Inside Hyde at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami.
The Miami Heat have found a way to bring the nightlife of Florida’s South Beach inside AmericanAirlines Arena. This season, the venue debuted Hyde Lounge — a high-end nightclub within the arena.
The concept of bringing a nightclub atmosphere to sporting venues is trending in Miami. SunLife Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins, has a version of well-known Miami club LIV inside its confines. The Miami Marlins have the Clevelander inside their new stadium, Marlins Park, which opened in 2012.
But the Heat’s new lounge isn’t a smaller clone of another South Beach hot spot. Instead, they teamed with SBE Entertainment Group to bring an original club to Miami. Hyde’s other locations exist in Hollywood, Calif., Las Vegas and inside Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
“We know Miami is unique,” said Kim Stone, AmericanAirlines Arena executive vice president and general manager. “Night life is a big part of why people come to Miami. So it made sense to partner with experts in that field and create the amenity that was missing within our building.”
The Heat formed a 10-year partnership with SBE, which has a 50-percent investment and revenue stake in the venture.
“SBE is more than your mom-and-pop night life company,” said Hyde General Manager Richard Post. “They can see that we are basically going world wide. We have hotels and restaurants. We run an A-plus rated company and they felt we could provide the perfect complement to the Heat.”
Post said the Heat’s 2012 Championship win and their place as the third highest attended team in the NBA helps Hyde’s traffic numbers. “There’s good energy in the building, people want to see them play,” he said.
Star player LeBron James played the role of DJ shortly after the club’s opening in November, playing and singing along to songs at a private party.
Stone said the arena was working toward building Hyde before James was acquired by the Heat and is aiming for the lounge to stay relevant no matter the product on the floor.
“We realize this has to sustain itself beyond the dynamics of the team,” she said. “That’s one of the reasons for doing this — to have an additional amenity. I was here when our record was 15-67, so we’re always looking for things that aren’t just about the moment. We’re looking for things that are long term.”
In the long term, Hyde will look to host more out-of-season events. Currently the lounge is open during concerts and for private parties.
“We’re always looking to improve and change the business model,” Stone said. “We are looking for different promoters and to bring in the people who can drive business. The thing about the nightlife industry is it changes and evolves and re-creates itself very quickly. We do not want this to be a flash in the pan.”
Will high-end nightclubs become a trend in arenas around the country? AmericanAirlines Arena has welcomed executives from other venues to look at Hyde, though Stone said markets have to have a healthy night life scene for it to work.
Interviewed for this story: Kim Stone, (786) 777-1000; Richard Post, (323) 655-8000