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AOHT Event Planning Lesson 11 Sports Venues Student Resources Resource Description Student Resource 11.1 Reading: Managing a Sports Event Student Resource 11.2 Reading: Sports Venue Considerations Student Resource 11.3 Notes: Sports Venue Considerations Student Resource 11.4 Prospectus: NFL Stadium Design Copyright © 2009–2016 NAF. All rights reserved.

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AOHT Event Planning

Lesson 11Sports Venues

Student Resources

Resource Description

Student Resource 11.1 Reading: Managing a Sports Event

Student Resource 11.2 Reading: Sports Venue Considerations

Student Resource 11.3 Notes: Sports Venue Considerations

Student Resource 11.4 Prospectus: NFL Stadium Design

Copyright © 2009–2016 NAF. All rights reserved.

AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Student Resource 11.1

Reading: Managing a Sports Event

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

How to manage a sports event depends on many factors, such as the sport involved and the level of play. Managing a high school basketball game is going to differ from managing a college or professional basketball game. A swim meet, golf tournament, and baseball game are also going to have different requirements and issues to manage.

On the other hand, all managers of sports events need certain qualities in order for the event to succeed. Managers need to be good leaders and inspire trust in all of the other people involved―players, coaches, referees, facilities managers, volunteers, and spectators among them. Managers need to be incredibly organized and able to effectively delegate responsibilities.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Professional sports events require contracts that define exactly what the manager is responsible for and describe financial obligations of the stakeholders. Depending on the size of the event, many contracts may be necessary: the venue, suppliers, sponsors, and broadcasters will all require one.

Once the contract is established, the manager can make a highly detailed budget. In the meantime, the manager can get a good sense of the budget based on previous events, the facilities required, and the numbers of people expected to attend the event. This general idea of the budget is necessary if bidding will take place.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

The bidding process begins years ahead of the event for really big sports events. Think of how far in advance cities around the world vie to host the Olympics. Professional events on a smaller scale also require bids. A particular organization makes the formal bid, but the events manager is likely to be involved in gathering support for the event from the athletes, local authorities, commercial backers, the media, and the police (if it’s a very big event). A manager may be key in persuading the key voters and decision makers toward the final choice.

Sports events bidding can become extremely competitive, and sometimes bidding wars occur. Maintaining competitive pricing is especially important in this case.

Thorough research of the competition and of past successful bidders will help the manager know how to make a good pitch. Consummate people skills and political savvy are very important in the bidding process.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

When should the event be held? The events manager must be aware of any events that may pose a conflict. For example, it’s a bad idea to hold a high school track and field competition on the day after prom, when everyone will be exhausted, or the day before finals. It’s also a bad idea to hold a marathon through a city on the same day as a big parade. Is the venue available on the proposed date? Are the teams involved able to play on that day or are they already scheduled to play somewhere else?

The 2022 FIFA World Cup, an international football (soccer) tournament, has never before been played in an Arab country. Different regions of the world can pose other problems when choosing a date, such as climate, cultural concerns, and religious festivals.

The manager ensures that everyone involved in planning the event agrees on the date.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Location and facilities are among the first decisions to make. Their costs are in the budget, they are a big deciding factor in a bid, and they are described in the contract. In many cases the location and facilities will not be a matter of choice. When they are, the event manager chooses where to hold the event by keeping a range of factors in mind and with input from stakeholders. Are the facilities adequate for the players? Are they near transportation, medical facilities, and hotels or other accommodations? Are they inviting for spectators and easy for the media to access?

Preparations for using the venue include making sure that all licenses, permits, and contracts are in place. Permit and licensing requirements vary between states and counties, so being well informed about these differences is important.

The events manager works with the venue manager to ensure that sufficient staff will be working on the day of the event, that vendors are prepared, that security is in place, and that bathrooms, parking, and ticket taking are all ready.

The events manager also has to be sure that the equipment needed for the event is at the venue in time to be set up and checked. Examples of equipment include chairs, tables, fencing, IT equipment, signs, scoreboards, and decorations.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Sports events require the hard work of a huge number of people, and the events manager must be confident in their ability to do their jobs—and must inspire confidence and excitement in the people helping to put the event on. Depending on the size and type of sports event, managers work with supporters and partners of the event; general management of teams, venues, or the organization(s) supporting the sport; commercial sponsors; assistant managers and their staff; and, of course, the team managers and coaches.

