ISSUE
04 JULY 2013
this issue Zurich Classic of New Orleans
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Wells Fargo Championship
Sales Update Pages 2 - 3
THE PLAYERS Championship
Lessons from Other Sports Pages 4 - 5
HP Byron Nelson Championship Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Title Sponsor Integration Page 6 Best Practices Pages 7 - 10 Socially Speaking Page 11 Tournament Standards Items Page 12 Together Anything’s Possible Page 13 Birdies for the Brave Page 14 The First Tee Spotlight Page 15 In Closing Page 16
WELC LCOME OME FRFROOM TOUR OURN NAMENT BUSIN USINEESS AFFAIRS Welcome to the fourth issue of the Tournament Business Affairs Sales & Marketing Newsletter. In this edition, we are pleased to share with you the sponsor activation and various programs that were provided to us by the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Wells Fargo Championship, THE PLAYERS Championship, HP Byron Nelson Championship and Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. In this stretch, both up and coming and established players found their way to victory. Congratulations to Billy Horschel, Derek Ernst and Sang-Moon Bae on their first wins on TOUR. At each of the stops, players and fans experienced some local flavor, as well as established tournament traditions. As you read through this edition, you will notice a new column, Lessons From Other
Sports Leagues. In it, we examine different trends in the sports industry looking at what other leagues are doing in a variety of areas. In this first article, a changing trend in hospitality sales is discussed. As we continue to perfect and grow this newsletter, we look to you for suggestions and comments on how we can better bring you the latest news from around the TOUR. Your continued feedback and questions are both welcomed and appreciated. Our next issue will feature the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance through AT&T National. We encourage you to contact your Tournament Business Affairs representative with any questions or requests for additional information about the items featured in this newsletter.
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SALES UPDATE Early Sales Cycle Execution For any PGA TOUR tournament, the period of time ranging from eight weeks prior to six weeks following the current year’s event is critical to establishing the foundation for sales success for the following year’s event. The first half of this timeframe should incorporate the finalization of the products and pricing for the following year, while the aggressive pursuit of early renewals should be the focus during and immediately following the current year’s tournament. Product Lockdown The finalization of pricing and product specifications for all tournament inventory is referred to as the product lockdown process. It is recommended that tournament leadership, sales, marketing, and operations staff complete this process for the following year’s event at least two months prior to the current year’s event. Utilizing the product mix sheet (available in the Appendix of the Sales Manual), this process should include the evaluation of expenses and margins, capacity, pricing, performance, and placement for each product. Timely completion of the product lockdown process positions sales staff to pursue renewals during tournament week and in the weeks immediately following the event. By locking renewals in earlier in the sales cycle, sales staff will have more time to focus on driving new, incremental business, which is necessary to achieve significant revenue growth. “Time is Money.” - Benjamin Franklin Early Renewals: Tournament Week The best sales piece for any tournament is the actual event itself. Armed with full product details and pricing, sales staff can take advantage of the on-site buzz and excitement of the current year’s tournament to kick start the renewal process. A “hard sell” is not necessary at this time; sales people are encouraged to utilize tournament week to cultivate relationships with clients by asking about their experience and needs, providing the opportunity to sample other venues, and letting them know that information about opportunities for next year will be sent to them following the tournament. Early Renewals: 45 days post-event To allow for an appropriate focus on new business development throughout the sales cycle, it is recommended that tournaments strive to book 40 percent of tournament revenue within 45 days after the tournament. Though this may seem aggressive, making early renewals a priority will lead to significant progress toward this goal. Tournaments are encouraged to utilize value-add incentives (focusing on those that have a minimal impact on the event’s bottom line) to help drive early renewals. All renewal clients should be offered multi-year agreements initially, reducing to a single year only if necessary to secure the deal. Rarely will a client initiate a discussion about signing a multi-year agreement so it is imperative that sales person make the “ask” during every renewal discussion. For more information about the product lockdown process and renewal strategies, please view the PGA TOUR Tournament Sales Manual, which is available on the best practices website in the “Sales” section under “Sales Support Program.”
