Ron Goch
The Telios Group
Email Ron

Our Social Networks

AddThis Feed Button

Pages
Links
Categories
Archives



Minimum Numbers for Group Discounts

June 29th 2009

Q. As you consult with sports teams around the country, what do you find to be an average number for minimum number of group tickets in order for a group to receive discounted group tickets?

A. The minimum number of group tickets for college athletics and sports teams varies from college to college and team to team, but it’s usually a minimum of 10 (birthday packages) to 25 group ticket, and many of the colleges and sports teams I’ve worked with establish a minimum of 20 or 25.

Here are five colleges and professional sports teams and their group ticket minimum requirements: (more…)

Comment | Permalink


Group Leader Rewards Programs

December 31st 2007

Q. It appears sports teams are creating group leader rewards programs, which is something we have not done yet.  Could you provide examples of sports team’s group leader programs for us to consider?
 

A. Many sports teams do provide group leader benefits and incentives.
 

For example, the Reebok Rewards Program was created by the Indianapolis Colts to reward group ticket leaders for taking time out of their schedule to organize a group outing with the Colts. All rewards are based on the total number of tickets per order and benefits are as follows: (more…)

Comment | Permalink


Bobble Heads on Traditional Slow Nights

October 8th 2007

Q. Would you recommend a team give away bobble heads and other popular premium items on traditionally slow attendance nights in an effort to increase attendance and the season ticket holder show rate?
 

A. I’d recommend a sports team invest in attracting large groups and organizations with special ticket packages that could include bobble heads and specialty items, and unique experiences for a special package price. (more…)

Comment | Permalink


Investing in Group Ticket Sales

June 26th 2007

Q. Is it really worth the investment of time and money to try and promote and sell group tickets for sports like soccer and volleyball when tickets are only $5 and the group price is half that price?
 

A. It’s well worth the time and effort to commit to selling group tickets for all revenue sports including soccer and volleyball. (more…)

Comment | Permalink


Information on Hosting a DECA Night

June 20th 2007

Q. I’ve heard hosting a DECA Night could be a great group ticket program. Do you have a few best practices or examples you could provide?
 

A. DECA has proven to be a great group night event in many markets for sports teams, and here are three examples of teams who have hosted successful DECA Nights and a workshop: (more…)

Comment | Permalink


Customized Group Ticket Flyers

June 14th 2007

Q. When it comes to group ticket flyers, is it best to customize flyers for groups or simply provide group brochure and customize the group experience?
 

A. I recommend you prepare three to three to four group ticket flyer templates you and your sales team can use. This way, all you need to do is customize the headline, ensure proper pricing, and add the group’s logo and any short tidbits special to the group. (more…)

Comment | Permalink


Senior Citizen Group Ticket Nights

May 16th 2007

Q. Are sports teams offering senior citizen discounts or senior adult group nights, and if so, do you have any examples you could share?
 

A. Many sports teams, as well as arts and theater, offer Senior Citizen or Senior Adult group ticket events, as well as senior citizen ticket discounts.  Here are some examples from sports and entertainment: (more…)

Comment | Permalink


Deliver What Groups Want for Their Events

February 19th 2007

Q. Have sporting events lost their attractiveness with traditional youth organizations like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts who used to attend in large groups?
 

A. Absolutely not. Scouts and others still attend sporting events in large numbers.  In fact, instead of one annual Scout Night, sports teams are hosting multiple Scout Nights each season.
 

A couple keys for having a successful Scout Night – or any group night event – would be asking the prospecting group what’s most important to them and what they’d like to do for their group event.  Be as creative as you can and deliver on what they would like for their night. (more…)

Comment | Permalink


Host a Dance Clinic

November 17th 2006

Q. I’ve heard more and more teams are utilizing their cheer and dance teams to host clinics to not only teach kids how to cheer and dance, but also as a means of selling game tickets. I think this could work for us and hopeful you could recommend a college or professional sports team who does this well.

A. Cheer and dance clinics, as well as player, coaches and referee clinics, are great programs to offer your fans while selling more tickets to yoru events.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be hosting three dance clinics during the basketball season and you can access information for the clinics, along with registration forms here.

*********************************
Ron Goch,
The Telios Group
Sign up for our free eNewsletter, Ripples 

Comment | Permalink


Group Sales Strategies for Various Sports

October 16th 2006

Q. You’ve provided many examples for basketball and football group ticket sales programs. Would the sales process or strategies be any different for baseball, soccer, volleyball or any other revenue sports?
 

A. There’s no difference in the group ticket sales process for all the sports listed above, as well as other sports you may want to sell group tickets. The strategies transfer well to various sports as well as one-time sporting events.
 

