IMO season ticket sales are extremely important for attracting sponsors and for creating the necessary buzz to get media attention and for building a stadium for any franchise. I would think that the ideal situation here would be for Buck Shaw to be sold out so there becomes a demand for tickets each game People would be more likely to get season tix to make sure they have a seat at Buck Shaw for the next game and for a new stadium as well. The Quakes will spend the rest of this season trying to make sure they can come out strong next season, which doesn't make it easy to get new people to games for the rest of this season. So, looking ahead, I wonder what the BS opinions are about what it would take to increase season ticket sales. For the sake of argument (I have NO facts to base this on, I am only speculating) let's say that the expected crowds for the rest of the season were 9,000 a game for a stadium holding 10,000 seats. Let us also, for the sake of this example) assume that a good-case scenario would be a demand of 12,000 people for the 10,000 seats for next year. That would mean increasing the 9,000 people by 3,000 fans - or that 3000 people currently would need to find one extra person per game who would want a ticket. Something like that might increase season-ticket sales. So think of two or three people you know who might be sort of interested in coming to Quakes games (or maybe they used to come) and figure out what it would take for them to want to come to games. (It is possible they have given you an excuse before but if that reason was rectified, they would just think of another reason - I mean think of someone who has a sincere reason who you think WOULD come if the EQ made some change). I know many have posted on this forum "what the club should do to get more fans" as a general proposition, but I am looking at this question very narrowly in this thread. Focus on of a couple of people who YOU believe could be potential season ticket holders. What would it take to get those individuals into the fold. And I'm looking for specifics. For example, a bad economy is definitely a factor for people, but if (as an absurd example) the tickets and beer were free I imagine they'd have 10,000 season ticket holders. So if you are talking economics for these friends of yours, give a serious season ticket price you think WOULD bring them in. If you think it is the "game day experience" be specific - name the activities or the elements to add to the "atmosphere" or changes could be made that would make the game day experience enough of a draw to change the mind of your friend and get your friend to buy a season ticket? "A better team" or "better quality of play" is a given - but is there some level of winning or of quality that would persuade this friend? A winning record? Undefeated? Pretty passes? (Or will your friend not be happy with any level of play because MLS is in his mind an inferior product?) A "star player", or a "Mexican player"? Think specifically about this friend. Who would be his definition of a "star"? A really good American player? A Beckham? Anyone from the Mexican National team? Only someone from the the top one or two leagues in the world? A stadium in the ground? The promise of a stadium? 12 months before a stadium opens? New players or new coaches or new management? Or a new "attitude" or a new approach of some kind? Some sort of buy-in for fans? New "marketing" (how much money, where, to which demographic, which media, what approach would convince your friend to buy?) If so be specific - what tangible change would be enough for that friend to get off the fence and buy a season ticket? (I suppose the team could hand a $100 bill to each fan for each $50 ticket he bought, but that could be counterproductive, even though it would work for my friends!) And, of course, someone might have 3 reasons and have them as a priority 1-3... The above are just some ideas I've seen on BS before, but there could easily be others, as many reasons as you have friends. BS are already the committed fans, so don't think of what it takes to get YOU to games. Think of someone for that 12,000 who you know. You don't need to come up with something to bring in 2,000 people, just two that you know. I have seen some write that a friend told them this or that, but in general terms (poor gameday experience, quality of play is too low, etc). I am curious about defining what the specific thresholds are that might sell more season tickets (which is a higher threshold than just an occasional single game).
That's actually a great idea! A lot of teams do that. I'd like to see something like that. Loyalty points or something.
No my friend, this is not a good idea. All this does is reward existing behavior. These guys were going to buy season tickets anyway. It doesn't change anything other than giving away money. It would make more sense to give the biggest discount (say 20%) to new season ticket holders. Get them hooked on price, keep them hooked with the experience.
