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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Ben DuBose

Rockets announce arena, game experience upgrades at Toyota Center

The Houston Rockets and Toyota Center announced a series of arena and game experience enhancements in advance of their regular-season home opener versus Memphis on Friday night.

In a continuation of the team’s partnership with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and his premium wine and spirits company, Sire Spirits, Toyota Center is launching the Sire Spirits Social Club. Located on the lower suite level on the south side of the arena, the club offers fans a great view of the court with a fine dining experience in a high-end, club-like setting with premium cocktail service.

The Golden Nugget Club and Lexus Lounge both return this season. With spaces adjoining the Rockets’ team entrance to the court, the Golden Nugget Club and Lexus Lounge provide upscale hangout spots with potential for unique interactions with players as they pass by.

The PNC Club, located behind the team benches on the east side of Toyota Center, now features dynamic murals created by local artist Reginald C. Adams. According to the team, Adams is world-renowned for his award-winning tile mosaic murals, sculptures, and art installations located in historic and underserved communities across Houston and the United States.  His work in the PNC Club was selected and voted on by fans over the summer at Rockets.com and on the team’s social media outlets.

Brand new this season are two experiential concept suites — The Green Room and The Sneaker Suite — designed to bring the best of pop culture for an enhanced fan experience.

According to the team, The Green Room showcases a bright motif decorated with lush greenery and offers a boutique experience worthy of celebrities, musicians, athletes, influencers, or simply Rockets fans looking to stand out from the crowd.

Meanwhile, The Sneaker Suite amplifies global sneaker culture and its organic connection to basketball, with Houston serving as one of the cities at the forefront of the cultural movement. The suite, curated in collaboration with Houston based boutique Premium Goods, highlights basketball lifestyle and local artists as well as team personalities. Both suites are available to rent on a nightly basis for all Rockets games and Toyota Center events.

For the 2022-23 season, the Rockets are injecting more local flavor into their arena entertainment with Clutch City Beats. During the offseason, the team hosted a competition for Houston-area music producers to submit original beats, and the five winners will have their tracks played during Rockets games and on social media throughout the season. Eight local artists were also commissioned to decorate the electrical boxes outside of Toyota Center.

For concessions, the Rockets and Toyota Center are introducing the Takeoff MKT featuring Zippin technology. These autonomous concession stations allow fans a frictionless experience to grab their favorite beverages and get back to their seats as quickly as possible.

Fans make selections and are automatically billed for their purchases when exiting the concessions area, with sensors, vision cognition, and machine learning used to drive the experience. One station is located on the main concourse, with the other in the upper bowl.

As part of the team’s expanded partnership with Memorial Hermann, nursing stations will be added on both concourse levels at Toyota Center, providing private, comfortable spaces for mothers. The Rockets and Memorial Hermann also partnered to install additional baby-changing stations in restrooms throughout the arena.

Earlier this month, the Rockets Team Shop at Toyota Center debuted a Josh Christopher inspired merchandise capsule, which he worked on in collaboration with the team. The Rockets plan to collaborate on apparel items with other players and creatives in the near future. The team shop, which offers online and in-store shopping with curbside pickup, is featuring San Diego Rockets-themed Hardwood Classics apparel in celebration of the franchise’s 55th anniversary season.

Finally, the Rockets are also offering a range of new ticket package options at Toyota Center, including:

  • Margarita Mondays: one ticket and a Don Julio margarita starting at $25.
  • Taco Tuesdays: one ticket, two tacos, and a beverage starting at $29.
  • Sunday Funday Family Packs: four tickets, four hot dogs, and four beverages starting at $99.
  • Five-Game Flex Plans: fans choose dates and opponents at their convenience, starting at $55.

More information on the options is available at Rockets.com.

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