Charlotte Bobcats Arena

[peaceloveunderstanding]

really? Who are the tenants of their arena?

[eastsider]

While Charlotte may not get more concerts because of the arena itself, they will get more concerts because of who is running the arena. Bob Johnson and his group will be highly motivated to keep people in the arena as many nights as possible and they can set what ever budget they wish to attract events. Greensboro will be constrained by their city budget. Plus Johnsons' group also has connections established within the entertainment industry, so I don't feel the Charlotte will be hurting for top notch concerts.

[cityboi]

It is a bit of a misnomer to imply that U2 and the Rolling Stones came to Charlotte simply because the city built a NBA arena.

[monsoon]

Indeed. The reason the new NBA arena has thousands of fewer seats than the current Coliseum and the venue in Greensboro was that so much room was wasted on luxury private boxes. While these suites are a big money maker for the NBA, they are litte use to almost any other event and end up hurting Charlotte's standing in this market.

[krazeeboi]

Charlotte should have designed the arena to have 30,000 seats. Architects could have designed inovative retracting walls for smaller audiences around 18,000. I know in Greensboro we use the black curtains to cut off much of the upperdeck when there are small crowds.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think 30,000 is perhaps a bit too ambitious. But I do agree that the new arena should seat more than the Coliseum (which seats around 24,000). Furthermore, I'm not sure if the arena could have even been built that large given the tract of land that it occupies, but I could be wrong about that.

Indeed. The reason the new NBA arena has thousands of fewer seats than the current Coliseum and the venue in Greensboro was that so much room was wasted on luxury private boxes. While these suites are a big money maker for the NBA, they are litte use to almost any other event and end up hurting Charlotte's standing in this market.

I was wondering why, for NBA games, the new arena would only seat 500 more than the new Colonial Center in Columbia. That explains it.

[cltlvr]

Greensboro has always had an advantage in booking concerts that would go in these size Arenas: location. It can pull from both Charlotte and Raleigh to fill up their concerts. Charlotte will never have that advantage.

The last time that U2 was in town was over 10 years ago back when the Charlotte Colisiem was new.

The last time that Rolling Stones was in town was when then Ericson Stadium was new.

Charlotte has a history of being skipped for big tours like these. Most of them go to Greensboro.

[krazeeboi]

Yeah, that seems to be the case sometimes. I remember last year sometime when some of my co-workers were complaining that Prince's tour was stopping in Columbia but not Charlotte. I think it went on to Greensboro or Raleigh from there (or came to Columbia from either of those two places).

[monsoon]

Charlotte has a history of being skipped for big tours like these. Most of them go to Greensboro.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Indeed that is why the current Coliseum was built.

The primary reason stated for building the current Charlotte Coliseum, was that it would put Charlotte on even footing with other Southern metros so more concerts would come to the city. The voters agreed with this reasoning and voted to build the Coliseum. (unlike today's debacle) The Coliseum was built it in the 1980s and many concerts that had avoided Charlotte started to be booked. here. If it is going to be a sellout, it doesn't matter that Greensboro is closer to Raleigh. In fact, Charlotte in being in the Carolina's geographic center has a big area to pull from. This is why the NBA & NFL located here instead of elsewhere.

History indicates that in having to choose between two cities the city where the most seats can be sold will win. Charlotte in giving up this position to Greensboro in a very big way is going to lose out in major sell out big name concerts.

So tell me again how an arena is going to bring vitality to DT Charlotte when all the important events are going to go to Greensboro instead? BTW, the biggest single reason the city tax rate is being raised, is the new arena.

[Raintree21]

Anybody here a promoter? Would a group book a venue for more than one night if they knew it would be a sellout? Book two nights here in charlotte and get 40,000 or play one night in Greensboro and get 25,000. I forget who it was, but I remember a group recently that ended up selling out an event quickly so they decided to play another night as well and that sold out also, and I THINK they decided to play a third night too.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

That is what they do in NY, I like that idea.

[monsoon]

When a major band or performer goes on a US or World tour, they have a pretty tight schedule that can't be modified and a limited number of stops they are able to make in each region. Charlotte, in reducing the size of its arena to just 17K or so seats, is really going to be hurt by competition from Greensboro and Atlanta. Even RBC center in Raleigh is larger by more than 2000 seats.

But hey, we have the NBA.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Here are what is says the seating stats are:

# NBA/WNBA Basketball: 18,500

# College Basketball: 20,200

# Hockey: 14,100

# End Stage Concert: 16,700

I wonder why College Basketball holds more seats.

[eastsider]

I don't understand the logic in this - two of the biggest bands in the world have booked concerts in the new arena and the arguement is being made that no concerts will come here? Its very simple, seating capacity doesn't matter.

