Cover Story: An Idea Whose Time Has Come Feature Stories: Introducing the New Leader of the Pack Coming the Next Age

1. SEAT
for the premium seat industry fall 2009
Published by the Association of Luxury Suite Directors
The Second Generation Begins
• Where we were; where we are going
• What your best customers are saying
• Where to find new customers
• Per-event suites and their new place of power
PLUS:
Meet the ALSD’s New President, Board of Directors, and Executive Director
1-12.indd 1 12/15/09 5:40 PM

2. Marvel Makes the Game!
Contact us for details on our stadium
programs and these Marvel exclusives!
Installation service M
Stainless steel or your choice of color
Team Logo graphics applied with SonicImage™
Technology.
Deluxe Half Keg Beer Dispenser Refrigerated Drawer 24” Refrigerator
UL Listed suitable for outdoor use UL Listed suitable for outdoor use UL Listed suitable for outdoor use
Refrigerator cabinet encased in high performance Exclusive Sentry System™ monitors critical Refrigerator cabinet encased in high
stainless steel functions including over/under temperature, performance stainless steel
power failure and door ajar conditions
Holds half and quarter kegs and has casters for mobility Two removable tempered glass shelves
Touch controls and electronic display are
Complete with mug rail, built-in drain, draft tower, discreetly located Three door shelves
hoses, CO2 tank and regulator, drip tray and interior
Refrigerator cabinet encased in high Automatic interior light
floor shield
performance stainless steel
Optional heavy-duty 23-ounce vinyl cover
Adjustable temperatures from frosty cold to 52° F for
Increased capacity drawers vertically store
dark lagers and ales 24” W x 34”H x 24 1/4”D
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Full auto defrost Full extension drawer slides provide easy access
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3. S E AT 3
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9/28/2009 9:05:45 AM

4. S E AT
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9/28/2009 9:05:46 AM

5. 8 S E AT
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Buyers 5 9/28/2009 9:05:54PM
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6. Use for Cooking & Serving
Ideal for Induction Buffets
5-Ply Bonded 18/10
Stainless Steel for
Maximum Durability
Aluminum Core for Fast,
Even Heat Distribution
Gas, Electric & Induction
Ready
Rolled & Sealed Rims
800-535-8974 www.springusa.com13
S E AT
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Buyers Guide fall 09.indd 13 9/28/2009 9:06:34 AM

7. SEAT
coNTENTS FALL 2009
Beacon of Light: The New Meadowlands- home of the New York Jets and
Giants starting next season.
8 NEW MEMBERS 36 LET’S HERE IT FOR NEW YORK
Your traveler’s guide to the host city of the 2010 ALSD
14 INDUSTRY AND ASSOCIATION NEWS Conference and Tradeshow: New York City- the city with $4
billion in new venue construction.
COVER STORY
20 AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME 50 LEADING THROUGH INNOVATION
After 20 years of building a solid foundation, the premium Today’s IT leaders in the sports and entertainment venue
seat industry is finally prime for the next idea to carry us into marketplace are found in the SEAT Consortium. Check out
the next generation. Per-event suites are the future of our their accolades and the first look at the 4th Annual SEAT-IT
business. Conference and Tradeshow.
FEATURES 54 GROW YOUR SUITE SALES DURING THE
25 INTRODUCING THE NEW LEADER OF THE PACK RECESSION
The ALSD has passed the torch to a new President, new Sales Alert! A new economy brings new prospects for premium
Board of Directors members, and a new Executive Director. sales professionals. Find out who you are not targeting… and
Meet the next generation of the Premium Seat Industry. should be.
30 COMING OF THE NEXT AGE
TCU is reinventing its football home, Amon G. Carter Stadium,
by renovating over one-half of the facility. The premium age
(and a BCS bowl) will be the next golden age for TCU football About the Cover: The first generation of premium seating has brought us
many options and strategies. Start the next 20 years with fresh ideas and
fans. new solutions, such as the Theater Boxes at the United Center in Chicago.
7 S E A T
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8. ASSociATioN oF Luxury SuiTE DirEcTorS
New ALSD Members Chairman of the Board Bill Dorsey
Executive Director Amanda (Kuntz) Verhoff
President Jennifer Ark, Green Bay Packers
VP, Business Development Pat McCaffrey
Chris Costanzo Doug Oswald Director, Sponsor and Partnership Development Dene Shiels
Manager of Premium Seating Market Manager
Director of Finance Dan Lindeman
Buffalo Bills Architectural Environments
one Bills Drive American Seating Company Financial Account Manager Vickie Henke
orchard Park, NY 14127 401 American Seating Center Director of Information Technology Sean Kellner
P: 716-312-8621 Grand Rapids, MI 49504
F: 716-312-8603 P: 616-732-6416 Editor of SEAT, Website Director Jared Frank
chris.costanzo@bills.nfl.net F: 616-732-6847 Account Executive Scott Hinzman
doug.oswald@amseco.com
P.J. Danhoff Design Carole Winters Art + Design
Suite Sales Account Executive Deb McDermott
Detroit Lions / Ford Field Director of Marketing ExECUTIVE CoMMITTEE
2000 Brush St., Suite 200 American Seating Company Chris Bigelow, Bigelow Companies
Detroit, MI 48226 401 American Seating Center Brian Bucciarelli, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts
P: 313-262-2362 Grand Rapids, MI 49504 Greg Hanrahan, United Center
F: 313-262-2283 deb.mcdermott@amseco.com Tom Kaucic, Southern Wine & Spirits
pdanhoff@detroitlions.com Pat McCaffrey, ALSD
Sabina D’Ascoli Jamie Norman, Dallas Stars
Melanie Kermin Manager, Luxury Suite Services Kim Reckley, Detroit Red Wings & olympia Entertainment
Suite Services Manager Arena des Canadiens Inc.
