Cintas Renovation

[Tu 4 MVP]

Was reading in the Business Courier that Cintas might be in line for some renovations in the near future. Anyone have any idea what they have in mind?

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2014/05/cincinnatis-arenas-remain-in-flux.html

Here is the relevant quote:

Mike Dunn, Cintas Center’s director, said the arena is working with an architect to do a renovation at the 14-year-old facility aimed at “enhancing the overall fan and meeting attendee experience.”

[Muskie]

Free wifi?

[Muskie1000]

Free wifi?

No kidding... You would think that would be a gimmie.

[xucub]

Escalators in the back stair well

[Milhouse]

They really need to upgrade the TV at some point. Larger and widescreen would be great. Doesn't need to be huge but most definitely needs to be larger.

[BMoreX]

They really need to upgrade the TV at some point. Larger and widescreen would be great. Doesn't need to be huge but most definitely needs to be larger.

Wasn't that updated just prior to the 2010-11 season?

[OH.X.MI]

Mike Dunn, Cintas Center’s director, said the arena is working with an architect to do a renovation at the 14-year-old facility aimed at “enhancing the overall fan and meeting attendee experience.”

Lowering the price of beer would do wonders to enhance my experience.

[RoseyMuskie]

Free wifi?

Cintas has free WiFi. It's just not so reliable during the bigger games...

Worked fine against the likes of BGSU, etc.

[nuts4xu]

Wifi at a basketball game? Do people really need to tweet and check facebook during a college basketball game? They can't wait 2 hours to update their FB status or to hashtag something?

I hope they have bigger plans than free wifi for the Cintas.

If you need social media to enjoy the game, you should probably just stay home.

[STL_XUfan]

Wifi at a basketball game? Do people really need to tweet and check facebook during a college basketball game? They can't wait 2 hours to update their FB status or to hashtag something?

I hope they have bigger plans than free wifi for the Cintas.

If you need social media to enjoy the game, you should probably just stay home.

From a marketing perspective you want people tweeting at the game because it is free direct marketing to possible future consumers.

[nuts4xu]

From a marketing perspective you want people tweeting at the game because it is free direct marketing to possible future consumers.

Ok, but from this fan's perspective....you are a loser if you can't put the phone down for a couple of hours and watch some college basketball.

[danaandvictory]

Ok, but from this fan's perspective....you are a loser if you can't put the phone down for a couple of hours and watch some college basketball.

I like to look at Twitter during time outs to see what Rick and others have said about the game, as well as get the out of town scores.

[Muskie]

Wifi at a basketball game? Do people really need to tweet and check facebook during a college basketball game? They can't wait 2 hours to update their FB status or to hashtag something?

I hope they have bigger plans than free wifi for the Cintas.

If you need social media to enjoy the game, you should probably just stay home.

I'd like it for timeouts and halftime mostly.

[Muskie]

Ok, but from this fan's perspective....you are a loser if you can't put the phone down for a couple of hours and watch some college basketball.

Go get your shine box.

[nuts4xu]

I like to look at Twitter during time outs to see what Rick and others have said about the game, as well as get the out of town scores.

Ok I get that. Maybe "a loser" was being a bit harsh. In this day and age, it is very common to see people glued to their phones while missing out on what is going on right in front of them....live and in person. That is what I don't understand.

[Always Learning]

Wifi at a basketball game? Do people really need to tweet and check facebook during a college basketball game? They can't wait 2 hours to update their FB status or to hashtag something?

I hope they have bigger plans than free wifi for the Cintas.

If you need social media to enjoy the game, you should probably just stay home.

Not a tweetie bird, and not a facebook kinda guy, but I can see the 21st century folks using this 21st century communications method to check on the youngun's at home, updating a friend who is not at the game, or has access to TV, or checking weather for the drive home to C-Bus, Indy, Louisville, even Wictita.

Join the 21st century!

[Olsingledigit]

Often a friend is not able to make the game OR I am not able to make the game and texting back and forth regarding the game progress is a handy tool. I know it doesn't require wi-fi but it does require a phone. I have also been known to post to the message boards at time-outs of games or to check the game threads. OK I am addicted. So sue me!

