Jim Mercurio: Lessons From Levi’s Stadium on How to Run Events During the Pandemic

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The San Francisco 49ers were one of the few NFL teams that did not have fans at a single home game last season because of the pandemic, finishing the season with its last two scheduled home games being played in Arizona. This year the 49ers have been able to play to capacity crowds at Levi’s Stadium while also opening a new club space and unveiling an innovative food and beverage program for season-ticket holders. As general manager of the stadium, Jim Mercurio has seen and just about done it all for the 49ers in his three decades with the organization, dating to the days of Candlestick Park and now the past several years at Levi’s Stadium, which has hosted not only the 49ers but a Super Bowl, CFP National Championship Game and WWE WrestleMania among other major events. SportsTravel Senior Editor Matt Traub talked with Mercurio about health and safety at Levi’s Stadium this season, making sure event workers are up to speed on the latest protocols, preparing the stadium for an enhanced and updated fan experience, and much more.

Among the topics discussed in this episode:

• How this year’s health, safety and fan protocols have gone (1:58)
• The 49ers’ new concessions-included season-ticket program and how it’s worked so far this season (3:11)
• The experience of making sure Levi’s Stadium was operational for 49ers games last season (5:37)
• Having Clorox as the team’s official disinfecting partner (7:24)
• Making multiple game operation plans for Levi’s Stadium ready depending on what health orders may be announced by local and state governments (8:34)
• Having to educate an entire stadium staff on new health and safety protocols and making sure the fan experience is understood (11:24)
• How stadiums make sure that they’re ready for the technological load to cover services that fans have come to expect (14:40)
• Opening the new Cache Creek Club within Levi’s Stadium and adjusting on the fly to make sure club spaces are compliant with health and safety protocols (17:46)
• Making sure that stadiums have plenty of high-dollar activations but also keep gameday experience costs down for traditional fans as much as possible (20:24)
• His memories of Candlestick Park as the former home of the 49ers before moving into Levi’s Stadium in 2014 (22:07)
• What events at Levi’s in the past seven years stand out to him and which events he would love to host either again or for the first time (24:09)