VIP HOSPITALITY ROUNDTABLE
BD: Stadium VIP hospitality offers far more
benefits now, such as field tours, access to venues on
non-gamedays and great food and beverage options.
Teams sometimes offer fan trips and various other
amenities at a much higher level of spend than
10 years ago.
RW: People visit stadia once a fortnight and will not
accept a lesser experience to the one they receive on
a day-to-day basis. Venues need to provide much more
than one prescribed experience. There must be much
greater flexibility and a deeper understanding
of guest psychology.
What has been the biggest influence
on this evolution?
RK: The high street is having a massive effect on
expectations of food quality. Two notable influences
are market halls and street food. The trend to share
experiences has persuaded us to introduce more
multi-sensory spaces.
NG: The industry is full of innovators who share
best practice, which keeps it buoyant. We share a lot
of customers and it’s in our collective best interest
to build advocacy. Meanwhile, technology is driving
big change, with a race for stadia to get lightning-
fast connectivity. Fully enabled stadia allow more
possibilities for engagement. They open up ways to
communicate, serve relevant content, assist in way
finding, fast-tracking and streamlining entry, game
statistical analysis, food and beverage ordering,
personalized messages, gaming – the list is endless.
Michelin-starred chefs and
menus are increasingly being
seen at modern sports venues
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