The effects of the economic recession have been felt by every American throughout the job market, housing market, and financial market as companies in every industry panicked, reassessed, and made changes based on what they thought would get them out of the hole. One of the top business practices - if not the #1 business practice - that came under scrutiny was the value of corporate spending for sports marketing. Every newspaper and news broadcast alike headlined with local and national companies who spent thousands to millions of dollars on corporate sponsorship for teams, leagues, stadiums, arenas, and more all defended with the justification that these sponsorships increase brand awareness and generate new business. When you combined large corporate marketing budgets with teams and/or venues across every sports league pushing for growth - both professional and collegiate - the contracts come fast. However, when the economy crashes, corporate budgets are slashed, and sports marketing comes under fire, companies retreat with their tails between their legs leaving venues high and dry with more seats and suites than they can fill.

It’s easy for companies to say ’should-of’, ‘would-of, or ‘could-of’ when they look back at how the spent their funds on sponsorships and how they tracked the benefits of it - or didn’t as the case may be. But as we all know, you can not change the past - only learn from it. Sports marketing budgets were not put under a different microscope than any other business practice. Companies were held accountable for all aspects of business from products and employees to financial recording and executives. But the key here is that the companies were held accountable - all practices needed to be justified and proven to be beneficial to the company’s growth and success. This is where they fell short.

Sponsorship of teams, leagues, and venues is an incredibly beneficial business practice that should be seen as a profitable business venture instead of a liability. But it is absolutely essential that these business have a foolproof system in place to track the success and benefit of these sponsorships. Companies received a variety of suites and season tickets for their sponsorships, the purpose of which is to increase profits and establish business relationships. If there is nothing in place to collect the analytics needed to justify this spend, the programs will be cut and the effects will trickle down to the teams as we see it has in Boston.

But this is where the teams and venues need to step in and make a change. It’s not enough to give the same sales pitch any more - corporate spending is being dissected in ways that companies have never experienced before. Nothing can slip through the cracks and this needs to be taken into consideration in sponsorships and suite sales. The statement “Luxury hospitality spending was not popular last year” by Mr. Droste should never be expressed again without a tangible response. Spotlight Ticket Management is offering their software to these teams and leagues as an additional selling tool to their season ticket holders and sponsors.  Sure, companies have tighter wallets these days and some may have put sports marketing spend on the back burner, which will inevitably have a trickle-down effect. But there are other companies out there who have the funds, who have the desire to increase exposure of their brand, but fear - and fear alone - is keeping them from committing. Teams now have the ability to reassure their clients with ticket management software and eliminate the hesitation of any new and returning prospects. It’s time to stop passing around blame for everyone’s economic hardships and to put the proper practices in place to overcome them.

RT@sponsorpitch Geico Joins the #Magic & Amway Center http://su.pr/20MAjJ

RT@SBJSBD Adidas renews contract with MLS, signs deal for more than $200 million. http://su.pr/1wpBLx

RT@SBJSBD Hot NFL ad market has Fox heading into season with only a few Super Bowl spots left to sell. http://su.pr/1MpIcl

Oklahoma City Thunder have ended their naming rights contract with Oklahoma City Ford Dealers. Will seek new partner: http://su.pr/1MYv2h

RBS drops sponsorship of The Open after 9 years. No surprise, RBS has no ticket/hospitality tracking method: http://su.pr/2VVjdQ

RT @darrenrovell1 Ralph Lauren and Venus Williams push sports marketing envelope http://su.pr/2CGv5N

Discover Financial will be the next sponsor of the Orange Bowl- taking over for longtime sponsor FedEx: http://su.pr/At9NFv

CBS goes on record: NFL ad sales have fully bounced back from the recession: http://su.pr/8rJvyw

With DuPont possibly leaving Jeff Gordon Walmart looks to possibly step in as major sponsor: http://su.pr/2INwSd

RT@si_nfl Goodell: NFL targeting 2012 for 18-game season http://su.pr/1zLuDi

RT@sponsorpitch Panasonic Takes @USOpen #Tennis 3-D, Signs 3-year #Sponsorship http://su.pr/1YqzNZ

