Smart Meetings

Building History

Nestled in the heart of Orange County, Honda Center stands as one of the premier entertainment and sports venues in the country. Opened in 1993, it is owned by the City of Anaheim and managed by Anaheim Arena Management, LLC. Home to the Anaheim Ducks and annual John R. Wooden Classic, the arena has hosted the 2003 World Gymnastics Championships and 2005 World Badminton Championships; NCAA events including the first Frozen Four west of the Rocky Mountains and much more. Performances by world renowned musical artists and family shows are also plentiful year after year for the fans of Orange County and Southern California. Since 1993, 23 million fans have been entertained at Honda Center, enjoying more than 2,300 events.

Facility Amenities

Honda Center offers fans a facility that is both beautiful to behold and a delight in which to view any event reflecting state-of-the-art design in both form and function. Visitors enjoy incredibly comfortable seating and some of the best sight lines and proximity to the action found anywhere. Fans looking to experience their favorite artist in an upscale, intimate atmosphere will appreciate The Theatre at Honda Center. Created in 2001, The Theatre seats approximately 7,000 people and acts including Dolly Parton and Matchbox Twenty have graced the stage.

Busy

Both 2005 and 2006 were busy years for the arena. Following the success of 2005, the arena ranked 3rd in the world by Billboard magazine, hosting 31 concerts and the World Badminton Championships. 2006 highlighted two sold out Ultimate Fighting Championships, one of which made history as the first sanctioned UFC in California. Honda Center hosted eight of Billboard magazine’s Top 25 concerts including Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and Coldplay. Performers such as Andrea Bocelli and Andre Rieu added to the variety of concerts throughout the year. The Anaheim Ducks advanced to the Western Conference finals, and No. 1 UCLA defeated No. 6 Texas A&M in an exciting game during the 13th annual John R. Wooden Classic.

Dimensions

The complete arena encompasses 650,000 square feet of space and is lined inside and out with marble and granite from around the world. The building’s roof spans 444 feet by 329 feet, more than 100 feet above the arena floor. Seating is comprised of three levels. Closest to the arena floor is the Plaza Level; just 21 rows from the floor is the exclusive Club Level for Premium Seat holders and above the Club level, is the Terrace level.

For more information on events at the Honda Center visit hondacenter.com.

Building Facts:

• Construction start date: June 1991
• Opening date: June 19, 1993
• Building original cost: $103 million
• Building final cost: $123 million
• Architect: Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK)
• Building owner: City of Anaheim
• Management: Anaheim Arena Management, LLC
• Food & Beverage: ARAMARK Corporation
• Main Tenant: Anaheim Ducks (Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club, LLC)
• First event: Barry Manilow (sold out)
• The arena is home to the Annual John Wooden Classic, Stars on Ice, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Champions on Ice and The Harlem Globetrotters.
• NCAA History: 1998 Men’s Basketball West Regional, 1999 Men’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four, 2001 Men’s Basketball West Regional and 2003 Men’s Basketball West Regional

• Hockey Capacity = 17,174
• Basketball Capacity = 17,608
• Center Stage Capacity = 18,900
• End Stage Capacity = 18,325
• Total Number of Suites = 83
• Function Rooms include the Vista Rooms and Board Room.
• The Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Club is located on the Private Club level.
• There are a total of 4,500 parking spaces at Honda Center

• Nearly 25 million people have been entertained at Honda Center since 1993.
• More than 2,300 events have been hosted at Honda Center since 1993.
• 2006 held 154 events including 24 concerts that featured Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Shakira, Mariah Carey, Elton John and Andrea Bocelli.
• The arena recently completed a $12.9 million improvement plan, adding a new state-of-the-art sound system, second LED ring, end-zone scoreboards and a new point-of-sale system for all food and beverage and merchandise stands. A 95-foot-tall marquee was also constructed alongside the 57 Freeway.
• On April 15, 2006 history was made at Honda Center. The first Ultimate Fighting Championship ever in the state of California, UFC 59: Reality Check was also the fastest sellout in UFC history.
• In 2006, Honda Center hosted eight of Billboard magazine’s Top 25 concerts for 2006: No. 3 ranked Bon Jovi, No. 10 ranked Aerosmith, American Idols Live, Nickelback, Coldplay, Mariah Carey, Trans Siberian Orchestra and RBD (featured at KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball). (Source: Billboard magazine, 12/23/06)
• In 2005, Honda Center ranked 3rd for Top 10 Venues based on Gross Ticket Sales by Billboard Magazine - $35,920,187 (Venues 15,001+ seats; Source: Billboard magazine, 12/24/05).
• The arena hosted the 2005 World Badminton Championships with 350 athletes from 45 countries and regions. The event received international attention as history was made in Anaheim. This marked the first time the event had ever been held in the United States and the first time the world championship had been won by Americans (US men’s doubles team, Tony Gunawan/Howard Bach).
• 2004 held 154 events including a venue record 41 concerts. Top entertainment acts in 2004 included Madonna, Rod Stewart, Prince, Barry Manilow, Phil Collins and Van Halen.

