The new KPMGIgnition – DC Innovation Suite is a mega suite transformed into a unique immersive client and business development experience at Capital One Arena. Washington Capitals
Selling premium inventory at sports venues has never been more difficult due to people’s time competition, snowballing social and demographic changes, and small sales staff. Eight industry professionals gave SBJ their views on the 2022 premium sales challenges and what they are doing differently to address the moment.
Arich Berghammer, Senior Vice President of Revenue and Growth, ASM Global
Nick Bisho, Senior Vice President of Sales QuintEvents
Jake bye, Executive Vice President of Learfield Amplify
Kevin Camper, Speedway Motorsports Chief Sales Officer
Kirsten Corio, Managing Director, Ticketing, Hospitality and Media, USTA
Lorin Fantaskey, Vice President of Suite, Client Services and Operations Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Sara Minkov, General Manager, University of Wisconsin Legend
Jonathan White, Premium Hospitality Director, San Jose Sharks
What are the biggest challenges in selling premiums in 2022?
BERGHAMMER: The biggest challenge was understanding how the pandemic affected our customers and adjusting to expectations at live events. With greater demand than ever before, guests continue to seek the best experience, seeking more choices and advanced options. This gave me the opportunity to implement the program earlier than planned, always listen, constantly refine and evolve.
Bisho: The biggest challenge we faced is meeting the unprecedented demand for premium experiences at sporting events, especially in our core programs with the Kentucky Derby, Formula One and the NBA.
Goodbye: The best stock has already been selected by longtime donors. Our personnel are considered less desirable and are usually trying to choose and sell common seats, given their investment level. Inflation is causing disruption to disposable income, consumers and businesses. Some of our GMs and premium sellers say that the business outlook needs to be reduced and that premium tickets and tickets are generally one of the first costs they reduce.
Camper: We guarantee that your experience will exceed your expectations, especially if you have challenges caused by the current economic environment (inflated F & B costs, staff shortages, travel expenses). We guarantee that your experience will match or exceed what you get from local / regional competition.
Corio: Our main challenge is that we do not have enough premium inventories to meet strong demand. It’s a good thing to have, but I wish I had more suites and premium seats available in the second week of the US Open, especially in the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
Fantaski: We are in a fast-paced digital world and premium clients don’t want long communication. They want an easy, fast and simple solution to their hospitality needs. To continue to be successful in our sector, we need to evolve our approach to sales. Buy suites online, give social media influencers a unique experience, and digitally market on the go. This is already planned.
Minkov: The last few years have permanently changed consumer expectations and needs. It is difficult to decipher what trends are reacting to life after a pandemic and what trends are long-lasting. We needed to find a way to increase our focus on customization and reestablish the importance and appeal of face-to-face experiences. Adapting and updating the sales process for a more virtual environment was also a unique challenge.
white: After the pandemic, there are some trends. One is the general hesitation in the market for long-term commitments. Only a few months ago, health and safety protocols were evolving weekly and sometimes daily, creating more cautious buyers. The latter is probably not to mention, but organizations are also much more budget conscious. More attention is being paid to the use of tickets and other factors to ensure true ROI is achieved.
What are you changing when it comes to successful premium sales?
BERGHAMMER: We have always believed that premium is not just about access to better seats, but about the experience. We understand our customers and further personalize their experience at the venue to meet their expectations. It begins with a first touch (connecting through a website or salesperson), ticketing, parking and arrival, F & B, access to elevated spaces, and world-class interactions with staff.
Bisho: From a premium perspective, our focus is not only on businesses, but also on executive consumers and bucket list buyers. We have devoted our resources to the e-commerce engine to create a reliable and seamless user experience online. This allows you to sell 24/7 and automatically sync your dedicated sales executives and buyers in one of our global offices.
Goodbye: Strategic open house event. Introducing premium spaces, such as setting spaces like match days for face-to-face appointments. Upsell current season ticket holders from regular seats to premium by notifying them that premium inventory is open through awareness campaigns. There is a little reality and perception that the premium is not sold out but is sold out.
Camper: Leverage customer feedback to continually enhance our offerings, create comprehensive turnkey packages, and create new pricing and experiences to meet the needs of higher-end premium experiences and value seekers. increase. [Also] Today’s clients and prospects are reminded that the fan experience and access is back, with more live music, driver access, and pit / garage access. We also stepped up our marketing efforts to find more prospects and drive options. We are working harder than ever to ensure that we come up with creative and unique options to improve the experience of our clients today.
Corio: We are investing more time in developing client relationships with larger sales teams. We did this to ensure that the media (zoom, old school phones, etc.) had quality conversations on the timeline that prospects / clients wanted. Direct, targeted digital outreach to past participants, similar to the profile of US Open hospitality buyers, was very effective. And creating a bespoke bucketlist-type experience at the US Open with products like Courtside Premier has attracted many new, highly discerning clients.
Fantaski: We are constantly innovating. The announcement of a recent partnership with KPMG overturned the traditional idea of the suite by making it available during the day for business development and innovation, in addition to night hospitality. With a complete refurbishment of the suite, KPMG will turn the suite into a state-of-the-art experience, with the latest technology acting as a meeting place for clients. This is the first partnership of this kind and is more promising.
Minkov: Create real-time digital content and distribute it to multiple touchpoints. The same prospect will receive selected emails, personal phone calls, and targeted paid advertising content within 24-48 hours. It also leverages web retargeting and geo-fencing to deliver content to prospects within a specific range of the stadium and wealthy zip codes nearby, and leverages household income data using several technology partners. doing.
white: Since last season, we have moved our premium suite rentals to Digital First Experience. This was a major change in the premium sales process. Fans can now fully autonomously protect their suites, parking passes and catering options. This was very well received by the fan base. We will continue to explore the benefits and packaging of Digital First in our premium sales product line.
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