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SALES UPDATE continued National Sales Program Launched earlier this year, the National Sales Program has been delivering additional business to co-sanctioned tournaments that have signed the National Sales Agreement. Through the initial stages, clients have responded enthusiastically to the concept of an efficient and scalable means to expand their investment across all tournaments. The table below details a sampling of recent new business closed for co-sanctioned events through the National Sales Program: Tournament RBC Heritage Zurich Classic FedEx St. Jude Classic Travelers Championship John Deere Classic Shriners Hospital for Children Open Honda Classic HP Byron Nelson Championship
AT&T National McGladrey Classic
Client BlueGreen Corp BlueGreen Corp BlueGreen Corp Xerox BlueGreen Corp Manhattan Club BlueGreen Corp BlueGreen Corp BOSE Chase Private Client Group Default Attorney Group Miller Electric Flight Options Juniper Networks The Doctors Company Tourism Ireland Comcast Business Class
Tournament Investment Expo Display Expo Display Expo Display Pro-Am Expo Display Expo Display Expo Display Expo Display Product Launch Event With Rory McIlroy Private Hospitality Private Hospitality Shared Hospitality Pro-Am Sponsorship Shared Hospitality Shared Hospitality Expo Display Shared Hospitality
PGA TOUR: DID YOU KNOW…. DID YOU ALSO KNOW….. In addition to the commitment list you receive from the Competitions Additional player commitments may be made thirty minutes after play on Friday of the Team starting 60 days prior to the start of your tournament, player proceeding week’s tournament to an on-site commitment emails include other useful information that can be used PGA TOUR Media Official. to help promote the strength of your field. The winner of a tournament may also commit to Your commitment list includes the players in the Top 30 year-tothe next week’s event thirty minutes after play date FedExCup Playoff points. to an on-site media official. Committed players in the Top 30 from the prior year FedExCup Playoffs points. A complete list of each player in your field’s latest PGA TOUR victories. Committed players in the Top 50 Official World Golf Ranking List of players committed participating in the Wednesday Pro-Am.
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LESSONS FROM OTHER SPORTS LEAGUES Downsizing Suite Size & Increasing Revenue Throughout the professional sports world, the market demand for hospitality is experiencing a paradigm shift. Today, corporations are looking for a different, fresh take on entertaining their most valued clients. Enter “loge-style seating.” The word “loge” is derived from a French word meaning “lodge” or “enclosed area,” which traditionally refers to private box seats that are generally reserved for season ticket holders. Responding to the changing landscape, stadiums and other sports venues are choosing to downsize their private/shared suites with smaller, more affordable seating options that provide their guests with a more intimate experience. The reception to the introduction of these boxes has been overwhelmingly positive as it also allows corporations to more easily track the return on their investment and measure the exact amount of business generated from activating at an event. After signing Peyton Manning in 2012, the Denver Broncos decided to convert two thirty-two person luxury suites into eight mini suites at Mile High Stadium in order to accommodate increased demand. While these mini suites, which sold for $60,000 each, are half as expensive as the large suites at $115,000, they boast a higher inventory turnover ratio which translates into a higher profit margin on food and hospitality for the stadium. Looking at the numbers, the maximum revenue from the larger suites would have equaled $230,000, while the mini suites can potentially bring $480,000 resulting in an additional $250,000 of revenue from the same square footage.
Renovation crews at Sports Authority Field at Mile High
In August of 2013, the American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars, plans to double the amount of suites it has historically offered by replacing ten of their larger units with twenty theatre boxes. These smaller seating options offer four fixed seats with the ability to add two lounge chairs and also include food, drink and VIP parking. Similarly, the racetracks that host some of NASCAR’s biggest events such as Daytona International Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway are also considering renovations after receiving feedback from their corporate sponsors. Whether due to an increase in selectivity during corporate expenditure decisions or simply because corporations are choosing to offer their guests a more Planned renovations for Daytona International Speedway personalized experience, these tracks are looking at developing hospitality venues that can house twenty to fifty people instead of the 500-plus person chalets they once sold. By nearly doubling the amount of premium seating they offer, racetracks still retain the ability to increase their incremental revenue while simultaneously satisfying the demands of their sponsors.