Volunteers are crucial to the success of any event; they are the ambassadors for the event and sport. They are willing to put a lot of time and effort into the event. Someone has to recruit them, train them, coordinate their activities, support them, and appreciate their efforts. Their help is invaluable at every stage of the event, from preplanning to organizing transportation and working with the public. Volunteers need food and drink while on duty as well as some means of identifying themselves as volunteers, such as uniforms; ideally, they should also receive a token of appreciation after the event.

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, there were over 4,500 athletes, a million spectators, and 15,000 volunteers. The volunteers are credited with making this event a huge success.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Every event needs insurance. It covers the costs of things that can go wrong. What if there’s a bad storm and the power goes out or a tree falls and breaks a stadium window during the game? Or someone slips and falls in the bathroom and dislocates a shoulder? Or fans from opposing teams get into a fight? Or a baseball hits someone in the stands? These all cause damage that the organization holding the event would have to pay for.

Event managers also have to be familiar with who is legally responsible for each type of problem that could arise. All of this information must be spelled out in the contract. If there’s a crime committed in the parking lot, who is responsible for dealing with it? What about an issue with the concession stand, or the referee, or what if players are caught doing drugs in their hotel room?

Other responsibilities include ensuring that staff members know how to evacuate fans in an emergency. There must be signage posted clearly for emergency exits.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Event managers are in charge of making any sporting event as environmentally sensitive as possible. If the event is outdoors, fencing can protect nearby wildlife habitat from people walking in it, dumping trash, or parking in it. If damage does occur during the event, it should be repaired in consultation with local experts. Replanting or reseeding may be necessary.

Other possible measures include promoting the use of public transportation to the event instead of cars; angling loudspeakers and lights to prevent noise and light pollution in the area surrounding the event; using solar power for generators; and having an extensive recycling and composting program.

Vendors that use locally sourced ingredients and serve food in biodegradable containers significantly cut down on the pollution and trash generated at a sports event.

Many of these measures save money! Recycling and composting are cheaper than sending trash to the landfill. Solar power saves on electric bills.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

The sports event manager needs to promote and market the event or delegate this important task to a marketing committee. The event won’t succeed if nobody knows about it! The use of traditional media, social media, and websites should be coordinated into a unified campaign. Sponsors are key in this effort. Supporters, partners, and other involved organizations can help spread the word.

After the event, the manager gathers feedback and uses it to improve the marketing approach for the next event. Feedback from attendees will be valuable in ensuring that the event meets expectations in the future in other ways, too. Was there enough seating? Were the concessions easy to get to? Were the lighting and sound effective? How was crowd control? Were the bathrooms clean?

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

The day before the event, the events manager sets up the venue so that the equipment has been checked, the supplies are in place, and all sound and lighting is ready. Sometimes all of this has to happen the night before the event, if the venue is in use the day before. Adequate time for setup is crucial. This is when glitches that can derail the event are discovered in time to be fixed.

The events manager creates a detailed schedule for the day of the event. After consulting with everyone involved, the plan is set. The schedule allows for enough time between activities as well as for each activity. So, for example, if there are opening announcements or ceremonies, adequate time has to be set aside between beginning activities and the start of the game itself.

No matter how carefully plans are laid, something unexpected can go wrong. The events manager needs a backup plan. If it rains, what’s the plan? If a key volunteer comes down with the flu the morning of the event, what’s the plan?

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

A sports event manager has a huge responsibility and an incredible amount to plan, juggle, coordinate, and execute. People interested in this career can get a bachelors, masters, or doctorate degree in sports management.

Sports management degrees focus on the business aspects of sports events and enable students to develop an area of specialty. These include golf management, sports communication and media, or sports facility management.

There is a big demand for sports management professionals right now. Sports-related businesses are ranked among the top 15 in the United States. Five popular careers are sports marketer, sports scout, sports facilities manager, sports manager, and athletic director.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Student Resource 11.2

Reading: Sports Venue ConsiderationsYankee Stadium. Soldier Field. Madison Square Garden. Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Each of these famous venues hosts a different sport, and each looks very different from the others. But, if you move beyond the layout of the field or the court and the various banners hanging all around, you will notice they actually have a lot in common.

