Top Trends in Premium Seating
The first ever sports & entertainment luxury suite at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, TX.
The first luxury suite was built in 1968 in the Houston Astrodome, a building visible from space and known as the 8th Wonder of the World. It set the stage for an arms race to build bigger and better stadiums all across America. Today, the premium seating industry – consisting of club seats and luxury suites for sporting events and concerts – is a driving force behind the growth in the live event industry. Premium seats often account for less than 20% of the seats in a venue, but they usually generate over 50% of the ticketing revenue. When a new stadium is built, the guaranteed income from the long-term suite leases give bankers the confidence to make the large loans necessary to finance the stadium.
I’m fresh off dozens of meetings at the Association of Luxury Suite Directors annual conference. Here are the top 3 trends I heard at the show:
Technological Advancements
Teams and venues keep upping their game with technology and building design – the in-stadium fan experience has never been better. The Teams understand that the experience in your living room is more compelling with each passing year. That’s why they are designing stadiums to give you things you just can’t get at home. At AT&T Stadium, for example, guests in the Field Suites can stand just feet away as the players enter and exit the field. Some suite owners get to park their car underneath the stadium and take an elevator directly to their suite level. And if you thought you had a big TV at home, fans at the game can watch replays on the center-hung video board spanning 72 feet high by 160 feet wide. That’s hard to replicate in your living room. In addition, teams are leaning on third-party vendors to provide an added WOW factor in the suites. For example, suites at Churchill Downs feature Monsieur machines, a robotic bartender designed to mix you a perfect cocktail. If you get hungry in a suite during a Minnesota Wild game at Xcel Energy Center, ordering food is as simple as a few clicks on an an in-suite tablet, powered by Bypass. The Internet of Things just might have a bigger impact on luxury suites than on your living room.
PNC Park has a world class premium seating experience
Convergence of Primary ad Secondary Markets for Luxury Suites
The primary and secondary markets for tickets have converged; suites are next. TicketMaster now runs its own fan-to-fan resale marketplaces. StubHub’s name will be on the Jersey of the 76ers next year. Large brokers like Ticket Galaxy, DTI, and Dynasty have aligned closely with Teams to control secondary resale and they are sharing the data they collect with their Teams counterparts. That same level of collaboration isn’t yet happening between the primary and secondary suite market, but having a liquid secondary market for suites is good for teams (easier to sell and renew leases, more F&B revenue, fewer dark suites), and it’s great for the suite owners (higher ROI on their suite investment). Data from InviteManager shows that leased suites go unused or misused 43% of the time. That number will drop as Teams begin to collaborate with the secondary suite players to provide solutions to leaseholders looking to maximize the ROI on their multi-year investment.
Impact of Virtual Reality
The post-venue world is closer than you think. Ok, maybe that headline is a bit dramatic – the game will always need to be played somewhere, after-all. But if you listen to Andy Dolich and Wes Burtner from VHere, they make a compelling case for how VR can bring fans to places they could only dream of before. What if you could listen to Aaron Rodgers pump-up his team before taking the field, or be in the locker room for a championship celebration? Virtual Reality has the potential to put the fans right in the middle of the action from thousands of miles away.
How will the teams continue to innovate their most premium experiences? Touch-screen walls in the suite to monitor your fantasy team? In-suite VR headsets for a window into the home team locker room at halftime? Even more on-demand suite catering options at your fingertips? One thing is for certain: the best is yet to come in the world of premium seating.
2016 NBA Draft Review
It seems like only yesterday that the Cavaliers beat the Warriors in an epic game 7 at Oracle Arena and now only a week later the 2016 Draft is already over. The NBA never stops even in the offseason when there aren’t any games. Here are some of the players and teams that stood out after the draft.
Oracle Arena, where the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
1. The Phoenix Suns absolutely aced this draft
With the 4th pick the Suns took Dragan Bender, a 7’ 1” Croatian power forward who reminds scouts of Kristaps Porzingis. Bender is extremely skilled and has the potential to be an excellent rim defender as he is long and mobile. Even though Bender was a great pick, their next move was the real gem of this Suns draft.
The Phoenix Suns fleeced the Sacramento Kings when they traded up to get the 8th pick. The Kings did not get even close to a fair return for the pick they gave up. For context here’s how NBA teams view the 13th and 28th pick. At the 13th pick NBA teams generally expect to get a player with the top level potential of an above average starter, but not an All-Star. At the end of the first round, teams hope to get a solid rotational player off the bench. So let’s review this trade again.
