SEAT Winter 2013

S E A Tleading the premium seat industry www.alsd.com winter 2013

p u b l i s h e d b y t h e a s s o c i a t i o n o f l u x u r y s u i t e d i r e c t o r s

a sneaK peeK of the 2013 alsd conference and tradeshow page 36

page 47

in the club:a coast-to-coast networkwith year-round benefits

page 78

member highlight:southern hospitality from

chef tina & the practical Jokerpage 28

the premium club:decreasing suitesbut not revenues

page 64

the corporate ticKet marKetplace

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Untitled-4 1 2/11/11 3:02 PM

#SEATWinter2013 | www.alsd.com | S E A T | 7

S E A TPublished by the Association of Luxury Suite Directors COVERSTORY

47THECORPORATETICKETMARKETPLACEHow the corporate fan handles his ticket assets has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Where does he go from here? BY BILL DORSEY

FEATURES

36PRELIMINARYALSD2013CONFERENCEPROGRAMThe ALSD is planning another great show for 2013. Here’s a sneak peek at the schedule of events, session descriptions, and venue tours awaiting attendees in Orlando/Tampa.

64 APREMIUMONNEWCLUBSOn Opening Day 2013, the Cleveland Indians will usher in the exclusive Premium Club which addresses changes in premium customer demands. BY AMANDA VERHOFF

74 GETTINGFROMSTREETTOSUITEPart I: Parking. Yes, we really are talking about parking in this article. While it might not sound exciting, it is of noted importance to premium seat customers. BY PETER TITLEBAUM, Ed.D. AND DEBBIE TITLEBAUM

78 CLUBCORPSTADIUMCLUBSGOTGAME… ANDMUCHMORE

The “World Leader in Private Clubs” has partnered with college athletic departments to operate stadium clubs that provide amenities outside of just the home venue on gameday.BY PATTY JERDE

SPORTSTECHNOLOGYCORNER

86 UPGRADING(ANDUPSELLING) FROMTHECHEAPSEATS

Seat-upgrade apps provide fans more control over their game experience, and teams more opportunities to capture data and upsell ticket packages. BY TREVOR ALLISON

SALESTRAINING

88 MOREFISHBOWLSBY CARY KAPLAN

90 SUITESALESREPS:WHOSESTORYAREYOUSELLING?BY BILL GUERTIN

About the Cover: The Commissioners Club at MetLife Stadium demonstrates dramatic shifts in corporate ticket assets. As a result of these changes, the ALSD is presenting a one-day Corporate Ticket Impact Conference (CTIC).

WINTER2013

Contents continues on overleaf

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8 | S E A T | www.alsd.com | #SEATWinter2013

ASSociATion of Luxury SuiTE DirEcTorS Chairman Bill DorseyExecutive Director Amanda VerhoffPresident Scott O’Connell, Minnesota Twins VP, Business Development Pat McCaffreyVP, Sales Scott HinzmanDirector, Sponsor and Partnership Development Dene ShielsEditor of SEAT and ALSD.com Jared FrankDesign Carole Winters Art + DesignDirector of Finance Dan LindemanFinancial Account Manager Vickie HenkeDirector of Interactive Media John Tymoski

ExECuTIVE CoMMITTEEJennifer Ark, Green Bay PackersChris Bigelow, Bigelow CompaniesBrian Bucciarelli, Hersey Entertainment & ResortsGreg Hanrahan, united CenterTom Kaucic, Mira WineryPat McCaffrey, ALSD

BoARD oF DIRECToRS Janie Boles, Auburn universityMatt Borgard, Crown Imports, LLCNatalie Burbank, utah Jazz/Salt Lake BeesAnne Campbell, Detroit Lions/Ford FieldRebecca Caven, Spurs Sports & EntertainmentRichard Dobransky, Vision for VenuesTrent Dutry, uS Airways CenterLauren Fisher, Atlanta Hawks/Philips ArenaMike Guiffre, American Airlines CenterShannon Hansen, BI-Lo Center/Charter AmphitheatreKaryl Henry, oklahoma State universityMichele Kajiwara, STAPLES Center/AEGAdam Kellner, Chicago BearsGerald Kissel, Northwood universityTim Maloney, Delaware North Companies, SportserviceDebbie Massa, RoI ConsultingBryant Pfeiffer, Major League SoccerBrian Sandy, Portland Trail BlazersBlair Schmitz, university of WisconsinTom Sheridan, Chicago White SoxPeter Titlebaum, university of Dayton

Published by Venue Pub. Inc. Copyright 2013. (All rights reserved). SEAT is a registered trademark of the Association of Luxury Suite Directors. SEAT is published quarterly and is complimentary to all members of the Association of Luxury Suite Directors.

Association of Luxury Suite Directors10017 McKelvey Road, Cincinnati, oH 45231513 674 0555 [email protected]

DEPARTMENTS

10 NEW ALSD MEMBERS

14 ALSD STAFF EDITORIALEditor’s Note: Knocking on Opportunity’s DoorBY JARED FRANK

16 ALSD MEMBER Q&A

20 INDUSTRY AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

Washington State University leads by exampleBirthday group sales bring life to the party for MLL Champion Chesapeake Bayhawks Feature Recipe: Wells Fargo Center chef brings local ingredients to his hometown arena

26 THE ALSD ONLINE

28 ALSD MEMBER HIGHLIGHTSEAT visits with: Dennette ThorntonGroup Sales Manager

John FarrellPremium Seating ManagerAtlanta Braves

96 COMING ATTRACTIONS

S E A TPublished by the Association of Luxury Suite Directors

WINTER2013

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ALSD 2013 STEErinG coMMiTTEEBobby Bridges, orlando MagicKatie Stocz Miller, orlando MagicBen Milsom, Tampa Bay BuccaneersMatt Hill, Tampa Bay LightningJamie Spencer, Tampa Bay LightningStan Macko, university of Central Florida

Please Recycle This Magazine

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D U G O U T C L U B D U G O U T C L U B D U G O U T C L U B D U G O U T C L U BSECTION ROW SEAT

SECTION ROW SEAT

SECTION ROW SEATSECTION ROW SEAT

THURSDAYFRIDAY

SATURDAYSUNDAY

TACOMA RAINIERS vs.TACOMA RAINIERS vs.


APRIL 5, 2012APRIL 6, 2012

APRIL 7, 2012APRIL 8, 2012

SECTION ROW SEAT

SECTION ROW SEAT


APRIL 5, 2012APRIL 6, 2012

APRIL 7, 2012APRIL 8, 2012

7:05 PM7:05 PM

7:05 PM1:35 PM



SALT LAKE BEESSALT LAKE BEES


88

88

22

22

33

33

88

88

22

22

33

33

SALT LAKESALT LAKE

SALT LAKESALT LAKE

7:05 PM7:05 PM

7:05 PM1:35 PM

ACCT# 2041184ACCT# 2041184

ACCT# 2041184ACCT# 2041184

Book # 124 Account # 2041184

Dugout Club Full Season

963872883884826295518396

963868689596895019189436

AAAFBEAFEABAABAEFFAAFAFEABAEABEBEA AAEBAEBAFEABBEBEAFAEABFBAEAAFBEAEA AAAFBEAFEABABEEBABEEBABEBEAAFBEAEA AAEBAFAEAFBAEBABEFAABEAEBEBEFBAAEA

BIND AREA

RAMIEREZErasmo

D U G O U T C L U B D U G O U T C L U B D U G O U T C L U B D U G O U T C L U B

SECTION ROW SEAT

SECTION ROW SEAT


THURSDAYFRIDAY

SATURDAYSUNDAY



APRIL 5, 2012APRIL 6, 2012

APRIL 7, 2012APRIL 8, 2012

SECTION ROW SEAT

SECTION ROW SEAT


APRIL 5, 2012APRIL 6, 2012

APRIL 7, 2012APRIL 8, 2012

7:05 PM7:05 PM

7:05 PM1:35 PM





66

66

33

33

11

11

66

66

33

33

11

11

SALT LAKESALT LAKE

SALT LAKESALT LAKE

7:05 PM7:05 PM

7:05 PM1:35 PM

ACCT# 155721ACCT# 155721

ACCT# 155721ACCT# 155721

Book # 6 Account # 155721Dugout Club Full Season

968436221100693419902140

556115166396762143573180AAAFBEAEABEBEFBAAAFAAFFAAAFAAFFAEA AAAFEBAEEBABEBABEAEBFABEAAFAAFBEEA AAFAFAABEEABFABAEEBBAEBFEAAAFBEAEA AAABBEEBEAAFBBEAEEAEBBFEAABEABFAEA

BIND AREA

RAMIEREZErasmo

D U G O U T C L U B D U G O U T C L U B D U G O U T C L U B D U G O U T C L U BSECTION ROW SEAT

SECTION ROW SEAT


THURSDAYFRIDAY

SATURDAYSUNDAY



APRIL 5, 2012APRIL 6, 2012

APRIL 7, 2012APRIL 8, 2012

SECTION ROW SEAT

SECTION ROW SEAT


APRIL 5, 2012APRIL 6, 2012

APRIL 7, 2012APRIL 8, 2012

7:05 PM7:05 PM

7:05 PM1:35 PM





55

55

22

22

11

11

55

55

22

22

11

11

SALT LAKESALT LAKE

SALT LAKESALT LAKE

7:05 PM7:05 PM

7:05 PM1:35 PM

ACCT# 3084914ACCT# 3084914

ACCT# 3084914ACCT# 3084914

Book # 140 Account # 3084914

Dugout Club Full Season

688189736108962929231036

550746588348756774995132

AABEEBAFAAEBEBAFABBAEEBEEABBAEFAEA AAAFBEAAFABEAFABEBFAAEEABBEEFBAAEA AAFAFAAAAEFBABFAEFAEBAFBAEABAEBEEA AABABEEAEEBBAABEFAFAFAFAEABEFAABEA

BIND AREA

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SEAT MAG AD June 2012.indd 1 6/1/2012 10:34:07 AM


Tyler WilsonStudentTemple university965 Main StreetPeckville, PA 18452P: [email protected]

Matt PatroneManager of Premium ServicesBuffalo BillsRalph Wilson Stadiumone Bills Driveorchard Park, NY 14127P: [email protected]

Elizabeth SchulzPremium Seating Service RepresentativeMinnesota Timberwolves Target Center600 1st Ave. NMinneapolis, MN 55403P: [email protected]

Kyle HaygoodPremium Sales ExecutiveLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim2000 Gene Autry WayAnaheim, CA 92806P: [email protected]

Glenn GriffithPremium Sales ExecutiveLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2000 Gene Autry WayAnaheim, CA 92806P: [email protected]

Kyle RogersAssistant DirectorGators Boosters P.o. Box 13796Gainesville, FL [email protected]

Erica LundbladPremium Services Account ManagerMiami Heat601 Biscayne BoulevardMiami, FL [email protected] omaar YeminiPremium Services Account ManagerMiami Heat601 Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL [email protected]

April JoseyManager of Suite Sales and DevelopmentHouston Rockets Toyota Center1510 Polk StreetHouston, Tx 77002P: [email protected]

Rory o’NeillGeneral ManagerTexas Tech Club East Stadium2508 Sixth StreetSuite 417, Box 45301Lubbock, Tx 79409P: [email protected]

Joe ConnellGeneral ManagerThe university of Texas Club2108 Robert Dedman DriveAustin, Tx 78712P: [email protected]

Tracy MarpleRegional Manageruniversity Center ClubFlorida State university Doak Campbell StadiumuCB 4th FloorTallahassee, FL 32308P: [email protected] Ben KensellCommercial operations ManagerArsenal Football ClubHighbury House75 Drayton ParkLondon, uKN5 1BuP: [email protected]

Jim HardingHead of Premium SalesArsenal Football ClubHighbury House75 Drayton ParkLondon, uKN5 1BuP: [email protected]

Tom HainesPartnerLuxBxP.o. 1414Manhattan Beach, CA 90267P: [email protected]

Brian AmanatullahLuxBxP.o. 1414Manhattan Beach, CA 90267P: [email protected]

Priscilla Dominguez Guest Services & Premium Seating ManagerRushmore Plaza Civic Center444 Mt. Rushmore RoadRapid City, SD 57701P: [email protected]

Nicholas P. WierciakDirector of Suite Sales & Premium SeatingSt. Louis BluesScottrade Center Events/Peabody opera House1401 Clark Avenue at Brett Hull WaySt. Louis, Mo 63103P: 314-622-2516 [email protected]@scottradecenter.com

Leslie VilloneNew Business Project ManagerSportservice Business Development Delaware North Companies40 Fountain PlazaBuffalo, NY 14202P: [email protected]

Stephanie ManzoManager, Suite ServicesMetLife Stadiumone MetLife Stadium DriveEast Rutherford, NJ 07073-5102P: [email protected]

Jeremy MottolaVice PresidentBon Chef, Inc.205 Route 94Lafayette, NJ 07848P: [email protected] Kaya GrossNational Accounts Manager Bon Chef, Inc.205 Route 94Lafayette, NJ 07848P: [email protected]

Sal TorreownerBon Chef, Inc.

205 Route 94Lafayette, NJ 07848P: [email protected]

Amy PassafaroDirector of Sales AdministrationBon Chef, Inc.205 Route 94Lafayette, NJ 07848P: [email protected]

Roberta Mand Centre Suites DirectorTallahassee-Leon County Civic CenterP.o. Box 10604Tallahassee, FL 83392P: [email protected]

McKenzie RowleyPremium Seating & Suite Sales ManagerReliant ParkSMGone Reliant ParkHouston, Tx 77054P: [email protected]

Linda McIntyreDirector, Sales & Event ManagementCalgary Exhibition & Stampede1410 olympic Way SEBox 1060/Station MCalgary, AB T2G 2W1Canada [email protected]

Jeff RobinsonPrincipalReal Marketing, LLCStack-Cup uSA5426 Silver Moon LaneRaleigh, NC 27606P: [email protected]

Fritz owenNational Sales Manager – AE ProductsAmerican Seating Company401 American Seating CenterGrand Rapids, MI 49504P: [email protected]

Alex CannClient Service Account Representative TD GardenBoston Bruins100 Legends WayBoston, MA 02114P: [email protected]

nEW ALSD MEMbErS WinTEr 2013

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Wes MeisnitzerPremium Sales ManagerDetroit LionsFord Field2000 Brush St, Suite 200Detroit, MI [email protected]

Dan SylvesterDirector of Ticket & Suite SalesDetroit Lions Ford Field2000 Brush St, Suite 200Detroit, MI 48226P: [email protected]

Bob RaymondVice President of Business operationsDetroit LionsFord Field2000 Brush St, Suite 200Detroit, MI 48226P: [email protected]

Laura RaymondSuite Sales & Service CoordinatorHP Pavilion at San Jose San Jose Arena Management525 W. Santa Clara StreetSan Jose, CA [email protected]

Kevin MatchettDirector, New Stadium DevelopmentHamilton Tiger-Cats Football Clubone Jarvis StreetHamilton, oN L8R 3J2P: 905-547-2287 [email protected]

Eric DeutschExecutive Vice PresidentDayton DragonsFifth Third FieldP.o. Box 2107Dayton, oH 45401P: [email protected]

Sean M. McGowanManager, Premium SalesNew York MetsCiti FieldNew York, NY 11368P: [email protected]

Justin RodeAccount Executive, Premium SalesCleveland IndiansProgressive Field2401 ontario StreetCleveland, oH 44115-4003P: [email protected]

Jeff KauzlarichAccount Executive, Premium SalesCleveland IndiansProgressive Field2401 ontario StreetCleveland, oH 44115-4003P: [email protected]

Jennifer LeMasterDirector of CommunicationsGeorgia World Congress Center Authority285 Andrew Young International Blvd.Atlanta, GA 30313P: [email protected]

Tyler CharrasseGeorgia DomeSales Executiveone Georgia Dome DriveAtlanta, GA 30313P: [email protected]

Rebecca BattermanMarketing DirectorModern Line Furniture 1060 Brickell Ave, unit 1505Miami, FL 33131P: [email protected]

nEW ALSD MEMbErS WinTEr 2013

2013BuyersGuideCorrectionsIt has come to the attention of SEAT Magazine that a few of the listings included in the 2013 Buyers Guide in our fall 2012 issue contained outdated or incorrect contact information. Please update the following in your records.

Stack-cup uSa5426 Silver Moon LaneRaleigh, NC 27606P: 919-413-1104Contact Name: Jeff [email protected]

american Seating company401 American Seating CenterGrand Rapids, MI 49504P: 616-732-6600Contact Name: Fritz P. [email protected]

roSSeto3600 West Pratt AvenueLincolnwood, IL 60712P: 847-763-1215Contact Name: Paul [email protected]

gaSSer chair company, inc.4136 Logan WayYoungstown, OH 44505P: 877-509-1440Contact Name: Dan [email protected]

Thank you for purchasing

tickets to today’s game.

Reply “Y” to confirm your

order.

For additional tickets,

please call 1-234-567-8910.

57780 57780

FAN ENGAGEMENT | EVENT COORDINATION | VIP COMMUNICATION

Traffic Update:Please be advised that I-75 has been closed due to an accident. Please find an alternative route to today’s game. to today’s game.

CONTACT US for a free demo!

most effective & efficientMETHOD OF COMMUNICATION

with your VIP GUESTS & FANS

TEXTING!

Mousetrap Mobilewww.mousetrapmobile.com248-547-2800

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today’s


EdiTor’S noTE by JArEd FrAnk

There are seemingly infinite ways to compartmentalize human beings. I like to debate with friends that the most telling categorization of our

nature has three groups: the initiators and in-novators, the complainers then forgetters, and the apathists or don’t-give-a-shitters. What’s interesting is each group believes it is entitled to the same promotions, the same accolades, the same reputations. But it doesn’t work that way.

Other ways to describe these three classifica-tions are the self-motivated, those who must be motivated by others, and those who cannot be motivated at all. Now ask yourself: Which one am I? Which one do I want to be?

In my high school statistics class, I learned about normal distribution – the famous bell curve that magically maps data sets with re-markable precision. Now, I have neither the memory to recall how it works, nor you the desire to read about it, so this note isn’t a math lesson. Quickly though, what I do remember to be important from probability theory is if we take a representative sample of an entire popu-lation, in embarrassingly simplistic terms, ap-proximately 70% of the set will fall within one standard deviation from the mean, or average. And, again using the same generous round-ing, the remaining 30% of the set falls equally within either tail of the curve.

Now why the heck am I bringing any of this up? Well, I don’t have any empirical evidence to support the following claim other than my undocumented personal observations, but I see the 70% bell curve majority of Americans as problem ignorers – or status-quo maintainers if you require a slightly more positive spin. This assertion states bluntly that in any population (sportsbiz included), over three-quarters of us are NOT agents of change by ourselves. We re-quire the poke of a cattle prod to initiate action.

What separates the doers from the bystand-ers is frequently the willingness to take risks. Most people don’t take significant chances be-cause with risk comes inevitable and recurrent mistakes. But keep in mind the depth of any mistake is matched by the potential height of an action’s success. If you want to experience

great achievement, you have to risk tanking greatly.

Now more than ever, we – sportsbiz specifi-cally and across the board – need risk-takers. Leaders with initiative. Leaders who create. Leaders who listen to and observe a market-place, identify its gaps, and deliver solutions. Leaders who dramatically pursue their instincts and ideas with thoughtful confidence and with decisive haste.

Now, you don’t have to be Tim Leiweke to strive for risk tolerance. We all can be leaders for risk on relative scales. One of my personal gauges to distinguish calculated from reckless risk starts with a simple question: Does this de-cision have the potential to cost the company significant money? If the answer is between “no way” and “not likely” (and many are), then I go for it. I don’t need every action that I take to be validated, and neither do you. Don’t let perfec-tion become the enemy of completion.

