The second interactive breakout session we hit was Communicating With Your Season Ticket Base presented by Tim George (University of Oklahoma) and Martin Salamone (University of Florida).

Tim and Martin started by covering some of the most popular methods for promoting season ticket sales such as pre-recorded voicemails (don’t overuse, beware of DNC lists), emails which can be from coaches or student-athletes to encourage attendance or announce promotions, and direct mail that could include letters or postcards.

Tim and Martin cautioned attendees about overusing any of the mediums, so as not to inundate or annoy their fans. Athletic departments should keep lines of communication open within their various departments to make sure no campaigns unnecessarily overlap.

The group then discussed ways to inspire loyalty and add value such as giving premiums and promotions in exchange for a renewal. Some schools discussed offering other incentives to season ticket holders such as special access to practices or ability to come down on the field before a game.

The last topic of the session was fan surveys. Less than half of the forum participants had a consistent survey plan in place to gather feedback about what their fans would like to see more (or less) of.

Some important topics to gather feedback from your fans on are:

• methods of communication (do they prefer email, phone, direct mail)
• parking
• concessions
• restrooms (cleanliness and crowds)
• game and/or event start times
• halftime entertainment and
• overall game day experience

Photo credit: You buys your ticket by Hryckowian on Flickr