Quote:
Originally Posted by RyLucky
What makes arena's "next gen"? More boxes?
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Next gen would be the term I used because I couldn't think of another one, but in a word, usually. More may not be necessary, but they would certainly be better suites.
It all comes down to revenue maximizing/optimizing and boxes play the largest part in that. Boxes are just tools to make a lot of money from every aspect of the business. Concourses are laid out differently including multiple concourses with concessions catered towards each level of seating i.e. the club seats would have access to the sushi bar and the other non-traditional 'whoa, I never thought I'd see that at a hockey game' high-priced fare while the (very) upper concourse would be your typical beer, hot dog and nachos stuff. So a better ability to take as many corporate partners for as much money as possible, high priced concessions with a lot of options in a multiple concourse system that allows for the quickest turnaround of patrons to increase the potential number of times they can buy things.
It goes away from the past 'concrete shoebox' type designs that were just meant to get as many people in seats as possible and everything else was an afterthought (the old favorites like the Forum and MLG but even Rexall). Get people in, sit them down, then try to stuff in some beer kegs and popcorn machines.
The Saddledome has a pretty crowded main concourse, a bland concrete one at that, at either end it has those mini concourses that have no toilets which means the entire lower and second bowls will all converge on the same area pretty much every intermission. People waiting in line for beer is one thing, but people waiting in line for the bathroom means they aren't buying something as it can take a long time to get from Row 21 in Section 205 to the bathroom and back without missing any game time. The Press Level is accessed by walking up the through the second bowl stairs (and leaving down through the same stairs with everybody else in those 200 seats) with only a couple pathetic little concessions to service everybody. Not great if you want to do anything other than simply watch the game (which you can do at home with a better view). The upper suites have restaurants and toilets that are accessible by the 'plebs' from the PL and Upper Bowl which makes them considerably less desirable than the very exclusive lower bowl suites.
Compare that to one of the newest arenas like Consol Energy Center. You enter into a big, well lit area that definitely isn't just bare concrete with escalators and elevators to take you to your area so all of a sudden the nosebleeds aren't a workout anymore. They have their main concourse with all the fancy stuff for the lower bowl and 'club suites'. The Upper Concourse which services the second bowl warps around the entire level and you can access them immediately after entering the arena to spread everybody out as soon as possible. Toilets at every level so its not an odyssey just to relieve yourself as well as retail at every level so everybody doesn't need to go to the same crowded Fan-Attic equivalent to buy a hat or jersey. The second level suites are separated and have their own services and access which adds a nice bit of class and exclusivity (it also allows the arena to be tiered differently to maximize the number of suites without ruining the second level balcony sightlines, a very valuable ticket. Ideally none of these groups will need to cross paths after entering the doors of the arena. Just a much better experience for everyone involved, and happier people like to buy things. But most importantly, you can charge more for absolutely everything because it's new.
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