This document is the fall 2011 issue of SEAT, a quarterly publication of the Association of Luxury Suite Directors. It features articles on tablet technology being used by the San Francisco 49ers, a new stadium in Italy changing soccer, how premium seating sales are combining resources, and insights into why Fortune 100 companies purchase premium seating. It also includes industry news, member highlights and profiles, and information on upcoming ALSD events.

1. the san francisco 49ers “wow” with tablet technology page 38
S E AT
leading the premium seat industry www.alsd.com fall 2011
p u b l i s h e d b y t h e a s s o c i at i o n o f l u x u r y s u i t e d i r e c t o r s
2012
buyers guide
Pages 50–84
Be A Part Of The community At #ALSD2012
PLUS: Minneapolis VENUE TOURS Unveiled Why fortune 100 Companies
Page 34 Purchase Premium Seating:
An INSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE
“the old lady” Brings A New Era To Serie A Page 48
And Lo Stadio Che Cambia Il Calico
Page 42 patricK duffy
Opens The Doors To A Transformed
Do You Have 20 Minutes? ST. PETE TIMES FORUM
Then You Can Build A successful sales Page 26
Campaign With ALSD Member FLAVIL HAMPSTEN
Page 12
ny Jets top nfl revisiting wake forest’s the sacramento Kings combine
social media ranks deacon tower: a case study resources to deliver roi
page 18 page 20 page 46

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All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011 Motorola Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

7. Fall
S E A T 2011
Published by the Association of Luxury Suite Directors
SPECIAL FEATURE:
50 BUYERS GUIDE 2012
The annual installment of the world’s one and only buyers guide listing
for premium seat-specific products and services includes Amenities
and Promotional Products, Food and Beverage, Furniture, Fixtures and
Equipment, Information Technology and Professional Services.
RESEARCH BY RYAN MIRABEDINI
FEATURES
34 BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY
The ALSD is a collection of likeminded professionals. We praise this
community in 2012. Join us at the 22nd Annual ALSD Conference
and Tradeshow in Minneapolis for a celebration of idea exchange, 34
camaraderie and some of the best venues in the industry.
42 A NEW HOME FOR FOOTBALL’S “OLD LADY”
By opening the doors to a new stadium, Juventus FC may be opening
the doors to a new era for Italy’s Serie A. Learn why Juventus Stadium
is lo stadio che cambia il calico – “the stadium that is changing football.”
BY IAN NUTTALL
46 THE EMERGENCE OF THE SALES MELTING POT
How the trend towards combining suite and sponsorship inventory
works for the Sacramento Kings… and how it can work for you too.
BY AMANDA VERHOFF
48 TOP SECRET: AN INSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE OF
PREMIUM SEATING USAGE BY FORTUNE 100 COMPANIES
Many of the top U.S. companies use premium seating as a business
tool, but WHY? Go inside the decision making minds of these top
premium seating purchasers to better understand their wants and needs. 38
BY DR. PETER TITLEBAUM, DR. HEATHER LAWRENCE,
DR. CHRISTOPHER MOBERG AND MS. CHRISTINA RAMOS
SPORTS TECHNOLOGY CORNER
38 TABLET TECHNOLOGY: THE NEW WOW FACTOR
In recent months, trendy tablet devices have started to improve per-
formance and modernize business practices. And not surprisingly, for
premium seating sales and service, it all starts in Silicon Valley.
BY EMILY MILLER HUDDELL
About the Cover: Get your shopping list ready. Tis the season - Buyers Guide Season: your
reference tool for purchasing needs throughout the year. 42
Contents continues overleaf
#SEATFall2011 | www.alsd.com | S E A T | 5

8. Fall
S E A T 2011
ASSociATion oF Luxury
SuiTE DirEcTorS
Chairman Bill Dorsey
Executive Director Amanda Verhoff
Published by the Association of Luxury Suite Directors President Jennifer Ark, Green Bay Packers
VP, Business Development Pat McCaffrey
Director, Sponsor and Partnership Development Dene Shiels
Editor of SEAT and ALSD.com Jared Frank
National Sales Manager Scott Hinzman
Membership Director Ryan Mirabedini
Design Carole Winters Art + Design
Director of Finance Dan Lindeman
Financial Account Manager Vickie Henke
Director of Interactive Media John Tymoski
ExECuTIVE CoMMITTEE
Chris Bigelow, Bigelow Companies
Brian Bucciarelli, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts
Greg Hanrahan, united Center
Tom Kaucic, Southern Wine & Spirits
28 Pat McCaffrey, ALSD
Kim Reckley, Detroit Red Wings & olympia Entertainment
DEPARTMENTS
BoARD oF DIRECToRS
8 NEW ALSD MEMBERS Janie Boles, Auburn university
Natalie Burbank, utah Jazz / Salt Lake Bees
10 ALSD STAFF EDITORIAL Richard Dobransky, Delaware North Companies
Editor’s Note Trent Dutry, uS Airways Center
BY JARED FRANK Chris Granger, National Basketball Association
MIke Guiffre
12 ALSD MEMBER EDITORIAL Adam Kellner, Chicago Bears
Build a successful campaign for difficult Gerald Kissel
selling situations in 20 minutes Debbie Massa, RoI Consulting
20 Scott O’Connell, Minnesota Twins Baseball Club
BY FLAVIL HAMPSTEN
Mike Ondrejko, Legends Premium Sales
Richard Searls
16 ALSD MEMBER Q&A Tom Sheridan, Chicago White Sox
Peter Titlebaum, university of Dayton
18 INDUSTRY AND ASSOCIATION
NEWS ALSD 2012 STEERING CoMMITTEE
Why the New York Jets are #1 in social Sue Brown, Levy Restaurants
media Richard Dobransky, Delaware North Companies
Four years later, Wake Forest University Rachael Johnson, Minnesota Wild
proves itself a successful case study Scott O’Connell, Minnesota Twins Baseball Club
Thinking inside the box with Catersource Tanesha Wade, university of Minnesota Athletics
Published by Venue Pub. Inc. Copyright 2011. (All rights
24 ON ALSD.COM reserved). SEAT is a registered trademark of the Association
of Luxury Suite Directors. SEAT is published quarterly and is
complimentary to all members of the Association of Luxury
26 MEMBER HIGHLIGHT Suite Directors.
SEAT visits with:
Patrick Duffy
Senior VP of Corporate Sales &
Executive Suites
Tampa Bay Lightning
BY JARED FRANK
Association of Luxury Suite Directors
10017 McKelvey Road, Cincinnati, oH 45231
88 COMING ATTRACTIONS 513 674 0555
amanda@alsd.com
22 Please Recycle This Magazine
6 | S E A T | www.alsd.com | #SEATFall2011

