Venue and Facility Management: Nassau Coliseum
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is also known as the Coliseum or the Nassau Coliseum is a multipurpose hall located in Uniondale, New York. The building was opened in 1972 and has served numerous functions including hosting basketball, hockey, professional wrestling, and other forms of entertainment. The closure of the Coliseum for renovations for approximately one year in 2015 made Long Island residents understand how much they missed the events hosted in the building and the benefits of having the structure in their town.
History
The building has been in operation since 1972 as a multipurpose indoor arena. Long Island residents view the building as a crown jewel. Since its initial opening in 1972, the structure has undergone several changes including increasing its capacity from about 13,000 to 18,000 in the early 80s. In 2015, it was closed for renovations during, which the capacity for the different segments was altered. The hockey games’ area was renovated to accommodate 13,000 seats and the basketball section to 13,500. Aside from that, the space allocated for concerts was also increased to provide more than 14,500 seats. The renovations were expected to cost nearly $130 million (Brodsky & Baumbach, 2017).
Some of the famous sporting activities in history carried out in the Coliseum include the first basketball event conducted on February 11, 1972, where the Nets played against the Pittsburgh Condors. Important high school basketball games such as the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro Region Tournament were played between 1978 and 1981. The New York Islanders have been practicing and conducting their hockey matches at the Coliseum for more than 40 years, with their last game being held in 2015 (Kreda, 2018). WrestleMania 2, which took place in 1986, was held at the arena and SummerSlam 2002 was held at the Madison Square Garden (Ross, 2017).
History related to entertainment in the Coliseum includes Elvis Pressley’s canceled concert in July 1977, which left a significant impact on the arena. He died six days before his scheduled performance, and thousands of people gathered in the parking lot of the Nassau Coliseum to mourn him. Frank Zappa, the legendary rocker had his last United States concert at the arena in 1988. Pink Floyd did not release their first live album and video of their tour until after their performance at the Nassau Coliseum in 1988. Aside from that, the Allman Brothers Band made their first legal live album at the Coliseum in 1973 and released their fourth studio album within the same year (Bolger, 2017).
How it is Run During Events
Before the day of a specific event, interested guests are required to check event schedules online and book their sitting slot. The program also enables planners to determine, which days have been booked and to avoid multiple bookings. A seating chart available makes it easy for guests to find information related to the club or general seats and available suites. The prices of the specific seating areas are also provided online and are usually highlighted with small icons and popup notes that provide additional information. The information available on the charts also enable event planners to determine the expected number of people who will be attending an activity (Newsday, 2019).
The planners and organizers of the events treat all guests courteously and ensure that the guests enjoy the ongoing entertainment without involving themselves in disruptive behavior. They provide the guests with beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic for entertainment during events and watch out for individuals who may misbehave while under the influence of alcohol. Such guests are usually escorted out to avoid harming themselves or others at the Coliseum. People attending events are required to sit on the seat, which they paid for to avoid confusion (Home of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 2019). Seat tickets may be requested as the event progresses to ensure that all customers are seated on the exact spot they paid for when booking.
Customers who attempt to enter the stage or court are usually escorted out of the venue as such behavior interferes with ongoing activities. Aside from those, the customers who engage in fighting, throwing things at other people will also be requested to leave the venue. Smoking is not allowed in the area or the immediate perimeter around the arena. The venue staff also keep in mind facility operations during emergencies and the steps they should take in calming people and safely evacuating them from the premise (Home of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 2019). As such, guests are required to comply with requests made by the staff regarding such emergencies.
The venue staff also discourages guests from wearing clothes or shoes displaying offensive messages directed towards the fans of a different sports team. As such, all the customers are required to wear a shirt and shoes during the entire event for their safety, while those who show up at the entrance with clothing displaying hateful messages may be denied access (Home of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 2019). The guests are also required to work collaboratively with the facility staff to ensure that they report any disruptive behavior.
Collaboration between the customers and the venue staff enables guests to enjoy their time at the Nassau Coliseum. Security measures taken at the entrance points reduces the likelihood of cases like shootings or attacks that could otherwise lead to loss of life and injuries. While coordinating the activities of such a building might be difficult, the rules and regulations put in place ensure that both the staff and visitors understand what is required of them.
References
Bolger, T. (2017, April 5). 17 Times entertainment history was made at Nassau Coliseum. Retrieved from Long Island: https://www.longislandpress.com/2017/04/05/17-times-entertainment-history-was-made-at-nassau-coliseum/
Brodsky, R., & Baumbach, J. (2017, January 30). Islanders discussed possible Coliseum return, Mangano says. Retrieved from Newsday: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/islanders-edward-mangano-discuss-team-s-possible-return-to-coliseum-1.13039439
Home of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. (2019). Code of Conduct. Retrieved from NYCB Live: https://www.nycblive.com/nycblive-info/code-of-conduct
Kreda, A. (2018, December 1). Islanders return to Nassau Coliseum, Thrilling fans and players Alike. Retrieved from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/01/sports/islanders-nassau-coliseum.html
Newsday. (2019, February 15). Nassau Coliseum events schedule. Retrieved from Newsday: https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/nassau-coliseum/nassau-coliseum-events-schedule-1.13064228
Ross, J. (2017, March 17). WrestleMania Part 1. Retrieved from Fox Sports: https://www.foxsports.com/buzzer/story/wrestlemania-part-1-030717