Samsung Guide to Multi Use Venues

Multi-use Venues

Your guide to capturing new audiences

Intro

Live event venues are major investments. Be it professional arenas, college stadiums or minor-league locales, hundreds of millions of dollars (or more) are often spent on these projects with the goal of creating state-of-the-art fan experiences.

Take a look at the new Chase Center. This revolutionary arena cost $1.4 billion dollars to construct, while venues like the upcoming So-Fi stadium will likely sport an even higher price tag (to the tune of $5 billion). This doesn’t include the millions of dollars required to operate and maintain these spaces every year.

The resulting arenas are undeniably spectacular, but exploding costs, a limited number of games and declining attendance make it hard for owners to see a return. That’s why venues are on the hunt for ways to deliver fresh experiences, capture new audiences and make the most of their space.

It’s an enduring challenge. Audiences everywhere are constantly searching for more unique experiences that

speak to their individual motivations. Sports-goers, for example, require the best of the best to even consider leaving their home theaters, while esports audiences want to be taken seriously on a larger stage.

In all cases, fans have extremely high expectations, and it’s up to venues to deliver — on event day or otherwise. With ever-improving innovations and fresh, creative display solutions, gone are the days of serving a single purpose. Live event venues are moving into a new era of always-on, multi-purpose entertainment.

Audiences

Venue owners must find ways to use their facilities beyond the traditional game day. More and more spaces now host concerts, cultural events and esports tournaments. Fans seek the best, and although audiences share certain behaviors, there are differences within each fan base that venue owners need to take into consideration. In the following sections, we look at the demographics and values of each audience.

Sports fans

Nearly 20% of any given generation, from Millennials to Boomers, enjoys attending sporting events. Average ages vary based on the sport, but they span anywhere from 36 for NBA fans to 53 for MLB fans.

Looking beyond the numbers, it’s crucial to consider their values as well. Among sports fans, family is a top priority (sporting events are common bonding experiences). These fans feel a deep sense of pride around their local teams, and athletic events tap into their sense of self-actualization and confidence. That

“Have the impactyou want with the audience you’re trying to reach.”

- Kim Stone, Chase Center General Manager

is, if teams can coax fans off their couches and into the stadium.

With the rise of home theaters and 4K televisions, sports viewers have easy access to top-of-the-line viewing right from their couch. Venues need to entice them with groundbreaking experiences, a sense of camaraderie and collective excitement no home theater can replicate.

Esports

Esports fans are overwhelmingly men between 18 and 34 years old. What may not seem like a sport to most, video and computer games have hit a boom in the last several years. Touting 454 million fans worldwide (and growing), it’s not unusual for esports to have a larger fan base than some traditional sports.

This audience is highly competitive, valuing skill and expertise. Most important to esports fans, though, is their desire to be taken seriously. While this industry is worth well over $100 billion, they rarely see the respect and grandeur associated with traditional sports. Esport-specific venues have begun to crop up around the world, including on college campuses, but there’s still a massive opportunity to tap into this audience.

Concerts

The concert crowd skews fairly young, with 30% of Gen Z and Millennials saying they’ve attended a show in the last year.

This audience needs an emotional release and a fun escape from everyday life. They go in looking not only for empowerment but for life-long memories as well. Artists are constantly looking for ways to deliver unforgettable experiences that appeal to the masses and create a sense of intimacy with each guest. It should also come as no surprise that the most unforgettable shows aren’t just a live experience. They also have to be highly shareable.

Cultural events

“Cultural events” can mean any number of things. From plays and musicals, to live wrestling and con culture (think San Diego Comic-Con), these event goers span a wide array of demographics.

One thing is certain, however. These fans all desire a space where they can bond with like-minded individuals. Expression, community and passion are top values for this group. They don’t just see these events as a hobby, they view them as part of their identity. It’s crucial that arenas are able to seamlessly accommodate these events,

cater to niche passions and create unique experiences to give fans a place to build a larger community around something they love.

Community is universal

While different groups have different motivations, they do all have something in common: They all crave the feeling of belonging to something greater than themselves. Audiences love live events because there is no digital substitute for the energy of the real thing. This feeling of inclusivity and community are universal for event goers, and this can mean a lot of things for venues, most importantly that there’s plenty of opportunity for growth.