Seattle Seahawks 1275 St. Antoine St., 3rd Floor BoARD oF DIRECToRS
800 occidental Avenue S., #200 Montreal, Quebec H3C 5L2 Pam Benoist, St. Louis Rams
Seattle, WA 98134 Canada Janie Boles, Auburn University
P: 425-203-8127 P: 514-925-5643 Natalie Burbank, Utah Jazz / Salt Lake Bees
Trent Dutry, US Airways Center
F: 425-203-8129 sdascoli@canadiens.com Chris Granger, National Basketball Association
melaniek@seahawks.com Patti Kimbrough, University of Arkansas
Greg Brevik
Tara Mickelson Pacific Northern Inc. Gerald Kissel, Ball State University
Premium Services Coordinator 3116 Belmeade Dr. Phil MacDougall, Sacramento Kings/ARCo Arena
Debbie Massa, RoI Consulting
Arizona Cardinals Football Club Carrollton, Tx 75006 Mike Ondrejko, Madison Square Garden
8701 S. Hardy Drive brevikg@pacificnorthern.com Richard Searls, New York Red Bulls
Tempe, AZ 85284 Tom Sheridan, Chicago White Sox
Tosha Daniels
P: 602-379-1691 Michael Smith, Philadelphia Union
Account Specialist
F: 602-379-1772 Peter Titlebaum, University of Dayton
Pacific Northern Inc. Brian Varnadoe, Houston Texans
tmickelson@cardinals.nfl.net
3116 Belmeade Dr. Jon Vingas, Centerplate
Ron Campbell Carrollton, Tx 75006 Bob White, Calgary Flames
Senior Director, Ticket Sales P: 972-512-9075
Arizona Cardinals Football Club danielst@pacificnorthern.com SEAT IT Board
8701 S. Hardy Drive Christine Stoffel, S5 Enterprises / SEAT Consortium
Michael Smith Chris Wood, APS
Tempe, AZ 85284
Manager, Suites & Premium Seating
P: 602-379-1721
Philadelphia Union ALSD 2010 Conference Committee
F: 602-379-1772
2501 Seaport Dr., Switch House Suite Richard Dobransky, DNC Sportservice
rcampbell@cardinals.nfl.net Chris Gallagher, New York Yankees
500
Jennifer Hutchinson Chester, PA 19013 Pat Jones, New York Mets
Corporate Partnership Manager P: 610-497-8936 Jon Muscalo, Legends Hospitality
Michigan International Speedway F: 610-497-3309 Richard Searls, New York Red Bulls
Rob Sullivan, New York Jets
12626 US 12 msmith@philadelphiaunion.com Anne Wheat, New Meadowlands Stadium Company
Brooklyn, MI 49230
Susan Koschalk
P: 517-592-1214 SEAT IT Division Steering Committee
Caterease Software
F: 517-592-3848 Christine Stoffel, Committee Chairman
1020 Goodlette Rd. North
jhutchinson@mispeedway.com Chris Wood, Committee Co-Chairman
Naples, FL 34102 Chris Dill, Portland Trail Blazers
Josh Burgett P: 239-261-5828 Sasha Puric, Toronto Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Director of Corporate Partnerships F: 239-263-4164 Mike Morris, Major League Baseball
Michigan International Speedway susan@caterease.com Lorraine Spadaro, TD Banknorth Garden
12626 US 12 Wayne Wichlacz, Green Bay Packers
Ashley Bobbett Casey Bookout, University of oklahoma
Brooklyn, MI 49230
Suite Catering Manager Jim Darrow, Illitch Holdings, Inc.
P: 517-592-1236
ARAMARK at Reliant Park Tod Caflisch, New orleans Hornets
F: 517-592-3848
8701 Kirby Dr. Brett Michalak, Tickets.com
jburgett@mispeedway.com
Houston, Tx 77054 John Pollard, IdentityMine
P: 832-667-2507 John Gallant, IDG Enterprise
bobbett-ashley@aramark.com
Published by Venue Pub. Inc. Copyright 2009. (All rights reserved). SEAT is a registered
trademark of the Association of Luxury Suite Directors. SEAT is published quarterly and is
complimentary to all members of the Association of Luxury Suite Directors.
10017 McKelvey Road, Cincinnati, oH 45231 • 513 674 0555 • amanda@alsd.com
8 S E A T
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9. S E AT 17
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Buyers Guide fall 09.indd 17 9/28/2009 9:06:37 AM

10. New ALSD Members
Tom Olson Marie Patten Anne Wheat Scott Murray
General Manager Manager, Premium Seating Director of Guest Services Director of Ticket Sales and Customer
Delaware North Sportservice at Miller Development New Meadowlands Stadium Company Service
Park Cleveland Indians 102 Route 120 Edmonton oilers Hockey Club
one Brewers Way Progressive Field East Rutherford, NJ 07073 11230 110th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53214 2401 ontario Street P: 201-765-9874 Edmonton, AB T5G 3H7
P: 414-902-4400 Cleveland, oH 44115-4003 F: 201-240-0681 Canada
F: 414-902-4717 P: 216-420-4487 awheat@nmstadco.com smurray@edmontonoilers.com
tolson@dncinc.com mpatten@indians.com
Rob Louthain Jason Potter
Denise Branken Jeff Wallace Senior Manager of Premium Sales Account Executive, Suite Sales
ARAMARK at Corel Centre Premium Seating Account Executive Chicago White Sox Houston Texans
1000 Palladium Dr., Box 109 Cleveland Indians U.S. Cellular Field Two Reliant Park
Kanata, oN K2V 1A4 Progressive Field 333 W. 35th St. Houston, Tx 77054
Canada 2401 ontario Street Chicago, IL 60616 P: 832-667-2064
F: 613-599-8288 Cleveland, oH 44115-4003 P: 312-674-5355 F: 832-667-2186
branken-denise@aramark.com P: 216-420-4487 rlouthain@chisox.com jpotter@houstontexans.com
jwallace@indians.com
John Heberden Sam Lawson Jake Vernon
ARAMARK at HP Pavilion at San Jose Andy Murphy Manager of Corporate Development Manager / Pacers Sales
525 W. Santa Clara St. Director of Premium Seating Sales and Ticket Sales Indiana Pacers / Conseco Fieldhouse
San Jose, CA 95113 Philips Arena / Atlanta Spirit Chicago White Sox one Conseco Court
P: 408-999-5735 101 Marietta St., Suite 1900 U.S. Cellular Field 125 S. Pennsylvania St.