This is because all sports venues must take into account certain considerations in order to maximize profit, comply with the law, and keep fans and players safe.

ADA Compliance Would it be fair to keep a blind person from attending a basketball game? What about saying people cannot attend the Super Bowl just because they use a wheelchair? Of course this would not be fair, and the government agrees. In fact, it took action in 1990 to ensure all sports fans are able to cheer on their team by passing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The act prevents discrimination against people with disabilities in all aspects of society.

Have you ever heard of this? Even if you think you haven’t, you actually have. When you see parking spots with the blue sign of a wheelchair on them, or wide ramps leading to the door of a building, or hear a beeping noise at a crosswalk, you are experiencing the results of ADA compliance. The ADA protects people with all kinds of disabilities, including blindness, deafness, mental retardation, cancer, and AIDS.

So how does this affect sports venues? A sports facility must make “reasonable accommodations” for people with disabilities. In other words, the facility needs to be able to show that they made an effort to be accessible to all people, regardless of ability. Some changes can be made without major construction work. Others may require renovating the building, although facilities do not have to completely rip apart the building and rebuild it again.

The most common accommodations include:

Widen doors, eliminate turnstiles, or provide ramps for wheelchair access.

Install or reposition door handles, drinking fountains, and so forth, at accessible height (e.g., a height that can be reached from a wheelchair) or provide alternatives, like free bottled water for patrons with disabilities if the drinking fountain is not accessible.

Ensure at least some of the bathroom facilities are accessible, with grab bars and enough space to maneuver a wheelchair.

Create accessible seating by making space for wheelchairs, adjusting the spaces between seats, removing arms, and so on—making sure the seating is in a place where wheelchair-bound fans won’t have their view of the sports event blocked by able-bodied fans that are standing and cheering the whole time.

Provide emergency alarm systems that include a visual signal (such as flashing lights) as well as an audible signal (like a fire alarm).

Remove thick carpeting or door mats that may make it difficult for wheelchairs to navigate.

Create or designate accessible parking spaces.

Accommodations in a sport facility are not just for fans. Making all these changes so that a disabled person can attend a sporting event has also made it possible for people with disabilities to compete in sports. Today there are two major sporting events specifically for athletes with disabilities. The US Paralympics, an international competition that typically takes place after the Olympics, has specially

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

designed sports facilities where the athletes train and compete. Since 2010, the US military has hosted the Warrior Games, in which wounded military personnel compete against each other in archery, cycling, track and field, and wheelchair basketball, among other sports. This event aids in the recovery of wounded soldiers.

Emergency ManagementWhat happens if someone passes out in the stands during a summer baseball game? What if a fire breaks out in the middle of a game? Or an earthquake hits? Even the smallest emergency can turn into a large-scale disaster in a sporting venue filled with hundreds or thousands of spectators. This is why every sports venue must develop a detailed emergency management plan, especially for big events that will attract a lot of people and a lot of publicity.

Emergency management includes the entire process of handling an emergency, from preparing for it before it happens to recovering from it when it’s over.

There are three types of emergencies. They are classified based on how big they are:

1. An emergency can be minor or local (one person gets sick during a game).

2. An emergency can be major, such as when the building catches on fire and everyone needs to evacuate.

3. An emergency can be catastrophic. For example, an earthquake hits and the entire city is in trouble, not just the people at the game.

An emergency plan needs to be able to handle all three of those scenarios.

Facilities should have an emergency preparedness team that puts together an emergency management plan. This team is in addition to security staff who might be hired for an event. The plan needs to include the following:

Communication Procedures List all necessary local phone numbers: EMS (emergency medical services), hospitals, police, fire

department. Note that some sports events, such as marathons, require EMS personnel to be present at checkpoints all along the race route.

Assign a contact person to communicate with local government and media in the event of an emergency. If minors are involved in the event, expect to get a lot of calls from parents and guardians.

Identify alternative methods of communication (such as walkie-talkies) in case phone lines are down or overloaded.

Evacuation Procedures Identify appropriate evacuation routes, assembly areas (where you put people once you have

evacuated them), and aid stations and map them out.

Develop signage and other systems to guide people in case of emergency.

