The Experience App just won the Best In Sports Technology Award in 2014 by Sports Business Journal. Ben Ackerman comes on the podcast to discuss what the Experience App is, and how it can revolutionize sports revenue in-arena by developing a newer smartphone technology to allow VIP experiences as well as in-game upgrades for fans. This is a new territory for sports business, as in-stadium WiFi capabilities are being established and upgraded, as well as the idea of franchises accepting as much small data information to build customer profiles to sell more to their fans as well as understand fully who their fans truly are. Twitter: @ExpApp
The Fargo Force junior hockey league team is tasked with the impossible each winter; put on a compelling hockey product with a small population, against one of the premier college hockey teams in the country (North Dakota). Trevor Christiansen has been with the Force for several years as first an intern, and now as ticket manager, and explains how the organization markets itself and remains successful, despite the fact that other previous professional hockey entities failed in that same market. Twitter: @ForceTicketGuy
Jason Rittenberry is one of the key players in The International Hod Rod Association, as well as the International Raceway group, which owes and operates several raceways throughout the country. IHRA is the second-largest drag racing and fourth largest motorsports sanctioning body in the world, hosting two national touring series, the Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series, and the Thunder Jam Series, covering over 12,000 racers while sanctioning over 100 motorsports facilities. Rittenberry talks about the issues facing motorsports in general; the struggles that oval track races are having compared to drag racing's renaissance, as well as how to attract more of the public to the track. Twitter: @JMRittenberry