Bloomberg BusinessweekJon Wertheim, Executive Editor at Sports Illustrated, talks about the interesting story lines at the US Open. Chris Studley, Senior Director of Event Services at the USTA, discusses what to eat and drink at the Open.
Hosts: Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec. Producer: Paul Brennan.
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Yeah, we are all in for tennis, and we know our next guest certainly is. We love the US Open for a lot of reasons, including our regular check in at this time with someone who understands the game tennis, athlete to play it, the world of sports overall, like no one we know. Author of numerous books, John Werthheim is with US, executive editor and senior writer at Sports Illustrated, contributing correspondent for sixty Minutes. I'm gonna be a little bit of a fangirl, John. I love your pieces on sixty minutes. But he's here with us to talk about the US Open. He's on the phone in Los Angeles, John, welcome back. How are you good?
How are you? I want to zam that intro music. What a great tennis.
We might be able to get you that, we might be able to get you the information on that. I think Paul Our at Bloomberg Business its cream.
It's cream.
How about that? I didn't recognize that either? Really did you recognize? Yeah?
I know right, I know who knew? Is that the Clapton cream is their own.
I don't know.
Hey, John, So let's talk tennis. What are you looking forward to this year?
It's an interesting year and it's a packed year. I'm just warning you from when you're here.
Yeah, you know, I'll play really funny. This is the first US Open after Roger veteran Serena Williams, and for years and years tennis said what are we going to do with these two titans are no longer around? What's going to happen at tennis?
And I think three of the last five sessions set attendance records. Someone was telling you about the the secondary ticket from from the secondary market or tickets is off the chart. There are a lot of good storylines. One of them is the abundance of American players who are.
Who are still left in the draw. Is this Coco Goffs year to win? On the women's side, Is Novak Djokovissi and Carlos Alcarez this great new tennis rivalry? Are they going to have another stallman for the third straight major in New York? We missed Roger Feeder, we missed Serena Williams, But there is the show goes on there's plenty of plenty of tennis to watch.
Yeah, I love the Tiafo story as well, and he's currently battling it out right now in the third set, in the fourth set actually right now. So who else are the big names that you're watching this year?
Oh? I, you know, some of them are the big names that we're used to. When Niga Schwantek won last year and is really establishing herself as this generational player and his Coco Goffin emerge his arrival, and Jesse Pagula is in fact the highest ranked American male or female of She's an interesting character with a much different backstory than than other players. But I also think the fact that sort of the fields are wide or open, and you know, I think it would be a surprise if if either Djokovic or Alcarez don't win, But there's still a lot of space on stage for other players to make their move. Taylor Fritz, who is the highest rank of MARAA can mail, but he hasn't had great success and a major is this the tournament where he finally breaks through. There's a lot of we're sort of we're used to these three players on the men's side better than all Djokovic, who absolutely dominated. We were used to Serena doing her ritual run and it's much different to cover the sport now that the fields are wider open. You know, d Djokovic is obviously still as relevant as ever, but it's it's kind of fun not being able to pencil four players through to the final weekend and you have this capacity.
For surprise, keeping us all on our toes.
It's interesting, John, I always think about We've talked about this a lot with golf, right, you know, golf after Tiger Woods. You know, in tennis, we've had a lot of conversations with the USTA over the years about, you know, making sure there's their interest with the younger generation. And we see it continuing and we do see younger, newer, interesting players come out. What is it about tennis that you think that continues to be a really popular sport.
I would love to see some sort of mess some sort of data on how many people are at the US Open, because it's fun at an event and you walk around and you eat good food and they're guys, you know, juggling versus the actual tennis. I'm never quite I'd always sort of just for my own, and it's just interesting to see. I think tennis is actually getting a little bit of above from pickleball. I mean there's sort of this this existential fear in tennis that all the tennis courts are going to be turned into pickleball courts and players are retiring to go try their hand to pickleball. But I think it goes the other way, and I think all these millions of people that are playing pickleball have a new found appreciation for this, this other racket sport. I think tennis's globalization is a little problematic in the US, right.