That sounds like something from another business, not the business of sports. You should be rewarded for supporting your team for years. That's how many teams do it. Who cares if they're losing a bit of money on it. They're building a good relationship with the fans.
Personally, it would take about 2425 miles of moving closer to the area. If I was in the Bay Area, I would have season tickets. No doubt about it. But since I am not, I can only say I would if I were there. GO QUAKES!
Totally agree. Didn't prices go up despite a downturn in the economy. Offer renewals that sign back up X date a discount on 2010 tickets. It's too bad Lew told the world that the new venue won't be for years. If it was 2011 or 2012, fans who had season tickets would be guaranteed first call on seating at the new stadium. What did Seattle do to create a demand for season tickets? What did Toronto do? What is Philly doing right now? I know AEG poisoned the well in SJ, so how do you get those who used to come to games to come back? How about getting those lists of seasons past and sending personalized form letters from Alioto and Wolff inviting former season ticket holders to come to a game at NO charge. From what I've gleaned here, there a quite a few who didn't renew or even return to watch the team. Doesn't the FO have lists that were supplied by AEG that the FO could cross-reference? Does the FO offer anything when a current season ticket holder renews? A yearbook? A scarf? My sister, god bless her dayglo green heart, is a season ticket holder for the Sounders. She bought those tickets because she loves the game day experience. Sounders games are an event, a place to be to be scene.
Maybe a nice open and honest declaration, something like: "I know those motherf-----rs at AEG really screwed things up by ripping off the San Jose professional soccer team, but I want to say to all of you that my friend, John Fisher, and I are backing the Earthquakes to the hilt and the team will be here no matter what, no matter come hell or high water, no matter if hurricanes and real tremors hit the place, we're here for you all the way. We will be making the Quakes the best damned team in MLS, one that you will be happy to rejoin, one that will give you the best in sporting experience, one that will be a permanent fixture of the Bay Area sports scene. So come back and join us as we build back what got taken away." I know they won't say that, but a little honesty in this regard would be best.
Actually no, the overall season tickets went down. Though some did go up, more seats dropped in price.
In my opinion, Season ticket holders are born from people that get to know the players, connect with the team and have a blast at the games. I saw this happening over and over during the Spartan years. We do not have this atmosphere at Buckshaw and never will. This is a long winded post, so only read if you care to hear my viewpoint. As a CYSA coach, I bought blocks of tickets and brought countless families to the games at Spartan. The big draw was that after our particular youth game that given Saturday, we would plan to meet later at the grass parking lot at Spartan Stadium for a tailgate party. The kids would have a blast and the parents would get to know each other on a more casual, fun basis. Then we’d all go in to watch some great, exciting soccer. Afterwards, the kids would get autographs from the players they just saw out on the pitch (and also visited their schools!) and those that wanted to stay would party and kick the soccer ball around till’ security kicked us out. I would routinely hear from the parents, “Man, that was a great time! When’s the next game?”. To top it all off, you couldn’t beat the price of the tickets! The seeds were being sown. I started to see families inquiring about season tickets. Then the team, a kick-ass team, was ripped from us. So, we now have a new team and place to play, but there is no pre-game tailgating. There isn’t any time for the parents or kids or any one else to hang around and get to know each other (the best thing about the Candlestick games were seeing all the people staying after the games partying and having a great time together!). The players are revolving so much that if a family goes to 3 or 4 games spaced out over a few months, they don’t even recognize the starting 11. No way to get connected to the team. Our new owner promised us a new SSS. This is why I sent emails, made phone calls, told anyone who would listen and ultimately took off a lot of time from work show up at city council meetings. The call was sounded and I responded Without a new stadium start date, and given the present economy, I personally do not see the season ticket sales increasing. If the team starts kicking ass and winning games over the next couple of seasons at Buckshaw, game day ticket sales will increase, but probably not season tix. If he is waiting for season ticket sales to increase before he can get sponsors and build a stadium, then I think we’re screwed. Unless the new stadium has a start date (which I am seriously starting to doubt), ticket sales will either be flat or decrease My wife says I am being pessimistic. I say I am being realistic. Again, in my opinion.
