Indiana Pacers
Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Gainbridge Fieldhouse recently hosted the NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, the culmination of a multiyear renovation project costing $362 million. Upgrades were made to every part of the building and included an outdoor plaza, which becomes an ice-skating rink in the winter; a restaurant; entrance atrium; more connectivity to the city; and revamped premium inventory, which is good timing ahead of Caitlin Clark joining the Indiana Fever this month. The venue saw food and beverage revenue growth overall, including increases in suite and concessions revenue.
New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium
The $250 million renovation was the Foxboro, Mass., venue’s biggest since it opened in 2002, and it aesthetically filled in the open north end zone. It also created a better visual and fan experience approach to the north end with a new plaza and a 218-foot-tall lighthouse, which adds a recognizable element to the stadium. The GP Atrium sits between the lighthouse and the Daktronics scoreboard, the largest in a North American outdoor stadium. The GP Atrium gives Kraft Sports a useful, elegant space to boost its private events business. Major food and beverage upgrades were made, too, including self-checkout and checkout-free options gathered around the north side entrance sequence, plus a tunnel club and field-level premium space on the north end.
PGA of America
PGA Frisco
The huge resort is the result of a $520 million public-private partnership among the PGA of America, city of Frisco, Omni Hotels and the Frisco (Texas) Independent School District. It houses the PGA of America’s headquarters and serves as an entertainment hub. Its Field Ranch East, one of two 18-hole championship courses, hosted the 2023 Senior PGA Championship shortly after the resort opened in May. The 660-acre campus also includes a state-of-the-art clubhouse; the Omni PGA Frisco Resort (500 rooms, suites, 10 exclusive four-bedroom ranch houses, spa and other amenities); the Monument Realty PGA District, which has The Swing, a 10-hole, lighted short course; and The Dance Floor, a lighted, 2-acre putting course.
SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park
SoFi Stadium
The 3-year-old building in Inglewood, Calif., which has $2.5 billion in contractually obligated income, seems to be hitting its stride operationally. It was ranked No. 1 on Pollstar’s Year End Worldwide Top 100 Stadiums based on gross revenue with $172 million, including Beyoncé’s three September concerts that grossed a total of $45.54 million. WrestleMania 39 in April 2023 at SoFi Stadium broke all-time sponsorship and merchandise records. The stadium saw a 17.3% year-over-year increase in food and beverage sales and built a new app for wayfinding and guest services.
allegiant stadium
Allegiant Stadium
Before hosting Las Vegas’ first Super Bowl in February, Allegiant added suites on the stadium’s 100-level within the Modelo Cantina Club and Twitch Lounge premium clubs and upgraded its entry gates, adding canopies and new turnstile technology. Ten Zippin lanes were deployed, the largest such installation in a sports venue globally. Allegiant saw nearly 30% growth in private event hosting, and booked more than $133 million in gross ticket sales, including from nine concerts. The venue also achieved LEED Gold Certification (only seven stadiums have done that) and now operates on 100% renewable energy.
hok
CityPark
St. Louis City SC’s 32-acre stadium district is the largest in an urban area in the U.S. to include team offices, a training facility, a team store and a stadium in the same complex. The venue is one of the first to open with checkout-free and self-checkout technology baked into the design. The club built an app in-house, enabling an order-ahead system that’s offered at 10 locations, making up a fifth of orders at those concession stands and helping deal with halftime concourse crush. In its first year, City SC diverted 624,164 plastic containers from the landfill, and in October, CityPark attained its first zero-waste match, sending only 35 pounds of waste to the landfill from 22,423 guests.
