Wednesday, February 21, 2007
More on luxury suites
From Danny O'Neil in the Seattle Times:
Safeco Field opened in 1999 with 67 luxury suites and subsequently added another suite on the press-box level. For the first few years, 98 to 99 percent of the suites were filled, said Aylward. He said last year's percentage was in the mid- to upper-80s.
Aylward then talked to someone with the Detroit Tigers who mentioned the team's success with a new type of premium seating.
"We started talking about how they had discovered a new niche market that people really seemed to spark to," Aylward said.
The 140 seats in the All-Star Club will sell for $100-$125. Tickets are sold in packages of 10, 20, 40 and 81 games. Single-game suites, which include 16 seats, range from $2,400 to $4,000.
The All-Star Club came out of a realization that there was a consumer need that was not being met.
"There is this bucket of people out there that we didn't have a product to offer," Aylward said. "So any business is going to sit there and say, 'Let's create something for them.' "
The All-Star Club has three rows of assigned seating in an open-air terrace and then an indoor dining area and complimentary buffet. Beer, wine and spirits will be sold at a cash bar. Plasma televisions will be located throughout the indoor dining area.
Labels: baseball, luxury boxes
