1 National Association of College Marketing Administrators Maximize the Potential of Your Ticket Operations.

1 National Association of College Marketing Administrators

Maximize the Potential of Your Ticket Operations


Agenda

• Introduction

• Chris Peludat, U. S. Air Force Academy

• Craig Pintens, Marquette University

• Charlette Blubaugh, Kansas University

• Summary


Chris Peludat

Assistant Athletic Director

U. S. Air Force Academy


Background

• Our stadium is older – no ATM in

the stadium

• Did not accept credit cards at the

concessions

– Limits what people can spend

• Wanted to generate new revenues

via concessions and merchandise

• Better serve customers with an

exceptional experience

Wanted to elevate fan convenience


Background

• Wanted to install Access Management after ‘06 football season

– Implemented Access in basketball during the 2006-07 season

• Experienced a roadblock in hard wiring the stadium

– Hardwiring the stadium was cost prohibitive

– Discussed options for Access Management: wireless with Paciolan and Motorola

– Developed a wireless mesh network for access points

• 11 of 16 access points do not have an ethernet cable running to them

• Spoke with Phillies to learn about their PowerTicket

• Met with IMS to discuss options

Needed to build the digital infrastructure


Action Taken

• Implemented a new POS system for

concessions & the STADIS product

– Integrated communication between

Paciolan, Concessions, & Gift shop

• Introduced the "Lightning Ticket"

product and concept

– Enabled fans to purchase concessions

or retail with bar-coded ticket

Implemented Access and introduced Lightning Tickets


Action Taken

• Tested the system at the second home football game – First 500 people received a bar-coded

concession voucher

• Offered the Family Value pack for the third home game– Included 4 Lightning Tickets with $5 retail

value on each ticket

• Sold single Lightning Tickets for all remaining home football games – Fans purchasing a single ticket pay an

additional $5 and receive a $7 stored value

The genesis of the Lightning Ticket


Action Taken

• Lightning Tickets were included in

premium men's basketball tickets

– Courtside VIP season tickets include a

$15 credit per game

– Center Court Club season tickets

include a $5 credit per game

• Available for select single games

for men's basketball and hockey

• Accepted at all vendor locations by

the end of basketball season

Continued the program through basketball and hockey


Results

• Sold on average almost 900 Lightning Tickets per game for the

last 4 home football games

• Sold over 7,500 tickets during 2007-08 across all sports with

stored value

– Nearly 40% of all single sales were Lightning Tickets for the individual

MBB and Hockey games we offered them

• Added benefit to premium seat season ticket holders for

basketball

• Built the infrastructure for continued growth

Offered fans a paperless experience to purchase concessions


Tips for Success

• Start with smaller groups and smaller segments

• Maintain the consistency of who is selling tickets

• Educate concessionaires on what to expect

• Streamline the resolution process

– Have a central person to be a contact on game day

• Have more staff on hand initially to get the program started

Create and adhere to a roll out plan


Future Steps

Build upon the momentum of Lightning Tickets

• Created a 50 Yard Line Club at football stadium and included a $5 per

game credit on every seat

• 3,692 seats/game

• Internet pre sale of Lightning Tickets before general public sale

• June 1 – Lightning Tickets for 08 football season went on sale on website

– Sold 950 Lightning Tickets in first 4 days

• Offer it on every seat & price level across football, basketball & hockey

• Multiple venues and sports

• Adding 5 vendors at football games who accept Lightning Tickets

• Increase that number each year

• Sell sports campers bar-coded wristbands with stored value


Future Steps

• Account Based Stored Value– Use this in addition to per game stored value– Target premium areas, i.e. Courtside Seats, Club Seats at football– Gives fans flexibility to use when they want & add more if they use it all

• E-Z Pass Technology– Option to have a credit card associated with a barcode– Establish parameters to have minimums/maximums charge to card upon usage

• Donation Level stored value– Incorporate stored value levels based on donation levels

• Loyalty Program– Currently developing a Loyalty Program– Give stored value amounts to season ticket holders who reach certain

attendance milestones


Craig PintensAssociate Athletic Director

Marquette University


Digital Ticketing Background

Implemented Account Manager & Ticket Forwarding

The evolution of Marquette’s digital ticketing strategy

Moved to 100% print-at-home tickets for students

Offered Ticket Exchange

Evaluating moving tickets to student IDs & credit cards

Adding value to Marquette

athletics and fans

1

2

3

4


Ticket Exchange Background

• Overcome fear of the unknown

with the secondary ticket market!

• Make more money and provide a

service to season ticket holders

• Soft roll out for Ticket Exchange

during 07-08 season

• Aggressively marketing Ticket

Exchange for 08-09 season

We have a strategic initiative to capture secondary ticketing opportunities


Ticket Exchange as a Benefit

• Our entire lower bowl is sold out

– Non-conference games have several empty

seats

• A mechanism to get people to attend

games and fill seats

– Liquid movement of tickets to fans that can

attend

• Offer your fans added security

– Deactivate barcode for sold ticket & activate

the print-at-home barcode

Offer as a benefit targeted to season ticket holders


Ticket Exchange - Business Rules

• Your fans are already selling

above face on 3rd party sites!

