Having already accomplished the hockey hat trick in Canada by partnering with the Sudbury Wolves, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Erie Otters, Tickets.com added to its portfolio with the latest agreement with the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The long-term ticketing agreement starts with the 2014-15 season and just in time for the IceDogs’ move to the new 5,300-seat Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario, where Tickets.com’s ProVenue platform will be utilized for all ticket sales.
The OHL, along with the Western Hockey League (WHL) and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), are operated under the auspices of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
“Over the past five years, we studied the relationship between the CHL franchises and their host communities,” said Dan Archabal, VP of business development for Tickets.com. Although the actual size of the typical franchise may be small in terms of employee headcount and annual revenues, the most successful CHL organizations wield significant influence in the business decisions of their cities.
“Entertainment tax policies, multimillion-dollar renovation projects, city traffic patterns and even new facility development are all matters where the franchise has more than just a seat at the table,” he said. “We are seeing very savvy entrepreneurs in leadership roles with these franchises. It’s starting to show in vendor discussions, where franchises increasingly will not just settle to use the facility’s vendor contracts as a component of their tenant agreement. They want to shop themselves.”
Bill Burke, IceDogs owner and governor, is excited about what Tickets.com will be bringing to that table.
“They have such a strong base of operations in the Niagara region,” he said. “They have proven themselves in the OHL and we are excited to move forward with them in our new home at the Meridian Centre.”
Indeed, both parties cite the move to the new venue, which will include 25 suites, as the perfect time for the new deal to take effect.
“First and foremost, I am a big fan of the atmosphere that the IceDogs create at The Jack (Garden City Gatorade Complex),” Archabal said. “It is a complete professional fan experience that the Burke family and the City of St. Catharines have invested in for many years. They pack the place, it’s loud, and the fans have had some fantastic talent like Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Strome to watch.
“Fans in St. Catharines are just like everyone else, though – they demand more from their facilities if they are going to break away from their couch and TV. They need upgraded seating, concourse amenities, concessions, digital display boards, lighting and sound.
“They also needed an upgrade in their ticketing technology, particularly their season ticket base that needs more self-service options.”
Season ticket holders will be renewing online next year for the first time and will be able to manage their season tickets with the MyTickets solution that enables transferring tickets, reprinting tickets and making ticket donations. Fans will also have access to an automated kiosk for purchase and will call pick-up.
Burke is ready for the new technology to kick in next year. “There will certainly be more technology than we have right now because we are in such an old facility,” he said.
Source: Baugus, R.V., www.VenuesToday.com, January 1, 2014
