How Six Developers Made the World Cup Part of Their Own Community

• Boston's FIFA Fan Festival required advance registration, capped at six people per application, plus security screening and a clear bag policy
• JVP Development built a 16-seat private screening room into Sutton Tower and a rooftop cinema into 250 West 96th Street
• NoBe PARC Miami Beach puts brokers steps from the ocean in North Beach for Argentina vs. Austria
• Continuum Company ran watch parties at two Miami sales galleries, North Bay Village and North Miami
• PMG hosted watch parties at its galleries too, then added an exclusive broker brunch with World Cup champion Gilberto Silva

Getting into an official World Cup fan zone this summer took some planning. Boston's Fan Festival ran from June 12 through June 27, only letting in people who registered in advance, in groups capped at six, with security screening and a clear bag policy waiting at the door. Watch-party tickets in other East Coast markets moved fast enough during the group stage that outlets published guides just to help fans lock down a spot before the good viewing windows disappeared.

Four developers, in two different markets, found their own way around that scramble. In New York, JVP Development built the tournament into its buildings' amenity floors. In South Florida, NoBe PARC Miami Beach hosted its own broker watch party in North Beach, while Continuum Company and PMG turned their sales galleries into a private fan zone of their own.

The Ritz Carlton Residences: Feeling the Boston Excitement from Your Home

The Ritz Carlton Residences, South Station Tower, is a hospitality-driven residential building in the heart of downtown Boston, located above the historic train station. The development is curated with indoor and outdoor amenities including almost an acre of lawns, seating, fire pits, water features, and the 15,000-square-foot 36th floor. The 36th floor is one of the most notable shared spaces, as it includes a library lounge with a TV and fireplace, a sports simulator and gaming room, a private dining room and catering kitchen, and two outdoor terraces perfect for entertaining.

“Boston comes alive around major sports moments, and the World Cup will bring that energy to the city on a global stage. On the 36th floor of South Station Tower, residents have a front-row setting for the excitement, with spaces designed to make match day feel social, memorable and uniquely their own. Whether they are watching from the sports simulator and game room, hosting in the private dining room or stepping out onto the terraces with the energy of Boston below them, residents can feel part of the citywide celebration while enjoying the comfort and privacy of home.”

Manuel Davis, Sales Director, The Collaborative Companies

The Ritz Carlton Residences offers residents a private experience to enjoy the festivities on their own timeline, and to follow any traditions they desire.

“Residents can create a match-day experience that feels more like a private, hosted event than a public watch party. They might start with in-home dining before kickoff, gather with friends in the sports simulator and game room, or use the private dining room and catering kitchen for a more tailored celebration. With Ritz Carlton service and Episcope Hospitality, the experience can be shaped around their own guests, timing and traditions. Traditional public settings can offer energy, but not the same level of privacy, control and ease.”

Cindy Dwyer, Sales Director, The Collaborative Companies

JVP Development: A 16-Seat Screening Room Instead of a Sports Bar Line

Sutton Tower, the tallest residential building along Manhattan's East Side waterfront, built its Sutton Club amenity collection across five floors and 22,000 square feet, anchored by a theater-style private screening room that seats 16. Van Nguyen, partner at JVP Development, said the room was never designed around a single use case.

"The World Cup is one of those rare global events that brings people together across generations and cultures, and that's best experienced with others. Sutton Tower's screening room was designed to deliver a truly cinematic experience, whether for viewing an Oscar-caliber movie or the most riveting sporting event. For the World Cup, this allows residents to enjoy every moment of the match in an immersive setting without sacrificing the convenience and comfort of home."

Van Nguyen, Partner, JVP Development

The scale is the differentiator, according to Nguyen. Residents aren't limited to one room.

"The scale of the Sutton Club means residents aren't limited to a single viewing space. Instead, they can create an entire hosting experience, from gathering in the private screening room to entertaining in the lounge and outdoor terrace. The Sutton Tower amenity collection provides the benefits of a private club conveniently accessible from an elevator ride."

Van Nguyen, Partner, JVP Development

A few blocks away, 250 West 96th Street took the opposite approach: an open-air rooftop cinema, positioned between Riverside Park and Central Park, with Manhattan skyline views as the backdrop.

"There's something magical and distinctly New York to be able to watch a World Cup match with the Manhattan skyline as your backdrop. At 250 West 96th Street, the rooftop cinema offers a viewing experience that's both intimate and communal, and importantly, outdoors like the actual matches. Residents can enjoy the excitement of a global event in an open-air setting instead of jammed into a crowded sports bar or other indoor venue. It's the combination of the skyline, and being outdoors while still connected to the neighborhood, that makes it so memorable."

Van Nguyen, Partner, JVP Development

Outdoor cinemas remain rare on the Upper West Side, and Nguyen said that scarcity is part of the draw.

"The residents drawn to 250 West 96th Street appreciate amenities that elevate everyday living, especially those that nurture a sense of community by facilitating opportunities to gather and connect. During an event like the World Cup, the rooftop cinema offers a unique setting to enjoy the excitement of this global event with friends, family, and neighbors, all while taking in sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. It's an experience that's difficult to find elsewhere on the Upper West Side."

Van Nguyen, Partner, JVP Development

For JVP, the World Cup is confirming a pattern the firm was already seeing across both buildings.

"We design our developments and amenity spaces to reflect the way people want to live and gather today. At Sutton Tower and 250 West 96th Street, we're seeing residents embrace the spaces we designed for shared experiences, whether that's a private cinema or an outdoor rooftop setting. Even before the World Cup started, residents were hosting exciting Knicks viewing parties for their friends and family. This reflects how today's luxury residents value spaces that allow for each gathering to be meaningful and memorable yet effortless."