F: 408-999-5814 Atlanta, GA 30303 333 W. 35th St. Indianapolis, IN 46204
jheberden@svse.net P: 404-878-3088 Chicago, IL 60616 P: 317-917-2895
F: 404-878-3555 slawson@chisox.com F: 317-917-2599
Sierra Beshears
andrew.murphy@atlantaspirit.com jvernon@pacers.com
Centerplate at Raley Field Jen Wu
Sacramento River Cats Steve Poremba Luxury Suite Liaison, Stadium Food & Theresa Smith
400 Ballpark Dr. Director of Marketing Beverage Senior Sales Executive, Premium
W. Sacramento, CA 95691 Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza Carolina Panthers Seats and Suites
P: 916-376-4945 255 Highland Park Blvd. 800 S. Mint Street Jacksonville Jaguars, Ltd.
sierra.beshears@centerplate.com Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 Charlotte, NC 28202 one ALLTEL Stadium Place
P: 570-970-7600 ext. 1107 P: 704-358-7135 Jacksonville, FL 32202
Ryan Spillers
F: 570-970-7601 F: 704-358-7131 P: 904-633-5274
Marketing Manager
porembas@wachoviaarena.com jennifer.wu@panthers.nfl.com F: 904-633-6338
Honda Center / Anaheim Ducks
smitht@jaguars.nfl.com
2695 E. Katella Brent Stehlik Christine Slomberg
Anaheim, CA 92806 Vice President, Ticket Sales, Services Senior Manager of Suite Services Bryan Lawrence
P: 714-704-2547 and operations Cleveland Cavaliers Premium Sales & Services
rspillers@anaheimducks.com Arizona Diamondbacks 1 Center Court Representative
Po Box 2095 Cleveland, oH 44115 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
C’Nea Hatches
Phoenix, AZ 85001 P: 216-420-2102 2000 Gene Autry Way
Suite Sales Executive
P: 602-462-4101 F: 216-420-2121 Anaheim, CA 92806
Houston Rockets
F: 602-462-4141 cslomberg@cavs.com P: 714-940-2094
1510 Polk Street
bstehlik@dbacks.com F: 714-940-2206
Houston, Tx 77002 Fred Graf
bryan.lawrence@angelsbb.com
P: 713-758-7446 Jeremy Walls Manager Suites and Party Facilities
F: 713-758-7391 Director, Group Suite and Inside Sales Colorado Rockies Baseball Club Michael Miller
Cneah@rocketball.com Arizona Diamondbacks Coors Field Suite Sales & Services Coordinator
Po Box 2095 2001 Blake Street Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Tia Norman
Phoenix, AZ 85001 Denver, Co 80205-2000 40 Bay Street, Suite 400
Manager of Suite Sales
P: 602-462-6500 graff@coloradorockies.com Toronto, oN M4J 2x2
Houston Rockets
F: 602-462-4141 Canada
1510 Polk Street Chad Robertson
jwalls@dbacks.com P: 416-263-3902
Houston, Tx 77002 Manager Premium Seating
F: 416-359-9095
P: 713-758-7245 Rachel Belack Denver Broncos Football Club
mmiller@mapleleafsports.com
F: 713-758-7391 Premium Services, Suite Coordinator 1701 Bryant St., Suite 100
tian@rocketball.com Chicago Fire Soccer Club Denver, Co 80204-1752 Ana Aviles
7000 South Harlem Ave. chad.robertson@broncos.nfl.net Premium Services Account Manager
Gladiann Lugo
Bridgeview, IL 60455 Miami HEAT
Guest Services Manager Chris Gallagher
P: 708-496-6752 601 Biscayne Blvd.
Coliseo de Puerto Rico – SMG Executive Director, Premium Sales
rbelack@chicago-fire.com Miami, FL 33132
Po Box 195385 and Services
P: 786-777-4229
San Juan, PR 00919-5385 Adam Thompson New York Yankees
F: 305-533-6689
P: 787-777-0800 Senior Account Manager, Premium Yankee Stadium
aaviles@heat.com
F: 787-221-1835 Services one East 161st Street
glugo@smgpr.com Charlotte Bobcats / Bobcats Sports Bronx, NY 10451
and Entertainment P: 646-977-8205
333 E. Trade St. cgallagher@yankees.com
Charlotte, NC 28202
P: 704-688-8799
F: 704-688-8724
athompson@bobcats.com
10 S E A T
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11. Perlick is proud to be the FIRST company
certified by the ALSD.
S E AT 19
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12. New ALSD Members
Jed Justman Missy Pender George Murphy Adam Cooley
Manager, Suite Sales Manager of Suite Sales and Service Manager of Ticket Sales Account Manager, Premium Sales
Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club New orleans Saints Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Nationals
one Brewers Way 5800 Airline Dr. 1 Chatham Center, Suite 400 1500 S. Capitol St. SE
Miller Park Metairie, LA 70003 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Washington, DC 20003
Milwaukee, WI 53214 P: 504-731-1885 P: 412-642-1338 adam.cooley@nationals.com
P: 414-902-4553 F: 504-529-9380 gmurphy@pittsburghpenguins.com
Jeff Bass
F: 414-902-4056 missy.pender@saints.nfl.com
Bryan Betzler Stadium Management
jed.justman@milwaukeebrewers.com
Mark Shearer Premium Seating Account Executive Arizona State University
Shaunna Richardson Senior Director, Ticket Sales & Pittsburgh Pirates Po Box 872505, Stadium
Director – Suite Services operations 115 Federal Street Management
Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club oakland Raiders Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Tempe, AZ 85287-2505
one Brewers Way 1220 Harbor Bay Pkwy. bryan.betzler@pirates.com P: 480-965-4047
Miller Park Alameda, CA 94502 j.bass@asu.edu
Juan David Londono
Milwaukee, WI 53214 P: 510-864-5000
Account Manager, Premium Sales Kate MacDonald
shaunna.richardson@ F: 510-864-5134
Pittsburgh Pirates Assistant Director, Athletic Suite
milwaukeebrewers.com mshearer@raiders.com
115 Federal Street operations and Donor Relations
Samantha DeMarino Shona Lauritano Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Boston College
Manager – Suite Services Senior Manager of Luxury Suite P: 412-325-4936 Conte Forum
Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club Services F: 412-325-4947 Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
one Brewers Way oakland Raiders juan.londono@pittsburghpirates.com P: 617-552-6824
Miller Park 1220 Harbor Bay Pkwy. macdonkg@bc.edu
Rocky Koplik
Milwaukee, WI 53214 Alameda, CA 94502
Director of Premium Seating Services Linda Couvion
P: 414-902-4631 P: 510-864-5000
San Francisco Giants Director of Premium Seating
F: 414-902-4056 F: 510-864-5134
24 Willie Mays Plaza University of Dayton
samantha.demarino@ slauritano@raiders.com
San Francisco, CA 94107 University of Dayton Arena
milwaukeebrewers.com
Betsy Shoustal P: 415-972-2266 Po Box 8806
John Winborn operations Coordinator, Premium F: 415-947-2500 Dayton, oH 45401-8806
Vice President of Technology Services rkoplik@sfgiants.com P: 937-229-4868
Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club Philadelphia Eagles F: 937-449-2889
Casey Conroy
one Brewers Way Nova Care Complex linda.couvion@notes.udayton.edu
Luxury Suite/Business Center
Miller Park one Nova Care Way
Coordinator Chris Zaber
Milwaukee, WI 53214 Philadelphia, PA 19102
San Francisco Giants Senior Director, Ticket Sales & Service
john.winborn@milwaukeebrewers.com P: 267-570-9211
24 Willie Mays Plaza Pittsburgh Pirates
F: 267-570-4040
John Avenson San Francisco, CA 94107 115 Federal Street
bshoustal@eagles.nfl.com
Vice President of Technology P: 415-972-2046 Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Minnesota Twins Olivia Ritchie F: 415-947-2500 P: 412-325-4714
34 Kirby Puckett Place operations Coordinator, Premium cconroy@sfgiants.com F: 412-325-4410
Minneapolis, MN 55415 Services chris.zaber@pirates.com
Candice Keener
P: 612-375-7465 Philadelphia Eagles
Luxury Suite Account Manager Terri Smith
F: 612-375-7480 Nova Care Complex
San Francisco Giants Director, Suite Sales & Service
johnavenson@twinsbaseball.com one Nova Care Way
24 Willie Mays Plaza Pittsburgh Pirates
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Matt Quinn San Francisco, CA 94107 115 Federal Street
P: 267-570-4036
Corporate Sales P: 415-972-2048 Pittsburgh, PA 15212
F: 267-570-4040
New England Patriots F: 415-947-2500 P: 412-325-4673
oritchie@eagles.nfl.com
Gillette Stadium ckeener@sfgiants.com F: 412-325-4410
one Patriot Place Joe Malatesta terri.smith@pirates.com
Brent Miller
Foxborough, MA 02035-1388 Account Executive, Premium Sales
Director of Guest Services Matthew Grossman
mattq@patriots.com Philadelphia Eagles
Seattle Mariners President & CEo
Nova Care Complex
David Pearlstein 1250 1st Ave. South idegy, inc.
