Meet Gensler's Own Former U.S. Olympic Swimmer

Image © Gensler

In celebration of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games, Gensler Sports launched GenslerOn Rio 2016, a blog series focused on how the planning and design of these physical venues play into the overall athlete, spectator and resident experience. This series will take a close look at what an Olympic athlete experiences during the Games; how virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) play into designing venues, as well as the fan experience; and the legacies that are left after the Games have come and gone from host cities.

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A New Paradigm for Sports Venues: Community Connections

Stadiums are big and monolithic, there’s no getting around it. And almost by definition, stadiums are venues that focus inward – after all, that’s where the games are played. Those two characteristics alone set the stadium in opposition to what many now consider principles of good urbanism, and in the second half of the 20th century we saw teams locate stadiums on the outskirts of cities, plopped in the center of expansive parking lots with little consideration for place or surroundings – the anti-city.

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A New Paradigm for Sports Venues: Technology

We’ve gotten used to anytime-anywhere access to information, and for better or worse, nearly constant communication. We’ve hit the point where we get upset or frustrated when that connectivity is interrupted. The expectations are no different in a sports venue, in fact, they’re probably even greater. After all, when we’re watching a game at home, we’re accustomed to a plethora of data that support the game—instant stats, constant commentary, interaction with other fans, and the opportunity to follow along with our own devices.

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A New Paradigm for Sports Venues: Sponsor ROI

Photo credit: Tom Kaminski / WCBS 880

“If you build it they will come,” right? Wrong! On its own, a sports venue won’t draw a crowd unless the overall experience that each individual fan will encounter within that venue is designed to be positive, compelling, comfortable and exciting. You’re a rare genius if you can provide that kind of experience on your own; more likely, you need strong partners who share your goals.

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A New Paradigm for Sports Venues: The Fan Experience

Photo via Flickr user clydeorama

If you asked any fan of any sports team to name a favorite, they’d each tell you that their team is the best. Meanwhile teams would tell you that they have the greatest fans. And they’d both be telling the truth. In their hearts, they both believe this—the connection between sports teams and fans is that deep. So, if you’re the owner or operator of a sports venue, and you want to create the type of home field advantage that maximizes fan engagement and sponsorship ROI, and that builds a sense of community, then the first of four strategies we’ve proposed (as Ron Turner previewed last week) is to take the time to get to know the fans who buy your tickets, fill your seats, and cheer (loudly!) for your team.

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