Crypto.com Arena turns 25: What the iconic venue represents about the past, present, and future of the fan experience

Few people know the story behind the venue's construction, which opened its doors as STAPLES Center on October 17, 1999. The project involved a tight schedule and unanticipated design modifications What started as a $190-million project with a 22-month construction schedule ended up a $231-million world-class facility built in a record 18 months. 

Wayne Melnyk, vice president of major projects for PCL Construction, served as the general superintendent on the original STAPLES Center project.

"It's one of my favorite projects to this day, because it was an incredible feat to do what we did," Melnyk says. "It was one of those jobs where you know it was crazy, but you also knew you were doing something great."

Today PCL Construction is helping maintain the venue's legacy as one of the country's premiere destinations for sports and entertainment events through a series of renovations to Crypto.com Arena.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the iconic downtown Los Angeles arena opening its doors, the sports construction experts at PCL reflect on how the fan experience has changed and what's coming next for arenas across the country.

The advent of smart sporting venues:

Grab-and-go options with contactless payments are becoming increasingly popular at concession stands, allowing fans to scan their credit card upon entry, grab their items and automatically be charged as they exit. Phone charging stations, high-speed Internet and amenities that cater to the needs of social media-savvy generations are becoming a necessity in new and existing venues.

"This shift toward more technologically sophisticated and fan-centric arenas necessitates a seamless blend of design and construction efforts," says Daniel Brown, the PCL construction manager leading the Crypto.com Arena renovations project.

Now serving vegan chili and sushi rolls:

Food and beverage offerings in sports arenas have undergone a significant transformation in recent years, driven largely by changing demographics and consumer expectations. Millennials and Gen Z expect venues to provide a diverse range of food options that also accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions. Rather than be carted over from a commercial kitchen, these elevated food offerings are cooked on site in the arena.   

"It used to be that concessions were one of the last components an owner would think about when building a new venue," says Dale Koger, vice president of PCL's sports division. "Now, with all of the varied offering's attendees are expecting, we tell owners they need to hire their food and beverage people before the design phase is completed so they can adapt the designs to accommodate the dining concepts."

The rise of social spaces and suites:

Younger generations often prioritize the experience and social interaction at the arena over the actual sporting event. In response, many venues are removing traditional seating areas to make way for branded social gathering spaces. A recent example of these updated gathering and club spaces includes the City View Terrace inside Crypto.com Arena, which offers flexible indoor-outdoor dining and entertainment experiences with views of both the downtown Los Angeles skyline and the arena bowl.rytpo.com Arena has been a pioneer in fan-centered design and technological innovation since its original construction in 1999. The ongoing renovations at Crypto.com Arena underscores AEG's and PCL's commitment to ensuring that the venue continues to be a beloved landmark for decades to come.

For more information on the construction of the Crypto.com Arena and to view a timeline of the venues' history-making moments, view the full story on PCL.com.

About PCL Construction

PCL is a group of independent construction companies that operates throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Australia. As one of the largest contracting organizations in North America, PCL completes more than $7 billion USD in work annually, building projects that shape communities. The company's 100% employee ownership model fuels a culture of commitment for clients in the buildings, civil infrastructure, heavy industrial and solar markets. With a strategic presence in more than 30 major centers, PCL's leadership teams consistently drive innovation and set new benchmarks for excellence, bringing unparalleled skill to every project. Watch us build at PCL.com.

About AEG 

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world's leading sports and live entertainment company. The company operates in the following business segments: 

• Music through AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including the production and promotion of global and regional concert tours, an extensive portfolio of clubs, theaters and other music venues, concerts and special events and world-renowned festivals such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival;
• Venues and Real Estate, which develops, owns and operates world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like Crypto.com Arena and L.A. LIVE, Uber Platz in Berlin and The O2 in London;
• Sports, as the world's largest operator of high-profile sporting events and sports franchises including the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and Eisbären Berlin;
• Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating, and other strategic partnerships.
• And Ticketing, which provides more than 400 clients worldwide with ticketing services that cover the gamut of entertainments, including sporting events, arena tours, music clubs festival, rodeos and family events.

Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 90 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com. 

SOURCE PCL Construction