RT@sponsorpitch New Gin Brand Finds Its First Sports #Sponsorship http://su.pr/2KMGcL

Darren Rovell on why the MLB information leak matters: http://su.pr/1rIpom

Spotlight Ticket Management’s Sports Business Links Of The Week: Herbalife, Yokohama, MLB financials leaked? & More http://su.pr/32N0Od

RT@darrenrovell1 Brand Affinity Technologies gets $20M. Should sports marketing firms be shaking in their boots? http://su.pr/30vsdI

RT@SBJSBD Eight AD’s from the Big 12 met with Learfield Sports on Friday to discuss forming their own cable network. http://su.pr/1T0Ix6

Anheuser Busch and the Orlando Magic come together on naming rights for new Budweiser Baseline Bar: http://su.pr/AA6tG6

RT @sponsorpitch Formula 1 signs up UBS as Global Partner http://su.pr/1iwHBU

RT @sponsorpitch LG nixes shirt #sponsorship for Fulham Football Club http://su.pr/1nnZpJ

Yokohama shows confidence in NFL Sports Marketing

Yokohama Tire Company may not be as well known to Americans as Firestone or Goodyear, but that will all change soon if this Southern California company has anything to say about it. According to an article posted by Modern Tire Dealer, Yokohama has added two more NFL teams to its sports marketing sponsorship program, after recently signing a deal with the Dallas Cowboys. The Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens are the latest teams who will be featuring the tire brand with signage around their stadiums, radio advertisements, in-game announcements, LED board displays, and unspecified hospitality opportunities. In addition to these three NFL teams, the Yokohama brand is also on display with the Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and Los Angeles Angels.

Yokohama company officials have made it quite obvious what their goals are with their sports marking program, stating quite simply “As with the Cowboys program, the sponsorship of the Broncos and Ravens is designed to generate store foot traffic and sales for Yokohama dealers.” Clearly they recognize the value of sports marketing and appear to be expanding this division of their business model, but once a business strategy is in place there must also be a system to record and justify this spend. It will be very interesting to see what kind of metrics Yokohama uses to track the effectiveness of these partnership deals including, of course, the NFL tickets that come along with it.

Herbalife Continues Global Exposure with New Sports Sponsorships

Herbalife Ltd., along with its independent distributors, already sponsor about 150 athletes, fitness and sporting events around the world including soccer giants FC Barcelona and LA Galaxy. According to a press release posted on Market Watch, Herbalife is expanding their exposure by announcing three new sponsorships in various sports arenas around the world. First is a partnership with top Israeli football club, Maccabi Haifa FC, as the official sponsor for sports nutrition. Herbalife will see their brand added to the team’s training kit shorts, around the stadium and training facilities, the team bus, and additional exposure through the team’s official media channels. The company also signed India’s four-time world boxing champion, MC Mary Kom, which could prove to be an especially lucrative deal as she is tipped as one of the top medal contenders in the 2012 London Olympics. The final sponsorship announcement was a contract extension with Saina Nehwal, the current #3 ranked badminton player in the world.

Sports marketing provides an excellent platform for global brand exposure when used correctly, which is clearly demonstrated by Herbalife. Though they have a particular niche being involved in the nutrition and health-lifestyle industries already, strategic planning is evident as they target a mix of world-renowned teams as well as top regional athletes that not only make them a globally appealing brand but also provide exposure throughout all of the top sports around the world. Obviously every company looking to increase exposure of their brand through sports marketing will not have the resources to reach out to a global market right from the start, but Herbalife proves that it may be wise to think outside the box when it comes to spending sponsorship dollars. With ticket management software like Spotlight TMS available to corporations these days, data illustrating the return on investment of less-traditional sponsorships is instantly available to prove their worth. Sometimes it’s worth taking the road less traveled.

Foxwoods Resort Casino has seen the benefits of Sports Marketing…So Where’s the Proof?

