Execs from the Vikings, Blues, Magic and TD Garden opened the ’17 AXS Sports Facilities & Franchises conference on Thursday with a discussion of the biggest issues facing the industry, including fan experience, the future of venues, esports and executive diversity. Vikings COO Kevin Warren said the issue that fills up his inbox after games continues to be about fan experience. Warren: “All the way from food to ingress and egress to sound. We really get feedback on all of those areas. ... But fans spend a lot of their resources (at our games). They expect an incredible experience, and it’s for us in this business to provide the atmosphere for them to walk away -- win or lose -- saying, 'This was really a special day to spend with my family.’”
OPTIONS GALORE: TD Garden President Amy Latimer reflected on a presentation on Wednesday about the Hawks’ plans to modernize Philips Arena. She said, “The brand integration looks very smart. I thought they highlighted local Atlanta ... and understood their fans.” Latimer called the Hawks’ ideas for special areas like a Topgolf suite and barber shop “healthy distractions.” Latimer: “You’re supplementing the game and keeping people engaged and keeping them there. Coming early and staying late.” Magic CEO Alex Martins said of the trend of communal experiences at venues, “That’s what we’re seeing in the change of design of buildings in particular. (Amway Center) is only eight years old and now we’re starting to ask, ‘What is the next phase?’ Suite holders, for example, don’t want to necessarily be in their own suite anymore. They want to interact with a lot of other people. That’s why we’re seeing more of these suite products transform into more communal areas.” Latimer: “Sports could be the last place where strangers interact like that in those spaces.”
THINK SMARTER: The idea of smaller venues has been widely discussed in the industry, but Latimer said “smarter” might be a better approach. Latimer: “Can you build your buildings like ballrooms where you can segment off? Because I need a big building for U2, but I might not need it that size for every game or smaller concerts. … I’d rather build smarter than smaller.” Warren wondered whether augmented or virtual reality would affect the buildings of the future. Warren: “We need smarter, more efficient buildings where people can get multiple benefits from the building.”
GAME THEORY: Bringing in esports can be big business for venues, and the Magic were aboard early on the NBA 2K venture, while Latimer’s group also purchased a U.K.-based team. Martins: “It is a huge, growing segment of the entertainment industry and the focus of a lot of millennials. A younger demo and fan base.” Latimer noted the process for buying the team was an “unbelievable journey of understanding” to learn about the space and the teams themselves. Blues President & CEO of Business Operations Chris Zimmerman had a different feel on esports, noting that while he is “interested,” his club in the short-term “had to decide where our resources could go.” Zimmerman: “In terms of fan development, we’re still doing it the old-fashioned way. We have to get more kids playing hockey and exposed to our game. ... We’re working on rink development because we know getting people to play our sport is all about supply of ice.”
STAYING DIVERSE: Warren noted that after restructuring his organization two years ago, three of the team’s nine VPs were female. Warren: “We’ve also started a women’s initiative and empowered women in our organization, because the diversity element in age, gender, color, background is really important. That’s one of the challenges we’re having in sports right now. We’ve got to be more diverse, because our fan base is diverse.” Latimer added that “diversity of thought and diversity in the room will make your organization better.”