I Mean, in golf, all the.
Events are pretty much held in one of three time zones, and the majority of the tour they're all, you know, mostly American and certainly English speaking. Tennis does have that, right, I Mean, You've got the player from Tunisia's playing the Colombian and a lot of times the events are in the US, you're not on the US friendly time schedules. But I think overall, this is a really really global sport, and I think big picture, especially you look at how many other businesses would love this kind of a footprint. You know, I would say it's like stepping out a balloon, right. So it was a lot healthier and easier in the US when all the events were sort of between California and Florida and the players came from here. It's a lot trickier where you've got Serbs and you've got Tunisians. But I think it's healthier for the sport overall.
You know, it's funny that you say that we talked with the folks over at IBM yesterday and talking specifically about trying to bring some of the content from some of the other matches that aren't either at ASH or you know, the main you know, kind of the main focus if you will, here at the open to make sure that maybe some lesser well known and even you know, global players at least get their time time and that their fan base gets to see them. But it's also there's an AI artificial intelligence component where AI is doing the commentary voice, you know, and talking about the players and so on and so forth.
They got a long way to go, though, John, don't worry. I watched a little bit last night. It's not anywhere close to what you do. It's not close to what we hear from the Macenroe brothers.
But is it good giving you know, some of these players who might not get attention and their matches some time. But is it also a little worries though I don't know with the AI component.
Yeah, it's well to AI. We all recognize some of the upside of the potential. I'm not sure AI's most urgent need is for sports commentary. I mean, i've heard things that like, it's still whatever we won't think we do known about AI. It gets better, right, it sort of lurns from its way, it improves rapidly. But I've heard it's pretty cringey right now and they're you know, using terms that aren't real his term suspect that will improve. I got to think there are other ways to excentuate UH players from other countries, UH from AI.
But you know, I guess I give the USCA and IBM credit for at least experimenting. But I think I think we got to.
Yeah, Hey, John, I love I love every year the tips that you write.
I have been dying off air.
I mean it's not just the ones that you write, but you also crowdsource them this year with you know, help from people on Twitter x whatever you call it. Okay, a couple of things that I have a couple of things I want to ask for now. I'm not going to take yours. Uh, what's the deal with how loud the crowd is this year? And I've noticed it too watching TV when I'm not here and watching the matches on TV, you have the the commentators complaining that, hey, they are too their crowds and ash are being too loud. Uh while the players are playing.
I think it's healthy and I think, you know, it's firm level. I feel like crowds take their cue from players. And you know, you talk before about Francis Siao, he will say very openly he wants crowds to be louder, he wants them to move around. Why can't be more like the NBA. I think there's a sense that, you know, I go to a sporting event, I act a certain way. I get it. It's tennis, it's not Nastar. I'm not gonna you know, we're not gonna go go popla. You know, men aren't going to remove it first, but they're they're I think, I think, I know, you know, I think you can keep the korum and also have fun and be loud but I also, honestly, I think that crowds take their cue from the athlete, and if it doesn't bother the players, it fathers the ESPN booth. When not the players, that's that's not much to turn.
I totally agree with you.
I got I saw daggers. I saw daggers from the player she looked at she looked out my way during during one of the matches earlier this week.
I love this.
Unless you have a match that day, there's no excuse for dressing like a player when you attend to the US Open. You don't wear stirrups to a Yankees game and hint guards and leotards to the LA.
Leave the wristbands at home, jam. It's so true.
It is really funny to kind of look around the crowds and there are people, you know, who were just fans and they're dressed like a tennis player.
I don't I kind of sort of sometimes want to approach those people and say, listen, no judgments, but can you just explain that they can here? And I don't know if you need blaze me when you've got these you know, sixty year old passtantly guys with wristbands on to go to go watch you know, I don't get it.
