How to be a VIP at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center

Everyone wants to be treated like a VIP. Who wouldn't want to get special access to an event, eat amazing food and not have to wait in line at the bathroom like every Joe Schmo? With the unveiling of the Club + VIP Experience at Rupp Arena, you can have all of this and more.

Artistic rendering by nbbj + EOP Architects

We've all watched with eager anticipation as the convention center and outside facade of our beloved Rupp Arena and convention center have undergone a massive facelift over the past year. It's still not complete, but the special Club spaces have been and we got to check them out at the recent Jim Gaffigan comedy show. It's a fantastic concept that I'm sure you will want to take advantage of the next time you want to see a show at what's now referred to as Central Bank Center. Here are the six reasons why it's so fantastic:

1) Premium seats - When you book the Club + VIP Experience, you are assured your seats are not going to be in the nosebleeds. In fact, they're going to be great seats to ensure you don't miss anything that happens on stage. For instance, with the Jim Gaffigan show, we were seated in Section 14, which is right at midcourt and about 14 rows up.

2) VIP parking on level 2 in the garage - No hiking a mile down High Street and walking in the rain or snow to get to Rupp Arena. With this awesome package you park in the parking garage inside Central Bank Center. As a woman who often wears heels to special events, this alone is worth the extra cost.

3) Private entrance into the Club lobby - As of this writing, there's only one entrance into Rupp Arena and that's on the High Street side. You know what happens when 28,000 people try to go through one entrance? Need I say more about the luxury of having a private entrance?

4) Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and nonalcoholic beverages - No need to try to squeeze in to a downtown restaurant and eat as quickly as possible so you can make the show. No standing in long concession lines to eat less than stellar food. The Club has a wonderful display of heavy appetizers that will leave you happy, but also leave you with a little room for obligatory popcorn or the famous Rupp Arena ice cream cone. On our visit, we were treated to crab cake sliders, mini bacon cheeseburgers, short ribs on steak frites and possibly the world's best chocolate chip cookie which just happened to have Jim Gaffigan's mug on them. Nonalcoholic drinks were also readily available.

5) Access to the Club Bar - For those wanting spirited libations, there's a cash bar where you can order whatever you'd like. Trust me, the lines will be much shorter than in the regular concessions. After all, who wants to spend half the show standing in line for a beer?

6) Private restrooms - Rupp Arena usually has pretty clean bathrooms, but, again, you're waiting in a long line and missing the show! (At least the women are; somehow there's never a line for the men's room.) The private restrooms in the Club are large and spacious with no- touch faucets. On our visit, they had also been bedecked with fresh flowers and plenty of ladies' necessities. Talk about nice!

So how much does it cost? Well, ticket prices vary just as the ticket prices for the shows vary.

Have you been convinced this experience is something you need in your life? Maybe you don't need to feel like a VIP (I can't imagine that, but to each his own). But what if you're entertaining business clients and want to really impress them, or reward a valued employee for a job well done? The Club + VIP Experience is just the ticket! Here are the upcoming shows on the schedule:

ERIC CHURCH - September 17, 2021

WWE - October 3, 2021

JASON ALDEAN - October 23, 2021

JOJO SIWA - February 14, 2022

BACKSTREET BOYS - September 6, 2022