Belmont Stakes for NYRA

Background
The Belmont Stakes is the final leg in racing's Triple Crown. It is a prestigious event, with crowds in excess of 90,000 race fans. Yet the connection between the event and its New York City home is nowhere near the level of the Derby and Louisville. Centerplate's challenge was to deliver signature dining experiences that uniquely position the Belmont Stakes as a compelling option in the New York premium ticket landscape to 1) increase revenue from catered events and club ticket sales, 2) help reinforce the truly special personality of the Belmont, and 3) attract a broader audience of race-goers.

Key Brand Insights
The Belmont Stakes is New York City's own Triple Crown race. Early on, we realized that our ultimate goal was to celebrate the special heritage and connection between New York City and The Belmont. Our primary insight was to use the power of food to reinforce that link and to promote New York City's pride in the race and the racecourse. We wanted to communicate the essence of the Belmont, to literally create a proprietary food identity for the race. "Only at the Belmont" was the insight that became the mission.

Centerplate Stir™ Solutions
The Stir™ team set out to find food and people and resources that truly embodied the energy and spirit of New York City. A tough challenge in a place with such a vibrant food culture. We think we discovered the perfect partners in Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli, two rising stars in the New York culinary scene who are dedicated to celebrating New York's unique culinary heritage. We partnered 'the Franks' with Centerplate's own Chef Drew Revella to design catering and club menus that are authentic New York and authentically delicious. They worked to develop special Belmont-only menus featuring Italian-American comfort food re-imagined with great ingredients and greenmarket sides. The entire hospitality package was local (celebrating New York's rich culinary scene), honest (based on seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients), and timeless (featuring simple, authentic dishes).

Results
The innovative menu and associated publicity campaign created an exclusive and memorable dining experience for our guests. It generated incremental sales and an enhanced reputation for our client. In fact, early feedback has all been raves. Excitement is building for next year that this may become the ultimate hospitality program in all of horse racing.