Spurs Focus On Enhancing Fan Experience During Tough Economy
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Spurs Offering Several Packages
To Boost Value Of Ticket |
The Spurs have "slimmed-down" their front office, signed a deal with a new advertising agency, launched a new ad campaign and put new focus on "increasing the value and excitement of the games," according to William Pack of the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS. Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E) President of Business Operations Rick Pych: "It's a challenging year. We're going to do everything possible to improve upon what we're doing -- no stone unturned to reach fans and to develop the best fan experience." Pych said that the organization "lost a handful of positions when responsibilities were consolidated." SS&E plans to "push value-priced ticket packages that combine food and beverage offerings with game tickets and, at times, Spurs merchandise for targeted audience groups." That will likely "include a Girls Night Out package, along with a separate offering for men only to go along with an expanded menu of Family Value Night packages." Pych said that sponsors are "looking more closely at the benefits the sponsorships provide them." Pack noted that "could mean the Spurs players, coaches, team dancers and others in the organization will make appearances at sponsors' events to create more business." Also, bands "will play after home games on the weekends" in an event called Overtime, and SS&E is "evaluating other activities to increase the teams' drawing power, including tailgating activities and special gatherings with food and music on nongame days." All the new events and value packages will be promoted through print, TV, radio and Web ads. The first home game of the regular season at AT&T Center sold out, but attendance at each of the following three games "was more than 1,000 short of capacity." Pych said that corporate sponsorships are "not expected to change much this year after experiencing a normal amount of turnover." Pack noted the team "has sold all but about two of the luxury suite packages at the AT&T Center" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 11/16).
SPURING SPONSORSHIP: Southwest Business Corporation (SWBC) Chair Charlie Amato and President Gary Dudley said that their company "has entered into a three-year deal with the Spurs that rebrands the entire suite level of AT&T Center as the SWBC Terrace Level." The San Antonio-based financial services company said that "it has significantly increased its corporate support of the Spurs in an effort to drive up its own business and to motivate other companies to rally behind the city's only major professional sports team during a rough time." The SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL's W. Scott Bailey reports as part of the new deal, an "existing restaurant and a new martini bar on the Terrace Level will also get the SWBC branding," and the company "also gets increased signage placement throughout the arena." Dudley said that the plan is to "put the SWBC name in front of more San Antonians so that they can market more of the company's services, including mortgage banking, auto insurance, property insurance and employee benefits" (SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL, 11/14 issue).
CHEAP SEATS: The Spurs Friday will hold a one-day sale on single-game tickets for the second half of the season. Beginning at 9:00am CT, $25 tickets for Spurs games after February 24 will cost $2, and the price "will escalate gradually through the day as the inventory shrinks." The sale ends at 7:00pm, when regular single-game prices are restored (San Antonio EXPRESS-NEWS, 11/15).
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