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LESSONS FROM OTHER SPORTS LEAGUES continued In Major League Baseball, the San Diego Padres recently decided to move in Petco Park’s outfield fence in an attempt to remedy the park’s debatable flaw of the field being too large. By reducing the field’s size, the stadium hopes not only to cultivate more scoring, but also plans to add two additional seating options for their patrons. Behind the right field wall, 4Topps will install fourteen four-seat tables and seven high-top tables that have two seats each. An important distinction in the choice to downsize is that demand for premiumseating is actually higher than ever, which is why stadiums are turning to the “loge-style” seating as the key to maximizing the potential revenue from that demand. The introduction of these seats will also provide the park with an answer to the problem of having a large gap in the team’s price-points by presenting interested buyers with a mid-priced option without sacrificing the desired “luxury” feel. Petco Park construction on right field fence Unsurprisingly, adapting to the perpetually changing demands of corporate hospitality is something PGA TOUR events have actually done quite well. Unlike stadiums, most corporate hospitality offered at PGA TOUR events is comprised of temporary structures, which provides tournament venues with a unique competitive advantage. While stadiums of other sports leagues must undergo costly, time-consuming renovation projects, tournaments are able to react more quickly to shifts in corporate demand by constructing suites, skyboxes and other unique seating configurations that satisfy the entertainment goals of their sponsors. By analyzing market demand, tournaments can also gauge the amount of temporary structures that must be built giving directors a comparative advantage over other sports leagues pertaining to overhead expense and perishable inventory management. Among others, tournaments such as the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and THE PLAYERS Championship offer a variety of private/shared hospitality options that encompass a diverse range of price-points allowing for businesses of all sizes the Patrons enjoying open-air premium seating at THE PLAYERS opportunity to invest. As corporate demand continues to evolve, PGA TOUR events will remain in the best position to acclimate themselves to any changes in the market, resulting in optimal profitability and maximized hospitality revenue.
Sources: Forbes Magazine, 26 June 2012. SportsBusiness JOURNAL: Vol. 15 Iss. 42; Vol. 15 Iss. 44; Vol. 16 Iss. 4; Vol. 16 Iss. 7 5
TITLE SPONSOR INTEGRATION Title sponsors Zurich, Wells Fargo, PwC, HP and Crowne Plaza each had unique objectives and activations at their respective events. Some of their platforms are summarized on the following pages.
Wells Fargo Succeeding Together with The First Tee Wells Fargo, title sponsor of the Wells Fargo Championship, developed a unique program in conjunction with The First Tee that was showcased at this year’s event. By using tournament assets to complement their philanthropic efforts, the tournament treated participants of The First Tee to a special experience. The program was called Succeeding Together. It was a video essay contest for teenage participants of The First Tee who wanted to share examples of how working together has shaped their lives so far. Eligible candidates were asked to submit a short video to the Wells Fargo contest website addressing several questions. The submissions were voted on by the public, followed by a panel of judges who selected four finalists. The one grand prize winner played in the Wells Fargo Championship Pro-Am with Rickie Fowler, while the three remaining first-prize winners were treated to a VIP, inside the ropes experience during the final rounds of the tournament. Click below to view the video submission from the grand prize winner Reyhan from The First Tee of San Francisco: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PdtWJxrHXk
Rickie Fowler with two players from The First Tee
Crowne Plaza’s “Sleeping Wall” We all know how important sleep is. Who knows what you’ll achieve after a great night’s sleep? Well, Crowne Plaza wanted to find out just how many hours a tournament spectator slept each night and did so by introducing the “Sleep Wall” at this year’s Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. The Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage Program is one of the company’s main marketing platforms, which calls specific attention to the quality of sleeping conditions and amenities found at each Crowne Plaza location. Rickie Fowler signing the Sleep Wall Developed as a fun and interactive way to engage fans, Crowne Plaza set up a display at the main entrance of the course inviting fans to place a golf ball sticker on the wall based on how many hours they typically slept each night. Throughout the course of the week, TOUR professionals, including Crowne Plaza brand ambassador Rickie Fowler, stopped by to place their stickers on the Sleep Wall. A different colored sticker was used for the professionals as a way to distinguish how many hours they slept compared to the fans. For participating in the activity, each fan received a custom Crowne Plaza koozie, featuring the classic Colonial plaid design.
The Sleep Wall was designed specifically with its location in mind. The wall, which spanned thirty feet long, had a vibrant maroon design and featured a large photo of brand ambassador Rickie Fowler. Fan interest and participation was so great that Crowne Plaza had to replace the vinyl graphic twice during the course of the week! Promoted primarily through the tournaments social media outlets, followers were encouraged to visit the Sleep Wall and post their sticker as they entered the tournament. Announcements were also made when players would be stopping by the Wall to post their own stickers. The title sponsor enhancement cost roughly $20,000 including the production of the Wall, golf ball stickers, and custom koozies. 6
BEST PRACTICES Zurich Classic of New Orleans The Zurich Classic of New Orleans has found great success in their partnership with the Acme Oyster House, an iconic New Orleans seafood restaurant. Together, they developed an upgraded venue at the tournament called the Acme Oyster House, at a much lower price point than all of the other private and shared hospitality venues offered on the course. Tickets sold for under $100 and included food and beverage. The setup included an elevated patio with umbrella tables and an air conditioned tent, which was complemented by panoramic views of holes 13, 14 and 17 along with freshly shucked oysters and all of Acme Oyster House’s great entrées. Each Acme Oyster House ticket included single day grounds admission and entrance into the Acme Oyster House tent.