Develop roll call/tracking procedures to determine if people are missing. Keep in mind that means you need to know how many people are at the event to begin with. Also create a plan to report missing persons to authorities. It is a good idea to have a list of the names of volunteers and staff so that you can quickly do a roll call should an emergency occur.

Medical Procedures Ensure staff has appropriate training and assign them to specific duties.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Identify and prepare aid stations with proper equipment (first aid kits, defibrillators, etc.).

Important Note: Having an emergency plan that no one knows, understands, or is trained to implement is no better than having no emergency plan at all. Make sure everything is well documented and review the plan with staff and volunteers before the event.

Finally, cutting corners in this process can lead to serious consequences. The Dallas Cowboys Stadium installed 1,250 temporary seats to accommodate the huge number of fans coming for the 2011 Super Bowl. But they installed them so late that the fire marshal didn’t have time to inspect them. To avoid the risk of people getting hurt or even killed if the seats collapsed, no one was allowed to use the temporary seats. This means that 400 fans, who paid an average of $800 for a ticket, had to miss the game!

Traffic ControlOf course, the best emergency management is to avoid a crisis to begin with. The greatest danger in a crowded sporting venue is an out-of-control crowd that leads to serious injury or even the death of other spectators. One of the most important—and hardest—tasks of managing a sports venue is keeping the crowd calm and orderly (while still letting them have fun!). This is called traffic control.

When you hear the word traffic, you may think about cars and transportation issues: parking, traffic flow around the event, and using public transportation to alleviate traffic issues.

In much of event planning, however, traffic control refers to crowd control: managing spectators, who can get completely out of control during a game. Fights break out in the bleachers, and security needs to be ready to handle rowdy behavior.

A smart event planner knows that crowd control begins before a big event even starts. In December 2010, a man was stabbed before a USC–UCLA Rose Bowl game while he was tailgating. The fight involved over 75 people—and it wasn’t even between fans of different teams!

A good traffic or crowd control plan should address these five areas of concern:

1. Schedule: What is a good time to start and end the event?

How will people get to and from the event and how will that affect traffic?

Will there be other events taking place on the same day that will add to traffic issues?

What parking options, such as prepaid parking permits, can help alleviate traffic problems?

Example: A soccer game is scheduled for 5 p.m. This is during rush hour, when traffic is already bad. Not only will rush-hour traffic get a lot worse because of the game, but also many people will be late for the game.

2. Permission: Do you need permission from anybody to use the facilities?

Example: You are planning a marathon. You will need to get permits from the city or county whose roads you are using. Those permits may require you to explain what traffic control steps you are taking. You will also need permits for parking and for food venues such as concession stands.

3. Spectator Management/Layout: Is there enough space around the event to handle the spectators?

Do you have enough exits so that there won’t be long lines to leave?

Are there enough restrooms and concession stands to accommodate your crowd? Are they spread out so that people do not all gather in one place?

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Where is the box office? Is it easy to find? Are there enough people working there to handle tickets?

Is there sufficient parking? Is it clearly marked for visitors?

Example: The venue you are looking at for a state swim meet has only one set of bathrooms, and they are located next to the only concession stand. This is not a good venue because long lines will form for both the bathroom and the concessions area, and the lines will run into each other, creating a mass of people in one spot.

4. Staff and Volunteers: Do you have enough people to help you manage your traffic flow (and are you properly rewarding

them for giving their time)?

Can they direct people the restrooms, the concession stands, the exits, or anywhere else they may need to go?

Example: You have planned a golf tournament at a local country club. For most of the spectators, it is the first time at the course. You need to make sure your volunteers are always visible and can direct people to where they need to go.

5. Signage: Do you have clear signs to guide people to the different events and other locations they may want

to get to (restrooms, concession stands, etc.)?

Example: You are planning a cycling race through the major streets of your town. It is very important for you to post signs informing drivers that public traffic will be blocked. You may need to consult city or county guidelines about the types of signage that are appropriate for use in specific areas—for example, you can’t place a low-hanging banner over the street if that street may also have large trucks driving on it.

Concessions Management“Hot dogs! Get your hot dogs here!” For many, this cry is as much a part of the game as the game being played on the field. Concessions are not only a vital product to offer your spectators, but also a great way to make money. According to some estimates, concessions revenue may generate almost 60% of operating revenue for some facilities. This means that of the money a sports facility generates on a day-to-day basis, over half of it can come from money made from concession stands.

