Arenas the Next Wave of Designs Promoter Terry
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BackCover Spine .125 FrontCover SEPTEMBER 2018 VOLUME 17 NUMBER 8 VENUESNOW.COM Our venues perform. SEPTEMBER 2018 2018 SEPTEMBER PEACH FEST WHY THIS LITTLE FESTIVAL WORKS VOLUME 17 NUMBER 8 NUMBER 17 VOLUME VENUESNOW.COM AMERICA’S★★★ GAME? THE NFL’S VITALITY AND VULNERABILITY ARE ON DISPLAY AT ITS STADIUMS ARENAS THE NEXT WAVE OF DESIGNS FOR BOOKING INFORMATION AND A COMPLETE LINE UP OF ENTERTAINMENT, VISIT MGMRESORTS.COM. GAME? AMERICA’S PROMOTER TERRY BASSETT MENTOR TO A GENERATION fees running as high as $100,000 for the Rams and $75,000 for the Chargers. By comparison, the Cowboys seat licenses ran as high as $150,000. For the two most recently completed NFL stadiums, Atlanta Falcons’ high-end seat licenses cost $45,000 and the Minnesota Vikings’ top price was $9,500. Rams and Chargers seat license holders get their money back after 50 years. The teams are the rst in the NFL to adopt that model, Hibbs said. In the NBA, the Golden State Warriors are doing something similar, returning after 30 years seat license fees that were used to help pay for construction of Chase Center, their new San Francisco arena. On a Thursday morning in late June, the premiere center is busy with prospective buyers. In Inglewood, the overall response among premium seat purchasers has been outstanding, Hibbs said, in large part because those deals give customers the rights to buy tickets for the 2022 Super Bowl and the 2023 College Football Play- o National Championship, two events already booked at the new stadium. “The place to be, the ‘see and be seen’ aspect of Los Angeles is part of that, not unlike it is at Staples Center,” Hibbs said. “The cachet of a certain club or courtside seat is more than just watching the Lakers. We have some of that here in Inglewood.” It’s been 15 years since the Super Bowl last took place in Southern California, and that’s another reason why interest is high, Demo said. It’s been much longer — 46 years — since the Final Four was played in Los Angeles, but Inglewood is making its bid, starting with the 2027 event. “One thing we consistently hear is that the West Coast really hasn’t had a stadium to go attract these na- tional events,” he said. “Now, between us and the new Raiders stadium in Las Vegas and the improvements [at University of Phoenix Stadium], we’re hearing more about the West Coast.” HOSPITALITY’S The premiere center also plays host to prospective tenants for the district as project o¢cials market that part of the business. The high-tech models for both the stadium and district show the boundaries set aside for mixed use as a shadow passes from an airplane £ying over the property. Those lines will change over time as NEXT FRONTIER development progresses, Hibbs said. The stadium has the £exibility to grow from 70,240 the game-day experience to ven- seats to 100,000 depending on the event. Apart from TAILGATE GUYS LEAD dors such as Tailgate Guys, which Super Bowl, the CFP and potentially the Final Four, has six new deals in the NFL. the new stadium will host the opening and closing cer- Tailgate Guys, formed in 2009 emonies for the 2028 Olympic Games. O¢cials are in THE WAY AS NFL TEAMS in Auburn, Ala., to ll tailgating negotiations to host WWE WrestleMania. The stadium needs in the college space, has is also in the mix for 2026 World Cup as FIFA narrows ENHANCE GAME DAY agreements for the 2018 season the nal list of U.S. facilities for that event. with the Atlanta Falcons, Bualo The stadium’s footprint extends to a 6,000-seat per- Bills, Houston Texans, Jacksonville formance venue next door, which sits under the same BY THINKING OUTSIDE Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams and roof canopy as the bigger building. The smaller facility Pittsburgh Steelers. will be marketed as a midsize concert venue with the THE GAME Tailgate Guys has about 30 goal of booking 75 to 100 events a year. It will also clients in all, covering the NFL, col- accommodate esports’ Los Angeles Gladiators, which lege football, MLB’s Texas Rang- Kroenke owns and are part of the Overwatch League. BY DON MURET ers, golf tournaments and soccer’s The third element, the outdoor Champions Plaza, International Champions Cup. situated outside the south end of the stadium, will be ¨© ª«¬®¯©¬¬ °± Its competitors include Block- activated by the teams for pregame tailgates on game tailgating has become a party, which last year received a days. On days when the teams aren’t playing football, new revenue stream for $2 million investment from Live the vision is to host small concerts, farmers markets NFL teams beyond the Nation to expand the concept to and other community activities. The plaza will