10. nEw ALSD MEMbErS FALL 2011
Susan Roth Brad Stauffer Gary Tedder
President Senior Vice President, operations Senior Vice President, Business Development
Trims unlimited, Inc. AGA MARVEL Accredited Members Holding Corporation
4525 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 205 1260 E. Van Deinse Street 2 North Cascade Ave, Suite 1400
Los Angeles, CA 90010 Greenville, MI 48838 Colorado Springs, Co 80903
P: 877-481-8864 P: 616-619-5335 P: 719-265-5821
susan@trimsunlimited.com bstauffer@agamarvel.com gary@accreditedmembers.com
David Bloovman Art Bochert Michael Genho
Vice President Vice President, Sales & Marketing President
Fresh Towel, Inc. AGA MARVEL Pat Boone All-American Meats
3313 W. Stokley Street 1260 E. Van Deinse Street 2 North Cascade Ave, Suite 1400
Philadelphia, PA 19140 Greenville, MI 48838 Colorado Springs, Co 80903
P: 215-226-1199 P: 616-619-5355 mgenho@patboonemeats.com
info@freshtowel.com abochert@agamarvel.com
Rob Madelmayer
Steve Anstine Micha Rains Business Development Manager
National Account Manager Regional Sales Manager EGroup
Bernhardt Design AGA MARVEL 11790 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite T-100
14613 Wedd Street 68 Thomas Avenue Reston, VA 20191
overland Park, KS 66221 Mountain House, CA 95391 P: 703-674-5434
P: 828-759-6638 P: 800-223-3900 rmadelmayer@egroup-inc.com
steveanstine@bernhardt.com mrains@agamarvel.com
Wendy Ewing
Jane Cummings Nancy Bryan Role Brand Manager
Bernhardt Design Managing Partner Sales oFS Brands
1839 Morgantown Blvd. B-R Carts & Kiosks, Inc. 1204 East 6th Street
Lenoir, NC 28645 Blackwood Business Center Huntingburg, IN 47542
P: 828-759-6488 1360 County Road, # 8 wewing@ofsbrands.com
janecummings@bernhardt.com Farmington, NY 14425
P: 585-398-2190 Kelly McDyre
Amanda Gurney nancyrole@brcarts.com Director of Public Relations and Sports Partnerships
Manager of Premium Services Cambria
Pittsburgh Penguins Sean Nowaczyk 11000 West 78th St, Suite 220
CoNSoL Energy Center Premium Seating Executive Eden Prairie, MN 55344
1001 Fifth Avenue Michigan International Speedway P: 925-944-1676
Pittsburgh, PA 15219 12626 u.S. Hwy 12 kelly.mcdyre@cambriausa.com
P: 415-255-1798 Brooklyn, MI 49230
agurney@pittsburghpenguins.com P: 517-592-1225 Jayne Hancock
snowaczyk@mispeedway.com Marketing Executive / CMo
Ryan Coyle FanVision
Director of Premium Sales Nick Watson 60 Columbus Circle, 19th Floor
olympia Entertainment Vice President – Information Technology New York, NY 10023
Detroit Red Wings Milwaukee Brewers P: 212-801-1000
600 Civic Center Drive one Brewers Way jhancock@fanvision.com
Detroit, MI 48226 Milwaukee, WI 53214
P: 313-471-3208 P: 414-902-4491 Taylor Walker
ryan.coyle@olyent.com nick.watson@brewers.com Executive Services Coordinator
Georgia Dome
Paul Epstein Katie Stocz Miller one Georgia Dome Drive NW
Director, Ticket Sales & Premium Seating Director of Client Services Atlanta, GA 30313
Maloof Sports & Entertainment orlando Magic P: 404-223-8865
Sacramento Kings 400 W. Church St, Suite 250 twalker@gadome.com
one Sports Parkway orlando, FL 32801
Sacramento, CA 95834 P: 407-916-2932 Amy Chwick
P: 916-928-8171 kmiller@orlandomagic.com Manager, Client Services
pepstein@kings.com Florida Marlins
Derek Muldowney 2267 Dan Marino Blvd.
Kate urekew Executive VP NATC Miami Gardens, FL 33056
Executive Director, Partnerships and Marketing International Speedway Corporation P: 305-626-7322
Circles 1801 W. International Speedway Blvd. achwick@marlins.com
300 A Street Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Boston, MA 02210 P: 386-947-6671
kate.urekew@circles.com dmuldowney@iscmotorsports.com
Jamie Walsh Doug Bolas
Executive Director Vice President – Design
Circles International Speedway Corporation
300 A Street 1801 W. International Speedway Blvd.
Boston, MA 02210 Daytona Beach, FL 32114
jamie.walsh@circles.com P: 386-681-6892
dbolas@iscmotorsports.com
Duane Gilbert
Marketing Manager Jessica Gregory
AGA MARVEL Luxury Suite Coordinator
1260 E. Van Deinse Street Carolina Panthers
Greenville, MI 48838 800 South Mint Street
P: 616-619-5317 Charlotte, NC 28202
dgilbert@agamarvel.com P: 704-358-7472
jessica.gregory@panthers.nfl.com
8 | S E A T | www.alsd.com | #SEATFall2011

11. What’s your
Wi-Fi done for
you lately?
AT&T Wi-Fi Services provides the KEY to a complete integrated Wi-Fi infrastructure
providing smooth, continuous connectivity throughout your stadium to keep your
fans connected and offer the ultimate alternative to “Home Theater”.
What’s your Wi-Fi doing for you?
Let AT&T Wi-Fi Services take care of your technology needs—you focus on your guests.
Customized wireless design based Quality of Service (QoS) &
on a proven methodology Bandwidth Management
• Fully managed service model • Access policy enforcement
• Site survey, design, and installation • Network security for POS
• Operation and support • WAN/LAN traffic management
• Backhaul transport Dedicated client services
Application enablement • 24x7 Customer Support Center
• Mobile application development • Venue customer support
• Co-branded splash pages • Nationwide repair & maintenance
• Loyalty program integration
Contact 877-397-6931 for more details on how AT&T Wi-Fi
Services can help improve the experience at your facility.
Visit wi-fi_sales@att.com for more information.
©2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other
marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated
companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

