In the last few years venue operators have looked to find more and more ways to attract high end clientele to their facilities…many of which are now in inner cities vs. isolated in the suburbs…well away from game days. Much like casinos, sports facilities realize that the “experience” at such a high ticket prices could not include just beer and hot dogs any more…it had to include something for every palate, and it had to be a go-to place year round, not just when an event was going on. The stadium and arena needed to be part of the fabric of the community, not just a place for special events.
Along the same lines, restaurants and marketers saw great value in importing their specialty brands into arenas, giving those attendees on game nights a little more flavor of the city, albeit at a slightly inflated price. Food kiosks were no longer generic, they were branded, and they had extensions that left the arena…coupons to use in other parts of the area where other franchises or the actual restaurant were located, and promotions at other franchises tied directly to the in-arena experience. It fit very well and the arena, the consumer food and beverage business and the local brands all benefited both at arena and in market.
Lopped on top of that were the athletes themselves. Teams make huge investments into training their highly paid performers and will shower them with every amenity possible. So bringing in nutritionists to help set the training table as a natural fit. Could there be a fit that would pull all those pieces together?
The latest answer appears to have been formed not in the US but in London, with the partnership announced this week between Manchester City of the Barclays Premier League, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s Fabulous Feasts and US-based Legends Hospitality. The joint venture will be branded as Fabulous Fan Fare when it takes over catering and hospitality operations at the Premier League club in August, and covers all hospitality and catering services including public concessions, hospitality areas and the City Square fan zone as well as non-match event catering. Legends, which has headquarters, are in New York, operates at two of the largest sports venues in the industry: Cowboys and Yankee Stadiums and has found a host of ways to bring year-round interest to those two projects as well as others around the US. The ties also extend to the players training table, where the teams have their own elite catering and nutrition advisors to make sure not only fans have the right choices, but the players are getting tailored meals as well.
So why is a Jamie Oliver partnership even different? First, Oliver as a celebrity chef now becomes a stakeholder in one of the world’s largest sporting brands, AND now has an entrée (no pun intended) into two other global brands in MLB and the NFL through Legends. He is also a global crusader for healthy eating and philanthropy, and using Man City as a living breathing litmus test for effective and healthy eating habits with both fans and elite athletes will be an interest experiment. The move also is a continued shift in the fan experience outside the United States. Success on the soccer pitch for elite clubs now means brand expansion outside the matches to find revenue streams to compete. That means an increase in elite experiences away from the matches that can be held in the lavish clubs of a stadium, much like the way arenas in the States have become destinations. Oliver brings credibility and a cache that might bring dining fans to Etihad Stadium who are NOT fans of the club. They are fans of food and are followers of Oliver. The more people experience the Man City brand the better chance they may engage in other products that will help define brand excellence. That will hold up not just in the UK but anywhere a Man City associated brand can pop up, from London to Beijing.
Now sure celebrity chefs have been involved with sports teams before. Wolfgang Puck around the LA Lakers or Drew Nieporent around the New York Knicks and Rangers are great examples. However many times those are licensing deals, not a position where the chef and his company have a large vested interest. The Man City/Oliver partnership is a departure from the normal deal, and one which can have far reaching effects as the world of dining, venues, training and even nutrition branding grow the fan experience.
Helping The Hall.