Ahead of this NFL season, Ford Field completed a comprehensive re-envisioning of the fan experience throughout the stadium. Our organization upgraded many areas to align with the changing local marketplace and demographics, as well as better utilize space within the venue. In total, we renovated in place or completely reconfigured 210,000 square feet of space, ranging from large social clubs to suites and loges.
Our mid-tier product additions have been particularly successful, resonating with existing and new clients, and even garnering the ALSD Spotlight award for Theatre/Loge Areas at the 2017 Sports Venue Design & Build Forum. To achieve this success, we lean on three tactics for high results.
1) We start high. Many of the successes that we've had selling a mid-tier premium product actually originated from suite conversations, where it became clear that the suite was not the best fit for the customer. From both a pricing and a benefits perspective, the mid-tier product became more palatable.
I'm always asked who we are selling these products to. Are they Fortune 500 companies? Are they small businesses? For us, it's been a little bit of everything. Our companies are all over the board. So selling these products has much more to do with fit than it does size of the company.
2) We tell a story. Many of the mid-tier products at Ford Field have an all-inclusive nature. And one of the things that we've done here at the Lions that's had success is letting our clients experience what their clients will experience. We encourange them to imagine how their clients are going to feel when they walk in the building, and they don't have to worry about paying for food or beverage, or they have this very unique view of the building, or they have this unique access that they never imagined having. Putting our clients in the position of what their clients are going to experience has been really impactful for us.
3) We create exclusivity. We have a very limited number of mid-tier products, and that all-inclusive nature is not something that can be experienced everywhere throughout Ford Field. We have 13 loge boxes, and we only have 72 MGM Grand Detroit Tunnel Club seats. So we really put a premium on that exclusivity.
We consult our clients, making sure that they know that we're thinking about them when opportunities come up in one of these products that have a high sell-through. We want to let them know that we're looking out for them, that there's a limited opportunity to experience these things, and we wouldn't want them or their company to miss out on the opportunity.
Jared Kozinn is the Senior Director of Business Development and Premium Seating at the Detroit Lions, and is a member of the ALSD's Executive Committee.
Learn why limiting loge box opportunities can sometimes add significant gains to your owner's bottom line.