Milwaukee Pro Soccer signs partnership with WYSA - 7,000 Season Tix Purchased

[ButlerBob]

I just got a email press release from Millwaukee Pro Soccer. It announces a new parternship with the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association. Here are most of the points from the announcement. I'll post a link to the announcement after the put it on their site. This is a very big deal and very creative. People at where I work are wondering why I'm standing up and applauding the screen. To me, this does two very important things. Way to go Peter.

1. It helps to get leverage with the city for support of a stadium. It already gives them a season ticket base even before they have a franchise.

2. It encourages additional investment in the team.


The MPS/WYSA Partnership proposal is highlighted by the following commitments:

· WYSA will be granted an ownership stake in the MLS team representing the first time a youth organization has been involved in the ownership of an MLS team.

· WYSA will have representation on the MLS team’s Board of Directors

· WYSA will receive founding sponsor benefits for the MLS team.

· WYSA will commit to selling a minimum of $450,000 in season tickets.

· Each WYSA member across the state will receive one ticket voucher each season to an MLS team game – the equivalent of 3,500 full season tickets.

· Companion tickets will be available when using the one ticket voucher provided through the partnership.

· The ticket vouchers and companion tickets combined will provide an average base of more than 7,000 tickets for every Milwaukee MLS game.

· The commitment will assure Milwaukee Professional Soccer that it will meet MLS’ minimum requirements for ticket support.

· The MLS team will agree to serve as WYSA’s sponsorship agency of record and designate WYSA youth programs as beneficiaries of the team’s charitable arm.

· WYSA will relocate their offices to the proposed new 20,000-seat soccer-centric stadium where the MLS team will play.

· The MLS team will provide annual statewide coaching and youth clinics for WYSA members.

· The MLS team will play a minimum of three statewide annual exhibition games.

· Milwaukee MLS will work with Major League Soccer to provide opportunities for players who are alumni of WYSA clubs to play for Milwaukee MLS. The goal is to have a minimum of (3) three WYSA alumni to be included at all times on the Milwaukee MLS roster.


Here's the link to the announcement.

http://www.milwaukeeprosoccer.com/news.asp?id=23

mod edit - fixed link

[chinaglia]

Yup, very cool indeed. Could be a watershed moment in Wisconsin soccer history as well as MLS.

Kudos to Peter and Brett.

[WarrenWallace]

Good news indeed. So that is 7,000 season ticket equivalents even before allowing ticket sales to the general public. Say they purchase 3-5,000 season tickets (and remember a new stadium right away). That is 10,000 season tickets minimum.

[WarrenWallace]

Also, was this information given to the Journal-Sentinel and/or Wisconsin State Journal? And have they contacted you about a Q&A article about this issue?

[chinaglia]

Also, was this information given to the Journal-Sentinel and/or Wisconsin State Journal? And have they contacted you about a Q&A article about this issue?

I know for a fact that the press release made it into the hands of Greg Sprout and Adam Mertz, sports editors for the Wisconsin State Journal and the Capital Times respectively, as well as papers in Wausau, Green Bay, Oshkosh, LaCrosse, Appleton and Sheboygan.

[chinaglia]

Oh yeah, I forgot Inside Wisconsin Sports magazine too!

[WarrenWallace]

I know for a fact that the press release made it into the hands of Greg Sprout and Adam Mertz, sports editors for the Wisconsin State Journal and the Capital Times respectively, as well as papers in Wausau, Green Bay, Oshkosh, LaCrosse, Appleton and Sheboygan.

I just forwarded the message down to the Janesville Gazette.

[mkecane]

Wow, this is great news. I love the idea of WYSA having part-ownership. Congrats to Peter, WYSE, and all involved in making this agreement happen. We're getting there, folks, we're getting there...

[Marchetti]

That is one of the most creative marketing campaign's I've ever seen for a sports franchise.... and they haven't even been "founded" yet. Wow.

[scaryice]

Great news.

[cdin]

The deal made the Journal Sentinal online today. I don't know if it made the print edition, because the paper we have at work doesn't seem to have a sports section.

The article doesn't say much that isn't in the press release but here is the link for those interested.

Forming soccer partnership for the future –Journal Sentinel (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=404667)

[ButlerBob]

As a one time ticket rep, I read this announcement and thought what a potentail for a rep. And I wasn't even thinking about the committed season tickets. These were with two areas; vouchers and clinics.


vouchers - these are always great, because you end up selling at least several other tickets to go along with it. And there is always the potential that it could turn into a group. Plus you now have contact information to promote future groups and some of these may convert into season tickets.

clinics, camps, coaching education - These are always easy ways to develop groups from these. You do a clinic in a town, hand flyers at the clininc and get the local club involved in promoting not only the clinic but the group outing to the game. Again you will get some future groups from this and some season tickets.

This whole agreement provides a lot of potential for the team. The key to all of this is providing a good experience to the customer. Not just on the field, but the entire experience. Was it easy to exchange the vouchers, was it a good experience putting a group together and going to a game. But someone like Peter involved, my expectations of a fan friendly organization are fairly high.

[Fuegofan]

Fabulous news, and a great way to start getting the structure built in terms of developing players in the area to eventually play for the team. Congrats!

[Revan]

Great news, although Mark Belling has spent the past hour ripping it.

[5x300games]

The Journal-Sentinel sports business columnist has given it a "thumbs up."

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/site/weblogs.asp?id=92

[MasterShake29]

Great news, although Mark Belling has spent the past hour ripping it.

Who is Mark Belling, and why is he ripping it?

[kebzach]

Who is Mark Belling, and why is he ripping it?

Milwaukee talk radio.

By the way, the news was in the sports section today, page #8. At least that was where it was in the edition that I read at the Ale House today while eating lunch. Mmmmm, Ale House.

[WarrenWallace]

I was told that it was also in the Wisconsin State Journal today also.

[sprintjeløy1926]

I was told that it was also in the Wisconsin State Journal today also.

Yep, it was in the digest, second page of the sports section

[Peter Wilt]

...why is he ripping it?

Mark is not a soccer fan. He says it will hurt the Brewers, he says it's stealing money from the kids, he says we will end up giving cush jobs to the WYSA leadership and he says we will end up begging for new tax dollars from the good citizens of Milwaukee.

peter