one Nova Care Way
VP of Business Development Seattle, WA 98134 3990 Business Park Drive
Philadelphia, PA 19102
New England Patriots P: 206-346-4413 Columbus, oH 43204
P: 267-320-5854
Gillette Stadium F: 206-346-4250 P: 614-545-5000
jmalatesta@eagles.nfl.com
one Patriot Place bmiller@seattlemariners.com F: 614-545-4000
Foxborough, MA 02035-1388 matthew@idegy.com
Kim Jackson
davidp@patriots.com
Jess Winemiller Senior Director of Client Services,
Natasha Moody Benefits Coordinator, Premium Verizon Center
Client Services Manager Services Verizon Center
New orleans Hornets Philadelphia Eagles 601 F St. NW
1250 Poydras St., 19th Floor Nova Care Complex Washington, DC 20004
New orleans, LA 70113 one Nova Care Way kjackson@washsports.com
P: 504-593-4755 Philadelphia, PA 19102
F: 866-441-6286 P: 267-320-5858
natasha.moody@hornets.com F: 267-570-4040
jwinemiller@eagles.nfl.com
12 S E A T
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13. FAll0913-19finalpdf.indd 13 12/15/09 5:41 PM

14. 14 S E A T
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15. MOTOA4™ Mission Critical Portfolio
THE INCIDENT NEEDS YOUR FOCUS.
THE TECHNOLOGY SHOULDN’T
In an emergency, multi-agency coordination isn’t a luxury — it is a necessity. And Motorola
makes this necessity a reality. Our interoperable data and voice solutions empower
response teams with real-time information to make better decisions. For example, our
evacuee tracking application enables responders to better assist and track individuals
throughout the evacuation process. When responders and command staff have the tools to
prepare and respond to emergency situations, recovery operations are more effective,
helping government and citizens get back to normal quicker. It’s no wonder our
interoperable networks have been implemented more often than all other manufacturers
combined. It’s just another way Motorola enables you to focus on your mission, not the
technology. HELLOMOTO™
Learn more about Motorola solutions for your mission critical communication
needs at motorola.com/secondnature
MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.
© Motorola, Inc. 2009. All rights reserved.
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16. Industry and Association News
Ohio University Research: What is premium seating and who sells it?
By: Amanda Hauge, Jim DiLella, & Heather Lawrence, Ohio University
A recent study conducted by The Ohio University Center for Sports • The majority of the remaining sales and service staff communi-
Administration aimed to establish a working definition for the label cate regularly and work closely throughout the process of servic-
premium seating, as well as determine what organizational structures ing accounts and suite renewals (55% and 65%).
were in place to support the sales of this inventory. The research • Only 15% of respondents that are not fully integrated in sales
team conducted the survey between February and March of 2009 and service reported that the two areas communicate at a high
by sending an email to over 300 members of the ALSD that work in level on the prospecting of new premium seating sales.
one of the four major professional sports. The formal objectives of the
study were to: Key Findings
• Identify a standard for the term premium seating. In terms of establishing a working definition of premium seating,
• Determine industry norms overall and by type of venue for pre- teams and organizations are largely considering premium seating to
mium seating department size in terms of number of staff. be limited to luxury suites and assigned club seating. Very few offer
• Understand the job functions of each staff member by position. courtside seating or hospitality lounges as a part of this inventory.
• Analyze the level of interaction between premium seating sales When developing or reorganizing a premium seating sales de-
professionals and premium seating client services representa- partment, the average number of staff for single-purpose anchor
tives. tenants in MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA venues is between five and six
employees, with three to four members devoted to sales and two to
Highlights from the study servicing these accounts. For multi-purpose facilities serving both
• The 47 respondents represented all venue types with 23.4% NHL and NBA anchor tenants, the number of employees in the pre-
MLB Anchor Tenants, 23.5% NFL Anchor Tenants, 25.5% Single- mium seating department doubles, with an average of 11.3. Very few
purpose NHL or NBA arenas, and 25.5% Multi-purpose NHL and organizations have anyone serving a dual role in the capacities of
NBA arenas participating. both sales and service.
• The majority of respondents (79.5%) were in decision making Vice Presidents and Directors of Premium Seating are not very
roles as either Vice President or Director of Premium Seating. involved with personally servicing premium seating clients. While this
• Teams are overwhelmingly classifying premium seating as luxury may not be surprising because these individuals often have many
suites (100%) and club seating (75.6%), while only 22.2% and responsibilities in managing their staff, it would be interesting to see
33.3% consider courtside seats or hospitality lounges as premi- if an increase of personal involvement on their part would lead to an
um areas respectively. increase in sales or renewals.
• The bulk of premium seating sales and service staffs are em- While premium seating sales staffs are often the main point of
ployed by the team or organization (76.7%) while 14% are em- contact for clients and most in tune to these customers’ needs, a large
ployed by the venue or arena management company itself. majority (75%) are not involved in the creation and implementation
• The average full-time staff for a premium seating department var- of sales related collateral material. This may be another area to in-
ies slightly by venue. Ranges are as follows: crease synergy across the marketing and premium seating depart-
• MLB Anchor Tenant - 5.2 employees ments. In addition, only 15% of sales and service staffs communicate
• NFL Anchor Tenant - 6 employees at a high level when prospecting new sales.
