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Grammys See Record Food And Drink Per Caps
The Grammy Awards, for the second consecutive year, set a venue record for food and drink sales at Crypto.com Arena, driven by the pricey cost of premium seat packages.
Levy’s per cap was $97.13, a monster number for Sunday’s event, on par with Super Bowl food and drink sales.
The number eclipsed last year’s average spend of $95.94 for the Grammys, which stood as the previous record, arena president Lee Zeidman said. The per caps encompass both general concessions and catering services.
Official attendance for the 66th Grammys was 11,195. Doing the math, Levy generated more than $1 million in food and beverage receipts.
Crypto.com Arena opened in 1999. Historically, those per caps are more than double the average spend compared with NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals at the facility, Zeidman said, given bigger crowds for the sports events.
“We sold all our suite inventory for the Grammys,” he said. “Levy and our AEG sales team did a phenomenal job in pushing the F&B packages. They came up with a lot of new ideas to combine a lot of things that drove sales.”
Crypto.com Arena has 154 traditional suites, but that number was reduced by the Grammys production, whose centerpiece is a massive stage with cabaret-style tables taking up a portion of the floor.
Together, AEG and Levy sold a combined 117 suites and terrace boxes, which are similar to loge boxes, plus four tunnel suites, a new piece of inventory tied to the arena’s nine-figure renovation project.
AEG controls the suite inventory for special events such as the Grammys and all-star games. Suite holders for the Lakers, Kings and Clippers have the option to buy their suite for the Grammys, but for the most part, they pass on the opportunity. As a result, Zeidman said many suites are purchased and occupied by sponsors of AEG and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/.
The arena’s NBA and NHL press boxes, which are open air structures, were sold as individual suites, both with capacity for eight people.
“We maximize every bit of space that we have in the venue to sell for the Grammys,” Zeidman said.
For merchandise, Rank & Rally, Levy’s retail group, reported a $5.17 per cap for items produced by the academy. It’s a decent number for the Grammys, Zeidman said.
The 2024 Grammys marked the 21st time Crypto.com Arena, formerly Staples Center, has played host to the event. The award ceremonies extended to the Peacock Theater next door.
“I’m proud of the work that both our arena and theater staffs did in such a challenging environment with record-breaking rainfall, protests (over Middle East issues) taking place outside, street closures and people trying to get into the building,” Zeidman said. “We worked closely with NARAS and LAPD to pull off a successful 66th Grammys.”