Acme Oyster House patio was a hit with patrons
A full media campaign was also dedicated to selling tickets to this venue. The plan included buys on television, radio, print as well as a direct marketing campaign through traditional and electronic means. Acme’s local restaurant locations also promoted the sales of the venue. For example, their wait staff wore Zurich Classic of New Orleans caddie bibs during the month of the tournament. This year saw record crowds and attendance for the venue. Over $200,000 in sales were recorded and approximately 3,000 people were hosted over the four day period. Acme’s staff handled all of the food and beverage service for the venue. There was a revenue share relationship between the tournament and the restaurant. Hard costs incurred by the tournament included the building of the venue (scaffolding, floor, carpet, rails, ten airconditioning, etc.), beverage costs (beer, soda, water, liquor, wine, etc.), tickets, wristbands, etc. The media campaign had a hard cost as well. Additionally, as part of this initiative, Acme hosted a player’s party at their French Quarter location Thursday of tournament week. Approximately 55-60 players plus their families attended. As tournaments think of new ways to create excitement in the community, consider partnerships such as this with popular local restaurants. This can be a great way to develop fan friendly enhancements that offer an upgraded tournament experience.
Wells Fargo Championship We are seeing a growing number of PGA TOUR tournaments that are developing ticket packages in conjunction with LivingSocial. The Wells Fargo Championship is a recent example. In 2013, they developed a new partnership with the online retailer. Working closely with their regional LivingSocial representatives, the tournament developed a ticket offering that would appeal to LivingSocial’s 300,000 Charlotte area members. Their goal was to engage “event goers” in the community, even though they might not necessarily be their core audience; particularly young, active females. 7
BEST PRACTICES continued A private tent was constructed on the 16th hole and upgraded ticket packages were sold exclusively via LivingSocial. Two different price points were offered: Wednesday thru Friday tickets sold for $159 per day and Saturday and Sunday tickets were sold for $189 per day. Each ticket included admission to the grounds of Quail Hollow along with access to the LivingSocial villa. The temperature controlled venue had an indoor and outdoor bar area and also provided a lunch buffet. Ticket holders received four drink tickets, two of which could be redeemed for alcoholic drinks. Outside of the buffet, other food items were available for purchase throughout the day. The private tent for LivingSocial ticket purchasers From a revenue standpoint, the tournament received a sponsorship fee from LivingSocial which covered the hard costs of building the venue. Additionally, they received a revenue share on all ticket packages sold. The tournament handled ticket fulfillment as well as the food and beverage costs. LivingSocial promoted the ticket offer through their website, with email blasts and via social media. The tournament also supported the promotion through their own media channels.
Looking back, the tournament learned that the LivingSocial audience is primarily a weekend event-goer, so in the future, they plan to only offer a Friday thru Sunday program. For other events considering a package like this, ideally the ticket would provide access to a permanent facility so that there are not any infrastructural costs involved. Overall, the ticket package had positive results with five hundred new attendees being introduced to the Wells Fargo Championship over the five day program.
THE PLAYERS Championship For the second consecutive year, THE PLAYERS Championship hosted a Pink Out on Championship Sunday. The tournament, which concludes on Mother’s Day each year, uses the Pink Out as a campaign to celebrate motherhood and support the 26.2 with Donna Foundation, a local charitable organization that raises funds for the breast cancer research at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. The day’s activities began with a non-denominational church service on the Presentation Lawn at TPC Sawgrass followed by a special Mother’s Day breakfast held inside the clubhouse. Both THE PLAYERS Championship and 26.2 with Donna Foundation promoted the Pink Out by producing a dedicated email blast to their database of over twenty-five thousand people and placed “Pink Out at THE PLAYERS” flyers in twenty thousand marathon runner gift bags. The tournament also promoted the day through its social media platforms, tournament video boards, a special Mother’s Day PSA, and their various retail outlets. Many of the players also helped out by Tweeting and posting on Facebook their support to wear pink during Sunday’s round. THE PLAYERS Championship took activation to a whole new level. THE PLAYERS pledged to make a donation to the 26.2 with Donna Foundation, Sunday’s pairings guide was printed in pink, at the concession stands the Sawgrass Splash was made with Pink Lemonade, all mothers received a free commemorative Mother’s Day pin, Mother’s Day photos were taken with the trophy and posted on the tournaments Facebook page, and lastly, all of the flowers on the 17th hole Tree Island were switched to pink. Many of the 8 TOUR professionals also contributed, showing their support by wearing pink for the final round.