Essentially the Kings traded a player who has the potential to be an All-Star in Marquesse Chriss, a guy who every other NBA team loved, for the chance at an above average starter, and a bench player plus a relatively unknown European shooting guard (Bogdan Bogdanovic). Chriss is a freaky athlete with a pretty jump shot, and a motor that runs extremely hot when he is engaged. If he reaches his full potential he will be one of the rare NBA bigs who can protect the rim and stretch the floor. He had the third most potential of any player in this draft, behind Ben Simmons and Jaylen Brown, but dropped to 8th because of concerns about his polish. At the 8th pick, Chriss was a tremendous value, and the Kings made a huge mistake trading him away
As an added bonus the Suns also picked up Tyler Ulis, who really should have been a first rounder, but fell because teams questioned if a 5’ 9” point guard could succeed in the NBA. Ulis should at the very least be a solid backup point guard behind Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe. In the long term this draft makes the Suns a lot more athletic and versatile, and while the Suns of next year may not contend for much yet, fans should be excited about the excellent group of youngsters the Suns drafted.
2. The Nuggets are going all in on 3-point shooting
With each of their picks the Nuggets took the best shooter available, and it worked out perfectly. They ended up with 4 of the top 5 shooters in the draft with excellent value at every pick. Jamal Murray at the 7th pick was a total steal because he shoots the lights out (he reportedly set the Boston Celtics record for 3-point shots made in a workout), and he is an elite competitor with a great feel for the game. He fell to 7th because of questions about his size and athleticism but he will be a perfect fit next to the super-athletic and long Emmanuel Mudiay.
At picks 15 and 19 the Nuggets took Spaniard Juan Hernangomez and Florida State Seminole Malik Beasley. Hernangomez is an interesting pick because he really blossomed this year in Spain, and looks like he could become one of the playmaking stretch 4’s that NBA GM’s are obsessing over. He will be a great fit next to either Jusuf Nurkic or Nikola Jokic, and is a strong compliment to Kenneth Faried if the Nuggets ever want to go small. I question the Beasley pick a bit is because the Nuggets already have a similar guard in Gary Harris who has shown some really nice potential. On the other hand, if a team can get a guy with Beasley’s potential at #19 they have to take a shot at him. Beasley actually probably would have gone higher in this draft had he not fractured his foot, which prevented him from working out for teams. The former Seminole is an electric athlete and lights out shooter, and should be really effective on a Nuggets team that will likely fast break quite a bit.
With their final pick the Nuggets took 6’ 11” French sharpshooter Petr Cornelie, who provides the team with a really interesting combination of length and shooting. This draft and the development of their young talent should push the Nuggets to be a contender for the 6th through 8th seeds in the West. Their starting lineup will probably have Emmanuel Mudiay at the 1, Jamal Murray at the 2, Danilo Gallinari at the 3, Kenneth Faried at the 4 and Nikola Jokic at the 5 spot. The Nuggets will feature a tremendous amount of shooting and athleticism on the floor at all times, which will allow them to compete with the many high-talent teams out west.
3. Jaylen Brown
Celtics fans hated this pick, but the more I think about it the more I begin to love it. Many experts thought that the Celtics should have taken a guard; either Jamal Murray or Kris Dunn, but they smartly swung for the fences. Brown has as much potential as Ben Simmons because of his rare athleticism, which we really have not seen from a player coming into the NBA since LeBron James. He comes with a ready-made NBA body at a long 6” 7’ and a chiseled 230 pounds. The Georgia native can jump with anyone in the league, and it would not surprise me if he had an over 40 inch vertical leap. The attribute that really separates him athletically is he speed and quickness. Brown has unreal speed and agility for a man his size, which is reminiscent of a young LeBron James and could translate into him becoming an elite defender.
A lot of scouts complained about Jaylen’s college production, but in reality he doesn’t fit as well in the college game as he does in the NBA. In the pros, Brown will be free to constantly attack the basket in a much more open and spaced NBA game. Also from the reports and videos I have seen Brown has made a mechanical adjustment to his jump shot, which has corrected a lot of his prior shooting issues (mainly consistency in the lower body), so look for him to have a vastly improved catch and shoot game.
Overall if Brown develops to his full potential the Celtics will be a scary team in the East who will have the talent and depth to compete with the Cavaliers and Raptors at the top of the East. At the very least Jaylen Brown makes the 2016-17 iteration of the Celtics much more dynamic and exciting than they were in the last year.
