T-Mobile Arena, the "sparkling new multi-purpose facility" that opens tonight, will impact the Las Vegas sports market "in a historic manner," according to Ed Graney of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. There is not a "bad seat in the place of 20,000," which is "one good thing that comes from building an arena with housing a professional hockey team in mind." The sight lines for basketball, boxing, UFC and PBR "will benefit from the T-Mobile layout." It is a "beautiful facility that will undoubtedly draw major sporting events." Graney wrote, "When you consider the adjacent Toshiba Plaza, a two-acre space with a performance stage, video screens and other display areas, you could easily envision gatherings outside that could be held in conjunction with games being played inside." There is an "outdoor experience to every level of T-Mobile Arena, and you could comfortably fit 8,000 to 10,000 in and around Toshiba Plaza." Graney: "You need to know that it will be difficult to find a spot in T-Mobile Arena without a good view of whatever event is taking place. In this manner, those building it couldn’t have done a better job" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 4/4).
ZERO-SUM GAME? In Las Vegas, Jennifer Robison in a front-page piece writes MGM Resorts execs "agree the new property will, at least initially, hurt business among competitors, including other event centers the company owns." But those execs counter that T-Mobile Arena "will drive new visitation that eventually will spur business for everyone." The Vegas Strip area "has three existing large" venues -- the 16,800-seat MGM Grand Garden and 12,000-seat Mandalay Bay Events Center, both owned by MGM Resorts, as well as UNLV’s 19,522-seat Thomas & Mack Center. MGM Resorts Senior VP/Entertainment Rick Arpin said, "Our goal is to get to 100 events at T-Mobile and have no impact on our other buildings." He added that bookings "could drop as much as" 20% at MGM Grand Garden and Mandalay Bay Events Center during T-Mobile Arena's first year. However, he added that the market "will 'right size' in the next 12 months," as T-Mobile Arena "creates events that wouldn't have existed or come to the market without it." Arpin acknowledged that "there's not enough to go around" if the arena relies solely on touring concerts. Robison notes MGM Resorts has "boosted its booking staff and is working with consultants to find events not currently in the market." Mandalay Bay "is set" in April and July to host e-sports events. Arpin said that college sports also are a "huge opportunity." MGM execs also "are eyeing college hockey, as well as wrestling." Robison notes in regards to Thomas & Mack Center, if the venue's "event roster slips more, that could leave less money for UNLV's athletics department." But in the "boxing, college championship and concert events that will be T-Mobile Arena’s bread and butter, the Thomas & Mack has little to no presence" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 4/6).
SOMETHING YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN? In Las Vegas, Steve Carp noted NHL players will have "spacious areas to prepare for the games." The home team locker room is approximately 10,000 square feet, "one of the largest" in the league. The area includes "meeting rooms, coaches' offices, a video room, a sports medicine area complete with a hydrotherapy pool, a skate sharpening area and a players' lounge." It would be "highly attractive for players on the expansion NHL team which businessman Bill Foley hopes to bring to Las Vegas." T-Mobile Arena VP & GM Dan Quinn said that it will "take four to six days to build" the ice and that sometime in May, arena staff "will make ice for the first time." Once the ice is down, it will "remain there under a protective cover used when other events are staged" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 4/4).
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Hannah Karp wrote the arena has so far "booked more than 70 events, including this week's opening concerts by a recently reunited Guns N' Roses, and it expects to book 30 more by the end of the year." The new venue features a nightclub at the top level "that would hold up to 800 people, with triangular decks cantilevered over the stage for bird's-eye concert views" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/5).
STAY FLEXIBLE: AEG Senior VP/Global Partnerships Mark Faber said that the arena "was designed for 100 ticketed events each calendar year: 50 concerts, about 25 sporting events, 12 or so boxing and UFC matches, award shows and other events." Faber: "Flexibility "was the main key behind this building" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 4/5).