• Realize significant lift above face

value for ticket resale

• Georgetown tickets avg. 264% lift

above face value!

• Notre Dame tickets avg. 193% lift

above face value!

Enabled fans to sell above face value!


Ticket Exchange - Steps Taken

• Run Access Manager report to

identify fans who did not attend

• Sent an email and called targeted

accounts

– Alert fans of the ability to forward to a

friend, or put tickets up for resale

• 50% of no-shows attended next

game after being contacted

Target no-shows to educate fans of digital services


Ticket Exchange - Results

• Averaged a 96% lift over the face value of the tickets

• Resold 640 tickets with our first year via a soft rollout

– Have aggressive plans for this year, expect big results!

– Provides a great tool to up-sell fans to become season ticket holders

• Great retention tool - money goes back into the season ticket

holder account

– Incentive for fans to buy more singles and renew their tickets

Fans love the ability to resell unused tickets above face value


Ticket Forwarding

Challenge

• Students are not allowed to sell their tickets– Check student IDs at the entrance and the student section

• Student attendance during winter break was very low

Solution

• Enabled fans and students to forward tickets digitally– Filled empty seats in the student section

• This is our third year offering ticket forwarding

Result

• 2007-2008: Season Ticket Holders: 3,346, Students: 9,867

• 2006-2007: Regular Season Ticket Holders: 2,368

Allow fans and students to forward tickets to fill seats


Charlette Blubaugh

Assistant Athletics Director

Kansas University


A Short Introduction

• Ticketing automation began circa 1980– 1995: Ticketmaster sold their first on the

Internet– 1998: Paciolan sold first via U of Colorado

• If you aren’t scanning tickets today…..you are already behind!

• We are raising Generation Y! – What is ticket stock?!

Where are we going 1 year, 3 years, a decade….?


A Short Introduction

• Today:– Add value for patrons– Increase productivity and revenue,

decrease expenses– Infrastructure in place for future

• Tomorrow:– Keep up with trends and

technology– Continue to please our patrons– Prioritize future ROI efforts

What Digital Technology Means at KU


Digital Implementation

• 2004 Access Management– Initial roll out with volleyball

– Implemented student ID access to all men’s BB games

• 2006: Ticket Marketplace– Sent announcement letter to all donors

– Privileges given based on membership level

– Public pays to access site

• 2007: Season Ticket Cards– Mandatory for faculty/staff; optional for donors

– Motivation: solve faculty/staff scalping issue

– Well accepted: educated/promoted usability

The History of Digital at KU



• Patron: ease of entry, transfers, & resales

• Venue:

– “true numbers”; no more voodoo mathematics

– Control secondary market

– Save money

– Go Green!

The Results of KU’s Entrée into the Digital World



• Currently planning the next phase of our strategic plan

• Components

– Broaden usage of season ticket cards; more incentives, more sports

– Concession credits “handle with care”

– Move single and season tickets to credit cards

• Investigating the use of cell phones as a digital ticket

The Future of Digital at KU


Your Digital Plan

• Investing in digital technology today opens up revenue streams tomorrow

• Patron benefits– Enhanced customer service– Ease of entry, ease of purchases– Convenient method to resell or transfer

ticket– Loyalty rewarded

• Organization’s financial benefits– Sell more tickets and retail products;

decrease expense– Reduction in staffing; ability to do more with

less– Minimize fraud– Minimize/eliminate the unauthorized

secondary market

What Should Digital Ticketing Mean to Your Organization?


Your Digital Plan

• Know where the industry is headed– Read, read, read– Talk to your colleagues

• Know how your operation will be affected– Reduction of will call lines– Internet sales reduce wait times at

windows and on phones– Processing time and errors reduced

• Plan effective implementation – Tailor roll out to best affect your

operation– Communicate plan and timeline with

business partners

Understand the Basis for a Strategic Plan


Your Digital Plan

• Develop a strategic a plan and with every new phase be prepared and intimately involved with the process – Know your fan/donor needs– Ensure that it satisfies current industry

trends and provides for the future– Know the technology and have a

disaster plan

• Partner with a company that can meet your needs– Hold them accountable – Know their ropes

Tips for Successful Planning


Your Digital Plan

• Sell the strategic plan to administration; include plenty of metrics

• Be accountable to your boss, your customers and yourself

• Most importantly, make your AD shine!– Side benefit: you will be noticed!

Be Successful in the Eyes of Management



Questions?

1 National Association of College Marketing Administrators Maximize the Potential of Your Ticket Operations.

Documents

lightning ticket slide

single lightning tickets

stored value slide

momentum of lightning

football season

hockey slide

lightning ticket product

stored value use