All right, there's another one we have to do, because I felt like, where is that one tent, Tim, because I felt like this happened to me because I did take that l I R R to go back home to Manhattan. Oh here it is. Your fund is crushing it and the Hamptons were amazing, and your kids left camp and your buddy got you these tickets. If you insist on a change over conversations, keep it down, Tiger.
It's so true. I'm the l R.
Like they're coming back from here and they're like, hey, you know the investments and there they name dropped so many different people and fun and funds.
It could have been a source for you, Carol.
But it gets a little crazy, right.
John h Yeah, it's a certain type. And you certainly see that type at the US Open. And you know, we all we all love uh, we all love full markets, and we all love you know, and when we close out a.
High as we seem to be close to doing.
But yeah, I don't need to hear about that, and neither does the person of seeing.
Before you go. One thing I did want to ask you, and getting back to just a little bit more serious is the role of Saudi Arabia in sports specifically overall. You saw it with LIB golf, WTA, stuff's percolating. How are you seeing it as somebody who's covered this industry for a long time or covered this world.
Oh man, we could do a whole hour on that. I get a piece a few months ago for sixteen minutes when I went. I went to Riot and sort of saw what.
It was like on the ground.
And I'm clearly the Saudis sports as a place to get involved. Their economics much different from conventional sports economics. This is not about media rights deals and selling tickets and sweet and merchandise. I think this is about rebranding a country. And you know, we saw in golf that took uh it took one shape in golf, it's taken others. In soccer, you know you'll do in football slash soccer. You'll notice, you know, there are big time offers and athletes are being paid a clear premium to come play in Saudi Arabia. Some of them are accepting it, some of them are not. I mean, it's interesting to me there now is to bid on the table for the women's tennis sort to hold their final events, which is sort of their big showcases. They're big money. They drea money maker in Saudi Arabia, and I think, you know, we can have a debate about this is the tour of Billy g and King that's just left China for ethical reasons because it didn't want sort of to be compromised on principles, and they left China. Is it's strange that they would then, you know, pitch their tangent to Saudi Arabia. The flip side is, and we're all creatures of incentives. And if Fanny Arabia is offering top dollar, who are we to tell soccer players or golfers or female tennis players not to go take it. It's a story that I think is only going to accelerate because I think it's it's clearly working. And you know, the Saudi private and veil the p I have the private and that's the fun. They've had billions and billions of dollars to lavish on this sort of soft power, and sports are clearly going to benefit and athletes are going to have a real decision.
To me, but it's tennis different. I mean, you mentioned China several times there. And what they did in China is tennis different.
You know, I think a couple of things. First, they the WTA left China citing these ethical concerns, so you sort of set up precedent for you know, ethics and morals and human rights that matters to us. It's a little strange to them say, actually, you know what, make that back. It doesn't. I think the Women's Tennis Tour sort of has this strand and has for decades of activism and social justice and fairness and equality, and this is more than just about four hands and backhands and a bouncing ball. The movement a little strange to then go to a country where women are not given equal rights. And we saw this week somebody was playing for guests for retweeting something that was unflattering to NBA. Right, And yet I think you could argue just as easily. You know, Look, Chris John and Ronaldo can make whatever you see, a quarter of a billion dollars playing soccer. Why can't women athletes avail themselves to that money the same way men can? So it's really complex and thorny.
Yeah, we got to run come back into the hour of Saudi Arabia. We would love to you name the date at the time. John, you are here, John Worth, I'm of Sports Illustrated of sixty minutes, just incredible. Carol Master along with Tim Stenovic live here just outside Arthur Ashe Stadium. It's busy and when you come here, we keep saying it is about the tennis, no doubt about it, right, But there's so much more. We've talked to sponsors. There's lots of merchandise, there's lots of food, and there's a fair amount of drinking.
I mean walking around last night, walking around Tuesday night. I'm gonna be here all night tonight. There's almost as many people eating and drinking totally as watching tennis inside ash inside Armstrong. It's an event, right, It's absolutely an event. And here's what's interesting. But the US Open has establishments that are familiar to any New Yorker. It's come a long way in the last fifty years. You got Italy here this year, Hill Country, Paatela free to Meat Company of Patlafreda, Carol Vanluin ice cream.
