The downtown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin has been the home of the Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum since 2018. The 30 acres is not only home to Fiserv Forum but also to the Deer District. The Deer District is an area surrounding the arena that provides a space for entertainment, events, dining, nightlife, and shopping. The Deer District is open year-round for all of Milwaukee to enjoy.
With the Milwaukee Bucks recent success, they had the opportunity to host a couple of NBA playoff games while advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 18 years. Due to the excitement surrounding the post-season games, the Milwaukee Bucks worked with Fiserv Forum and the Deer District in order to provide top of the line service to their fans while dealing with the large number of people that would be at the games.
The security staff implemented a new procedure in order to accommodate the masses of people that would be in the area surrounding the arena. The security staff expanded the security perimeter to the edges of the Deer District. Each entrance to the District had a bag security checkpoint. This procedure encouraged fans to ride to the game early, which made the security process and bag check process much faster. The bag policy aligned with the NBA’s bag policy so it allowed fans attending the game to enter the arena at a much quicker rate.
As game time approached fans who purchased tickets for the game entered the Arena, but fans who did not were able to stay in the Deer District to relax and enjoy the game surrounded by fellow fans. Along with multiple restaurants and shops the district is also home to a brewery and a beer garden as well as one permanent large flat screen TV and another 40ft high screen that is used specifically for the playoffs.
Initially this plan was met with some criticism by fans and citizens, but after the experience many are saying that this District was just what Milwaukee needed.
Game Day Security and Fan Experience 