This approach is an overly-simplistic way to self-develop a comfort zone that accommodates risk. For all you managers out there, full disclo-sure: I have little management experience. But I’ve produced my best work and achieved my greatest success in environments that encourage risk-taking and creative freedom, while show-ing clemency for minor mistakes.

If you want to be a part of the leading 15% for positive change, you must be a person of motion. You must proactively go knocking on opportunity’s door rather than waiting for it to come to you. It is action that abuts success. The movers and shakers, not the onlookers, are the ones who reach higher levels of prosperity. By doing more, trying more, innovating more, risking more, the doers inevitably make more mistakes. But because they also don’t stagnate, they generate more success as well.

How does your team tolerate and encourage risk and creativity?Email me at [email protected].

Knocking on Opportunity’s Door

Connect with me on www.linkedin.com/in/jaredfrank and follow me

on Twitter @JChrstophrFrank. Here is a sampling of my tweets:

University of Cincinnati hopes to add suites to Nippert Stadium. Premium seating and other stadium

improvements are needed to sustain UC’s financial future.

Graffiti art and suites? This mural in an executive box at Liverpool’s Anfield is pretty gnarly.

A new home for the Detroit Red Wings is pitched to State lawmakers. The new multipurpose events center

would be part of a much larger entertainment district.

Sketches of a new NBA/NHL arena in Seattle are released. The current building site is the SODO

neighborhood south of Safeco Field.

UNLV Now could add $400 Million into the Las Vegas area. The project includes a proposed stadium that

could attract 15-20 big events annually.

The Phoenix Suns are having “Satisfaction Guarantee Night” on December 6th against the Mavericks. If fans

don’t like the game experience, they can get their money back.

Excited to connect with the Indians and ALSD member Ryan Robbins to discuss the new Premium Club at

Progressive Field. Looks to be a great addition for the Northeast Ohio market.

The seat-upgrade app space is getting crowded. Add Mascot Secret to the list.

Legends is meeting with Sioux Falls-area businesses about the new Denny Sanford Premier Center. The

interviews will help determine the premium seating details in the arena.


ALSd MEMbEr Q&AQuestion Topic: ACCESSIBILITY IN SUITES

Q:What are your accessibility standards in suites?

A:You access our suites by elevator or escalator. Once you enter your suite, there is an indoor seating area as well as two rows of outdoor seat-ing that are similar to our club seats (chairback stadium seats). The two seats on the aisle in the back row are removable so that a wheelchair can be placed where the chairs were previously lo-cated. Most guests usually tell us ahead of time if one of their guests requires ADA seating so that we can already have the seats removed and placed elsewhere.

A: In our suites, there is one seat in each suite that can be removed to accommodate a wheelchair. It is the seat in the top row of the suite on the aisle.

A: Our suite level has easy access for a guest who is wheelchair bound. Once inside the suite, we have a pair of removable seats that allows the guest to sit in the exterior of the suite and watch the game. We continue to stress the need for notification in advance so we are prepared for the guest’s arrival.

A: Each of our suites includes one removable ADA seat out of a total of twelve seats on each seat-ing porch. The remainder of the suite fixtures is compliant with the 1995 ADA standards (with a few retrotfits here and there).

Question Topic: SUITE HOLDER BENEFITS

Q:What other benefits do you provide your luxury suite holders besides tickets and parking passes? E.G.: Attending practice, pre-game access, etc.

A:The following is an aggregate list of the ameni-ties and benefits included in member answers:

• Alumni autograph items• Alumni Meet & Greet: On gameday, we

have alumni back for autographs and photos on our club level

• Ambassador Line: A “human tunnel” formed by suite holders for player introduc-tions

• Appreciation Events: Events held in our Hall of Fame during the offseason

• Client Contact Lunches: We meet for lunch with a small number of suite holders to share ideas

• Contract renewal delivery• Cookie & Bagel Drops• Dedicated Alumni Visits: We visit 15 suites

per game with special suite-only alumni guests

• Draft Event: We host a draft party here opening night of the NFL Draft

• Family Night Tickets: Comp tickets for their suite location for intrasquad scrim-mage

• Fan Fest tickets• Flag holding during the National Anthem• Hall of Fame Dinner: Induction banquet

for the newest members of our Hall of Fame

• Massages: We offer complimentary chair massages on gameday, once a month during the season

• Mid-season survey prize drawings• Luncheon Series: We host a luncheon five

times a year to connect with clients • Non-gameday suite usage• Pilot suite visits • Pre-game field passes• Pre-game field photos• Random Acts of Kindness: We drop off

a bottle of wine, cupcakes, cookies etc. on gameday as a thank you

• Renewal gift • Suite tasting• Training camp sideline visits• Away game trip• Food & Beverage credits• Super Bowl tickets• Locker room tour• First right to purchase additional lower

bowl event tickets• Complimentary snack mix and sodas for

every event• Opportunity to brand suite interior and

company sign on outside of suite

• Complimentary use of Suite Conference Room and other meeting facilities

• Personal Suite Service Manager• Invitations to VIP suite holder events• Suite concierge on-site for every event• Full menu catering options• Four guest passes per game• In-suite TV welcome featuring company

logo• Guaranteed giveaway items in the suite

Question Topic: BROKER SUITES ON CLIENT’S BEHALF

Q:Does anyone broker their suites on behalf of their clients?• If so, what are the advantages and are there

any significant disadvantages? • How is the fee split?

A:We don’t do it here (we may need to start soon), but when I was with another team, we would al-low this. It worked like this: We would sell the suite on behalf of the client. We backed out the price of the tickets in the suite and split the over-age 50/50 with the client. They had two choices on how to receive their half: by check or by food credit. Almost everyone chose the food credit.Example: • 18pp suite sells for: $3,000• Tickets are $45 each: $810• Overage is: $2,190• Client split is: $1,095

A:We offer a brokerage program on behalf of our suite clients. It allows the suite owner to generate a little revenue if they are not able to use their suite for a particular event. It also allows us to capitalize on additional food and beverage rev-enue. Typically, a business that is renting on a “per-event” basis will have a higher per-cap for food and beverage.

We have a rental request posted on our web-site that allows interested parties to request a suite for an event. I then organize the requests based on event dates and priority customers.

Once the suite owner provides me with the

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dates they want to lease, I contact all interested parties to try and get the best price for the suite owner. If there are several requests for the same date, I send out an email and sell it at a suggested price on a first response basis. Sometimes this creates a sort of bidding war which becomes very time consuming, so it’s best if you start out with the highest price you think the suite would go for which will eliminate those clients that want to “make a deal” over a hundred dollars. It’s a good idea to set a minimum price and don’t ever sell below to maintain value. I believe it’s best to let the suite sit empty for a night versus decreasing the value of your inventory.

The suite owner signs a rental agreement and releases all of their suite tickets and suite access. If I am not successful in filling the suite 14 days prior to the event, the suite is returned to the suite owner. We broker with a 60/40 split. Positives• Brokering provides another service for your

suite owners• Generates additional revenue • Builds a database to market other premium

seating opportunitiesNegatives: Time consumingSelf- brokering: Even though it’s stated in the suite owners contract that they are not allowed to sub-license their suite for events, this goes on behind the scenes which deflates the value for other suite owners that are following procedure.

I once received a marketing piece in the mail from a suite owner (by accident) in which they were marketing their suite for several events. It was such a beautiful piece I wanted to call them and rent their suite or find out who produced the piece and offer them a job!

Question Topic: HOLIDAY GIFTS

Q:In terms of holiday gifting: •What has been your team/venue’s most suc-cessful gift for clients?•What gift has gotten the best client response?•Do you send out gifts to prospects, and if so, what has been successful?

A:We send our holiday gift immediately after Thanksgiving, so we are the first holiday gift

our clients receive. We do one gift for admin-istrators and a separate gift for decision makers.

A:We have found that suite holders look forward to the gift so much and it is so popular that we don’t change it from year to year:• For administrators, we send a package of

gift wrap, bows, and ribbons to use for holiday gift giving.

• For our decision makers, we work with a local vendor to create hand-painted, team-themed sugar cookies in a commemorative holiday tin. We get a tremendous response because the cookies are both beautiful and delicious!

A:I think the most important thing we key in on is that we like to be sure that the gifts we are sending are something unique – something that you can’t go to the team store and buy. Most of our clients have the means to access team “gear”, so we want them to receive something from us that they can’t find/buy anywhere.

A:Our most successful gift was a permanent wine opener in each client’s suite. We installed these because of major client concerns about having to wait for a wine key. To announce the gift to our clients, we hand-delivered to each client’s office a bottle of wine with a custom label and a note stating that the opener had been installed in their suite. We commissioned an artist to cre-ate a Leroy Neiman-type painting representing players from our two franchises for the label. A:The gift that received the best response was spa and restaurant gift certificates. We received more thank you’s on these than any other gift.

A:The gift that received the best feedback was a Kanata blanket with our logo. They are very soft, luxurious blankets.

A:This year, we had custom waffle makers made that burn our logo into the waffles.

A:We try to center our gift around team mile-stones: No Hitters, World Championship, Cy Young Winners, Team Anniversaries, Hosting the All-Star Game, and so on. We also try to create something that can’t be bought, since our clients are the “have-it-all” types. Our most successful gifts have been an etched champagne bottle after the 2010 Championship and a plaque commemorating Sanchez’s no hitter.

A:We are repeating our 2011 client gift again this year – a box of custom-made cookies with a personally signed card. We had tremendous response last year from such a simple gift. We do also send this to some prospects and clients who may have taken a year off.

A:In the past four years, we have given to our suite holders, suite administrators, and Champions Club members:• 2011: Electronic photo frame with thirty

team selected photos preloaded. The frame holds 200-plus photos.

• 2010: Glass baseball and stand• 2009: Player-signed baseball and upscale

display case• 2008: Etched bottle of wine

A:One of our more successful gifts was a pair of really nice binoculars with our logo on them. Clients can keep them in their suites, and they really enjoyed having them throughout the sea-son.

For expanded and additional answers to all these questions, visit www.ALSD.com.DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE ALSD MEMBERSHIP?• Send your Member Question exactly how you want it

posted to members to Amanda Verhoff at [email protected] OR

• Visit us on the web and submit your Member Question at www.alsd.com/content/member-questions. Please note – members must be logged in to www.ALSD.com to submit questions.

ALSd MEMbEr Q&A

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According to research from the Sports Business Journal, the projected aggregate of college football stadium construction costs for 2012-2014 will eclipse $1.5 bil-

lion. The investment in facilities is especially considerable in the Pac-12 Conference, where along with Washington State, Cal, Washing-ton, Arizona, Arizona State, USC, and UCLA (who plays at the under-renovation Rose Bowl) are all at different points along construction timelines. In a message to Cougar fans on www.thecougarfootballproject.org, Washing-ton State Director of Athletics Bill Moos notes, “There are roughly $1 billion in facility projects that have been completed or nearing comple-tion throughout the conference, and we can’t be left behind.”

First out of the renovation gates this past season was the $321 million overhaul of Cal’s Memorial Stadium and $65 million in upgrades at Martin Stadium in the center of Washington State University’s campus. Although the WSU project was less comprehensive, the attention to premium seating was every bit as close.

As the college facility industry builds itself out over the next few years, it will behoove ath-letic departments to look at the benchmarks set and lessons learned at WSU in Pullman, Wash-ington.

PREmIUm SEATINGThe keystone of the Martin Stadium improve-ments is a transformation from few premium seats and only six small suites to 21 new suites, 1,183 outdoor club seats, 83 indoor club seats, and 42 loge boxes that stretch from goal line to goal line along the stadium’s south side. Ac-cording to WSU Senior Associate Director of Athletics John Johnson, this premium seating

inventory is worth about $3 million annually to the athletic department.

Suites, which range in size from 12-, 18-, and 24-person capacities, are priced from $30,000-$50,000 annually which includes the ticket cost and donation to the Cougar Athletic Fund (CAF). The covered, open-air loge seating is a $10,000 ($1,200 ticket cost; $8,800 CAF do-nation) annual cost for a four-person box and $15,000 ($1,800 ticket cost; $13,200 CAF do-nation) for a six-person box. Both suites and loge boxes are available on three-, five-, and seven-year lease terms with pricing locked over the length of the lease.

All club seats are renewable on an annual basis with indoor seats priced at $2,500 and outdoor seats ranging from $1,700-$2,000. All club seat tickets cost $300 with CAF donation requirements ranging from $1,400-$2,200.

Premium inventory is sold out with the ex-ception of a few outdoor club seats which are expected to also sell before next season.

COmmON AND CUTTING-EDGE AmENITIESMartin Stadium premium seating provides the usual amenities – such as premium parking, stylish furnishings, access to the 10,000 square-foot Club Room, and an 80% tax deduction – as

well as some additional cutting-edge, high-tech offerings. In the loge seating, indoor-outdoor TVs are installed and can be viewed in any type of weather. And all suites are equipped with 3-D HD TVs linked to iPads that control unique live-game-action feeds and replays from multiple vantage points in 3-D and traditional 2-D formats. “Our fans, particularly the young-er demographic, enjoy the opportunity to go back and look at replays of a particular play or focus on an individual player from four unique camera angles,” Johnson explains.

The 3-D interactive was developed by San-kar Jayara, a WSU professor and co-founder of 3D-4U, a company incubated in the WSU Research & Technology Park which offers start-up businesses affordable office space and campus resources.

Martin Stadium is the first sports facility to install the interactive; therefore, WSU took baby steps implementing it, rolling out more of its nuances as the season went along. Future op-portunities exist for 3D-4U’s technology out-side of the suite environment through handheld and mobile devices. “That’s where our industry needs to go,” contends Johnson. “We need to continue to cultivate our fans and provide the

Washington State University leads by exampleOn the heels of a $65 million stadium renovation, WSU is a leading standard of the Pac-12 construction boom

induSTry And ASSociATion nEWSLocal ingredients at Wells Fargo Center, p.24Member Highlight: Dennette Thornton and John Farrell, p.28

“We need to continue to cultivate our fans and provide the unique perspectives that you can only get inside the facility.”

– John Johnson, Washington State University

Cougar Den: Twenty-one new suites, 1,183 outdoor club seats, 83 indoor club seats, and 42 loge boxes now stretch from goal line to goal line along the south side of Martin Stadium, overlooking the Washington State Cougars.

[continued on page 92]

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in Maryland, lacrosse is no casual pursuit. Most young boys and girls growing up in the Old Line State choose to pick up a mesh-headed crosse over a baseball glove

or soccer ball. For them, lacrosse is a birthright. And for some kids in the Annapolis area, it’s a birthday theme as well.

In sports, group sales are essential lifeblood for boosting ticketing revenue. Dave May, Director of Ticket Sales for the Chesapeake Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse, realized group sales was an area the organization needed to improve and that birthday parties could help grow those sales. “We knew some of the more

affluent families in the area would have some disposable income to take their kids to our game for their birthdays,” says May. “[Birthday parties] accounted for around 10% of our total group sales this year.”

GETTING IN THE GAmEThe Bayhawks worked hand in hand with Full House Entertainment Database Marketing to establish criteria for a birthday leads list. Ac-cording to Full House, the target audience was households with income over $90,000 that had a son between the ages of 5-13 and a birthday (turning 6-14) in May, June, or August– the du-ration of the Bayhawks’ season. This past season, in which the team won the MLL Champion-

ship, the Bayhawks didn’t play any July home games which is why the list was narrowed down to three months. The geographical target was a 30-mile radius of Annapolis.

“Birthday parties have always been a strong part of our group sales recommendations, espe-cially to lacrosse, soccer, arena football, minor league baseball, and hockey clubs,” notes Full House President Ron Contorno. “A team not only generates ticket revenue, but it is great grassroots marketing for future birthday parties, groups, and season ticket packages.”

After the list of 3,448 leads was purchased from Full House, a postcard promoting birth-day parties was mailed to those prospects. The message of the mailer included a personal touch

with each child’s last name variably printed on the back of the jersey. “We had strong feedback on the postcard,” May explains. “[The personal-ized jersey] hit home with a lot of the young lacrosse players around here.”

THE BIRTHDAY BASHThe Bayhawks hosted 5-10 birthdays per game in their Birthday Bash area. Parties often ex-ceeded the minimum guest list of ten; one group hosted 50 people. The Birthday Bash area is located in the parking lot of Navy-Ma-rine Corps Memorial Stadium within a tailgate area complete with an inflatable field and rock climbing wall. For the parents and other adults,

induSTry And ASSociATion nEWS

Birthday group sales bring life to the party for mLL Champion Chesapeake Bayhawks With assistance from Full House and its birthday lead list, the Bayhawks increased their group sales business by 160%

“[Birthday parties] accounted for around 10% of our total group sales this year.”

– Dave May, Chesapeake Bayhawks

In the Game: The postcard on the left was mailed to 3,448 leads, including Dylan Sharpe, shown here celebrating his 7th Birthday in the Bayhawks Birthday Bash area.


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· Streamlining Internal Operations: coordinating staff andorganizing tasks prior to critical events to improve efficiencies.

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A Philadelphia native, Rich Friedrich didn’t have to travel far to find his dream job as ARAMARK Executive Chef at the Wells Fargo Center, home of the Phila-

delphia Flyers and the 76ers.After graduating from the Culinary Insti-

tute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Chef Friedrich worked at Mezzanotte Restaurant in Philadelphia, where he further developed his passion, drive, and skill for his craft. From there, he joined ARAMARK as the Garde Manger Chef at the Blue Line Club in the Spectrum, followed by the Stadium Club in the First Union Center (now the Wells Fargo Center). Sixteen years later, Chef Friedrich is the AR-AMARK Executive Chef at the Wells Fargo Center, where he oversees a culinary team of 80.

Although he develops menu concepts for every food experience at the Wells Fargo Cen-ter (concessions, clubs, and suites), he is most proud of the food served at the arena’s fine din-ing restaurant – the Cadillac Grille. It’s here where he can make local ingredients shine and tap into current food trends to create outstand-ing seasonally-inspired dishes.

“Guests attending events at the Wells Fargo Center are so diverse and come from so many different backgrounds that it allows us to re-main on the cusp of trends and try new tech-niques,” says Chef Friedrich. “Because of the

popularity of celebrity chefs and cooking shows, our guests are much more into food than they have ever been before, and they truly appreciate a great meal.”

It’s the guests’ culinary knowledge that led to the increased use of locally grown ingredi-ents at the Wells Fargo Center. “The demand in our region for local and sustainable ingredi-ents made us look at the ingredients we were using, and we realized there was an opportunity to feature more of the fantastic seasonal items on our menus from local farms in Pennsylvania

and New Jersey,” says Chef Friedrich. “It was an easy transition to make because there is such a diverse offering in our area.”

Unlike a traditional restaurant that will serve guests throughout the night, the Cadillac Grille has a two and a half hour service window with 350-450 covers. This fast-paced atmosphere lends itself well to a menu that features slow-cooked flavor profiles and simple, time-honored cooking techniques, like those used to create the popular Cadillac Grille Braised Short Ribs.

“Our Braised Short Ribs are a seasonal dish featuring roasted bone marrow, locally grown winter root vegetables, and a cabernet reduc-tion sauce,” says Chef Friedrich. “They’re per-fect for this type of restaurant environment be-cause they taste even more delicious the longer they’ve been braised.”