Robert Victoria, Chief Marketing Officer for Foxwoods Resort Casinos, is a firm believer in the benefits of utilizing sports marketing to introduce his brand to new consumers. Foxwoods already has several marketing deals with professional teams in Boston, New York, and New Jersey. In a recent Q&A with the Norwich Bulletin, the first question posed to him bluntly asked, “Is the casino seeing an impact from those sports marketing agreements?” To which he replied, “They’ve generated very positive feedback. The most popular seems to be the (WNBA) Liberty deal. I’ve gotten hundreds of notes on that one alone. It’s helping us build up our database of customers in western Connecticut and New York.”

Notes. It’s always nice to hear positive feedback from clients who enjoyed attending an event or hear that consumers saw your logo on an arena or jersey, but notes alone are not enough to prove to investors and prospective business partners that a company’s marketing spend is being used effectively. How much profit was made on each investment? Did the deal come through with the clients who were brought to the last game? Where’s the documentation for the IRS that the ‘unused’ tickets actually went unused and are a proper write off? Mr. Victoria is absolutely right - sports marketing is an incredibly beneficial tool to bring more exposure to your brand - but after the economic recession companies are more liable than ever for every dime spent and must assume the responsibility to prove to partners and consumers that every sponsorship is beneficial to their business’s growth and success. This is exactly that drives the need for ticket management systems like Spotlight TMS.

Relevant Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Tweets Of The Week

RT @SBJSBD Discover Card Expected To Be New Title Sponsor Of Orange Bowl. http://su.pr/1XQ8SK

PGA Championships corporate spending down 15% while firms buying are called into question. Same story- same solution: http://su.pr/3CsiaQ

RT @SBJSBD Seven new sponsors announced today for Louisville’s KFC Yum Center. http://su.pr/925yF9

OKC Thunder announce sponsor expansion with Love’s and Hertz Corp: http://su.pr/1BrVzG

RT@SportsMoneyBlog Yankees President Randy Levine expanding the team’s business model. http://su.pr/2ocro0 Forbes SportsMoney

Yokohama announces intent to sponsor more NFL teams expanding partner teams by two: http://su.pr/1lhrRA

Interesing insights from each of the Atlanta pro sports franchises on pricing and attendance during a recession: http://su.pr/AacbK7

Not pretty news for the New York Giants: SBJSBD NY Giants selling single-game tickets without PSLs through Ticketmaster. http://su.pr/2JQ

NY Giants backtracking on “sell out” and “psl” claims: http://su.pr/30R3sK

More on Yokohama Tires expanding sports marketing portfolio with NFL during a recession: http://su.pr/22VXJu

RT @SportsMoneyBlog Tennis players, led by Maria Sharapova, rule as the top-paid women in sports. http://su.pr/2JtyO3

Consol Energy Center opened to rave reviews last night with a Paul McCartney performance: http://su.pr/2gk6qG

RT @sponsorpitch Arena Football League signs NAPA Auto Parts to low-six figure title #sponsorship for #AFL champ game http://su.pr/1QbiMD

Herbalife continues dramatic push into sports marketing- this time with a global focus by the LA based firm: http://su.pr/1SU1Sd

Has Texas passed Notre Dame as the most powerful college football program? http://su.pr/1L9V5B

Foxwoods CMO drops ball on opportunity to highlight sports marketing benefits. How do you track effectiveness? “Notes”? http://su.pr/4HGbAu

RT @darrenrovell1 Pittsburgh Pirates make a boatload of gold by not spending money http://su.pr/1AVlVr As fans, should we hate them?

Notes. It’s always nice to hear positive feedback from clients who enjoyed attending an event or hear that consumers saw your logo on an arena or jersey, but notes alone are not enough to prove to investors and prospective business partners that a company’s marketing spend is being used effectively. How much profit was made on each investment? Did the deal come through with the clients who were brought to the last game? Where’s the documentation for the IRS that the ‘unused’ tickets actually went unused and are a proper write off? Mr. Victoria is absolutely right - sports marketing is an incredibly beneficial tool to bring more exposure to your brand - but after the economic recession companies are more liable than ever for every dime spent and must assume the responsibility to prove to partners and consumers that every sponsorship is beneficial to their business’s growth and success. This is exactly that drives the need for ticket management systems like Spotlight TMS.

