Author: Don Muret

‘Marquee Project’ On Deck in Wichita

‘Marquee Project’ On Deck in Wichita

Posted by | Apr 8, 2020 | , ,

DOWNTOWN DESTINATION: The 6,000-seat Riverfront Stadium sits beside the Arkansas River in Wichita, Kan. (Courtesy DLR Group) $75M Riverfront Stadium is new home of Triple-A Wind Surge The ribbon cutting is on hold for Riverfront Stadium in Wichita, Kan., because of the COVID-19 crisis, but when it finally opens, the minor league ballpark will signal a rebirth for sports in general and the city’s downtown redevelopment. The $75 million project is the home of the Wichita Wind Surge, the Miami Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate. The team relocated from New Orleans after last season. DLR Group designed the ballpark, and J.E. Dunn and Eby Construction built it. Riverfront Stadium was close to completion by mid-March, the point at which sports started to shut down because of the novel coronavirus.  From start to finish, officials laid out an aggressive 14-month design-build schedule, said Lou Schwechheimer, the team’s managing general partner.  The stadium stayed… Continue Reading ‘Marquee Project’ On Deck in Wichita

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Geography, Not Sponsor, Has Naming Rights in Wichita

Geography, Not Sponsor, Has Naming Rights in Wichita

Posted by | Apr 8, 2020 | , , ,

WICHITA THIRD BASE LINEMAN: Club seating sits on the third base side of Riverfront Stadium in Wichita, Kan. (Courtesy DLR Group) ‘It’s part of a grander vision,’ Wind Surge owner says The new $75 million minor league ballpark in Wichita will open without a naming-rights partner. Given the COVID-19 crisis, it’s a tough call as to exactly when its doors will open after things get back to normal across the country. For now, Riverfront Stadium is the official name for the home of the Wichita Wind Surge, the Miami Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate. Wichita city officials say the current name remains a “placeholder” until a naming-rights deal is signed, according to a story on kansas.com. Lou Schwechheimer, the team’s managing general partner, offered a different take of the situation. “We decided to make it Riverfront Stadium because it’s part of a grander vision, creating a baseball and entertainment village,” Schwechheimer said.… Continue Reading Geography, Not Sponsor, Has Naming Rights in Wichita

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Gridiron Stadium Network Dates Take a Hit

Gridiron Stadium Network Dates Take a Hit

Posted by | Apr 1, 2020 | , ,

TWO DOWN: Two concerts planned for Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., have come off the calendar for this year. (Getty Images) With NFL season dominating fall, some concerts must push to 2021 NFL officials said this week that they expect the 2020 season to start on time despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to multiple reports. For a large group of NFL venues, though, the coronavirus has put a huge dent in the stadium concert business as events have been pushed to 2021. The Gridiron Stadium Network, founded in 2005 to help NFL teams book more concerts in their buildings, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. But the milestone has been marked by promoters Live Nation and AEG Presents postponing national tours because of the new coronavirus.  Stadium concerts are important to teams because they don’t have to share that income from concessions and parking, among other revenue streams,… Continue Reading Gridiron Stadium Network Dates Take a Hit

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Aramark’s Birdwell Makes Seamlessness a Priority

Aramark’s Birdwell Makes Seamlessness a Priority

Posted by | Mar 30, 2020 |

Tech points toward removing payment barriers, says new Sports & Entertainment chief Alison Birdwell was recently promoted to president of Aramark Sports & Entertainment. Birdwell replaces Carl Mittleman, who takes over as chief operating officer of international after Brent Franks left the company. Birdwell has been with  Aramark since 2002, when she was named general manager of Reliant Park in Houston, now NRG Park, which includes NRG Stadium, home of the NFL’s Houston Texans. The Hertford, England, native has been a district manager and most recently a regional vice president for Aramark, covering multiple Super Bowls, World Series and Final Fours. Her hospitality background is in the hotel industry. (This interview was conducted before the event cancellations associated with the COVID-19 outbreak.) What’s your take on the state of food service at arenas and stadiums? The first thing is how rapidly it’s changing, and having been in this industry for… Continue Reading Aramark’s Birdwell Makes Seamlessness a Priority

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