[SpectorJersey]

Nuts I agree and disagree with you. You should be there to watch the games but a lot of people that go aren't fans that want to watch every play (woman). Fan experience is huge for colleges, there is a reason why the big football stadiums are putting in wifi, they want people to take photos, tweet, ect and put them out on cyberspace to promote their brand. Free marketing.

Also, try meeting up with someone via text at one of the large football stadiums, its impossible bc service is so bad.

[bjf123]

I like to look at Twitter during time outs to see what Rick and others have said about the game, as well as get the out of town scores.

This. I'll also check tweets from Shannon Russell and see what the game thread here has going on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Olsingledigit]

Could it be that they will expand the seating at the Conference Center end of the arena and re-configure seating? Could that also lead to a re-allocation of the Club and premium seats. As a club seat member, I wish they had put a bathroom in the Joseph Lounge. No space as currently configured. My guess is that no renovations will be completed until the 2020-2021 season.

[paulxu]

Tweeting during a game?

#WGAF

[BandAid]

There's got to be some re-imagining of the space that used to be the cafeteria. It's a valuable space that is under-utilized/used for things other than its original purpose (I think they hold classes in there now)

[X-man]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I filled out a survey that was e-mailed to me. The focus of that survey was the "Cintas experience", and it asked about ways to better that experience. I wonder if the survey results will be used for any proposals for change. If so, and if my responses are acted upon, we will have (among other things) better food choices, better beer choices, and lower prices.

[BMoreX]

Possibly related: http://www.goxavier.com/genrel/050714aaa.html

Sounds like a strategic plan will be released in the next month or so.

[Muskie]

If I remember correctly, Greg Christopher has been preaching upgrades to Cintas since we stepped foot on campus. It's a nice place to call home, but if you know where to look, it's outdated and needs some polish. Or something like that.

[nuts4xu]

The restrooms are very poorly designed, and I welcome a way to speed up the lines. This has been the one thing I have noted on these surveys every year. They have a wall with urinals on one side, and a changing table on the back of the same wall. It would be easy to utilize the plumbing in that wall and add a few more piss holes. A change like this wouldn't cost more than a $1000 per bathroom.

[Muskie]

Ask the AD is out and sheds a little bit on strategic planning

http://www.goxavier.com/genrel/050714aaa.html

[danaandvictory]

The restrooms are very poorly designed, and I welcome a way to speed up the lines. This has been the one thing I have noted on these surveys every year. They have a wall with urinals on one side, and a changing table on the back of the same wall. It would be easy to utilize the plumbing in that wall and add a few more piss holes. A change like this wouldn't cost more than a $1000 per bathroom.

Yes, this has been an issue since day one. Because of the way the arena is designed (with just a few small bathrooms in the horseshoe end up top) it's a cluster at halftime at the two major bathrooms on the concourse. Surely there's a way to reconfigure those. There's plenty of room for more urinals.

[Muskie]

Video mentions ideas like taking out some suites (potentially) and adding more club seats...

[Olsingledigit]

Interesting that there is apparently a demand for additional club seats. They will need to expand the Joseph Lounge if they are going to add club seats, which is fine because it needs expansion.

[Milhouse]

I guess the bathrooms are dependent on where you sit really.

At X I can always get right into the bathroom at half then grab a beer and some food and be in my Seat with 10 minutes left in half time.

You can see a huge disconnect between those that want better wifi and those that don't understand why you'd be on your phone during the game....but it is essential moving forward. If you don't believe that 95% of students are on their phones at some point during the game then you're out of touch with today's youth.

[blobfan]

Having access to twitter during games has definitely reduced my "WTF just happened" moments when I happen to be watching the wrong end of the floor. Thank you Shannon, BotP and D&V for that.


Video mentions ideas like taking out some suites (potentially) and adding more club seats...

That's a pretty good idea. I think they've had some difficultly selling all the suites since the economy tanked and local businesses stopped spending that kind of money on client entertainment.

[sirthought]

They are talking mostly guts and technology for all of this.

