Maximize the Potential of Your
Ticket Operations
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Agenda
• Introduction
• Chris Peludat, U. S. Air Force Academy
• Craig Pintens, Marquette University
• Charlette Blubaugh, Kansas University
• Summary
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Chris Peludat
Assistant Athletic Director
U. S. Air Force Academy
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Background
Wanted to elevate fan convenience
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Background
Needed to build the digital infrastructure
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Action Taken
Implemented Access and introduced Lightning Tickets
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Action Taken
The genesis of the Lightning Ticket
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Action Taken
Continued the program through basketball and hockey
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Results
Offered fans a paperless experience to purchase concessions
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Tips for Success
Create and adhere to a roll out plan
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Craig Pintens
Associate Athletic Director
Marquette University
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Digital Ticketing Background
The evolution of Marquette’s digital ticketing strategy
Evaluating moving tickets to
student IDs & credit cards
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Offered Ticket Exchange
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Moved to 100% print-at-home
tickets for students
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Implemented Account
Manager & Ticket
Forwarding
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Ticket Exchange Background
We have a strategic initiative to capture secondary
ticketing opportunities
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Ticket Exchange as a Benefit
Offer as a benefit targeted to season ticket holders
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Ticket Exchange - Business Rules
Enabled fans to sell above face value!
• 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!
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Ticket Exchange - Steps Taken
Target no-shows to educate fans of digital services
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Ticket Exchange - Results
Fans love the ability to resell unused tickets above face value
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Ticket Forwarding
Allow fans and students to forward tickets to fill seats
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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Charlette Blubaugh
Assistant Athletics Director
Kansas University
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
A Short Introduction
Where are we going 1 year, 3 years, a decade….?
• 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?!
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
A Short Introduction
What Digital Technology Means at KU
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Digital Implementation
The History of Digital at KU
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Digital Implementation
The Results of KU’s Entrée into the Digital World
• Patron: ease of entry, transfers, & resales
• Venue:
– “true numbers”; no more voodoo mathematics
– Control secondary market
– Save money
– Go Green!
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Digital Implementation
The Future of Digital at KU
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Your Digital Plan
What Should Digital Ticketing Mean to Your Organization?
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Your Digital Plan
Understand the Basis for a Strategic 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Your Digital Plan
Tips for Successful Planning
• 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
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Your Digital Plan
Be Successful in the Eyes of Management
• 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!
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators
Questions?
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National Association of College Marketing Administrators