Thousands of people throng to Gillette Stadium when the Patriots or the Revolution are playing at home, or when a rock star on a stadium tour arrives in southern New England.
But the stadium off Interstate 495 in Foxboro also attracts smaller crowds on most non-game days, when Gillette becomes a venue for corporate outings.
Gillette Stadium hosts almost 500 corporate events and private gatherings each year, including parties and receptions, presentations and conferences, black-tie banquets and award ceremonies, trade shows and clam bakes.
The stadium houses two 60,000-square-foot clubs with glass walls overlooking the field and a handful of other indoor rooms and outdoor pavilions, and it can comfortably accommodate groups as small as 50 people and as large as 3,000, said David Pearlstein, executive director of corporate development for Gillette.
The New England Patriots organization draws on the vast popularity of the team in marketing Gillette Stadium as an alternative to typical hotel banquet and meeting spaces, offering perks associated with the football franchise, Pearlstein said.
“Definitely it’s a draw,” he said. “People come with their cameras.”
Corporate groups that book outings at Gillette are invited to take a half-hour tour of the stadium, which includes a visit to the NFL visiting team locker room and the sidelines of the playing field, as well as other areas not accessible to the general public.
Groups also can arrange to have the field illuminated during an event and to have the scoreboard display special messages, or to receive personalized team jerseys.
Additionally, appearances can be arranged for almost anyone within the Patriots organization, from owner Bob Kraft to current and former players, cheerleaders and even Pat Patriot, the team’s mascot, Pearlstein said.
Gillette offers in-house catering for all events, ranging from outdoor clambakes and tailgate barbecues to formal sit-down dinners for up to 1,500 people, and buffet dinners for more than 2,000, Pearlstein said.
In all cases, food preparation is overseen by Gillette’s executive chef, Brad Ozerdem, who was named Hyatt Chef of the Year in 2002 and also received the Culinary Federation Chapter Culinarian of the Year Award in 1999.
“We have an amazing executive chef, and we can offer everything from a continental breakfast to lobster and foie gras,” Pearlstein said.
Gillette contracts with massAV, a Burlington, Mass.-based event staging company, to offer corporate groups audio/visual production abilities for any event, Pearlstein said.
The Patriots organization has been hosting corporate events at Gillette since the new stadium was built five years ago. The old stadium lacked the amenities to accommodate large groups, with only a small club that held 200 people, Pearlstein said.
“We built the new club areas predominantly for our club members and luxury suite holders to enjoy game day, but we knew we wanted a facility that was full service,” he said. “We always knew we wanted to keep it as active as possible. You know, the Krafts invested their own private money to build it.”
Groups that regularly hold outings at Gillette include many Rhode Island-based companies, which are attracted by the relatively short trip and the free parking that Gillette offers, Pearlstein said.
“They’re tired of the same old hotel space to hold a meeting, and what better place than here at Gillette, with the field as a backdrop?” Pearlstein said.