Bubba Watson sporting a pink shirt and signing autographs
BEST PRACTICES continued HP Byron Nelson Championship At the heart of the HP Byron Nelson Championship’s charitable efforts are the students of the Erik J. Jonsson Community School. The school’s mission is to develop and operate a transforming learning community for urban children and their families that values education and promotes academic excellence and social competence. In an effort to bring this message to the forefront of this year’s event, the tournament developed the “Be a Part of the Heart” social awareness campaign. Several fan enhancements were added to the tournament, starting with the display of two large painted hearts at the tournament entrance, which invited spectators to sign the portrait and participate in several educational activities inside a large exhibit space.
Jason Dufner visiting the Erik J. Jonsson Community School students
Along with the many different giveaways including logoed water bottles, backpacks, temporary heart tattoos, and “Be a Part of the Heart” bracelets, the Salesmanship Club of Dallas wanted to provide an activity that would help portray the type of school work that takes place each day. School faculty offered a crafts workshop where children attending the tournament could build their own Glitter Jar. This simple, but useful craft included a small plastic jar, water, and different colored glitter. After shaking the jar, students at the Erik J. Johnson Community School were taught to use the settling glitter as a way to steady their breathing and relax. At the end of the week, nearly 500 Glitter Jars had been made.
Title sponsor HP also contributed to the efforts by hosting a career day at the school. Company executives spent time with the students sharing their career stories and the importance of a college education. To cap off the week, HP also donated $1 to the Salesmanship Club of Dallas for each person who wore red to the tournament on Sunday, resulting in a $10,000 contribution. The campaign was promoted on the tournament video boards and all social media platforms. At the end of the week, 24,000 pieces of branded material were distributed to spectators. The charity also saw a significant spike in traffic on both their website and Facebook page. The program was a great way to convey to spectators and the community the impact their support has on the children of the Erik J. Jonsson Community School.
Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial As part of the tournament’s desire to add value to existing sponsors and increase the events social media presence, the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial developed and implemented the “Tweet Caddie” program for 2013. A dedicated group of young, social media minded volunteers were assigned to different sponsor hospitality venues and fan enhancement areas throughout the week of the tournament. The group had two main goals: drive traffic to the “Twitter Tracker” on tournament video boards and create a strong buzz amongst existing sponsors by providing additional social media value to their investment. Prior to the start of the tournament, the Tweet Caddies participated in four training sessions where they became better acquainted with the different sponsors, the tournament grounds, and public venues. Each Caddie received a tournament badge for the week, access to the media center, a hat with the “Tweet Caddie” logo, Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial t-shirt, plus meals and parking. The thirty caddies were placed into pairs and assigned to cover a certain area, each with a specific focus. The Tweet Caddies developed their own content by drawing attention to specific sponsor activities, signage, and hospitality, all of which were tracked online and throughout the tournament video boards.
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BEST PRACTICES continued The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial also partnered with DFW.com, a website and social media hub that promotes events in the Dallas Fort Worth area. DFW.com supported the program by promoting the Tweet Caddies content through its vast social media networks and publications, which reached followers far beyond the tournaments own Twittersphere. The campaign cost the tournament roughly $3,000, including the value of ticket giveaways, hats, t-shirts, food, beverage and signage. As a result, the tournament’s Twitter handle received 11,000,000 impressions and 7,000,000 mentions with the hashtag #CPIAC (Crowne Plaza Invitation at Colonial). Currently, this program is playing a key role in the tournament’s effort to secure sponsorship renewals for 2014 and will continue to improve upon the success of this year’s event. The Tweet Caddies wearing their logoed shirts
Other Examples of Best Practices
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SOCIALLY SPEAKING As tournaments look to expand their social media footprint to provide fans with even more content, the photo app Instagram has become a popular add to their social media mix. The function of a tournament’s Instagram account is to share compelling visual content fans wouldn’t get elsewhere. An added benefit of Instagram photos is their cross-platform functionality allowing them to be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Foursquare. PGA TOUR guidelines have expanded to allow your social media team more opportunities to post content in real-time from the tournament. There are currently no restrictions on mobile phone use before competition begins. Starting Thursday (or first round), tournament social media members must check in at the media center with a PGA TOUR Media Official to request an Outside the Ropes photo sticker for the day. This will permit tournament staff to use mobile phones for photography away from competition that can be posted to Instagram (and other social media accounts). Please note, photos must not contain competition imagery or players inside the ropes from Thursday through Sunday, but should focus on the fan experience at your event. The HP Byron Nelson Championship social team used Instagram to show a behind-the-scenes look Media interview pictures posted to Instagram at the tournament: Kids participating in a youth clinic, fans on the course and TOUR players outside the ropes. Likewise, THE PLAYERS also offered a look at activities outside of golf. Followers saw photos of Dierks Bentley before his Wednesday concert, food options at the course and fans meeting players. Effective use of Instagram showcases many of the reasons for fans to attend your event.