12. Editor’s notE by JArED FrAnk
What we can learn from the life of Steve Jobs
O
n October 5th, Steve Jobs passed
Connect with me on
away. And whether you’re an
www.linkedin.com/in/jaredfrank
“Apple Snob” or not, you should
appreciate his life for how greatly it
and follow me on
has empowered your life. www.twitter.com/SEAT_Editor
Steve Jobs believed in revolutionary change. for daily updates.
Through his entrepreneurship, innovative flair and Here is a sampling of my tweets:
sheer guts, he sold technology beyond just an ac-
celerator of business and into a consumer product.
After first MLS season, the Portland Timbers are ex-
First with the personal computer then later with panding Jeld-Wen Field capacity to 20,323. The club
the iPhone and iPad, affordability and, most is also adding 2,000 season tickets for total of 14,500.
importantly, accessibility for the average American
was attained.
Phoenix Coyotes offer allergy-friendly suite rentals.
Affordability – that’s easy to understand. For
The suite is cleaned prior to each use, free of peanuts
all that it does, the iPhone is pretty damn cheap. and features the “Allergy Friendly Menu.”
And I have friends who own a MacBook, iPad and tionary changes. I don’t know why. Because they’re
iPhone. That’s a bit unnecessary in my opinion, harder. They’re much more stressful emotionally.
but the point is, they are average Americans who And you usually go through a period where every- Dodgers cut all season ticket prices for 2012, includ-
ing as low as $5 in the Top Deck. New STH perks
earn an average wage and own these items without body tells you that you’ve completely failed.”
include playing catch on the field and complimentary
carrying a balance on their American Express Steve Jobs believed in revolutionary change. Stadium Club membership.
cards. And his message inspired action. Actions are
But what do I mean by accessibility? Acces- happening every day across our industry, and
sibility to what? Without question, Steve Jobs has some of them are presented in this issue of SEAT, Washington State seeking approval for $80M renova-
tion. Upgrades would include a larger press box with
empowered anyone with courage with an oppor- including: As explained by Flavil Hampsten in his
premium seating.
tunity to further his or her commercial pursuits. Member Editorial, the Charlotte Bobcats are con-
But his true lasting legacy lies in his empower- tinuing to be aggressive with retaining clients and
ment to access ideas. Ideas, not money, make the securing new business despite the NBA lockout Xirrus has outfitted Gillette Stadium with a wireless
world go round. and other difficult selling situations (page 12). The network to serve its premium seating areas. Putnam
Club members are now able to access exclusive video
Yes, Steve Jobs believed in revolutionary San Francisco 49ers are using iPads to transform
content on smart phones.
change. their sales practices – from presentations to
A quick disclaimer – I eat with my iPhone; I transactions (page 38). The new Juventus Stadium
sleep with it; and if it were physiologically pos- in Turin, Italy is ushering in a completely new era STAPLES Center transforms fan experience with new
sible, I’d breathe with it. I talk, text, tweet and for the country’s top sport and top league (page high definition digital video solutions. Verizon and
Cisco solutions keep fans connected and customize
play Angry Birds with my breakfast, lunch, dinner 42). In Sacramento, the Kings are delivering ROI
each event.
and all times in between. And I cycle through my and ROO by combining suites with sponsorships
iPod as I fall asleep each night. So, clearly, I am a and their organic needs analysis approach (page
Steve Jobs homer. 46). And let’s not forget about all the vendors NY Mets cutting season ticket prices up to 39%. In-
But back to the idea of ideas. I keep an idea – who are supplying new products and services to dividual games will be dynamically priced. Dynamic
pricing to be managed by Qcue.
one of Steve Jobs’ ideas – on my desktop. I would the marketplace. Our annual buyers guide listings
like to share it with you now. Please know that begin on page 50.
this isn’t intended to be like a birthday card – There was only one Steve Jobs. But all of us can Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich attempts to
something that’s meaningful for the ten seconds use these examples and many others out there to buy back Stamford Bridge from Chelsea Pitch Owners
you read it, and then ends up forgotten in the enact, if not revolutionary, then certainly positive (CPO) in order to have rights to build a new venue.
trash can next to your empty milk cartons and change. Decide on the idea of who you are – per-
junk mail. I read this thought periodically, say sonally and professionally – and go be that idea. Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers to add
once a month. I try to live it daily. I hope you will seats to the Aud. 1,000 seats to be added for an
too. The next Steve Jobs certainly will. How is your organization bringing about positive change? estimated $9.6M.
“I have a great respect for incremental improve- Email me at jared@alsd.com.
ment, and I’ve done that sort of thing in my life, Also connect with me on social media (See Sidebar).
but I’ve always been attracted to the more revolu-
10 | S E A T | www.alsd.com | #SEATFall2011

13. Never Lose Your Cool on Game Day.
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insure that you can fit whatever you need to make the most of the
day. U-Line. Ready for game day since 1962.
U-Line Refrigeration is keeping it cool in stadiums across the nation:
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Citizens Bank Park Coors Field
TD Banknorth Garden Invesco Field at Mile High
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Dunkin’ Donuts Center Morrison Stadium
Agganis Arena Camelback Ranch
Ralph Wilson Stadium Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Nationals Park United Center
Honda Center Lambeau Field
The Palace of Auburn Hills Bradley Center
Comerica Park U.S. Cellular Field
Progressive Field Soldier Field
Paul Brown Stadium Xcel Energy Center
Ohio Stadium Conseco Fieldhouse
Nationwide Arena Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
PNC Park New Orleans Arena
Great American Ball Park Cleveland Browns Stadium
Canal Park All Pro Freight Stadium Please come by and visit us
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To learn more, please visit u-line.com