Concessions management—which may include food, beverage, and even merchandise sales—is much more complicated than just offering some food and drink.

Most importantly, the food must be safe. ESPN issued a report on the 2009 health inspections of all 107 North American arenas and stadiums that were home to professional baseball, football, hockey, and basketball teams. (Sports venues must undergo health inspections regularly to protect the public.)

At almost a third of these venues, inspectors found critical or major health violations (insects in food, signs of rodents in the kitchen, meat that had been left out or undercooked, staff not washing hands often or cleaning surfaces properly, and so forth). This means that fans could get sick or even die from food or drinks served at these stands.

Since this report came out, concessions management has gotten a lot more attention. Across the country, staff members have received more training and are better supervised. So far, no major outbreaks of food-related disease have been reported from a sports concession outlet.

A good concessions management plan has guidelines for keeping concessions clean and for handling food and drink properly.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Protection of consumers extends beyond unclean food. Beer and alcohol typically account for the biggest percentage of concession profits; however, selling alcohol adds complications. You need to have a liquor license. You also need to create an alcohol policy to keep drinks away from underage consumers, discourage fans from becoming drunk, and handle fans who are intoxicated. Because of all this, some events and facilities, especially those that frequently involve fans under 21, choose not to offer alcohol.

Beyond safety, an effective concessions management plan also considers how to make the most profit from what the venue is selling. It addresses the following questions:

Can people easily find what they want? Concession stands should have attractive menu boards, with prices clearly marked. Ideally there are photographs of the food.

Are you selling what your target market wants? If you expect small children, offer a kids’ menu. Pay attention to trends, such as offering healthy food and beverages. Include local popular favorites or find a creative way to connect the concessions to a mascot or theme. For example, the Cleveland Browns football team has the Dawg Pound section of their stadium, so their concession stand sells cookies shaped like dog bones. Many facilities hire professional concessions companies that take care of all these details.

Which brands will you carry? Consider brand names or sponsorships to help manage concessions. Consumers may be more inclined to buy a familiar brand name, such as Coke or Pepsi, than a generic cola. It may be possible to coordinate with local restaurants to provide supplies or even serve their specialties.

How can you move beyond food? Merchandise—T-shirts, souvenir programs, and so forth—can be sold at concession stands. If there is a lot of merchandise or the venue is really huge, merchandise is usually sold at separate stands.

Sustainable VenuesSports venues used to be one of the least environmentally friendly places in any city—sucking up energy and generating huge amounts of trash. But, thanks to demands from fans, venues are learning that being green doesn’t just help the environment it, it helps their bottom line.

Sending all recyclables to a recycling station and sending food scraps and food-soiled paper to a composting company saves money on sending garbage to the landfill. Solar power saves energy costs and powers electric vehicles, cutting down on pollution. High-efficiency lighting and low-flow toilets save energy, money, and water.

New sports arenas can be even greener. They can be built from sustainably harvested wood and less toxic paints, and install the most energy-efficient electrical, heating, air-conditioning, and water systems. If a facility adheres to very strict environmental standards, it can earn LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. These construction projects also recycle most of their construction waste.

Sports venues can have a positive impact on the local culture, and on other venues, as they publicize these efforts and make the idea of saving energy and reducing waste a goal of every sporting event.

Example: Since 2006, the Seattle Mariners have saved over $2 million by reducing natural gas use by 60% and electricity use by 30% at Safeco Field. They have become a center of best practices and have motivated other sports venues to follow suit and surpass them.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Student Resource 11.3

Notes: Sports Venue ConsiderationsStudent Name: Date:

Directions: Read each section of Student Resource 11.2, Reading: Sports Venue Considerations, and take notes in the space provided below.

ADA Compliance

Questions1. What does ADA stand for, and who is it meant to protect?

2. What are three ways a sports facility can be made more accessible to a person in a wheelchair?

3. How has the ADA benefited wounded soldiers and athletes with disabilities?

Emergency Management

Questions1. What are the three types of emergencies? Give an example of each one.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

2. How can a sports facility be prepared to evacuate everyone in the event of an emergency?

3. What are the other main ways a sports facility needs to prepare for an emergency?

Traffic Control

Questions1. What are the five main areas that a traffic control plan should address?

