A look at future of the fan experience
Squeezing into a stadium or arena for a sporting event, fans react and interact in their seats or in the concourse or on line at a concession stand.
It’s a place where strangers bond over a shared experience. It also promotes the very antithesis of social distancing.
So as sports venues plot life on the other side of the pandemic, one thing is certain — the fan experience will look and feel different for the foreseeable future.
“There are going to be some significant changes,” said University of New Haven sports management professor Gil Fried, who studies event safety and management. “Some of these changes will be permanent.”
Like the security of grasping a paper ticket? Sorry, paperless tickets are the future.
Like that specialty prepared-to-serve food at concession stands? Enjoy those grab-and-go meals instead.
Also, leave your cash at home. Mobile payment apps are preferred, although credit cards will work.
Follow the signs and arrows, wear your mask, and prepare to have plenty of room around you. Whether it’s 1,000 or 10,000 fans, the venue won’t be the same as you return for a game.
“It’s a lot about thinking through every single scenario and trying to cover every detail in those scenarios,” Connecticut Sun vice president Amber Cox said. “We know there are going to be surprises along the way and things that we have to pivot and think about … So have so many plans to work with.”
Cox’s home venue is among the few that staged events throughout 2020. Mohegan Sun Arena hosted mixed martial arts, boxing, and college basketball, all without fans. The experience gave the Mohegan Sun staff a prototype for the infrastructure of running an event.
But Cox and the Mohegan Sun staff are envision
ing their arena with fans. At Rentschler Field in East Hartford, just over 1,300 riled into the 40,000-seat stadium on the night of Nov. 1 for a Major League Soccer match.
The lesson learned by venue operator Spectra Venue Management? Consider every step of the fan experience.
“The way we looked it was, it’s from the minute somebody drives on the property,” said Ben Weiss, general manager of Rentschler Field and Hartford’s XL Center. “How are we going to park them? How do we try to create as much of a touchless experience as possible based on
the infrastructure and the technology backbone we have?”
Cars parked at a distance and there was assigned gate entry into the stadium — a practice that may continue at future events. There was a line painted in the center of the concourse, as patrons were instructed to walk on the right and follow arrows. Fans were reminded to stay distant and wear masks. There was little or no resistance, Weiss said.
The traditional concession stands were replaced by “marketplaces,” which enable customers to pick out their own items and pay with a credit card or device.
“It’s a concept that minimizes interaction between our staff and the patrons,”
Weiss said.
Fried, who consults with professional franchises, said that model will be used throughout the country. The concept is more efficient and limits the need for staff to man cash registers but that doesn’t mean venue will cut back on personnel.
“You’re actually going to see a lot more people working the venue,” Fried said. “You’re going to have more security people, you’re going to have people cleaning.”
Fried envisions venue staff conducting temperature checks at gates. And just as Rentschler funneled fans to specific gates for entry, venues could assign a window of time for fans to enter. Sports organization could also follow the
lead of Ticketmaster, which is working to require concert ticket buyers to verify on their mobile account that they have either been vaccinated or have tested negative for COVID.
It could be part of the paperless ticket model.
“The pandemic is an opportunity,” Fried said. “A number of teams have been trying to do this for years. In baseball, one of the things that has been hindering their growth in this space is that the average fan for Major League Baseball is the mid-50s. Some people aren’t as technologically savvy as others ... But I think this gives them the opportunity to try and do this.”