be corporate hospitality that amphitheaters; IMG College’s heavily landscaped with a water feature and a natural some clubs run themselves Tailgate Club; secondary ticketing amphitheater. A year-round restaurant be accessible to Toutside their stadiums. Several providers such as Vivid Seats; and the plaza and the stadium, Hibbs said. teams now outsource that piece of in Jacksonville, Fla., a rm called 32 SEPTEMBER 2018 Tailgate Guys will help the Atlanta Falcons create pregame atmosphere outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. everybody.” ple of their entrepreneurial spirit The Steelers used Tailgate Guys under the leadership of team owner for Kenny Chesney’s Trip Around Shahid Khan, according to Chris the Sun tour June 2 at Heinz Field, Gargani, vice president of sales and one of three shows the team service. The Jaguars play at TIAA booked in 2018. The packages Bank Field, one of the older stadi- included concert tickets, which ums in the NFL, and tailgating is helped drive ticket sales and con- the next step for a team that’s made cessions revenue, Sacco said. Next a splash with end zone cabanas and year, Tailgate Guys will expand to pools, among other upgrades. all concerts at the stadium. The Jaguars signed their deal In Atlanta, Tailgate Guys is on after being approached by Tailgate the ground · oor for activating Guys Chief Operating O» cer Chip the Home Depot Backyard, a new Howard, who previously was the tailgating space next to Mer- University of Florida’s executive cedes-Benz Stadium on a 13-acre associate athletic director for inter- site where the old Georgia Dome nal a airs, Gargani said. Howard stood. The vendor already has a is familiar with the stadium from strong presence in the market with the annual Florida-Georgia game, multiple SEC schools, and some which is played there. of its initial sales took place with Tailgate Guys markets to both customers familiar with the brand Jaguars season-ticket holders from the college space, Du y said. searching for a permanent pregame “They’re already the expert, hav- hospitality space and the team’s ing some of the neighboring col- overall database for single-game leges a few hours down the road,” buys. The Jaguars found a strip said Don Rovak, vice president of of grass next to Daily’s Place, the ticket sales and service for AMB practice § eld and amphitheater at- Party Shack, which the Jaguars do Falcons’ least expensive package Sports & Entertainment, parent tached to the stadium. Depending business with as well as Tailgate to $7,750, which is the Texans’ company of the Falcons and Major on the package, about 20 to 30 tents Guys. Apart from those § rms, some most expensive setup, according to League Soccer’s Atlanta United FC. can § t in the space, Gargani said. NFL teams such as the Carolina the Tailgate Guys website. Prices “It felt foolish for us not to tap into In western New York, the Bills Panthers run their own pregame depend on a number of factors, their expertise.” have a strong tailgating culture, corporate hospitality villages out- including tent size, food and drink, The Home Depot Backyard, and they were the second team to side their facilities. furniture and televisions, among which o» cially opens Sept. 16 for sign with Tailgate Guys after the Tailgate Guys co-founder Parker other amenities. NFL teams get the Falcons’ § rst regular-season Texans. The Bills reserve space on a Du y built a company in the heart a split of the revenue, similar to home game against Carolina, has youth football § eld next to New Era of Southeastern Conference coun- colleges. The cost of doing business room for about 75 to 80 groups a Field on the northeast side that’s try whose investors include Teall varies by location, partnership game, Du y said. It’s been the already used for private tailgates Capital, an investment § rm found- structure and capacity, Du y said. leading NFL property in sales for for, among others, NFL Canada ed by Ben Sutton, former chairman In Pittsburgh, Tailgate Guys’ Tailgate Guys in part because of and team owners Terry and Kim and CEO of IMG College. In the relationship with the University of the § rm’s local brand recognition. Pegula. past year, Tailgate Guys has made Pittsburgh and Heinz Field, where In addition, AMB Sports made “We’re (di erent) being in the strategic hires as it looked to crack the school and the NFL’s Pittsburgh a conscious decision to keep the suburbs with a lot of space around the NFL, including A.J. Machosky, Steelers play, led to expanding the tent pricing a ordable, following our facility compared with other its senior vice president of sales and business to include Steelers games a similar path it began last season NFL markets,” said Jon Latke, the business development.