• Single-purpose Arena for NHL or NBA - 5.4 employees
• Multi-purpose Arena for NHL and NBA - 11.3 employees Recommendations
• Overall, the majority of teams have one to three employees de- • Premium Seating Departments may want to integrate courtside/
voted specifically to sales, with two employees devoted specifi- floor level seating as additional inventory to boost high ticket
cally to servicing these accounts. Responses of “O” or “1” were sales packages. While this is not currently thought of as premium
most common when indicating how many individuals perform the seating, the pricing and exclusiveness of these areas make it a
dual role of sales and servicing. strong up-sell to club seat or luxury suite clients on a game by
• Of the many roles that a Vice President or Director of Premium game basis.
Seating plays, providing customer service and stewardship of • Those in leadership positions should work to increase the
premium seat holders is the task they are least likely to be re- amount of personal involvement they give their premium seating
sponsible for. clients. This could lead to greater client loyalty and higher reten-
• Of the many responsibilities a Premium Seating Sales Execu- tion rates.
tive has, 100% of respondents had a role in selling the brands, • Sales staffs should be involved in the creation and implemen-
products, and services of the organization and cultivating new tation of sales related collateral material, as they are the staff
business for suites and premium seating. 75% are responsible members who are most closely communicating with the end
for conducting heavy face-to-face appointment campaigns to user/target markets.
meet with potential buyers. However, 75% of respondents also • For those teams where sales and service are separate, the two
noted that these individuals are not involved with the creation areas should work to increase communication when addressing
and implementation of sales related collateral material. the task of prospecting for new clients. This would be mutually
• Overall, 36% of respondents have their sales and service staff beneficial for both positions as service staff may be able to lever-
integrated with all staff performing the dual role of sales and ser- age their continued relationships with current clients to produce
vice. For those that do not have integrated departments, the fol- new referrals for the sales department.
lowing was found:
16 S E A T
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17. While your team is winning the game, Agilysys helps you win the crowd.
Wants a beer but doesn’t want to miss the action.
Use mobile POS to pre-order and bust the queue.
Halftime starting in four minutes and stadium network has just crashed.
Still serve three times as many customers off-line with easy-to-use POS.
Pre-ordered four vegetarian plates for luxury suite.
Automatically adjust catering inventory.
Agilysys solutions provide you with total control of your retail and food & beverage operations—so you can
simplify management and improve revenue stadium-wide. Provide faster, more accurate service in luxury suites
and club sections with mobile POS devices. Speed up concession lines and increase sales volumes with easy-to-use
POS terminals. Maintain accurate inventory of every concession, bar, restaurant, caterer and fan shop—in real time—
during your events. And improve planning with in-depth analytics and superior reporting capabilities. It’s everything
you need to simplify operations and boost your bottom line—only from Agilysys. Find out what Agilysys can do for you.
Call 1-877-374-4783 or email hsgsales@agilysys.com | www.agilysys.com
Agilysys solutions include:
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AGI 13557 SM_8.75x11.25_4C_STAD.indd 1 11/10/2009 10:25:26 AM

18. Industry and Association News
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL improved arena views; the new Budweiser Lounge, which occupies
the space previously held by the Royal Room; and new flat screen
Yankees prosper in 2009 televisions and furniture in all suites, as well as upgraded ticket scan-
After a rough start when the New York Yankees had to cut prices for ners outside suite doors.
premium seats in their brand new stadium, the team ended up enjoy-
ing a flourishing year on the field and at the gate. Besides winning NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
the franchise’s 27th World Championship, the team is projected to Jets cut premium prices for new stadium
increase revenues to between $450 million and $500 million- up from The New York Jets are reducing prices, in some cases by 50 per-
$375 million last year. Contributing to the increased revenues is their cent, for approximately 7,000 seats in the Mezzanine Club at the new
MLB leading 3.72 million home gate attendance and $72.97 average Meadowlands Stadium. As Matt Higgins, the team’s Executive Vice
ticket price (according to Team Marketing Report; figure accounts for President of Business Operations told The Associated Press, “We
general tickets, not premium). And if the economy continues to re- came to the conclusion that these prices are really 2007 prices in a
bound, corporate buyers should begin to occupy more frequently the 2009 world.” Seventy percent of the Jets’ non-premium seats have
$500-$2,500 premium seats in 2010 that at times sat vacant this past been sold, and there are no plans currently to adjust the personal
season. This is good news considering the team posted a $3.7 million seat license (PSL) prices in the new stadium. The Giants, who will
operating loss in 2008 coupled with a payroll in excess of $200 million share the stadium with the Jets, have no plans to further reduce any
this season. of their ticket pricing.
Giants price seats based on demand
The San Francisco Giants are instituting what they are calling “dy- MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
namic pricing” for select single game ticket sales next season. Prices Inaugural season for the Sounders FC in MLS a
for these seats are not locked, but can fluctuate based on the demand success
for the game. Factors that may affect demand include popularity of a The Seattle Sounders FC set an MLS record for highest average at-
given game, weather, a possible milestone, or a player from a visiting tendance per game at 30,943 this season, their first in the league.
team who brings extra interest. It is even possible for ticket prices to The Sounders FC attendance numbers landed them a spot in the 50
move on game day. The new approach means fans could pay twice best-supported clubs in the world, the first MLS team to crack the top
as much for a Tuesday night game in April against the Pittsburgh 50, according to World Soccer Magazine.
Pirates than for a weekend game in August against the rival Los
Angeles Dodgers. COLLEGE
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION IMG and Legends join forces
IMG Worldwide and Legends Hospitality Management, LLC have an-
Average ticket price drops for NBA nounced the formation of a 50/50 joint venture, named IMG-Legends,
Largely blamed on a floundering economy, for the first time in eight to provide premium seat licensing (PSL), suite, and ticket sales ser-
seasons, average ticket prices have dropped for the NBA. This year’s vices to the college market. The joint venture aims to capitalize on
average price, which has decreased to $48.90, down 2.8% from last the PSL experience of Legends, which is owned by the New York
year, represents the largest decline in the league’s history. Fourteen Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, Goldman Sachs, and CIC Partners, and
teams have cut ticket prices, while thirteen remain flat. The NBA IMG’s extensive college network to assist university athletic depart-
Champion Los Angeles Lakers lead the way with an average ticket of ments with increasing their premium seat sales.
