Mark Dyer and Elevate Sports Ventures have dissolved their business partnership after just nine months. The two sides got together in September to create Elevate On Campus, a new college vertical for Elevate that would compete for ticketing business, but in recent weeks they decided to part ways for reasons that aren’t clear.
Dyer
Moving forward, Dyer will bring back his old business, Taymar Ventures, which previously was going to be rolled into Elevate On Campus. Taymar is returning with two college clients — Georgia State and Kentucky.
Kentucky was the one school Elevate On Campus signed. According to the separation terms, Kentucky’s business will travel with Dyer.
Georgia State, which is based in Atlanta, previously worked with Learfield IMG College Ticket Solutions before switching to Taymar.
Elevate Sports Ventures still has business in the college space. The agency is working with Purdue athletics on a research project that will help determine the future of Ross-Ade Stadium.
On the ticketing side, Dyer, a veteran sales and marketing executive in the college space, seemed to be a logical partner for Elevate because he had been instrumental in establishing the outsource ticket business. From 2011-17, Dyer oversaw the Learfield IMG College joint venture that had more than 30 school clients using their ticketing solutions to generate new sales.
Dyer said the ticketing division of his company will be called Taymar Sales U.
Elevate On Campus planned to differentiate itself by charging clients a flat fee for its sales and marketing services. Established competitors in the space, The Aspire Group and Learfield IMG College Ticket Solutions, typically are paid a percentage of new sales.
Even though Elevate and Dyer confirmed their partnership to SBJ in September, which included Dyer and Kim Parsons as the two highest-ranking officials in the college ticketing business, they were never able to finish off the agreement with signatures and decided to separate.
Elevate was created last year by the union of the San Francisco 49ers, Oak View Group, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and Ticketmaster/Live Nation.
Editor’s note: This story is revised from the print edition.