***********************
Ron Goch, The Telios Group
Sign up for our free eNewsletter, Ripples

Comment | Permalink


Best Day and Time to Host Boy Scout Event

October 5th 2006

Q. What is the best day, time and month for hosting a Boy Scout event at a football game?
 
A. This is a great question to ask your local Boy Scout Council versus trying to figure it out yourself.  They will tell you what day, time and month would work well for them.
 
Too many times we create a theme night schedule and then approach the groups. It’s best to meet with prospective groups to create and customize their event, and then create your calendar based on the dates your groups have chosen to host their events.
 

Remember, it’s all about them – their needs and their objectives.
 

***********************
Ron Goch, The Telios Group
Sign up for our free eNewsletter, Ripples

Comment | Permalink


One Group Ticket Price vs Multiple Prices

July 17th 2006

Q. Some sports teams offer one group ticket price and others offer multiple group ticket prices. What do you recommend?
 

A. I like tiered group ticket prices which offer group discounts based on the size of the group.  For example, a 25 to 49-person group might receive a $3 group ticket discount on each ticket, and a 50 to 99-person group might receive a $5 per ticket savings.
 

***********************
Ron Goch, The Telios Group
Sign up for our free eNewsletter, the Telios Telegram

Comment | Permalink


Generating Ticket Sales for a Losing Season

April 28th 2006

Q. In your opinion how closely linked are sports marketing (such as promotions, give-away items, halftime performances and public relations) to ticket sales for an athletic event?  Meaning even if a team is having a losing season is it still possible through hard work and determination from a marketing side to have good attendance at the games?
 

A. The question of the day a few weeks ago centered on generating ticket sales when losses pile up and you can read about that post here for the answers to generating attendance whether you’re experiencing a winning or losing season.
 

As for how closely linked promotions, give-away items, half-time performances and alike are to generating solid ticket sales, I believe the total event and fan experience needs to be excellent every event you host to maintain solid ticket sales and garner repeat ticket sales…or to move a single-event ticket buyer to a mini-plan investor…and eventually to a full season ticket plan holder.
 

But regardless of wins and losses, you can always offer an excellent overall fan experience and be undefeated when it comes to customer service.
 

***********************
Ron Goch, The Telios Group
Sign up for our free eNewsletter, the Telios Telegram
 

Comment | Permalink


Generate Ticket Sales When Losses Pile Up

April 11th 2006

Q. What does a college athletics department do when it has a long history of non-competitive teams (especially in football, men’s and women’s basketball) about generating new season ticket buyers?
 

A. I’ve heard numerous times over the years, “If we don’t win, we don’t sell tickets.  It’s that simple.”  It would be nice to win every year, but even winning doesn’t guarantee ticket sales, and in each sport, only one team walks away with a championship.
 

So what do the rest of the teams do to sell tickets?  How can tickets be sold if a team has a long history of non-competitiveness or if a team is down one year, or even a couple years?
 

One strategy I recommend is focusing your time, efforts and resources on developing a solid group ticket sales program.  There are so many companies, organizations, clubs and associations looking for fun activities for its employees, associates, clients, and members.
 

There are so many different theme nights you can offer and you have opportunities to create memories of a lifetime for the group attendees.
 

Just think about the event experiences you can provide group attendees that no one else can offer, and how most group attendees – especially kids – are more concerned about the fun experiences they’re going to have, the fun and games, the cotton candy and inflatable games versus the actual game, your record or who you’re playing that night.
 

It’s all about “the event;” not just the game.  What kind of overall “event experience” can you deliver to group attendees?
 

Another great thing about groups is the high show rate versus the high percentage of no-shows experienced with season ticket holders when the team isn’t winning.
 

Group ticket sales is a proven strategy for filling seats when the team is down or when a sport is experiencing multiple losing seasons.
 

Your turn to take a shot!
 

What ticket sales strategies do you implement during a down year or when your team isn’t winning?
 

***********************
Ron Goch, The Telios Group

Comment | Permalink


MLB Group Ticket Sales Off the Charts

April 7th 2006

Q. With baseball in full swing, what do you see as the biggest break-through or business success for MLB? 

A. Without question, group ticket sales have been off the charts.

Check out this article on the Milwaukee Brewers group ticket sales its first weekend, which found the club up 40 percent over last year’s numbers in just its first weekend.

Your turn to take a shot!

What do you see as Major League Baseball’s greatest business success so far this season?

*********************************

Ron Goch, The Telios Group      

Comment | Permalink


Successful Game-Day Promotions

April 5th 2006

Q. What are some successful game-day promotions that put people in the seats?

A. The most effective game-day promotions to “put people in the seats” involve ticket sales strategies and are planned well in advance of “game day.”

Group themed events such as a Girl Scouts Pajama Jam, a Teacher’s Appreciation Night, or a Faith and Family Day have each proven to be successful ticket sales initiatives.

Your turn to take a shot!

What game-day promotions have you tied into ticket sales initiatives to increase your ticket sales?