• Top Rank Boxing, Jorge Arce vs. Julio Roque Ler – Two fights were aired nationally in High Definition on HBO Boxing After Dark, January 27, 2007
• John R. Wooden Classic – Game One was broadcast live on CBS Sports, Game Two was live on KCAL9 locally and nationally on HDNet and Superstation WGN.
• UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn – Three hours of Pay Per View coverage
• UFC 59: Reality Check – Three hours of Pay Per View coverage
• 2005 World Badminton Championships –Five hours of coverage nationally on ESPN2 plus international coverage that was seen in millions of households worldwide.
• 2003 World Gymnastics Championships - Five hours of coverage nationally on NBC Sports and international broadcasts ranged from six to 30 hours in as many as 80 other countries.
• 2004 Olympic Team Trials for Gymnastics - six hours of coverage nationally on NBC.
• Member of the exclusive Arena Network and Arena Network Theatre Group which have promoted tours including Dolly Parton and the 2004 T.J. Maxx Tour of Gymnastics Champions.
• Received international attention when the venue hosted the World Gymnastics Championships in August of 2003. More than 300 reporters and photographers from all over the world covered the more than 60 countries and 600 athletes. Economic impact was estimated at $30 million to the local area.
• First arena to host both a World Gymnastics Championships and the Olympic Team Trials within 12 months.
• Hosted two World Championships in just two years (Gymnastics, 2003; Badminton, 2005)
• During the 2004 Olympics, the NBC commentators and journalists often referenced the World Championships and Olympic Trials at Honda Center (then the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim).
• The Theatre at Honda Center, launched in 2001, provides entertainers and fans a more intimate, upscale experience. A 7,000-seat venue created inside Honda Center, it is the only one of its kind in Orange County.
• Performers have included Matchbox Twenty, Maroon 5, David Bowie, YES, Seal and Dolly Parton
• Since opening in 1993, the arena has been home to hockey (Anaheim Ducks: ’93-present) Arena Football (Piranhas: ’96, ’97), Indoor Soccer (Splash: ’94-’97), Indoor Roller Hockey (Bullfrogs: ’93-’99) and Indoor Lacrosse (Storm: 2003-2005).
• Over the 13 year history, the arena has hosted four NCAA events. The fifth will be in 2008 when the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds come to Honda Center.
• Past NCAA Events: 1998 Men’s Basketball West Regional, 1999 Men’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four, 2001 Men’s Basketball West Regional and 2003 Men’s Basketball West Regional

• In 2004, ranked 4th for Top 10 Venues based on Gross Ticket Sales by Billboard magazine - $34,179,023 (Venues 15,000+ seats; Source: Billboard magazine 12/25/04).
• 2004 Arena of the Year nominee (Pollstar Magazine). This was the 7th time the arena has been nominated.
• Honda Center President & CEO, Tim Ryan, was named Pollstar Magazine’s Facility Executive of the Year in 2001.
• Voted New Venue of the Year by both Pollstar Magazine and Performance Magazine in 1993.

• In 1993, the Arrowhead Pond opened as the Anaheim Arena; later that year Arrowhead Water became the title sponsor of the building.
• On October 3, 2006 the name of the building changed to Honda Center when Honda Motor Company became the title sponsor of the building. This is the first name change in the 14 year history of the building.
• Over 23 million people have walked through the doors of Honda Center as of January, 2007.
• There is more than 200,000 square feet of marble lining the interior concourses and walls.
• There are 4 different colors of imported marble which were secured from mountains of Spain, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
• The 12 feet of granite, which encircles the building’s exterior was mined in Sweden and fabricated in Italy.
• The arena encompasses 650,000 square feet in space.
• The distance from the highest seat in the arena straight down to the floor level is only 82 feet.
• Q. How do they make the ice? A. 10 miles of piping travels along the arena’s concrete floor. When ice needs to be in place for an event, a solution made up of 40% Ethylene Glycol and 60% water is pumped through the piping, freezing the concrete. Next, a thin layer of water is pumped onto the floor and freezes to the concrete. Logos and ice markings are painted and another layer of ice is added.
• Ice hockey is played on ice that is 1 1/4'” thick with a floor temperature of 21 degrees. The ice for figure skating is 2” thick and 25-26 degrees. Figure skaters need the ice to be thicker and softer for jumping and landing.
• It takes roughly 30 hours and 15,000 gallons of water to complete the ice making process. It only takes 5-6 hours to remove the ice at the end of the season.
• City of Anaheim “Arts in Public Places” Commission has 3 works of art on the premises: Video Arch, Musical Gateway and Anamorph.
• It takes approximately 15,000 gallons of water to make the ice.
• It takes a 25 man crew 8 hours to go from hockey to a concert setup
• The HondaVision is approximately 30,000 pounds
• There are more than 130 palm trees on the property.