The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom and Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center have begun announcing their summer schedules. Despite sluggish ticket sales across the country last summer, both venues are confident this season will be a strong one and are eager to give concertgoers something to look forward to.

Andrew Herrick, director of marketing for the Casino Ballroom, says this season will offer a mix of classic rock, newer acts, comedy and even ESPN2 boxing.

"We've expanded our palate a bit to diversify the entertainment dollar," he said.

Last summer the Ballroom went against the national trend and had one of its best seasons in its 100-year-plus history, ranking 28th in the world for tickets sold among venues of under 3,000 seats. While Herrick has several theories as to why the Ballroom had such a banner year, he doesn't feel there was any one winning factor.

"It's really just the overall experience," he said. "We have great parking and a great location, right on the beach. We do our best to keep ticket prices below the national average. And the way the venue is set up allows for amazing sight lines in every seat. Basically, for about the same price, you can actually see the artist and not watch the show on a screen from a lawn."

The season starts April 1 with Alter Bridge, featuring former members of Creed. Other acts this season include: the Black Crows; Bob Weir and Ratdog; Susan Tedeschi; comedian Brian Regan; returning acts Huey Lewis and the News and the Beach Boys; and Grammy Award-winners Los Lonely Boys .

"They're about as hot as it gets right now," said Herrick.

Only 25 events have been scheduled so far, but the Ballroom usually hosts over 60 shows in their April through November season. Check their site, www.casinoballroom.com, for weekly additions.

At Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center in Gilford, sales were slow for the first half of last summer, but director of marketing John Vorel considers the season an overall success. This season will bring back some favorite acts from previous years, but Meadowbrook is taking a new approach to their concert lineup.

"We're going for shows that will draw bigger audiences," said Vorel. "We're focusing on the bigger, more exciting acts; acts that are at the top of the charts; acts that haven't been here before."

While only six events have currently been announced and Vorel wasn't offering any sneak peeks, he says the schedule will be finalized by May 1. Three to four more events of Meadowbrook's typically 24- to 28-event season will be announced within the next week or two. Concertgoers can expect performers who have consistently been big draws-including Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, and the Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor-to return this season. But Vorel says there will be some very exciting, big-name acts coming to Meadowbrook, particularly within the country music genre. Vorel feels that the 6,000-seat facility, which added a pavilion roof three years ago, is more than able to hold its own with many of the larger outdoor venues in the region.

"The word is out in the music industry that Meadowbrook is a great place to play," he said.

Last season, Meadowbrook introduced special ticket promotions, including family ticket discounts, to help boost sales. While Vorel considers the promotions to have been successful, he says Meadowbrook will not be offering any similar discounts this season.

"I think the specials created added interest to get out and see a show, but they were a one-time deal," said Vorel. "Tickets for the shows we've posted are selling extremely well; much stronger than this time last year. I think people should try and grab the good seats while they still can."

Additional information, including scheduled events, can be found at www.meadowbrook.net.