At Rogers Place, your night won’t end when the game does
Arena was designed so Oilers fans will stick around, executive says
Rogers Place, the shiniest new plaything in Edmonton, has been touted as having something for everyone — from the nosebleed section to plush suites, but it also includes several premium rental options.
Stew MacDonald, chief commercial officer for Oilers Entertainment Group, took Postmedia on a tour of the arena to highlight some of those options. That’s a sweet suite: Exclusivity builds demand, so it’s little surprise that 54 of the 57 private suites at Rogers Place (that’s nine fewer suites than Rexall) are all licensed for the next three, five or seven years.
That leaves three 12-fixed-seat suites available for game night rentals at a cost of $900 per night (for an Oil Kings game) or $8,500 (for an Oilers matchup).
Because it’s at a private level, there’s no risk of people trying to access the suite from the crowd. This allows the suites to have been built without glass on the front, which adds to the atmosphere. The high ceilings accentuate that airy feel.
“We wanted everybody to feel connected and connected to the bowl,” MacDonald said.
“At the end of the day we are all here to cheer for the Oilers or the Oil Kings when the game is on so it should be one crowd, not a segmented crowd.
“We wanted to deliver premium opportunities, but you are part of the experience in the bowl; you are not removed from it.” What’s a loge?: Welcome to the PCL Loge level, two tiers of table seating between the upper and lower decks (along with one tier of ledge seating) for 800 fans with access to an open concourse that has three free standing bars and two food-service locations.
If you are sitting at one of the four-person loge tables, two of which are available to rent for $170 for an Oil Kings game and $1,800 for the Oilers, you also get in-seat food and beverage service.
“This is one of the most talked about areas of the arena because it is so unique and so spectacular,” he said.
Modelled on Nationwide Arena, the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the loge level is also home to the 200-seat Curve Restaurant that is open to anyone, with a reservation.
“The vision was to have more amenities for all fans and to have more neighbourhoods, more social spaces regardless of where you were sitting or your investment level,” MacDonald said.
“I think we have accomplished that.” All the way to the top: Drawing inspiration from Rogers Arena in Vancouver and Staples Center in Los Angeles, the Sky Lounge is basically a giant post-game nightclub for 250 season ticket holders. But if those sitting there aren’t interested in partying the night away, other fans will be granted access to the Sky Lounge for some postgame tunes. The space is also open for rent for Christmas parties or a birthday bash.
At the very top is a 52-seat rental mezzanine that is available for rent for $17,400 for an Oilers game.
“As we learn (about) the building over the coming weeks on how fans are reacting (to) pre, during and post events to get a better sense as to how we manage those elements,” he said.
“For us, it is pretty exciting the options we can provide fans to give them reasons to stick around after the games.”