News & Insights
Photo courtesy of: Greg Land
Balancing stakeholder priorities while keeping sports venues competitive
Sports venue modernization is about a lot more than swapping out a new videoboard or scoreboard. Venues are emotional landmarks—where communities gather, build relationships with their teams, and make lifelong memories.
In this month’s Ask the Expert, we spoke with Amanda Anderson, a project manager in B&D’s Northern California region whose work spans major sports venues and educational facilities. With 10 years of experience, she shared her thoughts on what it takes to modernize a sports venue while honoring its tradition, aligning improvement priorities, and enhancing the fan experience.
B&D: Tell us a little about your background.
Amanda Anderson: I’ve spent 10 years in project management. At B&D, I started with the K–14 education team and later began partnering with our Venues team. Recently, I’ve been focused on long-term capital needs assessments that help stadiums plan remain competitive as they move through their building life cycle.
B&D: Fans love the iconic elements of their home stadium. How do you modernize without losing what makes a venue special?
AA: Fans are very protective of their stadiums and will push back on changes to features that they care about. The key is understanding which features matter most to them and protecting those, while making improvements elsewhere. From there, we look for ways to add value by improving amenities like concessions, fan-facing technologies, and new gathering areas. Frankly, a lot of improvements are things that fans don’t see such as replacing aging mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, which often represent the largest share improvement costs.
B&D: What about aligning stakeholders who all have different priorities?
AA: Every group comes in with its own list of goals, and funding is always a major factor. My role is to help pinpoint the true needs versus the nice-to-haves. The best conversations bring clarity, transparency, and full-circle communication about what’s feasible within the budget.
B&D: Trust is a big part of our work at B&D. How do you build it?
AA: Soft skills matter. I tell people I mentor to bring the personal into the impersonal. Ask how someone’s day is going. Learn what they care about. When you understand a client’s values, you understand their goals. One of my favorite quotes is from Andrew Carnegie: “There’s little success where there’s little laughter.” Strong relationships and genuine connection make the work better—and more fun.
B&D: What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a venue manager or team owner considering a modernization effort?
AA: Start by talking to your internal operations staff because they know the facility better than anyone, and then engage experts (like B&D!). Meet with a firm that can guide you through planning, financial strategy, and prioritization. The right team will help you map a realistic, future-ready path forward.
Thank you to Amanda for joining us for Ask the Expert. Have a question you want our team to answer? Submit it here.