In addition to dreaming up delicious dishes, Chef Friedrich is committed to mentoring the next generation of chefs. He serves as the on-boarding coach for new ARAMARK chefs in the Philadelphia region, walking them through an onboarding plan, and introducing them to the corporate and sports and entertainment en-vironment.

“The best part of my job is creating food that people love and helping young chefs grow,” says Chef Friedrich.

induSTry And ASSociATion nEWS: FEATurE rEcipE

Wells Fargo Center chef brings local ingredients to his hometown arenaARAMARK’s Rich Friedrich shares the recipe for this season’s most popular dish

Ingredients: 6 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 1-rib pieces Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 medium onions, chopped 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1½ cups dry red wine 1 (28- to 32-ounce) can whole tomatoes in-

cluding liquid coarsely pureed in a blender 1½ cups beef broth 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 6 (3- by 1-inch) strips fresh orange zest re-

moved with a vegetable peeler2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1

teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled 1 (1-pound) bag peeled baby carrots Finely chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions:1. Pat short ribs dry and season with salt and

pepper. In a heavy 6-quart kettle, heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown ribs in batches, transferring with tongs to a large bowl.

2. Add chopped onions to kettle and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden.

3. Add garlic and cook, stirring, one minute. Add wine, tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce, zest, rosemary, and salt, and bring to a boil.

4. Add ribs, including any juices that have ac-cumulated in the bowl and simmer, covered, 30 minutes

5. Add carrots, stirring and pushing down to make sure they are covered by liquid, and simmer, covered, 3 ½ to 4 hours, or until meat is tender.

6. Transfer meat with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

7. Reduce braising liquid, if necessary. Return meat to kettle and cook over low heat, stir-ring occasionally, until heated through.

Servings: 6 Entrée size portions

Wine suggestion: Californian Syrah

– Recipe by Chef Rich Friedrich

Chef Rich Friedrich, ARAMARK Executive Chef, Wells Fargo Center

CADILLAC GRILLE BRAISED SHORT RIBS


Connect with the ALSD on LinkedIn:

Association of Luxury Suite Directors Group Page:www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=918457

Bill Dorsey:www.linkedin.com/pub/bill-dorsey/6/125/76a

Amanda Verhoff:www.linkedin.com/in/amandakuntzverhoff

Scott O’Connell:www.linkedin.com/pub/scott-o-connell/6/45/560

Pat McCaffrey:www.linkedin.com/pub/pat-mccaffrey/9/27b/54b

Jared Frank:www.linkedin.com/in/jaredfrank

Dene Shiels:www.linkedin.com/pub/dene-shiels/10/b97/b8

Follow the ALSD on Twitter:

Association of Luxury Suite Directors:www.twitter.com/TheALSD

Jared Frank:www.twitter.com/JChrstophrFrank

Like the ALSD on Facebook:

Association of Luxury Suite Directors Group Page:www.facebook.com/AssociationOfLuxurySuiteDirectors

ALSD SOCIAL mEDIA

ThE ALSd onLinE

ON TWITTER: @THEALSDFollow us and the hash tag #SEATWinter2013 to discuss this issue of SEAT and for the latest conference and as-sociation news and promotions, such as:

Welcome Back NHL! Early Bird Prices for our NHL Members have been extended through the end of the month.

#ALSD2013 http://conta.cc/13gf1hM

ALSD Dallas enjoying a Mavericks game tonight. @AACPlatinum puts together a great experience. #sportsbiz

ON FACEBOOK:

Amanda’s Visit to Progressive Field

Jared’s Field Trip at Turner Field

ON ALSD.COm:

CONFERENCE NEWS www.alsd.com/content/conference

UP-TO-THE-mINUTE INDUSTRY AND ASSOCIATION NEWS www.alsd.com/news

University of Cincinnati Hopes to Add Suites to Nippert Stadium

New Home for the Detroit Red Wings Pitched to State Lawmakers

Sketches of a New NBA/NHL Arena in Seattle Are Released

ALSD mEmBER Q&Awww.alsd.com/content/member-questions

RESEARCHwww.alsd.com/research

ALSD Dallas: (Pictured from the left) Mike Guiffre (American Airlines Center), Kerrie Bryant (Dallas Cowboys), Ryan Mirabedini (American Airlines Center), and Jared Frank (ALSD).


A Conversation with Dennette Thornton and John FarrellGroup Sales Manager and Premium Seating ManagerAtlanta Braves

One is a homegrown Georgia peach. The other has lived all over. One is the proud mother of two little boys. The other re-mains a kid at heart. It takes all types to

run a business. With his laid back persona, ukulele lessons, and

preference for hot tea over coffee, you might be surprised to learn that John Farrell is a road rager. His car horn is allegedly on the mend, but this is proven to be false a couple hours later while en route to Tin Lizzy’s Cantina in Atlanta’s Grant Park (Try the spicy tilapia tacos!). Sure the horn is more of a Vespa beep than a train locomotive whistle, and he has to cross a few exposed wires to produce the audio, but it works. Drivers of Atlanta, beware.

Thank goodness for the Atlanta Braves ticket sales department’s den mother, Dennette Thorn-ton, who along with John form the yin and yang of Turner Field suites. Learn why with this duo of ALSD vets, no conversation is complete without sharing recipes or a few practical jokes.

SEAT: Word on the street is you’re a Broncos die-hard? And a Michigan fan? How’d that happen?John: Well, my uncle went to Michigan. And I used to live out in Englewood [Colorado]. My family moved there in 1982 – Elway’s rookie year. Dennette: He has a little bit of a man crush.John: Oh yeah, he’s the best athlete of all-time. There was “The Drive”, “The Fumble”, then “The Ass-Kicking.” But I don’t know if I should bring that up. I know you’re from Cleveland.SEAT: Not a good start for you Farrell. I think we’ll be focusing this interview mostly on Den-nette from this point on.Dennette: Well, I’m a Michigan fan too, by mar-riage. So Farrell and I have that in common. John: [Laughing] Yeah, what does your husband do for a living?Dennette: He works here with the Braves. We met at Georgia Southern [University] and were dating before we both started here. [The Braves] knew we were dating and weren’t engaged at the time, and they took a chance on hiring us.

It’s funny. A lot of people don’t even know we’re married. The joke when our ticket sales trainees start is how long will it take for them to figure it out. We had one guy who for three months thought we were brother and sister.

SEAT: What department does he work in? How closely do you work together? Dennette: He’s in ticket sales.SEAT: Oh, so not that closely.Dennette: [Laughing] Yeah, pretty closely. John: But he handles the trainees and the brokers. And she handles groups and premium with me. So it works.Dennette: It’s very business professional.

SEAT: Did you always want to work in sports?Dennette: I’ve always wanted to work for the Braves. I grew up 20 minutes from here, so this has always been my team. I’m truly a homegrown fan.

SEAT: And I understand your family vacations always include a trip to a baseball park?Dennette: They do. I’ve got nine ballparks left to go of the 30. My husband has 11.SEAT: Oh, you’re winning.Dennette: Yes, thanks to the ALSD, I am win-ning. I’ve got to check a few of them off when he’s not there. My six year old has already been to 13 parks.

SEAT: What’s your favorite park that you’ve been to?Dennette: My favorite park is PNC [Park] [in Pittsburgh]. It has a lot of the elements that I feel stadiums need to have. It has the riverfront. It has the view. It’s intimate, but it still holds about 39,000 people. It’s just a unique park.

SEAT: Do your boys get into it and really appreci-ate getting to see all the parks?Dennette: My oldest does. My youngest is only three, so he’s just now figuring it out. He’s just ex-cited to stay in a hotel room at this point.

SEAT: Where’d you go last summer?Dennette: We did Houston last year. We hooked up with Clay [Kowalski] [at the Astros]. They have a very nice park. It’s great for kids. We also went to a Dynamo game and the [ Johnson] Space Center.

SEAT: John, a little birdie told me that you have terrible road rage. You seem like such a chill guy, you’ll have to explain that to me.John: [With a smile] Road rage! Who told you that?! It’s my New Year’s resolution. The traffic in Atlanta stinks. And it seems like I’m always in a rush to get somewhere. I’ve been going out for more [sales] appointments, so it’s been frustrating.

You know what it is? It’s all the phones. When-

InduSTry And ASSOcIATIOn nEWS: ALSd MEMbEr HIgHLIgHT

By Jared Frank, Editor, SEAT Magazine

“If I pick on you, it means that I like you. It’s so tense

in sales, and sometimes people freak out. You have to have a little fun too. And don’t forget, we’re selling entertainment, so I like to

entertain.”– John Farrell, Atlanta Braves

“I do a lot in [my kids’] schools, their little leagues. I won’t call myself a soccer mom, but I do a lot of that typical soccer mom stuff. I’m the team mom for my kids’ baseball teams; I’m

the treasurer of the PTO in the elementary school.”

– Dennette Thornton, Atlanta Braves

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ever you look over, there’s always someone on their phone, or they’re texting. We’ll let [Dennette] drive to lunch today. You don’t want any part of this. ( John actually ended up driving to lunch, and it was without incident.)

SEAT: Fair enough, I’ll leave it at that. Let’s get off this rage talk. You’re also known as a practical joker. Do you have a favorite joke and/or person to pick on?John: If I pick on you, it means that I like you. I’ve been in trouble since I was a little kid for that kind of stuff. It’s so tense in sales, and sometimes people freak out. You have to have a little fun too. And don’t forget, we’re selling entertainment, so I like to entertain. Dennette: He’s actually had the best prank ever played on him. SEAT: Oh do tell.John: Sherry [Millette], our IT Director, got me good. I came back from a family vacation one year, and I should have known right away. As soon as I started walking down the hall, I see all these little heads popping up. I was like, ‘They can’t be that happy to see me.’ No one even said hi; they were just watching me. When I turned the corner, my cube was completely empty. [The IT Department] had taken everything, put it in the empty cube next to us, and put it up exactly how my cube was. And they put a camera up, so they could see my reaction. I knew right away. It was fantastic. I give them credit for that. But I have the mind of an ele-phant. I’m not forgetting that. I will get them back.

My favorite thing, and it’s so childish, but it’s fantastic: you know those little snappers that you throw down and they pop, and the kids love them?SEAT: The kids love them, right.John: Right. Well, when I go to parties, I’ll go in the restroom, lift the toilet seat up, and put a couple underneath. I did this to [my wife] Jennifer’s good friends. Her good friend’s boss was there. She said she almost had a heart attack because when she sat down, three of them popped.SEAT: People are going to be on alert now at the ALSD Conference.John: Exactly. People are going to be asking, ‘Which one’s Farrell? Oh, he’s that clown right there.’

SEAT: You have a nickname for everyone. What’s Dennette’s nickname?John: Tina! That was her name when I first met her.Dennette: Tina’s my first name. Dennette’s my

middle name, so he calls me Tina. Only two peo-ple in the office call me Tina. [ John] and Little Man. SEAT: Wait, who’s Little Man?John: That’s the nickname for our corporate part-nerships manager.

SEAT: I saw on Facebook that you were looking into joining the Bacon of the Month Club which sounded awesome. Did that ever happen?Dennette: It did not, but I’m still seriously con-sidering it.

SEAT: Is it something that Paula Dean recom-mends?Dennette: No, probably not now that she has dia-betes.

I love anything on the Food Network. I serious-ly probably will join the Bacon of the Month Club. I was showing my husband, ‘Look at all these dif-ferent bacons we can get.’ We’ve done the Wine of the Month Club, Beer of the Month Club…John: I didn’t even know there was a Bacon of the Month Club.Dennette: It’s from a store in Ann Arbor [Michi-gan], a sandwich shop up there called Zingerman’s which was featured on the Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

SEAT: Do you use as much butter as Paula Dean does?Dennette: I do not. I substitute EVOO, extra virgin olive oil. Fancy, I know. But I used to use butter; I’m not going to lie. I am from the South. I mean, c’mon.

SEAT: Do you have a favorite recipe?Dennette: A favorite that I like to cook, and I know that everyone in my family will actually eat it, is Italian mac and cheese. It’s got three different kinds of cheese in it, Italian sausage, mushrooms, and garlic. It’s a Rachael Ray recipe, and I abso-lutely love it.

I love good food. Whenever I go on vacation, I look at the Food Network website to see where Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives has been. I even have the app on my iPad. All the MLB people made fun of me the whole time we were in Minneapolis [at the ALSD Conference] because I kept talking about these meatball tacos.John: She’s serious.Dennette: I’m already scoping out places in Or-lando. One time, we went 30 minutes out of the way for a pizza. We ended up missing the next [ALSD Conference] session, but it was cooked in a copper oven thing. I had to go there.

SEAT: Favorite Pearl Jam album? Go, don’t think about it. John: Riot Act. It was different. Most people will say Ten. Riot Act ruined some of their fans. A lot of people jumped off the bandwagon because it was a different sound. But looking back on it, it’s fantastic.

SEAT: Are you learning to play the ukulele be-cause you also have a man crush on Eddie Vedder?John: He is who got me interested in even trying it. I’m also taking guitar lessons. I have absolutely zero musical talent, but I’m going to give it a go.Dennette: I’ve heard him sing. He will occasion-


“I love good food. Whenever I go on vacation, I look at the Food Network website to see where Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives has been. I even have

the app on my iPad.”– Dennette Thornton, Atlanta Braves



ally bust out in song.John: I can sing when I need to. You know, like in my car. That’s when people probably go nuts when they see me driving because I’m singing half the time.SEAT: That’s probably why everyone is texting and giving you road rage. They’re texting their friends to tell them about this bozo singing in the car next to them.Dennette: No. He’s yelling at the people texting. That’s not singing. That’s yelling.

SEAT: Tell me more about some of the things you like to do outside of the office.Dennette: Well besides cooking, it’s spending time with my kids. I do a lot in their schools, their little leagues. I won’t call myself a soccer mom, but I do a lot of that typical soccer mom stuff. I’m the team mom for my kids’ baseball teams; I’m the treasurer of the PTO in the elementary school.

I also love my alma mater Georgia Southern. I’m a member of three different boards at the school. I run our alumni association here in At-lanta. I also helped with a [fellow Georgia South-ern alumnus] Adrian Peterson book signing, Don’t Dis My Abilities. He’s a dear friend of mine, and I took a great deal of pride in helping him promote his book. We had 300 people come to the event. So little things like that: planning events around Atlanta for my alumni to get together are things I love to do.

SEAT: How did you first meet Adrian Peterson?Dennette: I was the equipment manager for the football team. And they haven’t won a national

championship since I left. SEAT: You have to be crazy organized to do that job.Dennette: Or I just like washing dirty clothes. It was interesting because I am a woman… if you didn’t know that. SEAT: [Laughing] Now, is that on the record?John: [Laughing louder] You have to print that: I am a woman.Dennette: [Laughing loudest] Woman, on the record.

In the sports industry, in that field, you don’t see very many head equipment managers who are women. Now there were things I couldn’t do. For example, when the team was in the locker room, I wasn’t allowed to go in there. But working through [the gender bias] has helped me develop a thicker skin. Like when some of the players would say stuff, I’d just dish it right back. I don’t really take crap from anyone.SEAT: You wouldn’t have made it in that position around all those strong personalities if you weren’t strong yourself. So I believe you’re a strong woman.

John: She just made me think; when you asked about nicknames, I mentioned Tina, but really it’s Den Mother. She organizes everything for us: our holiday lunch, birthdays, phone trees if there’s ever bad weather in Atlanta; she takes care of every-thing. So she’s our den mother. She made a little board, which we’ll show you. You’ll think you’re back in second grade. This department would be screwed without her.Dennette: Don’t knock my board out there. John: She also gave me the greatest gag gift ever which was a remote-controlled fart machine. SEAT: I don’t mean to interrupt, but what do you mean gag gift? That sounds pretty legit.John: Well I mean, it was legit. It was a Secret Santa gift, a $15 or less kind of thing. I opened the fart machine, and I thought it was the great-

COMING UP NEXT:THE HOME OF THE BRAVE

est thing ever. But everyone else was like, ‘He’s the wrong person to have that.’SEAT: Fart Machines. Wow, I’ve clearly lost con-trol of this interview. Let’s change gears, and go walk around the stadium.

Want to network with Dennette and John?Here Are Their Business Cards:

Dennette ThorntonGroup Sales ManagerP: [email protected]

John FarrellPremium Seating ManagerP: [email protected]

Atlanta BravesTurner Field755 Hank Aaron DriveAtlanta, GA 30315

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We’ve done a good job over the past few years of revamping our inventory to provide a lot of different [premium] op-tions,” says Dennette Thornton, Group

Sales Manager for the Atlanta Braves. “The big-gest push this year is filling the new club that’s being built, filling those tables, and making sure it’s sold out.”

The “new club” is the Bobby Cox Club present-ed by Superior Plumbing which is located on the Club Level of Turner Field on the third base side of home plate. The Bobby Cox Club will mirror the successful Georgia’s Own Credit Union Club (a concept borrowed from the Colorado Rockies’ Mountain View Club) on the first base side which opened last season.

The Georgia’s Own Credit Union Club has 20 outdoor tables, under cover to protect guests from the summer sun and backed up by an in-

InduSTry And ASSOcIATIOn nEWS: ALSd MEMbEr VEnuE HIgHLIgHT

A Brave New World at Turner FieldAligning with the industry trend to decrease the number of suites in favor of mid-priced inventory, the Atlanta Braves are removing two suites and approximately 200 seats to build the Bobby Cox Club presented by Superior Plumbing at Turner Field.

door club lounge. Two of the tables are two-tops, while the remaining 18 are of the four-seat variety. One table is ADA compliant, therefore not sold, but the remaining available tables sold out before Opening Day last season. The Braves are on track to do the same in the Bobby Cox Club this season.

“The clubs are the new way,” contends John Farrell, Premium Seating Manager for the Braves. “They are a great middle ground for those compa-nies that can no longer afford or no longer desire a suite but still like some of the amenities. The new clubs come with valet parking, in-seat service, and they’re really high-end.”

Both the Georgia’s Own Credit Union Club and the Bobby Cox Club open up to a welcome/concierge area adjacent to a bar through glass doors, exposing their lounges to curious onlook-ers walking the Club Level concourse. There are no restrooms in the clubs, but facilities are a short walk down the concourse. At each table are televi-sions and power outlets to charge mobile devices and laptaps in case patrons wish to do a business presentation or just follow their fantasy teams. Wi-Fi service is free on the Club Level.

Price points are $29,000 and $31,000 per year for a table of four in the Georgia’s Own Credit Union Club and the Bobby Cox Club respective-ly. Clients must purchase the entire table. Every ticket comes loaded with a $30 food and beverage credit that can also be used on merchandise. The credits do not rollover and must be used for that game.

TURNER FIElD SUITES“[The Bobby Cox Club] helps us too in regards to suites because we had to knock out two suites to accommodate the club, so it shrinks our inventory and increases the demand,” expounds Thornton.

After the completion of the Bobby Cox Club, Turner Field will have 53 suites, 15-20 of which the sales team tries to sell on a per-game basis. “We keep some inventory open for daily rentals,” Thornton says. “We really have five suites open that we try to sell as season leases because they are in prime locations.”

SUN TRUST ClUBTurner Field is also home to some of the best seats in baseball. The first row of the 145 Henry Aaron seats is 45 feet from the catcher, closer than the pitcher who stands 60 feet, 6 inches from home plate.

Underneath the sold-out seating area is the Sun Trust Club, a six-year-old lounge with carving sta-tions, tables open for reservations, and a full bar. Sun Trust Club memberships can be purchased for three, five, or seven years. According to Farrell, the Sun Trust Club continues to be a hit this off-season with four contracts already renewing five-year deals. “[The Sun Trust Club] is our baby,” he continues. “We’re actually turning the camera well into a few more seats next season.”

