[News] Calgary, Alberta, & CSEC agree in principle to $1.223bn Event Centre + infrastructure

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

It’s interesting how food and drink have become a much more important (and profitable) element of arenas. Back when the Dome first opened (never mind the Corral), most people didn’t eat at all at a game. If they did they had some 75 cent popcorn, or maybe a crappy hot dog.

So what changed in the last 40 years? A more affluent class of fan attending games? People more accustomed to eating meals later in the evening? Greater value (and discretionary spending) placed on food and drink than in the past?

You can watch the product at home for significantly less money and hassle.

[Young Guns]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

At Climate Pledge, season ticket holders scan their palm when walking into the food service vendor area, take a burger and fries off the shelf and walk out. It detects what they took and charges their account accordingly. No lines.

In Nashville they have fridges like what you see at connivance stores. You walk up and have your choice of 40 different beers/coolers. Grab what you want and when exiting it charges your card. No idea how it works but its mind blowing magic. No lineups for beer!

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Young Guns

In Nashville they have fridges like what you see at connivance stores. You walk up and have your choice of 40 different beers/coolers. Grab what you want and when exiting it charges your card. No idea how it works but its mind blowing magic. No lineups for beer!

Hide something in your friend's pocket, send them out, hilarity ensues

[Torture]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

At Climate Pledge, season ticket holders scan their palm when walking into the food service vendor area, take a burger and fries off the shelf and walk out. It detects what they took and charges their account accordingly. No lines.

I mean, that's pretty cool (probably Amazon's no checkout technology?)...but this level of innovation requires...a whole new building?

And while it's very cool, I wouldn't say it's a fundamental change to the fan experience which was my point earlier. You're not going to the arena/event centre to get a burger and fries without waiting in line, you're going to the arena to watch sports sports sports.

[rollie619]

Originally Posted by Torture

I mean, that's pretty cool (probably Amazon's no checkout technology?)...but this level of innovation requires...a whole new building?

And while it's very cool, I wouldn't say it's a fundamental change to the fan experience which was my point earlier. You're not going to the arena/event centre to get a burger and fries without waiting in line, you're going to the arena to watch sports sports sports.

The Skydome has this too, with the new renovations.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Young Guns

In Nashville they have fridges like what you see at connivance stores. You walk up and have your choice of 40 different beers/coolers. Grab what you want and when exiting it charges your card. No idea how it works but its mind blowing magic. No lineups for beer!

Same thing in Los Angeles. It's very convenient.

[FurnaceFace]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

It’s interesting how food and drink have become a much more important (and profitable) element of arenas. Back when the Dome first opened (never mind the Corral), most people didn’t eat at all at a game. If they did they had some 75 cent popcorn, or maybe a crappy hot dog.

So what changed in the last 40 years? A more affluent class of fan attending games? People more accustomed to eating meals later in the evening? Greater value (and discretionary spending) placed on food and drink than in the past?

It’s just a shift in society in general isn’t it? People used to make and eat nearly every meal at home, going out for dinner once every week perhaps. Now people eat out more and if people eat at home, they don’t always make at home, hence the growth of delivery services ne takeaway options. Even if people make from home, there are now the meal in a box options.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by Torture

I mean, that's pretty cool (probably Amazon's no checkout technology?)...but this level of innovation requires...a whole new building?

And while it's very cool, I wouldn't say it's a fundamental change to the fan experience which was my point earlier. You're not going to the arena/event centre to get a burger and fries without waiting in line, you're going to the arena to watch sports sports sports.

It's definitely part of my fan experience. I don't know about you, but nothing frustrates me more than trying to get food and drinks at the Dome. Some of the staff there are just so slow in doing anything. I don't know who trains their staff, but they aren't doing a very good job. It should not take that long to dispense beer.

[Redlan]

Loved the 200 level experience I had in Montreal in March. $150 club seat, just walk up to the concession and grab whatever you like. Toasties, Montreal smoke meat sandwich, popcorn, poutine...that is when I tapped out, mind you I could not find the ice-cream. Lots of other food items but the 2 toasties were a must. Nonalcoholic drinks included as well.

[R2theJ]

Originally Posted by marsplasticeraser

I think this is a perfect example of how the Flames management provides terrible fan experience.

Many other great sports franchises have decided to make the experience at the stadium something for fans to look forward to. This means fans arrive early to eat, drink and buy stuff.