Sports marketing provides an excellent platform for global brand exposure when used correctly, which is clearly demonstrated by Herbalife. Though they have a particular niche being involved in the nutrition and health-lifestyle industries already, strategic planning is evident as they target a mix of world-renowned teams as well as top regional athletes that not only make them a globally appealing brand but also provide exposure throughout all of the top sports around the world. Obviously every company looking to increase exposure of their brand through sports marketing will not have the resources to reach out to a global market right from the start, but Herbalife proves that it may be wise to think outside the box when it comes to spending sponsorship dollars. With ticket management software like Spotlight TMS available to corporations these days, data illustrating the return on investment of less-traditional sponsorships is instantly available to prove their worth. Sometimes it’s worth taking the road less traveled.

Yokohama company officials have made it quite obvious what their goals are with their sports marking program, stating quite simply “As with the Cowboys program, the sponsorship of the Broncos and Ravens is designed to generate store foot traffic and sales for Yokohama dealers.” Clearly they recognize the value of sports marketing and appear to be expanding this division of their business model, but once a business strategy is in place there must also be a system to record and justify this spend. It will be very interesting to see what kind of metrics Yokohama uses to track the effectiveness of these partnership deals including, of course, the NFL tickets that come along with it.

Disturbing Ratings For PGA When Tiger Falls

It is a commonly shared thought by many, whether rightly or wrongly, that the success of Tiger Woods has driven the popularity of golf this past decade. Tiger’s astonishing numbers, including 71 PGA tour wins and 14 Major Championships already put him in golf’s most elite company. But his off the course problems and recent slump may pose dangerous for the popularity of the PGA. An article recently written in the Bleacher Report shows just how detrimental Woods’ struggles may become for the sport of golf. The Bridgestone Invitational and the Greenbrier Classic had less than half as many viewers this year when Tiger was not playing on Sunday than the year before when Tiger was in the hunt.  TV ratings dropped from 4.3 and 3.7 to 2.3 and 1.2, respectively. Simply put, if Tiger is not playing, golf is not as popular according to this report.

Golf is driven by attendance numbers and TV viewers, and if both of these numbers continue to drop, it will negatively effect the whole circuit, eventually meaning smaller paychecks for the players and less publicized competitions. The PGA is set to renew its TV deal at the end of the 2012 golf season and if Tiger Woods has not turned around his game by then, the TV contract could be worth considerably less (in the hundreds of millions). Does Woods drive the success of a tour that has successfully flourished even after losing stars like Nicklaus and Palmer? We may find out soon.

Many believe there will never be another Tiger again…. however common sentiment was there would never be another “Jack” again either.

PGA Championships Corporate Hospitality Down 15% - Corporations Called Into Question

The PGA Championship returned to Whistling Straits this past weekend to a chilly dose of reality at a course where they were welcomed with open arms six years ago by Corporate America. Corporate spending was down an estimated 15% as chronicled in this piece by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The reasons given  for the lack of corporate involvement play like a broken record of the worst kind to all purveyors of sports marketing and events: Firms do not want bad PR, the recession is not over, and the justifiability of entertaining at such events has been effectively called into question.

Firms Don’t Want Bad PR

“I think we’re really in an era now of corporate frugality, that companies are afraid to be seen by consumers and the public at large as going to excess on anything anymore,” said Dennis Garrett, a marketing professor at Marquette University.

This very same sentiment is what took over in 2008 when Northern Trust was raked over the coals for sponsoring a major PGA event in Los Angeles while banks were taking federal bailout packages. Action is required on both sides of the coin for sports marketing to return- as detailed in this blog piece- with both the event and the participating firms bearing the responsibility of tracking and defending a business process that works.