Besides the hoops arena, Cintas has major banquet/meeting rooms, which they want to be profitable and stocked with the latest presentation technology.

Things like video conferencing are getting to be the norm at meeting facilities, which means improved networking, security, etc. I'm sure they are looking at other profit drivers like concessions.

In the past five years, they updated video, audio and the court. Now it's time to look at networks, way finding, and business flow.

[TUclutch]

They really need to upgrade the TV at some point. Larger and widescreen would be great. Doesn't need to be huge but most definitely needs to be larger.

Scoreboard is fine in my opinion. They need to get better TVs on the concourse.

[TUclutch]

Wifi at a basketball game? Do people really need to tweet and check facebook during a college basketball game? They can't wait 2 hours to update their FB status or to hashtag something?

I hope they have bigger plans than free wifi for the Cintas.

If you need social media to enjoy the game, you should probably just stay home.

They have a whole room up in the rafters for social media. Social media is HUGE for fan experiences and for exposure of the program. They want to be as successful as the reds social media team which has shown to be the best in the MLB

[Muskie]

They have a whole room up in the rafters for social media. Social media is HUGE for fan experiences and for exposure of the program. They want to be as successful as the reds social media team which has shown to be the best in the MLB

Why is is high in the rafters?

[Masterofreality]

The only renovation that I want to see is 2 lounge chair recliners in Section 101, Row O for Muskie and I.

Everything else can go suck. :laugh:

[Milhouse]

Scoreboard is fine in my opinion. They need to get better TVs on the concourse.

I don't think so. Lines are nearly non existent and you can always be close to those TVs.

Not having a widescreen board really takes away from the replay and timeout gimmicks. Could make for a much better experience in my opinion. Look at any pro football team and the screens are utilized so much more.

[Muskie1000]

Wifi is important for various reasons - mainly for me there have been a times where something has happened on the court, whether it be an injury or a foul and we the fans in the stands are left in the dark. I immediately jump online to try and find out what happened. Secondly, and this is my being selfish, but my kids bring their devices and when they can hook up the wifi, it makes my life soooo much better for the next two hours.

As to the bathroom situation, this is the only place I've ever seen where the men wait in line and the women don't have to. I was so happy when a place finally built a women's bathroom big enough to accommodate a huge rush. With that being said, I would still say that the bulk of the people coming to game are more men than women, so you would think they would have realized that and adjusted it. I've never been in the men's bathroom but if there are room for more urinals, then I hope they add them.

If the Tv you are talking about replacing is above the bridge then I'm in too. I sit on the far end and when they put stats on it, it is so hard to read.

[sweet16]

Interesting that there is apparently a demand for additional club seats. They will need to expand the Joseph Lounge if they are going to add club seats, which is fine because it needs expansion.

I'm not sure he was being completely forthright with his comments regarding club seats. First of all the club seat sections are not completely sold out now and secondly removing suites would not create more club seats but rather more premium 1 seats. I think the real issue is that they can't get 100% occupancy in the suites. Last I checked 3 of the 22 are not under contract and 2 are used by XU (so non revenue producing). The arrangements on several of the other suites appear to be of a somewhat incestuous nature so it's anybody's guess as to how deeply they may be discounted.

[TUclutch]

Why is is high in the rafters?

By that I mean its up on the upper concourse. Its actually a pretty cool room.

[Caveat]

Better WiFi access may not be a big deal to people here, but it's a huge deal to current students and recent alums -- as hard as it is for many to conceive, there is an entire generation of people out there to whom "No Service" is a dealbreaker when deciding where to spend their free time. You can complain and tell them to "Look up from their phone and enjoy the game" -- but the culture they've been raised in is one of where they expect (and demand, as consumers) instant access to their friends and social media. You don't want to give these people (who will, hopefully, become season ticket holders) a reason to avoid your events.

And, if you look around the lower bowl at a game, you can see that the program is about 5-10 years away from needing to find a lot of these younger alums to step up and become new season ticket holders.

