EVOLVING venues
Unlocking More of Your Ballpark's Original Vision
3–10 Years
The Building Has Started Talking. Are You Listening?
By the time a newer ballpark has put a few seasons under its belt, the organization has learned something that couldn't be fully understood during design: how fans actually use the building.
Guest behaviors emerge. Popular gathering places take shape. Food and beverage preferences change. Retail strategies evolve. Premium expectations rise. At the same time, spaces that seemed promising on Opening Day may not be performing as anticipated.
Over the past 20 years, we've learned that these observations can reveal opportunities to unlock more of a venue's original vision. Strategic improvements can respond to changing expectations, strengthen underperforming spaces, and introduce new experiences that weren't apparent when the ballpark first opened.
The Opportunity to Evolve
A newer ballpark doesn't necessarily need a major renovation to take its next step. Often, the greatest opportunities come from understanding what has changed since Opening Day and making targeted improvements that build upon what already works.
A gathering space may need to become more social. A concession area may be ready for a new concept. A retail environment may need to respond to changing merchandise strategies. A premium space may offer an opportunity to serve a broader range of guests.
The goal is to build on the original vision—not replace it. Strategic improvements can help a venue become more responsive, more engaging, and more valuable as expectations continue to evolve.
Where You Might Find the Greatest Impact
Changing Expectations
Three to ten years into a venue's life, fan expectations can look considerably different from those that informed the original design.
Look for opportunities to respond to emerging preferences around social spaces, hospitality, food and beverage, retail, premium experiences, and the way fans move through and experience the ballpark.
Underperforming Spaces
Actual operating experience provides a clearer picture of which spaces are delivering—and which aren't reaching their intended potential.
Look for opportunities to reposition underperforming areas rather than allowing valuable square footage to remain underutilized.
New Opportunities
Successful venues continue to create new reasons for fans to gather, spend, and return.
Social seating, specialty hospitality, new food and beverage concepts, retail experiences, and other emerging uses can introduce additional value while expanding the ways fans experience the game.
Original Vision
The original design often contains opportunities that have yet to be fully realized.
Look for ways to build upon the venue's original planning, circulation, architecture, and program to unlock possibilities that became apparent only after the building was occupied and operating.
These Lessons In Action
South End Trading Co. | Truist Park
Transforming retail into a destination experience.
South End Trading Co. reimagined ballpark retail as an immersive destination centered on the culture and collectability of the game. The store combines premium merchandise with The Vault, a museum-like display of rare and historic Braves memorabilia, creating a retail environment that encourages discovery while elevating the value of game-used and collectible merchandise.
Lesson: As fan expectations evolve, retail can become more than a place to transact—it can become an experience that deepens engagement with the team and the game.
Explore South End Trading Co. →
Xfinity Roof Deck | Truist Park
Creating a new way to experience the game.
The Xfinity Roof Deck introduced a new elevated social destination within Truist Park, giving fans an alternative to traditional seated viewing while creating a distinctive hospitality and gathering experience. The project demonstrates how an existing venue can evolve by introducing new ways for fans to socialize and experience the game.
Lesson: Emerging fan behaviors can create opportunities for new seating and social products that complement the original seating bowl rather than compete with it.
Explore Xfinity Roof Deck →
Braves Market Grab-&-Go | Truist Park
Reimagining concessions around how fans want to shop.
The Braves Marketplace Grab-&-Go concepts replaced two traditional concession stands with a convenience-store-inspired model designed around speed, self-service, and enhanced throughput. Seven-bay, back-fed coolers, wall-to-wall food holding slides, and self-checkout kiosks reduce friction between guests and their purchases while allowing the existing footprints to serve more fans efficiently.
Lesson: Evolving guest behavior can create opportunities to rethink traditional concession models, improving convenience and throughput while creating greater revenue potential from existing space.