Validity Of Sports Marketing On-Site

“The reality is that at a place like a basketball game or a golf tournament, no one is discussing business,” Jay Soled, business professor at Rutgers University.

Unfortunately, Mr. Soled has had quite the forum to share his unsubstantiated and highly emotional views on the business aspect of entertaining at a sporting event. Mr. Soled’s viewpoint is discussed in this piecewith actual numbers showing the correlation of influenced revenue to entertaining at sporting events. In a silo we all wish all business decisions were made solely on facts. They are not, however, and data points that most decisions are significantly influenced by relationships that are built in numerous environments including attending a memorable event together. Unfortunately for Mr. Soled’s arguement, we’d estimate based on our numbers fewer than 15% of corproate America even takes the deductions in question.

The numbers simply show that Mr. Soled is incorrect. Spotlight owns no tickets, sells no tickets, and is solely interested in the tracking of sports and entertainment marketing through tickets and access and can safely say, from an objective point of view, that sports entertaining does drive business when done effectively. When done ineffectively, however, it can be one of the biggest wastes of money on any firms balance sheet.

The call continues to both sporting providers and corporate America alike to join the data revolution. Integrate tracking programs into the corporate culture and back up spending with clear facts. Spotlight Ticket Management is one of those tools.

Relevant Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Tweets Of The Week

RT @SBJSBD Discover Card Expected To Be New Title Sponsor Of Orange Bowl. http://su.pr/1XQ8SK

RT @darrenrovell1 Another niche sport dies? Beach Volleyball League, AVP, says it will shut down http://su.pr/3FI9Oh

Once a team files for bankruptcy, leagues are no longer in charge RT @ si_mlb - Rangers case is wake-up call to leagues http://su.pr/1MGnvx

NBA working on its collective bargaining agreement - Stars attend meeting and are encouraged by the process - http://su.pr/1ZqrGp

Nike hesitant to give James media time at Sponsored USA Basketball event - LeBron’s image affecting sponsor status - http://su.pr/4iRDKO

Sponsor’s bet on Miami Heat could pay off big - http://su.pr/2EFCCE

Two big NBA stars sign onto for the ‘12 Olympic Team looking to keep America on top of the world of basketball - http://su.pr/2IG6le

RT @SBJSBD - Former Rockets prez George Postolos and Platinum Equity CEO Tom Gores emerge as potential Pistons bidders. http://su.pr/2Gzd8f

LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade all present for a negotiation meeting with the NBA over the CBA - http://su.pr/6m0wXs

Theres a new twist to the sale of the St. Louis Rams - RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Billionaire Stan Kroenke’s two-part deal. http://su.pr/5SRI0n

Just how tied in is Tiger Woods to ratings success for the PGA? Some believe more than sponsors would like to hear: http://su.pr/3uE1IG

Knicks franchise and MSG still selling tickets despite LeBron and Isaiah Thomas decisions - http://su.pr/1W6prh

NMSU and Michigan the latest CFB teams to have twitter banned/warned about - coaches: “stay away from social media” - http://su.pr/2Xrzvl

RT @BizballMaury-MLB unanimously approves ownership transfer or Texas Rangers to Greenberg-Ryan group by a vote of 30-0. http://su.pr/1u2GO3

RT@SBJSBD Sources say Budweiser reportedly taking NASCAR sponsorship to Harvick. http://su.pr/7JRQ9Z

RT @darrenrovell1 Nike Prez: LeBron’s move to Miami is a good move for the brand http://su.pr/7JYe1Z

“How Adolf Hitler & the Nazi’s cost the New York Giants & Jets $30 million a year” - The story of the Allianz deal: http://su.pr/1SkKsh

Focus on the Family plans to continue to use Tim Tebow as sports figure representative - http://su.pr/2PLFGp

Ilitch no longer the only suitor interested in Pistons - http://su.pr/8DPmGY

Nets apply for a name change - Prokhorov looking to change the image and face of the Nets franchise w/ move to Brooklyn http://su.pr/6MWMoH

