Attendees of the13th Annual Association of Luxury Suite Directors’ (ALSD) conference and tradeshow taking place July 8-10, 2003 will preview how the world will entertain and be entertained inside executive suites found at sporting and entertainment venues. The centerpiece of ALSD’s exhibit floor will be a 600 sf, fully built-out, forward-looking executive suite, complete with viewing and dining areas in addition to entertainment, technology, security and food and beverage offerings.
Renowned sports designer Ellerbe Becket will create and coordinate build-out of the totally operational, full-scale suite. The firm has designed many high-profile, award-winning sports venues both nationally and internationally over the past 15 years.
Comments Bill Dorsey, ALSD executive director, “The Luxury Suite of the Future will showcase captive marketing for the premium seating industry at its highest level. Ellerbe Becket’s futuristic design and amenities concept will transcend what we currently consider today’s luxury standards.” Plasma screens, HDTV, PDAs, interactive shopping and ordering technology, along with building innovations, futuristic décor for viewing, dining and meeting areas will also be on view in the temporary set up.
Ellerbe Becket Senior Interior Designer Carol Napper explains, “The novelty of merely sitting in an executive suite is fading as patrons are increasingly exposed to higher levels of service and technology in boutique hotels and fine dining establishments.” Accordingly, she continues, “The Suite of the Future will be more interactive, more modular and far more flexible than in the past to meet the changing needs of those entertaining for business.” Elements inside the suite, says Napper, will contribute to trends in flexibility, customization, variety and customer service which in turn, engages patron and contribute to their overall entertainment experience.
The in-suite experience continues to evolve as the market grows. The premium seating market has more than tripled since1990, as has the number of corporate entities buying suites. Today’s typical venue offers nearly 20 percent of its total seating as premium. Over the next decade ALSD reports the majority of remaining teams without new venues is scheduled to build out new facilities, which will likely double premium seating inventory available in North America.
“High tech will proliferate in the Suite of the Future,” says Dorsey, “but so too will high touch with the addition of concierge services such as suite attendants, celebrity greeters and fan loyalty programs.” Tours of the Executive Suite of the Future will be available to all ALSD attendees and exhibitors as well as media. “Given the nature of our attendees,” Dorsey explains, “this futuristic look should help them plan for the shape of things to come.”
The Association of Luxury Suite Directors (www.alsd.com) is a 13-year-old trade association headquartered in Cincinnati with more than 800 members representing all major sporting venues and teams in North America. Its annual tradeshow and conference attracts attendees from major sporting stadiums and arenas worldwide.
Ellerbe Becket's Sports Group is a world leader in multipurpose arena design. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, its staff of more than 100 architects and engineers has been immersed in arena design over the past 15 years. The group’s portfolio includes 35 multipurpose arenas and represents all major league sports from baseball to hockey. Ellerbe Becket has been instrumental in the evolution of the modern, multipurpose arena, focusing on innovations that respond to the demands of owners, teams and fans alike.
Contact: news@ellerbebecket.com
