Stadiums have become more capable. They have also become more labor-intensive.

Available public data suggests a representative NFL game can require more than 3,000 workers and over $1 million in event labor. For owners, that creates two related problems: recurring labor expense reduces the operating contribution from major events, while the minimum staffing required to open the building can make smaller, non-ticketed events uneconomic.

Technology can attack that labor burden in two different ways.

Automation can eliminate repetitive manual work. More usable systems can reduce the expertise, time and coordination required when people still need to operate complex venue functions.

Sports is already proving the model in specific areas. At Lumen Field, a checkout-free concession location increased throughput by 60% and eventually more than doubled sales per game compared with the traditional stand it replaced. Industry research has also found checkout-free stadium stores delivering 20% to 30% higher throughput while improving labor efficiency. Intuit Dome opened with more than 40 checkout-free locations, and the new Nissan Stadium plans to make its concessions operation entirely checkout-free.

The larger opportunity is to apply the same thinking across the building: use automation and usability to increase operator leverage, lower the cost of running events and expand venue utilization.