Five Storylines for the 2016-17 NHL Regular Season
The 2015-16 NHL season concluded with the Pittsburgh Penguins raising their second Stanley Cup in the last eight years. Although ice surfaces around the league will soon be melted for summer, June offers an exciting preview of the season to come.
The Pepsi Center in Denver, CO gets ready to host another regular season of Colorado Avalanche hockey.
Here’s a look at five storylines to keep an eye on for the upcoming 2016-17 NHL season:
1. Auston Matthews
18 year old phenom, Auston Matthews, is a lock to be the first overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Entry draft. Matthews is a touted, franchise prospect whose size, skill and versatility compares to Blackhawks star, Jonathan Toews. Will Matthews be able to revitalize a lethargic Toronto franchise? All eyes will be on him as he tries to live up to his big-time billing.
2. NHL in Vegas
The question is when, not if, the NHL will expand to Las Vegas. 2016-17 should be the year in which the NHL decides exactly when an expansion draft will take place. Where will the team play and what will they be named? Expansion into a non-traditional market will certainly be a test for the NHL – it will be interesting to follow this development.
3. Outdoor Games
Outdoor games are a fantastic hockey experience for fans and players alike, connecting the professional game back to its roots on the pond. Annually one of the hockey’s biggest attractions, the NHL will host multiple outdoor games in 2016-17:
- Heritage Classic: Winnipeg Jets vs. Edmonton Oilers, Oct 15th [Investors Group Field]
- Centennial Classic: Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, Jan 1st [BMO Field]
- Winter Classic: St. Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Jan 2nd [Busch Stadium]
- Stadium Series: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers, Feb 18th [Heinz Field]
Browse our NHL suite inventory here.
4. Progression of Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid, touted as a once-in-a-generation-player, saw his rookie season cut short with injury. Nonetheless, the rookie forward posted an astonishing 48 points in 45 games. Can McDavid remain healthy for a full season? McDavid is can’t miss television with hall-of-fame potential.
5. Stamkos Sweepstakes
Free Agent forward, Steven Stamkos, will hit the Free Agent market on July 1st. Stamkos possesses the talent to singlehandedly alter the balance of power in the league depending on where he signs. The two time 50 goal scorer will command a massive contract. Rumors have linked Stamkos to the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.
NHL fans, don’t miss out on these exciting opportunities in 2016-17. Please contact us to book or click here if you’d like to view fantastic suite opportunities for the upcoming NHL season. SEG retains the largest suite inventory for NHL games. We are pleased to assist you with all your suite needs.
Infographic: Fast Facts on Living the Suite Life at Super Bowl 50
Fast Facts on Living the Suite Life at the Big Game
Let us know if we can help you secure a suite for the Super Bowl or any other sporting event or concert. Contact us for more information.
Countdown to Super Bowl 50
Levi’s Stadium gets ready to host Super Bowl 50 between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers.
The Big Game is just around the corner! We’re excited at Suite Experience Group – and I’m sure you are as well – to watch the Carolina Panthers face off against the Denver Broncos.
We have 2 amazing suites remaining at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. They are both in the Owner’s Club section, the best suite section in the stadium.
SB50 Private Suite: Owner’s Club – 15 to 20 Yard Line
Includes 24 Tickets
Includes 5 VIP Parking Passes
Price: $345,000
SB50 Private Suite: Owner’s Club – 40 to 45 Yard Line
Includes 20 Tickets
Includes 5 VIP Parking Passes
Price: $595,000
We are also selling tickets starting at $5,800 and access to exclusive Super Bowl parties. Please contact us to book or click here if you’d like more information about Super Bowl 50.
Top 5 Questions to Ask When Renting a Luxury Suite
You’ve decided to host an event in a luxury suite for a sporting event or concert. If it is your first time renting a suite, the process can feel daunting. How do you make sure you’re not getting ripped off? How do you ensure that it will be a great experience for your guests? Here are five questions you should consider when renting a luxury suite:
Top 5 Questions to Ask When Renting a Luxury Suite
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The premium seating industry is rapidly changing, most notably with the recent evolution of the secondary market for luxury suites.
How much does the suite cost including any hidden fees or taxes? Some companies will quote a low price initially, only to tack on a 20% “service fee” on the back-end. Make sure the quote you receive includes all fees.
- Does the suite include a food and beverage credit and if not, how much should I budget for catering? For the vast majority of suites, you have to pay extra for in-suite catering. The cost of catering at each stadium is different (NFL suites tend to be the most expensive), so be sure to inquire about how much to budget for food and drinks.