Interesting sponsorship choices for USA mens bball - “USA Basketball Unveils Partnerships With Tiffany & Co., Got Milk”- http://su.pr/28qkwk

Spotlight continues growth! Hiring multiple new ninja’s as Team Relationship Associates: http://su.pr/1xYcsb

Papa John pulls its brand from bowl game, becomes official pizza sponsor of the NFL instead - http://su.pr/2ZMB9R

Average Heat ticket prices rise by over 500% as Miami prepares for a breakthrough season - http://su.pr/9XGQLq

Kovalchuck’s 17-yr contract rejected by arbitrator. Big decision involving the avoidance of salary cap in future - http://su.pr/31oSRN

Spotlight Ticket Management continues exponential growth. Looking for a Marketing Ninja with some PR Assasin interests…http://su.pr/2EplOg

Probes trying to stop agent misconduct and redefine the line between amateur and pro - http://su.pr/1p2MtI

Mike Ilitch gaining support to become Pistons new owner - wants to become Detroit sports kingpin - http://su.pr/21stME

RT @WesleyMallette: 12 reasons why athletes should partner with a strategic PR team. http://su.pr/1kdnxQ

NBA and NBPA working to settle on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement - http://su.pr/A1Ettp

Is letting fans “name the price” of tickets a good business decision? The Florida Panthers believe it is - http://su.pr/35Jhvy

The reasons given  for the lack of corporate involvement play like a broken record of the worst kind to all purveyors of sports marketing and events: Firms do not want bad PR, the recession is not over, and the justifiability of entertaining at such events has been effectively called into question.

Firms Don’t Want Bad PR

“I think we’re really in an era now of corporate frugality, that companies are afraid to be seen by consumers and the public at large as going to excess on anything anymore,” said Dennis Garrett, a marketing professor at Marquette University.

This very same sentiment is what took over in 2008 when Northern Trust was raked over the coals for sponsoring a major PGA event in Los Angeles while banks were taking federal bailout packages. Action is required on both sides of the coin for sports marketing to return- as detailed in this blog piece- with both the event and the participating firms bearing the responsibility of tracking and defending a business process that works.

Validity Of Sports Marketing On-Site

“The reality is that at a place like a basketball game or a golf tournament, no one is discussing business,” Jay Soled, business professor at Rutgers University.

Unfortunately, Mr. Soled has had quite the forum to share his unsubstantiated and highly emotional views on the business aspect of entertaining at a sporting event. Mr. Soled’s viewpoint is discussed in this piecewith actual numbers showing the correlation of influenced revenue to entertaining at sporting events. In a silo we all wish all business decisions were made solely on facts. They are not, however, and data points that most decisions are significantly influenced by relationships that are built in numerous environments including attending a memorable event together. Unfortunately for Mr. Soled’s arguement, we’d estimate based on our numbers fewer than 15% of corproate America even takes the deductions in question.

The numbers simply show that Mr. Soled is incorrect. Spotlight owns no tickets, sells no tickets, and is solely interested in the tracking of sports and entertainment marketing through tickets and access and can safely say, from an objective point of view, that sports entertaining does drive business when done effectively. When done ineffectively, however, it can be one of the biggest wastes of money on any firms balance sheet.

The call continues to both sporting providers and corporate America alike to join the data revolution. Integrate tracking programs into the corporate culture and back up spending with clear facts. Spotlight Ticket Management is one of those tools.

Golf is driven by attendance numbers and TV viewers, and if both of these numbers continue to drop, it will negatively effect the whole circuit, eventually meaning smaller paychecks for the players and less publicized competitions. The PGA is set to renew its TV deal at the end of the 2012 golf season and if Tiger Woods has not turned around his game by then, the TV contract could be worth considerably less (in the hundreds of millions). Does Woods drive the success of a tour that has successfully flourished even after losing stars like Nicklaus and Palmer? We may find out soon.

Many believe there will never be another Tiger again…. however common sentiment was there would never be another “Jack” again either.