$93.25. The least expensive seats are found in Memphis, where the
average ticket for a Grizzlies game is $24.10. The other three major University of Houston looks into new stadium
North American leagues saw average ticket prices increase in 2009, The University of Houston is set to undergo two separate feasibility
albeit by modest amounts. studies for six different plans involving the renovation or reconstruc-
Average Ticket Prices Breakdown*: tion of Robertson Stadium and Hofheinz Pavilion. The plans range
NFL: $74.99 from renovating Robertson Stadium and Hofheinz Pavilion to building
NHL: $51.27 a new stadium on one of three different sites to combining a football
NBA: $48.90 stadium and basketball arena in a joint venture. The proposed plans
MLB: $26.64 include new club seating, suites, and loge boxes at Robertson, and
*From Team Marketing Report luxury suites, floor suites, and a loge box in Hofheinz.
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION/ MOTORSPORTS
Major renovations upcoming for Talladega
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Superspeedway
$20 million renovation for STAPLES Center Work has begun on a two-phase, $13 million renovation to more than
As it celebrates its 10th Anniversary, the STAPLES Center in Los half of Talladega Superspeedway’s grandstand. Phase One will be
Angeles, home of the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers and NHL’s Kings, completed by the Aaron’s 499 on April 25, 2010, and the balance
underwent a $20 million renovation this summer. Included in the reno- of the project will come online by the AMP Energy 500 on October
vation is the experimental Hyde Lounge, a nightclub inside the sports 31, 2010. Phase One will bring new 21-inch seats with armrests and
arena. Eight suites were removed to install the 4,000 square foot, cupholders to the Gadsden grandstands in Turn Four through section
175-seat nightlife space, which is available to suite and courtside seat C of the OV Hill South grandstands in the tri-oval. Seat aisles will
holders. Other changes include a redesign of the San Manuel Club, also be widened to 48 inches.Grandstand renovations also include
which now has an increased capacity of 445 and new glass walls for the building of new premium level seats and additional ADA seating. #
18 S E A T
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19. Design creates culture.
tell your story
loewensteininc.com | 800.327.2548 | a division of
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20. An Idea
Whose Time
Has Come
1988
The birth of the Big Idea, the idea that spawned the $10 billion pre-
mium seat marketplace, began in 1988. “Necessity was the mother of
this invention,” says Tom Wilson, President of The Palace of Auburn
Hills, the once and future home of the Detroit Pistons. “I think it was
safe to say that we looked at a cost of $60 million (which turned out
to be $90 million) and it was going to be privately funded,” continues
Wilson about the construction of The Palace. “It had to be built to pay
A look at where we were; for itself, if not make money.”
According to Wilson, the key to doing this was the construction
and where we are going of suites – more than 100 of them only 24 rows from courtside – more
than had ever been built before. “And we had to lease them for dollars
previously unheard of.”
The original suite marketplace was created with It was an entirely new venue model, and at the time, it was a big
long-term suite leases to finance venue construc- gamble; which by the way, paid off handsomely. The Palace generated
$15 million in suite revenue that first year, an enormous sum in those
tion. Twenty years later, nearly every professional days before a premium seat marketplace even existed or Alex Rodriguez
team has built a new venue. Long-term leases, had entered high school. And its success spawned two decades of new
venue construction.
except for new venues, are basically a thing of a To some extent, once The Palace proved a successful new venue
bygone era. Will the next 20 years be the age of the model, what followed was inevitable, a fait accompli. Owners of all the
other teams almost had to build out to keep up with the Jerry Joneses
per-event suite? It appears that could be the case. of the world. Staying competitive required that teams build out as soon
as possible. Not that this was a hard choice. Fans clamored for the new
buildings and were willing to pay with their pocketbooks: Stadium ref-
By Bill Dorsey erendums usually passed. If not, teams often threatened to leave (and
Chairman of the Board some did because there was usually a city so enamored by professional
sports, they would do almost anything to get a franchise to relocate).
Association of Luxury Suite Directors The greenmail worked. And for the last 20 years, fans have not stopped
clamoring as each venue built claims to be the latest, greatest, state-of-
the-art edifice on the face of the planet.
“I told anyone who would listen that I sold LSD for a
living. It was easier than explaining what I actually
did. Believe me, no one understood.”
The premium seat marketplace truly created what some have
called a “revenue race” for venue construction. Build a better mouse-
trap; raise more revenue; pay Alex Rodriguez (who had graduated from
high school by now) more money; win more games; keep fans and own-
ers happy. It also literally created thousands of jobs for those whose fate
it was to be part of the emerging marketplace. It changed the landscape
of professional sports forever.
I was one of those whose life became inextricably tied to this
Birthplace of an Industry: A bunker suite at The Palace of Auburn Hills new sports revenue generating idea. Mr. Holland had his opus; I had
my premium seat marketplace. I was at the beginning stage of what is
now called the Premium Seat Industry, now a $10 billion business, then
barely a blip on the radar screen.
20 S E A T
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21. SuiteAgent at a Glance
“The premium seat market was not a business; it was SuiteAgent was founded upon one vision: help teams and
more like a celebrity showcase. I thought I had died venues nationwide fill their event suites. Nearly every team has
been affected by the global financial crisis, and more suites than
and gone to Victoria’s Secret.” ever before are available for sale on a per-game basis. However,
teams can only dedicate a small percentage of their scarce re-
sources to selling per-event suites; after all, teams are primarily
focused on selling tickets and signing long-term contracts for pre-
Yet that blip was just enough to create a small revenue stream on
mium seats and suites.
which I built a small business with the funny name: the Association
Enter SuiteAgent. By aggregating the per-event suite in-
of Luxury Suite Directors. Yes, it was called the ALSD and yes, I told ventory of teams across leagues and geographies, SuiteAgent
anyone who would listen that I sold LSD for a living. It was easier than can more effectively target buyers on a national level, and com-
explaining what I actually did. Believe me, no one understood, includ- municate a more compelling and clear message about the value
ing my wife who stayed married to me while I risked our meager life proposition of per-event suites.
savings building the business. “SuiteAgent is just one of many tools in a team’s sales and
The ALSD started in 1990; we had all of 13 members. By 1992 at marketing toolkit,” according to Scott Spencer, Operating Manager
our 3rd annual conference at the brand new state-of-the-art Target Cen- of SuiteAgent. “However, we’re an important tool in that our goal
ter in Minneapolis, nearly 100 people showed up for the worldly price is not only to bring in new per-event customers, but also to gener-
of $250 per person. We had two exhibitors and one sponsor. Without ate new long-term leaseholders for the teams we work with.”
