ALISON WEBER

Chief creative officer
Levy

First came stadium concessions. Then stadium experiences. Those experiences, centered around food and beverage or retail, have turned into a passion point for Alison Weber. 

Weber’s creative division of Chicago-based Levy builds localized and specialized experiences, whether creating retail shops and brands with the Levy Rank + Rally arm — from Portland’s Rip City Clothing Co. to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center Swag Shop — or specialized dining opportunities, such as the chef series at Chicago’s Wrigley Field or Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. 

“Teams and venues are figuring out how these partnerships add to and define how fans experience a visit,” Weber said.

For merchandising, Weber said, the conversation goes beyond the court to creating lifestyle product. “We take really good fan insight data and the vision for the team, of what the brand means, and wrap it all together for brand environments and activations,” Weber said. The result has given teams in-venue retail sale increases across the board.

On the food side, the same holds true. How can a team attract new fans to the venue and create fresh experiences for loyal followers? “Teams need to think more deeply about how a chef series or restaurant activation might feed into that greater fan experience,” she said. “You can craft a program to deliver what fans want, whether it’s a higher-end offering catering to foodie fans or a limited-time menu that complements other nearby dining destinations.”