FSM
Feature
How Stadiums Can Enhance The Overall Fan Experience
Dominic Hobbs, Business Development Director at Freemans Event Partners, explores how fan behaviours are shifting and shares how stadiums can enhance the overall fan experience.
Fan behaviour inside stadiums has shifted significantly in recent years. Today’s supporters are no longer arriving just before kick-off and leaving immediately at fulltime. A recent report1
highlights that one in four consumers now
plan to increase their spending on memorable, upgraded, and premium live experiences. For stadium operators, this behavioural shift carries significant implications - influencing everything from site layout and food and beverage strategy to staffing, operational efficiency, and overall commercial performance.
There is a growing desire among supporters to extend their time at the venue, engage with fellow attendees, and maximise the value of their visit. Central to this trend is the demand for greater choice, particularly in food and drink. This requires stadiums to evolve beyond traditional concourse catering. We see this
firsthand
in the growing popularity of diverse culinary options and more comfortable, social spaces where supporters can dwell before, during, and after the event. These expectations place a premium on operator’s ability to optimise space, manage events, and ensure infrastructure can support extended peak periods.
Fan zones now form another core component of event strategy. Historically an add-on, increasingly
used
earlier entry, at
turnstiles to
they are encourage
reducing congestion and on concourses.
Modern fan zones incorporate elevated F&B offers, entertainment, sponsor activations and comfortable social areas, all of which distribute fans more evenly across the site. For stadium teams, this improves queue
management, stabilises
service peaks, and enables more efficient staff.
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