[GoMuskies]

Better WiFi access may not be a big deal to people here, but it's a huge deal to current students and recent alums -- as hard as it is for many to conceive, there is an entire generation of people out there to whom "No Service" is a dealbreaker when deciding where to spend their free time. You can complain and tell them to "Look up from their phone and enjoy the game" -- but the culture they've been raised in is one of where they expect (and demand, as consumers) instant access to their friends and social media. You don't want to give these people (who will, hopefully, become season ticket holders) a reason to avoid your events.

Well damn, I'm officially old, because this post made me think "I really hate today's young people."

[Caveat]

Well damn, I'm officially old, because this post made me think "I really hate today's young people."

People bitched about the Nintendo generation and the MTV generation too. Everyone looks at the kids and thinks "these people are screwed up and [insert technology here] is ruining everything."

But, in this case, I'm inclined to agree. The "addicted to their phones" generation is annoying in the extreme, and the level of social awkwardness that it's enabled is astounding.

Still, their money spends and the university needs them to start spending it soon.

[Masterofreality]

I'd rather see "renovation money" go to paying the Coaches.

Winning gets butts in the seats.

[Kahns Krazy]

I am old school. I don't want free wifi, I want free dial-up in each seat. How do I know if I have mail if the little voice doesn't say "you've got mail"? http://www.ipipi.com/images/icons/webmail_logos/aol_logo.png

[xsteve1]

I'd really like to see them do something with the seating on the student end. Not a fan of the Duff's end and the big wall. I wonder if they could add on and move Duff's and expand seating at that end a little higher up. It's obvious with televised games they have a lot more shots of the opposite end with all the seating.

[brownlavender]

Wtf do you need wifi for tweeting and facebooking when you all ready have 4g or 5g on your phones that your tweeting from. Do something with the blue wall. Dress it up with something. Memorabilia, tv's, anything really besides a plain blue wall. I enjoyed the standing room only tix for big games. I think if we get enough rowdy fans back there it can only help our free throw defense

[TUclutch]

Wtf do you need wifi for tweeting and facebooking when you all ready have 4g or 5g on your phones that your tweeting from. Do something with the blue wall. Dress it up with something. Memorabilia, tv's, anything really besides a plain blue wall. I enjoyed the standing room only tix for big games. I think if we get enough rowdy fans back there it can only help our free throw defense

Wifi is free where as the 4g/5g etc costs money on your cell data plan. Plus when there are that many people wifi is faster.

[Kahns Krazy]

Wifi is paid for by someone else where as the 4g/5g etc costs money on your cell data plan. Plus when there are that many people wifi is faster.

Fixed that for you. Wifi isn't free, and I'm not really interested in my ticket price subsidizing your tweets.

[wny08]

The price of beer is what it is. We're a captive market and they wouldn't charge what they charge if people didn't pay.

That being said, I wish to lodge a complaint about the inconsistency of the draft beer. If I'm paying $7 for a Fat Tire or a Northern Liberties IPA it shouldn't taste sour, flat, skunky, or otherwise compromised. At times I've had to resort to Miller Lite bottles because at least you know what you're getting. If I was Moerlein, I would have pulled my beer out of Cintas by now because it reflects very poorly on the brand.

Ballpark/arena beer doesn't have to taste terrible. Compare Cintas to GABP, where the quality of draft beer is very consistent. Cintas Ctr. seems clueless on this - maybe they aren't aware of the issue? If anything, the beer is getting worse and not better even though the selection has improved. I'm not an expert on tap systems but something's really, really wrong when 60% of the time the beer tastes awful.

Just curious -- am I the only one that's noticed this?

[OH.X.MI]

Just curious -- am I the only one that's noticed this?

Not at all. Unfortunately I only get bottled beers at Cintas now because of that. Regardless of what draft you get at Cintas there almost always something wrong with it.

[STL_XUfan]

Fixed that for you. Wifi isn't free, and I'm not really interested in my ticket price subsidizing your tweets.
http://i.imgur.com/Owxi9.gif

[blueballs]

Not at all. Unfortunately I only get bottled beers at Cintas now because of that. Regardless of what draft you get at Cintas there almost always something wrong with it.

I've been drinking hop bomber exclusively since it arrived at Cintas and have never had a bad beer. Maybe a little too much head here and there, but taste quality is always top notch.