— Jared Frank

THEMED SUITES AT TURNER FIElD

GAME ROOM SUITE • 36-Person Suite• Four HD Televisions• Two Trivia Games• Arcade Games: Golden Tee and Ms.

Pacman• Foosball Table

BOBBY COX SUITE• 40-Person Suite• Six HD Televisions• Life-Size Cutout of Bobby for Photo

Opportunities• A Timeline of Bobby’s Career• Bobby Pictures and Framed Poster

THE CHAIRMAN’S SUITE: THE BIG NIGHT OUT• 40-Person Suite• Cooking Demonstrations by Atlanta-

Area Celebrity Chefs • Fully Catered Suite with Menu

Designed Around the Visiting Team’s Local Cuisine

• Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Bever-ages (Excludes Liquor Drinks)

• Individual Tickets are $145 per person (Includes Food, Beverage, and Park-ing)

Middle Ground: John Farrell explains the benefit of inventory between suites and club seats: “The clubs are the new way. They are a great middle ground…and come with valet parking, in-seat service, and they’re really high-end.”

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ConferenCeand TRADESHOWHilton OrlandoJune 30 – July 3, 2013

Your Week in the SunContinuing the tradition of holding its conference where the best venues of the year are, the 23rd Annual ALSD Conference and Tradeshow will visit Orlando and Tampa in 2013.

Located in Orlando is the Amway Center, home of the Orlan-do Magic, considered by many to be one of the top arenas in the world. Our college division is included in the venue tours this year with a day trip to the University of Central Florida in Orlando. “We looked at a half-dozen cities very closely, and we chose Or-lando,” says Bill Dorsey, Chairman of the ALSD. “Amway Center is a top-flight arena; we have not been in the Southeast for several years; and Orlando is one of the top family destination sites on the planet.”

“In addition, there are more than 1,600 hotels in Orlando,” continues Dorsey. “We selected the brand new Orlando Hilton which was rated by various travel sites as the third highest rated hotel in the area. This is one of the top three hotels we have ever gone to and the rates are outstanding.”

Besides Orlando, the ALSD will also take a day trip to Tampa, home of the Buccaneer’s Raymond James Stadium and the Light-ning’s Tampa Bay Times Forum. “This is a short, easy drive and well worth the trip,” states Dorsey. “People will be impressed with what Tampa has to offer. As usual, we are providing something for everyone.”

Please Note: All events and times are tentative and subject to change. We understand travel plans are being made and will update you via ALSD.com, email, and print pieces on schedule changes and updates throughout the coming months.


Sunday, June 302:00 p.m.

Board of Directors Meeting

3:00 p.m.new Attendee Meeting

4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.opening reception in exhibit hallFood and Drinks Provided

Signature Cocktails

Networking

Sponsored by: Delaware North Sportservice

7:00 p.m.Buses Depart for Venue tour and reception

Amway Center


Monday, July 18:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

League MeetingsLeagues and Teams Only

National Football League

National Hockey League

National Basketball Association

Major League Baseball

Major League Soccer/International Football

College/University

Minor League, Concert, Racing, and Alternative Venues

Food and Beverage

8:00 a.m.Colleges, Minor League, Racing, Concert, and Alternative Venues:

Buses Depart for Venue touruniversity of Central Florida Athletic Facilities uCF Arena & Bright house networks Stadium

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.keynote Lunch and Award Showkeynote Speaker and Visionary Award Winner: Bernie Mullin(see sidebar opposite for details)

4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.exhibit hall receptionNetworking Events

Mixology Experience! The Making of a Great Cocktail

New Attendee Introductory Event

You only Live once! The YOLO Group, led by a few fresh and energetic ALSD members, is simply a circle of existing and new friends (no cliques allowed) looking for a fun, ice-breaking, networking experience. All attendees are cordially invited, and prerequisites include, but are not limited to: “Must have fun and not be afraid of a little light-hearted humor, at anyone’s expense!” This event will kick off with a toast in the ALSD Exhibit Hall.

Venue touruniversity of Central Florida Athletic Facilities uCF Arena & Bright house networks Stadium


tuesday, July 28:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Fan experience Super Panel Today’s catchphrase is Fan Experience. How can we get customers off the couch in this era where 30 million fantasy sports playing consumers are happy in their lavishly appointed home theatres with 72-inch flat screens? Panelists discuss topics such as fantasy lounges in football stadiums, mobile device capabilities, treatment of your VIPs, turnkey systems to enhance the fan experience, targeting the right customers, and branding your product.

Moderator: Bill Sutton, Principal, Bill Sutton Associates

Founding Director, Sport and Entertainment Management MBA Program at University of South Florida

Panelist: Stewart Clark, Vice President, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment in charge of Discovery Cove

Panelist: San Francisco 49ers

Panelist: Sporting Kansas City


Bernie Mullin’s résumé precedes him. Dubbed “The Sports Marketing Guru” by Sports Illustrated, his expertise stems from presidencies with the Atlanta Hawks, former Atlanta Thrashers, and former Denver Grizzlies (IHL). Additionally, Mullin has served in Senior Vice President roles for the NBA, Colorado Rockies, and Pittsburgh Pirates. To boot, Mullin played semi-professional soccer for Oxford City FC in England.

Bernie Mullin is currently Chairman and CEO of The Aspire Group (TAG), a leading global management and marketing consulting business which partners with its clients in implementing “Next-Practices” to produce winning brands, revenue enhancement, and strong sales and service cultures. TAG maximizes organizational and marketing effectiveness, growing revenues, and building an avid and sustainable fan base. Under his guidance, TAG has clients located in seven countries on four continents that represent best-in-class leagues, teams, and brands.

Bernie Mullin’s Record:

• President/CEO, Atlanta Hawks (NBA), Atlanta Thrashers (NHL), and Philips Arena

• SVP, Marketing and Team Business Operations, National Basketball Association

• Vice Chancellor of Athletics, University of Denver • President/General Manager, Denver Grizzlies• SVP, Business, Colorado Rockies • SVP, Business Operations, Pittsburgh Pirates

keynote Lunch and Award Showkeynote Speaker and Visionary Award Winner:

Bernie MuLLinChairman and Ceo the Aspire Group

“Does anyone else have the breadth of knowledge of the total sports marketplace? If we are comparing résumés, Bernie Mullin’s is at the top of the stack. He is one of only two people who have been team presidents in three different leagues. Once a semi-pro footballer from England, Bernie now owns a Ph.D. and a very successful business, The Aspire Group, which grew from 30 employees to about 200 in a year.”

– Bill Dorsey, ALSD Chairman

Stewart ClarkSeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

Bill SuttonBill Sutton Associates


9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.Brunch in the exhibit hall

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.Solutions: What WorksIf you want to really see what works, the ALSD has put together a series of seminars that have verifiable results from teams. All you need is one idea. We’ve got four programs for you to choose from:

Sales TrackPackaging and Flexibility: What’s Selling?Audience participation is encouraged, as this idea session discusses successful (and unsuccessful) packaging options and sales techniques. What’s working and what’s not:

• Bundling vs. De-Bundling

• Flex Billing

• Ticket Utilization Tools

• Added Value, Added Access

• Reward, Loyalty, and Membership Programs

• Shorter Lease Terms

• Incentive Packages and Early Renewal Deals

• Seat Licenses

• Friends and Family Deals

• Per Event vs. Multiple Year Agreements

• Suites By-The-Seat

• Suite Re-Sell Programs

Moderator: Adam Kellner, Director of Stadium Sales & Services, Chicago Bears

Service Trackthe not So Basics: Questions You need the Answers toLearn About:

•Disney Institute: Common Sense, But Not Common Practice

•15 Mistakes to Avoid When Gifting High-Level Executives

• Real Salt Lake: 100 Lions Club and Premium Custom Service

Moderator: Karyl Henry, Director of Premium Services, Oklahoma State University

Panelist: Brent Centlivre, Account Manager, Disney Institute

Trainers of Super Bowl, World Cup, and Numerous Team Employees

Panelist: John Ruhlin, Founder, The Ruhlin Group

Panelist: Patti Benson, Director, 100 Lions Club and Premium Seating, Real Salt Lake

Sales and Technology Tracktechnology: A necessity, not an Amenity Learn About:

• Wi-Fi

• Fantasy Sports and Gaming

• Social Media: What’s Working and What’s Not

• Tablets and Smart Devices

• Paperless and Mobile Ticketing and Seat Upgrades

Architectural, Food and Beverage, and Technology TrackBest Seat in the houseLearn about premium “neighborhoods” for every price point. Also learn which seats help sell the most food and beverage and why. A panel of architects, big food and beverage, and salespeople share success stories. Which premium seats are most popular and why?

• Suites: Traditional, Mini, and Party

• Loge Boxes

• Clubs Seats

• 365 Clubs

• Sponsored/Branded Premium Spaces

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Staggered Bus ScheduleDepart for tampa

2:00 p.m. – Evening Venue tours in tampaOn-Site Interactive Education, Renovation Tours, and Receptions

raymond James Stadium, home of the tampa Bay Buccaneers tampa Bay times Forum, home of the tampa Bay Lightning See Tod Leiweke’s bio for renovation details

keynote Speaker: tod Leiweke, Chief executive officer, tampa Bay Lightning

Lauren FisherPhilips Arena/Atlanta Hawks

Karyl HenryOklahoma State University

Brent CentlivreDisney Institute

Adam KellnerChicago Bears



Tod Leiweke was named Chief Executive Officer of Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment, which includes the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Storm, and the Tampa Bay Times Forum, in 2010. Leiweke, who is in his 30th season in professional sports, has led the team’s transformation off the ice which has resulted in the more than doubling of the team’s season ticket base while vastly increasing its footprint in the community. Under Lieweke’s guidance, the Lightning have seen a nearly 20-percent increase in overall attendance from 2009-10 through 2011-12. Instrumental in kick-starting the transformation of the franchise, Lieweke helped to develop the Bolt’s new jersey system and logo, with all Season Ticket Members receiving their own revolutionary jersey with a chip implanted in the sleeve that grants them access to a variety of discounts and benefits.

Tod Leiweke’s Record:

• CEO, Seattle Seahawks and Vulcan Sports & Entertainment, which oversees the Seahawks, Seattle Sounders FC, and Portland Trail Blazers

• President, First & Goal Inc., which operates Qwest Field and Qwest Field Event Center

• President, Minnesota Wild; Chief Operating Officer, Minnesota Sports & Entertainment

• Executive with: PGA Tour, Vancouver Canucks, Golden State Warriors

• Street & Smith’s 2009 Sports Executive of the Year Finalist• Puget Sound Business Journal CEO of the Year• Seattle Sports Commission CEO of the Year

The Tampa Bay Times Forum itself underwent a $42 million, privately-funded renovation during the summer of 2011 and received:

• A new $5 million high-definition center-hung scoreboard• The Coors Light Between the Pipes, a signature stage with pipe

organ• New seats throughout the arena• Reconstructed executive suites• The Bud Light Party Deck, a paradise deck overlooking downtown• A grand entry with an improved, guest-friendly McDonald’s Ticket

Office and merchandise store

keynote Lunch

toD LeiWeke Chief executive officer tampa Bay Lightning


Wednesday, July 3end user WednesdayUltimately, the person you are pleasing, the person you need to hear from is The Customer. Not necessarily the teams, not necessarily the vendors, not all the time at least. The ALSD will provide End User Panelists in Wednesday’s sessions. Because, in the end, nothing works so well as a happy customer.

8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.Sales and Technology TrackWhat You need to know About Your evolving Customer:• Market Segmentation

• Demographics

• High Net Worth Individual Profiling

• CRM

• Analytics Gathering

• Market Automation: Prospecting, Scoring, and Tracking

Service TrackShock and Delight: Differentiate Your ServiceYour customers have nearly seen it all. They deserve new, never-before-seen amenities that they can’t get elsewhere. This session will highlight events, services, and products that are sure to shock and delight your clients.

• Loyalty Programs and Amenities

• Outsourcing Concierge Service

• Special Events and Access

• VIP Treatment

Moderator: Shannon Hansen, Premium Services Manager, BI-LO Center and Charter Amphitheatre

Panelist: Kristin Loeser, Director of Suite Services, Milwaukee Brewers

Sales, Food and Beverage, and Architectural Trackunconventional Strategies to increase revenues• Non-Game Day Use of Your Premium Areas

• All-Inclusive Clubs and Suites

• Custom Food and Beverage Build-Outs

• In-Seat Service: What’s Working

• Street Trucks Concepts

• Innovative Food Ordering

• Providing/Crafting Signature Beverages

9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.Sales and Service Trackretention: the Art of Consistency Does your venue have and stick to a culture? The successful management of the customer experience throughout the entire venue, and especially on the premium levels, is the only way you can take a swing at being consistent for your guests. Learn the best practices for retaining customers and developing brand loyalty.

Presenter: Chris Bryant, Chief Experience Officer, Bryant Group

Service Tracktreat and train the Suite holder and the Suite Administrator What you want to do is exceed the expectations of your suite holder, but by doing that, you need to train your suite administrator to educate your suite holder. Customer service requires training. A premium seat manager needs to know what the suite holder needs and wants. Those needs and wants may well be different depending upon how you “read” the customer. Good service provides; great service anticipates.

Moderator: Lauren Fisher, Senior Manager of Suite Services, Philips Arena/Atlanta Hawks

Service and Food and Beverage TrackFood and Beverage and Customer Service SummitService staffs and food and beverage staffs need to establish and maintain an all-for-one goal. This interactive session will allow the two entities to ask questions of one another to determine how to improve the relationship and the end goal of providing the best service to the premium customer.

Moderator: Dr. Peter Titlebaum, Associate Professor, University of Dayton

Moderator: Danielle Kloke, University of Dayton

Panelist: Anne Campbell, Manager, Sponsorship & Suite Services, Detroit Lions

Panelist: Matt Borgard, Channel Sales Manager, Venues, Crown Imports

Panelist: Chris Bigelow, President, The Bigelow Companies

Panelist: Brian Crow, Associate Professor, Slippery Rock University

Shannon HansenBI-LO Center and Charter Amphitheatre

Chris BryantBryant Group

Anne CampbellDetroit Lions

Chris BigelowBigelow Companies



11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.Sales Trackthe new Sale: Adapting to Your Market• Selling on the Local Level

• Outsourcing

• Local Rewards Programs

• Sponsorship and Premium Seating Packages

• Local Sponsorship Programs

• Dynamic Pricing

Sales and Food and Beverage Trackthrough the eyes of the CustomerDo you really know your customers’ needs in terms of food and beverage? You need to. Discussed in this session are your customers thoughts on:

• Pricing and Packages

• New Offerings and Trends

• The Future of F&B Alcohol Requirements

Technology and Food and Beverage Tracktouch Versus technology: how Digital effects Premium

General Sessionthe industry: Past, Present, and FutureIs the past, prologue? Is what came before a harbinger of where the industry is headed? Or has the industry so evolved in today’s present that the past is no longer relevant, and the future is simply something no one has any idea of what is to come. This research panel will show past trends, present day reality, and future ideas. This is a big picture session – a history lesson. Will history repeat itself? Find out.

Panelist: Dr. Peter Titlebaum, Associate Professor, University of Dayton

Panelist: Dr. Heather Lawrence, Associate Professor, Ohio University

Panelist: Ron Contorno, President, Full House Entertainment Database Marketing

12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

General Session

the SeCret SAuCeEveryone always says there is no “secret sauce” to sell premium inventory. That’s probably true. But there are ideas out there that are new and that few teams know about. Tap into some new ideas which the ALSD has collected over the past year. You may be surprised. Let the ALSD serve up our own secret sauce from a menu of options. Learn five things you don’t know about the future of the industry.

Moderator: Bill Dorsey, Chairman, ALSD


The ALSD has made arrangements with Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios for discounted and hopper tickets for you and your traveling companions during your stay in Orlando. So come early, stay late. Take the kid-dos to meet Mickey, Shamu, and Harry Potter. Visit ALSD.com for all the information for each theme park.

CoMe to the ConFerenCe, BrinG the FAMiLY, StAY For the AttrACtionS

About the hilton orlandoBoasting a modern design to accommodate both the most active visitors or people in search of some quality R&R, the Hilton Orlando features a comprehensive 15,000-square-foot Spa and Fitness Center, two resort pools, a lazy river, nine-hole executive golf course, a jogging track, and basketball, tennis, and bocce ball courts. Additionally, seven creative dining options provide fresh and creative cuisine.

Consistent with the hotel’s contemporary design, upscale accommodations furnish the interior of the 1,400 well-appointed guestrooms, including 53 suites. In-room amenities include the Hilton’s Serenity Bed™, in-room refrigerators, Cuisinart dual-cup single-brew coffee maker, desk area with nesting table and Herman Miller ergonomic chair, programmable safes, and large 37” LCD TVs.

In less than two years of operation, Hilton Orlando recently ranked #1 on TripAdvisor’s rankings of Orlando hotels, has received a AAA Four Diamond rating for its luxurious amenities and top-notch service, was named the second best in Central Florida to work by the Orlando Business Journal, and has received multiple awards from Hilton Worldwide for its overall performance and outstanding customer service.

Hilton Orlando

6001 Destination Parkway

Orlando, FL 32819

To Make Your Reservations:

• Visit https://resweb.passkey.com/go/ALSD2013CONF or

• Call 888-488-3509

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Just as dramatic as the sports venue evolution of the past 20-plus years are the dramatic changes in

how the corporate fan handles his ticket assets. So how did we get here? And, more importantly,

where do we go from here? Every team’s approach to how they do business with these most-valued

customers depends on the answers.

By Bill Dorsey, Chairman, ALSD

THE CORPORATE TICKET MARKETPLACE

MetLife Stadium is home to the NFL's New York Jets and Giants and the Commissioners Club, one of the most exclusive

premium seating areas in all of sports hospitality.


Once upon a time, a sports fan – a per-son who bled for his team – was known by various names. Joe Six Pack was the generic name for all these fans. Some names though were more specific: Cheeseheads braved the frozen tundra of Green Bay and sat on cold, wooden

benches without backs, while the Dog Pounders of Cleveland competed against the Terrible Towelers of Pittsburgh for status as the hardiest and huskiest of fans.

But over the last 20 years, a new fan has emerged: The Cor-porate Fan.

Now, the corporate fan is not someone who paints his face, and he is not someone who sits in the cheap seats, where he can look out over the stadium rafters and see Russia. No, the corporate fan is someone who entertains clients at a game. The corporate fan is someone who is creating a captive market situation for himself and the company he represents. It does not mean the corporate fan is not a fan, but he also has another prime directive.

That directive is to drive business. The corporate fan’s goal is not primarily the game; the corporate fan’s primary function is to create commerce for the company he is representing.

TICKETS BECOME BuSInESS ASSETSIt’s an investment of sorts in human capital; “relationship market-ing” it’s sometimes called. As with any investment, it is expected to pay off down the road. As such, a corporate fan’s tickets are called assets. These assets are tracked, just like any other investment. No one really talks about who wins the game or not; a corporate fan talks about ROI of these assets. How many clients did the cor-poration entertain? What were the results of these interactions? Did the corporation secure any new business or maintain existing business?

The corporate fan that uses these tickets usually needs to file expense reports. He needs to track usage. He needs to file reports on who was at the event and what the business relationship is. He is cognizant of compliance issues, of Dodd-Frank regulations about entertainment expenditures. If he does not use the tickets properly, the corporate fan can, upon occasion, lose his job. Upon occasion, the corporation sends people to the suite to oversee their investments. Sometimes, it’s done clandestinely: a kind of secret shopper program for the corporate world.