For us it's the venue. There's a group of 7 of us that used to be season tix holder, but no longer are - in fact, we haven't been to Buck Shaw yet. None of us live in the SJ area. We are scattered thru the state in the North Bay, north valley, and central coast, so we have substantial trips of 2.5, 4, and 4.5 hours each way. We used to head to Spartan and meet there as soon as the gates opened, set up camp and tailgate. After the game we'd hang out in the parking lot, kick the ball around, and reluctantly leave after the place cleared out. When you invest 5 to 9 hours of driving, you stretch the enjoyment as much as possible. The current venue makes it impossible to do so. We've gone to the Oakland and SF games, which were acceptable, but not sustainable. What would it take for us to get season tix again? I doubt we will, even with a SSS. Life just gains momentum in a certain direction, and by the time the SSS is done, we'll each individually be knee deep in other Saturday events. The Quakes have almost disappeared from our collective radar - hardly being mentioned in the daily email discussions. I realize that ours is an extreme situation. Not many folks will travel that far on a regular basis. But I wonder how many people who are within an hour or so of SJ find themselves in the same boat? I think those fans should be on the minds at the FO.
As has been discussed many times in the Lew Wolff comment thread, a less than exciting team playing in a minimalist stadium with temporary bleachers, portapotties would only get hard core fans to pay for and show up at games. Game day experience is what would turn casual fans to season ticket holders starting with a more professional looking ground. I am not saying build a stadium and they will all magically show up the next day but packaging can help move merchandise in a new market.
Seems to me then we've got a chicken and the egg thing going. You won't buy season tickets because the venue is not up to standards you'd like it to be (ie:tailgating etc...), but until more season tickets get bought we may not be able to get a new stadium to allow things like tailgating as a new stadium is the only way things like that are going to happen in the South Bay.
I will re up next season because I enjoy watching live soccer with my son. The chance to talk and catch up during the 110 miles each way drive is like tailgating sans the beer. He is underage anyways. But to break into a new market segment to turn the casual into hard core, more investments like a shiny new SSS won't hurt or may even be necessary. Even to me, the Quakes' not being able to dictate policy like not being able to enjoy a beer at my seat is an irritation. How much investment the management can and will invest is not up to me. I will buy my season tickets, talk up the game/team and take casuals to games when possible and see how things go.
Yes. You need to keep the ones you have but a 5% across the board discount for re-upping STHs is a poor way to do that. Here's why - The majority of STH will re-up anyway - so a 5% discount won't matter to them. A lot of the rest will drop because of reasons other than price (moving away, conflicts of time, giving up on the team) - so a 5% discount won't matter to them either. For the small number of STHs that are price sensitive, a 5% drop isn't going to make a difference. If you lost your job, got a kid starting college, you're starting college or overextend buying a fancy new house, going from $595 to $565 isn't enough to change you're behavior. There will be some STHs where a 5% discount will make a difference, but that number is really small. It would be best to retain these price sensitive STH quietly on a case-by-case basis by giving discounting flexibility to the sales reps. Sooo ... what will it take to keep you in those seats?
Our FO needs to sell up to our existing base. If you bought two ST this year, you should be offered a third at 30% off, if you bought three this year - offer them a fourth at 50% off.
The FO needs to lock in our friendly schedule before the season starts. That way they sell Soccer season tickets packages - You get 16 Quakes Home Games - Plus the double headers with Barca/Intermilan, Plus the double header with Real Madrid/Club America Plus our friendly with Tottenham Plus our friendly with Pachuca.
The discussion is getting into specifics, which is very good. Keep it up! I think these are all valuable ideas, even when they disagree.
Has anyone got "real" numbers as far as how many packages were sold last year and how many were sold this year with a comparison to the numbers at Spartan? And what kind of packages are offered?