[coasterville95]

Wait. Where is Northern Liberties being tapped at Cintas. I didn't even see that one in Jospeh I just don't get Hop Bomber, I've tried it a few times but it just doesn't do it for me. Lately I have resorted to the Linenkugel stand with either Vanilla Porter or Hoppin Helles.


Then again the only place I have had Hop Bomber is Cintas, so maybe I should try it somewhere else since some claim the arenas draft beer system is compromised.

[nuts4xu]

The early part of the game you are tasting the beer that has been sitting in the beer lines since the last event. I don't believe Cintas has a direct draw system so they may have half a keg or more in the lines before they pour the fresh stuff. Quality draft beer is tough at big venues.

[Caveat]

Fixed that for you. Wifi isn't free, and I'm not really interested in my ticket price subsidizing your tweets.

Then what you're really saying is: "I don't want 20somethings to attend basketball games as paying customers."

This isn't a new thing -- MLB/NFL facilities are scrambling to improve their wireless coverages because they've done market research that tells them young people avoid "cellular data dead zones" like the plague.

[RoseyMuskie]

Twitter is the perfect compliment to a basketball game. Read your timeline at every TV timeout. You won't miss a minute of action. Catch up on statistics, analysis from Rick Broering, Shannon, D&V, and many others. Arenas also do not discuss injuries, controversial plays, etc. It truly enhances your in game experience. I've also watched other BE games on FSGO pregame and at halftime using WiFi. Personally, I use it for basketball. I'm not looking at Facebook pictures during the game.

I don't mind relying on my cell service, but given large crowds, the service is also bogged down. As such, you get back logged.

As I stated previously, WiFi is already in place. I don't think it would take a massive upgrade to improve the current network. It's generally pretty good when it's a smaller crowd for Cintas standards, but lags for the "big" game. Given that the discrepancy between a game like BGSU or Abilene Christian and Creighton isn't that large in terms of people, I don't see this being cost prohibitive.

[X-band '01]

Then what you're really saying is: "I don't want 20somethings to attend basketball games as paying customers."

This isn't a new thing -- MLB/NFL facilities are scrambling to improve their wireless coverages because they've done market research that tells them young people avoid "cellular data dead zones" like the plague.

So that's why people aren't in their seats during the National Anthem. You mean to tell me that they're on Facebook, Twitter and XavierHoops instead?

In other words, another way to take away home-court advantage would be to simply sabotage an arena's WiFi network? What a novel concept!

[UCGRAD4X]

Are you guys kidding me? I see the word 'renovation' and I think some walls are being knocked down and there will be 'hard hats required' - not wifi and better beer. Not that I am opposed to either of these ideas - but neither constitutes 'renovation' in my mind. Haven't you all watched HGTV?

[coasterville95]

Yeah, when I hear they have retained an architect, that tells me it's more than IT upgrades or improving concessions. Stuff like the suggestion to put in escalators from the East entrance to the concourse are more along the lines of what I am thinking. (Though, no I don't seriously see escalators going in there any time soon.)

Then again, at the season ticket holder event, Greg did say he was hesitant to use the word renovation, more of a refresh he said. Again, you don't need to retain an architect unless you are planning on changing something physical.

--

In other news - educate me on the beer. I imagined the kegs were sitting right under the bar, are you telling me the kegs are all sitting in a central room somewhere with beer being piped through the building to the assorted taps?

[OTRMUSKIE]

You have to do something with the plain wall. Either create a collage of former Xavier greats, put the banners there or at least put a few scoreboards so everybody can see. No reason to knock it down because X can't sell out 10,200 anyway. I would also like to see the scoreboard show the stats of the players that are in the game. They do on the back wall but it should be more in depth on the main scoreboard. THIS NEEDS TO BE N CAPS BECAUSE ITS VERY IMPORTANT, THE ROTO ROOTER SEGMENT SHOULD BE PLAYED AT ALL TIMEOUTS!

[bjf123]

Yeah, when I hear they have retained an architect, that tells me it's more than IT upgrades or improving concessions. Stuff like the suggestion to put in escalators from the East entrance to the concourse are more along the lines of what I am thinking. (Though, no I don't seriously see escalators going in there any time soon.)

