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Beginning with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s opening night concert on October 17, 1999, over 25 million guests have come to the AEG owned and operated STAPLES Center to attend a schedule of prestigious concerts, sporting events, family shows and other major attractions unmatched by any arena.
As the home of five professional sports franchises -- the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, the AFL’s Los Angeles Avengers and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks -- STAPLES Center has proven to be a home court advantage for the local teams. The Lakers capped-off each of their first three seasons at STAPLES Center by winning NBA Championships (the 12th, 13th and 14th in franchise history) while the Sparks captured back-to-back WNBA Championships in their first two STAPLES Center campaigns. The Kings, Clippers and Avengers have all set franchise records for attendance and sellouts since moving into their ‘new home.’
STAPLES Center continues to distinguish itself as the host of major, high-profile events of national and international distinction including the 2004 NBA All-Star Game, the 2002 NHL All-Star Game, 2002 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the 2000 Democratic National Convention, seven Grammy Award shows, five X Games competitions, three WTA Tour Championships and six Pac 10 Basketball Championship tournaments.
Through the activities of the STAPLES Center Foundation, the people of Los Angeles have also been touched in a different way. Dedicated to improving the quality of life for the youth in the greater Los Angeles area through grants and educational and recreational programming, the Foundation has placed a special emphasis on contributing to the neighborhoods surrounding the arena.
Over $7 million has already been pledged to community organizations by the STAPLES Center Foundation including $1 million grants to Inner-City Arts (a public private partnership non-profit organization that provides much needed arts education for downtown elementary and middle school students) and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
STAPLES Center has also “adopted” Tenth Street Elementary School located in the heart of the Pico-Union section of downtown Los Angeles. Together, the staffs of the arena and the school have developed a groundbreaking public-private educational partnership benefiting the school in the form of grants, fundraising and an in-school volunteer program in which STAPLES Center’s executives regularly participates.
STAPLES Center has been designed with the fans of Los Angeles in mind. Guests who attend events are treated to the finest entertainment experience imaginable. The arena has 1,200 television monitors and (as part of a specially designed $1.5 million facility sound system) 675 separate speakers outside of the seating area, so fans never miss any of the sights or sounds of a STAPLES Center event. Also featured is a $2 million specialty lighting package and other state-of-the-art industry amenities.
Along STAPLES Center’s five concourses are 23 refreshment stands offering a variety of dining choices including the City View Grill, a one-of-a-kind outdoor dining experience with a spectacular view of the downtown Los Angeles skyline and the signature Royal Room located along the main concourse. The FOX Sports Sky Box, a 300-seat sports bar/restaurant, is open daily and can be found along the main concourse adjacent to TEAM LA, a retail store featuring official merchandise from the teams and events that call STAPLES Center home. Finally, the arena provides 55 public restrooms including three “family” restrooms.
Perhaps the greatest emphasis throughout STAPLES Center’s development has been the recruitment and training of its guest services staff. The STAPLES Center experience is second-to-none from the entertainment environment to the staff’s commitment to making every guest’s visit a memorable one. Never before has an arena had the amenities, features and commitment to quality service that STAPLES Center offers to the fans and the City of Los Angeles. STAPLES Center has set the new standard for the arena industry.
The STAPLES Center story is not yet complete. On September 15,2005, AEG broke ground on L.A. LIVE, a dynamic and vibrant 4 million square foot / $2.5 million sports, residential and entertainment district covering more than 27 acres along six city blocks adjacent to the arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center. The development will feature NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE, a 7,100-seat state-of-the-art live theatre opening October 18, 2007, as well as a 54 story, 1001-room convention “headquarters” hotel (combining the JW Marriott and The Ritz Carlton brands along with 224 luxury condominiums – The Ritz Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE – all in a single tower), broadcast facilities for ESPN, a 14-screen Regal Cineplex, Club NOKIA, a 2,200 capacity live music venue along with entertainment, restaurant, office and exhibition space.
