Breton acknowledged Banc of California Stadium will compete against other venues for fans and eventsRICK OSENTOSKI
LAFC wants to host 200 events a year -- including 150 private events, meetings and conferences -- at its new $350M Banc of California Stadium. The MLS team opened its new 22,000-seat downtown stadium earlier this year with an eye on competing with other Southern California sports venues as well as resorts for events. “We knew we just couldn’t build the next MLS stadium,” said LAFC Exec VP/Sales Corey Breton during a discussion at the ’18 AXS Ticketing Symposium on the growing premium market at sports venues. “You can’t build a financial model based on 17 MLS matches.” Breton noted that Banc of California Stadium will have to go up against plenty of other venues in the race for fans and events. “We are in a very competitive marketplace,” he said. “There are two teams in every sport.” Breton said one key for the new stadium was to be unique and have designs that highlight areas of L.A. such as Santa Monica, Hollywood and art deco heavy Palm Springs. That showed up in color schemes and finishes in premium and event spaces. “I’ve been in a Lexus Club in every city and sometimes I don’t even know what city I’m in,” he said. “They all look the same.”
DON’T MAKE IT TOO COMFORTABLE: Populous Senior Interior Designer & Principal Adam Stover said the search for best in class premium space and interactive designs includes avoiding the Yankee Stadium effect of having suites and club areas so good that fans don’t sit in their seats. Stover said avoiding the empty seat look on television was a priority for when Populous designed a new premium club behind home plate at Wrigley Field for the Cubs. “For the home plate club directly behind home plate it was extremely important they got it right specifically for the 400 people sitting back there. That’s a prime TV angle,” said Stover of Wrigley’s 1914 Club. “So you have to make sure it’s filled.” Stover said Populous and the Cubs put a minimal number of televisions in the club area so fans wouldn’t camp out and worked with concessionaire Levy Restaurants to bring food and drinks directly to fans once the game starts. “When the game starts that premium product change and that it is now about delivering that product to the seats,” Stover said.