Levy Restaurants, who had their own ideas about building a suite cater-
ing empire in this new upscale venue marketplace, we would not have The Key Details
SuiteAgent’s business model has been designed to minimize risk
survived.
for the teams. Teams decide which inventory to showcase on the
Levy took care of us and made us seem much larger than we really SuiteAgent website, and at what price to sell that inventory. There
were. They threw lavish parties to demonstrate their catering abilities is no up-front cost to list inventory; SuiteAgent makes a commis-
that they learned as upscale Chicago restraunteurs who had just landed sion if the suite sells. Most importantly, SuiteAgent will share all
the Chicago White Sox account and were looking to expand. For a customer data with the teams so they can build relationships in an
while at least, I did not put on a conference as much as I did throw a effort to up-sell those customers to a long-term lease.
party. Some people today say nothing has changed. No matter: I was SuiteAgent can be found online at www.suiteagent.com.
glad people enjoyed the experience. For more information contact Scott Spencer at scott.spencer@
In those days, the attendees – how should I say this without suiteagent.com.
sounding sexist – were beautiful. Suite directors, at least the women,
were hired like stewardesses in the 1950’s. “It sure is a handsome crowd,”
I remember hearing Chris Bigelow tell me. “Yeah, I’m the ugliest one in
the room,” I told Chris. “Not that I’m complaining.”
It was very much of a celebrity lifestyle in 1990. First suite direc-
tor I ever met? It was at the old Spectrum in Philly. I walked through
the door to be greeted by Julius Irving. The Dr. was in. He sold suites.
To this day, I believe he is the only suite director we have had who can
dunk.
But that was the way it was in the beginning: the premium seat
market was not a business; it was more like a celebrity showcase. I
thought I had died and gone to Victoria’s Secret.
“I realized that suites were leased because they
created what is now called Contractually Obligated
Income (COI), and that suites were the underpinning
of venue financing and construction.” “The idea of something, of anything, can be
powerful. It is the idea of something that drives
1991 entrepreneurship, of what motivates action, of what
starts wars, and creates peace. Mostly though,
The creation of the Association of Luxury Suite Directors was really
born out of necessity also. In 1991, I was the editor of a magazine origi-
the idea of something is how many of us
nally named The Business of Sports. I was having trouble targeting my
circulation and decided, in one monumental moment, to change the
lead our lives.”
name of the magazine to Skybox, based on this new fangled home of
the rich and famous. To have my magazine placed in skyboxes required
I form a relationship with not only the teams, but these new celebrity
S E A T 21
Fall0919_24.indd 21 12/15/09 10:41 PM

22. 2000
employees hired to operate, sell, and lease the skyboxes. I’m not even
sure if they officially had a name, but we called them “Suite Directors”.
We began to call up teams, got to know the Suite Directors, and In the year 2000, I believed the market had been sufficiently built out
had them place the magazines in the venues. As we became acquainted to see if my idea about a per-event marketplace actually made sense.
with their world, we realized that the Suite Directors had no idea of We created a company called Skybox Access Network and found some
what their jobs were; how much they should be paid; or how many of modest funding to see if the teams and the corporations would adopt
them there should be. It was all uncharted territory, a brave new world. the concept.
So we formed the association to distribute magazines, and quick- I briefly tested the concept by contracting with American Ex-
ly the association grew because of necessity: there was a real need to press to market the fact that suites were available through Skybox Access
share information. Network.
Our numbers have grown to nearly 1,000 strong today, and the Timing is everything. Again, we found out that this was an idea
rest as they say is “history.” Skybox magazine failed during the lockout that was not ready for prime time. While clearly we found that there
and strike years of baseball and hockey in 1994, (we had nowhere to were plenty of customers out there who wanted to buy per-event suites,
send the magazine because the games were not being played) but the there was one major drawback: not enough supply.
Association of Luxury Suite Directors was forever. Suites were tied up at nearly 100% occupancy for long-term
deals. The teams were happy; it was too much work to sell individual
suites when they could easily sell long-term leases- the longer the better.
“While clearly we found that there were plenty of The new venues often were built with ten-year founder leases, which
were large sums of money paid up-front by corporate citizens, who saw
customers out there who wanted to buy per-event the investment almost as a civic gesture. There was pride in building the
suites, there was one major drawback: latest and greatest venue, and there was pride in entertaining guests in
the best new suites in the world. Corporations wanted bragging rights
not enough supply.” to own the best suites and were willing to pay for the privilege. To be
a suite salesperson in those days was like shooting orange roughy in a
Perrier-filled barrel.
I began to change focus. I was not an editor of a national magazine All of this was great for the premium seat marketplace. But not so
anymore, but the executive director of an emerging new marketplace. great if you believed there should be a legitimate per-event marketplace.
And I saw some things that perplexed me. As far back as 1991, I started No matter. The market had spoken. We scrapped the idea.
to look more closely at this new marketplace which did not really have a
name and was so small, hardly anyone in sports business even acknowl-
edged its existence.“Why are suites leased?” I asked Carole Singleton, “The media to this day believes corporate suites are
who was a former employee of mine before she had two kids, several a separation of the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’, and that
houses, and multiple jobs (time flies, huh?). I asked the question be-
cause even then, in 1991, I realized that suites were leased because they somehow suites are a bastardization of the
created what is now called Contractually Obligated Income (COI), and game itself.”
that suites were the underpinning of venue financing and construction.
But on an entirely different level, the idea of suites being leased did not
2007
quite make sense.
It seemed to me that because the demand was so great for suites
then, and because per-event suites could be sold for more than suites Sometime in 2007, the nearly mature premium seat marketplace had
prorated over the course of their lease, I always thought that someone been built out. Nearly every team, with the exception of just a few hold-
someday would create a per-event suite marketplace. outs, had brand new or relatively new buildings complete with suites,
It was an idea that “stuck” with me over the years. Surely, I club seats, stadium clubs, PSLs, and all the accoutrements that came
thought, there could be far more customers than only those who could with this new market.
afford long-term leases. There had to be hundreds or maybe thousands Demand for suites was still high, and new venues and suites were
of customers who would like a suite here and there, now and then, or a still being planned. The 12,000 suites that existed in 2007 were going
customer who only wanted several suites in several markets. There had to be 14,000 suites in the four major leagues by 2012. And not only
to be suites controlled by major corportions on a national level that were there to be more suites, but the cost was going to go up, up, up.
wanted more control over their overall marketing plans. Suites, that used to be leased for $100,000 per year, were now going for
At least I certainly thought so. upwards of $500,000 in the major markets in the best locations.