Kids at HP Byron Nelson media room
Outside of tournament week, Instagram can be used to share relevant updates or new imagery to keep fans engaged. Using hashtags and contributing to trends like #ThrowbackThursday keeps your tournament in the fan’s news feed and top of mind. You can also run contests for best caption or photos outside of tournament week as another way to interact with your fan base.
We recommend using the website http://statigram.com for analytics, comment management and promoting Instagram photos into Facebook, widgets and RSS. Have an Instagram account already? Make sure to follow @PGA_TOUR and let us know where to find your account (email: DJPiehowski@pgatourhq.com). More pictures are available at http://instagram.com/hpbyronnelson
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TOURNAMENT STANDARDS ITEMS First, we would like to extend a big thank you to all of our tournaments for continuously elevating the operation and presentation of your events. A number of operational items have been posted to the Best Practices website and we encourage you to sign on and take a look at all the great things that have happened on TOUR so far this year.
With their clean lines and sleek design, Proteus tents really helped to elevate the presentation at this year’s tournament. The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial continues to incorporate the “plum” thematic which helped to provide a consistent look and some added branding exposure for their title sponsor.
Next, we would like to give you just a few snapshots of some impressive operational items from our last few events.
The signage and displays, dressed up by planters and landscaping, added to the already heightened presentation. This combination really created a consistent, high-end look and feel that was prevalent throughout the golf course and the community.
The scoring areas at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans were very well done. Both the ninth and eighteenth areas were inside an air-conditioned tent with glass walls. They were comfortable, efficient, and well presented; there was even a water fountain just outside the doors. The Wells Fargo Championship went above and beyond by providing extra amenities for fans, players, and staff to make tournament week that much more comfortable and enjoyable.
These are just a few of the many operational items that have already been uploaded to the Best Practices website. Check out the site for other updates and keep up the great work. Scoring areas in New Orleans
The tournament had walk through concession areas for fans, the alcohol policy was posted at every concession area, large shaded ADA seating areas, a covered Special Needs shuttle area with seating, as well as individual charging stations in each hospitality venue. The tournament also set up a closed circuit television in the media center where media representatives had access to interviews even if they were not in the interview tent. Restrooms were also provided in the back of the #10 starter tent for the players. Brand exposure for the title sponsor was also impressive. It was diverse, clean, well presented, and very prevalent on course. The HP Byron Nelson Championship showcased a new tent vendor at this year’s event: Proteus On Demand. Proteus’s tent structures were extremely well done, both inside and out.
Lastly, we have a couple of reminders:
1. Participation for both the Golf Cart Survey and TV Compound Survey has been excellent. We really appreciate you taking the time to complete these. If you have not completed the surveys, please do so as soon as possible. Please contact Lauren Lippes at LaurenLippes@pgatourhq.com if you have any questions. 2. We are still collecting aerial photos designating the allotted space for your TV Compound. Thank you to the many of you that have already submitted these photos. They will be very helpful. For those who have yet to make a submission, please do so at your earliest convenience. You can send your aerial photo to Lauren Lippes at the email address above. 3. Our next quarterly operations call is right around the corner. Please tune in via conference call and WebEx on Monday, July 15 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET. We will send out an email shortly asking for agenda items. The finalized agenda will be sent about a week before the call along with instructions on how to dial in. We look forward to talking with you soon! 12
TOGETHER ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE Texas-Oklahoma Storm Relief Support at Colonial The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial stood up to help families in Texas and Oklahoma affected by storms by encouraging fans and the public to donate cash directly to the American Red Cross during the tournament. Around Colonial throughout tournament week, specially set up stations accepted donations which directly supported Storm Relief through the American Red Cross. Fans that donated were given red ribbons to wear to signify their support to make a contribution. The public didn’t need a tournament ticket to make a donation. Admission to the grounds was not necessary to make a contribution as the tournament Will Call station also accepted cash donations Thursday through Sunday. Show Support - Wear RED on Sunday To show consolidated support for Storm Relief and the American Red Cross, the tournament encouraged all fans and players to wear red during Sunday’s final round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. In memory of those who lost their lives in the Texas-Oklahoma storms, small flags from both states were placed in the flower beds on the 18th hole.
