Why Nasdaq Redesigned Its Iconic MarketSite

Last month, Nasdaq reopened the doors to its iconic space, unveiling a completely reimagined iteration of the 23-year-old MarketSite. We sat down with Nasdaq executives to learn about the rationale behind this major shift in the company’s premier venue.

“This is a celebration,” said Joseph Brantuk, Nasdaq’s Chief Client Officer. “With our redesigned MarketSite, we are celebrating our IPOs, our listed companies, our own history, and all of the stories that take place in the markets.”

 An IPO Center for the Next Generation of IPOs

With an IPO win-rate of approximately 88% for the year, Nasdaq already boasts the distinction of the first-choice exchange for a majority of U.S. listings. Still, the team behind the MarketSite redesign felt that the space could go even further to make the IPO day even more special for the partners who have waited years for that moment.

That idea led to the creation of the MarketSite’s new IPO Center, where over 100 attendees can be in the middle of the action as everyone comes together for a company’s public markets debut.

“The IPO Center has been designed from the ground up to maximize the experience of our guests: If you’ve never been through an IPO, if you’ve never been with a company that has gone public, people may not necessarily fully understand what it means to be private or public, or the process of graduating from the former to the latter,” said Jay Heller, VP and Head of Capital Markets at Nasdaq. “We see it as our job to educate everyone so they can feel part of the experience.”

“This celebration is a milestone event, and the IPO Center at the new MarketSite provides the data and transparency to showcase the moment and let everybody be part of it. It’s something we’ve done before, but now we’re taking ‘day one’ to a whole new level,” he added.

Part of that upgrade is the expansive space for as many guests as possible to the MarketSite. That has long been a priority for IPOing companies, Heller explained, and Nasdaq rebuilt its IPO space in order to make that experience more inclusive than ever.

That also goes for those who cannot make it to Times Square: The MarketSite is wired to maximize the connection for remote viewers, so they can feel involved in the debut and learn about the process alongside their in-person peers.

“The experience we’ve created is wholly unique to Nasdaq – and our relentless focus on our clients,” explained Brantuk. “We listen: We heard loud and clear from our clients that this moment should be an inclusive experience including as many employees and partners and family members as possible – because all have made sacrifices to get to this IPO moment.”

A Legacy of Success

In addition to celebrating the new entrants to the Nasdaq community, a core goal of the MarketSite was to commemorate the achievements laying the foundation for today’s successes. In the new venue, that idea takes the form of a gallery.

“We wanted to create a space that really celebrated the rich history of Nasdaq, but also the rich history of our listed companies,” Brantuk said. “Nasdaq is defined by the list of companies we work with and so our redesign sought to celebrate our listed companies and their innovations and the way that each and every one of them touches and improves the way we work, live, and operate.”

The gallery exhibits physical artifacts and digital displays that represent some of the notable companies listed at Nasdaq. Those include a Hercules robot designed by Amazon, replicas of a Qualcomm-powered helicopter and a rover for Mars missions, an original Telequote III Terminal that was one of the original electronic devices used to obtain Nasdaq Representative Bid/Ask prices and indices.

A Cutting-Edge Experience

“When our guests come to Nasdaq, they know we represent growth and innovation, so they naturally expect to be wowed,” Brantuk said. “I think we’ve absolutely accomplished that with our new MarketSite: The feedback we keep getting is ‘this is what I envisioned Nasdaq would be – and more.”

And the best technology was put to use in building a venue where both live events and content creation could feature the highest production quality.

“If you look at the technology that is in the studio, with our 360-degree cameras and the new walls, we’re showcasing our ability to make sense of the markets – whether that’s with video or data,” Heller said. “That has always been our goal, but now we’ve turned up the dial.”

That upgrade is apparent in the MarketSite’s new technology-forward studio space designed to flexibly accommodate a wide range of media needs. CNBC’s “Fast Money” will broadcast from the new studio, and the space will be open to other interviews and conversations throughout the day.

Nasdaq’s reimagined MarketSite reopened on September 7 and has already hosted major IPOs, including Arm Holdings.