The Sports Event Management and Marketing Playbook

As a sporting event planner, how do you keep up with the trends of the ticket buying public, sponsorship and merchandising while at the same time attending to the hundreds of management and operational details required to execute the event? A successful sports event requires a planner that can read signals from their market and plan strategically to maintain sponsors and a fill an arena.

Frank Supovitz is the author of The Sports Event Management and Marketing Playbook, 2nd Edition, published by Wiley.

Foreword xi

Series Editor Foreword xiii

Preface xv

Acknowledgments xix

Introduction 1

The Power of Sports Event Marketing 1

The Evolution of Sports Event Marketing 3

Your Introductory Play—Supovitz’s Flying Wedge 4

The Sports Event Golden Rule—Understanding Stakeholders’ Objectives (USO) 6

Current Trends in Sports Event Management and Marketing 8

PLAY 1 Defining and Developing Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics 11

Introduction 12

The P-A-P-E-R Test 13

Post-Play Analysis 26

Coach’s Clipboard 27

PLAY 2 Identifying Costs 29

Introduction 29

Facility Costs 30

Player- and Game-Related Expenses 36

Event Operations Expenses 38

Marketing and Promotion Expenses 39

Sponsor Fulfillment Expenses 40

Guest Management and Hospitality

Expenses 41

Event Presentation Expenses 42

Capital Investment and Amortization 43

Miscellaneous Expenses and Contingency Allowances 45

Reforecasts 45

Post-Play Analysis 46

Coach’s Clipboard 46

PLAY 3 Identifying Revenue Streams 47

Introduction 47

Ticket Sales 48

Sponsorship and Advertising 54

Merchandise 57

Concessions and Food and Beverage Sales 59

Broadcasting 60

Tournament and Participation Fees 61

Grants and Donations 61

Miscellaneous Revenues 62

Balancing the Books 62

Reforecasts 65

Post-Play Analysis 66

Coach’s Clipboard 67

PLAY 4 Soliciting and Selecting Host Cities and Venues 69

Introduction 69

What Host Cities Really Want from Sports Events 71

What Sports Events Really Want from Host Cities 77

What Event Facilities Really Want from Sports Events 86

What Sports Event Organizers Want from Event Facilities 88

Selecting a Facility 93

Post-Play Analysis 93

Coach’s Clipboard 94

PLAY 5 Starting the Clock on the Sports Event Planning Process 95

Introduction 95

Identify and Analyze Management Tasks 96

Build a Support Organization 106

Find the Right People 111

Manage Your Support Organization 116

Post-Play Analysis 118

Coach’s Clipboard 118

PLAY 6 Understanding the Sports Event–Sponsor Relationship 121

Introduction 121

The Roots of Sports Event Sponsorship 123

What Sports Event Organizers Really Want from Sponsors 125

What Sponsors Really Want from Sports Events 130

Know Your Sponsors 149

Post-Play Analysis 154

Coach’s Clipboard 154

PLAY 7 Teaming with Sponsors 157

Introduction 157

Scaling and Pricing Sponsorship Packages 158

The Sales Process 168

How to Design the Sponsorship Program 178

Don’t Just Take Our Word for It 189

The Decision-Making Process 189

The Sponsor’s Point of View 191

Finalizing the Deal 194

Now, Service Your Sponsors! 196

Post-Play Analysis 196

Coach’s Clipboard 196

PLAY 8 Maximizing and Servicing the Media Partnership 199

Introduction 199

The Two Faces of the Media 200

What the Editorial Side Really Wants from Sports Events 202

The Campaign for Attention 212

Servicing the Media at the Event Site 217

Media Center Facilities 221

A Note about Talking to the Media 228

Media Coverage and Media Partners 229

Post-Play Analysis 229

Coach’s Clipboard 230

PLAY 9 Activating the Sports Event Marketing Plan 231

Introduction 231

What Media Partners Want from a Sports Event Relationship 232

What Sports Event Organizers Want from a Media Partner 234

Selecting Media Partners 236

Sports Event Promotions 240

Effective Sports Event Advertising 248

Event Marketing 254

Social Media 256

Post-Play Analysis 260

Coach’s Clipboard 260

PLAY 10 Engaging the Community 261

Introduction 262

Identifying the Gatekeepers 264

Impacting the Local Environment 272

Focusing and Managing Community

Enthusiasm 272

Moving Forward 278

Post-Play Analysis 280

Coach’s Clipboard 280

PLAY 11 Accommodating and Managing Guests 281

Introduction 281

Selling Tickets 283

Losing Sleep 101—What to Do if Tickets Are Not Selling 290

Guest Management 293

Hotel Management 299

Post-Play Analysis 307

Coach’s Clipboard 308

PLAY 12 Presenting Your Event 309

Introduction 309

Ceremonies and Entertainment Elements 311

Production Planning 315

Scheduling Rehearsals 323

Technical Tools of Sports Event Production 329

Pyrotechnics 337

Supovitz’s Theory of Event Flow 338

Post-Play Analysis 339

Coach’s Clipboard 340

PLAY 13 Working with Broadcasters 341

Introduction 341

What Broadcasters Want from Sports Events 342

What Sports Events Organizers Want from Broadcasters 347

Broadcaster–Sports Event Business Relationships 348

Working with Broadcast Producers 351

“One Event—One Audience” 353

Post-Play Analysis 355

Coach’s Clipboard 356

PLAY 14 Managing for the Unexpected 357

Introduction 357

Risk Assessment and Management 358

Analyzing Risk Exposure and Possible Outcomes 358

Safety and Security 360

Remedying and Responding to Risk Exposure 363

Reacting to Emergencies 373

Acknowledging the World Condition 375

Communications 376

Tie Down the Details 378

Post-Play Analysis 379

Coach’s Clipboard 379

PLAY 15 Reviewing the Game Tapes 381

Introduction 381

Post-Event Publicity 382

Recognition 384

Settlement 384

Postmortem 385

The Game Ends . . . 386

Post-Play Analysis 386

Coach’s Clipboard 387

PLAY 16 Planning Your Future in Sports Event Management and Marketing 389

Introduction 389

Communication Skills 390

Gaining Experience 391

Choosing the Right Company 394

A Final Story 396

Post-Play Analysis 396

Coach’s Clipboard 397

Appendix 1: Event Expense Budget Worksheet 399

Appendix 2: Event Revenue Budget Worksheet 407

Appendix 3: Sample Host City Request for Proposal 411

Appendix 4: Request for Proposal Evaluation Form 425

Appendix 5: Sample Facility Event License Agreement 429

Appendix 6: Facility Selection Survey Form (simplified) 437

Appendix 7: Sample Sports Event Sponsorship Deck 441

Appendix 8: Sample Sponsorship Agreement 453

Appendix 9: Sports Event Participant Release 457

Appendix 10: Sample Sports Event Rundown (pre-event) 459

Appendix 11: Sport Management Programs: United States 463

Appendix 12: Sports Industry Career Resources 475

Online Appendices

Appendix 13: Sample Event Pocket Guide (One-sheet, two-sides)

Appendix 14: Simple Accreditation Plan

Appendix 15: Checklist of Public Address Announcements

Appendix 16: Sample Event Day Checklist

Appendix 17: Glossary of Common Terms For Sports Event Management and Marketing www.wiley.com/college/supovitz

Index 479