Sweet Suite Deal

Portland, Ore.’s Rose Garden Arena has been managed by Global Spectrum since January 1st, and one of the big changes is single-event suite sales, a program the management company has incorporated into many of its buildings.

The Rose Garden – home to pro basketball’s Trail Blazers – was owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen until the end of last year, and his Oregon Arena Corp. managed the Rose Quarter complex. The facility suffered financially, notably because of poor attendance for the struggling Blazers games, and Allen filed for bankruptcy and defaulted on his loan. Global Spectrum was hired as facility manager by Allen’s creditors.

Allen’s company sold long-term leases for the suites and generally did not utilize single-event sales. Global Spectrum hopes its program will inject some cash into the facility.

Along with courtside and preferred-level seats – which were controlled by the Trail Blazers – Global Spectrum took over the 70 suites, 40 of which have long-term leases. For the upcoming December visit by U2, the company opened 20 of the remaining suites for $3,600 each, with an occupancy of 15 fans. Those sold out within a week, a Global Spectrum spokesman told Pollstar.

Single-event suites are also available for Trail Blazers games and other events, such as The Wiggles and Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

“The suites are not exclusively leased for business purposes,” venue GM Mike Scanlon said. “Families can use them for birthday parties and friends can use them for bachelor or bachelorette parties.”