Volume 1, Issue 7
October 7, 2002

Iowa State Football Renews 60% Of Their Season Tickets Online 

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CONTACT: Laura Christine, Director of Marketing, Paciolan
David Crum, Ticket Manager, Iowa State University

ORGANIZATIONS: Paciolan and Iowa State University

PROGRAM TITLE: 2002 Paciolan Football Season Renewal Contest

OBJECTIVE: Maximizing college football season ticket renewals by encouraging season ticket holders to discover the convenience of renewing their tickets online.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Iowa State University along with 29 other colleges and universities competed, in a Paciolan created program, to see who could achieve the highest adoption rate for online football season ticket renewals.  The adoption rate was defined as the number of online renewals, (versus manually processed mail or phone renewals).  The athletic department ticket offices were all competing to win a $10,000 first place prize.  In addition, a $5,000 credit towards Paciolan products and services were awarded to all athletic ticket offices that achieved a 30% adoption rate.

To entice season ticket holders to renew online, athletic departments offered a number of prizes, including:
- Free media guides
- Coupons for free food
- Each name associated with an online renewal order was entered into a sweepstakes drawing for exclusive items such as:
     * Airfare and hotel accommodations to an away game
     * Be a coach for the day
     * Sideline passes to a home game. 

In addition, Paciolan increased the stakes by contributing a $500 cash prize towards each participating athletic department’s sweepstakes.

The contest winner, Iowa State University, offered multiple, compelling prizes: 
1. Free tickets
2. Media guides
3. Upgraded seats
4. Autographed merchandise
5. Complimentary parking at all home games
6. Sideline passes

PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN: Iowa State University aggressively advertised their online renewal campaign through the following channels:
1. Email notification
2. Printed flyers distributed via mail and on campus
3. Press release announcements
4. Banners, buttons and pop-up windows on their website
5. Promoted their easy-to-remember URL, http://www.cyclones.com/ via all marketing channels
6. Dedicated a section of their website providing season renewal instructions to their season ticket holders and detailed information on student renewals

RESULTS:  In their first year of automating renewals online, Iowa State University won the contest at 59.72%, followed by Virginia Tech at 53.39%.  To view the final standings, please visit http://www.paciolan.com/eVenue/FR9.asp

Athletic department ticket offices achieved record numbers:  Virginia Tech increased online renewals by 234% over last year, University of Wisconsin by 139% and University of Nebraska by 119%.  A total of 12 ticket offices achieved over 30% adoption and the total average renewal rate was 32.42%.

LOOK WHO'S HEADING TO PITTSBURGH!

The National Sports Forum, the largest cross-team sports marketing and sales conference in North America, is heading to Pittsburgh, PA, January 20-22, 2003.  Plans call for 4 Keynote addresses, 2 Panel Discussions, and 17 Breakout Sessions, featuring some of the top executives in the sports industry, including; Tony Ponturo, VP Global Media/Sports Marketing, Anheuser-Busch; Kevin McClatchy, CEO/General Managing Partner, Pittsburgh Pirates; Tom Rooney, President, Pittsburgh Penguins; Andy Dolich, President Business Operations, Memphis Grizzlies; Tod Leiweke, President, Minnesota Wild; Brett Yormark, Vice President Corporate Sponsorships, NASCAR; Russ Brandon, Vice President Marketing & Business Development, Buffalo Bills, with more to come.   For more information, visit www.sports-forum.com.

ONE WEEK LEFT! NSF EARLY REGISTRATION SPECIAL EXPIRES ON OCTOBER 15.  SIGN UP TODAY!

If you're registered and paid by October 15, 2002 you'll receive a FREE copy of Team Marketing Report's 2003 Sports Sponsor FactBook (a $295.00 value).  A must have for all sports marketers involved in identifying the top buyers and decision makers with thousands of teams and sports-involved corporations in the U.S. and Canada.  To register or for more information, visit www.sports-forum.com or contact Dominic Giammarinaro at 800-232-3133 ext. 204.