14. ALSD MEMbEr EDiToriAL bY FLAViL HAMPSTEN
Build a successful campaign for difficult
selling situations in 20 minutes
D
id your team miss the playoffs? Are balance was due when football was guaranteed
you in the middle of, or recently go to come back. In essence, they made it easy for
through a labor situation? Do you the season ticket holders to say yes, while they
happen to work for an owner who waited for a CBA resolution. If those same
is not liked in your city or does not have the teams forced their customers to pay in full, the
financial backing to build a competitive team? outcome would have been disastrous.
Do you feel that charging a premium for your Lastly, leverage your sellable assets. Most
tickets right now isn’t the thing to do? If your teams do a good job with leveraging groups to
answer is “yes” to any of the above questions, you their “A” games. Most teams ask that buyers also
work in a difficult selling situation. Notice that purchase another game that is less desirable for
I said “difficult,” not “impossible.” Working in a group sales. However, a majority of teams do not
difficult selling situation is a cause for you to be leverage their premium areas. Why aren’t we all
more demanding of staff, more creative with of- packaging-in less desirable assets with our more
fers and more aggressive in your sales campaigns. popular assets in all areas of our business?
If you don’t, your numbers won’t be where they No matter how bad your situation is, there
should be. The good news is that you can create is something that people will want. Sometimes
this plan quickly to ensure your numbers are it is an “A” game, sometimes it is an arena event
still tops in the league. Read below for five tips and other times it is an appearance from a
to navigate successfully through tough selling former player. In 2008-09 when the Phoenix
situations. Coyotes were taken over by the NHL and then
declared bankruptcy, the team took to selling
Effort Always Matters – Yea, I know what Getting face-to-face and their sellable assets by focusing on what was
you’re thinking, of course it does. But take a seri- guaranteed and attractive – arena shows. Want
ous look at your efforts. Are you hosting more having prospects engage to rent a suite to Paul McCartney? The Coyotes
events than ever? Are the same amount of phone with your team during had suites to rent, but you had to be a season
calls and appointments being made? Are you ticket holder to gain access. They did this for all
thinking outside of the box to ensure your situ- uncertain times is the only of their arena shows that summer. The team sold
ation is maximized? A lot of teams don’t. They over 100 new fulls and an estimated $400,000 of
feel paralyzed because of their situation. Well, certain way to move the other products by using this method. Would that
the good news is that you’re never paralyzed; just needle. When times are help your bottom line? Package-in your sellables
remember that no plan will work if your effort is to create more value for your lower demand
not 100%. tough, you should host products.
Make It Easy for Buyers to Say Yes – Uncer-
more events than you ever Have a Plan to Target and Sell Premium – In
tainty leads to low confidence amongst buyers. have before. addition to making it easy for prospects to
Low buyer confidence leads to low sales figures, buy, you need to have a plan to target and sell
unless you do something about it. Status quo premium seats. I’ve found that most teams don’t
does not work in these situations. So whether have a plan for premium. They have a plan to sell
you work for a team in the middle of a labor payments until hockey was back. They took fulls, partials and individual tickets, but often
situation, work for a team that has no owner or deposits for 900 season tickets which was more times the premium crew is left to fend for itself.
an owner in financial distress (Hello Phoenix than the other teams who simply sat still and A campaign has many moving parts, but the
Coyotes and LA Dodgers), or you simply work waited for the situation to get better. The New three areas below will get you on the right path.
for a team with a “rebuilding” product, you can Orleans Hornets are actually replicating this If you wanted to, you could complete these three
still put up league-topping numbers if you cre- effort right now and are ranked as one of the steps within a week.
ate a low barrier to entry and sell your sellable top-selling teams in new business in the NBA.
assets. Low barrier to entry makes it easy for the buyer Demographics – If you don’t know what your
During the NHL lockout in 2004 when other to say yes until the times are more certain. premium buyers look like demographically, now
teams laid off employees and cut marketing Another example of this comes from the is a good time to find out. You can get sophisti-
budgets, the LA Kings got aggressive with their NFL. During this past summer’s NFL lockout, cated with this by hiring a third-party company
offers. The Kings took season ticket deposits. many NFL teams made it simple for their or keep it simplistic and send a short email
Buyers could lock into a season location with season ticket holders by only asking for a 10% survey.
only a $100 deposit and not make any additional deposit to renew or buy new seats. Then the
12 | S E A T | www.alsd.com | #SEATFall2011

15. LinkedIn is the best business prospecting tool in the social
world right now…As I sorted through linking with all of
our suite holders, it was surprising to me how many of
the DECISION MAKERS from companies have a LinkedIn
profile.
Rent/Buy Lists – Rent and/or buy lists that you sitting around waiting for your situation to the event. Why should the prospect buy AT the
look like your current premium seat holders. get better? event? Why should the seller care if the prospect
The lists that I buy are always targeted toward Golden State recently held a premium sales actually buys that night or the next? Have strong
companies and individuals who look like my event that targeted past premium seat holders. buyer and seller incentives to maximize on the
current customers. If you’re buying lists blindly, The team invited cancelled accounts over the event.
the return will not achieve what you need it to. past three seasons to meet the new ownership
group. As a buy-now incentive, they used Jerry Social Media Works. Please Use It – This is a
Lead Management – Have you separated out West autographed items. The event resulted in bonus point that very few people have figured
your leads or do you still have your inside sales excess of $200,000 in revenue. out. It is either because they’re not familiar with
team calling the top premium prospects in the The Atlanta Hawks hosted a similar event how to sell on social media, or their employer
area? Now that you know what your customers that generated over $60,000 in one night. Buy- may have a gag order on them. Regardless of the
look like and have more leads to call, make sure now incentives ranged from an away trip with reason, there is one platform that has more sell-
you have your best salespeople calling on these the team to lunch with Dominique Wilkins. ing power for salespeople than any other social
leads. The New Orleans Hornets recently com- media platform. That platform is LinkedIn.
Once you have those three steps in place, pleted the finale of their 100 events in 100 days. LinkedIn is the best business prospecting tool in
you can either simply assign the leads to your The results? $950,000 of revenue. the social world right now. In our CRM system,
premium crew to call, or you can warm up the The Bobcats host one open house per month we have a button built-in that looks for our
leads for them. I elect to warm leads as much as in the off-season and generate over $100,000 on prospects’ LinkedIn profiles. As I sorted through
possible before assigning. My campaigns gener- average for each. The team has also hosted over linking with all of our suite holders, it was
ally look like this: 15 events per month that are sales and retention surprising to me how many of the DECISION
driven. There is a reason why the Bobcats are MAKERS from companies have a LinkedIn
Step 1: Email is sent to lead list still tracking ahead of last season’s record-setting profile. If you’re unfamiliar with LinkedIn or
a) If email is opened, the lead is assigned im- year. Events are a big part of that reason. have been underutilizing its power, review the
mediately to the sales rep to call If you look deeper into the events, you’ll five steps below and follow them. You can thank
b) If email is unopened, proceed to Step 2 notice three things that make them successful: me after your sales numbers and closing ratio
Step 2: Direct mail list is sorted 1) Make the event attractive. Give the increase.
a) To manage expenses, look at numerous prospect a reason to show up. The Washington 1) Create and COMPLETE your profile –
demographic fields before deciding who to Capitals have used meet-and-greets with players You research prospects; have you ever stopped to
target with a direct mail piece along with free hot dogs and sodas for all who think that your prospects are researching you as
b) Assign leads, who have not opened the attend the team’s open house. The New Jersey well? They do, and you need to have a web pres-
email but have received the direct mail piece, Nets have toured around Jersey Turnpike diners ence that states who you are, what you’ve done,
to sales reps for calls with numerous executives and players. Think and what you’re currently doing.
Step 3: Assign remainder of leads for calls outside the box and give the prospect a reason to 2) Join a group to find prospects – Do you
attend, and listen to why they should invest in know how long it would take to make 7,000
Warming up the leads by using this process has your organization. calls? I’m involved with several groups in the
increased our closing ratio from 0.5% to 3.5% 2) Target qualified lists for invites with Charlotte area. Each group has over 7,000
and has generated a return of 6-to-1 for our both direct marketing and phone calls. As I members to whom I can communicate with.
direct mail campaigns. It’s a step that I consider have already stated, I purchase lists consisting I can do this with one click of my mouse by
essential when designing a campaign. of prospects that look like my current premium posting an interesting tidbit. Stay relevant and
customers, but I also set my sales force up on interesting.
Host More Events – The next parts of the an aggressive call campaign designed to get the 3) Find your prospects and connect with
campaign are sales events. Event-based selling prospects to our event. The Houston Rockets them – You have a lead list, and I bet you have a
is still an anomaly to a lot of teams. Those teams have hosted successful events targeting specific ton of leads where you’ve left 600 voicemails for
will say that events don’t work in their market, industries that typically have a high propensity the decision maker. You need a new way to get
or that they don’t have a budget to host them to purchase (e.g. Banking, Oil Executives, etc.) his/her attention, and this is it. Here is the trick:
which seems like an excuse. Getting face-to-face with the same tactic. Closing your eyes and don’t send the note that LinkedIn provides you.
and having prospects engage with your team sending invites to lists that may not be qualified You must customize the note and hope that the
during uncertain times is the only certain way has the potential to decrease the results of your prospect accepts.
to move the needle. When times are tough, you event. Do your homework, invite qualified buy- 4) Once that prospect has accepted your
should host more events than you ever have ers to maximize events, and hit them with an invitation to connect, now communicate with
before. Some teams are executing this approach invite and an aggressive outbound call campaign. him/her – Without spamming them, you now
well right now. Are you emulating them, or are 3) Have both buyer and seller incentives for [continued on page 86]
#SEATFall2011 | www.alsd.com | S E A T | 13