THE FIRST GEnERATIOn OF THE MARKETPLACE: COnTRACTuALLy OBLIGATED InCOMEA person, who uses corporate tickets, in most cases, sits in expen-sive premium seats. These seats can be suites, but also club seats, loge boxes, field boxes, or courtside seats. There are many rooms in the corporate fan’s house these days. The food that is ordered is also plentiful and more upscale than the fare offered to Joe Six Pack. Many food options are available, and if the corporate fan orders far enough in advance, almost anything can be brought in: the best wines, the best food, the best of everything.

The best of everything costs money. It is not unusual for cor-porations to own multiple suites in multiple venues that cost millions of dollars. Some of the larger corporations spend up to $100 million for all their sponsorships and premium seats. It’s big business.

Corporate users comprise what is now called the Corporate Ticket Marketplace. It’s been a booming business for more than two decades now. The Contractually Obligated Income (COI) created by long-term suite leases is what fueled the stadium boom in the 1990s. Whereas in 1990 when the corporate VIP market-place was considered only about 3% of the marketplace, a new world-class professional venue now usually has nearly 20% of its seats considered “premium.” Those 20% of seats often equate to somewhere around 40%-50% of the total ticket revenues created. And those ticket revenues often do not include things such as Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) (see sidebar) that exist in many new venues, primarily in the NFL, where approximately half of the teams now have raised capital for these new sports cathedrals through PSLs.

THE SECOnD GEnERATIOn OF THE MARKETPLACE:TECHnOLOGy AnD FAn EXPERIEnCEThe gentrification of the venue marketplace is alive and well. Besides a few icons (e.g., Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, Lambeau Field, Madison Square Garden, Dodger Stadium), nearly every team in the country now has itself a venue no more than 25 years old, dating back to the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit which opened in 1988 when the Corporate Ticket Marketplace really began. And even the iconic venues are receiving facelifts.

After around two decades, the early adopters are going through another round of renovations. Not always new builds (although San Francisco, Minneapolis, Seattle, Las Vegas, and Milwaukee all seem to be planning new venues at the moment), many venues seem to be receiving a facelift of sorts. The shelf life for a new venue is very short these days – less than 20 years.

Much of that is based on the new sports mantra called Fan Experience. As player salaries have gone up over the past two de-cades, the need for buildings to generate revenue has escalated. As prices have gone up though, some fan amenities, including technology in the venues have not kept pace. The result? Fans will NOT come to the venues if their cell phones don’t work. High definition television, games on the Internet, and less costly F&B

THE FOLLOwInG IS nOT A FAIRy TALE…EvEn IF IT ALMOST READS LIKE OnE.

THE CORPORATE TICKET MARKETPLACE:

A corporate fan’s tickets are called assets. These assets are tracked, just like any other investment. no one really talks about who wins the game or not; a corporate fan talks about ROI of these assets.


PERSOnAL SEAT LICEnSESPersonal Seat Licenses (PSLs), sometimes called Charter Ownership Agreements, are stadium financing tools, primarily existing in NFL venues. Approximately half of NFL venues (15 teams) have raised capital through PSLs to construct these buildings. There are two or three teams currently building new venues which will also offer them: San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, and whatever team ends up in Farmers Field in Los Angeles.

PSLs are not only for the corporate fan. They are sold to nearly everyone in the venue. But the corporate fan is the person who is charged the most, especially in markets such as Dallas and New York, where PSLs can reach six figures for the absolute best seats in the house. Because a PSL is needed to obtain a good seat in many NFL venues, they can be purchased as a commodity. Several companies offer them similarly to buying a ticket on the secondary market.

nFL Teams with PSLsDallas CowboysNew York GiantsNew York JetsCarolina PanthersOakland RaidersSt. Louis RamsBaltimore RavensTennessee TitansPhiladelphia EaglesChicago BearsHouston TexansPittsburgh SteelersCleveland BrownsCincinnati BengalsSeattle Seahawks

Average PSL Revenue Per Team: $144.2 million

Average number of PSLs Sold Per Team: 48,221

Teams using or Potentially using PSLs in the Future:San Francisco 49ersMinnesota VikingsLos Angeles franchise (Farmers Field)

Always In Style: Being special is no longer an amenity; it’s a necessity. In the 10,700-square-foot Commissioners Club, members enjoy a destination of luxury with dark rich wood and plush velvet and leather furniture.


Realistically, there is only a small percentage of the cor-porate market that can afford suite ownership. Consider the following breakdown:

Assume your suites lease for an average of $200,000 per year. How much revenue would a company have to generate to afford such a level of investment? The an-swer depends on the profit margin of their industry, but we will use 1% of gross sales (that would equate to 5% of net sales if profit margin is 20%). So to be considered a legitimate lease candidate, a company should gener-ate at least $20 million in sales.

Eliminating non-prospects such as retail, churches, schools, etc., there are a total of 4.9 million business-to-business (B2B) organizations in the United States. Of the 4.9 million companies, only 2.5% (124,824) have sales of $20 million or more. By changing our param-eters to those companies with minimum sales of $40 million, only 1.2% of companies would qualify.

These figures may seem discouraging, but they confirm that suite sales professionals must become more flexible and creative moving into the future. One way to capitalize on the wants of companies to be suite holders without being limited to the size of the markets listed above is to offer suite sharing opportunities.

Suite sharing allows multiple partners to enjoy all the amenities associated with a suite at a fraction of the cost. For example, four partners share a suite for the season at $60,000 each. Your gross revenue has just increased by 20% with the suite generating $240,000 instead of $200,000.

Using the same formula as above, $6 million or more in annual sales becomes the qualifying threshold for companies to be suite share candidates. The market-place at that level is three times larger than the market-place for single lease clients: 380,906 (7.7%) companies generate at least $6 million in sales.

A lot has changed over the past five years. Compa-nies that were once premium customers could be out of business now; and some industry segments that were booming are suffering now. In addition, counter-cyclical industries have emerged, are now thriving, and are a viable target for suite sales.

Below are business categories occupying premium space in four segments: growing, shrinking, and status quo as well as counter-cyclical.

GROwInG InDuSTRIESAttorneys/Legal Services Insurance Business/Management Consulting Services Accounting, Auditing & Bookkeeping Telecommunications Beer, Ale, Wine & Liquor Distributors Doctors Offices

SHRInKInG InDuSTRIESBanks, Bank Holding Companies & Credit Unions Television, Radio & Newspaper Finance & Investments General Contractors & Home Builders Real Estate Agencies & Managers Car Dealers Mortgage Brokers & Loans Real Estate Developers Title Companies Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Contractors

STATuS QuO InDuSTRIESCasinos Business Services NEC Restaurants & Caterers Holding Companies & Other Investors Manufacturing Categories

COunTER-CyCLICAL InDuSTRIESComputers/High-Tech Collection AgenciesCredit & Debt Counseling ServicesPawnbrokersCheck Cashing ServiceApartment-Related CompaniesEducational/Training CompaniesDiscount ChainsFast Food RestaurantsAuto RepairMedical-RelatedRemodeling Contractors Self-Storage

– Ron Contorno, Full House Entertainment Database Mar-keting and Dr. Heather Lawrence, Ohio University

wHO OCCuPIES PREMIuM InvEnTORy?

whereas in 1990 when the corporate vIP marketplace was considered only about 3% of the marketplace, a new world-class professional venue now usually has nearly 20% of its seats considered “premium.” Those 20% of seats often equate to somewhere around 40%-50% of the total ticket revenues created.


have all started to keep both the casual fan and now even the corporate fan at home.

Teams are beginning to realize that if you charge more, you have to provide more. Corporate fans especially realize this reality because they are buying the boxes or the club seats in many cases to impress the people they invite. It has to be special. Being special is no longer an amenity; it’s a necessity.

And so the 21st century venue, in order to cater to the com-panies who can afford these high prices, is attempting to provide a truly unique experience. Nowhere is this more evident than for the corporate fan.

The corporate fan coming to a game today often has access to the following:• The best seats in the house• The players and the field• Their suite during non-gamedays• Special clubs or nightclubs at the venue• High-tech innovations such as fantasy game rooms or iPads

in the suite or loge box• Mobile food ordering systems• Added-value amenities such as holiday gifts, food tastings,

golf outings, etc.• Rights of first refusal for non-contracted events: concerts,

major events such as the Super Bowl or the Final Four (in some cases), and other events

• The ability to hold meetings with full Internet access • Wi-Fi installations for full reception on mobile phones

OCCuPAnCy RATES AnD LEASE LEnGTHS DECREASEClearly, the corporate fan is catered to…at a price. There’s the rub. Teams, with the ongoing and seemingly endless task of raising revenue, have continued to raise prices for premium seats. This has not been an easy thing to do during the Great Recession of the

past five years. And some teams –specifically those in the largest markets such as New York City – have apparently gone too far. While the rest of the bowl is nearly full, the most valued tickets in some of these markets are going unsold. Corporations – despite all the amenities they receive – are cutting back in some of these markets.

New York City has had the most difficulty in this area. MetLife Stadium had significant occupancy issues when it opened, espe-cially for the New York Jets. The New York Yankees too have had their premium seat issues; although to be fair, Madison Square Garden was actually able to raise premium prices.

The reason teams/venues no longer can “build it and they will come” is partially money, partially political correctness (the cor-porate fan doesn’t want to appear as Nero while Rome burns), and partially because they have been there and done that. The secondary market has also emerged with a ready supply of tickets available, at least for club seats. Many companies simply cherry pick the games they want. There is probably not one reason just as there is assuredly not one magic bullet to get lost customers back.

Occupancy rates have dropped in many cases, although they have stabilized from a couple years ago. But while occupancy rates have somewhat stabilized, the term length of the lease has gone down. Gone are the days of the 10-year lease, except for new builds in major markets for the biggest of sports such as the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL. Most teams today accept much shorter lease terms. Contracts with corporations also often allow for suite sharing. In some cases, they are now even allowing suite re-selling, especially for those companies who have long-term leases and cannot get out of their lease because of their contrac-tual obligations.

Specific contracts with corporations are also custom written in some cases. The buyers, i.e., the big corporations, often have a great deal more power in negotiations than they once did. The

The Big Event: A Super Bowl suite usually commands upwards of $300,000 for prime locations. The Commissioners Club will certainly qualify as a prime location when MetLife Stadium hosts Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.


contracts often favor the buyer. Corporations, who recognize they have newfound leverage, are negotiating better deals for them-selves. And teams tend to acquiesce. It’s not unusual to have many versions of the standard suite contract in the same venue.

What kinds of changes are being made to contracts? The es-calator clauses in the contracts have gone away or are very small; suite owners, in some cases, are given renewal credits or are al-lowed to re-sell their suite; and sometimes, they can negotiate the “big events” coming up years in advance. That is something that would never have happened back in the take-it-or-leave-it glory days from 1990 to around 2007.

RETEnTIOn BECOMES THE wATCHwORD OF THE DAyTimes have changed. The market has changed. The way teams do business needs to change. And in many respects, it has changed.

First off, customer service has evolved tremendously. No longer do teams sign contracts and then virtually ignore the customer until the contract comes up. Now, the teams specifically reach out and “touch” the customer multiple times. The suite directors charged with this task, at least the good ones, get to really know their customers, including birthdays. They are professional con-cierge assistants.

Meanwhile, a new title has emerged over the past couple of

years: the “retention” expert. Because it is much easier to keep an existing customer than to find a new one, retention has become the watchword of the day. And in places such as Oklahoma City, the Thunder in the NBA have hired not one or two retention ex-perts, but 14 of them.

The days when business is taken for granted are long gone. The days when premium staffs were one person are nearly gone. Staff-ing has gone up; customer service has improved; and corporations are the beneficiaries of teams who need to work harder to main-tain their business revenues.

THE CORPORATE TICKET MARKETPLACE BECOMES A $10 BILLIOn InDuSTRyThere are many factors to consider when judging the actual size of the premium seat market. Depending upon your definition of premium seating, it is determined that there are approximately 30,000 suites and 800,000 club seats in the five major sports, plus colleges, minor leagues, racing venues, and portable hospitality. This equates to a $10 billion industry.

Of this $10 billion, about $5 billion is in the professional ranks, $5 billion among the remaining levels. While stadiums, especially in the college ranks, have built out new premium spaces in recent years, many teams have downsized their premium offerings. The

The answer to the question, “Who buys premium seating?”, is further investigated here, listing not only the top 20 business segments, but additional breakdowns, including employee size, annual sales revenue, and business status (headquarters, branch, independent). The top 10 industries alone represent 35% of all the business types that buy premium seating.

These new insights are the result of Full House Entertainment Database Marketing partnering with the Ohio University Center for Sports Administration. Over 13,000 professional sport premium seating customers have been analyzed, and Full House and Ohio University are excited to share the top industries that lease suites and other premium inventory (club seats, VIP clubs, etc.):

Attorneys/Legal ServicesInsuranceGeneral Contractors & Home BuildersOilBusiness & Management Consulting ServicesDoctor’s OfficesBanks, Bank Holding Companies & Credit UnionsReal Estate AgenciesFood and Grocery Manufacturers & DistributorsFinance & InvestmentsManufacturers of Industrial & Commercial MachineryAccounting, Auditing & BookkeepingTelevision, Radio & NewspapersPlumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning ContractorsRestaurants & CaterersEngineering ServicesTruckingCar DealersElectrical Work (Electricians)Dentist Offices

Overall Analysis: ALL Business/Corporate Premium Seating Customers

Employee Size:Less than 5 Employees: 26% 5 - 9 Employees: 11% 10 - 19 Employees: 11%20 - 49 Employees: 16% 50 - 99 Employees: 11% 100+ Employees: 25%

Sales Volume:Less than $1 Million: 28% $1 - 2.5 Million: 13% $2.5 - 5 Million: 10% $5 - 10 Million: 10%$10 - 20 Million: 9%$20 - 50 Million: 9%$50 Million+: 21%

Location Type:Headquarters: 15% Branch: 14% Independent: 71%

– Ron Contorno, Full House Entertainment Database Marketing and Dr. Heather Lawrence, Ohio University

THE TOP 20 BuSInESS CATEGORIES BuyInG PREMIuM SEATS


two trends tend to offset each other. The professional ranks have 141 teams; the college ranks in-

clude about 500 universities. Minor leagues also contribute heav-ily to the $5 billion. For example: there are more total suites in mi-nor league baseball than there are in MLB because the number of teams is so much higher. But minor league suites tend to cost only about 33% (or even less than that) of suites at a MLB stadium.

Premium seating consists of both club seats (including court-side) and suites, loge boxes, field boxes, and various “clubs” which exist in the venue. Club seating, the most expensive seat in the house on a square footage basis, is about 60% of the total market-place. Too many teams, realizing this, have built out too many club seats in the past. This problem also is being rectified.

Sponsored spaces and naming rights in premium spaces is not included here. Neither are Personal Seat Licenses and season ticket bases which have existed for generations. Also not included here is the concert industry which varies greatly depending upon the touring acts and the price points for those acts.

THE BIG EvEnTSThe concert marketplace is very much like the event market-place for sporting events. What the Super Bowl is to premium, the Rolling Stones are to concert venues. The cost of premium seats, not included in this $10 billion fee, is enormous. A Super Bowl suite usually commands upwards of $300,000 for a decent between-the-20s location.

For major events such as the Super Bowl or Final Four, corpo-rations often are given the option to purchase suites at very high rates. Those who don’t take the option, give up their suites for the events.

Many teams, cognizant of what major events are in their build-ings years in advance, make sure their leases with the corporations take the major event into account in several ways: 1) they use the event as a bonus for signing a long-term lease, and 2) they include the event and justify a much higher cost for the lease than the market would normally bear.

THE nEXT FEw yEARSNegotiating leverage will continue to be on the side of the corpo-rate consumer for the next few years it now appears. But teams are getting smarter. They are beginning to custom build venues spe-cific for their marketplace, with just the right number of premium seats that the market will bear. They are offering more and more value to corporations, especially in the way of unique amenities. And they are beginning, through sophisticated database tech-niques, to distinguish between the business-to-business customer and the more casual business-to-consumer customer.

As a result, occupancy rates seem to be going back up for the teams. And if there is anything the teams do understand, it is the concept of leverage. So corporations need to understand better what is available to them and what is not. It’s a give and take world out there, and corporations need to know if they are the giver or the taker these days. #

How is your team adjusting to the changing Corporate Ticket Marketplace?Write to Bill at [email protected], and connect with him onLinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/pub/bill-dorsey/6/125/76a.

The $10 Billion Industry: In North America, there are approximately 30,000 suites and 800,000 club seats in the five major sports, plus colleges, minor leagues, racing venues, and portable hospitality. This equates to a $10 billion industry.


The following information contains highlights and insights gathered from interviews with 15 Fortune 100 company insiders.

why do companies invest in premium seating, i.e., what are your primary objectives? Primary objectives include: 1. Driving business growth and adding new business2. Retaining and providing hospitality to current clients

to nurture an established relationship3. Establishing relationships with teams and properties4. Accessing premium space for business entertain-

ment5. Developing client loyalty

Do companies use premium seating inventory as an employee incentive? For the most part, companies are discouraged and hesitant due to IRS regulations requiring reporting of gifts over $25. Several compliance departments prevent this practice, and they have policies that dictate that this resource is used for business first. Several companies offer employees tickets at the last minute, but these practices are not used as an incentive.

Does your company use return on investment (ROI) when evaluating the value of your premium seating? In some instances, companies track data to show the impact to business, but this evaluation still only provides one data point. An area of agreement among the partici-pants is that there is not an exact science to determine ROI on premium seating; however, each company should find what works best for their senior management.

How important is activation (reinvestment) relative to premium seating? Most of the insiders feel money and time are being

wasted without activation. The goal is to exceed a stan-dard experience and provide a premium experience that attendees will remember for years to come. Premium seating is an important tool to distinguish a business deal from other options a client may have, so company employees need to use premium seating as a tool to do their jobs more effectively.

what have been the best activation examples involv-ing premium seating within your company? Activation can be as simple as staging events or meetings for clients and prospects because the suite environment impacts them more than being in a conference room. Further, it becomes a great touch point to use a player or coach because these appearances make those in the suite feel special. Providing key clients with tickets to entertain their own clients also goes a long way. Another form of activation is to offer prizes in the suite during the game as an added value to those in attendance.

As a leader in luxury suite ownership in multiple facili-ties, what tool/method do you use to manage your ticket inventory? The majority of insiders are using tracking software to monitor attendance, employee usage, and unused, used, and charitable tickets. The most referenced software pro-grams are Spotlight, Ovations, and TicketOS. The biggest reason for using ticketing software is for ease of auditing. There are still some companies that use spreadsheets and a listing of available games to distribute on a first-come, first-served basis. Others indicate they set up a matrix and identify the tickets for each game, splitting them between divisions of the company.

Some companies are donating tickets to charity. If your company has done this, how do you track the value of the tickets? There are differing procedures amongst the participants; some track them and some do not. Some examples of responses include:1. The tickets are not tracked unless they are going to

go unused2. The cost is tracked at either the retail price or the

cost of standing room only3. The 5031C number is entered in the database and

the tickets are released to the charity

An InSIDER’S PERSPECTIvE OF PREMIuM SEATInG uSAGE By FORTunE 100 COMPAnIES

THE CORPORATE TICKET MARKETPLACE:

The majority of insiders are using tracking software to monitor attendance, employee usage, and unused, used, and charitable tickets. The biggest reason for using ticketing software is for ease of auditing.