2. How can a facility use layout to avoid long lines and crowds?

3. What can happen if a sports facility is not prepared to manage fans who get out of control?

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Concessions Management

Questions1. What are concessions, and why would a sports facility want them?

2. What are four guidelines to keep in mind when developing a concessions management plan?

3. Do you think it’s a good idea to sell alcohol at collegiate and professional sports events? Why or why not?

Sustainable Venues

Questions1. Why have sports venues been making more environmentally responsible choices?

2. What are some examples of ways that sports venues can save energy and cut back on waste being sent to the landfill?

3. How does having an environmentally responsible sports venue affect the local culture?

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Student Resource 11.4

Prospectus: NFL Stadium DesignStudent Name: Date:

Directions: You will work with a group to propose a design for a new NFL stadium. Before you begin, read through all of the instructions. Read the assessment criteria at the end of this resource so that you understand how your work will be assessed.

The GoalImagine that you are part of the committee that is going to meet with the architects who will actually design the stadium. You don’t have to draw up the plans yourself, but you need to describe what you want the stadium to look like, what features it will have, how it will be used, and how it will be truly sustainable.

Work together with a group to research some of the newest stadiums being designed and built. Use what you learn to come up with ideas for a new stadium. You can use designs or images from existing stadiums if you make notes on them to indicate how you would change the plans to make your own unique stadium that is appropriate for your location.

ResearchHere are some sites to help you get started:

Levi’s Stadium website, with extensive information about its cutting-edge environmental practices and active promotion of art, technology, and community: http://www.levisstadium.com/tours/

New Minnesota Vikings stadium: http://www.vikings.com/stadium/new-stadium/

The Atlanta Falcons stadium (scheduled to open in 2017): http://www.stadiumsofprofootball.com/future/FalconsStadium.htm

The Stadiums of Pro Football website has information on all current and former NFL stadiums. It may be helpful to look at information about the NFL stadium(s) nearest to your location. Even if those stadiums are old, you can learn about the size, how they managed the weather, and so on: http://www.stadiumsofprofootball.com/

Other ways to get ideas:

You can research the new Buffalo Bills stadium, which is in discussion but not yet scheduled for building.

You can research the competing stadium designs that were presented as part of the plan to relocate a team (or teams) to Los Angeles.

You can look at stadiums or arenas for other sports located in your community, or those that have been recently proposed. For example, the other stadiums near Levi’s Stadium include AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants (baseball); Avaya Stadium, home of the San Jose Earthquakes (soccer); and a proposed San Francisco stadium for the Golden State Warriors (NBA basketball). Some of these stadium ideas might have influenced the designers of Levi’s Stadium, and Levi’s Stadium is probably affecting the design of the Warriors’ proposed new arena.

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

Once you have found one or more good examples of stadiums to get you thinking, use the organizer below to help you plan your stadium. You can also use pictures or designs of existing stadiums and make notes on those images to identify parts you would keep and parts you would change for your stadium. Use this organizer to record your ideas. Then write or type your final draft on another sheet of paper.

Location

Home team

Number of seats

How will you handle parking and/or transportation to and from games?

How will you handle weather conditions that might affect the game and/or the spectators?

What will you offer guests in terms of food and beverage?

How will you accommodate people with disabilities?

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

What will you do to ensure the safety of your guests?

What special seating/special experiences will you offer VIP guests?

How will your stadium offer a unique game experience for players and guests?

How will you make sure your stadium is run in an environmentally responsible way?

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AOHT Event PlanningLesson 11 Sports Venues

What other types of events could be held in your new stadium? How would the stadium be adjusted or reconfigured for those events?

How will your stadium reflect its location and its home team? What can you do to make a connection between the stadium, the team, and the community?

Make sure your assignment meets or exceeds the following assessment criteria: The proposal addresses all basic considerations of a sports venue.

The proposal includes logical details or examples of how it would work as a football venue.

The proposal demonstrates a clear relationship between the location and the venue, both in terms of physical logistics (weather, transportation, etc.) and community relations.

The proposal incorporates plausible and well-researched suggestions for an environmentally responsible stadium.

The proposal offers realistic suggestions for how the stadium could be used as a venue for other types of events.

The assignment is neat, legible, and presentable, and uses proper spelling and grammar.

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