Gary Gelinas operates several junior hockey league teams and a minor league baseball franchise from his Phoenix desert office - Everett Silvertips, Texas Tornado, Amarillo Bulls, North Iowa Bulls, Peoria Pines. Gelinas has also owned and operated his own franchises in the past: Nanaimo Clippers Jr A hockey franchise, Venom Spring Teams, Vancouver Island Hockey School, and the expansion Nanaimo Timberman Sr A Lacrosse franchise, as well as served as general manager and president of the New Mexico Scorpions of the Central Hockey League. Gelinas knows the sports business intimately, speaking in terms of ticket sales, branding, the infusion of insuring that price points are kept, the viability of ROI with traditional media, branding, and several other key components to building a franchise’s base and successful future.
Mike Gordon offers up various strategies of how the Wolves have positioned themselves in the major market of Chicago. The Wolves have the metropolitan area to itself while the NHL's Blackhawks are on strike, but Gordon thinks that's not a good thing, especially long term. Gordon talks about how the team markets itself, trying to make itself "cool" to the younger population, without spending into oblivion on premium giveaways, as well as consciously keeping the play on the ice from being hindered by group or promotional activities. Gordon discusses the issues surrounding how the Wolves' price point of $9 has led to its success, especially in selling out $50 glass seats.
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John Dittrich has spent 40 years in professional baseball, with 36 of it being in the minor leagues, both affiliated and independent. Dittrich talks promotions that have gone wrong, the differences between what regions get & don't get about certain marketing, how to craft a good lease agreement with a stadium, and what generally works for a new owner's good business plan. Dittrich expands into why the minor leagues are able to draw fans when some of the bigger leagues can't, and talks ticket sales, marketing, corporate sponsorship and why some teams fail because their ownership didn't take the operation as seriously as they should. Twitter: JohnDittrich
Jim Weyermann operates one of the newest pro sports franchise operations in the country, The Santa Cruz Warriors, an NBA Development League team. The SC Warriors have a long championship history during the organization’s incarnation as the Dakota Wizards, winning titles in the International Basketball Association (2000-01), The Continental Basketball League (2001-02, 2003-04) and the NBADL Championship (2006-07). Purchased by the Golden State Warriors, the team became the fourth in the NBADL to be fully owned by an NBA franchise. Moving to Santa Cruz in time for the 2012-13 season, the newly-named Warriors have a brand new facility in a public-private partnership, as well as the challenge of building up a fanbase from scratch. Weyermann talks about how his twenty-six years of professional sports experience will help make Santa Cruz the perfect location for a minor league basketball franchise. Twitter: @DLeagueWarriors
Yates is the guy that a franchise ownership group calls when they are either looking to buy into a market or sell out of one. Yates is part of the W.B. Grimes Sports Advisory Group, which evaluates the value of franchises, puts together the deals with discretion, while pulling off major and minor league deals across the country. Yates talks about going into team situations, understanding the details behind the deals, and ensuring that the general fan base does not get agitated along the way. Yates has pulled off some of the larger major league franchise deals lately, but also has sold several hockey and baseball franchises in the minor leagues. Yates describes various marketplace nuances and how to overcome obstacles on his way to a sale. Twitter: @YatesieTweets