4. The value is based on the overall value of the part-nership, not the individual value of a ticket

5. Goodwill cannot be measured; it is a great gesture when the tickets would otherwise go unused

How has being linked to premium seating and corpo-rate sponsorship in sports changed in light of today’s economic challenges? The biggest change is being forced to be more practical and accountable. Since the senior executives are more ac-countable, others in the company have to show value in what they are doing. Overall, premium seating inventory has been decreased due to pressures related to spend-ing and low usage rates. One concern from the insiders is that prices have increased. Also reported is the greater difficulty to fill a suite than three years ago. It is more challenging to find clients willing to attend; either they are not willing, or internal rules and company policies have changed, making it difficult for them to attend.

what do you think the person/company with one suite can learn from Fortune 100 companies that own multiple suites? It is critical that the person/company that has the suite establish objectives before buying and have a tracking mechanism to ensure tickets are being utilized for the in-tended purpose(s). Tickets should not be given to people who are not influencers in the decision-making process of buying the person’s/company’s products/services. Tickets should be annually rotated, allowing one to hit differ-ent targets. The most important thing to keep in mind is that an investment in premium seating is about creating a unique experience and not always about the game or matchup. Leveraging the connection to the team is the critical element.

– Dr. Peter Titlebaum, University of Dayton, Dr. Heather Lawrence, Ohio University, Dr. Christopher Moberg, Ohio University, and Ms. Christina Ramos, Ohio University

The most important thing to keep in mind is that an investment in premium seating is about creating a unique experience and not always about the game or matchup. Leveraging the connection to the team is the critical element.

Branding Bullseye: At Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, Cambria uses its suite as a “design studio” to activate its brand for guests 100-125 times a year.

THE CORPORATE TICKET MARKETPLACE:HOw LARGE IS THE CORPORATE TICKET MARKETPLACE?


The Corporate Ticket Marketplace in stadiums and arenas in the top 75 markets in the United States is a $10 billion industry that consists of approximately 30,000 suites and 800,000 club seats. Below is a summary of market breakdown analyses from the ALSD Research Division.

The Changing Landscape: Changing Premium Seat Paradigm

• 1990: 3% of all seats were Premium

• 2012: About 20% of all seats in new-ly constructed venues are Premium

Analysis: Size of Luxury Suite Market

Top 75 Markets

• Total Number of Suites: 30,000

• nOT including Play Games, Concert Marketplace

Breakdown of Suites• Total Number of Suites in the Five

Major Sports: 12,000 Suites• Will increase 10-20% in next 6 years

to approximately 14,000 Suites• Total Number of Remaining Suites:

College Market - Approximately 12,000 Suites

Racing, Golf, Minor Leagues - At least 6,000 Suites

Premium Seating

Number of Premium Seats (Club Seats):

At least 800,000 in top 75 markets


A newly constructed venue normally dedicates nearly 20% of its seating bowl to the premium markets. In terms of dollar volume, a new venue’s revenue can attribute close to 50% of its attendance revenue to premium seating. This percentage can be even more if you include premium seat financial tools that generate income such as Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs).

The five major sports have become dependent on premium seating revenue as construction has trended upwards in recent years as evidenced by the data below.

By 2008

Total Ticketing Revenue for Premium Seating approaches between 33.33% to 66.67% for most new venues

Market Size

• Approximately $10 billion total

• Professional Sports: $5 billion

• Remaining Markets: $5 billion

Size of Marketplace Number of Suites/Premium Seats

Going Higher

Overall Premium Seat Growth

Overall Luxury Suite Growth

Total Suites Growth Rate Total Club Seats Growth Rate Total Premium Seats Growth Rate

1997 8585 - 199484 - 331844 -

2002 11257 31.12% 387287 99.14% 568999 71.47%

2007 12175 8.15% 480595 24.09% 675395 18.70%

2012 14152 16.24% 620865 29.19% 847297 25.45%


THE CORPORATE TICKET MARKETPLACE:CHAnGES In PREMIuM SEATInG OwnERSHIP

Conditions in the premium seating industry might be characterized in a single statement: Times are changing. Common thought has always dictated that, if you secure a client, they are yours for a long-term deal. This is true today for a few select markets only. For the vast majority, it is the exception, not the rule.

The old rules for prospecting clients, selling suites, measuring value, and servicing clients are outdated. The landscape of premium seat ownership has changed. The current economy, along with the aging of some venues, requires that sales professionals look to the research and become more educated about current trends in order to retain customers.

The economic recession of the last five years has had an impact on the premium seating industry. Companies must now justify their expenditures to their boards, customers, and even the public more than they ever have in the past. It is up to sales professionals to understand and translate the value of ownership to assist owners in justifying contin-ued spending in this area. Premium seating sales profes-sionals must know how their clients plan to grow their business. Most importantly, they must be able to clearly articulate how the suite plays a critical part in achieving their objectives.

The industry is getting creative in its approach to changing trends. Venues are offering variable terms to get owners to commit to renewing premium seating. Some teams are already reducing suite ownership to sharing arrangements that could result in as much as 50% or less ownership. Some companies may divest its suites entirely as they choose to use their limited resources elsewhere.

Other solutions are possible. Teams have to under-stand the importance of suite administrators to the suite industry. These individuals are the link between the suite purchasers, users, and team and are in the trenches of suite management on a day-to-day basis. The owner can also be more effective by explaining the underlying reasons why premium seating was purchased and how to best manage this inventory. The end result is a win-win situation for all involved and a greater understanding of what is going on behind the purchase.

Another little-considered factor is food and bever-age (F&B) service. Most do not know or understand the role that F&B plays in the premium seating industry. The expectation is for the highest quality product with impec-cable execution; however, most are unaware of all the preparation that goes into preparing for the event. A great deal happens behind the scenes from the management to the service to the training of the employees. The end result is obvious, people eating and drinking, but the daunting preparation that goes into each game is not.

Over the last few years, revenues from premium seating have faced significant pressure due to economic turbu-lence and rampant corporate downsizing. Service repre-sentatives have the opportunity to turn the challenges of the last decade into an additional stream of revenue for the sporting organization/venue. The strategies examined to leverage new industry conditions will help all premium sales and service representatives achieve greater results and increase sales. Premium seating sales executives who understand their current and future clients and are willing to meet their wants/objectives will stand apart from others and solidify profitable and long-term mutually beneficial relationships with their most valuable clients.

Take-a-ways on winning in today’s corporate ticket marketplace:

1. Teams need to understand it takes more to keep a customer today.

2. Stop assuming those who purchased premium seating know how to activate their purchase.

3. A plan is needed by those who purchase premium seating to payoff long term.

4. The suite administrators should know the goal of the purchase of premium seating which helps in making sure ticket inventory does not go unused.

5. Food and beverage has the power to make an event special. Insight is needed in creating value by varying the menu.

6. The three most important perks to purchasers of premium seating is free parking, high-end gifts and experiences like traveling with the team, and getting down to the playing field.

7. Billing is an issue for premium seating customers who believe they should not be given different bills for tickets and food and beverage.

8. Many top executives do not believe ROI is the best way to evaluate a premium seating purchase; they seem more comfortable with a ROO model.

– Dr. Peter Titlebaum, University of Dayton

Companies must justify their expenditures to their boards, customers, and even the public. Sales professionals must translate the value of ownership to assist end users in justifying continued spending.

PREMIuM SEAT FACT SHEET• Thereareapproximately30,000suitesand800,000clubsseatsthatcomprisethe

premiumseatmarketplaceinNorthAmerica.

• Intermsofdollarvolume,themarkethasbeenconservativelyestimatedtogenerate$10billionperyearwhichonlyaccountsforsports,nottheconcertorentertainmentsideoftheequation.

• Foranewbuildinginamajormarket,premiumseatingnowgeneratesnearly50%ofthetotalticketingrevenue.Muchofthisincomeisnotconsideredpartofrevenuesharingwiththeleagueoritsfranchises.

• Inthepast20years,nearlyeverysportsteaminthecountryhasconstructedanewbuilding,almostentirelyasaresultofpremiumseatingandthecontractuallyobligatedincome(COI)itcreates.

• Premiumseatingconsistsofbothluxurysuitesandclubseating.Clubseating,individualseatsingreatlocationsinthevenue,are60%ofthemarketplace.

• Ifsoldonaper-square-footbasis,clubseatingisthemostexpensiveseatinthehouse.Themostexpensiveclubseatingiscourtsideseats.Often,thefrontrowofcourtsideseatsismorethandoublethecostofthesecondrowofcourtsideseats.

• ThemostexpensivesuitesarefortheSuperBowl.However,thegreatestrevenuebroughtinforsuitesintheUSOpentennistournament.Suitesforthiseventaresoldtwiceadayforatwo-weekperiod.

• Foodandbeverageisalargecomponentofthesuitemarketplace.Nearly20%ofthetotalcostofasuitecanbeallocatedtoF&Balone.

• Occupancyforthepremiumseatmarketplacehasdroppedabitsincethefallof2008.Butasecondgenerationofpremiumseatingisnowbeingdevelopedwithnewinnovativeapproaches.

• Thefacevalueoftheaverageticketownedbyabusinessis$154.

• Theaverageticketownedbyabusinessisusedtoentertain$107,624inpotentialorcurrentrevenue.

• Theaverageticketboughtonthesecondarymarketbyabusinessis$366perticket.



WHO DO COMPANIES GIVE TICKETS TO?

Business Development

58%

Charitable Donation 2%

New Clients 5%

Employee Reward 12%

Personal Use 4%

Sponsorship 12%

Marketing 1% Other 6%

Business Development Charitable Donation New ClientsEmployee Reward Personal Use SponsorshipMarketing Other

Our team executives believe that 42% of the tickets used by business are used for revenue growth. In fact: 3 out of every 4 tickets a company owns go to potential or current customers.

Companies plan early for the most valuable tickets: Of the 76% of tickets going to business development, almost all are distributed within the company a month or longer before the event

More than 90% of tickets used for Employee Rewards are given out at the last minute

CollegeSports

MLB NBA NFL NHL Other*0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

6%

17% 12%

30%

4%

30%

For a not-so-popular game, you may have one person asking for one ticket while the big game has fifty staffers fighting over the same ticket. The NFL is far and away the most popular league for corporate entertainment today with over 5 people asking for each ticket. The next closest: the NBA with 1.4 people asking per ticket

*Other includes Golf, Concerts, Broadway Shows, and other live events purchased regularly by businesses

Ticket numbers only go so far. We don’t just track the ticket assets themselves, we also measure the demand.

AND THE MOST POPULAR LEAGUE IS…

THE CORPORATE TICKET MARKETPLACE:wHAT DO COMPAnIES DO wITH $20 BILLIOn In SPORTS TICKETS?

According to the trash can, sports tickets aren’t worth much. Companies throw away more tickets than most fans will see in a lifetime. In fact, 43% of all tickets owned by businesses go unused. The average businessperson uses only 7.8 tickets total each year. But if tickets are used correctly, they are worth every penny. When a businessperson invites a guest to a game, that guest represents $161,544 in revenue for the company. An average luxury suite at just one game costs a company $3,080 and hosts $2.58 million in potential revenue.

The following graphical information comes courtesy of Spotlight Ticket Management’s corporate customer study which pulled data from over 4,000 companies and 5 million tickets. This sample is the broadest scope of corporate ticket data available from 2012 and includes a range of small companies with hundreds of tickets to enterprise giants with tens of millions dedicated to entertainment spend annually.

All ticket data is anonymous. Spotlight has maintained the integrity of data by adjusting for outliers and understanding the economic differences between each major region.


IF YOU HAVEN’T GOTTEN THAT INVITE YET…

0 to 7 Days 8 to 14Days

15 to 30Days

31 to 60Days

61 to 90Days

90+ Days0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

20%

13%

23% 24%

11% 9%

Most believe tickets are a last minute item. That is not the case for businesses. In fact, most companies know who is going to the game more than a month in advance.

Telecom 3%

Insurance 3%

Technology 3% Real Estate

4% Consumer Products

4% Banking

5% Health Care

5%

Construction 5%

Food & Beverage 6%

Automotive 6%

Leisure 8%

Media 8%

Financial Services 11%

Energy & Utilities 14%

Professional Services

15%

1. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

2. ENERGY AND UTILITIES 3. FINANCIAL SERVICES 4. MEDIA 5. LEISURE

There’s a good chance the person you see up in the suite works in finance.

*Ticket ownership by industry represents the number of tickets owned by each industry as classified by Dun & Bradstreet. Each firm is represented in their Dun & Bradstreet industry in the study with over 1000 firms used to compile data.

Over half of all sports tickets are owned by only 5 industries:


THE CORPORATE TICKET MARKETPLACE is undergo-ing a paradigm shift. What used to work no longer works as well when it comes to selling premium seats.

As a result of the marketplace shift, the ALSD is presenting a one-day Corporate Ticket Impact Confer-ence (CTIC, pronounced C-tick) intended to solve the pain points that many corporations feel currently when it comes to the millions of dollars of ticket assets they purchase.

This is a show with a point-of-view from the premium seat ticket end user.

Subjects covered at this April 16th conference at MetLife Stadium, home of Super Bowl 2014, will include:

• Ticket Utilization

• ROI and ROO

• Ticket Management, De-Bundling

• Electronic Ticket Transfer

• Sourcing Inventory for Major Events

• How to Truly Entertain Your Best Customers

• Tickets and Technology

• The Fan Experience

• Buyer Meets Seller

AnnOunCInG A nEw CORPORATE TICKETInG COnFEREnCE

CTIC: CORPORATE TICKET IMPACT COnFEREnCE

Corporate tiCketimpaCt ConferenCe

CTIC20

13

April 16, 2013MetLife Stadium

“We decided to do this show after we could clearly see that the corporations and teams were not on the same page in terms of marketing objectives,” says Bill Dorsey, Chairman of the ALSD. “Teams were too often selling real estate; corporations were buying the experience and return on their business objectives.”

“What is needed is a better understanding of busi-ness goals and objectives,” continues Dorsey. “Our annual Suite Holder Focus Group at the ALSD Conference each year is almost always our most highly attended session. We wanted to expand upon what we have learned from these sessions. CTIC allows us to do that. Teams can understand better the corporate objectives, and corpora-tions can better understand how the teams operate.”

CTIC is expected to draw between 300 and 500 at-tendees. More corporations than teams are expected to attend. There is a $500 cost for the day at MetLife Stadi-um; it does include breakfast, lunch, and a reception and tour of the $1.6 billion MetLife Stadium. Also included are nearly 50 speakers and 20 sessions.

For more information, go to www.CTIC2013.com.Or call: Bill DorseyChairmanALSD513-674-0555 [email protected]

For buyers and sellers of premium seating intended to maximize the value of corporate ticket assets

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There exists an industry-wide conflict between a surplus of suites and a lack of venues adapting with innovative premium products. On Opening Day 2013 at Progressive Field, the Cleveland Indians will usher in the exclusive new Premium Club which serves as another leading example of addressing changes in premium customer demands.

By Amanda Verhoff, Executive Director, ALSD

When Progressive Field was built in 1994, it had 132 suites. By 2012, that number had dropped to 111. And with lingering concerns over an industry that is not operating like it did in the

1990s, when suites sold out on 10-year leases, the home of the Cleveland Indians will again decrease its suite inventory by 15 in 2013. In response to clients unable to tolerate long-term leases and still too much suite supply, the Indians are unveiling what they hope is a solution to the current climate in sports economics: the Premium Club.

The construction of Progressive Field’s new Premium Club, located directly adjacent to the Press Box, on the first base side of home plate, follows an industry trend to decrease the number of luxury suites in North American sports venues. “It’s not a Cleveland issue,” says Ryan Robbins, Director of Pre-mium Sales & Service for the Indians. “It’s an industry-wide issue to decrease suites.” Because the Indians are embracing evolving trends and diminished customer budgets, Robbins believes the organization will deliver a desirable atmosphere in the Premium Club’s inaugural year.

A NeW WAveThe Cleveland Indians Premium Club, whose final name is still being decided upon, appeases some customers’ desires for a new product whose quality and value is somewhere between a club seat and a suite. What’s more, the new Club will help the team’s bottom line as well. At $150/seat per game, Rob-bins favorably asserts that the Premium Club “will fill a gap in current ticket inventory while also accomplishing the team’s goal of generating additional revenues.”

To determine the price point and amenities for the 5,000-square-foot, climate-controlled, fully furnished Pre-mium Club, the Indians researched other MLB ballparks, including Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati Reds), PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates), Safeco Field (Seattle Mariners), and Comerica Park (Detroit Tigers).

The Silver SuiTeRyan Robbins is versed in selling a suite turned club. While with the Oakland Raiders as Director of Premium Seating from 2009 to 2012, Robbins sold the Silver Suite, which

A premium oN NeW clubS

Quick HitsThe Cleveland Indians will

decrease the suite total at Progressive Field by 15 in 2013, replacing this inventory with a

new Premium Club.The Premium Club, whose

final name is still being decided upon, is a new product whose

quality and value is somewhere between a club seat and a suite.

The Premium Club price point is $150/seat per game. Only

full-season packages are sold, but 3-year contracts do offer escalator

protection, and shared packages are available.

The Premium Club incorporates all-inclusive food

and beverage concepts, including 8-12 menus rotating during the

season and changing each game.

A Premium Club: Progressive Field’s new 5,000-square-foot premium product combines a loft theme with a sports bar, incorporating high ceilings, dark grey floor tile and carpet, maple wood paneling, solid surface countertops, and brown and blue accent tile.

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“We are continually looking to develop different products to fit the segment that demands a fresh alternative to the traditional suite.”

– Ryan Robbins, Cleveland Indians

Never Too Much of a Good Thing: Pending the success of the Premium Club, more suites could be removed and replaced in the future with two or three similar clubs.

Have a Seat: The Premium Club contains 85 not-for-purchase seating options, including restaurant-style tables with standard chairs, highboys and drink rails with stools, half-moon tables with stools, and two semi-private networking areas with a love seat, club chairs, and a coffee table.

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was essentially a traditional 18-person suite that was sold by the seat for $350 per game. In its second year, the idea was expanded to a second suite, where the number of seats sold tripled. That same philosophy is now how Robbins is treating the Premium Club.

The mAke, model, ANd mArkeTiNgMuch credit for the new premium product goes to Alex King, Vice President of Marketing and Brand Management for the Indians, who was formerly in Brand Management at Procter & Gamble. As Robbins explains, the final design, menus, seat-ing, amenities, and F&B options stem from client surveys and focus groups conducted by King. Designers and architects for the Premium Club renovation proceeded only after clients’ wishes were examined (See sidebar on page 70 for full design team). Ideas were amassed, and a combination of a loft theme and sports bar emerged with high ceilings and wood paneling.

Robbins adds, “There is a craft beer craze going on in Cleveland. We are working on the Premium Club’s beer selec-tion with Delaware North Companies. As big as craft beer is, we are doing all we can to ensure options are plentiful and congenial to clients’ newly crafted pallets.” Currently Pro-gressive Field serves craft beer, including local Ohio brewers, throughout the ballpark.

According to Robbins, many current Indians premium clients have an appetite for something more unique than a traditional suite, so the club’s initial target clients were existing suite holders, diamond box seat holders, and club seat holders. “We haven’t had any [cannibalization],” Robbins contends. “A former suite partner who decided not to purchase a suite did buy in the Premium Club, but the revenue is more now be-cause of the package they had in their suite.”

That particular client had a quarter-season suite package, whereas the Premium Club only offers full-season packages. Additionally, there are no discounts offered in the club; al-though, 3-year contracts do offer escalator protection, and shared packages are offered. “If a client wants eight halves, we create a partnership where essentially it is four fulls,” explains Robbins. “My team can match them up with other clients who want a similar package, or the client can find a partner who will purchase the other half season.”