NFL Commissioner says Jaguars Fans need to Step Up

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is on a tour that will bring him to eight NFL cities over the span of 6 days. According to an articlewritten in the Miami Herald, on August 2nd, Goodell shipped off to Jacksonville to send a resounding message. The Jaguars reside in one of the smallest markets of any NFL team and have struggled to keep attendance numbers up despite fielding a competitive team. Goodell stressed the importance of attendance in the upcoming season, urging fans to realize the direness of the situation. As bigger cities such as Los Angeles may be seeking a franchise to bring in, struggling small market teams such as the Jaguars may fit the bill perfectly for a relocation. The Jaguars have been doing everything in their power to boost attendance, such as dropping ticket prices and selling naming rights to both their playing field and their practice field. It is now up to the fans of Jacksonville to decide whether or not this franchise will continue to play there.

The NFL will be keeping close tabs on the Jaguars and Jacksonville’s ability to bring in fans will probably decide its fate. The Jaguars front office is optimistic about the future, especially with the backing of local businesses such as EverBank and Blue Cross. To avoid blackouts, the Jaguars must sell about 5,000 more season tickets and a about 2,000 more single game tickets and premium seats. Companies invested in the Jaguars with corporate tickets would be smart to use the Spotlight Ticket Management Solution to more effectively allocate their tickets for a greater ROI. This would not only help companies economize their tickets, but also ensure that they would be filling the seats that the Jaguars so desperately need filled.

Selling premium tickets and luxury suites in this environment is not easy. Customers and firms are consistently demanding more of teams and providers than to simply “entertain clients.” Spotlight, currently partnered with over 30 teams in all 4 major sports, is a vital tool in the belt of any team sales professional.

New Mercedes-Benz Premium Club at Amway Center the Latest in a Trend

According to an articlewritten by Don Muret in the Sports Business Journal, the Orlando Magic have signed a three-year naming rights deal with Mercedes-Benz for a 13,000 square foot luxury hospitality space. The suite will be called the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge, and is valued in the “mid-six figures” annually. This lucrative sponsorship creates a lounge that will see approximately 1,000 high-end ticket holders paying anywhere from $275-$1350 for their tickets coming through for every home game. Perks include free buffet and drinks, a window facing towards the Magic locker room, and other exclusive opportunities only available to members. This new addition to the Amway Center gives Mercedes a high-profile visibility increase in the arena to go alongside other sponsors such as the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Premium hospitality clubs continue to permeate into the sports industry both in arenas looking to pare down the number of suites (TD Banknorth Garden, Sun Life Stadium) and in new venues, most famously Cowboys Stadium’s club in Dallas. Other teams are starting to employ smaller and shared suites to tailor their offerings to the customer and offer “a premium ticket experience accessible by everyone.” It will be interesting to see if these clubs actually cannibalize suites business with groups of 8 to 10 opting to buy the club option in lieu of a 12 person suite.

Sports tickets and suites continue to evolve to an ever-changing market and Spotlight continues to be the only effective tool in managing these assets.

GM Cranks Up Ad Spending For NFL’s Super Bowl

The automobile industry was one of the sectors hit hardest by the economic recession. General Motors, one of the most effected corporations, was subsequently forced to cutback spending in a number of areas, with marketing and advertising being arguably two of the largest. Suzanne Vranica writes in the Wall St. Journal that former superpower  GM plans to increase its ad spending tremendously, citing the need to “build the brands” as the main reason. For years, General Motors was one of the industries biggest advertisers. It plans to boost its advertising campaign this year by 10s of millions of dollars, starting with one of the nation’s largest events, the Super Bowl.

As companies become more financially stable, they will continue to increase their advertising spending to pre-recession numbers. As sponsorships are, for better or worse, one of the first things to go when money is tight, it is also one of the first things to come back, as the impressions it receives are unmatched and the brand building quality of sports is irreplaceable. Lucrative deals with big events such as the Super Bowl will become more common in the years to come, as companies seek to increase visibility to customers. Sports advertising is one of the best ways to receive a high return on investment, lending to the millions of dollars spent in this arena annually. The real question is: Will firms like GM be more accountable and responsible this time around- putting in place processes to measure sponsorship effectiveness, company sports ticket use, and return on investment?

