Pollstar magazine shows Van Andel Arena & DeVos Performance Hall among world's best in 2016

Concert industry magazine Pollstar’s 2016 lists were recently released in their January 16th Year-End issue, and Van Andel Arena and DeVos Performance Hall have found a place among the top venues in the world.

Van Andel Arena celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016, and it shaped up to be a year-long celebration with some of the biggest acts in the industry. With performances from the likes of Elton John, Garth Brooks, and Paul McCartney, among several others, the arena sold enough tickets to come in at #35 among arena venues of all sizes in the United States and #69 worldwide on Pollstar’s list of Top 200 Arena Venues in 2016.

On Pollstar’s list of Top 200 Theatre Venues, DeVos Performance Hall ranked at #20 in the United States and #29 worldwide for theatre venues of all sizes. Both lists tracked reported ticket sales between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016.

The Avett Brothers perform at Van Andel Arena on November 12, 2016

“It is incredibly gratifying to see that the support we have from the community here and the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority (CAA) isn’t going unnoticed,” said SMG Regional General Manager Richard MacKeigan. “Without their loyalty and patronage, it would be very difficult to be successful, and we felt like we received plenty of both for DeVos Performance Hall and the 20th anniversary of Van Andel Arena. We are very excited that these rankings reflect that as well.”

Prior to Pollstar’s year-end lists, Van Andel Arena and DeVos Performance had already been recognized by other trade magazines as well. Venues Today showed the arena as #4 in North America and #11 worldwide on their Top Stops list for venues with a capacity between 10,001 and 15,000, and the arena also appeared at #5 among venues of the same capacity range on the magazine’s Social Media Power Poll which ranks venues by their social media presence. DeVos Performance Hall came in at #16 worldwide on Venues Today’s list of Top Stops for venues with a capacity between 2,001 and 5,000.

Van Andel Arena also came in at #3 on Billboard’s Boxscore rankings for venues in North America with a capacity between 10,001 and 15,000. The arena was #8 worldwide in the Boxscore rankings.

Van Andel Arena Ranks #4 in Latest Venues Today Social Media Power 100

Venues Today, a leading trade publication covering the business side of the sports and entertainment industry as it relates to venues, recently released its latest Social Media Power 100 (SMP100) list highlighting the top venues in the social media realm around the world. Grand Rapids’ own Van Andel Arena makes an appearance on the list at #4 for all venues with a capacity between 10,001 and 15,000.

Ahead of Van Andel Arena are Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario, who tops the list for mid-sized venues, followed by the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the SMG-managed Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas.

Venues Today uses pre-determined criteria to measure a venue’s presence on what they refer to as the ‘big three’ digital platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) as well as check-in data from Foursquare/Swarm to measure fans’ on-site social media engagement. The end result is a social media score used to rank all venues. The complete Venues Today SMP100 list can be found here.

Since Van Andel Arena opened its doors for the first time nearly 18 years ago, social media has swelled in popularity and is more prevalent today than ever. The traditional methods of marketing and advertising are no longer sufficient as an entire strategy. The SMP100 list has shown social media’s importance as a companion to press releases, traditional media, and other promotions. The staff at Van Andel Arena has worked hard to stay up on trends and be sure they are at the front of
a rapidly changing media landscape, and their presence on this list appears to show they are on the right track.

You can stay up to date on Van Andel Arena news by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter@VanAndelArena and Instagram @VanAndelArenaGR.