Texas-Oklahoma flags signified support for disaster victims
Cadillac Donates Vehicle to Raise $100,000 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Cadillac donated a new ATS compact luxury sports sedan to the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial to support Storm Relief. The tournament sold 1,000 raffle tickets for the vehicle at $100 each which raised $100,000 for American Red Cross and Storm Relief. The tickets were sold during the tournament at the Cadillac Luxury Lounge and at a private tournament event at Billy Bob’s Texas on Thursday night. PGA TOUR Players Contributing John Peterson, Justin Bolli, Casey Wittenberg, Nicholas Thompson and Stuart Appleby all pledged to donate $100 for every birdie and $500 for every eagle they made during the four days of the tournament that went directly to American Red Cross for Storm Relief.
Relief efforts directly supported the American Red Cross
Rickie Fowler, in conjunction with an initiative from one of his corporate sponsors, Crowne Plaza, matched the funds -- up to $100,000 -- donated by fans during the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Another former Oklahoma State player, Hunter Mahan, also donated money not only for relief efforts in Oklahoma, but also in Texas. Charlie Beljan donated $100 for each birdie and $1,000 for each eagle that he made to the Red Cross of Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex.
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BIRDIES FOR THE BRAVE Underscoring its appreciation for those who help make America the “home of the free, because of the brave,” THE PLAYERS Championship continued its tradition of honoring our courageous military by hosting a wide variety of appreciation activities for military members, veterans and their families during the 2013 tournament. To ensure a seamless integration of Birdies for the Brave® military outreach activities into the tournament, a volunteer committee was once again designated specifically to support military outreach activities conducted in the Birdies for the Brave Patriots’ Outpost. Committee members participated in volunteer training alongside the rest of THE PLAYERS volunteers, wore the official PLAYERS volunteer uniform, and received extensive instruction relative to their responsibilities on behalf of Birdies for the Brave. This included an extensive military ID check and data capture process in which trained volunteers manned a tent outside the Outpost to welcome guests, verify ID’s, register them online, and then provide them with wristbands for entry. The result was a greatly enhanced, significantly more knowledgeable team of military volunteers capable of not only supporting military outreach activities, but also representing the tournament in the most professional way possible – as well as the collection of more accurate and extensive data which the tournament can utilize for marketing purposes and future outreach for military programs. “Designating a tournament volunteer committee for military outreach and appreciation has been a huge step forward in fully realizing the potential of the Birdies for the Brave program at THE PLAYERS during the last four years,” said Stephen Kupcha, the PGA TOUR’s senior manager of public relations and community/military outreach. “Doing so not only significantly elevates all of our military activities, but helps enhance the experience of our military guests, Birdies for the Brave sponsors, and especially the tournament volunteers themselves, who feel like a more fully-integrated part of THE PLAYERS volunteer team…and the results speak for themselves.” More than 21,000 complimentary tickets were distributed to military members in 2013, with more than 14,000 military guests visiting the Birdies for the Brave Patriots’ Outpost during the week – an increase of 2,000 over the prior year. Additionally, more than 14,000 fans attended the Military Appreciation Day Ceremony featuring a concert by multi-platinum selling country music artist Dierks Bentley, a 21% increase from 2012. Attendance and participation also increased for the second annual PLAYERS Military Veterans Job Fair, with 500 military job seekers attending (a 25% increase over 2012) and 43 companies participating, doubling last year’s numbers. In addition to providing complimentary tournament admission for active duty, Reserve, military retirees and their dependents as well as discounted tickets for non-retired veterans, Birdies for the Brave activities included complimentary hospitality for all military guests in the Birdies for the Brave Patriots’ Outpost, including a number of special presentations, events and activities that helped create an exciting and interactive experience for guests. On Military Appreciation Day, Wednesday of THE PLAYERS Championship week, the TOUR hosted a presentation ceremony in the Outpost in which a wounded warrior was awarded an honorary TPC membership. During the ceremony, ten local wounded warriors were presented with laptop computers compliments of Dell. Other activities in the Birdies for the Brave Patriots’ Outpost included several player visits and an Operation Shower/Birdies for the Brave group baby shower honoring 30 local military moms-to-be whose spouses are deployed members of the U.S. Navy. The “Sea To Shining Sea”themed event was hosted by Holly Finchem, wife of PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, and Tabitha Furyk, wife of PGA TOUR player Jim Furyk, with local television news anchor Tera Barz serving as emcee. During the week, a Callaway Warrior Club Fitting program was also conducted, with several wounded warriors fitted with their own set of brand new Callaway clubs. For more information on Birdies for the Brave, visit www.birdiesforthebrave.org.