16. MeMbership ALsD MeMbership Dues structure:
New MeMbers:
Join September 1 – December 31:
Membership good until following September 1
Join January 1 – August 31:
Membership good until September 1 of following year
Renewals are billed out annually on September 1
MeMbership cAtegories
preMiuM seAtiNg professioNALs froM teAM, VeNue,
or iN-VeNue f&b coMpANy:
Ex. Director, Premium Seating, Green Bay Packers
“With a new arena just around the corner, attending the • Charter Member: First Member from Team or Venue: $395/year
ALSD Conference the past few years became a valuable tool • Affiliate Member(s): Additional Member(s) from Team or Venue:
in making decisions regarding the design and operations of $125/year
various premium seating areas. Whether we were networking preMiuM seAtiNg professioNAL froM fooD AND beVerAge
with premium professionals, touring a new sports facility, or heADquArters:
speaking with one of a variety of vendors, we brought back Ex. Regional Vice President, Sodexo Corporate (does not work in-venue)
thoughts and ideas to share with our organization that were • Corporate Member: $300/year per member, for first four members
invaluable to our decision making process. Just don’t tell my • Corporate Member: $125/year per member, for additional members
boss a lot of the networking took place at the free parties.” over four
--Mike Guiffre, Director of Premium Seating, VeNDor/suppLier coMpANy professioNAL:
Pittsburgh Penguins Ex. Sales Manager, Boundless Network
• Vendor/Supplier Member: $500/year total, for up to four members
• Vendor/Supplier Member: $125/year per member,
for additional members over four
JoiN Now:
_____ Team Venue: Charter Member: $395
_____ Team Venue: Affiliate Member: $125/each
_____ Corporate Member: $300/each, for members one-four
_____ Corporate Member: $125/each, for fifth member and on
_____ Vendor/Supplier Member: $500/company, for members one-four
_____ Vendor/Supplier Member: $125/each, for fifth member and on
PAyMENT:
TOTAL: $____________
Person Joining (Repeat form for additional members):
Name: __________________________________________________________
Title: ___________________________________________________________
for More iNforMAtioN or to subMit Organization: ____________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________
forMs coNtAct:
City, State, Zip: ___________________________________________________
Association of Luxury suite Directors Phone: __________________________ E-mail: _________________________
Amanda Verhoff
10017 McKelvey Road METhOD OF PAyMENT:
Cincinnati, Oh 45231 _____ Check made payable to: ALSD or Association of Luxury Suite Directors
P: 513-674-0555 x104 _____ AmEx _____ MC _____ Visa _____ Discover
F: 513-674-0577 Card Number: ____________________________________________________
E: Amanda@alsd.com Expiration Date: ________________
www.ALSD.com Cardholder Name: ________________________________________________
Cardholder Signature: _____________________________________________
23 | S E A T | FALL 2010 | www.alsd.com

