| |
By Katy
Pando
The staff of the Georgia Dome
had a pretty daunting task this summer when, after 13 years, it needed to
change the facility’s game-day traffic pattern and ticket access policy.
When the NFL stadium was completed in 1992, it boasted state-of-the-art
architecture and the best sightlines in the league. The largest
cable-supported domed stadium in the country also featured an open concourse
on the lower level, allowing fans to see the game while running up to the
concession stand for a hot dog or cold beverage.
Over the course of time, the lower level became a gathering place for fans
during football games, including those ticketed for the executive, mezzanine
and upper level sections. To be honest, in the late 1990s and early this
decade, the Dome was rarely sold out on football Sunday, and congestion on
the lower level concourse just wasn’t a huge problem.
That all changed in 2001 when the Atlanta Falcons drafted Virginia Tech
quarterback Michael Vick in the first round. Later that same year, Home
Depot founder Arthur Blank announced plans to purchase the Falcons. Those
two events changed the dynamics of football on Sunday afternoons in the
Georgia Dome — sell-out games, increased food and beverage revenue, higher
per-caps for merchandise, and swelling congestion on the lower-level
concourse.
 Staffers
for the Dome and the Falcons are very sensitive to customer comments and
concerns, and topping the list of fan frustration in the 2005 season was
congestion on the lower-level concourse. Not only did it make purchasing
concessions difficult, many fans spent upwards of half an hour navigating
their way to the restrooms and back to their seats.
The team and building agreed it was time to tackle the issue — both for fan
enjoyment and fan safety. Over the course of the spring months, the building
worked on a plan to restrict concourse and seating bowl access to patrons
ticketed for specific levels. In other words, if a fan didn’t have a lower
level ticket, he wouldn’t be able to visit the lower level any longer — not
to meet a buddy, buy a particular brand of beer or to just hang out and
watch the game.
By early June — a full two months before the first preseason game — a
wellconstructed plan was completed and ready to put into action.
In the Plan
Communication to the fans and media was paramount to a successful transition
in the access policy at the Georgia Dome. The new policy was added to the
policies portion of the Dome and Falcons Web sites, and to a printed
calendar given to all Executive Members (4,500 club seat and 200 suite
holders).
Additionally, the gate announcement welcoming fans to the building reflected
the new policy. Media and fan talking points were developed and distributed
to the full-time staff four weeks prior to the preseason kickoff and given
to all 2,500- event day staffers the day of the game. As game day drew near,
the new policy was highlighted in electronic news blasts to all season
ticket holders — twice.
Meanwhile, adjustments at the Dome’s four main entry gates on the lower
level had to be made, including ordering equipment (accordion/retractable
barricades), reviewing staff requisitions and creating signs and credential
boards for all “pass-through” locations.
With the game just a couple of weeks away, everything was in place, and
staff training for event day staff was being completed. “Team Dome” was
ready for the game, the new accessibility policy and the potential for some
big pushback from fans — especially long-time season ticket holders, who had
always dropped down to the lower level for a better view of the action on
the field.
How Did it Go?
Surprisingly, that first preseason game went pretty well. There was a little
confusion for ticket holders — not uncommon for the first game of any season
— and some adjustments had to be made on the operations side, including
conversion of the gates at halftime to allow for a heavy flow of patrons to
the exterior smoking areas.
With attendance always a little low on preseason games, it was hard to get a
good measure of how the plan was affecting all that lower-level congestion,
but it seemed to have helped. The Dome staff was optimistic this plan was
going to be a good thing for our fans.
Our seven Dome Service Centers reported a few complaints, as did our ushers.
We monitored the message boards on the Falcons Web site, as well as our own
Web site and telephone feedback mechanisms. There was not a lot of hubbub
about this new policy.
Hitting the Mark
Surprisingly, the few complaints the Dome received centered not on the
change in policy, but on a couple key elements that didn’t quite hit the
mark during the planning stages — specifically, ensuring that all food and
fun (beer, specialty drinks and face painting) were available on all levels
and ensuring easy access for the mezzanine ticket holders.
These midlevel seats are located in the end zones. Because of the
architecture of the building, if fans don’t enter at the gate closest to
their seat, they’re relegated to taking the pedestrian ramp from the lower
level, past the mezzanine level to the upper level, around the stadium and
back down to the mezzanine level. No wonder they were upset.
 After
that first game, the Dome had two weeks to make adjustments in food and
beverage locations, points of sale and product lines, find a few more face
painting specialists and continue to drive the message to our fans in
preparation for the season’s second game. In fact, the Dome general manager
sent a personal letter to each of the mezzanine ticket holders explaining
the new policy and the best way to gain easy access to seats on game day.
That second game went better than the first. And the next game — the first
regular-season game — went off without a hiccup. Now well into this year’s
season with capacity crowds showing up for the regular season games, there’s
something different at the Dome.
The 28,000 fans ticketed for the lower level can actually go up to the
concession, buy a hot dog and view the game. The 8,400 mezzanine level
ticket holders have found a comfortable path to their seats on game day and
now can purchase barbecue or specialty drinks without having to go to one of
the Dome’s other levels.
And the upper-level fans? Well, it appears all 27,000 have come to
appreciate the great views those seats have to offer, as well as the full
range of concessions and merchandise available on other levels — and they’re
enjoying the game from their seats and cheering on the team.
It’s been a win-win-win, and it’s all due to great planning and execution by
the Dome staff, a commitment to teamwork with our NFL partners and
dedication to providing excellent service to every customer, every day.
Katy Pando is public relations
and marketing manager for the Georgia World Congress Center Authority in
Atlanta. |
|
Back to Facility Manager
Contents