Van Nguyen, Partner, JVP Development

The Cloud One Hotel & Residences Wynwood: Miami's Vibrant Art District

The Cloud One Hotel and Residences in Wynwood brings luxury living to Miami's Art District offering settings for social gatherings and entertainment, designed by March and White Design. The project includes a sales gallery focusing on hospitality, including a rooftop retreat, indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar, and curated shared lounge spaces. The Cloud One Hotel & Residences is hosting a World Cup celebration featuring renowned sports artist Lili Cantero, who has created a custom soccer ball exclusively for the event. 

“The Cloud One's rooftop is designed to be a destination where residents cangather, socialize, and enjoy Miami's vibrant energy. With its rooftop pool, signature restaurant, outdoor bar, and panoramic skyline views, it provides an ideal setting to experience global events like the World Cup in a lively, hospitality-infused atmosphere. It's a natural extension of The Cloud One's philosophy creating memorable shared experiences that bring people together while celebrating both the excitement of the moment and the unique character of Wynwood.”

Sharon Novotny, Senior Vice President, New Developments at Douglas Elliman

NoBe PARC Miami Beach: Trading the Sports Bar for North Beach

NoBe PARC Miami Beach, developed by Robert Finvarb Companies, hosted brokers and guests on June 22 for Argentina vs. Austria, steps from the ocean in North Beach. Robert Finvarb, founder and CEO of Robert Finvarb Companies, said the location was the point.

"North Beach has a unique sense of place. Hosting the watch party just steps from the ocean allowed people to experience the neighborhood in a way that reflects the lifestyle we're creating at NoBe PARC. Besides watching the match, our intent was about bringing the community together and showcasing the energy, walkability, and character of North Beach."

Robert Finvarb, Founder and CEO, Robert Finvarb Companies

Finvarb said the turnout told his team something about what Miami Beach buyers are actually shopping for.

"The turnout reinforced our belief that buyers are evaluating both the residence and the neighborhood. They want to experience how a project fits into the community and the lifestyle it offers. Events like this provide an authentic way to introduce people to both NoBe PARC and the momentum building in North Beach."

Robert Finvarb, Founder and CEO, Robert Finvarb Companies

Continuum Company: Two Sales Galleries, Two Perfect Stages

Continuum Company went bigger, hosting watch parties at two sales galleries since both projects are still in development: an opening-ceremony screening of Mexico vs. South Africa on June 11, and a second broker event on June 23 at the 12000 Sport & Wellness Residences gallery. Allie Eichner, president of Continuum Company, said the goal was a distance from the standard office viewing setup.

"Forget elbow-to-elbow crowds and shouting over strangers. We wanted our brokers to actually enjoy the match. Hosting watch parties at our sales gallery gave us an intimate setting with friends and colleagues, where we could take in the games and 'get a little work done' along the way.

Our gallery's oversized screens set the stage, but our events team took it over the top: a curated catered menu, champagne, caviar, signature cocktails, branded ice cream, and a DJ spinning all match long. No public venue can touch that. And beyond the fun, it's smart business: the events pull new and existing agents into our gallery to see our latest developments up close. We even raffled off free FIFA tickets to push the energy and enthusiasm over the top."

Allie Eichner, President, Continuum Company

Eichner said running it across two locations, North Bay Village and North Miami, was deliberate.

"We wanted to do something special for our brokers, a real celebration, not just a screen in a break room. With two sales galleries across our Miami properties, North Bay Village and North Miami, we had two perfect stages, each with large-format screens built for exactly this kind of moment.

Our events team brought each one to life with custom branding and decor, elevated catering, craft cocktails, branded treats, and a DJ, turning a simple viewing into a watch party our brokers won't forget."

Allie Eichner, President, Continuum Company

PMG: A Broker Brunch With a World Cup Champion, On Top of the Watch Parties

PMG hosted watch parties at its galleries throughout the tournament like the others, but added something none of them did: an exclusive broker brunch with Brazilian football legend and World Cup champion Gilberto Silva. Ryan Shear, managing partner at PMG, said the firm wanted a more intimate moment layered on top of the standard viewing events.

"The World Cup is one of the few events with the power to bring the world together. While we hosted watch parties at our galleries throughout the tournament, we wanted to create a more intimate experience that reflected the significance of the event for our community of brokers. Welcoming a true champion like Gilberto Silva for an exclusive gathering with them allowed us to do exactly that. Not only were we able to recognize our brokers' continued partnership and create space for them to further their relationships, but we were able to give them a rare, firsthand glimpse into what it is like to represent an entire global community on the world stage through Silva's story. With a real estate market as globally connected as South Florida's, we felt hearing his perspective was invaluable for the team and their top brokers."

Ryan Shear, Managing Partner, PMG

Shear tied the event back to how PMG wants brokers and residents to experience the brand.

"At the center of every residential project is its community. PMG builds environments where people belong and forge real relationships through shared experiences. Hosting an event like this ensures that philosophy is reflected throughout every aspect of the resident journey, starting with the brokers introducing them to their future homes. It immerses our team and attendees alike in Miami's diverse, global energy, equipping them to convey to anyone, no matter their origin, what it means to live here and truly be a part of the city."

Ryan Shear, Managing Partner, PMG

One Tournament, Six Different Playbooks

Public fan zones still offer something none of these events can replicate: the scale of a stadium-sized crowd and the shared civic moment of watching a match alongside thousands of strangers. But across two markets, four developers landed on the same underlying bet: that the World Cup is worth building a private version of, whether that means a 16-seat screening room, a rooftop cinema, a sales gallery turned nightclub, or a brunch with a champion. With the tournament now heading into its final stretch, all four are treating the World Cup as an extension of the communities they're already selling.