When I originally wrote this entry in my blogger account, it was a good day to be in Chicago, The Bears were in the Superbowl although I had a feeling that they would loose. It just seemed the tide was with Mr. Manning and the Colts. They are a great team. Oh yeah… hospitality events.
GO BEARS…….
This leads me to an often overlooked incentive, customer appreciation, or sales meeting venue. Professional Sports Games.
Now, I am not talking about the playoffs or teams like the Knicks or Packers (always sold out or hard to get). I am talking about the Chicago Bulls, the Sacramento Kings, or the Arizona Diamondbacks. Regular season, just fun – nothing like the Superbowl on the line. Just an average game on an average day.
What better way to reward clients or employees than to rent one of two things:
- A skybox
- A block of seats
In the case of the skybox, you can bring in about 20-25 people to be wined and dined (dined is a bit of a stretch, this is a stadium) and enjoy the game in an atmosphere that promotes togetherness. Everyone rooting for the local team, or friendly banter if one of the attendees is rooting for the visiting team. Other perks include express entry and parking passes.
In the case of a block of seats, there are typically places in or around the stadium to have a pre and post-reception (party) and then you join the masses for the game. This seems to work very well. In the case of the Chicago Cubs, you can rent the roof area on the Clark/Addison side of the park for a private hot dog and beer session before the game and then head to your seats. After the game, rent a private area at one of the local bars (Cubby Bear, Bar Louie, etc.).
The Cubs are a whole different animal when it comes to private suites; the best option is a local rooftop around the park. I will chat about that later– it could take up 10 pages and links to a ton of our favorite places.
Originally posted sometime in 06
