IAW Capacity Increase …

[kingmo19.1]

Was giving this some though lately - especially as every home game is now a sell out or very near a sell out - are we potentially losing money now due to current capacity?

A relatively easy solution might be to lose the walkway behind blocks 7-12 and build out those blocks so they go right up to the back wall of the rink on that side!

The above would likely add 3 or maybe 4 rows of seats to the top of each of those blocks.

There are a few column supports immediately behind the existing seats, therefore, would need to excluded seating in and around those to ensure any new seating does not have an obscured view.

The above would seem a relatively easy and cost effective solution to me with the block format then being identical to the BBT and WNIR, ie no walkway around the top but access via the bottom of the block upwards.

This relatively cost effective option could add in the region of 400-500 seats. Sell those on a weekly basis and that’s a considerable income increase to the club!

What do people think ?

 

[Gough60]

Think H&S would be all over it like a cheap suit.
Nice idea though, and thinking outside the box.

 

[Hedd Wyn John]

I think taking out a walk way would cause issues with health & safety in terms of evacuating the building in case of a fire.

In order to increase the capacity at the IAW you're looking at a multi-million pound partial rebuild which isn't going to happen.

 

[Devlass]

There are other rinks in our league though that have seating right to the back wall, so I’m wondering what would stop us? I’m assuming though there can only be a certain number of rows vertically before additional exits are required eg. halfway up the rows if you take away the walkway at the top?

 

[Kevlar68]

I have to say the games i've attended this season especially CC games were nowhere near sell outs, Steelers, Giants and maybe Panthers as always a niggle there are good sellers but the other 6 teams never seem to get sold out unless its a semi or final.
If season ticket holders decide not to go then they had that £5 buy back to sell on but again it's down to the season ticket holders to let the ticket office know their seat is available which i guess many don't hence all the empty seats.
I decided not to renew this year as to many Saturday games but every game we've attended we've had our season ticket seats as always been available.
We're really hit and miss when it comes to sell outs. If it was game after game then i may change my mind about expanding but it's not.

 

[kingmo19.1]

I don’t think H&S is an issue in adding another 3-4 rows to those blocks. The Panthers rink doesn’t have a walkway above the top of the stand and their stands are also far bigger than the IAW.

 

[James]

It depends on a lot of things I think. The capacity of the fire exits, size of the walkways etc. If everything was designed over capacity there wouldn't be an issue (if it was structurally possible) but if not the rink might not be designed to work that way so would need more work than just adding the seats. Nice position to be in though.

 

[Kevlar68]

Maybe it would be H & S due to where the bar position is. To get to the bar/toilets it would then either be walk along all the seated aisles or down to the bottom, out, then back up via the main entrance stairs.
There is obviously a reason for not going to the back due to capacity specs, licence for building, H & S.

 

[kingmo19.1]

Might be worth the club investigating it further though - just to remove any assumption - and it would be a damn sight better than those stupid temporary chairs they put out at the top of some blocks which if anything are a real H&s issue.

 

[MA18]

I’d question how often we actually sell out.
Often empty seats in blocks 18, 19 and 20 that aren’t season tickets holders.
Lots of space in block 15 Friday even though a good number from a school or club were present (until Chuck the puck when they all left).
Nice idea to add seats, I’d question if the return on investment woukd make it worth while.

 

[august04 2.0]

Do the council own IAW now though? With the squeeze on public finances, cost of living crisis, increased energy costs, the economy in turmoil, who do we expect to pay for this proposed expansion?

 

[Wannabe2]

Don’t think the Council own the rink, spend money at bar etc your money goes to Greenbank.

 

[Wannabe2]

I have to say the games i've attended this season especially CC games were nowhere near sell outs, Steelers, Giants and maybe Panthers as always a niggle there are good sellers but the other 6 teams never seem to get sold out unless its a semi or final.
If season ticket holders decide not to go then they had that £5 buy back to sell on but again it's down to the season ticket holders to let the ticket office know their seat is available which i guess many don't hence all the empty seats.
I decided not to renew this year as to many Saturday games but every game we've attended we've had our season ticket seats as always been available.
We're really hit and miss when it comes to sell outs. If it was game after game then i may change my mind about expanding but it's not.

The club won’t buy back your ticket now, they will swap your ticket for a webcast.

 

[Earnie]

In the unlikely event of an extension I believe it would be by taking down part of the Block
12 - 16 end and doing whatever.

 

[Kevlar68]

The club won’t buy back your ticket now, they will swap your ticket for a webcast.

Cheers Glynn

 

[tim78]

If you ever look at the roof, the steel beams don't rest on anything gantry side but are supported by trussets. I'd hate to just build anymore without checking load bearing and finding out its kept together by welding joints.

I think a balcony tier of 3-4 rows would be great like in the old rink if it would fit.

Though I really would like a more devils signature to the interior of arena rather than a white out dentist feel.

 

[BostonBart22]

The club won’t buy back your ticket now, they will swap your ticket for a webcast.

only for 2 games..

 

[Wannabe2]

Greenbank still own the rink, they won’t be interested in spending more money on the place as it isn’t in their interest, at the moment they won’t spend anything on usable toilets, and ice on the 2nd pad.

 

[Phinktastique]

If you ever look at the roof, the steel beams don't rest on anything gantry side but are supported by trussets. I'd hate to just build anymore without checking load bearing and finding out its kept together by welding joints.

I think a balcony tier of 3-4 rows would be great like in the old rink if it would fit.

Though I really would like a more devils signature to the interior of arena rather than a white out dentist feel.

Great post and totally agree about the dentist feel. Lol. The arena needs a nice, big quality lit devils logo on the front of it for a start and an inclusion of more character and identity on the interior walls rather than the white, vacuous voids around the parameter at the mo. These minor cosmetic changes would not cost a lot to implement by a decent local signage company, but would make a big difference. Big changes like the seating capacity increase and quality of seats I feel will not be updated for quite some time yet, but I there could be some relatively low cost modifications made quite quickly that gives IAW more of a ‘Devils’ signature and a much needed update.

 

[Kevlar68]

I think the building as a whole was built on the least budget they could get away with, no whistles or bells but a venue that just does the job it needs to do.
We have 2 pads and only one being used and the second is just going to waste. I know the costs to run it now will be sky high but if not going to be a second pad then convert it to be a useful area to gain some revenue.
The whole place isn't being used to its whole potential and it seems that whoever owns it/runs it isn't really bothered.