Flash Seats is one of the more revolutionary products in ticketing. Sam Gearce has overseen its implementation with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and expanded Flash Seat’s reach into professional and college teams. Gearce talks about dynamic ticket pricing, ticketless entry and some of the other technologies, which Flash Seats will be innovating for the next few years. Twitter @FlashSeats
Madison Mallards President Vern Stenman has his work cut out for him. The Mallards are one of the most successful collegiate summer wood baseball leagues in the nation, utilizing several professional team practices in terms of sales and marketing. Stenman talks about the challenges moving forward, as well as the development of two other teams within the collegiate summer wood baseball league, as well as the Madison market. Twitter: @MadisonMallards
Dr. Barry Kahn founded QCue, Inc., helping foster dynamic ticket pricing’s rise with the San Francisco Giants in 2010. It changed the ballgame, causing front offices to embrace analytics in revenue streams for the first time. Kahn explains how the process of variable pricing works, some of the factors which teams still aren’t doing correctly, and how it can help generate more revenue in a fractionalized world. Kahn does all of this while sitting through the World Baseball Classic at Chase Field, during the Italy vs. USA game. Twitter: @DrKahn
At a university where the rival school has won consecutive FCS Football Championships, Director of Ticket Sales & Promotions Dexter Albrecht has managed to push the envelope in collegiate ticket sales. His goal is to continually establish a cohesive ticket sales strategy that ensures UND's success, regardless of whether that is on the football field, basketball court or the ice. Albrecht talks about UND, his time selling tickets for the NHL's Minnesota Wild, and how he got into the business.
The NHL's Phoenix Coyotes have undergone a remarkable transformation in a comprehensive sales effort to prove that hockey can work in the desert. The Forum, a first for the podcast, includes the four Coyotes' sales managers, offers up expertise on the ground floor of the franchise. Guests: Nick Myers (Manager of Group Sales), Lindsay Kray (Manager of Customer Service), Justin Brickner (Manager of New Business Development), and Ian Winklmann (Manager of Inside Sales). Each of the guest offers up a unique view of professional and personal growth within a major league franchise, as well as how to break into sports and stay in after someone gets there.
President of STR Marketplace Preston Hill talks about NFL teams and the opportunity to push personal seat licenses sales higher through online portals. Hill talks about the current state of the PSL, different opportunities that the teams have in order to ensure that the “waiting list” grows instead of shortens, and what teams are doing to re-engage fans with luxury suite and premium seating options.
Bakersfield Condors President Matthew Riley has the task of making hockey cool in the desert. Riley talks about initiating various promotions, including Charlie Sheen Night, taking the Teddy Bear Toss from Canada, and bringing a live Condor to a game only to have the bird break free & sit on the bench for a youtube clip that wound up on ABC’s Good Morning America. Riley talks about the tasks in front of the team in terms of ensuring that Bakersfield is a hockey town despite the arid temperature.
The Golden State Warriors have achieved some remarkable ticket sales goals in 2012-13, and one of the members of the team responsible is Account Executive Andrew Rossi. The NBA team was highlighted in the Wall Street Journal for their efforts to win in sales despite the product on the court. Rossi talks about engaging customer service, trying to seek out what the customer really wants through a conversation, and doing whatever it takes to ensure quality for each customer down the road.
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.
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