Example:

Say the current avg. concert ticket at the current coliseum is $50

23,000 X $50 = $1,150,000

Now if you reduce seating but add luxury seating which raises avg. ticket to $65

18,000 X $65 = $1,170,000

What band is going to walk away from this?

Arena's of similar size have recently opened in Denver, Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta, Seattle to name a few. These cities are not missing out on anything.

[Norm2]

Thank you, that was the whole reason the new arena was built in the first place, it has less seats, but has more luxery seas and skyboxes and such, which produce more money in the long-run.

[monsoon]

Thank you, that was the whole reason the new arena was built in the first place, it has less seats, but has more luxery seas and skyboxes and such, which produce more money in the long-run.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only for the NBA. Everybody else loses out.

[Raintree21]

ACC in Charlotte? Not looking good

Jeff Beaver of the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission believes that Charlotte will not be on the receiving end of any more ACC tournaments after 2010 because of the new arena's size (or lack thereof). There are too many other arenas that are much bigger now that the ACC will look to. BOO!!!!!

[dubone]

i have been a supporter of the new arena for the whole time, but this may seriously flip me to the other side. i don't care at all for the nba, but was interested in the events, like acc and ncaa coming to charlotte's downtown. I can't fathom why they made it is too small for college basketball to consider us!!!

This is more than just disappointing, it is embarassing.

BJ better get pumping on some serious events there, other than his namesake bball team.

[Miesian Corners]

The arena was built for basketball. More precisely, NBA basketball. Intimacy and corporate skyboxes is the name of the game. Smaller venue, better seats for everyone. It's the same reason the NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center's Belk Theatre is smaller than Ovens. Better sight lines, etc.

Besides, they've already snagged U2 and The Stones. Both will have their only Carolinas appearances here in Charlotte. BTW, the Stones website says there will be 20,000 seats for sale at Phillips Arena in ATL and American Airlines Arena in MIA, 17,000 for CLT. And we already know that U2 sold 17,000 seats for their show at the arena.

[monsoon]

There are always exceptions to the rule, but generally Charlotte will lose out larger venues now just like it did in the past. As dubone has correctly pointed out the new arena was created for, by and of the NBA. Everything else takes distant 2nd to this.

[Miesian Corners]

I'll have to disagree with you Metro. I have a good friend who works at the Coliseum in management. It seems Charlotte didn't lose out to bigger venues, we lost out to smaller ones. The Bi-Lo Center in Greenville to be exact. Charlotte didn't market itself to large concerts. She in fact told me that she was just as frustrated as me about not getting good shows. It appears that the powers that be at the Coliseum Authority didn't market the building as aggressively as they should have, so we didn't get show dates. Under the new management (Bobcats), the goal is to have the building booked every day of the year and to get as many top perfomers as possible. I think we've seen just that with U2 and The Rolling Stones.

[eastsider]

i have been a supporter of the new arena for the whole time, but this may seriously flip me to the other side.  i don't care at all for the nba, but was interested in the events, like acc and ncaa coming to charlotte's downtown.  I can't fathom why they made it is too small for college basketball to consider us!!!

This is more than just disappointing, it is embarassing.

BJ better get pumping on some serious events there, other than his namesake bball team.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The factor with the acc is it expanded to 12 teams while construction was starting on the arena. The ncaa's will still be coming though, the regional finals are scheduled for the new arena in march 2008.

[49er]

well the Stones played BofA stadium last time they toured and U2 played the old coliseum in 2001 ( i was there) so the new arena hasnt really attracted those artists specifically.

i also dont buy that greensboro is going to steal a ton of big name concerts from charlotte.

[Miesian Corners]

well the Stones played BofA stadium last time they toured and U2 played the old coliseum in 2001 ( i was there) so the new arena hasnt really attracted those artists specifically.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, but it is still the only appearance for either band in the Carolinas.

[infobuff]

The new arena is pretty much in line with all new arenas that have been built lately. I'm glad that we are getting a new arena, especially down town. It sure beats having one sitting out in a suburban like business park. This helps to contribute to urban development that many want for Charlotte.

[Tayfromcarolina]

That's so true. Plus even though it may be limited to the number of concerts it can draw because of seats don't forget that there are other events that bring a lot more money into the city that concerts. For instance the CIAA which will be in Charlotte instead of Raleigh for the next few years will bring in A LOT of monetary contributions. Brung in well over 12 million for Raleigh/Wake County last year. Events like this one benefit the city way more than concerts do.

If raleigh had been smarter they would have built our arena in downtown then maybe we wouldnt be losing such events to Charlotte. But anyway I digress.