I love Vanluin ice cream. I buy it.
You've been a kosher kart. Here is a kosher krt. Yeah.
Well, let's get to the guy who's behind it. The man behind it all is Chris Studley. He's senior director of Event Services at the ust A.
Welcome. Nice to have you here again.
Thank you for having me.
Is it again? We talked to you last year, didn't we? I think briefly, Okay, briefly.
One year, one year. We've had you before.
I was just gonna say, souse, I know we always talk about food because it's such a big part of it. Chris, First of all, I can't believe you didn't bring us any food.
I'm sorry about that. I'll grab it after the segment.
No, no, no, I'm just kidding.
But like, talk to us about what goes into it, because you do, Tim Is right, as you walk around, that is such a big part of the experience.
I've eaten here, Tim is eating here.
Tell us about how you think about it as what you want to.
Offer up to the people who come.
Well, I can tell you, first of all, I look at this tournament as a food and wine festival, and by the way, there's tennis.
So much to what you're describing before.
People are walking around eating and drinking and what we want to bring in the names you mentioned is the best quality that there is in sports. We don't want you to come to a sporting event and say, oh, I have to eat. We want you to come here and say what a great meal you had and I got to watch the tennis. So from our offerings that you described to our champion steakhouse run by Benjamin's right from Manhattan to Aces bringing the best chefs, we partnered with Tatiana chef Kwame and Aces to do some special dishes for us. So, I mean it's really about the food to me for sure.
How do you make sure that the quality is what you get in you know, the year round establishment, So great question.
We meet with these chefs throughout the year.
I can tell you right now we've been talking to people even during this tournament saying I want in next year. I'm not going to give you any names today, but we will evaluate each and every one. We look at what sells, what do our fans want, what's the quality. We'll meet with these chefs throughout the year. I can tell you you know a number of chefs that we brought in from James Kennet Crown Shy to Melboy's of Harlem.
We've been there in the off season.
We sit with them, we talk to them, and you know, to some the menus might not lend themselves to a concession stand necessarily, but we'll work with the team to bring that item into that environment for our fan.
How important is it from year to year, Chris, in terms of some consistency so that people come back and they're like, I know this is going to be here, and then also bring in some.
New It's very important, right. Our fans always want to see us innovate. It's the name of the game and food especially. Obviously, trends change over years and we want to be right there. But you need to have the staples right. Everybody talks about our lobster role as being one of the one of the iconic foods of the US Open. It's also our hamburger, believe it or not. They're all Pat la Freida, even though his name might not be on that stand. It's all Palerfree to meet Pats stand over here too. The steak sandwich has almost become just as famous as the lobster. Also, you know, we try to find what our fans love and really gravitate towards and work with it.
We talked a little bit.
Go ahead, girl, I was gonna just what about price point? Like, how do you think about that as part of the experience.
Absolutely, you know, listen, we're in New York City. Obviously we're a temporary event, but we were very price sensitive in a regard. You know, we would put ourselves up against any other New York City venue and say that we are probably not the most expensive. We may not be the least expensive, but we're right in that in that sweet spot because we want to have value for our fans. I would tell you that our quality though surpasses our peers here. So we know that the prices sometimes can be healthy, but we know that we're giving you the best quality you can possibly have at a sporting event.
So are you seeing what's the typical markup from an established restaurant that you'd experienced in Manhattan and the same dish that you'd get here.
Is there a mark up?
It's not.
There's no direct correlation in that regard. You know, a concession stand, you're not going to really be able to compare directly to the items I can tell you in some of our restaurants, there's a slight markup just for you know, bringing the team out here and operating, but there's no set percentage.
Say hey, one thing you had brought up, Yeah, we were thinking on this job's day, right yeah.
I mean it's pretty incredible. Hospitality one of the continued bright spots when it comes to the US labor market, and the biggest gains in August were in healthcare hospitality as well, lesion hospitality. How is it getting employees right now?
