Maximizing hospitality as a return on investment hinges on one major issue -- creating for clients unforgettable experiences that will continue long after the game ends, according to panelists at the '12 Intersport Activation Summit. “Things that last beyond the event are the key to success,” said JP Morgan Chase Head of Sports & Entertainment Marketing Steve Pamon. “You have to know who you are talking to and what motivates them.” At Wrigley Field, the Cubs are pushing hospitality experiences and opportunities beyond the 81 regular-season home games. “We are doing different events to create emotional experiences that are customized to deliver results,” said Cubs Exec VP and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Wally Hayward. But even the best planned events can fail if there is a lack of execution. “We bring hundreds of people to the Super Bowl every year,” said Pepsi Dir of Sports Marketing Todd Kaplan. “The devil is in the details. There is a lot of planning to do.” Intersport Senior VP/Strategic Partnerships Chuck Johnsen said that leveraging hospitality into new business is based on the quality of relationships between the client and company. “It all boils down to relationships,” he said. “How well you know your customer.” Today, with more pressure to deliver results on hospitality spending, companies are more closely tracking who is sitting in their suites and seats. "We make sure we have the right person there,” said KPMG Dir of Sports Marketing & Sponsorships Shawn Quill. “We have steps along the way to do that. We have found that quality has gone dramatically up.”