If they put in escalators, I hope they're more reliable that the ones at Paul Brown Stadium. Those need to work just 10 days a year and invariably don't for 2 or 3 games.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nuts4xu]

In other news - educate me on the beer. I imagined the kegs were sitting right under the bar, are you telling me the kegs are all sitting in a central room somewhere with beer being piped through the building to the assorted taps?

Most arenas don't have storage space in the concession stands for the kegs of beer, and many keep them in a room far away from the actual taps. The lines are chilled lines so the beer in the lines theoretically remains cold, but the fact it is sitting in a line, just tells you what you need to know about the quality of the product when it finally makes it out of the tap.

It has been some time since I sold beer, but I seem to recall Cintas having their kegs in a central area, and not in a direct draw box where the kegs are right behind the wall. I typically don't drink draft beer at Cintas for this same reason (I drink the bottled stuff). I could be wrong but this would explain why the beer tastes a little "off".

[Kahns Krazy]

Then what you're really saying is: "I don't want 20somethings to attend basketball games as paying customers."

This isn't a new thing -- MLB/NFL facilities are scrambling to improve their wireless coverages because they've done market research that tells them young people avoid "cellular data dead zones" like the plague.

No, that is an absurd twist of my words for two reasons:

1) Quite frankly, while recruiting 20somethings is important for long term sustainability, I want my investment dollars aimed at the guys in the lower bowl who are paying 4x-20x more than the 20somethings, and have already demonstrated a long term commitment to the program. Those are the type of people we build a sustained program around. If there are really 20somethings that will not attend Xavier games because they can't get free wifi and don't want to use their own precious data plan, then I don't think we should be heavily invested in such a fickle audience. We can just tweet the results @starbucks.

2) The MLB/NFL comparision is worthless. The ratio of deadtime to action in a baseball game is nothing like a basketball game, and the crowd size between Cintas and NFL stadiums is without comparison. I'm no 20something, and even I get frustrated at Reds and Bengals games because of the lack of service. Someone already made the point that cell service is available at the game. My response was specifically aimed at the person who didn't want to pay for their own data, even though they had access to it.

While improved wifi would be a mild perk to some, my opinion is that it should not be high up on the list of investments.

[boozehound]

I'd rather see "renovation money" go to paying the Coaches.

Winning gets butts in the seats.

I agree for the most part. I think Cintas is still in excellent shape, and doesn't need much in the way of renovations at the moment. I would be fine with some minor stuff though. How about Listermann beer on tap instead of Hop Bomber and Fat Tire?

[Masterofreality]

I agree for the most part. I think Cintas is still in excellent shape, and doesn't need much in the way of renovations at the moment. I would be fine with some minor stuff though. How about Listermann beer on tap instead of Hop Bomber and Fat Tire?

Smithwicks!!!!!!

[X-man]

I agree for the most part. I think Cintas is still in excellent shape, and doesn't need much in the way of renovations at the moment. I would be fine with some minor stuff though. How about Listermann beer on tap instead of Hop Bomber and Fat Tire?

I have been pushing that idea for some time. It would be a major improvement over those two sorry "micro-brews".

[coasterville95]

Upgrades to include a Listermann tap on the wall between row S and the handicap seating behind section 104? That would just happen to be right behind my seat don't worry, X-Man you can come up for beers.

[bigdiggins]

It's not just the beer. Not that anyone on here cares unless they take their kids to the game, but the fountain sodas are bad as well.

[wny08]

Wait. Where is Northern Liberties being tapped at Cintas. I didn't even see that one in Jospeh I just don't get Hop Bomber, I've tried it a few times but it just doesn't do it for me. Lately I have resorted to the Linenkugel stand with either Vanilla Porter or Hoppin Helles.


Then again the only place I have had Hop Bomber is Cintas, so maybe I should try it somewhere else since some claim the arenas draft beer system is compromised.

Wait, maybe I'm thinking of Hop Bomber. Either way, doesn't change my point that the tap beer usually doesn't taste right.