Before diving into which musician will sell out the ballpark, it’s crucial to consider the blueprints. Creating detailed CAD (Computer-Aided Design) drawings of the stadium allows for a comprehensive assessment of the venue’s layout. These maps help in planning the best placement for the stage while also protecting the field (which we’ll discuss later). Additionally, they identify field access points, maximum capacity, sightlines, entry/exit flows, and fan engagement zones.
Each ballpark is unique, with oddly angled outfields, unusual scoreboard placements, or limited back-of-house space. Identifying these quirks early in the process is key for planning solutions and incorporating them into the overall budget. The goal is to scale the venue efficiently, ensuring optimal capacity without compromising safety, comfort, or the fan experience.
Once the physical layout is understood, the next step is to dive into the numbers. A comprehensive ProForma breakdown should be developed for each proposed event, including projected ticket sales, talent fees, production costs, marketing expenses, and ancillary revenue streams like food, beverages, parking, and sponsorships.
As the ProForma gets built out and different headliner options are considered, a significant part of the conversation should focus on assessing the number of tickets expected to sell based on the market and the size of the venue. By running different financial models based on artist and genre, stadium capacity, expected audience size, ticket price tiers, and additional revenue streams, the financial viability of the concert can be evaluated. It’s not just about booking a big-name artist; it’s about executing the event in a financially sustainable way.
A baseball field isn’t designed to accommodate heavy staging, rigging, and thousands of footfalls. One of the biggest challenges in turning a ballpark into a concert venue is protecting the grass or turf while building out a full-scale concert production. During the CAD mapping phase, the team will need to determine if an access point can be created to drive a mobile stage onto the field, or if a stage needs to be built within the stadium. From there, the best route for getting semi-trucks, forklifts, and heavy production equipment into place while minimizing damage to the field can be planned.
Beyond field protection, several logistical matters must be planned ahead of time, including crane access, drainage concerns, barricade setup, vendor locations, sponsorship activation placements, and any necessary permits. Working closely with field crews to design efficient load-in and load-out logistics helps ensure minimal damage to the turf while maintaining safety for both production crews and fans.
While the main benefit of hosting a concert may seem to be the opportunity to generate additional revenue (which there certainly is, through both ticket and non-ticket revenue streams), the larger, long-term result is the impact on the local community. From collaborating with local sponsors to energizing untapped fan bases to visit the ballpark, adding these concerts to your city’s live entertainment calendar will position your team as a versatile host for more than just sports.
If you want to explore what it would take to turn your field into a concert space, let’s talk. Degy Entertainment can help with more than just booking talent for your event, we can help you navigate each of these critical steps. From the initial CAD mapping and field scalability planning to financial modeling and logistics management, our team has the expertise to guide the process every step of the way. Degy is a trusted partner in bringing concerts to baseball stadiums while maximizing the experience for both fans and the local community.
Email: brad@degy.com
Call: 732-818-9600 x117
Website: www.degy.com
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