*********************************

Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

Comment | Permalink


Career Fairs – Part II

March 28th 2006

We had the question yesterday about professional sports teams hosting career fairs and how these might be beneficial to college athletics.
 

In today’s post, I’d like to share with you three career events being executed in sports in hopes you gain some ideas for hosting your own career fair or sports and entertainment expo with the objectives to offer attendees a quality event, increase your ticket sales, and interview potential summer intern candidates. 
 

You may want to also consider seeking a presenting sponsor for your event as the Atlanta Hawks did for its 2006 career fair (see link below).
 

Here are the three links you can follow to the sports career events:
 

Chicago Wolves Career Fair
 

Atlanta Spirit Career Fair Presented by AJC Jobs (PDF)
 

Magic Sports & Entertainment Career Expo
 

Have you signed up for The Telios Group’s free eNewsletter, the Telios Telegram?  If not, you can click here to sign up for your free subscription, or go to the top of this page and enter your email address to join the Telios Telegram team.
 

***********************
Ron Goch, The Telios Group
 

Comment | Permalink


Multiple Groups and Theme Night Activities

March 13th 2006

Q. It seems like pro sports offer a lot more group events each game than college athletics.  Do you recommend multiple group and theme events, or one group or theme per game?
 

A. I encourage sports organizations – college and pro – to host multiple group and theme events for each of the games.  A great example of multiple groups and theme events is the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2005-06 groups and themed event schedule.  You will find a variety of groups and themes within each game.
 

Your turn to take a shot.
 

What group and theme night events are you hosting for each of your athletic events?

********************

Ron Goch, The Telios Group  

Comment | Permalink


Group Ticket Theme Events

March 1st 2006

Q. What would you say are some of the more successful group ticket theme night events, as well as some of the more unique group ticket theme events?
 

A. There are many successful group ticket theme events being executed in sports.  To be successful, sports organizations have gone beyond the traditional group ticket flyer programs to offer a unique group ticket theme night experience tailored to each group category.
 

Five theme nights that have proven to be very successful in sports are:
 

Armed Forces Appreciation Day/Night.  One strategy to consider is a joint color guard presentation.
 

Faith and Family Day/Night.  A few organizations have hosted a “Preachers in Sneakers” basketball game that has proven successful.
 

Boy/Girl Scout Day/Night.  Packaging a patch with the ticket has proven successful, and some sports organizations are also offering badge workshops for attendees.
 

First Responders Day/Night.  This group theme event targets police, fire and EMT.  A pre-game basketball or flag football game between the groups has proven to be a fun fund-raising event for all involved.
 

Sports and Entertainment Career Day/Night.  Some sports organizations have also included a game day/night job shadow component with this event, and panel discussions with sports and entertainment professionals have been well attended.
 

Three rather unique group ticket theme events that sports organizations have hosted with success include: Home School Day/Night; Nurses Appreciation Day/Night; and 4-H Friends and Family Day/Night.
 

Your turn to take a swing…
 

What are some of the most successful group ticket theme events – as well as some of the most unique group ticket theme events – your sports organization has hosted?
 

All the best,
 

Ron Goch
The Telios Group

Comment | Permalink


Baseball and Softball Group Ticket Sales

February 25th 2006

Q. What are some ways to increase group ticket sales for baseball and softball games? 

A. An excellent way to increase group ticket sales at your baseball and softball games is to create group ticket specialty programs that offer group attendees a unique, once in a lifetime event experience. 

Create pre-, in- and post-game experiences that groups have an opportunity to participate in for a minimum group ticket purchase.  Three examples of group ticket specialty programs for baseball and softball games could include the following: 

1. Youth Take the Field: A youth group purchasing a minimum of X group tickets would have the opportunity to take the field with – and stand next to – players during the singing of the National Anthem. 

2. Field of Dreams: A once in a lifetime opportunity for a youth baseball or softball team (or teams) to play / practice on the same field your team plays their games.  The youth game or practice could take place hours prior to your home game or on a non-game day. 

3. FUN-raisers: Schools, non-profit organizations, charitable groups and youth teams or organizations could use your tickets to raise funds for their group or an event.  The group selects the game they’d like to sell tickets, you provide the group fund-raising promotional material, and the group receives a pre-determined dollar amount for each group ticket they sell. 

Along with the unique group attendee experience opportunities, you can also include in each ticket package the group’s name in lights on your scoreboard; a group picture on your field (post on your web site for each attendee, their family and friends to visit your site and see); and conduct an enter to win contest (a great way to capture individual group attendee names and contact information) that’s exclusive for the group to win an autographed item or a merchandise item from your team shop. 

Your turn to take a swing… 

What group ticket specialty programs do you offer that have successfully increased your baseball and softball ticket sales? 

All the best, 

Ron Goch
The Telios Group 

Comment | Permalink