The Creation of the Gotham Club

Monday, May 1, 2017

At Giants Enterprises we pride ourselves on creativity and innovation. We host world-class events for top-tier clients and are constantly striving to deliver exceptional experiences in new and exhilarating ways.

When you have one of baseball’s most storied franchises playing in  a  ballpark  that is considered one the best in the game, it’s admittedly a blessing. Add in the longest current sellout streak in all of Major League Baseball, a waterfront property in the heart of downtown San Francisco and a passionate and dedicated fan base and you have all the ingredients to allow you to push the envelope.

AT&T Park, recipient of the 2008 Sports Facility of the Year by Sports Business Journal, is widely considered as one of baseball’s best venues. However, it wasn’t until 2013 (13 years after the ballpark first opened its doors), that the facility boasted a truly upscale, VIP, private event venue that provided the organization with a year- round revenue generating venue and private membership club.

Enter The Gotham Club – a private, speakeasy- style social club that provides a members-only experience at AT&T Park while celebrating the rich history of the Giants franchise. Members receive game day access to three Club spaces located throughout the park – The Game Room, the on-field Bullpen and The Clubhouse. In addition, members are invited to monthly events, including exclusive opportunities extending beyond the walls of the ballpark.

Giants Enterprises executives conceived the idea and turned two empty, underutilized spaces in the ballpark into sleek, vintage-themed venues that have allowed the organization to generate revenue year-round, increase fan loyalty and serve as a premier destination for entertainment on both Giants’ gamedays and non-gamedays alike.

 In 2016 alone, The Gotham Cub has hosted more than 50 private events, in addition to more than 80 Giants baseball games. All told, The Gotham Club will have been in use in excess of 200 out of 366 days this year, including 29 events in November and December alone. As a sign of the Clubs popularity and intrigue, there is now has a waitlist for prospective members as the Club reached its membership capacity mid-year.

One of the primary reasons for creating The Gotham Club was that it could serve as an extension to the baseball season, giving members a way to connect to the team in unique and creative ways, year-round.  In order to accomplish this goal, members are presented with exclusive invitations to events throughout the year, which are designed to deepen our connection with our team’s rich and storied history. Some of these events include speaker series with former Giants players and broadcasters, to private wine tastings in Napa Valley, to VIP tickets to concerts, to road trips to watch the Giants play in other cities across the country.

This past season, The Gotham Road Trip series took two groups of 50 members each to New York and Boston. The trips, expertly planned by Gotham Club and Giants Enterprises staff, included round-trip airfare, lodging at top hotels, group dinner reservations and behind- the-scenes access. While at Fenway Park in Boston, members got a once in a lifetime opportunity to go inside the  Green Monster– the gigantic wall located in left field that is often regarded as the most historic and iconic features of any ballpark in America.

The Club has also hosted numerous functions for colleagues within the Giants organization that focus on Community Relations, Sponsorship and Baseball Operations to name a few. Most recently, The Gotham Clubhouse opened its doors to host a meet and greet for Giants Season Ticket Members and newly-signed relief pitcher, Mark Melancon. The venue drew rave reviews from Season Ticket Members (many of whom had not previously seen the venue) and provided the perfect, upscale, professional setting to welcome our prized acquisition.

In the increasingly competitive and challenging environment of hospitality, events and professional sports, the need to innovate and provide clients with unique and memorable experiences is paramount. Because we challenged ourselves, chose to think outside the box and took calculated risks, we’ve created new venues and experiences that are widely praised and universally appreciated.

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