What do the Houston Livestock and Rodeo™, Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour,” and Houston Texans football games have in common? These wildly different events have all been hosted at NRG Park this year.
Everything’s big in Texas
NRG Park, an entertainment complex that covers approximately 350 acres of land (about half the area of Central Park in New York City), consists of four venues: NRG Arena, NRG Astrodome, NRG Center, and NRG Stadium. Aramark Sports + Entertainment manages food, facilities, and retail at all four.
Each venue is unique, hosting collectively 400+ events each year. The Aramark Sports + Entertainment team works around the clock to provide incredible food and hospitality experiences for guests.
It takes a village
Led by Aramark Sports + Entertainment’s District Manager for Houston, Chris Devore, the NRG team works together as a big family. Everyone on the team is hands-on, working to prepare and execute large events.
“I think what people like about NRG [Park] is that it’s not just football and concerts. It’s football, the Rodeo, the auto show, quinceañeras...” says Devore. “There are so many different events happening all the time. It’s constantly changing.”
This year, NRG Park went from hosting the Houston Livestock and Rodeo™ Show, ending in mid-March, to hosting the 2023 NCAA® Men’s Final Four at the beginning of April. As soon as Final Four concluded, the NRG team was prepping for Taylor Swift’s three-night “Eras Tour.”
Innovative Guest Experiences
NRG Park prides itself on offering innovative technology and hyperlocal eats.
"I love building things and being on the cutting edge of technology,” said Devore.
Recently, NRG Stadium introduced Zippin technology, AI-powered software that provides checkout-free concessions and retail experiences to guests.
NRG Park’s latest celebrity partnership with Trill Burgers, Houston’s acclaimed homegrown smashburger concept from rapper Bun B, utilizes this Zippin technology to streamline the ordering process, allowing fans to get back to their seats in record time to enjoy their Houston Trill Burgers!
Beyond Entertainment
While NRG Park is known for being a sports and entertainment complex, it also has been an essential space during natural disasters. In September 2005, NRG Park (formerly Reliant Park) hosted 25,000 Hurricane Katrina victims and served more than 555,000 meals. Later in 2017, NRG Center opened to 10,000 people as a mass shelter during Tropical Storm Harvey. The latest disaster efforts were in February 2021, when NRG Park was a COVID-19 vaccination site.
By the Numbers
2M+: Attendance for the Houston Livestock & Rodeo™ show each year
55,000: Average attendance for Houston Texans games
50,000: Average attendance for concerts at NRG stadium
1,500: Part-time employees in NRG Park
100+: Events hosted at NRG Center and Arena in a typical year
80: Events hosted at NRG Stadium in a typical year
Interested in attending an event at NRG Park? Check out NRG Park’s calendar of events.
