The Charles E. Smith Center underwent several renovations this summer to enhance fan experiences on game days and bring the building up to par with other athletic facilities in the industry.
The home of GW sports received improved audio systems, larger screens in the corner of the courtside area and more accessible concession stands this summer. The Smith Center last received renovations in 2019, adding a Hall of Fame exhibit to the concessions concourse, according to the athletics website.
“All of these improvements are made in an effort to improve the fan experience,” Associate Athletics Director Andrew Lundt said. “People’s time is valuable, so we want to make sure while they’re here they’re having a good time, and we’re giving them the best opportunity to do that.”
Officials partnered with HOK, a global design, architecture and engineering firm, earlier this year to devise a plan to improve athletic facilities.
The new Amazon Go tap-and-go model on the lower concourse, which scans items and charges a credit card or Amazon account on file, are also present in other venues in the D.C. area like Capital One Arena and Nationals Park. He said the Amazon Go stands are expected to reduce wait times for fans purchasing from concessions and got their first customers at “A Night with Trevor Noah” last week, which averaged about one transaction every 19 seconds.
Lundt, who oversees athletic events in Foggy Bottom, the Mount Vernon Campus and Barcroft Park, GW’s baseball field in Arlington, said he wants to prioritize the overall fan experience.
“I think overall concessions in this building, we look at it as a value add,” Lundt said. “It is a revenue stream, but it’s something that we’re trying to make be part of the gameday experience for the fans and students and we want it to be an add-on where people come, and it contributes to an overall positive experience.”
Lundt said this summer’s renovations were driven by improving the overall fan experience and he wants to make sure fans can focus on the games and enjoy the sporting events in the Smith Center without the distractions of long lines or poor audio.
“We want to get people in and out,” Lundt said. “It has become industry norm, so we’ll have extra staff on-site to help teach people how to operate it and get them used to the new function.”
The traditional concession stands are now called “District Snacks,” which offers a mixture of cashier-assisted and the Amazon Go “tap-and-go” self-checkout kiosks, offering chips, candy, soft drinks and other snacks. The other two concession locations are grab-and-go offering soft drinks, popcorn, ice cream, pulled pork sandwiches and more.
Chartwells, the primary GW campus dining partner, will stock the concession strands. Chartwells collaborated in recent years with Mash Gin, to supply the self-checkout system at District Markets, allowing students to efficiently shop.
Lundt said the Smith Center received new speakers with improved audio quality after poor audio became a recurring issue, with frequent glitches and cutouts. He said that the audio was a big focus of the Smith Center renovations due to their operational issues, with attendees unable to hear the game while in line for concessions.
Officials have also unveiled new video displays this year which will be more prominent and visible to the crowd. The digital ribbon boards behind each basket have been replaced with larger screens, improving visibility for the whole arena.
“Not being able to hear what the PA says is a huge pain point,” Lundt said. “Waiting in line is a huge pain point. We want to make sure that when you are here, you have a great experience.”