Sports

Audience Demographics & Values

Demographics Differentiating Values

At least 20% of any given generation is interested in attending sporting events

The average age of an NBA game attendee is 36 (versus 47 for NFL and 53 for MLB)

Esports

75% males; 75% age 18-34; 43% HHI over $75,000

Live Music

Cultural Events

⅓ of Gen Z and Millennials report attending a concert in the past year, compared to just over a quarter of Gen Xers and Boomers

Family, selfactualization, confidence, patriotism, belief

Competition, skill, expertise, adventure

Experience, fun, empowerment, escape

Psychographics Needs / Motivators

Interest in tracking stats/data; Monday morning quarterback commentary; interest in multiple sports

With so much digital coverage, increasingly needs motivation to get off the couch on gameday

The tip-off (kick-off, etc.) is a huge moment for social sharing

Cord-cutters, less traditional media in favor of streaming platforms

Not just gaming and soda brand activations; treat esports seriously

Event-specific, but younger males gravitate to conventions around tech and entertainment

Identity, community, expression, passion

Seeks emotional release and energy from live events

Nostalgia for the 60s through the 90s continues to spur engagement

Big acts seek new ways to make arena events more personal, close-knit as well as digitally shareable

Seeks ways for self expression in public spaces with like-minded people

Cater to niche passions for one-of-a-kind experiences and the chance to build community around what you love

What it means for tech

Catering to so many different audiences presents real challenges. Venues can no longer look at their spaces as serving a single use, and upgraded technology (like digital displays) can help them adapt to new crowds and accommodate unique events.

Better tech. Lower costs.

In recent years, there has been major progress in display technology. Companies are offering higher resolution, tighter pixel pitch, larger sizes and more creative solutions to their customers. Spaces can also implement better sound systems, interactive boards and improved cellular connection with 5G.

As the variety, quality and performance of digital displays has improved, the costs have fallen. Arenas can better afford ground-breaking displays any crowd can enjoy. More displays and enhancements mean more long-term revenue opportunities. Additional pixels translate to more space for advertising, a major revenue generator. Plus, broadening your use to serve multiple audiences means more opportunity for eventday earnings.

“Digital displays give us the flexibility to create a custom experience forguests. It’s fantastic.”

- Kim Stone, Chase Center General Manager

Extending the “field of play”

Enhancing communal spaces around the court or field creates more opportunities to host a variety of events. Smaller rooms can be made available to rent as anything from coworking areas to wedding venues. Enhancements don’t have to be limited to the interior of stadiums, either. Venues are looking at exterior spaces with the same lens. Every open area is an opportunity to bring people in and create experiences — minimizing the “show up only for the event” mentality. Adding exterior displays and interactive technology turns courtyards and parking lots into communal plazas — Giving audiences of all sorts space to congregate and feel a sense of belonging.

Flexibility and customization

Digital displays add a whole new level of flexibility and customization to venues. With a single click, boards can be updated with tailored messaging and special content.

“The experience can really be driven through the ability to customize” says Kim Stone, Chase Center General Manager. Everything from the centerhung to concession displays and outward-facing boards can be quickly updated to serve a specific need. Using boards to display

special performer messages helps add a personal touch for guests during the event. Once the event ends, those same displays can be changed to show wayfinding information — keeping the experience smooth and positive, even as guests are walking out the door.

The boards themselves are also highly customizable. Displays come in a variety of shapes and configurations and can be paired together to create larger, interactive stations.

Chase Center courtside lounges are an excellent example of how LED displays elevate any space. These premium suites feature nine-screen displays. Guests can view a game on a massive scale or use each screen individually to view different angles, games and events at once. Even better, lounges and event spaces can easily flex to accommodate functions up to 400 people.

Case Study: Chase Center

A privately financed $1.4 billion arena, Chase Center has been called a global epicenter of innovation. This ground-breaking arena boasts 1,100 screens, over 50 million individual pixels, over 150 million LEDs and 50,000 feet of fiber. Chase Center is the first arena to make the step away from just sports and push towards “entertainment hub” for all audiences. “We want to be more than just a sports entertainment venue, we want to be a lifestyle destination,” says Stone, “We’re excited and have already seen the buzz created.”

Display boards and digital upgrades have played a huge part in Chase Center’s push to branch out of the “sports arena” mold. “What digital allows us to do from a flexibility standpoint... is fantastic. Everyone can come and have a premium experience.” Chase Center continues to invest and future proof their displays, cementing them as the leader of the multi-use movement.

Read more about the one-of-a-kind experience Chase Center has created.

Case Study: Chase Center

With construction costs at an all-time high and event attendance at a low, it’s no longer feasible for live event venues to function as utilitarian destinations primarily for sports. The need for flexibility to support a variety of events is more important than ever, and digital display technology is key to making it happen. Event goers crave fresh, exciting experiences, and outfitting venues with innovative AV solutions can transform a space from a single-use arena to a multi-purpose powerhouse.

One solution partner for your multi-use venue

Samsung Electronics America (SEA) is leading the way in audio/visual solutions for destinations everywhere. Having outfitted venues all over the world with groundbreaking display technology, Samsung is a true one-stop-shop for multi-use venue needs.

Samsung continues to provide creative solutions and deliver a variety of innovative products with unmatched quality and customer service. Projects like Chase Center are just the beginning. From blueprint to implementation, Samsung is the best partner for your multi-use venue.