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Pre-ordered four vegetarian plates for luxury suite.
Automatically adjust catering inventory.
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18. ALSD MEMbEr Q&A
Question Topic:
PRICE REDuCTION, VALuE
and rentals. To sweeten the deal on the food
and beverage side, we have created an inclusive
food and beverage package with our all-inclusive
A:
Yes, I have been using my iPad for suite appoint-
ADDS, STRATEGIES fOR suites. We have also developed a point system ments. I upload suite pictures on my iPhoto. I
SELLING for administering the food and beverage pack- have found that it has helped when describing
Q: age.
Amenities that we have created/added
the suites, sightlines and other VIP areas. It is
not as good as getting the prospect down to the
Regarding how you have changed/altered your include: stadium in person but definitely adds value and
suite sales strategies: • Inclusive food and beverage package the “cool” factor to any presentation.
• Has anyone lowered their annual suite • Fully-renovated suites
license pricing? If so, explain price points.
• Has anyone added F&B credits to sweeten
deals? If so, how much?
• Concierge service
• One-way valet service
- Suite owners park in a private lot; at-
A:
Regarding the use of iPad, XOOM or other
• What amenities have you created/added for tendant parks the car and delivers keys tablet products, we are not currently using any
your suite owners? back to the suite tablet products for our suite sales presentations.
• What outside-the-box sales strategies - Service can include window wash- Currently, our corporate sales team (sponsor-
have you come up with, and how have you ing during events as well as periodic car ships) is working to utilize an iPad for sales
executed them? detailing presentations, but they have only put together a
• New jersey with micro-chip infused technol- first presentation, and in doing so, they have run
A:
We have not lowered prices yet with our leased
ogy
- Personalized jerseys for all-inclusive
suites
into a few technology issues. So I am interested
to hear the feedback and any successes or issues
that other teams have experienced.
suites (the first of the 5-year agreements are - Jerseys include a chip in the sleeve
coming up after 2012, and we have recom-
mended doing so). We did however do this
with our premium seats (e.g. Presidents Club
which gives 25% off concession stands
and 35% off merchandise
• New suite owner lounge
A:
We use a tablet to present virtually everything
and Diamond Club), so we have essentially set - Created space for networking on a content related: historical timelines, old/new
precedent. Regarding food and beverage, we nightly basis exclusive to suite owners stadium comparisons, parking maps/informa-
have always included food and non-alcoholic - Nightly chalk talk where former play- tion, stadium/concourse/club space renderings,
beverages in our Presidents Club. In 2011, we ers/coaches mingle with guests suite and seat views, pricing information includ-
added draft beer and house wine. We also went • Private suite owner entrance and elevators ing financing breakdowns, inventory maps, etc.
away from “loaded value” in our Diamond Club • [Team] Vision messaging The tablet presentations have been very well
and made it all-inclusive, which now includes - Suite owners can have access to compli- received especially here in Silicon Valley. It’s a
food and beverage, including draft beer and mentary messages to be displayed on the wow factor every time. The tablet is versatile and
house wine. We have recommended a bundled jumbotron, such as anniversary, special allows you to bring our Preview Center to life
food and beverage package or yearly credit for guest welcome, etc. for out-of-office meetings. It also allows you to
all suite holders when/if the client renews or • Merchandise ordering and delivery to suite update stadium information/numbers/inventory
extends (in the case of 7- and 10-year deals). • Guaranteed game-day giveaways any time, resulting in less clutter and collateral.
As far as amenities, we offer wine and cheese The downside is that tablets can’t project on
tastings, autograph signings, meet-and-greets, a big screen (say in a conference room when
private areas in the park during public events Question Topic: presenting to multiple people), however they do
(e.g. Picnic in the Park), autographed and per- make a projector for the iPad, which we are in
sonalized bats from the General Manager and
TAbLETS fOR SuITE the process of getting.
the Pearl Program. In terms of outside-the-box PRESENTATIONS
strategies, we are working on price reduction,
food and beverage credits, elimination of escala- Q: A:
tors, etc. These are not totally out-of-the-box Are teams using tablets, like the iPad, XOOM I wanted to try and use an iPad for presenta-
but core to renewing clients and extending their or similar device, for suite presentations? tions and use it on event days, but I am having
contracts. We are looking at a suite share or If yes: issues getting our IT department to okay the use
suite licensing program like Mandalay Sports • What content is presented on the tablet of one as there are apparent concerns with the
has developed with their minor league baseball (multimedia, suite images, etc.)? security on the device regarding our network.
properties/venues. • What has been the success of using the
device versus the traditional presentation COMING uP:
A: method? YOuR QuESTION IS
• What are the pros? ANSWERED: MORE
We have not decreased, but rather increased our • What are the cons? ON THE EMERGENCE
average ticket price on average 20% by resetting Of TAbLETS, PAGE 38
the bar in regards to all-inclusive suites, shares
16 | S E A T | www.alsd.com | #SEATFall2011

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20. iNDuSTrY AND ASSociATioN NEwS
Revisit Deacon Tower at BB&T Field, p.20
Member Highlight: Patrick Duffy, p.26
Why the New York Jets are #1 in social media
According to Neilson, the Jets are tops in the NFL with an 11.9% share of all NFL-related social media activity
o
n October 9th, the New York Jets lost a
hotly contested matchup with their long-
time rivals, the New England Patriots.
For a team like the Jets, this season won’t
be considered a success unless Mark Sanchez
says he’s going to Disney World, and Rex Ryan
is lost in a sea of celebratory confetti. So how
exactly does the organization keep fans on board
and believing when the team goes through early
season frustrations like the loss to the Patriots?
One major way is through an accolade-gar-
nering social media campaign that is second to
none in professional sports.
The aforementioned loss to the Patriots be-
came final at roughly 7:15pm EST. Within the
next 18 hours, the Jets official Twitter account
(@nyjets) had already “tweeted” an impressive
26 times. These 140-character quick-hits were
comprised of coach and player quotes, upcoming
events and, most importantly, direct fan interac- Connect with the Jets: From the team website, fans can access all team and player social media assets that when combined rank the Jets
#1 in the NFL in terms of social media activity.
tion. These responses to fans weren’t promoted
with a clever campaign or requested by Jets
officials. They were straightforward responses to the age of 18 whether they would rather have an Motopics” which – at the time this article is be-
Jets fans that took their thoughts on the team to autograph or a retweet from their favorite player, ing written – is seen immediately when going to
Twitter for whomever cared to read them. This and you may be surprised by the answer. the page (www.facebook.com/Jets). The contest
much is not uncommon with any professional A professional sports team is a brand, and encourages fans to take a picture of themselves
team. The difference? The Jets actually responded as is the case with any other, a certain degree and friends watching the game, upload the
(nine times to be exact). of loyalty must be ascertained. The days of kids photo and complete a form (which acts as a lead
Here’s an example of how it worked: sending their favorite player a self-addressed generator for the Jets), and one entry is voted
envelope with a trading card to be autographed to win two tickets to a Jets home game courtesy
Jets fan have long since passed. What better way to cre- of Motorola. These types of integrations into
@DieselHouse7: @nyjets the jets can be 13-3 ate brand loyalty with young fans than interact Jets social media show not only how to activate
if they wanted to... I just don’t know if they with them on avenues that they are more prone fan interaction but also take advantage of clear
want it enough yet. to using. avenues to develop leads and create new ways to
As the old saying goes, “Numbers never lie.” make team sponsors happy.
Jets in response With that considered, the Jets can hold their As the economy fluctuates on a daily basis,
@nyjets: @DieselHouse7 We are completely heads high with their continued growth on buyers are more cautious than ever, and the days
focused on winning games. We’re working social mediums. As of the beginning of October, when an average home game meant a guaran-
hard to turn things around next Monday. the Jets had 1,046,127 likes on Facebook and teed capacity crowd with every suite filled have
218,768 followers on Twitter. By the end of the long since passed. Now, more than ever, teams
Interactions like this one are a testament to month, those numbers were up to 1,061,663 must focus on creating their brand via grassroots
the activation of the Jets account, but that’s not and 226,767 respectively. The aggregate of these movements. For the Jets, this means being the
where the involvement of the team ends on this numbers (1,288,430 Facebook + Twitter direct top team in the NFL at running a successful
social medium. By following a simple link to a impressions) coupled with the fact that these social media campaign.
branch of the team’s website, a fan can follow accounts are updated daily and interact directly – Ryan Mirabedini
a collection of players, coaches and front office with fans demonstrate the true value of Jets
members that are on Twitter. All of this can be social media.
done with one click of the button. In addition to the abovementioned interac- For more information on New York Jets Social Media, visit:
An obvious question stemming from all these tions on Twitter, the Jets Facebook page is also prod.www.jets.clubs.nfl.com/fanzone/connect-with-the-jets.
accentuated efforts is why? A cynical observer concise, informative and quite entertaining. html
might claim that fans don’t care if their team Along with posting updates about the team
responds, they just want winners. While that through its fan page, the Jets also incorporate
may have been true in years past, times are inevi- several sponsored contests and interactive op-
tably changing. Ask the majority of kids under portunities. A perfect example is the “Motorola
18 | S E A T | www.alsd.com | #SEATFall2011

