In sheer mass, the NHL is always going to have trouble topping the 100,000-plus fans who attended last season’s Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium.
But as the Jan. 1 game moves to Washington, D.C., for its 2015 edition, the league is pointing to a planned spectator plaza that will be set up just outside Nationals Park as a way in which it aims to top the 2014 effort.
The fan festival will be held on game day at The Fairgrounds, an open-air event space fenced in with old shipping containers, an element that will provide a unique destination point for fans and sponsors alike, said Keith Wachtel, the NHL’s executive vice president of global partnerships.
“Last year, we set attendance records, and the question is, How can we top that?” Wachtel said. “With the backdrop of the nation’s capital, this unique spectator plaza will create a one-of-a-kind tailgating experience for the fans.”
Geico will be presenting sponsor of the plaza, which will be free to all fans and will offer live music, food and drinks, and interactive hockey-themed attractions.
For previous Winter Classics, the NHL has created makeshift plazas on sidewalks or in parking lots. Last year saw efforts spread across both Comerica Park in Detroit in advance of the game and Ann Arbor for the game. The space that’s planned for this year is intended to give the league a way to create a more immersive experience for fans.
Bridgestone once again will be the most visible partner at the game itself, sponsoring the Winter Classic for the sixth consecutive season. In addition, the company will have activation points both in the plaza and in Nationals Park on game day.
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An Instagram update from Washington shows progress and the temperature.
Photo by: NHL |
The company’s on-site efforts will again be built around a theme of “Conquer the Cold” and its Blizzak tire product, said Phil Pacsi, vice president of consumer marketing at Bridgestone. Much like last year, Bridgestone will give fans in the plaza the opportunity to shoot pucks at a net, but this year, they will be saved by a virtual goalkeeper instead of a live one.
“We consider the NHL to be very tech savvy and so are the fans,” Pacsi said. “Tires are all about technology too, so we’re trying to bring a little bit of that with this activation.”
There also will be a Bridgestone Penalty Box set up in the ballpark, a space where fans can take a photo with friends and are encouraged to share it through social media and other digital platforms.
A number of other league partners will have activations at the plaza, as well. Enterprise will let fans create a slow-motion highlight of their own game-winning save, which can then be shared online. Miller-Coors will offer interactive games, as well as an eight-foot replica NHL puck.
New Winter Classic sponsors also will engage, Wachtel said. Kraft’s new North American deal with the NHL will have the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile on-site; Upper Deck will offer fans personalized hockey trading cards; and Ticketmaster will let fans shoot pucks into an old washing machine — akin to how many hockey players get their start.
