking negotiations are replaced by a cooperative framework, letting the venue focus on what it does best: hosting unforgettable live experiences.