Why? Because it is a good experience. It's part of the fun of 'going to a game'

Flames management has taken an opposite approach, and has thought "We can make this super easy for ourselves and make a bit more money by sole-sourcing food and beverage to a few generic massive brands, so let's do that!"

They are so limited in their thinking they can't even consider that by selling terrible or mediocre product it means that eating and drinking at the Dome sucks, and ultimately fans spend a lot less.

New ownership would easily see all the revenue that is being left on the table.

Ultimately, delighting fans takes work, which is not something Flames management appears interested in. We have seen so much evidence that flames management is either unable to figure out how to do this, they are too lazy as it takes work, or they don't really care (often shown as being resistant to change).

The Dome could have had a great off-ice product with competent leadership, but that isn't something we have!

I agree with you, however most arenas operate along the same lines (in Canada anyways) but some have gone a little more grass roots - like Rogers Place in Edmonton where the exclusive contracts have gone to smaller producers (for the time being). The deals are for $100,000’s per year and unfortunately they are pretty cost prohibitive for these producers and they usually don’t renew due to the ROI not being there. Good advertising in a way but the volume of sales doesn’t equate to being a good spend for smaller producers, so the big guys swoop in and take the contracts. I think the Flames should look at different and more unique Food/Beverage ideas as get away from the paid for exclusivity model that has been employed for decades.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Young Guns

In Nashville they have fridges like what you see at connivance stores. You walk up and have your choice of 40 different beers/coolers. Grab what you want and when exiting it charges your card. No idea how it works but its mind blowing magic. No lineups for beer!

Pheonix had something similar.

[Flames0910]

I’ve been told in the past that the cashierless checkout requires MUCH better wifi infrastructure than the dome has (or is really capable of having).

[Locke]

Originally Posted by accord1999

Regarding washrooms, here's Steve Ballmer proudly touting how many toilets and urinals his new arena is going to have:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1633227791733870593

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

At Climate Pledge, season ticket holders scan their palm when walking into the food service vendor area, take a burger and fries off the shelf and walk out. It detects what they took and charges their account accordingly. No lines.

This is sort of the thing, while that guy comes across as a bit of a lunatic, he's not wrong.

You have access to 20,000 essentially trapped people for 3 hours. The key is 'throughput.'

You have a captive population for a limited time...you've gotta sell them everything you can.

People arent buying anything if they're waiting in line or going to the bathroom, so you have to increase the efficiency of these systems.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Torture

I mean, that's pretty cool (probably Amazon's no checkout technology?)...but this level of innovation requires...a whole new building?

And while it's very cool, I wouldn't say it's a fundamental change to the fan experience which was my point earlier. You're not going to the arena/event centre to get a burger and fries without waiting in line, you're going to the arena to watch sports sports sports.

Anything is possible in a renovation but sometimes it takes a whole restart for an organization to use the clean slate as a push to innovate and rethink the overall program.

I still expect a new rink in Calgary to be “new” but again limited in food/bev offerings compared to other places, poor game presentation, dull marketing promotions and around arena pregame atmosphere. There’s nothing about CSEC that gives me confidence they’re going to develop an exciting product.

[calgarygeologist]

When it comes to seating design/layout what are people's thoughts on the zamboni entrance behind the net vs in the corner? Is there a benefit to one design over the other?

[drewtastic]

As a STH, all I can say is that we’d better damn well get a new-arena-unveiling that at least rivals this one…

https://youtu.be/7LlE5VXubWE

[Scary Eloranta]

Originally Posted by drewtastic

As a STH, all I can say is that we’d better damn well get a new-arena-unveiling that at least rivals this one…

https://youtu.be/7LlE5VXubWE

OMG that might be the most cringe worthy thing I’ve ever watched. Even worse than the Skydome opening with Alan Thicke.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Fighting Banana Slug]

I was at that game. It was as bad live as it is on that video. The best was the dancing on that carpet. The whole thing moved as the dancers went from one side to the other. Surprised no one fell down because of it.

Even worse, we lost.

[dino7c]

People aged hard back then...young Canadians look 45

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by drewtastic

As a STH, all I can say is that we’d better damn well get a new-arena-unveiling that at least rivals this one…

https://youtu.be/7LlE5VXubWE

They say the mind heals itself by repressing tragic memories.

I do not remember that.