The first music festival at
PPL Park turned a profit after event principals formed a three-way partnership in Greater Philadelphia.
The Monster Energy Rock Allegiance, a heavy metal festival, took place Oct. 10 at the stadium in Chester, Pa. It was the first time a concert had been held on the field at the Philadelphia Union’s facility since it opened in 2010. Spectra, the Philly-based firm that runs the venue and its ticketing and food service, teamed with independent promoter Danny Wimmer Presents and Live Nation to produce the all-day show, which featured headliners Rob Zombie, Korn, Godsmack and Five Finger Death Punch.
The concert generated gross ticket sales of about $1.6 million from a sellout crowd of 27,000, according to Wimmer. The food and drink per cap was roughly $35, which is on par with Rock on the Range, a 9-year-old event Wimmer produces at Mapfre Stadium, home of the Columbus Crew.
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The Monster Energy Rock Allegiance filled PPL Park.
Photo by: LIVE NATION
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“Sometimes, it’s not easy doing these festivals and they lose money in the first year or two,” he said. “It was a huge accomplishment.”
In a traditional rental agreement, the venue keeps food/drink and parking income. Instead, Spectra, representing Union owner Keystone Entertainment, struck a revenue-share deal with Wimmer. By essentially putting all the money in one shared pot, the business model provided flexibility tied to lower-priced tickets and concessions, Wimmer said.
What should have been a $100 ticket to see multiple bands play for 12 hours was cut in half to $49.50 for the presale, resulting in 8,000 tickets sold on the first day for the general admission floor, he said. Rock Allegiance ultimately sold out a month before the show.
The food and beverage component was key to profitability: The food experience is the No. 1 growth area for music festivals, in large part because of celebrity chefs extending their reach to sports and entertainment, Wimmer said. At PPL Park, Spectra worked with Wimmer to bring in several food trucks serving items such as gourmet burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Prices, including those for beer, were scaled to make the experience affordable for all concertgoers. For Danny Wimmer Presents, it can be a deal-breaker if the stadium’s concessionaire refuses to adjust pricing, he said.
As part of Rock Allegiance, event organizers converted the team store into a Jack Daniel’s-themed pub, staining shipping pallets and standing them up to construct the bar, said Mike Scanlon, Spectra’s regional vice president and PPL Park’s general manager. “From Danny’s end, it’s all about the fan experience with the food trucks and the VIP areas. It was over the top,” Scanlon said.
Rock Allegiance could return to PPL Park in 2016 as well as a potential country music festival. To this point, no deals have been signed.
> PORTLANDIA: The Portland Trail Blazers have invested $3.5 million to redesign the courtside club, build four more studio suites and develop a new kids zone in Moda Center’s upper deck.
The courtside club upgrade shifts to more of a grab-and-go concept for in-game food and drinks and less formal dining space than the old layout, said Adam Cook, the new vice president and general manager for the Rose Quarter, the district that’s home to the arena.
The club decor is now themed for the history of the Blazers, including the 1977 NBA championship team, as well as the Rose Quarter’s 20th anniversary this fall.
The new studio suites, groups of four seats on the arena’s south side supported by dining space in back, replace 12 traditional suites. The studios sold for $60,000 annually, the same price as the four studio suites originally built in 2014. All told, traditional suites have been cut to 50 from the original 66.
The kids zone takes over 4,100 square feet on the north side at the top of the arena.
Elsewhere in the arena, Levy Restaurants will debut two new concession stands, Hook Line Fish and Chips and Happy Market, an Asian food theme.
The most recent improvements come two years after the Blazers started renovating the building with multiple projects at a cost of $16 million.
Don Muret can be reached at dmuret@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @breakground.
