The New Era D-Lab in STAPLES Center at LA Live hosted its grand opening last Thursday night, drawing athletes and celebrities to the location to customize their own cap and take in the modern design of the new store. A sleek space with tall screens displaying videos of athletes in motion and caps lining the walls practically from floor to ceiling, the D-Lab is both a retail and promotional space.
Stop by the newly opened @NewEraCap D-Lab where you can customize & shop exclusive styles! Located on the corner of Chick Hearn & Figueroa
pic.twitter.com/PGDEbnQYjc
— Clippers Store (@ClippersStore) January 20, 2017
“It came from a need. We needed to do something different and enhance the fan experience at LA Live, which we’re always trying to kind of set the bar with in terms our our industry,” said Nick Baker, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships at AEG.
The store is the first branded retail store at STAPLES Center, a prime location for the sports-focused brand. New Era is the official cap of MLB as well as the NBA and NFL. The D-Lab situates New Era at the home of the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Kings.
Customization screen at the #NewEra store launch at STAPLES Center, can edit everything down to the individual eyelets: pic.twitter.com/3EWpx009UU
— Hayley M. Slye (@hmslye) January 27, 2017
“It did not take long for us to see that both of our organizations are like-minded, almost like siblings,” Baker said.
Kings goalkeeper Jonathan Quick stopped by the event to work with a designer in the D-Lab’s VIP area to create a custom cap. Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner also showed up later in the night to design a hat.
“Our brands span the worlds of sport, entertainment and music, and that’s reflected not only in the products people will see at The New Era D-Lab, but also in the look and feel of the space,” said Josh Feine, VP Sports Marketing & Corporate Sponsorships at New Era, in a press release.
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AEG and New Era plan to use the VIP space to hold events and promote endorsements and design collaborations. Baker said it can also be used as an entertaining space for both New Era and AEG.
“STAPLES Center puts on over 1600 ticketed events a year, it’s very high end, and this is kind of this selective place where athletes like Jonathan Quick from the Kings can come in, relax and build something that is their own,” Baker said. “And then we can share that, not only with him, but with all of his fans and then you would have a chance to buy that only here. It’s pretty cool.”
.@NewEraCap exclusives at the STAPLES center location: pic.twitter.com/89ys5ubLRC
— Hayley M. Slye (@hmslye) January 27, 2017
The New Era products exclusive to the D-Lab were displayed prominently in the space.
As part of the opening, party-goers could design their own cap using the “New Era by You” exclusive hat customization area. Caps could be customized from the fabric down to the individual eyelets, stitches and panels. Stocked with every licensed New Era logo, the customization module provides the customer with a myriad of possible combinations.
Once designed, the hat gets created and then shipped to the consumer.
Of the D-Lab, Baker said it’s the “first of its kind. There’s nothing like it.”