To attract the high-level business customer for the Premi-um Club, a wave of marketing – direct mail, email, videos, and phone calls – is taking place. In addition to current customers, the following are being targeted:

• Top iNduSTrieS: Robbins worked on top industry categories, using SIC codes and demographics like location, revenue, and employee size, with Full House Entertainment Database Marketing and

premium club AmeNiTieS100 High-Back Leather Permanent Seats: Sold as season tickets

20 Auxiliary Seats: Sold to existing Club clients, corporate partners, or suite holders on a game-by-game basis

• Wooden seats located at the far end of the Club• Seats not marketed to the public • Auxiliary seat holders can also sit in any of the 85 not-for-purchase

seating options below*:1. Half-moon tables with four stools, adjacent to drink rails behind permanent leather backs2. Two locations of semi-private networking areas with a love seat, club chairs, coffee table, and no TV for private conversations and meetings3. Highboys, some with stools, some without4. Restaurant-style four tops with standard chairs

Exclusive Restrooms in the Hallway Just Outside the Club Entrance

Parking: The Indians are anticipating guaranteed parking spots will be in-cluded in the ticket price

All-Inclusive Food and Beverage:• Upscale menus infused with regional or “opponent” flair and dishes

indigenous to Cleveland • Menus that change each game; 8-12 menus rotate during the season• Food Network offerings like the popular Hot Dog Bar• Beverages, including beer, wine, bottled water, and soda through

the middle of the 7th inning

8-10-Inch, Deluxe Drink and Dining Rails

Between Seat Side Tables for F&B, Smartphones, and Personal Belongings

Opening Day Gift

Electronic Tickets and Ticket Transfers (No Hard Tickets)

Concierge Desk

20 High-Definition Televisions

L-Shaped Bar, Easily Servicing 120 Clients

Retractable Floor-To-Ceiling Glass Kept Fully Open in Favorable Climates

Debossed and Embroidered Logos in Exclusively Designed Furniture by a Local Company

Views of Pre- and Post-Game Shows on SportsTime Ohio (STO)• The STO studio is adjacent and exposed (through glass) to the Pre-

mium Club• Shows will be piped into the club up to a half hour before the club

closes post-game• Indians alumni will visit the studio often and sign autographs and take

photos in the Premium Club

*The Indians could sell the inventory behind the permanent seating, which would nearly double the sellable inventory and revenue. The team has opted not to at this time, based on seat holders who need the tables or couch seating for business meetings and networking.

Supporting Role: Twenty wooden auxiliary seats, not marketed to the public, are sold to existing Club clients, corporate partners, or suite holders on a game-by-game basis.

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did his own analysis to produce a Cleveland Top 10 Industry List.

• corporATe dATAbASeS: The Indians use Hoovers databases. Categories are split by sales reps.

• SAleS NAvigATioNS: Indians sales reps are matched up with Indians executives’ LinkedIn pro-files and personal connections. Reps can also search LinkedIn by industry for a small fee.

• cANcel liSTS: Five-year season ticket holder cancel lists are mined and marketed to.

Marketing a high-end product requires face-to-face meetings as well. “After all,” Robbins contends, “you can’t sell a $200,000 suite or full-season club package over the phone.” In saying so, Robbins makes outside sales calls and includes a leave-behind for prospects and clients.

SuiTeS AT progreSSive FieldDespite the fact that many teams are christening ballpark clubs while tearing down suites, there will always be a need for traditional suites. Clients are simply demanding more for their money in today’s economic climate. When Robbins is asked, as he often is, “How can you fix my suite cost?”, he re-plies, “What can the Indians offer you that would deliver more value?”. Robbins knows that personalization is key. In saying so, the Indians offer:

• Half- and quarter-season suite leases • Food and beverage credits, especially for long-term

clients• Food packages on a fixed price point • Mascot visits which are popular on Sunday games

with families and guests• Opening Day, bi-annual suite administrator, holiday,

and other touch point gifts• Rental suites at variable/dynamic prices • Considerations for flex suite plans for 10-, 25-, and

50-games with lower price points as the number of games increases

premium club deSigN-build TeAm• Construction Manager: Gilbane Building

Company (Cleveland)• Architect of Record: ka architecture (Cleveland)• Mechanical, Electrical, and Structural Engineer:

Thorson Baker & Associates (Richfield, Ohio)• Interior Architect and Conceptual Designer:

POPULOUS (Kansas City)

Through the Looking-Glass: Premium Club members are afforded a benefit unique to Progressive Field: views of pre- and post-game shows in the SportsTime Ohio studio exposed to the Club through glass.

Under Construction: Construction of the Premium Club, including its L-shaped bar that will easily service 120 patrons, will be completed by Opening Day.

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The mASTer plANThe master plan at Progressive Field is to create neighbor-hoods to fit all budgets by offering options to general and pre-mium fans alike. Finding the right number of suites to fit the market is one focus of the ballpark restructure. Pending the success of the Premium Club, more suites could be removed and replaced with two to three similar clubs. “Ninety suites are still too many for our market,” says Robbins. “So we are con-tinually looking to develop different products to fit the seg-ment that demands a fresh alternative to the traditional suite.”

Additionally, the current Terrace Club, which houses over 2,000 club seat holders, could get a facelift. Robbins explains, “The club was built in the 1990s. Today, we can’t be as ex-clusive as we would like with the amenities. Because of the large fan base in the club, it is very difficult for the food to be high-end enough to maintain the business clients who are entertaining and networking with their clients and who desire more than ballpark fare.”

Ultimately, the Indians are committed to maintaining Pro-gressive Field as one of the premier ballparks in the country. The Premium Club is merely the beginning of a venture to transform the overall ballpark blueprint. By continuing to lis-ten to the needs and desires of fans, the organization hopes to create the most dynamic mix of premium neighborhoods and fan-friendly seating for all fans. #

How is your venue decreasing suites but not revenues?Write to Amanda at [email protected] up NeXT:

geTTiNg From STreeT To SuiTe

dedicATed To premiumClevelander Ryan Robbins brought a repertoire of premium knowledge back home with him when he joined the Indians in 2012. Robbins previously spent time with the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Fire, and Oakland Raiders. With both the Raiders and Indians, he has initiated true premium departments. Whether the departments were either under a general sales blanket or there simply were not enough staffers to meet client demands, Robbins was part of a re-structuring process that defined premium as its own entity.

At the Indians, Robbins currently works with three newly hired sales execu-tives but is also fortunate that his group, season, and inside staffers are profi-cient in all premium products, so he can rely on them to sell rentals and lower-ticket premium products. Robbins is the first premium director the Indians have had in six years. Previously the ticket sales director controlled all accounts. The philosophy Robbins is working to instill is that while education on all prod-ucts is key, differentiation in departments is necessary for sales efficiency.

Connect with Ryan Robbins: Ryan M. RobbinsDirector of Premium Sales & ServiceCleveland Indians Baseball Office: (216) 420-4154 Mobile: (216) 469-8497Email: [email protected]

Ryan Robbins explains that the Premium Club only decreases suites, not revenue: “It will fill a gap in current ticket inventory while also accomplishing the team’s goal of generating additional revenues.”

Deliver real-time messaging to improve efficiency and ensure accuracy.

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GettinG From Street to Suite Part i: ParkinG

Yes, we really are talking about parking in this article. While it might not sound exciting, it is of noted importance to premium seat customers, helps set the tone for the overall event experience, and is a profitable revenue stream for new and older facilities.

By Peter Titlebaum, Ed.D, University of Dayton and Debbie Titlebaum, MBA

Editor’s Note: There have been no buzzwords used as frequently as “Fan Experience” over the past couple years in the sports industry. But what exactly is the fan experience for premium customers? And what should it be? Over the course of this series of articles researched by Dr. Peter Titlebaum and Debbie Titlebaum, SEAT will inves-tigate all the nooks and crannies of the event experience from soup to nuts, from street to suite. There are many critical components, but it starts, as does our series, with parking. Check back in the spring issue as the series continues.

Luxury is the expectation set at the time of a premium seat purchase. But even before the event begins, it can be muddied by parking difficulties, customer service shortfalls, and other value-losing logistical mistakes.

Think of parking as a necessary evil. It is like a referee: we all know that they are important to the game, but no one wants them deciding the outcome.

The same can be said for parking. Many older facilities are hampered by the fact that parking was not part of their upkeep program; therefore, little attention was given to the quality or flow of parking services. While many people come early to the game, generally, everyone leaves as soon as the game con-

cludes. Facility administration has tried in vain to convince people to stay longer; however, when the event is over, many guests prefer to leave the arena or stadium immediately. This often creates a bottleneck when as many as 100,000 fans try to leave at once.

Different factors affect parking depending on the sport. In the NFL, with only ten games a season, fans seem to be more reconciled to stay through the end of the game. But in a sport like baseball with more than eight times the game/event fre-quency, some are inclined to leave after the 7th inning stretch. If the facility staff shifts from service mode to clean-up detail, it encourages the public to follow suit.

the FirSt event touch PointIn a recent project, our research group uncovered the purchase expectations of premium seat holders and contrasted them with the actual experiences from the perspective of those who sell luxury seats. A total of 49 professional sports organiza-tions responded to the survey out of a possible 122. All of the “Big Four” leagues were represented: NFL (14), MLB (13), NBA (11), and NHL (11).

Little variation was found in the responses between the

Quick HitsIn a recent research project

to uncover the purchase expectations of premium seat

holders, parking was noted as an important factor for

these top customers.Newer facilities have a far

greater number of premium parking spaces than in past

decades to capture the profit potential of this revenue stream.

Older facilities have options available to upgrade their

parking services without substantial renovations.

Some teams now offer valet parking. The Texas Rangers

manage valet services while creating profit opportunities by

linking parking to Lexus, a luxury sponsor.


“Big Four” professional sports leagues, demonstrating they have more in common than is generally considered. Park-ing was noted to be an important factor for premium seating ticket holders. It is the first personalized touch point between the suite holder and the venue and sets the stage for the event experience.

A friendly greeting at the garage entrance sets the mood properly and can provide helpful information to help the fan avoid frustration. This encounter can be further enhanced by a good plan using traffic lights or police to keep traffic moving. While most tolerate without reprisal some congestion, they want to avoid the inconvenience of a significant traffic back-up.

Customer service is kept in the forefront of parking by put-ting the same people at the same places to build relationships with the fan base. Because these people are the front line, they get all kinds of questions. Develop a cheat sheet that has all information on it. We know most are dealing with temporary workers, but teams can still engage them and make them feel good about answering customers’ questions. It seems small, but it is the little things that make a big difference. And it gets everything off to a good start. The last thing a team wants is for its best customers to come and tell them about their bad experience in the parking lot.

ParkinG aS a key and ProFitabLe FeatureAdditional research has shown that new facilities more recent-ly built have a far greater number of premium parking spaces than in past decades. Significant and proven profit potential is likely the cause. Further, if much of the investment in building is geared towards the customers, the rest of their experience should also be considered. When building a new facility or anytime a venue is looking to obtain and retain premium cus-tomers, it is important to first determine the factors that drive value and will therefore heighten the user experience. Service is one critical area, and it starts with parking.

Several facilities have embraced the concept of parking as a key feature of the premium seating offering. The Amway Cen-ter in Orlando built their parking garage adjacent to the arena with an over-street walkway, leading right up to the premium level. The Dallas Cowboys located their ample parking facility inside the building itself, shielding fans from the elements and lengthy walks to their seats. The Miami Heat provide parking beneath the building while providing direct access for the best customers. For each of these teams, as soon as their premium customers enter the garage, they are in the team’s care.

Older facilities also have options available to upgrade their parking services without substantial renovations. One example

is a Park and Ride and VIP-quality shuttle, as is done in Nash-ville at LP Field, home of the Tennessee Titans, through an agreement with the local public works department. A bridge with easy access from downtown is closed to all but buses go-ing to and from the stadium, allowing clear traffic routes to the stadium and alleviating some traffic pressure from local streets. There is nothing impeding a good experience. The surface lot for premium ticket holders is separate from general traffic, fa-cilitating easy departures when exiting the stadium.

vaLet ParkinGSome teams have started implementing valet parking for pre-mium seat holders. For example, the Texas Rangers developed Lexus Valet Parking, available on each side of Rangers Ball-park in Arlington, at a cost of $40 per vehicle. Parking spots can be purchased in advance. Through a sponsorship with Lexus, they maintain the cachet of a high-end product by linking parking to a brand known for luxury. This team figured out how to manage valet services and simultaneously create profit opportunities.

The Miami Dolphins also offer valet parking as a pre-paid service available only with certain Club Level Memberships. A valet parking option provided by the Tennessee Titans en-sures that cars will be parked in a fully-secured lot with a short walk to LP Field.

From Street to Suite and back aGainFinally, when premium seat holders are ready to leave the game or the event, let them leave on their own accord. Service should continue until all have departed, and the event experi-ence has reached a natural conclusion. Their exit should be as hassle-free as their arrival, leaving the venue with a positive re-view, regardless of the on-field performance. The journey from the street to the suite and back again should not overshadow the activities on the field. Parking is an issue that doesn’t al-ways garner a great deal of attention, but a bad experience is long remembered. #

Are you a team, venue, or company interested in participating in futureresearch in the areas of premium product ownership, sales, and marketing?Write to Dr. Peter Titlebaum at [email protected].

This article could not be written without the support of Russ Simons with the Venue Solutions Group and Eddie Stewart from Stewart Transportation Solutions.cominG uP neXt:

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Parking is an issue that doesn’t always garner a great deal of attention, but a bad experience is long remembered.

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And Much More: In addition to their home clubs, ClubCorp stadium club members also have access to a network of private golf and country clubs, including the notable Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, pictured here.

The “World Leader in Private Clubs” has partnered with college athletic departments to operate stadium clubs that provide amenities outside of just the home venue on gameday. At a growing number of facilities, members now benefit from year-round access to a nationwide network of golf clubs, dining clubs, hotels, and more.

By Patty Jerde, Communications Specialist, ClubCorp

cLubcorP Stadium cLubS Got Game…

on home gamedays, The Texas Tech Club in Lub-bock – located in AT&T Stadium on the Texas Tech campus – is swarming with premium ticket holders cheering on their beloved Red Raiders

while enjoying panoramic views of the game, gourmet cuisine from the club buffet stations, and beer, wine, and signature cocktails like the Starlite Red Raider Martini. Meanwhile, adjacent to the northwest corner of the stadium, Texas Tech Club members and members of other clubs in the ClubCorp network are taking advantage of the Masked Rider’s Hideout, an exclusive upscale tailgating tent, featuring a buffet and full bar of its own with live music.

But it isn’t just during gamedays that the club is a flurry of activity. Throughout the year, the private club serves its more than 1,950 members – including alumni, faculty, and staff along with the Lubbock professional, civic, and social com-munity – as the pre-eminent spot in town to connect with one another through a variety of dining, social, and networking events. Since opening in 2010, The Texas Tech Club, a mem-ber of the ClubCorp family of clubs, has quickly become an integral part of the university and the community.

a home aWay From homeClubCorp, the World Leader in Private Clubs, has pioneered professional management of the private club industry for more than 55 years and currently owns or operates a network of more than 150 golf and country clubs, business clubs, sports clubs, and alumni clubs in 23 states, the District of Columbia, and two foreign countries. So, it comes as no surprise that the company brings a unique and beneficial approach to operating private clubs on university campuses.

“ClubCorp brings not only a great value to the members of stadium clubs but also to the universities and stadium owners which are benefitting from a year-round everyday club concept, premium suite services, and an enhanced revenue stream,” says Dave Woodyard, ClubCorp Executive Vice President, Busi-ness and Sports Clubs. “Stadium clubs also serve as ‘hubs’ for the worlds of university academics and athletics as well as each community’s professional, civic, and social needs.”

In addition to The Texas Tech Club, alumni stadium clubs in the ClubCorp family include The University of Texas Club in Austin and The University Center Club at Florida State University in Tallahassee, while non-stadium university clubs include The University of Massachusetts Club, Boston Col-

Quick HitsClubCorp-operated stadium

clubs on university campuses, such as the University of Texas, offer members a place to work and play throughout the year,

not just an amenity on gameday.The stadium clubs serve

academics and athletics as well as each community’s civic

and social needs. Club member benefits include

access to more than 150 private golf and country clubs, business

clubs, and resorts as well as more than 1,000 hotels, restaurants,

and entertainment venues. ClubCorp generally will lease

space from the university, who receives a percentage of gameday

and non-gameday revenue as well as annual membership dues.

and much more


lege Club, and The Carolina Club at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. With a total of more than 14,000 members, alumni clubs represent one of the company’s most dynamic business segments.

For those members, the alumni clubs serve as a “home-away-from-home” – within the spirited tradition of their alma maters – where they can connect, work, host, play, and cel-ebrate throughout the year.

the univerSity oF teXaS cLubThe University of Texas Club, with an elegant décor, combin-ing warm cherry wood with granite and rustic tile with the Longhorn logo and UT memorabilia incorporated through-out, provides the perfect backdrop for members to commemo-rate the traditions and spirit of the university by connecting with fellow members and the community. Business events at the club include young executive mixers, weekly networking breakfasts, business leader luncheons, and area-Rotary Club dinners, while members just wanting to socialize can attend one of the many wine dinners, member parties, or holiday cel-ebrations.

For the hardcore Bevo sports fanatics, the club holds pep rallies prior to home football games, watch parties on away gamedays, and even “flashback” viewing parties when mem-

“Stadium clubs also serve as ‘hubs’ for the worlds of university academics and athletics as well as each community’s professional, civic, and social needs.”

– Dave Woodyard, ClubCorp

Bon Appétit: Clubs, such as The Boston College Club (top) and The University of Texas Club (bottom), feature superior dining facilities, open throughout the week, for business meetings and civic gatherings.

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bers and their guests watch classic UT football and reminisce about games gone by while enjoying draft beer and a happy hour buffet. The Longhorn spirit continues through basketball season when the club offers a basketball buffet and shuttle to the men’s games. Similar events and activities take place every day at the alumni clubs across the country.

more than JuSt a Gameday cLubThe clubs also feature superior dining facilities, open through-out the week, with innovative menus offering both traditional and regional gourmet cuisine such as Savannah Style Crab Bisque (The Carolina Club), Quesadilla Style Pulled Brisket Sandwich (The Texas Tech Club), and the Blackened Grouper Sandwich (University Center Club at Florida State). With amenities that include multimedia-capable meeting and con-ference rooms along with full catering service, the clubs also serve as the ideal locations for educational seminars, business meetings, and professional gatherings.

But the stadium club member benefits go far beyond the first-class amenities of their home club. Members also have access to ClubCorp’s industry-leading network of more than 150 owned or operated private golf and country clubs, busi-ness clubs, and resorts in the country as well as more than 1,000 hotels, resorts, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Notable properties include Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Cali-fornia, Capital Club Beijing, and Metropolitan Club Chicago.

Hook ’Em: The University of Texas Club is the perfect backdrop to

commemorate university traditions with fellow alumni or impress

clients at business events.

more coLLeGe neWSon aLSd.com:univerSity oF cincinnati hoPeSto add SuiteS to niPPert Stadium

cLubcorP aLumni/Stadium cLubSat a GLanceClubCorp helps universities and sports teams by reinventing existing clubs or creating new clubs from the ground up. These stadium clubs provide alumni, faculty, owners, and fans a place to celebrate and support the university or sports team on gameday as well as a year-round facility for dining, meetings, civic, social, and educational events. In addition, club members have access throughout the year to a network of more than 150 private golf and country clubs, business clubs, and resorts across the country.

