The roar of a sold-out crowd is viewed as the ultimate metric of success for any venue. But is it a true sign of profitability?
Venue operators have traditionally viewed entrance gates strictly as security checkpoints.
However, the industry’s most successful operators know a secret: the more efficiently run your gate is, the more profitable your arena will be. That’s because a well-staffed, fast-moving entrance gets fans inside the building faster, where they can spend more time at the concession stands before the event begins. You only need an adequate number of gate staff to make this happen.
It’s time to reframe arena gate staffing from a logistical problem into a revenue driver. Here’s how you can optimize your gate flow with on-demand labor and optimize your bottom line.
The Gate Line Is a Revenue Problem Nobody Is Solving
For most live events, 60 to 90 minutes before an event is the peak time for stadium concession revenue. This is when fans are eager to grab a beer, buy a hot dog, and purchase merchandise before finding their seats. But when entry lines stretch around the block, this spending window can become severely compressed.
When fans arrive only minutes before the event starts, they skip the food and drink lines. Instead, they rush straight to their seats, unspent dollars in their pockets.
At any venue, the root cause of this problem is an outdated venue labor strategy. Far too often, arena operators staff their gates with austerity in mind. They view bag checks and metal detectors as a cost center to minimize rather than a throughput process to optimize. Rather than saving money, this bare-minimum approach inadvertently chokes off fan flow and drastically reduces pre-event dwell time. And this is the metric that drives concession sales.
What Optimized Gate Staffing Looks Like
Now, picture what optimized event staffing for arenas looks like. It starts with higher gate staff-to-lane ratios. An optimized gate staff moves lines faster, creating a much better first impression than when fans only make it inside just in time for the event to start.
When you deploy an adequate number of personnel for line management, average entry times plummet. This includes staff for scanning tickets, performing bag checks, wanding, and other security functions. Faster entry distributes fan flow more evenly across the entire pre-event window. Instead of long lines and bottlenecks at entry points and concession stands, you see an optimized flow and fans happily headed to their seats.
Venues that have mastered entry speed typically see a big spike in concession spending per fan. This is a measurable, undeniable revenue metric that is directly linked to the level of staffing at the gate.
On-Demand Labor Makes Concession Revenue Strategies Possible
Of course, many stadium operators instinctively know that more gate staff and more time for fans at concession stands can lead to higher profits. But with tight personnel budgets, adequate staffing can seem an impossible goal. And it’s true that carrying a full-time gate workforce large enough to handle peak crowds for sold-out events is entirely cost-prohibitive for most venues.
However, a more modern approach to stadium workforce planning makes it possible. Partnering with the right staffing agency for on-demand labor allows venues to scale their gate staffing based on expected attendance. The result is fully optimized workforce planning.
General staffing firms don’t understand the fast, focused pace required to get thousands of fans through the doors. On the other hand, a staffing partner with event and venue experience provides workers who understand the unique demands of live entertainment. They offer staff who are well-versed in managing crowd flow and in interacting with eager guests professionally.
Meet Your Partner for On-Demand Gate Staffing (and Profitability)
HireQuest Direct understands that gate staffing is not just an operations function. We see it as the foundational building block of profitability for arenas, stadiums, and other live entertainment venues. We can help you formulate a venue workforce strategy that processes fans at the gates faster and adds to your bottom line.
If you’re ready to invest in a faster and smoother entry process, it’s time to partner with HireQuest Direct. To get started, contact a HireQuest Direct location near you today.
