Crafting a Memorable Sports Patron Experience 

Emily Louchart, director of interiors for HNTB’s National Architecture Practice, brings a hospitality-driven perspective to the world of sports architecture, shaping venues that create meaningful connections between people and place. Throughout her career, she has contributed to major projects for nearly every professional sports league in the U.S., from transformative renovations to ground-up stadiums. Today, Emily leads interiors for some of HNTB’s most high-profile projects, including the new Athletics Ballpark in Las Vegas, the reimagined David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium at the University of Kansas and the new Ryan Field at Northwestern University. With a focus on the patron experience, she views design as a catalyst for emotional memory, social connection and operational excellence.

 How is the patron experience evolving in today’s sports and entertainment venues, and what role does design play in meeting those changing expectations?

Patrons today want experiences that feel purposeful and personal, moments that feel crafted just for them. A seat at the game isn’t enough anymore. Fans expect an environment that’s immersive, social and worth sharing, whether that means a family-friendly corner, a club that feels like a boutique hotel lounge or a standing terrace buzzing with energy.

Across sports, we’re seeing a shift toward hospitality-driven design. Venues are being asked to feel bespoke rather than mass-produced, offering layered choices that meet a wide range of needs — from superfans and corporate groups to casual visitors across all ages and income levels. Flexibility, social connectivity and authentic Instagram-worthy moments are now essential.

 What does great design look like in a sports venue?

Great design doesn’t just make a space look good — it can create lasting memories.

It’s the difference between a venue you visit and one you never forget. Emotional memory lives in the moments when you feel connected, exhilarated or at home in the space. It’s a seamless entry experience that alleviates stress. It’s an upper deck that still feels close to the action. It’s standing in a supporters’ section when the stadium erupts after a game-winning goal.

For the new A’s Ballpark in Las Vegas, we’ve designed for exactly those kinds of moments. From the outfield entry — uncommon in most ballparks — where fans are immediately immersed in a panoramic view of the entire ballpark, to the outfield lounge just feet from the bullpens; the environment is built to connect people to the energy of the game and to each other. Tiered social lounges, standing terraces and hospitality-driven clubs create a rich layering of experiences, each one offering a unique memory.

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Athletics Las Vegas Ballpark

In what ways has your background in restaurant and hospitality design influenced your approach to sports architecture and designing for patron experience?

Hospitality taught me how people move, gather and connect — knowledge that’s invaluable in sports venues. It gave me a deep respect for the details that shape how a guest feels: seating that encourages conversation, lighting that feels warm rather than institutional, flooring patterns that create a sense of place rather than endless monotony. Even something as small as a ledge to set your purse or phone in a restroom can shape comfort and ease. Equally important are the “invisible” operations. Back-of-house spaces, staff flow and service design all shape the front-of-house experience. When employees feel valued, guests feel it too.

Great design doesn’t just make a space look good — it can create lasting memories. It’s the difference between a venue you visit and one you never forget. Emotional memory lives in the moments when you feel connected, exhilarated or at home in the space.

– Emily Louchart
Director of Design, Interiors

 How should we think about the ‘premium experience’ in today’s context, and what design elements contribute to making it accessible and meaningful for a broad range of patrons?

Premium isn’t just about exclusivity or price anymore — it’s about meaning. A premium experience is one that makes a person feel special, seen and connected. And in today’s landscape, every fan, from the front row to the upper deck, deserves moments that feel premium. That can mean sitting at a loge table where you can share a meal while cheering, or walking through a club where players pass by, creating an unforgettable moment of proximity.

A primary focus of our recent work on the new University of Kansas’ David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium was increasing closeness to the game, both in the seating bowl and in club design. The sense of immersion and energy, in this way, is extended not only to club-goers but to general ticket holders as well.

Our job is to create a layered ecosystem where every tier feels intentional, not transactional. In the era of 4K home viewing, premium is about what can’t be replicated at home: closeness to the action, authentic social connection and memories that linger.

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Gateway District & David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium

How can technology enhance the fan experience in sports venues without compromising human connection?

Technology should remove friction, not replace connection. When it makes entry security faster, it frees staff to welcome you personally. When mobile ordering speeds up a transaction, it gives bartenders more time to engage with guests. The sweet spot is a hybrid model: efficiency where necessary, and human warmth where it’s most impactful. When we strike the right balance with our design, technology becomes an enabler of hospitality rather than a barrier.

If given the opportunity to design a stadium without constraints, what would you introduce that’s not commonly seen today?

I’d create a living concourse — a dynamic, ever-changing hospitality experience where no two visits ever feel the same. Imagine adaptive clubs that flex with crowd density, menus that shift with the rhythm of the game or multisensory moments that transform a day game into a completely different environment at night. Every visit would carry an element of discovery, offering fans a reason to return again and again.
But it also can’t just be about spectacle.

I’d begin with the back-of-house as the first design priority. Too often, operations are compromised for exterior expression, when they are the backbone of the guest experience. When staff can move efficiently, when service flows are seamless and when systems feel intuitive, fans feel it, even if they never see it.

A truly next-generation venue would be designed from the inside out, where operational excellence fuels guest-facing magic. Great fan moments always start behind the scenes.