You know, our team did a fantastic job. I mean I oversee our front of house services as well, and this was probably the earliest we were ever fully committed for all of our seasonal staff that we bring in, which is it's wild to think about with the lowest unemployment rate, right, but people want to come work here. We have people that take vacation to come work here. You know, you could be a server in a restaurant and you're saying to your New York City restaurant, hey, I want to go out to the open work there.
Do people who work for one establishment get paid the same hourly wage that work for another establishment.
Most of the time.
I mean, there are some different levels depending on how many years you've been here, who you're with, what restaurant in particular, but you know it varies. You interview for the position just like you would at a restaurant in New York City.
How difficult is it to settle this up? I love logistics because we come here and it just looks like it's been here forever and we know it goes away.
I love getting asked those questions. I'd tell the truth. The logistics behind it is mind blowing, to say the least.
How early do you start the day after it ends?
I mean we're here figuring it.
Out, okay with that part, but building this and building everything that's in your world to make this happen. When does that start?
The planning goes into place right away. The build up I mean by the springtime, you'll see a lot of movement here and things getting physically set up, aside from any new buildings we're going to build right you know. Obviously we went under this massive renovation that was all year for a number of years, and we stopped for the open and we went back into it. But in terms of the general repeat business that we're doing, we'll start in the spring.
We're speaking right now with Chris Studley, he's senior director of Events Services here at the USTA. We're live at the twenty twenty three US Open.
But on that in terms of the food part of it, like what's involved logistically with building that out.
So we'll have trucks showing up in early August. You know, with the volume of food and beverage we do here, we have trucks coming in every single day. But we'll build out a temporary warehouse facility essentially to house everything. I mean, you mentioned some of our drinks, the Honeyduce we sold for.
The Honey Duce cup at home, Well, we had a lot of people walking around with like seven Honey Duce cups.
So to think about the logistics behind that, four hundred thousand cups are sitting behind the scenes right now. You know, they're ready to go and the team's moving them about getting them all over the site. So, I mean, the logistics behind it is massive.
So, speaking of the Honey Deduce, one of the reasons I asked about labor was because as I was leaving yesterday after doing our broadcast, the lines for some of these concession stands we're so long. Chris and I couldn't help think to myself, there must be people who see these lines and say to themselves, I don't want to wait in this line. And you know, therefore the USTA is not going to get my twenty two dollars for the honeyduce. How do you control for lines here?
It's a great question, and I'm glad you mentioned the honey duce on that one. So innovation, right, So this is the first year we're actually able to batch some of the honey deuce to try to speed those up. We rolled it out in somewhat of a pilot program this year at ten different locations around the site and we're seeing that we're able to increase service. So our goal here is let's roll it out all over next year.
What does that mean that?
So we are able to prepare part of the drink in a ready to mix container, and we can control the quality most importantly. You know, if you go to a bar and you get a drink made and you may not like that one. Yeah, here we can actually do the quality testing behind the scenes, know the exact precise measurements, and then also deliver to you faster. So innovation is key, and we're going to speed those lines up for sure.
But so that's the question. Is it then forgive the terminology here, but is it a failure to you when you walk around and see huge lines and people waiting.
It's disappointing for sure. I mean, we want to be able to service every customer as quickly as possible, but we also want to deliver that excellent experience. So it's a fine balance for you know, for sure, but we're trying to make sure that we innovate as much.
Are there areas are down here where you walk around this year and you say, okay, well we could do another another of this type of concession right here and ease the demand a little bit.
Yeah, I mean, and.
You know, it's surprising because each year, I mean, we know there's some things that never fade, right, The honey Juice is not fading. It is the most popular, is there. Really it is by far. But you know sometimes they're surprising.
That's honey juice lovers. No, it's actually a matt sorry for sure.
For sure.
Yeah, No, it's it's it's always interesting to see what's going to be the top seller of the year.
Are you adding more drinks that.
