The positive economic ripple effects from the opening of T-Mobile Arena are being felt along perhaps the most famous commercial strip of real estate in the world.
The weekday shows and programming, along with the increased concessions and hotel occupancy rates, are only a piece of the profit pie being served by the new arena.
Because of their location near the new arena, with the right foot traffic and right marketing campaigns, these six businesses could prosper from the opening of T-Mobile Arena:
1. Sky’s the limit at Sky Beach
The newest venture of the 33 Group, which also operates Chateau Nightclub at Paris and FIZZ Champagne Bar at Caesars Palace, Sky Beach day club at Tropicana could be a big winner from the arena’s opening. Opening nearly simultaneously with the new arena, the introduction of Sky Beach will draw foot traffic going to and coming from the arena. Look for a strong ground marketing campaign with promoters on the Strip on days that there are events at the arena.
Arena Attraction: The day club programming with pop and electronic dance music (EDM) concerts at T-Mobile arena could become a profitable combination for Sky Beach.
2. A segue for Segway
The events at T-Mobile Arena will have walk-up attendees, arrivals in limos and party buses, as well as traditional commuters in cars. The method of transportation that may make a huge jump into the public’s consciousness is the segway. Segway Las Vegas is already positioned near the arena and segway transportation requests after events are expected to increase sales. It is yet to be seen if the ‘mild’ summer nights on the Strip increase or decrease segway rentals.
Arena Attraction: Daytime sporting events seem like a natural fit for the Segway Las Vegas demographic.
3. Arena a hit for Pete Rose?
Another new attraction on the south Strip, Pete Rose Bar and Grill is a business that should receive good foot traffic from the new arena. The obvious sports connection should lead many attendees over to ‘The Hit King’s’ restaurant, and with the college basketball tournaments and rodeos lasting weeks at a time, they may be an even bigger revenue driver than the baseball season.
Arena Attraction: Pete Rose Bar and Grill is heavily marketing two-for-one drink specials on the Strip, so expect arena attendees to take advantage of that offer after sporting events.
4. New foundation for the Foundation Room
For the popular Foundation Room, a dining and lounge venue at the House of Blues atop Mandalay Bay, the opening of the arena has marked a new marketing campaign and changes to programming. The venue is expecting an increase of midweek visitors, and especially local residents who attend concerts during the week to avoid the crowds of weekend tourists. Expect an increase of promoters on the Strip to lure guests after arena events.
Arena Attraction: Foundation Room has already begun adding live music to its programming in anticipation of the T-Mobile Arena as a popular concert venue.
5. A ride away with Harley
Perhaps the most scenic on-Strip dining area outside of The Park adjacent to T-Mobile Arena is the popular, yet understated, Harley-Davidson Cafe.
The Harley-Davidson Cafe is sure to pick up a lot of additional clientele during several rodeo events in the fall and winter. The cafe is also located close enough for roaming arena guests to wander during intermissions or halftimes of events.
Arena Attraction: The impressive cooking at the Harley-Davidson Cafe is one of the best kept secrets on the Strip. Look for its daily specials to become popular with the arena crowd, as well.
6. Time for Tahiti?
Although the initial headliners for the new T-Mobile Arena are acts and events geared for adults, there will be plenty of family events, from concerts, circus shows, ice shows and other promotions.
For these events, Tahiti Village, often overlooked in its location about one mile south, may be an obvious choice for families looking to enjoy the Las Vegas entertainment experience without some of the impromptu adult acts that may be found on the Strip. Family features such as barbecue grills and lazy rivers for floating will make it a popular choice for the arena’s G-rated event attendees.
Arena Attraction: Tahiti Village’s transportation options to the Strip are even more valuable now with the new arena nearby.
Bottom line
The T-Mobile Arena offers the south side of the Strip its biggest shot in the arm ever from a noncasino entity or venue. Programming at the arena will help cure the ills of slow weekday nights or long weeks during the winter when revenue on the Strip is only a portion of the busy summer season.
T-Mobile Arena has positioned itself as an agnostic venue, with no preconceived corporate ties or allegiances, and the economic impact of the venue to nearby businesses should fulfill that claim.
While nobody in Las Vegas was bold enough to proclaim “Build it and they will come,” the hundreds of thousands of guests who will be a part of the arena’s opening season will help a resurgence on the south Strip.
This is a portion of the Strip that has long been overshadowed this decade with higher-profile improvements and reconstruction projects on the middle and northern parts of the Strip. But its time may have come.