- What is the capacity of the suite and can I purchase additional “standing room only” tickets? Be sure the suite is large enough to house all the members of your group. Many suites offer the option to purchase additional standing room tickets (“SROs”) to increase the number of guests you can invite.
- Is the event date going to be convenient for my guests? Consider the day of the week and time of the year for your event. If you plan to entertain clients, keep in mind that Monday-Thursday events are often the preferred days for business entertainment, particularly for MLB, NHL, and NBA games.
- How can I make the event extra special for my guests? Just inviting your guests to a luxury suite at a sporting event or concert is special. But if you want to go above and beyond, you can inquire about ways to make the experience extra special, such as having a famous former player in the suite during the event.
At Suite Experience Group, we pride ourselves on being transparent and reliable with your suite booking and we’re standing by to assist when you are ready to plan your next event in a luxury suite.
Want to see the NBA Champions in a Golden State Warriors luxury suite?
We’re 20 days away from the Warriors home opener. If you’re a Warriors fan, this is a big deal. The banner gets raised. The rings get handed out. And the Splash Bros and their teammates get started on their quest for a repeat.
The defending champs have won 11 of the last 15 home openers, so expect a big night out of Steph Curry and team.
And what better way to catch the home opener than from a Golden State Warriors luxury suite? This season, Suite Experience Group brings access to a lower level luxury suite that comes with 20 tickets and 4 VIP parking passes. The Warriors popularity is at an all time high, so contact us now to secure your booking.
When is the best time to book NBA suites and NHL suites?
Luxury suite at Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA, the home of the Atlanta Hawks.
When is the best time to book NBA suites and NHL suites?
With the NBA and NHL seasons upon us, a number of clients have asked about the best time to book a suite, and whether they will get a better deal by waiting until just a few weeks (or even a few days) before the event to book a suite. Savvy buyers of tickets have learned that the longer you wait, the further the price drops. With luxury suites, it’s a different story. In short: the earlier the better.
If you wait until an event is one or two weeks away, it’s often impossible to secure a suite because the suite owners have already invited guests and couldn’t sell their suite even if they wanted to. While every once in a while there’s a great deal to be had at the last minute, in general, it’s best to purchase a suite a minimum of six weeks in advance of an event. This will help you maximize your choice of dates and suite location. You will also have more time to invite guests and make the most of your investment in a suite.
We’re standing by when you’re ready to book your suite for the upcoming NBA and NHL seasons.
5 Key Trends in Premium Seating
The premium seating market as we know it continues to evolve and grow at a rapid pace. Here are five observations on the state of the premium seating market inspired by discussion at this year’s Association of Luxury Suite Directors conference in San Francisco:
- De-Couching is a top priority for venues. Teams know their biggest competition for yo
ur time and money is actually the comfort of your living room. Innovations such as NFL Sunday Ticket and DVR have drastically improved the in-home viewing experience. The venues’ goal of getting you off your couch and to the game has spawned significant continued investment. From in-stadium WiFi, mobile apps that allow you to order food right to your seat, special exit routes from premium parking lots, expansion and upgrades of comfortable stadium clubs, and more. Levi’s Stadium even has a garden on the rooftop in case you need a little nature in your life during halftime. - Experiences Trump Possessions. Companies and individuals are once again spending more freely as the US economy has recovered from the doldrums of the recession. However, there has been a marked shift as people seek unique experiences over material goods. This trend is particularly relevant in corporate entertainment, as expanding budgets allow for ‘bucket list’ experiences to be fulfilled. Want Joe Montana in your suite for the game? Want to get dropped off at the Masters with your best client via helicopter? All it takes is money and connections.
- There is a new definition of luxury. When it comes to luxury experiences, high-end furnishings and free-flowing Dom Perignon are now just table-stakes. According to Dimensional Innovations, when it comes to experiences, true luxury is when the rules don’t apply to you. The Global Entry program that speeds Trusted Travelers through customs while others wait in lengthy lines is a great example of this. And when it comes to stadiums, it’s the symbolic touches like having a parking spot right in front of the stadium with your name on it that is just the sort of thing that makes you feel different than the other patrons. True luxury is when the rules don’t apply to you and the premium seating market is finding new ways to make their most important patrons feel special. Now VIP ticket holders can get pre-game field passes to an NFL game, cheerleader visits in a suite, access to the tunnel at an NBA game… the limit is usually one’s imagination. In the years ahead, the definition of luxury will continue to push the boundaries.
