Grant's plan to increase attendance/revenue
Oct 23, 2009 14:23:33 GMT -5
Post by ohiopirate on Oct 23, 2009 14:23:33 GMT -5
Pretty good read in the Dayton Business Journal:
High above the floor of the Nutter Center in Fairborn, Wright State University’s banners are getting a face lift.
While the new look is designed to impress, the one thing Bob Grant really expects basketball fans to notice this year is more people in the seats.
“People are quietly realizing that we’ve got a pretty good product on the floor,” said Grant, who took the helm at Wright State’s athletic department prior to last season.
The Raiders are emerging as one of the better basketball programs in the country, thanks to coach Brad Brownell, who led the team to 20 or more wins in each of his first three seasons. Success has helped Wright State build attendance, which is critical because men’s basketball typically brings in more than 40 percent of annual revenue generated by the athletic department.
Average game attendance climbed to 5,400 last season, up from 4,900 the previous year, and was the biggest jump among Horizon League teams. With almost a month before games tip off at the Nutter Center, season ticket renewal rates are closing on 90 percent, which is at least several points higher than in recent years.
Grant plans to build on last season’s momentum by putting more emphasis on group sales and a new promotion that lets fans pick any six games on the schedule for $84 a seat.
“We’re trying to be flexible for the consumer who can’t make certain nights, break any barriers to convenience and cost,” he said. “We don’t want any excuses to stay away from a Wright State game.”
Under Grant’s leadership, the department is building more flexibility into sponsorships as well.
He brought corporate sales back in-house, leading to new deals with companies like LaRosa’s, Speedway, Muscle Milk and Reynolds and Reynolds. Those contracts helped boost sponsorship revenue 35 percent since last season.
The department also is doing a lot more barter deals, which Grant counts toward revenue figures. Without the trades, he said athletics would need to pay cash for things such as food and housing for officials, opposing teams and other visitors.
In the past, WSU offered a number of preset corporate sponsorship packages. Now it’s tailoring deals to grow revenue.
“We’re trying to be creative and think of anybody we can partner with,” Grant said. “You’ve got to be nimble in this economy.”
To generate buzz, WSU slapped basketball ads on 40 billboards around town. But this season, Grant also is directing his troops to focus more on grass roots efforts to build attendance and enthusiasm at games.
The plan includes:
• Spurring referrals from season ticket holders by providing incentives;
• Reaching out more to alumni to buy tickets;
• Luring students to sit in the student section — boosting their impact by having them all in one place — by opening a $1 student concession stand in that area;
• Partnering with the student newspaper and sending reminders through the university e-mail system to boost student attendance; and
• Increasing social networking to boost student and alumni attendance.
After a 16-year career in Raider athletics, Grant took the reigns last summer just before economy collapsed. That event hit the school hard and gave him a quick lesson in learning to do more with less. His department was forced to lay off several workers and cut some positions through attrition.
dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2009/10/26/story1.html?b=1256529600^2308741
High above the floor of the Nutter Center in Fairborn, Wright State University’s banners are getting a face lift.
While the new look is designed to impress, the one thing Bob Grant really expects basketball fans to notice this year is more people in the seats.
“People are quietly realizing that we’ve got a pretty good product on the floor,” said Grant, who took the helm at Wright State’s athletic department prior to last season.
The Raiders are emerging as one of the better basketball programs in the country, thanks to coach Brad Brownell, who led the team to 20 or more wins in each of his first three seasons. Success has helped Wright State build attendance, which is critical because men’s basketball typically brings in more than 40 percent of annual revenue generated by the athletic department.
Average game attendance climbed to 5,400 last season, up from 4,900 the previous year, and was the biggest jump among Horizon League teams. With almost a month before games tip off at the Nutter Center, season ticket renewal rates are closing on 90 percent, which is at least several points higher than in recent years.
Grant plans to build on last season’s momentum by putting more emphasis on group sales and a new promotion that lets fans pick any six games on the schedule for $84 a seat.
“We’re trying to be flexible for the consumer who can’t make certain nights, break any barriers to convenience and cost,” he said. “We don’t want any excuses to stay away from a Wright State game.”
Under Grant’s leadership, the department is building more flexibility into sponsorships as well.
He brought corporate sales back in-house, leading to new deals with companies like LaRosa’s, Speedway, Muscle Milk and Reynolds and Reynolds. Those contracts helped boost sponsorship revenue 35 percent since last season.
The department also is doing a lot more barter deals, which Grant counts toward revenue figures. Without the trades, he said athletics would need to pay cash for things such as food and housing for officials, opposing teams and other visitors.
In the past, WSU offered a number of preset corporate sponsorship packages. Now it’s tailoring deals to grow revenue.
“We’re trying to be creative and think of anybody we can partner with,” Grant said. “You’ve got to be nimble in this economy.”
To generate buzz, WSU slapped basketball ads on 40 billboards around town. But this season, Grant also is directing his troops to focus more on grass roots efforts to build attendance and enthusiasm at games.
The plan includes:
• Spurring referrals from season ticket holders by providing incentives;
• Reaching out more to alumni to buy tickets;
• Luring students to sit in the student section — boosting their impact by having them all in one place — by opening a $1 student concession stand in that area;
• Partnering with the student newspaper and sending reminders through the university e-mail system to boost student attendance; and
• Increasing social networking to boost student and alumni attendance.
After a 16-year career in Raider athletics, Grant took the reigns last summer just before economy collapsed. That event hit the school hard and gave him a quick lesson in learning to do more with less. His department was forced to lay off several workers and cut some positions through attrition.
dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2009/10/26/story1.html?b=1256529600^2308741
