Sr. Director of Tickets for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Zach Brockman talks about engaging fans and customers long term. Brockman speaks about the methodology behind training his new hires, how as a student of both GameFace, Inc., and Jon Spoelstra’s books, in the world of ticket sales & professional sports.
Preston Shytle comes from the third party ticket sales model at the Aspire Group into his current position as director of development at the University of Maryland. Shytle talks about the current annual giving model, and developing a sales mentality of customer service.
Andrew Doeschot has risen through the St. Louis University Athletic Department ranks from his start at the ticket office to his current role as an associate athletic director. Doeschot talks about the ticket sales impact of hiring the late head men’s basketball coach Rick Majerius had on the Billikens. Doeschot also discusses the role of the athletic department within the university’s mission and maintaining expectations while keeping within a budget.
Fan Development Manager Ryan McKee is making every attempt to show Australian Rules Football’s Essendon Club some of the newest promotions to engage fans. McKee talks about his time with the club, the adjustment to the AFL and the country of Australia, as well as discusses his native Canada, detailing his time with the Vancouver Canucks and MLS WhiteCaps.
Jerry Seltzer’s father Leo created the sport of roller derby in 1935, but Jerry has carried the legacy as the World Skating League’s Commissioner since Leo’s death in 1978. Jerry talks about some of the different situations in which roller derby managed to draw upwards of 20,000 to 30,000 people to a single event. Jerry also talks about his industry influential decision found BASS Ticketing Systems, eventual working with both Ticketmaster and Brown Paper Tickets. Seltzer discusses how Ticketmaster's issues with Pearl Jam created a backlash in ticketing, resulting in Brown Paper Tickets, which allowed standup comedians like Louis CK and Doug Stanhope to control their own customer base in exchange for smaller service fees. Twitter: @jeryseltzer
Durham Bulls General Manager Mike Birling deals with a 1980s hit movie, a historical minor league club and a new ballpark. Birling talks about promotions within the ballpark, refusing to provide giveaways or heavy discounts to single game customers, in order to protect the valuable price point. Birling also talks about the misconceptions of the duties of a minor league general manager and some of the new revenue streams that are just being realized by each club in the MiLB.
George Stieren oversees communications for the final three races in the NASCAR series at Miami-Homestead Speedway. Stieren talks about NASCAR’s involvement with social media, its acceptance of new media, and how to innovate in a world where communication changes daily. Stieren also talks about his involvement with the San Diego Padres organization.
Bryan Killingsworth has one of the most dynamic positions in the NFL today. The VP of Marketing & Brand Strategy for the St. Louis Rams, his task is to alter the perception of each home gameday, reinvigorate fans and ensure a high attendance mark even if the team isn’t winning many games on the field. Killingsworth talks about different marketing & brand affinity concepts he’s employing, as well as his time with the Tampa Bay Rays as Sr. Director of Marketing & Promotions, where the team finally decided to drop the “Devil” from the hometown moniker.
Collegiate Consulting Founder Russell Wright started out with a simple third-party sales concept for university athletic departments: while other third party sales focused on the big schools, Collegiate Consulting would try to help the small schools as well. Since opening their doors, Collegiate Consulting has serviced over 300 institutions, conferences, and organizations in 45 starts in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. Wright talks about selling university athletic departments on sales model concepts and the push-back often felt from change.
Director of Sales & Marketing Ted Tseng has his work cut out for him at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Denver Outlaws are one of eight teams in Major League Lacrosse but have set massive attendance records in their seven-year franchise existence. Tseng talks about how the Outlaws have engaged non-lacrosse fans to provoke some of the largest attendances in the history of the outdoor sport with upwards of 29,000 or more, and make some of the other local professional teams a little jealous. Twitter: @Tseng44