Etihad Airways has acquired naming rights to the new VIP club at Verizon Center, a premium space reserved for an exclusive group of Washington Capitals and Wizards season-ticket holders.
The Etihad Airways Lounge, a 10,000-square-foot retrofit at event level, becomes the most visible element of the top-tier legacy partnership the international air carrier signed in May with Monumental Sports and Entertainment, owner of the Capitals and Wizards. Financial terms of the multiyear deal have not been disclosed.
The HKS-designed lounge, which replaces a former press room and photo lab, opens Saturday for the Caps’ regular-season home opener. It is exclusive to 1,800 season-ticket holders in the first few rows for basketball and customers with seats on the glass for hockey games. Food and drink, including beer and wine, are part of the season-ticket package for those patrons. Hard liquor is a separate fee.
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The 10,000-square-foot Etihad Airways Lounge will be the most visible part of the new deal with the Verizon Center.
Renderings: MONUMENTAL SPORTS
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For the luxury airline headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, the lounge represents its first naming-rights deal for a premium space in sports.
Internationally, Etihad holds naming rights for stadiums in England and Australia. Domestically, it’s an MLS league sponsor and has its name on the jerseys of New York City FC.
But the bulk of its U.S. sponsorship dollars are spent with Monumental Sports in Washington, where Etihad Airways runs direct flights from Dulles International Airport to UAE capital Abu Dhabi, a duration of 13 hours. The airline also flies to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas, and touts its first-class service and amenities. It will use the new club to target high-end travelers.
“We want to build a relationship with prospective flyers that may not be familiar with Etihad,” said Patrick Pierce, the airline’s vice president of sponsorship and events. “The focus is on those flying first class and business class.”
As part of its activation at Verizon Center, the airline plans to incorporate some of the same high-end menu items featured at its airport lounges and on international flights. Levy staff working the arena lounge will wear Etihad-branded uniforms, Monumental Sports officials said.
“We really want to mimic the experience you have at the airport and in-flight with what you’re going to enjoy at a hockey game or basketball game,” Pierce said.
Technology will also play a key role in the lounge. The plan is for club patrons to have access to virtual reality headsets to immerse them in the exotic world of Abu Dhabi’s architecture and skyline, and its islands and desert, Pierce said.
The lounge design will include large video walls displaying the airline’s travel destinations, in addition to showcasing some of the same plush seats travelers sink into during long-distance flights, he said.
Etihad Airways will have use of the club for business meetings on days when there are no games.
The lounge is part of $10 million in arena upgrades for the 2015-16 season.
