KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sprint
Center, Kansas City's award winning downtown arena,
celebrates ten years of operation by logging the most successful
programming and financial year in venue history. In addition,
Kansas City's downtown landmark
shared two significant developments regarding the arena's economic
impact since opening.
Construction of Sprint Center forever changed the skyline of
Kansas City, America's 33rd ranked
media market. Since opening in Oct.
2007, Sprint Center has welcomed world-class entertainment
and sporting events back to Kansas
City and the Midwest. Sprint Center anchors more than $6 billion of reinvestment in a revitalized
downtown Kansas City and has
revolutionized the entertainment experience in the Midwest.
"The success of Sprint Center's inaugural decade is directly
attributed to the more than 11 million passionate fans and
supporters of artists and events who choose to play Kansas City," said Brenda Tinnen, Sprint
Center/AEG general manager and senior vice president. "Welcoming
guests from every corner of the city for diverse events is a source
of pride for our staff and we are humbled that citizens throughout
the Midwest continue to entrust us with their memories. The
City of Kansas City's vision in
creating a venue for world-class entertainment has paid dividends
for our community in terms of revenue generation, job creation and
economic opportunity."
Programming Success
Consistently recognized among the
world's most popular arenas, Sprint Center most recently was named
the eighth busiest arena in the United
States in Pollstar Magazine's 2017 Third-Quarter issue and
is a unique public-private partnership between the city of
Kansas City & AEG.
In the past year, Sprint Center has witnessed the return of
world class artists for a variety of sold out shows
from Garth Brooks' 7
shows in May, Bruno Mars,
Coldplay, Roger Waters,
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers,
Def Leppard, Eric Church, Queen +Adam Lambert, Red Hot
Chili Peppers, Ariana Grande,
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, among others.
In 2017, three world tours started in Kansas City: Roger
Waters, Ed Sheeran and
OneRepublic; and Sprint Center was one of five arenas selected
by Radiohead for their 2017 North American Tour. 60% of
Sprint Center guests hail from the Kansas City MSA, and 23% of
guests are attending their first-ever event. In the past 12 months
alone Sprint Center welcomed several acts for the first time
(Amy Schumer, The Lumineers, The
Gorillaz, The Chainsmokers) as well as first-time arena
headliners who had previously opened for other acts
(Kendrick Lamar, Luke Bryan, Future, Florida Georgia Line).
In the past week, Sprint Center announced six shows including
P!nk, Sam Smith, Lana Del Ray, Joel
Osteen, Miranda Lambert &
TobyMac. To close out 2017, Sprint Center will host
Janet Jackson, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, two shows of TSO with
more announcements to come.
Estimated Economic Impact
Development Strategies,
Inc., located in St. Louis, Mo.
analyzed the financial impact to the area and state economy since
Sprint Center began operation. The summary outlines the employment
and financial impact of Sprint Center in three local economies: the
City of Kansas City, Mo., the
State of Missouri, and
Kansas City metropolitan area. A
detailed analysis is scheduled to be released on Oct. 27.
In addition to operational spending at Sprint Center, concerts,
spectator sports, and other events attracted more than 11 million
visitors, who also added considerable impacts to the local economy
through spending at nearby hotels, restaurants, shops and other
attractions.
In examining impacts on the City of
Kansas City during the past 10 years, Sprint Center
supported an annual average of 488 jobs for city residents. Also
Sprint Center, venue artists/events and non-local patrons directly
invested an estimated $286.1 million
in the City of Kansas City. The
estimated economic activity triggered by Sprint Center operations
and non-local patron and performer spending including multiplier
effects were just under $488.4
million for the City of Kansas
City.
A closer look at the Kansas City MSA indicates the total
economic activity attributed to Sprint Center operations and
non-local patron and performer spending ($343.2 million) and the added multiplier effects
($668.0 million) totaled over
$1.01 billion for the MSA
while supporting an annual average of 966 jobs for MSA
residents.
Increase Minimum Wage in 2018
Sprint Center is continuing efforts to exceed
expectations in guest service and elevate hospitality standards
within the facility. Associates are a key component to the venue's
success as they welcome guests, artists and crew to the
facility.
Offering market-competitive wages, tools, resources and
meaningful pay are important components of Sprint Center's
compensation packages and key differentiators in the industry. As
such, Sprint Center is pleased to announce an increase in the
minimum hourly wage for staff to $12
per hour in 2018.
Key Milestones During Sprint Center's First 10
Years
Sprint Center opened
doors on Oct. 10, 2007, following a
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony including city dignitaries and the
legendary Garth Brooks. More than
20,000 visitors attended a free open house to explore Kansas City's newest asset and witness the
arena floor change from hockey to basketball to concert
configurations. Additional milestones include:
First Concert: Elton John on
Oct. 13, 2007
Most Performances by One Artist:
Garth Brooks (9)
Largest Concert Attendance: 19,533 (George
Strait on Jan 18, 2014)
Largest Basketball Attendance: 19,256 (2013 Big 12 Men's Basketball
Championship)
Largest Hockey Attendance: 17,544 (Kings vs. Penguins-Sept. 27, 2011)
Largest Grossing Concert: Paul
McCartney (July 16, 2014)
For additional information or to join the conversation, follow
Sprint Center on social media via Facebook: @SprintCenterKC;
Twitter: @SprintCenter; Instagram: @SprintCenter and Snapchat:
@SprintCenter_KC.
About Sprint Center
Sprint Center is Kansas
City's home for live entertainment and sporting events.
Anchor to more than $6 billion of
reinvestment in a revitalized downtown Kansas City, the award winning venue has
welcomed more than 11 million guests. Having exceeded attendance
and financial projections in each year since opening in 2007,
Sprint Center is a unique public/private partnership between AEG
and the City of Kansas City,
Mo.
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SOURCE Sprint Center