Over the past decade, sporting venue designs have begun to cater to millennial preferences. Throughout North America, facilities have seen a decline in fan attendance at major league games. Franchise owners and venue operators are searching for ways to bring back fans and attract new fans to their sporting events.
New facilities and venue retrofits are being designed to accommodate younger fans’ preferences by creating dynamic, interactive game day experiences. Gone are the days when fans were satisfied to find their seat and order food and drinks from the roaming vendors over the course of the game. Millennials are in the hunt for social gathering places – areas to interact while occasionally catching the action on the field or court, with associated charging station, concessions and TV’s. Courtside standing room or bars and field-level clubs are becoming more common and desirable in today’s stadiums and arenas, along with small “nooks” built into concourses to accommodate fan’s instantaneous interaction with each other during the game.
The concept of “it’s what’s in your hand that is important” is proving to be the number one consideration when attracting current and new fans to sporting events. For millennials, instantaneous and uninterrupted connectivity to their smartphones are requirements when attending events. Venues are enhancing their technology bandwidth, allowing fans to simultaneously snap photos and send texts during these events.
A robust offering of mobile apps are also popping up in the sporting operations such as paperless ticketing, apps for ordering in-seat food and beverage delivery, and apps for researching player statistics and buying merchandise from anywhere in the venue. Technology continues to change the horizon of the sports industry as well as the construction industry, and at PCL, we bring our innovative approaches forward to help you achieve your facility’s potential and build a lasting legacy for fans of all ages.
Our team of sports experts are well versed in modern-day trends and continued advancements being made to attract fans and improve revenue streams. Some examples are more LED displays for advertising and fan interaction. As employee owners, we pride ourselves on our strong relationships with sports venue designers, specialty equipment vendors and major installation subcontractors, ensuring we deliver the most fan-friendly venues while enhancing the home team advantages of PCL-built venues. Our recommendations and collaborative building process are gameday-based with a keen focus on enhanced fan experiences for years to come.