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THE FIRST TEE SPOTLIGHT The First Tee of Charlotte Wells Fargo Championship In addition to the Succeeding Together program at the Wells Fargo Championship, The First Tee also participated in Reading Above Par. This program, also sponsored by Wells Fargo, aims to promote literacy in youth across the Greater Charlotte area. During the month of April, participants had twenty minute reading stations built into to their lesson at The First Tee of Charlotte. The program culminated the week of the Wells Fargo Championship with a celebration event on Tuesday. The event featured a book reading and golf skills clinic performed by Rickie Fowler, Scott Langley, JJ Henry and Lucas Glover. More than two-hundred participants attended. Additionally, fifty participants also took part in “Caddy Day” during the Wednesday Pro-Am. Participants were located on two of the Par 3’s at Quail Hollow and carried the professionals bag for one hole. Rickie Fowler hits a shot during the clinic
THE FIRST TEE: DID YOU KNOW…. Participant Opportunities Thanks to corporate partners and generous donors, The First Tee offers a number of events for participants. Here are a few opportunities offered:
The First Tee A/B Honor Roll program encourages all participants to excel academically and stay on track for eligibility for The First Tee Scholars program. Participants receive signed certificates from Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., chief executive officer of The First Tee.
The First Tee Junior Course Reporters are selected from chapters near various PGA TOUR tournament locations to receive official media credentials and “cover” the tournament via blogs on PGATOUR.com, Twitter and other media outlets.
Each summer, selected participants attend the week-long Life Skills and Leadership Academy, where they participate in championship golf, career exploration and meet other young people from around the world.
The PLAYer Advanced Academy is an eight-day academy intended for advanced players pursuing collegiate golf and provides experiences designed to improve participants’ chances to compete at a higher level.
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IN CLOSING Other Best Practices from events in this issue Be sure to check the new Best Practices website for details on these other Best Practices that took place at the events covered within this issue: Wells Fargo Championship – Enhanced Concession Offerings Wells Fargo Championship – Wells Fargo Succeeding Together THE PLAYERS Championship – PwC and The First Tee THE PLAYERS Championship – Social Media Caddies THE PLAYERS Championship – Taste of JAX Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial – Bedpan Open Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial – Charity Foursome Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial – Nike Golf Youth Clinic & Radio Disney Concert Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial – Tweet Caddies
Tournament Awards Reminder Submissions for the 2013 Tournament Awards are due on or before Friday, November 1st. Materials eligible for consideration must represent 2013 initiatives. It is important that we note that for the 2013 calendar year, the former “Fall Series” events are eligible for the 2013 awards. Starting in 2014, the awards will run the breadth of the regular season. All presentations must be in PowerPoint format. There is a 20 page limit to the size of all presentations except for Tournament of the Year, which is a 40 page limit. Please be mindful of the criteria listed for each award category. All categories are open for submission. There is no limit to the number of categories a tournament may submit entries for; however, a tournament may only submit one entry per category. For a full list of categories and criteria please visit the PGA TOUR Best Practices Website. TIMELINE NOV 1 NOV 8 NOV 13 NOV 15 DEC 5
ALL Entries Due First Eliminations (Cut to top 3 and ties) Finalists Sent to Panel of Judges (TAC and PGA TOUR TBA) Final Voting Winners Announced During Evening Ceremony at Sawgrass Marriott
Entries can be emailed to bpsumissions@pgatourhq.com with the subject line reading “Tournament Award Submission” or to sfogg@pgatourhq.com via Dropbox, YouSendIt, or another web-based data storage service. Submissions may also be mailed to: PGA TOUR c/o Stacey Fogg 112 PGA TOUR Blvd. Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 Phone: 904.273.3226 Materials that are mailed in will not be returned and must arrive on or before November 1, 2013. 16