When does a stadium begin generating value?
Traditionally, the answer has been when the gates open. For Asia’s next generation of venues, however, the commercial clock can start much sooner.
At TheStadiumBusiness ASIA 2026 (#SAS26), Andy Lee, Head of Middle East and Asia Pacific at 3D Digital Venue, will explore how digital venue technology can become part of a stadium’s commercial strategy from day one.
His session, The Infinite Stadium: How Asia’s Next Venues Sell Before The Gates Open, will examine how digital twins and interactive venue experiences can help operators generate revenue before a venue physically opens, accelerate premium sales and create new commercial opportunities throughout the venue lifecycle.
New builds and major renovations require significant investment, but the commercial proposition does not need to remain dormant while the physical venue is still taking shape. A detailed digital version can become a sales platform, a premium showroom, a marketing asset and a digital commerce experience well ahead of opening day.
Interactive 3D venue visualisation by 3D Digital Venue.
This creates a valuable bridge between development and operation. Instead of asking prospective buyers to imagine a seat, suite or hospitality experience from a static plan, operators can give them a clearer and more interactive understanding of what they are buying.
For venue operators and commercial teams, that more visual journey can make complex inventory easier to understand, support pre-sale campaigns and create more opportunities to sell premium products and upgrades. The same infrastructure can continue to support the business after opening, from season renewals and sales experience centres to new commercial opportunities during live events.
The opportunity is particularly relevant across Asia Pacific, where significant venue development is taking place alongside a highly digital consumer market.
New builds and major renovations are progressing across markets including Singapore, Vietnam, Japan and Taiwan. At the same time, consumers across the region are already accustomed to mobile-first digital experiences.
That combination gives APAC venues an opportunity to avoid some of the legacy systems and customer journeys that established Western venues have had to evolve from. Rather than replicating what has been done elsewhere, new venues can build digital commerce and the fan experience into their commercial strategy from the beginning.
The result is a different way of thinking about when a stadium actually opens. There is the physical opening, when fans first pass through the gates, but there can also be a digital opening that happens much earlier and begins creating commercial value well before that moment.
At #SAS26, Andy will focus on three practical areas where this digital infrastructure can make a difference:
Generating revenue before opening
Accelerating premium sales
Creating additional revenue opportunities during events
He will also share practical examples of how these technologies are already being used through premium sales portals, sales experience centres, pre-sale campaigns and season renewals.
Speaker spotlight
Andy Lee
Head of Middle East and Asia Pacific, 3D Digital Venue
Andy works with venues and industry partners across the Middle East and Asia Pacific to explore how digital venue technology can support ticketing, premium sales and broader commercial strategies.
Join Andy Lee, together with stadium, arena, venue and live entertainment leaders from across the region, at TheStadiumBusiness ASIA 2026 in Hong Kong, 13-15 October 2026.
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