Team presidents this morning took to the stage to begin the '15 Veritix Sports Facilities & Franchises conference, opining on a wide range of issues facing their respective clubs. One topic of note was the most common fan complaints, to which several presidents had the same response. “The number one complaint is still traffic and getting in and out of the stadium on time,” said Dolphins President & CEO Tom Garfinkel. “We did a study, and essentially the vehicle traffic was being held up by the pedestrian traffic. ... It was taking an hour and half to get out of the parking lot. So we want to put in pedestrian tunnels, pedestrian bridges to alleviate that so pedestrians and cars can flow out naturally. ... We also created, for the luxury seating product, a special lane where you can have easy access to the freeway."
Dodgers President & CEO Stan Kasten also discussed the Dodgers' recent efforts to build an "accelerator" program. The club’s goal is to work with early-stage companies, offering funding in exchange for the opportunity to invest more later on if the company grows quickly. Kasten: "We thought the Dodgers brand would be a magnet for all of these early-stage companies, and it has turned out that way. We've had hundreds of applications. ... It's a way for us to extend our brand into areas that go beyond the playing field or television or sponsorship."
For more on the presidents panel, see tomorrow's issue of THE DAILY.
