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PHILIPS ARENA NAMED NO. 1 U.S. CONCERT ARENA
RANKED BY POLLSTAR MAGAZINE
ATLANTA, November 1, 2001 - On the heels of an August "top five venues" ranking by Amusement Business magazine, Philips Arena has been named the No. 1 concert arena in the U.S. ranked by Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 gross ticket sales reported to Pollstar magazine, according to the publication's "Q3 Ticket Sales" report on the concert industry.
The Pollstar rankings also list Philips Arena as the No. 2 venue among the international compilation, which includes venues in the United Kingdom and Canada. Philips Arena's total tickets reported were 391,985 for the first nine months of 2001, only behind the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England, with 443,105. Numbers for Philips Arena are actually higher than reported - over 500,000 guests over nine months (excluding Hawks and Thrashers games) - because some shows do not announce attendance figures.
"Extensive planning has been done to make Philips Arena an extraordinary concert venue," said Philips Arena President Bob Williams. "Musical artists love our acoustics and intimacy. Apparently concert fans do as well, as they have cast their vote at the box office."
In its second year of operation, Philips Arena earned the top venue rankings after hosting 13 of the nation's top touring acts. During January to September, Philips Arena celebrated a record-attendance performance by U2 with 20,919, as well as other sold-out shows such as matchbox twenty, Eric Clapton, and the venue's record one-night gross with $1,990,010 for Elton John & Billy Joel. The venue also hosted back-to-back sell-outs for Madonna, and was the site for international tours such as Sade and Janet Jackson.
Other top-ranked shows at Philips Arena include Backstreet Boys, AC/DC, Barenaked Ladies, Rod Stewart, Destiny's Child, Bon Jovi, Sting, WWF, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney On Ice and the Harlem Globetrotters.
Pollstar ranked the top 20 concert arenas with capacities of 15,000 or more as indicated on the following chart, published Oct. 19 (No. 11 to 20 available):
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#
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TOP TEN ARENAS
(reported by facilities with
15,000 or more seating capacity
from 1/1 to 9/30/01)
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Location
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Attendance
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1
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PHILIPS ARENA
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Atlanta, GA
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391,985
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2
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Madison Square Garden
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New York, N.Y.
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376,212
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3
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Ice Palace
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Tampa, FL
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327,615
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4
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Key Arena at Seattle Center
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Seattle, WA
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316,742
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5
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Continental Airlines Arena
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East Rutherford, N.J.
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305,715
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6
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First Union Center
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Philadelphia, PA
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302,301
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7
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Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
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Uniondale, N.J.
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285,921
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8
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MCI Center
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Washington
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266,790
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9
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Fleet Center
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Boston, MA
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264,241
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10
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First Union Spectrum
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Philadelphia, PA
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261,407
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Philips Arena's Pollstar ranking joins a list of accolades since the venue's grand opening in September 1999. The venue was also the recipient of the Facilities and Event Management magazine's Prime Site Award for the second year in a row as selected by votes from promoters and peers at other arenas.
As Atlanta's 20,000-seat sports and entertainment venue, Philips Arena has hosted almost five million patrons in two years. Named for founding sponsor, Philips Consumer Electronics, Philips Arena serves as the home of the Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta Thrashers and hosts over 200 events per year. For more information visit www.philipsarena.com.
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