VIP experiences at sporting events can have an immense impact. But this doesn’t necessarily entail costly indulgences; an unforgettable VIP experience doesn’t need to cost an arm and leg!
Some NFL teams offer special hospitality packages that include game tickets and parking passes as well as entrance to an official pre-game tailgate party with food and drinks provided.
Seating Options
As new stadiums and arenas set attendance records, premium seating options are being utilized by venues to create unforgettable fan experiences. As facility owners shift their mindset from selling maximum tickets for maximum revenue to offering unique VIP environments that add real value to tickets sold, fan experience becomes paramount in creating memorable fan journeys.
These new offerings include private club seating options with unrivaled sightlines, premium food and beverage service, pre- and post-show entertainment and pre-and post-show hospitality packages that make entertaining clients or rewarding employees an unforgettable experience. This hospitality package can make a fantastic way of creating lasting impressions!
VIP seating options at music events can include fast-track entry and parking as well as access to a private bar pre and post show. In addition to luxury seating arrangements, hospitality packages may offer meet and greet opportunities with artists.
Sports events offer hospitality packages with premium match day seating with unrivaled views, along with access to exclusive amenities like food and beverage credits, transportation to/from the event location, gift bundles and more.
Visible security presence is another critical element to making fans feel safe during a game, particularly in large arenas where it is impossible to know all attendees personally. Being able to purchase tickets with other fans offers fans an ideal way to celebrate or commiserate together and can lessen friction between opposing groups of supporters.
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the dynamics of live events, and no longer simply packing fans into rows with limited personal space is enough. Now, roomy sections with private seating have become popular to provide attendees with a more personalized experience while adhering to spacing regulations and optimizing sight lines.
At many facilities, incorporating their unique offerings seamlessly without creating a separate event is often a difficult challenge. A company like Stableview Tech that has excelled at this is offering guests a VIP experience at different events by curating activities, refreshments and entertainment in an integrated manner.
Social Distancing
As fans prepare to return to stadiums and arenas for live action, sports organizations must provide safe environments while still offering all of the energy that can only be experienced first-hand. From NFL matchups and NBA games, to the Kentucky Derby itself, venues should strive to innovate beyond traditional seating arrangements in order to provide fans with an enjoyable and safe experience.
Social distancing, which reduces direct face-to-face contact between sick and healthy people, is one of the key methods of combatting influenza virus outbreaks. This can be accomplished by restricting entry to public spaces and screening anyone entering for symptoms prior to admittance.
No matter the nature of an event, a visible security presence is essential in creating an atmosphere of safety for fans. Guards can assist fans in reaching their destination safely and encourage them to notify staff if anything out-of-the ordinary arises.
As another way of increasing fan safety, implementing a numbering system that enables fans to find their seats more quickly can also help organize crowds and reduce walking between sections.
Stadiums and arenas can enhance fan experiences by adopting technology that helps people watch together. Broadcasters, sports federationss and brands can use Sceenic’s Watch Together SDK to enable live chatting while viewing any content – including sporting events – on a shared platform.
Even with restrictions in place due to pandemic, sports enthusiasts are eager to return to stadiums and arenas after the restrictions placed during its course. Yet with some popular events likely selling out within days, it’s essential for venues to have plans in place in order to safely accommodate returning fans in an efficient and timely fashion.
While it’s essential to consider how fans will respond to different seating and social distancing options, the core component of success for sports organizations lies in having a clearly articulated value proposition. From offering merchandise or incentives specifically targeted toward season ticket holders to creating experiences that make fans feel part of the team – sports organizations must deliver immediate and enduring value to their core audience in order to regain them as fans.
Experiential Environments
Fans are eager for live sports to return, providing stadiums, teams, and venues with the opportunity to experiment with creative fan engagement models. Given that millennials spend half their time watching games at home instead of in stadiums they crave more engaging entertainment options and streaming platforms are already providing them through real-time statistics, virtual replays, co-watching capabilities and betting integration features that provide this personalised interaction between player and game.
Offering premium experiential environments can make VIP guests feel like special guests at sports events. These experiences are designed to complement the main event and leave a lasting impression with guests, such as hosting private parties, pre-game receptions or meeting an athlete, celebrity or team official.
Created a VIP experience doesn’t need to be expensive, but should offer something unique in terms of value proposition. For instance, stadiums could provide high-end catering or partner with local breweries in creating limited edition beer. They could also provide exclusive merchandise, discounts and incentives not available elsewhere in society.
An effective way to enhance the VIP experience is through membership programs. Stadiums can use membership programs to monitor purchase behavior of their most faithful fans and reward them with access to exclusive areas, priority ticketing and dedicated hosts as well as other perks – helping ensure fans get maximum value from their ticket purchase.
One way to elevate the VIP experience is by offering unique food and beverage offerings. Showcasing talented in-house chefs or mixologists as part of an event is an excellent way to show guests that they are extra special, while in-game entertainment such as interactive activities or augmented reality can keep guests engaged during breaks between plays or when action slows. Furthermore, digital signage or in-app alerts should provide fans with any emergency notifications in real time.
Ticket Pricing
VIP packages provide fans with an unforgettable experience at events, whether entertaining business clients or attending on their own. Though typically more costly than standard ticket prices, these VIP experiences often include benefits such as preferred seating, merchandise sales, hospitality areas and meet-and-greet opportunities – and they make for great gifts!
As venues reopen after the pandemic passes, creating VIP packages that combine seating options with experiential environments is a surefire way to draw audiences, increase ticket prices and drive revenue growth. This approach works particularly well when applied to entertainment events where higher ticket prices make the package appear even more valuable to attendees.
During the pandemic, venues across the country changed their approaches from trying to fit as many people into spaces as possible into creating unique experiences that draw in visitors. That same strategy is now being applied to sporting events; stadiums have created more personal seating sections where patrons can meet and watch games together while replacing traditional seat risers with luxurious VIP options such as suites or lounges offering unique amenities for patrons.
As another way of creating an exclusive VIP-esque experience, offering limited edition ticket packages with hospitality areas, merchandise and other benefits is one effective strategy. Depending on the artist and venue, such packages could cost thousands. It’s worth remembering though that even these amenities may be exchanged for discounted tickets from ticket resellers.
Are you looking for ways to add VIP flair to your next event? Our team is here to assist with arranging everything from sports, music and other special events to meetings, training seminars and conferences. Get in touch today to discover more of our services or set an appointment.