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22. iNDuSTrY AND ASSociATioN NEwS
four years later, Wake forest university proves itself a successful case study
For many colleges thinking about facility renovations, revisiting Deacon Tower at BB&T Field is a good place to start
N
early ten years ago, Wake Forest Univer-
sity realized a need to renovate BB&T
Field. It was then that planning for a
multi-phase renovation began, including
Phase Four: Deacon Tower. The venue market-
place can sometimes get hung up on the “latest
and greatest.” And while learning new trends
is vitally important, reexamining past projects
to learn sustainable trends is just as important.
Deacon Tower was completed four years ago and
remains sold out because of strategic decisions
made early on as well as continuous responses to
Recipe for Success: Barry Faircloth explains the ongoing process of keeping BB&T Field current: “There’s no secret sauce; you just have to
clients’ needs. For those schools in the midst of
address the customers’ needs. It’s a pretty simple formula.”
planning their own venue upgrades, consider the
success story at Wake Forest. As Barry Faircloth, so we went from 12 to 24,” Faircloth explains. for venues looking to upgrade. The tower is also
Associate Athletic Director – External Opera- “We had 60 days to sell the inventory. We were used for over 300 non-game day events a year.
tions at Wake Forest details, “It’s a never-ending significantly oversold, so we doubled the amount Weddings and fundraising events alike give
process of paying attention to the customers’ of club tables and increased the number of club potential patrons an opportunity to experience
needs and maximizing what the venue needs to seats.” the state-of-the-art tower.
generate revenue.”
SOMETHING fOR EVERYONE SWEETEST SuITE
VISIT OTHER VENuES Of the clients who purchased inventory in The Moricle Society Suite was created seven
Faircloth explains that visiting other venues Deacon Tower, 30% were season ticket holders years ago for donors at the highest level – the
was the best thing Wake’s staff did in planning who bought into the tower only when there was equivalent of a full athletic scholarship. Benefits
for the new tower. The reason wasn’t solely to a “premium-enough” product available. Offerings were added to attract donors willing to give for
see what was done right, but also to learn from included something for every taste and budget, at least three years. Presently, Moricle Society
others’ mistakes. Simple things surfaced as such as Balcony Suites, the highest-priced prod- membership is $60,000 a year and donor ben-
tremendously important, including the need for uct (aside from the Moricle Society Suite – see efits include four tickets in the Moricle Society
open-feel, high ceilings and premium finishes, below), which offered balconies and outstand- Suite, coach talks, inclusive catering, visits from
even if they initially cost more. Weather was also ing views. Club Level and Upper Level Suites NFL players/alums, invitations to travel on team
important when deciding on outside club seats offered a traditional feel with sliding glass doors/ charters to away games and special arrangements
with access to a climate-controlled lounge with windows and outdoor/indoor seating. For those for basketball games. The Athletic Director fre-
a view of the field. who didn’t want/need a suite, Club Tables were quents this space, helping to foster relationships.
a fan favorite. The society was in place before the tower in a
EMbRACE THE AbILITY TO ADJuST What’s more, Wake Forest focused on areas different end zone facility. But it was not until
By utilizing ample time to plan the tower’s specs, not just for clients. On the technology front, the the tower suite was constructed that it thrived as
the school gauged the appetite of prospective venue is one of the most wired in the country. the highest-end space available.
premium clients and changed plans according Top-notch camera angles and lighting make
to demand. “Club tables were extremely popular, the venue one desired by media and a model SPONSOR LIbERALLY, ESCALATE
APPROPRIATELY
Deacon Tower Pricing:
Sponsorships were also opportunities to finance
Type of Seating Minimum Membership Level Donation License Usage Fee Total the project. Faircloth explains, “We named the
Balcony Suite* Deacon Club (any level) $47,085 $5,500 $52,585 club level, the field, main entrance and balconies;
Club Level Suite* Deacon Club (any level) $35,660 $4,000 $39,660 we added value to sponsorships.” Much of the
Upper Level Suite* Deacon Club (any level) $29,960 $3,500 $33,460 sponsorship and premium marketing efforts
Premium Club Table* Black & Gold Society $7,730 $900 $8,630
focused on one-on-one meetings, complimented
Club Seat Scholarship Club $1,100 $150 $1,250
*If a client is interested in sharing a suite or premium club table, he/she may do so with up to three other by virtual fly-throughs, a scaled model and
individuals for a suite and one other individual for a premium club table. exceptional collateral materials.
-Club Table: Indoor or Outdoor Wake Forest was, and remains, fortunate
-Not included: Moricle Society Suite Pricing to have an abundant waiting list, so although
-80% of the donation is tax deductible, while the license fee is not tax deductible
escalation clauses were added for Deacon Tower
Deacon Tower Terms: contracts, occupancy did not suffer. Moreover,
3-year 4% per year escalation of the total the donors were “prioritized” according to giving
5-year 2% per year escalation of the total level, so Wake was able to painlessly reach the
7-year 0% per year escalation of the total commitment level to move ahead with renova-
10-year 10% discount available for one-time payment in full
tions and drive overall donations.
[continued on page 86]
20 | S E A T | www.alsd.com | #SEATFall2011

