http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2003/04/07/story2.html


Venues complete home improvements geared toward fans
Rays' stadium expands brand awareness by remodeling

Carl Cronan Staff Writer

ST. PETERSBURG -- No sooner had the Flying Colors Inc. crew finished showing off their decorating job inside Tropicana Field to the news media, employees started work on what they called the job's next phase.

The Berkeley, Calif.-based firm, which built a national reputation for transforming bland sports stadiums into colorful venues for Super Bowls and other major events, had spent the past month installing thousands of square feet of upholstery and coverings inside St. Petersburg's baseball dome. The purpose was to give the giant room more of a Florida look, adding various shades of green and orange to the blue seats and gray walls.

After installing the new wall cushions and fascia and catwalk covers, the crew took a tape measure and began jotting down measurements inside the press box.

"We have to do this while we're here this time," said David Kerchman, president of Flying Colors. "It's a long way back from the West Coast."

The Trop's touch-up is another example of how sports teams are attempting to improve what they term the "fan experience" for their guests -- giving them something else to see and experience besides the games.

Similar improvements have been made to the St. Pete Times Forum in downtown Tampa, and the University of South Florida is planning enhancements to the inside of the Sun Dome arena in north Tampa.

Tropicana Products Inc. said it invested $500,000 to spruce up the city-owned stadium on top of the $50 million it paid for 30-year naming rights prior to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' inaugural season in 1998.

The Bradenton-based juicer wanted to increase its identity among consumers visiting Tropicana Field, even though the stadium is clearly named for the company and it has a giant neon sign above right field that lights up when the Rays hit a home run.

"We wanted increased exposure, but at the end of the day it's about a better fan experience," said Tim Rees, manager of licensing, event and entertainment marketing with Tropicana Products.

However, the effort is subtler than simply plastering the Tropicana brand all over the stadium interior. The motif is intended to reflect a rising or setting sun, with images of swimming devil rays and giant oranges with baseball stitching and drinking straws.

"We didn't want it to be totally Tropicana," said Kerchman, whose firm also designed and installed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' banners at Raymond James Stadium. "It isn't done in an in-your-face fashion. We wanted to do it in a tasteful way."

In the way of other stadium enhancements, the Rays renamed its upscale Catchers Club seating area The Kane's Club and added 64 leather seats to the 164 already installed behind home plate. The deal was an expansion of a prior sponsorship agreement with Kane's Furniture.

The Rays' ownership group has taken cues from other Major League Baseball parks around the country in improving facilities and adding value for corporate sponsors and premium season-ticket holders.

The Tampa Bay Lightning's owner, Palace Sports and Entertainment, has made continual improvements to the former Ice Palace over the past three years, from animated light displays inside the hockey arena to additional concession areas.

Nearly every new segment has some sort of sponsorship tied to it, though arena officials say the enhancements are geared more toward fan comfort. The effort is paying off, they said.

"The proof really is how people are using our building," said Sean Henry, Lightning executive vice president. "They come to our building much earlier than they used to."

To help defray those costs, Palace Sports is seeking an exemption from Hillsborough County on an estimated $2.7 million annual property tax bill.

Last September, the group sold arena naming rights to the St. Petersburg Times for $30 million over 12 years.