There are currently more than 14,000 members at the following six top-tier university clubs:

the university of texas clubAustin, Texas

the boston college club Boston, Massachusetts

the carolina club Chapel Hill, North Carolina

the university of massachusetts club Boston, Massachusetts

the university center club at Florida State universityTallahassee, Florida

the texas tech club Lubbock, Texas


a revenue Stream For the univerSityWhile the members have fun and enrich their lives through their memberships and the accompanying benefits, the uni-versity and their supporters enjoy significant benefits as well. ClubCorp brings to the table – in addition to the worldwide network of member benefits – a membership dues-based business model, collaborative relationships with multiple general concession operators and vendors, industry-leading sales practices, member programming, cost controls and ven-dor pricing, and, of course, a recurring revenue stream to the university.

Though the structure of the stadium clubs vary, ClubCorp generally will lease space from the university, make an initial capital investment, put together and train a team of employ-ees, and, moving forward, oversee operations, procurement, and accounting, while the university receives a percentage of gameday and non-gameday revenue as well as annual mem-bership dues.

“The success of our stadium clubs is really just a matter of maximizing the utilization of a space that, for many, holds significant meaning, emotions, and prestige,” Woodyard says. “ClubCorp provides the know-how to make the club run smoothly and profitably, while the members bring the energy and life to the club. For them, the club serves as a welcom-ing home-away-from-home that feels like it has been in their families for generations.” #

How do your stadium clubs generate revenue and offer member benefits on non-gamedays?Write to Patty at [email protected].

cominG uP neXt:SeatinG aPPSon the uPGrade

“the members bring the energy and life to the club. For them, the club serves as a welcoming home-away-from-home that feels like it has been in their families for generations.”

– Dave Woodyard, ClubCorp

Top: Additional notable golf properties in the ClubCorp network include Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.

Bottom: The Texas Tech Club is the pre-eminent spot in Lubbock to connect with the university and the community at large through a variety of networking events.


Upgrading (and Upselling) from the Cheap seats

Everyone’s been there before: you take a look at the calen-dar, find the perfect game to attend with your buddies, and put together the entire grandiose night, only to find out that your seats don’t exactly match your expecta-

tions. There was a time when that situation might ruin your entire experience. But that isn’t the case anymore.

Over the course of the past few years, a ticket application market has emerged which ranges across the board from ticket sales to paperless ticketing. One particular segment of the ticket application market that has been gaining traction recently is in-venue seat-upgrade apps.

The idea of such applications is to create a market for a team’s distressed inventory on a particular night at its venue through use of mobile application(s) which can only be ac-cessed by fans that are already in attendance at that night’s game. This is a particularly interesting space for teams, as it provides an opportunity for both single game buyers as well as season ticket holders to sit in seats that they may have never thought they could attain.

According to Nick Young, the President of Second Seats, the model relates to what the airline industry has been us-ing for several years now to offer upgraded seat options for passengers. “Airlines have focused relentlessly on pricing and customer loyalty because the margins are so low and the com-petition is so fierce,” Young explains. “In the last few years, similar pain points have emerged in live sports and entertain-ment, and we’ve seen similar innovation.”

The average purchasing decision for tickets to a game or concert is made from a desk in between calls and emails at work or from a laptop on the couch in between episodes of SportsCenter. That is far from the case when using apps like Pogoseat and the aforementioned Second Seats.

According to Young, “The upgrade market exists because the value of next-level seats is more tangible in-house than it is on any seat map. Throw in the sunk cost of the original tickets, limited inventory, clear competition from other fans, a limited sales window, and the ease of mobile, and it’s a pretty clear picture: upgrades are the ideal impulse purchase.”

Clearly, ticket upgrading is far more tangible than the initial ticket buying process. In many cases, a fan can literally see the seats that they are looking to purchase from their original seats. And the product is not only simple for the consumer, it is a rather painless transition for the team or venue to get started as well.

in-venue seat-upgrade apps have emerged. these applications provide fans more control over their game experience, and teams more opportunities to capture data and upsell ticket packages.By trevor allison, ticket sales professional

SporTS TEchnology cornEr

According to Evan Owens, Founder of Pogoseat, there’s a simple four-step process for a team to get activated into us-ing their application during their games. “The first step is to design a unique seating map into our cloud-based system to correlate with the team or venue seating map,” says Owens. “Once the seating map is designed, we build the inventory and pricing set up. From there, it’s as easy as training the ushers and implementing a marketing plan in the arena.”

Most of the companies in this market have even taken to a price-share model with the teams, so there is literally no cost to get started. When you combine the low cost to the team with the impressive accessibility that cloud-based systems of-fer, it’s pretty clear that this market has huge growth potential.

Implementation has gone well for the teams that have opted to begin using a seat-upgrade application. For example, the Golden State Warriors have partnered with Pogoseat for this 2012-13 NBA season. According to Owens, the Warriors have had over 300 fans that have logged on to their app dur-ing any given game this season, and approximately 40 fans per game are actually upgrading their seats.

While the 40 seat upgrades may seem marginal from a revenue standpoint, the data that can be captured from these transactions proves valuable. Once fans upgrade their seats, their information is plugged into the team’s Ticketmaster (Archtics) system and CRM system as well. This creates a golden oppor-tunity for a team sales representative to approach this customer about purchasing season tickets, or if they are already a season ticket holder, upgrading their current season ticket plan.

Sports teams aren’t the only viable market for these applica-tions either. Expect to see seat-upgrade apps make a big splash in the concert and touring events industry as well.

Pogoseat has already secured a partnership with Ticket-master and Live Nation to support concerts in venues across the country, while Second Seats has been partnering with the WWE.

“Second Seats is bullish on our growing partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment and the product we’ve built for the touring space,” says Young. “The upgrading setup on tour has more moving parts, but fans respond well because each show has that one-night-only type of buzz.” #

Are you interested in learning more about seat-upgrade apps?Write to Trevor at [email protected].

Quick HitsSeat-upgrade applications

create a market for a team’s distressed inventory through use

of mobile apps which can only be accessed by fans that are already in

attendance at the game.The value of next-level seats

is more tangible in-house than it is on any seat map. Upgrades are the

ideal impulse purchase.Most companies have

a price-share model with the teams, and there is no cost

to get started.The Golden State Warriors

have had over 300 fans that have logged on to their app

during this season.

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SAlES TrAining WiTh cAry KAplAnMore Fish Bowls “Never answer an anonymous letter” — Yogi Berra

Most of us recognize that few things are as potent or effective as exceptional customer ser-vice. As a result, we treat our

premium seat holders with tremendous respect. We provide great seats, pleasant hospitality, quality food, exclusive offers, unique experienc-es, and other great benefits with the objective of making an evening at our game one that will be remembered for a long time.

Unfortunately, memory is nothing if not fleeting.

Most of those who we entertain, while they may have had a great experience, will rapidly move on to other things. Sadly for us, the amaz-ing experience that was created for them will erode rapidly as soon as the next week, the next day, even the next hour.

For the one or two people who purchased the suite, we will send thank you notes, offer our appreciation, and invite them back for future visits. But in a suite of 15 people, that means we only have a relationship with 5%-10% of those attending, 5%-10% of those who had a great time.

When we put this into the context of other businesses, it is apparent how absurd this is. Imagine for a moment that you are flying cross country. How comfortable would you be if the airline let just anyone walk on and only knew 5% of the people on the plane? No chance right?

Now I am not suggesting that we as suite di-rectors adopt the rigorous screening procedures of airlines (talk about a nightmare as far as fan experience), but there are some things we can do to improve the 5%-10%.

Many restaurants have the time-honored tradition of a fish bowl on the counter where businesspeople can deposit their business cards. Sure you could win a free lunch, but more im-portantly, the restaurant subtly learns who some of their clientele are.

Now remove the fish bowl, offer a bigger prize, make it fun, and we create the ability to find out the vast majority of attendees rather than strictly the hosts. Instead of a free lunch, imagine giving away a team autographed jersey,

an opportunity to meet the player of the game, an LCD TV, or a high-end BBQ. The huge upside of getting to know our clientele far out-weighs the nominal cost (which should be less anyways as most will be donated by sponsors) of providing these prizes to suite holders.

Sports teams have a powerful tool that many businesses can only dream of. Would Gilette or Coca-Cola or McDonalds not salivate at the ability to know the names, phone numbers, and emails of even a fraction of their customers? For them, it is awkward, cumbersome, and in most cases, unacceptable. Not for us; most executives, even those at a senior level, generally protective of their respective identities, are in a particularly relaxed state of mind at a game as they “escape” the day-to-day rigors of life.

The following statement is not intrusive, but rather exciting, if delivered correctly:

“Sir/Miss, sorry to bother you, but we are run-ning an exciting promotion at today’s game. If you have a moment to provide us with your business card, one fan at today’s game in one of the suites will be winning a state-of-the-art BBQ (or a trip for two to the World Series, or a $1,000 airline voucher, or a weekend getaway)”.

Now you may be saying this isn’t a very new concept. To that I would say two things: 1) Are you doing it? 2) Let’s be creative and go beyond the traditional approach.

The digital media world allows for a multi-tude of ways to be creative, fun, and exciting in the area of name capturing. Specifically, one of the major trends in our premium seating indus-try has been increasing the use of Wi-Fi broad-band capabilities in our suites; in some cases, for the entire facility. Generally, the rationale is that we want our fans to be able to stay con-nected while they are at the game, tweet some-thing cool they just experienced to their friends, check the scores of out of town games, or see how the play on the field is affecting the world of fantasy sports.

All good things. But why stop short? Are we maximizing this opportunity and creating a “fishbowl?” What if to gain full access to free Wi-Fi, all you had to do was input your name, phone number, email, and seat location. Do you think people would mind?

While I understand that the previous exam-ple can be expensive for some venues, the point here is the need to be creative. Be it through traditional channels or through advanced tech-nology, in order to provide sustained and excep-tional customer service, we must know who our customers are, and 5%-10% is not enough.

So stop what you are doing, head over to your local pet store and buy a fish bowl (no fish or water required).

What are some other creative ways to capture customer names?Write to Cary at [email protected].

Be it through traditional channels or through advanced technology, in order to provide

sustained and exceptional customer service, we must

know who our customers are, and 5%-10% is not enough.


When the early pioneers came across the Great Plains, they had to figure out most every-thing for themselves. There

was no “Handbook of Pioneering” to refer to, no friendly Indian guide to lead the way, or even a map to follow. Trial and error was a way of life.

Today’s suite prospects – the people we sell to – can’t afford to be pioneers.

They have no budget or patience for trial and error. In their minds, pioneers are the ones who get shot full of arrows. They want the benefit of knowing what mistakes others have made when using a suite or premium seats, so they know what to avoid. In their world, “best prac-tices” are not just a nice thing to know; they are essential to the buying process.

So whose “pioneer tales” are you selling? Are they the ones from you, the sales rep, that are naturally biased toward spinning a positive outcome? Or are they the ones your prospects really want to hear, from real people that have experienced the positives and negatives about your suites, who’ve been to the mountain and back?

If your presentation includes only informa-tion from the team or venue, you’re leaving out a vital piece of sales data. Who else in a simi-lar situation has experienced success with your suites, and how have they made it happen?

If Others say It, It Must Be trueTestimonials, success stories, and before/af-ter statistics from real customers can be some of your most powerful sales information. The late Chet Holmes called it “social proof ” in his book, The Ultimate Sales Machine. In order to be more credible, many successful organizations use the authentic stories of others to commu-nicate value to their prospects.

Getting these golden “social proof ” pieces, however, can sometimes be as daunting as the sale itself. Who should you single out, and how should you go about getting their story for use in your marketing efforts?

hOw tO Gather “sOcIal PrOOf”First, identify those on your current customer lists that would make good testimonial pros-pects, with a good mix of tenure, experience, and seating goals. Approach them to make sure they’re receiving the kind of ROI that would be print-worthy, and if so, ask if they would be interested in being a part of your team’s mar-keting collateral, spotlighting them as a “for-ward-thinking” company. Most who are asked are flattered that you’ve thought of them and appreciate the positive publicity.

Next, interview 3-4 contacts within the company that have connection with their ven-ue investment, including the administrator of the seats, the decision-maker(s), and those who have directly used the seats to achieve the com-pany’s objectives.

Some good questions to ask for possible in-clusion in the piece might be: “What are your general impressions of the venue?”, “What do your guests/users like best about your seats?”, “What would you tell other businesses about the venue/team?”, and “What advice would you have for other businesses looking for (in-sert company’s business objective here)?”

Consider videotaping your contacts while asking them these questions, using their logo in the background of the shots to give their com-panies the props they deserve. Get a few excel-lent quotes, and be sure to have each of them sign a waiver OK’ing you to use their likeness and quotes. Finally, produce the piece (whether in video or printed form) and get their OK on the final version.

checklIst fOr the fInal PrOduct In your final, BRIEF video or printed version for use by your sales team, here are some of the elements your prospects will want to know about your “pioneering” current customers:

COMPANY INFO: Don’t assume that every-one will know the company and what they do. Include their primary business category, num-ber of locations, and number of employees as well as how long they’ve been associated with your team. Names and titles of decision-mak-ers (with head shots) can significantly add to the piece’s credibility.

GREAT PHOTOS: If you’re creating a one-sheet, don’t skimp on the photos. If you have a professional photographer internally, that’s great. But if you don’t, hire someone who knows what they’re doing. Take a few FAB-u-lous photos of the client(s) and/or their pre-mium seating guests, getting waiver signatures from them as well.

OBJECTIVES: What do they want to accom-plish with your team each season? Be as quan-titative as you can with percentage increases in sales/closing ratios/retention/satisfaction,

lay out the recipe for success as if the person who’s reading

is seeing a “cheat sheet” on how to do premium seating the right way from someone

who’s been there before.

SAlES TrAining WiTh bill guErTinSuite Sales Reps: Whose Story Are You Selling?



Washington State University[continued from page 20]

decreases in turnover/absenteeism/HR costs, or other measurables. METHODOLOGY: Who decides how the company uses their seats? What criteria do they use? What have they found to be the most suc-cessful formulas for utilization and return? Lay out the recipe for success as if the person who’s reading is seeing a “cheat sheet” on how to do premium seating the right way from someone who’s been there before.

RESULTS: Just as in the Objectives section, be as specific as you can with quantifiable numbers and details. (Notice we haven’t said anything about your amazingly talented sports team, your record, or even your sport).

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE: Will the com-pany be back? What will they be changing? Adding on? Doing differently?

Video is becoming more and more promi-nent in decision-making, so give serious consid-eration to 2-3 good video pieces in lieu of (or in addition to) one-sheets. Consider these pieces to be your audition tape/resume for the pros-pect. How would you want to be portrayed? Put your team’s unique spin on the finished product. Whether it’s a printed piece or a video, be sure to give it your “brand”, whatever that may be.

Pioneering may have won the West, but in the case of selling our premium inventory, it won’t often win a client. Put them at ease with proof that others have blazed a trail before them, and you’ll close more deals.

How do you sell your current customers’ stories to a prospec-tive client?Write to Bill at [email protected].

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of Stadium Gorilla – a sales training and consult-ing firm to dozens of teams in the professional sports industry. He is the author of two books, including The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market, and speaks regularly to corporate and conference audiences on improving sales performance. Learn more at www.StadiumGorilla.com or reach Bill directly at [email protected].

Sales Training with Bill Guertin[continued from page 90]

Chesapeake Bayhawks[continued from page 22]

unique perspectives that you can only get inside the facility.”

Market surveyWashington State University sits in a unique market. Pullman has a population of only 29,000 people. The post-renovation capacity of Martin Stadium is 33,522. So the size of the City of Pullman can double on gameday with some suite holders with business ties and affili-ations in Eastern Washington coming to town from larger markets such as Seattle and Port-land. Thirty-percent of WSU’s season ticket holders drive three hours or longer to come to a game. With so many out-of-market fans, WSU hired Conventions, Sports & Leisure Interna-tional (CSL) to conduct an analysis to ascertain demand for premium products.

“One of our smarter moves was doing a mar-ket survey,” Johnson says. “Not only did it help us build a facility that’s efficient, but it also gave us credibility going to the bond market.” Con-struction was financed largely by the sale of $80 million in bonds, which will be paid off with the revenue generated by the new Pac-12 television contract as well as through donations. No tax dollars were used in financing.

a BrIGht and sustaInaBle futureOverall, Martin Stadium serves as a great ex-ample to those Pac-12 athletic departments and others around the country pursuing similar pre-mium seating upgrades. Working with ALSC Architects in Spokane, AECOM in Kansas City, and Hoffman Construction, Inc. in Port-land, the renovation was designed and built in only 17 months with construction concluding three weeks ahead of schedule. The facility in-vestment is part of a sustainable financial future for the entire athletic department and brings a new face to Washington State University and its football program. “It completely changed the image and atmosphere of our stadium,” says Johnson. “We’re excited for what [the renova-tion] will do for the future of our program.”

–– Jared Frank

For additional information on the Martin Sta-dium renovations, including the second project of the Martin Stadium Football Facilities Improve-ments: a $61 million Football Operations Build-ing, visit www.thecougarfootballproject.org.

a band plays at the tailgate, and alcoholic bever-ages are available.

Waiting for the birthday child in his or her reserved party space was a team-signed jersey and card signed by the entire Bayhawks’ front office. Every child guest received a team-signed poster. After presents were opened, it was time to eat pizza and a personalized cake from team marketing partners Papa John’s and Caroline’s. Branding for both sponsors was included on the postcard and throughout the Birthday Bash area.

Pricing for the Birthday Bash package is $30 per guest for bench seating tickets and $35 per guest for seatback tickets. Eighty-percent of the groups purchased the $35 per ticket option. One group purchased a suite in the stadium for the evening instead of having the party out in the Birthday Bash area.

a feather In the Bayhawks’ caP“With what we paid for the list, I was expecting a return of 3-4 to 1, revenue to dollars spent,” admits May. “We greatly exceeded that goal.”

In fact, the Bayhawks were rewarded with an 8:1 return on investment. And moreover, the team’s birthday party revenue contributed to a 160% increase in group sales.

Full House has a new division called Full House Direct that offers full-service direct mail campaigns, including variably printed, person-alized postcards. The Bayhawks chose to do the postcard printing on their own because of a prior arrangement with a team sponsor who handles all print materials.

hawk-eye tO the futureIn addition to the birthday leads, the Bayhawks have considered different group and season ticket databases through Full House. The team plans to invest in another 4,000-6,000 names to add to the list purchased this past champion-ship season and do another mailer in 2013 and the years to come.

Contorno is high on all event marketing ini-tiatives. “Don’t stop with kid’s birthdays. Teams can also market adult birthday parties, com-pany anniversaries, ethnic heritage, networking events [industry-specific, chambers, alumni], bar mitzvahs, and business/executive recogni-tion parties.”

–– Jared Frank

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coming ATTrAcTionSIn Future Issues of SEAT:

The Conference Preview Issue:Plan Your Trip to Orlando/Tampa

The Future of How Teams Will Sell Sponsorships and Premium Seats

State of the Industry Survey Results From Victus Advisors

PLUS:

The Next Installment of our From Street to Suite Series

The Next Sales Training Lesson from Bill Guertin


Where Palm Trees Sway: The ALSD Conference and Tradeshow in Orlando/Tampa will be here before you know it. As of the print deadline for this issue of SEAT, there are 156 days, 9 hours, and 1 minute until show time.

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SEAT Winter 2013

Sports

Transcript of SEAT Winter 2013