- Ticket Market Consolidation. Big ticket brokers are squeezing out the little ones (exhibit A: PrimeSport and Stubhub’s deal at the Super Bowl). Primary market players (teams, venues, TicketMaster) are directly competing with the big secondary players (Exhibit B: Stubhub’s lawsuit with the Warriors). There is serious money to be made and the days of getting tickets from the shady broker on the corner have been replaced by mobile tickets and sophisticated pricing algorithms. Expect to see the delineation between the primary and secondary market converge as teams embrace variable pricing strategies and secondary companies partner with the ticket rights holders (e.g., ScoreBig has become a reliable channel for the teams and TicketMaster to sell distressed ticket inventory, but ScoreBig also relies heavily on broker inventory). What does this mean for the customer? Most likely it means higher-prices and fewer ticket sources for the events they want to attend. But customers are also getting more savvy and they are armed with information to help them find the best source for their tickets (as evidence of this, SeatGeek has raised over $100M to be the Kayak for event tickets).
- Markets trend towards transparency. The premium seating market is the last frontier for teams and VIP brokers who claim to provide unique and otherwise unattainable access to front-row tickets, luxury suites, and celebrity experiences. StubHub long-ago made sure that you can get a ticket to nearly any major event in America, as long as you’re willing to make liberal use of your credit card. But just as the other segments of the economy have been transformed by collaborative consumption and sharing (think NetJets, Uber, Rent the Runway), so too is the premium seating market being transformed by efficient market forces. At Suite Experience Group, we’re making it easier to get a luxury suite for any event that you want. And we’re hearing incredibly positive feedback from both buyers and sellers. Customers love the fact that they can now rent a luxury suite for only the games they want to attend. Teams and suite owners love that they can monetize suites that would otherwise go unused or underutilized. Markets become more efficient over time and we’re doing our best to be a catalyst in this trend.
As a consumer, you can expect continued innovation in the premium seating and luxury suite markets. Here’s to the suite life.
What’s so special about a luxury suite?
Did you know that last year the price of a luxury suite for the Super Bowl cost more than double the average price of a house in the United States? What would compel a company to spend $450,000 on a few hours of entertainment for their best clients and prospects? What makes luxury suites at sporting events and concerts so special and how do companies use them as a proven tool to generate new business?
It all boils down to three things:
The pre-suite experience. Even before you arrive at your suite, the experience is different. Suite guests often park in a designated parking spot, just steps from the private entrance designated for suite ticket holders. AT&T Stadium has taken this to the extreme: guests of some of the most prestigious suites actually get to park underneath the stadium and ride an elevator up to their suite. Now that’s one way to really impress your best client!
The in-suite experience. Most modern stadiums have left no stone unturned in designing their suites. Amenities often include:
- Multiple HDTV’s so that you can get the benefits of watching in your living room while still being in the midst of the action at the stadium.
- A suite attendant is on-hand to ensure that your domestic beer is always on ice.
- Fancy in-suite catering – Dodger Dogs are great, but if you’re in a suite, why not splurge a bit? Try the sushi platter at Staples Center or the famously overpriced cheese pizza at AT&T Stadium.
- Private restrooms, the best of which have TV’s built into the mirrors, because if you’re in a suite, you shouldn’t have to miss a single play.
- Protection from the elements: while the rest of the fans battle the wind, rain, and snow, suites are climate controlled so that guests can stay focused on the important things, like finding extra whip cream for their hot chocolate in-between plays.
- Access to VIP stadium clubs, just in case you get claustrophobic in the suite and decide it’s time to hobnob with fellow high-rollers. Check out the Commissioner’s Club at MetLife Stadium for your next power networking session.
The intangibles. Whether you are entertaining a group of important clients and prospects, or hosting a family birthday party, it’s widely known that luxury suites are the most prestigious place to be at a sporting event or concert. Here are some of the intangibles that make them so desirable:
- Exclusivity and prestige. Guests are more willing to accept your invitation if you’re going to be in a suite than if you’re inviting them to another fancy steak dinner.
- A slice of privacy in the middle of the action. The atmosphere is conducive to great networking, relationship building, and fun. If you run out of things to talk about, just watch the game. Or go back for thirds on the bottomless nacho platter.
- Safety. Did you know that Veteran’s Stadium, former home of the Philadelphia Eagles, used to have a jail right there in the stadium? When you’re in a suite, you can more easily avoid the sorts of people who are headed for the stadium jail.
So the next time you’re putting together a group outing, consider booking a luxury suite for a sporting event. And before you get discouraged about the exorbitant price, it turns out that not all suites cost more than a house. In fact, if you know where to look, some suites can be had for less than $100 per ticket. Here’s to the suite life.