Did you know that roughly 43% of programs pay some type of fixed fee to their outsourced ticketing partner, but that some schools are receiving valuable hardware credits from their ticketing system vendors? Win AD’s Vendor database offers unparalleled access to major revue agreements—including ticketing systems and outsourced ticketing—providing succinct summaries of data for a quick comparison (as well as .pdfs the actual agreements). The database houses tens of thousands of pages of agreements, representing billions of dollars in aggregate value, giving you the data to benchmark and negotiate with more power.
Contact us for a free tour of Win AD
A critical driver of revenues, ticketing is an area within the athletic department that is evolving at a pace that would have been difficult to comprehend only a few years ago. Less standardized across universities, ticketing offices are nonetheless employing myriad new technologies and techniques to market, sell, and deliver tickets to consumers—all in the face of a difficult economic climate where there are more options for at-home game experiences than at any time previous. We wanted to know more about real-time forecasting of ticket demand, the increasing use of mobile ticketing and ticket exchanges, and learn more about how ticket prices are set annually.
Five Ticketing Directors were good enough to sit down with Ryan Matthews, Winthrop’s Managing Editor, to share their experiences and discuss the future of ticketing services: Brian Kelly, Assistant AD for Ticket Sales and Operations at North Carolina State; Sandy Smith, Assistant Director of Athletics for Ticketing Services at Virginia Tech; Brad Darmofal, Assistant Athletic Director, Sales and Customer Service at Wake Forrest University; Jim O’Neil, Associate Athletics Director of Ticket Operations at Boston College; and Matt Monroe, Assistant Athletic Director for Ticket Services at the University of Maryland.
What does your current role look like in three and five years, and what tools, skills, and resources will be required to be successful in the role?
Brian Kelly – North Carolina State 
Assistant AD for Ticket Sales and Operations
My current role will not change drastically, but there will be a heavy emphasis on the customers’ ability to sell, renew, transfer, and scan tickets on a mobile device and have a smooth easy transaction. Some of that technology is here already, and will continue to evolve, and educating our staffs and fans that we have it—and how to use it—will be paramount. Also, there has been a heavy emphasis put on outbound sales teams. This changes the dynamic of our office, shifting from fulfillment and order-taking office to proactive sales centers. It allows our offices to work even more closely with marketing and other relevant units in developing effective and creative sales, marketing, promotional, and CRM plans. Managing and utilizing their skillset to better your revenues and renewals, from a donor and ticketing perspective, is new and will continue to grow in the next few years.
Sandy Smith – Virginia Tech
Assistant Director of Athletics for Ticketing Services
In the future, the role of those in charge of ticketing will require understanding the new and younger customers and getting them to want to be involved in live sports entertainment. Getting fans at the event, to feel the excitement of live action, and to be in the elements with the team is paramount. This is a difficult task in today’s environment, as so many younger patrons are satisfied with watching from the comfort of a couch, in a climate-controlled environment.
Brad Darmofal – Wake Forest University
Assistant Athletic Director, Sales and Development
The ability to adapt and grow through the use and development of technology is important. At the very least we need to explore and understand these developments and how we can use them to help grow our business. Things like dynamic pricing, sales teams, social media, and Customer Relationship Management systems have all become hot topics for college athletics as we look to future trends.
Jim O’Neill – Boston College
Associate Athletics Director – Ticket Operations
I do not see role changing so much as increasing sales is going to continue to be a big part of what I do. We will still need to be up to speed on current trends and technology. I also think great communication skills will always be important, as will trying to “sell fans” on why to come to our games.
Matt Monroe – University of Maryland
Assistant Athletic Director for Ticket Services
The role of the Ticket Director will continue to evolve. The electronic ticket has changed the landscape and provided new ways to sell and market tickets. The successful leader in ticketing will have to be innovative and find new ways of doing business. I also feel you have to bring a sales mentality. Trends have shown that attendance is going down nationally, and we need to invest resources and create enjoyable experiences so that it becomes a priority for fans to attend our events.
What are some of the challenges of being an integral part of driving revenues and how do you predict and plan – along with other departments like marketing – for each sport’s ticket price?
Brian Kelly – North Carolina State
Assistant AD for Ticket Sales and Operations
There are going to be things that you cannot plan for, but the farther out in front of potential issues you are, the better off you will be in the long run. The cost of doing business is always increasing, and ticket revenue, at most major universities, is the lifeblood of athletics and important revenue stream. It is a number that can change from year to year, and there are heavy expectations with that number. We are constantly trying to provide the best for our sports and their athletes. If we do that, it will translate to wins—wins translate to our fans being connected and eager to stay engaged.
Sandy Smith – Virginia Tech
Assistant Director of Athletics for Ticketing Services
The real challenge is determining the value of the product from the eyes of the person purchasing the ticket. The next challenge is enticing them to experience the event live. An important aspect is seeing the value of your team taking on specific opponents. The better your team, the more likely your constituency will to be come see your team and not worry about who they are playing. When the opponent is appealing, this strengthens your ability to attract a larger number of people. But, as we all know, winning is of utmost importance.
Brad Darmofal – Wake Forest University
Assistant Athletic Director, Sales and Development
The ability to adapt and grow through the use and development of technology is important. At the very least we need to explore and understand these developments and how we can use them to help grow our business. Things like dynamic pricing, sales teams, social media, and Customer Relationship Management systems have all become hot topics for college athletics as we look to future trends.
Jim O’Neill – Boston College
Associate Athletics Director – Ticket Operations
One of our big challenges is trying to determine our place in the market we compete in, and how we can best come up with a plan to maximize revenues. Communication is always a challenge, so you have to make sure all the vested parties are in the same room and that all are welcome to speak freely.
Matt Monroe – University of Maryland
Assistant Athletic Director for Ticket Services
The challenge of increasing revenue is that you are dealing with the complexities of fans’ discretionary income. Athletic tickets are a luxury item and not all people can afford to attend games with their families. In our market, there are many other opportunities for entertainment. We have to increase our brand loyalty and expand our outreach efforts in order to grow.
We do a lot of forecasting based on past history as well as research to make sure we are hitting our revenue goals. We also meet frequently as an external unit to generate new ideas to drive our sales and revenue.
