VIP HOSPITALITY ROUNDTABLE
84 www.stadia-magazine.com Showcase 2020 How does the VIP hospitality
experience differ in venues around
the world? And how does it differ
from sport to sport?
RK: Guests in the US experience longer dwell times.
Fans are loyal to their team brand. Sporting events
are mass celebrations that begin hours before and
end hours after the match. This attracts a variety of
guests and fans. US stadia treat VIP experiences with
pride, playing up to their history, creating social spaces.
Stadia act as community hubs. However, in Japan they
eat at home and enjoy the outing more for the sporting
event than additional hospitality experiences. In the
UK it is moving towards the US experiential attitude.
By introducing more tiered pricing we’re increasing
dwell times – Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa
are great examples.
NG: In-stadium innovations are happening globally
and, while nuanced to the sport and country, have
the same core principles. In general, the US sports
hospitality market tends to be more informal, with a
lower proportion of fine-dining experiences. Facilities
tend to be more sport-focused, with a higher volume
of TVs, game-focused theming and entertainment.
The food is also less graded to the experience, with
the main driver around convenience. More is made of
in-seat experience than in the UK, especially in longer
formats such as American Football and baseball. In the
UK, the stadium bowl is more sacred. If you want food
and drink provision, you need to go back to your suite
or nearest concession. The UK market is changing and
experiences are becoming broader, more immersive
and informal, but the vast majority are currently
more formal and tiered around fine dining.
BD: Each sport has a specific ‘time’ when hospitality
is more appropriate. Soccer consumes far less time than
other sports and hospitality tends to be either before
the game or at half-time. Baseball goes all nine innings
and is continual. We also see new venues such as
Tottenham taking on a traditional US model.
(Above) The Minnesota Twins
Bat & Barrell bar at the MLB
club’s Target Field Stadium is
open to all fans and is hugely
popular. In the US, stadia can
act as community hubs
(Right) In the same city, the
Minnesota Vikings NFL team
offer the sort of immersive
fan experience that can make
hospitality more accessible
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