www.arenaatgwinnettcenter.blogspot.com

By: Intern, Allie Hughes

Published: July 15, 2013

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Whenever people find out I am a marketing intern at the Gwinnett Center this summer, the first question they always ask is, “What is it like to work during a concert?!”.  So…let me tell you!

So far, I have worked three events this summer, but Beyoncé was by far the biggest event I have ever been to at The Arena at Gwinnett Center, working or not.  I realized it was going to be a crazy day from the moment I pulled into the parking lot.  Staff usually parks in the back, but Beyoncé had a whopping 28 tour buses, so we parked in the front. When I walked up to The Arena that morning, there were already people lined up at the Box Office waiting to get last-minute tickets.  There were also people wandering around with lawn chairs in tow prepared to wait outside all day so they could be first inside when doors opened for the general admission floor tickets.

Seeing The Arena transform throughout the day was fascinating.  The first time I got a peek, there were so many boxes and crates that I did not see how the stage crew could possibly keep it all organized, but by afternoon it had turned into an elaborate stage set-up ready to be rocked by Beyoncé. Before this internship, I had never really thought about how much time and effort goes into setting up a stage…and the most amazing thing is they do all of that work for a 3 hour show, tear it down, pack it up, and get ready to do the same thing the next night.  All I can say is the stage crew deserves more recognition than they receive.  THEY are rockstars.

Before the doors opened, there was a security meeting in which the venue staff met with the tour staff to ensure that everyone was aware of the operations for the night.  They discussed things such as how the pyrotechnics and confetti would work and what happens during parts of the set list.  These meetings are interesting because they are all so different depending on what artist is performing. 

After the meeting, The Crafty Cakery provided a cake to give the tour, welcoming them to The Arena at Gwinnett Center.  The cake looked absolutely AMAZING! Don’t believe me?  Take a look for yourself!  Doesn’t it look delicious?

One thing I have to say about Beyoncé fans is that they sure are enthusiastic!  If you looked up “dedicated” in the dictionary, you would probably see their picture.  They waited outside all day just to be close to the stage.  As if waiting outside all day isn’t dedicated enough, they waited through a thunderstorm.  The grey skies were illuminated with frequent lightning and the rain was enough to flood the back entrance.  With weather like that, I expected them all to be tired and cranky, but the anticipation was enough to keep them cheering and having a good time.  To thank them for their patience and dedication, Gwinnett Center staff passed out frozen lemonade treats courtesy of Proof of the Pudding.  I really enjoyed interacting with the fans because they were all so excited for the concert and appreciative of the lemonade.

With show time approaching, we decided to go up to the catwalk to take some pictures for our social media sites. The view from that height was breathtaking...and a little scary.  Everybody below looked like little bees (or should I say Beys?) buzzing around, but it really was remarkable.  When the music for “Who Run the World” started and the dancers climbed up from underneath the stage, the crowd erupted, but nothing had prepared me for how loud the fans would be when Beyoncé herself appeared.  Let’s just say my ears are STILL ringing.

I now have a new answer to the age-old question “Who run the world?” ….BEYONCE.  That’s who.