In March of 2017, nearly 40,000 enthusiastic fans packed a football stadium to enjoy the excitement of Monster Jam. What made this experience different from the over 350 performances Monster Jam presents annually across the Unites States and around the globe? These were the first live entertainment events to take place at the King Fahd National Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Monster Jam is internationally known for playing the world’s best stadiums” notes Juliette Feld, chief operating officer for Feld Entertainment. “In Saudi Arabia we were honoured to be the first family show to perform at the King Fahd International Stadium and offer the people of Saudi the same excitement and entertainment our fans have come to know and love the world over.”
To achieve this historic feat, however, Feld Entertainment, the presenters of Monster Jam, had to overcome many logistical, operational and marketing challenges.
Monster Jam prides itself on the quality of each and every performance, regardless of where in the world it’s happening.
In order to deliver that same level of quality in the capital of Saudi Arabia, careful logistical and production planning was required, including: eight Monster Jam trucks, each weighing 4,500 kilograms; six Freestyle motocross bikes; eight ATVs; 85 production staff (representing 12 different nationalities); 4,050 tons of clay-based dirt; 10 sea containers travelling approximately 8,128 nautical miles; 1,800 litres of methanol gas 30,000 metres of plastic; 13 pieces of heavy equipment; 24 cars and vans to crush; and 1,303,122 air miles flown.
Marketing for the show also presented its own set of challenges, but also tremendous opportunity as well. “Saudi Arabia is a diverse and sophisticated media market,” said Magnus Danielsson, vice president of international marketing and sales for Feld Entertainment. “We had only a limited period of time to promote the show and build our brand, so we had to be strategic in how we prioritised messaging. We were extremely fortunate to have partners who were so adept at utilising various marketing platforms as well as the valuable support of the General Entertainment Authority.”
Plans are already in the works for a return to Saudi Arabia with new cities to be added. Monster Jam will also continue to break new ground on the 2017 tour with first-ever engagements planned for Buenos Aires, Argentina; Beijing, China; Singapore and Sao Paulo, Brazil. “Producing a Monster Jam show in a new international market always comes with challenges” said Bill Easterly, vice President of operations. “We have an experienced production team that’s produced shows in stadiums all over the world and in all shapes and sizes so we’re always focused on finding solutions.”
For more information on Monster Jam in Saudi Arabia, please visit:
http://www.monsterjamarabia.com/ar/index.php
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1070496/saudi-arabia
For more information on Monster Jam, please visit:
https://www.monsterjam.com/en-US/
Long-standing supporters of TheStadiumBusiness, Monster Jam sponsor the international party on the evening of June 21 to kick off the 8th annual TheStadiumBusiness Summit in Dublin. Join us at the Monster Jam Midsummer Party at Croke Park Hotel for a world of stadium business networking!