24. iNDuSTrY AND ASSociATioN NEwS
Thinking Inside the box
Lunches that are sustainable – and surprisingly elegant
u
pscaling a box lunch may seem like a
crazy idea – and one that’s not likely to
sell. But Broich Catering & Locations in
Germany has created one that is beauti-
ful, sustainable and offered at a reasonable price
point.
“The idea was to create a product that enables
us to serve a large number of guests, without los-
ing sight of the sustainable aspect,” says Georg
Broich.
The lunch is presented in Mason jars packed
into paperboard boxes that have been specially
made for Broich. “The jars and boxes are ideal
for the presentation of fresh food,” Broich says.
“And both are important for our commitment to
sustainability.”
The lunch concept is called “the small menu
in the box,” Broich says, and usually consists
of three or four courses, including fresh salads,
main courses and any kind of dessert, plus bread.
Warm main courses will be made on-site rather
than packed in advance.
Broich sells lunches in boxes for about $25
each. “For this catering concept, we don’t need a
big effort in transport or logistics,” says Broich. Every portion of the meal is served from Mason jars packed into specially made paperboard boxes with bread or a roll. It’s a quick way to serve
“And the personal effort, for example for cooks an elegant lunch to large numbers of people.
or waiters, is also very low. Compared with our
usual catering concepts, the lower costs enable
us to create top quality for smaller budgets. Of RED bEETS TAbbOuLEH Method
course, the concept can be expanded in case of Created by Christian Willrich, executive chef Heat up the broth and let the bulgur simmer in
bigger budgets.” of Broich Catering & Locations this for 2 minutes. Then move it off the stove and
Generally, the boxes and jars are picked up let soak for 25 minutes.
by the catering company after the meal is con- 4 servings
sumed, although clients can pay to keep them if Wash the vegetables, fruits and herbs. Peel the
they like. For stadium use, retrieval of the lunch Ingredients shallots and cut them small. Halve the celery
containers would be relatively easy. 1/4 cup vegetable broth stalks lengthways and cut them up into thin
Broich says the lunchboxes have been very 150 g (1/3 lb) bulgur slices. Remove the stem from the fennel. Halve
successful for large events with a tight timeline 150 g (1/3 lb) celery the apples and core them. Cut the fennel and
and not much space for food prep. For several 150 g (1/3 lb) fennel apple into small cubes. Mix shallots, celery, apple
large conferences, the client ordered 1,600 1 apple and fennel pieces together.
lunchboxes, and the response from attendees— 250 g (about 1/2 lb) red beets
and the client—was positive. The lunchboxes are 2 shallots Peel and cube the red beets, then season with salt
designed as an option for conferences, exhibi- salt and pepper to taste and pepper.
tions and tradeshows, but Broich also makes 2 bundles of mixed herbs
them available for drop-off in the area near its 2 Tbsp nut oil Shake the herbs dry, cut them fine and mix them
commissary. juice of a lime with the nut oil and lime juice. Fold this into the
“The lunchboxes have become a desired cater- vegetable-apple mix, then salt and pepper. Fold
ing tool for our customers,” Broich says. “They the red beets into the mix just before service, so
are easy to handle, and for green meetings, they won’t dye the other ingredients too much.
especially, they are the ideal presentation tool for
fresh food.”
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22 | S E A T | www.alsd.com | #SEATFall2011

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26. oN ALSD.coM
ALSD on Location: Austin, TX
On the Road with Karyl Henry and the Oklahoma State Cowboys
E
arlier this fall, SEAT Editor Jared Frank
followed ALSD member Karyl Henry,
Director of Premium Services for POSSE
at Oklahoma State University to Austin,
Texas for a Big 12 showdown between the
OSU Cowboys and the Texas Longhorns. The
objective was simple: research the away game ex-
perience of the OSU faithful. Below are some of
the highlights from the running diary of Jared’s
experience. To view the diary in its entirety and
additional photos, visit www.alsd.com/content/
alsd-location-austin-tx.
Let’s pick things up Friday night, the night
before game day…
Karyl and Pam Stubbs, Director of Chapter Relations, Oklahoma State University Alumni Association (OSUAA) are on-hand to greet OSU donors,
8:07PM alumni, player families and fans of all ages.
The “official party headquarters” for Cowboy
fans starting at 6:00pm Friday is the Blind Pig
Pub. It is a sea of orange. The party, already a
couple hours deep, is, by my estimation, a steady
tide of 400-500 cowboys and cowgirls.
8:10PM
Not sure if the OSU “freebies” are the magnets
attracting the cowpoke nation, but anything
branded with OSU mascot Pistol Pete is sure
to go quickly. Included in the swag given away
are the now famous stickers. “This year we
started giving away these little stickers,” Karyl
explains as she shows one to me. “You would
think we’re giving away pieces of gold. Our fans
think it’s the greatest thing in the world to get It’s Road Rally time – OSU’s “traveling home field advantage.” Enveloping the northwest corner of Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium near Gate
their sticker. They love these things.” Within 30 7, a crowd of 500+ is cheering loudly to welcome the OSU Cowboy football team and coaches.
minutes, all 200 stickers are gone.
“Give him a sticker,” shouts one of my new of the most anticipated moments of the bowl 6:00PM
OSU friends. “He’s gotta have a sticker.” I will game experience. Typically held in the team ho- I avoided the sun and the Pokes avoided the
wear my OSU POSSE star proudly the entire tel lobby instead of at the venue, crowds number trap. Final score: OSU 38 UT 26. There were
weekend. It is my orange badge of courage. not in the hundreds but in the thousands, in- lots of points and lots of performances of the
cluding at last year’s Alamo Bowl where a posse Waving Song, another OSU tradition, after
of over 3,000 fans crammed into the lobby and Cowboy touchdowns.
SATuRDAY: GAME DAY… three floors looking down on the lobby to send
the Cowboys off to a 36-10 victory over Ari-
12:20PM zona. “I walked through the lobby with [Head] Also on ALSD.com:
Here we go. Sporting my newly purchased Coach [Mike] Gundy, and you could tell he was • Daily industry and association news updates
vintage T-shirt featuring the scowling Pistol in awe of the crowd,” Karyl remembers. “He • ALSD Conference updates
Pete, I’m off to the tailgate. It’s time to turn the stopped numerous times to turn and wave at the • Additional member questions and complete answers
heat up. crowd. It was really awesome, and honestly gave
The OSU pep band, spirit squad and Pistol me the chills.” Plus: ALSD members can read this issue of SEAT as well as
Pete mascot are on-hand for every rally as well. archived issues anytime online at www.ALSD.com/SEAT
All of these cheer leaders energize fans with 1:30PM
chants and fight songs as they wait for the team Meanwhile back at the Blind Pig, a BBQ lunch
buses to arrive. “The Road Rally would not be is being served to another 500 Cowboy fans. For
the same without them,” states Karyl. those without tickets to the game, the watch
The Road Rally has also quickly become one party is the next best place to be.
24 | S E A T | www.alsd.com | #SEATFall2011