What’s New at Chesapeake Arena: Museum Display, Fan Recognition, Sensory Inclusion Initiative, Updated Menu

Oklahoma City, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017 – As the Oklahoma City Thunder tips off its 10th season, fans who visit Chesapeake Energy Arena will notice a number of new features and improvements to enhance their game-night experience.“We are constantly challenging ourselves to give our fans the best possible experience at Thunder games,” said Brian Byrnes, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for the Thunder. “Particularly as we enter our 10th season, we are looking to find innovative ways to engage with our fans and recognize their importance to our team.“We are fortunate to have great partners at Chesapeake Energy Arena and beyond the walls of the arena who help us identify ways we can improve – and who help us create a better experience for our fans.”Improvements and new initiatives for this season include a museum display on the main concourse highlighting items from the first decade of Thunder Basketball; a permanent Season Ticket Member recognition corridor that highlights fan stories; a partnership with a nonprofit to improve inclusion for fans with sensory challenges; new food and beverage offerings; and a new digital assistant to answer fan questions.Museum display: 10 Seasons of Thunder Basketball | Section 101In partnership with the Jim Thorpe Museum and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the Thunder has created a museum display featuring items from the first decade of Thunder Basketball that tell the story of the team, its hometown and its fans. The display will be featured throughout the Thunder season.Season Ticket Member recognition corridor | Section 113This new display highlights the ongoing support of Thunder Season Ticket Members and their importance to the organization. Season Ticket Member names will be part of a permanent display, and an interactive wall will feature fan stories and photos.KultureCity sensory-inclusion initiative | Section 112The Thunder and Chesapeake Energy Arena have partnered with KultureCity, a nonprofit that seeks to broaden acceptance and accessibility for people living with sensory-processing issues, to offer resources to fans with autism, PTSD and other sensory challenges. Fans will be able to check out kits designed to mitigate sensory overload that some may experience for Thunder game nights and other arena events. In addition, the arena has created a space at Section 112 for fans who need a calm, quiet atmosphere related to sensory issues or for nursing mothers.Fan Assist digital assistantThe Thunder has partnered with Satisfi to create a real-time digital assistant to field fan questions through the Thunder Mobile App. The Thunder is the first NBA team to incorporate this IBM Watson technology in creating a resource for arena and team facts, food-and-beverage info, game-night details, ticketing info and much more. Live assistance will also be provided on game days. The team will incorporate the platform into its website and on Facebook.New food and beverage offeringsThe arena food-and-beverage providers, Levy Restaurants and SAVOR, will feature a variety of new items fans will want to sample this season at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Major updates include a completely new menu for the Budweiser Brew House that features farm-fresh, local ingredients, plus renovations to the Continental Courtside Club. Fans can now book their reservations online to visit the Brew House on Thunder game days.Thunder Shop | Updates to main shop at Section 120; renovated shops at Section 102 and on Cox Club Level; new Love’s Loud City location at Section 326In addition to the new Nike offerings and other new merchandise being continuously added, the Thunder Shop at Section 120 is undergoing renovations to update the store layout. Media will be able to view the shop as new merchandise is being loaded in, prior to the store re-opening on Thursday.Digital menu boardsConcessions stands throughout the arena will feature new digital menu boards to allow fans to better view each stand’s offerings and to allow for easier menu updates during the season.Zaxby’s Thunder Rewards ZoneZaxby’s has joined as the new presenting partner for the Thunder Rewards Zone. For every home game during the regular season and postseason, the Thunder offer 50 pairs of tickets to fans through a drawing. Fans can register online through midnight the day before any game; winners are notified at least four hours prior to tipoff.###