But, as it turned out, it was not an idea whose time had come With so much money to be made, it was only a matter of time
yet. The marketplace was not yet built out; the suite salespersons were before all sports became involved: NASCAR, PGA, all the minor league
too few and far between; and teams were not yet equipped to sell on a hockey and baseball teams, and the huge untapped college marketplace,
per-event basis. Mainly though, teams still needed the leases to finance as well as new leagues such as Major League Soccer. The market had
the buildings. mushroomed and gone nuclear.
Markets kept building out with no end in sight. A city that had
no suites one year suddenly had four new venues and in some cases 400
“To be a suite salesperson in those days was like to 500 suites to sell to the corporate citizens of that particular locale.
Very hot suite marketplaces such as Dallas actually had nearly 1,000
shooting orange roughy in a Perrier-filled barrel.” suites. If I took one call, I took a hundred from all the media types
who contacted me. Everyone called: Forbes, New York Times, Wall Street
Journal, nearly every local paper, even the Village Voice. They wanted the
22 S E A T
Fall0919_24.indd 22 12/15/09 10:41 PM

23. And Now a Word from Your Customers
Question: If you want to know what your customers really think, looking for ways to entertain clients, but they don’t have the budget to
what is th best way to find out? lease a suite or purchase premium seats. Non-headquarter locations of
Answer: Talk to the man whose livelihood depends upon pleasing Fortune 2000 companies are great targets as well.
those customers.
That’s exactly what SEAT does Q: Some corporations claim they are not using their suites and/or tick-
ets at a high enough utilization rate. Are there too many games? Have
this issue. John Wallace is Prime-
ticket prices become too high?
Sport’s Vice President and the Gen-
eral Manager of SuiteAgent and the A: A couple of thoughts- League by league, the problem is different. The
NFL has high corporate utilization rates based on the 10 home games.
company’s TicketOS ticket manage-
On the other hand, MLB has 81 home games. Furthermore, most NBA
ment platform. We asked him how and NHL venues offer the 41 home games plus extra events. This adds
PrimeSport’s customers presently up to more events than a corporation can attend. Not to mention corpo-
view the premium seat marketplace rations prefer to entertain clients during the week rather than weekends.
during these trying economic times. I would encourage venues and teams to consider allowing corporations
Wallace should know. Prime- to sell a small portion of their suites to enhance the financial relation-
Sport’s TicketOS division manages ship with the team/venue. I realize this is not optimal, but I guarantee
approximately 600,000 season tick- if executed properly would go a long way to building a long standing
ets and suites across nearly every partnership.
venue in the country. Under Wal-
John Wallace, lace’s guidance, TicketOS has grown Q: How are corporations adjusting to the new economic reality many
General Manager of SuiteAgent its ticket inventory software client are in? Is flat the new up? How are their budgets being squeezed?
list by 500% since he took the reins A: I’m far from an economic expert, but the equation seems simple.
in May of 2008. Consumers are not spending as aggressively as we once did, and this
equates to change. Corporations are adjusting by not spending as ag-
Wallace’s experience with
gressively, finding alternative revenue opportunities, and finding custom-
selling to the corporate customer is impressive. Prior to PrimeSport, ers via new media platforms. Social media has taken off, and the wave
Wallace served as VP of Digital Sales for Iron Mountain where he was isn’t stopping anytime soon. If you’re not pushing the envelope to de-
responsible for $150 million in annual sales. During his tenure there, velop new marketing strategies and new customer acquisition avenues
Wallace grew the business to 100,000 small business customers. Cus- then you are living in the 90’s.
tomers during his tenure there read like a suite salesperson’s dream list
and include: Coca Cola, Bank of America, Cisco, Intel, eBay, Adobe, Q: Are there new technologies available that teams should adapt to?
and Boeing. A: There are new technologies showing up every day in the ticketing
The following is Wallace’s view of the premium seat business, and space. Most seem to be underwhelming, but there are a few good ones
how his customers presently view the marketplace. out there. Technology should be used to help fix a problem, and this is
why TicketOS and SuiteAgent were developed. TicketOS helps a cor-
Q: Corporations are changing their spending habits and spending poration identify, track, report and utilize their expensive ticket assets.
patterns for premium seating. If you could offer a piece of advice to SuiteAgent was developed with the team in mind so we could help move
the teams, how would you position their pitches to corporations? Is dark suites to companies that can’t afford the annual commitment.
there something they are not doing that you would do in reaching them
properly? Q: You have a lot of major clients at PrimeSport: For example, Bank
A: I recently brought together five Fortune 500 clients and asked them of America, Capital One, and Panasonic who represent nearly 400,000
one question. When was the last time a representative from a team vis- seats and suites on an annual basis. How do the truly national clients
ited you at your office? One person raised their hand and claimed one position themselves differently that say, the local customer? Do they
team (a Northern California team) visited their office three months ago. have different objectives?
Other than that, the room was silent. I was shocked to say the least. The A: Many of the national clients think and act locally. This means national
point is simple. Spend face-to-face time with your largest premium seat clients have decision makers in the local markets that act the same as
and suite holders. Build relationships with decision makers and under- a smaller client. In addition, each national client works from a business
stand their corporate marketing plans. Share as many success stories development plan that involves the local markets. For example, I work
from companies who have successfully built ROI programs from your with a Fortune 500 company that has business development activities
products and services. in the Washington, Dallas, and New York markets. They are dependent
on the local relationships in 20+ venues and act just like a single market
Q: About 8,000 clients presently control the 12,000 suites in the four suite holder.
major leagues. As someone in the corporate world, do you believe there
are clients out there who could purchase suites on a per-event basis? Q: What do you believe teams should do for their truly national com-
Do you believe the teams should change their marketing focus? panies that they don’t offer now? Is there a different way to treat a suite
A: There is no doubt in my mind there are thousands and perhaps tens owner who has multiple suites in multiple venues, versus the local or
of thousands of potential per-event customers. Birthdays, anniversaries, smaller regional company?
holiday parties, employee recognition, poker night, executive interviews, A: I don’t believe there is a need to treat the national companies differ-
etc. are just a few ideas I’ve heard recently. A month ago, I connected a ently, but as I mentioned earlier, I know there is a need for the teams
good friend with a per-event suite at the LA Kings. How? I knew he was to partner closer with the large companies. Understand the company’s
a hockey fanatic and was planning his 40th birthday party for 20 close marketing plans, future spend, utilization rates for the suite, etc. Rela-
friends. Parents of young soccer players are another great target for the tionships drive corporate business plain and simple, so get ahead of the
simple fact there are more kids playing soccer in the US than any other curve.
sport. In addition, small to medium size businesses all over the US are
S S E E AA T T 23
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