Fired Up: A Podcast from Ignite Fan Insights

On this episode of Fired Up, Bob Corscadden, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for El Toro, talks about the best way to define and address – one-on-one – your prime audience. Highly effective targeting that leans into the digital sphere without cookie reliance. Bob joined El Toro in 2020 and has established his career expertise by spending critical time with such organizations as SmithKline Beecham, Nabisco, Tyson Foods and Kellogg’s. He has led strategic development, innovation, research & development, and all aspects of marketing. Bob earned a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University, and an MBA from Columbia University.

“I can’t wait to hear the roar of a home crowd again. I need that vacation from reality, a momentary escape, in a shared moment with a friend or family member ” On this episode of Fired Up, Bob, Dave and Don, three sports fans share their love of sports, when and how that love began, how the past year has changed their outlook on attending live sports, how they feel front office staff responded to the disruption and their hope for the future. All three were introduced to sports at a young age by their fathers. We were introduced to Bob by the Indianapolis Indians. He is a fan of multiple sports including the Indianapolis Indians, Indy racing, the LA Dodgers and the UCLA Bruins. Don came to us by way of NASCAR and Bristol Motor Speedway. He is a fan of NASCAR and collegiate athletics (he is a professor at a mid-major university). Thanks to the Minnesota Vikings, we met Dave. A huge Vikings and Twins fan also enjoys golf. Hear about their fan journey and how their sports life has been changed over the past year. But rest assured, nothing has changed their love of sports and their emotional need for live sports. Emotions that just can’t be wiped away.

“Jeff Vinik has mastered the ability of a sports team in a community to have a great organic partnership. He has given so much to this community over the years that it's almost like people's civic duty to give back. And we've been the benefactor of that. ” On this episode of Fired Up, Matt Hill, Vice-President of Premium Seating and Group Sales for Vinik Sports Group, talks about great ownership with a sincere commitment to the players, staff and most importantly – the community. Having grown up in the East coast of Canada, he dreamed of the NHL from the player perspective. He grew up in a rink and played the game for a number of years. It afforded him some opportunities for college and a little bit of a minor pro hockey after that. But quickly realized it was not going to pay the bills long enough and needed to go up and get on with real life. Matt coached for a while at the university where he played and was also running a little player development program for some local youth. He was still involved in the game, but wanted more, he wanted the NHL. Matt’s good friend, Brad Richards, who was playing for the Lightning talk with Matt. It was through that conversation that the front office became his calling. Still involved with the sport he loves and as competitive as ever as part of a winning team. ***IGNITE FAN INSIGHTS*** www.ignitefaninsights.com [http://www.ignitefaninsights.com] Ignite Fan Insights observes fans from key sports, their behavior, and their loyalty to the sports they follow. We encourage you to subscribe to Ignite Fan Insights. It's free and you'll receive a steady flow of information allowing you to better understand sports fans along with nuggets of wisdom from sports industry leaders. Your subscription includes: three e-publication reports per year based on surveys with over 3,000 U.S. sports fans; twelve to twenty-four podcasts, e-newsletter, blogs and industry-relevant webinars. Subscribe today at www.ignitefaninsights.com [http://www.ignitefaninsights.com]

On this episode of Fired Up, Kerry Vick, Director of Tickets - Premium Services & Events with the Indianapolis Indians, talks about opening up the venue for many events which allows the community to experience the stadium in different ways – but always to be entertained – and the importance that plays for the bottom-line. Kerry joined the Indians in 2000 and has spent his career getting his hands involved in almost all facets of the business.  He has led teams in tickets, suite sales & services, and premium hospitality while making contributions to sponsorship sales, marketing, facility improvements, hiring and training, and culture-building. Kerry led the formation of Victory Field’s special events business in 2012 and turned it into a year-round operation in 2020 after redesigning the suite level and premium seating program through multi-phase renovations. A Ball State graduate and board member for the ALSD and Sports Circle Indy, Kerry also chairs the Indians Fun Committee and coaches youth basketball and softball in the community. ***IGNITE FAN INSIGHTS*** www.ignitefaninsights.com [http://www.ignitefaninsights.com] Ignite Fan Insights observes fans from key sports, their behavior, and their loyalty to the sports they follow. We encourage you to subscribe to Ignite Fan Insights. It's free and you'll receive a steady flow of information allowing you to better understand sports fans along with nuggets of wisdom from sports industry leaders. Your subscription includes: three e-publication reports per year based on surveys with over 3,000 U.S. sports fans; twelve to twenty-four podcasts, e-newsletter, blogs and industry-relevant webinars. Subscribe today at www.ignitefaninsights.com [http://www.ignitefaninsights.com]

Charlie is currently SVP, Ticket Sales and Service with the Philadelphia Union. Charlie stresses the importance of relevance, tenacity, and the importance of looking at the community as family. Description: “Nurture the fan base to improve engagement season to season including getting the players out in the community. Build strong relationships. ” On this episode of Fired Up, Charlie Slonaker, SVP, Ticket Sales and Service with the Philadelphia Union talks about the deep importance of commitment to the community of which it is an integral member. He also shares his “secret sauce” to achieve an average of 93% ticket sales per game and the increasing role of premium offerings for positive impact to the bottom line. Charlie began his career with the MiLB Dayton Dragons as an entry level ticket sales rep. After two seasons, Charlie jumped to the big leagues as a ticket sales rep for the Cincinnati Bengals and quickly progressing to the management side of the business with the Chicago Fire as Manager, Season Ticket Sales. From there, he moved to the Indiana Pacers as Director of Group and Consumer Sales. Ultimately, Charlie joined the Philadelphia Union in 2016 to head up the ticket sales department. Under Charlie’s leadership the Union ticket sales staff has grown revenue by approximately 15% and has achieved the top 5 gates in club/stadium history. ***IGNITE FAN INSIGHTS*** www.ignitefaninsights.com [http://www.ignitefaninsights.com] Ignite Fan Insights observes fans from key sports, their behavior, and their loyalty to the sports they follow. We encourage you to subscribe to Ignite Fan Insights. It's free and you'll receive a steady flow of information allowing you to better understand sports fans along with nuggets of wisdom from sports industry leaders. Your subscription includes: three e-publication reports per year based on surveys with over 3,000 U.S. sports fans; twelve to twenty-four podcasts, e-newsletter, blogs and industry-relevant webinars. Subscribe today at www.ignitefaninsights.com [http://www.ignitefaninsights.com]