Are like, well, we have this year.
We have the Aperol Sprits as well, right, and Dobell has joined us with their Ace Piloma cocktail and they're both delicious. I encourage you to try them before you leave.
What's interesting, too, is are there workers that you needed that you couldn't hire?
Are you said you could get everybody you wanted?
I think we're pretty well staffed. I would say that we're really well staffed. And you know, we benefit from the folks that come back every year and they help us really make the operation home.
Here, Carol, I got a number for you. What one point two million? Okay, that's one point two million? And mellon balls that the USTA.
Is I get a number for you. What ninety pounds of beef?
Did you have a Hamberg goo to day?
I did have a Hamberg surprise. I ain't done yet.
We're going to come back with Krista, the senior director of Event Services at USDA.
He's got a big job here. He's getting it done.
I know the answer because we were talking about it before we got going again. But supply chains where you know, you go back a few years coming off the pandemic nightmare? Are you getting everything you want? And at decent costs, or.
You've got enough lobster. I think so okay, I think so. I think we're in good shape this sh vodka. No, Fortunately, it's one of those things.
Let's get to the priority.
For sure.
Fortunately it's one of those things that's kind of been in the past for us. Now thankfully it's.
An issue, but it wasn't issue it was.
It was an issue a while back. Yeah, for sure.
I mean I think everybody fought through the same thing. And I think we're on the other side of the supply chain in terms of our business right now?
What were the challenges this year? If if it wasn't employees, if it wasn't supply chains, what's the what's the big challenge this year?
Weather? Who can control the weather? But look at us, I know.
Day right here, it's amazing.
That's the biggest concern we have right now. I think we're doing okay.
I do wonder though, you said while we were off air, you know, I'm here before everybody else, and I leave after everybody. I mean, what's what are the calls that you get?
Is it that way?
You know, electricity isn't working, or.
We ran out of burgers or something.
What is it?
What's the stress points for you doing this?
You know, to your point earlier lines and things. You know, you want to make sure everyody has a good experience. So we're trying to send people out. Like during the typical day, I might hear that we might have an issue with a line over here, a line over there in terms of food. If one of those facility issues pops up. We have a great team here. One of my counterparts on the back house side helps me out from give a quick call and we get everything right back on.
So those are the little pain points.
How do you how do you alleviate a line?
Well, you can.
Send more people over to help out, right, I mean if you get a honeydusee line, you try to get a couple more bartenders over there too. Yeah, yeah, I mean we've done everything we can. I mean, pos is always one thing that we look at, and we've upgraded our systems over the years to try to process those transactions.
We met some folks from American Express earlier today. If you want to talk to them, they know a thing or two about our processing.
They're fantastic.
They are a good partner.
Well, I think about like a Disney. Right, you have apps and you can like kind of guide people. Do you think about that? The role of technology is it's a big thing here. Do you say, listen, I know there's lines.
Here, but you know what, so I have a great point on that. I mean, we we tried out mobile ordering. We did it so that you could order anything from the food village and then you could grab it and go to your table. And what happened was our customers said, we don't really want to do that seriously, And I'll tell you why. I mean, you know, when you come here, because you're coming here once a year, you want to walk around and check out everything. To your point, we were talking about what's new. They want to see what's new. They want to go look at that menu. They want to pick what item they want. They don't really want to do it on a small phone screen. They want to see the kitchen. They want to know what's going on.
So, okay, one point two million mellon balls are are are created? Are bald from melons? I think that's the proper terminology here for sure. Each year, I guess so I'm gonna go ahead and say that it's Friday afternoon, I'm not making stuff up. I think that's how it goes a little bit. We talked to the folks at Chipole about quarterly and they've started to invest in technology that automates guacamole making so they can free up employees who spend time doing that laborious task of actually cutting up avocados and getting the guak out. Can you do that with with uh mellon balls?
We actually get them pre bald. Okay, well we bring them in. We've done that, we started in the very beginning.
Right, interview's over. We got nothing for you.
