T'Wolves Seek To Entice Fans To Purchase Season Tickets For '09-10

T'Wolves Exec Says There Has Been "Strong Initial Response" To '09-10 Season Ticket Plan

The T'Wolves "have tried enticing fans" to purchase season tickets with "everything from a three-day Las Vegas vacation to invitations to team practices to having players hand-deliver renewal kits," according to Don Seeholzer of the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. T'Wolves CMO and Senior VP/Marketing & Communications Ted Johnson: "It's a tough environment, especially one that is as discretionary as sports is." But he added that there has been a "strong initial response" to the '09-10 season-ticket plan the T'Wolves unveiled last month, which includes "rolling back prices" on 95% of tickets and freezing the other 5%. Johnson declined to release specific figures, but he said that the team has had "twice as many renewals as it did at the same point a year ago and that season-ticket sales are nearly three times higher." Johnson: "I can tell you we're off to our best start in both new sales and renewals since the 2003-04 season." The T'Wolves had an 80% renewal rate last year, and Johnson said that the team is "hoping for a similar number this time." Seeholzer noted the T'Wolves this season rank 27th in the NBA in attendance, averaging 14,265 per game at the 23,500-seat Target Center (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 4/5). Meanwhile, T'Wolves Owner Glen Taylor Sunday said that the team next season will have a "general manager-type to head up basketball operations, ending the committee-style approach it has used in recent seasons." Taylor: "We're going to have one person that will be at the top. We've interviewed quite a few people" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 4/6).