Relevant Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Tweets Of The Week

RT @SportsMoneyBlog - New NFL Headquarters Signal A Lockout: NFL cutting costs in preparation for a work-stoppage. http://su.pr/7kH1Re

RT @SportsMoneyBlog - The Detroit Pistons: How Timing And Location Impact Franchise Value http://su.pr/2OGZ3m

RT @SBJSBD - MLS extends Commissioner Don Garber’s deal through 2014; total pay could go above $3M per year. http://su.pr/21bkyj

RT @TheBigLead - Lofty Baseball Attendance Figures Show Novelty of New Stadiums, Not Burgeoning Popularity http://su.pr/2b9wc7

RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Ranger Fans: Beware Murdoch: Folding sports franchises into corporations rarely works out well. http://su.pr/1bm4jw

RT @darrenrovell1 - Nike refuses to get into the $1B toning shoe market. Now it’s finally firing back http://su.pr/2pEX61 Are they right?

RT @darrenrovell1-NPD Group: Global sales of sports equipment, apparel & footwear was $282B in 09, 1st decline in 5 yrs http://su.pr/2eCmhb

Goodell sends clear and obvious msg to NFL Jaguars- up attendance or risk leaving town. Not an easy task in this market: http://su.pr/2PbTrP

RT @darrenrovell1 - Should the Heat have fired its season ticket staff? http://su.pr/2OuwPR

RT @TheBigLead - If Tiger has such a great history of post-British Open success, what if he fails this wknd? http://su.pr/A4QLmF

RT @WSJSports - Daily Fix: News Corp. Won’t Be Bidding on Texas Rangers http://su.pr/2gNGhg

RT @SBJSBD - Today’s Rangers auction pits Cuban/Crane group against Greenberg/Ryan. http://su.pr/2lfvj8

RT @SBJSBD - Andrew Varga, CMO of Papa John’s, joins list of speakers at this year’s Sports Marketing Symposium…http://su.pr/2WgeFg

Fans paying the big bucks to try to catch A-Rods HR milestone - $1.2 mil more than usual prices spent in past 12 games - http://su.pr/2dTccZ

TV Network coming for the Big East? Collegiate sports television may be changing completely with conference networks - http://su.pr/1UMXmD

Amway Center and Mercedes Benz Club the latest entry in upscale and large luxury clubs with membership offerings: http://su.pr/3fvJnJ

Matt Leinart signs new deal with Reebok and hopes to respark his career with new starting position - http://su.pr/9a15KX

Rangers auction goes to Greenberg and Ryan. But did they pay too much for the struggling franchise? - http://su.pr/16VISr

RT @js_bizofsports - Brewers announce expanded partnership with PNC Bank. Bank gets naming rights to club level. http://su.pr/2pD9uN

Smaller market teams struggling with fan support…Milwaukee Brewers attendance down 9.2% from last year - http://su.pr/1X53Ij

RT @darrenrovell1 - Report: Leagues (NBA, NFL) have high Twitter following, but low influence http://su.pr/7BSLih

RT @SportsMoneyBlog - NBA player agents are gaining power. http://su.pr/2ZxlbG

Stumbling sports stars and the effect it has on their sponsorships - http://su.pr/1DhNFL

Greenberg and Ryan await only approval from MLB for ownership of Rangers to become complete. Approval expected in the next week - http://su.

Greenberg and Ryan await approval from MLB for ownership of Rangers to become complete. Approval expected within week - http://su.pr/5j5cBX

GM intends to ramp up ad and sponsorship spending including The Super Bowl. Will they be more responsible this time? http://su.pr/1ORtRr

Great article on the NFL’s upcoming CBA talks and what needs to happen going forward - http://su.pr/2X9987