Following their first World Series championship in 26 years to finish the 2021 Major League Baseball season, the Atlanta Braves have announced an exciting new partnership ahead of their campaign to defend their title. The club is partnering with Heard Sports & Entertainment, a division of industry-leading event technology company Heard Global, to bring world-class events to Truist Park when baseball isn’t being played.
A one-of-a-kind destination, Truist Park opened in 2017 as a ballpark with an intimate feel, aiming to make every fan feel like they have the best seat in the house. It also features a Monument Garden filled with statues, plaques and sculptures commemorating memorable Braves moments, awards and players, plus work from local and international artists.
“The Braves have a talented events team of their own, and with this partnership, they will acquire our talents to augment what they do and to fill the stadium and create revenue potentially 365 days a year,” says Fred Huther, chief sales officer for Heard Global.
While Truist Park is already a stop on stadium concert tours this year for massive artists including Zac Brown Band and Lady Gaga, the partnership with Heard Global seeks to expand the park’s event capabilities even further. That includes internal meetings for people associated with the Braves organization, as well as events, conferences and large destination meetings for corporations and other businesses looking for a show-stopping venue.
“Our priority is the stadium, but this opens a lot of doors for us to grow in the Atlanta market,” Huther notes.
Truist Park is at the heart of The Battery Atlanta, a lifestyle destination featuring restaurants like Ph’East, CRU Food & Wine Bar and Punch Bowl Social, plus shopping, hotels and more — and adding new businesses by the day. Increasing the use of Truist Park for meetings and events outside of baseball games will increase traffic to these businesses and create a lively and thriving neighborhood year-round that will serve to bolster the city’s economy as a whole.
The partnership also marks an exciting expansion for event company Heard Global, which is making an entry into the sports and entertainment venue market with this relationship with the Braves (as well as one with MLS team Austin FC). “We are incredibly excited to be expanding our reach, and we expect our partnership to create additional opportunities for multiple verticals within the Atlanta market,” Huther says.
In all, the announcement marks a new era of live events in Atlanta. “The Braves’ commitment to hosting elite engagements has made Truist Park and all that it has to offer a destination that is truly world-class,” says Huther. “We are humbled to bring Heard’s production capabilities to enhance the existing capabilities of the club to support future ballpark events and experiences.”
For more information, visit heardglobal.com.