We look for every way to make it comes to us from the supplier pre Bald. But we do have people that skewer each one, so we get three. Because if you notice the drink kid's got three Mellon balls to indicate the same number and a tennis ball can that's that's the tie there.
Never knew why I was three.
Yeah.
What was interesting too, is I think about more broadly, the things that you guys are doing here from the USTA and using this incredible space. I mean, it is obviously about tennis and this is your big event, rightfully so, but you're doing other things.
Yeah, absolutely, I mean, tennis is number one. I got to say that off the top.
I had to stop talking about mellon balls. I'm just I'm just gonna say, whoops, I threw my pen on that one.
I was a little no.
But anyway, Yeah, I know, obviously tennis is number one for us, but we're always looking for new ways to use the facility. It's great we can bring staff in. They can work with us along, you know, throughout the year, which is critical for us.
Like a concert venue, we would love to.
If you know, somebody wants to play here, you let me know.
But Taylor Taylor Swift as long as I can get a ticket.
But do you I mean, are you talking with people who have you know, whether it's Barkley's or other like, they definitely have relationships and they do.
Of course of course, and we do have some people talking to other people. Yeah, to put it very vaguely, but no, we would love to host a show, for sure. I can tell you ten days after the Open this year, we'll be converting the tennis court into a wrestling ring for aw Wrestling on September twentieth, So it's gonna be our third show here. They call it aw Grand Slam appropriately. Yeah, so's it's drawn about eighteen thousand people you're over here.
That's quite a few for sure. You said twenty four thousand is capacity.
Twenty four thousand's capacity. We've got about eighteen thousand in the house for the show.
Is it Do you typically do it with the roof open or or does it depending weather?
We actually keep the roof closed for all our outside events. It makes things so much easier, less worry whether there's gonna be weather.
Yeah, I'm thinking about the dogs that we're here. They spend a lot of time getting their hair done.
Talk to us about the Westminster I've seen it. I'm a dog lover. I've been to the Westminster.
Dog So there's a lot of you know, primpy, but you guys have done it.
We have, we have.
We got one under our belts. We got them coming back again next May. We're super excited. They took over Arthur ash Stadium, all the player areas, you name it. We had three thousand dogs here over three days.
It was wild.
Okay, what's the one event that you haven't gotten to host here that you want to host? What's on that that's.
Your wish lists?
I'll take a concert. I'll take a concert. Give us a name though, I call me. Let's talk about it.
But you do think about the exclusivity.
First of all, it is a great venue and it is a little bit smaller, which I like to go to smaller places, right, I mean, otherwise they get too big, so you could really do some really cool things.
I agree, I agree, all right.
Also easy to get to, yeah, which I think people forget. Just jump on the seven train or.
The l R R, which is where I did.
Someone's coming here, they're coming for a night. What would you advise that they do? They're going to watch tennis.
But okay, you got to explore.
You know, part of hosting all these other events is getting people out here that may not have been here before. And I can't tell you how many people come to one of our events, whether it be Westminster or aw Wrestling, and when they walked through the gates, I didn't even realize this place was here because they may not be tennis fan. So I invite everybody that's not a tennis fan to really explore. And if you are and you've never been here before, make sure you're walking around to check out all the secrets behind the scenes and what we got.
What would you go eat?
I would probably grab.
Some gelato from the card over here right now is also really good, nice and Van Luine ice cream. We have our own flavor this year, they created our own us so it's a honeycomb fudge slim of.
Course it is.
So sounds pretty good.
Yeah, that actually sounds really good. Thank you so much, my pleasure.
Good luck, good luck, and I hope you get a little bit of a break between your next events. Chris Dudley, of course, Senior director of Event Services at USTA. Yeah, pretty cool, right, it's just we talk about it. You can watch tennis, but you're gonna do a.
Lot more here seven point five tons of crab, shrimp and lobster.
What else do I have?
Eighty five thousand pounds of poultry, sixty six.
Thousand bananas, two of them right here.
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