Hockey is back! The NHL regular season is upon us, and with it comes the annual ritual of going to a hockey game and buying hockey tickets. Whether you’re a diehard hockey fan or you’ve decided to become more socially involved this year, there are several ways you can make the most of the experience and turn it into a profitable venture.
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Dress Appropriately
The first and perhaps most important thing to do if you want to sell hockey tickets is to dress appropriately. You don’t want to go to a hockey game in sneakers and shorts, do you? Similarly, you wouldn’t want to wear a t-shirt with a hoodie on it, would you? Regardless of what else you’re wearing, your attire should reflect an interest in the sport.
Aside from looking cool and keeping the other fans engaged, you should also try to avoid distracting the referee or any other players or personnel on the ice. Distracting any of them during a game could result in a penalty or even an ejection, so try to stay focused.
Know The Dates & Times
One of the most important things to do if you want to sell hockey tickets is to know the dates and times of the games you’ll be attending. Since you’ll be at several games during the season and some are more important than others, make sure you know which ones are the big games. This way you’ll know what to expect and can plan your marketing strategy accordingly. For example, if you know that one of the games is going to be a lot more popular than the others, you might want to consider raising your prices a bit to make up for it.
Use The Right Venue
There are several venues for hockey, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Sports arenas generally have the best amenities, such as seating and parking, but they can be quite expensive to rent. Outdoor stadiums, on the other hand, are cheaper but offer fewer amenities.
If you want to maximize your profit, you should try to rent a sports arena whenever possible. Indoor arenas are a great option as well, as long as the weather conditions are right, of course. If you’re going to a couple of hockey games during the season, it might be worth it to buy tickets at the venue you’re going to most often, instead of choosing a random Arena somewhere in between. Your wallet will thank you for it.
Know How To Market The Sport
Nowadays, the term “salesperson” has taken on a whole new meaning in the world of sports. If you want to sell hockey tickets, you’ll probably have to become more than just a face in the crowd. You’ll need to take initiative and use various tools and channels to market the sport and your team. In the following passage, we’ll discuss several ways you can market hockey and make the most of the platform all of us sports fans have at our fingertips.
Create A Loyalty Program
One of the simplest yet most effective ways of marketing an upcoming game is to create a loyalty program. This way, fans who’ve shown an interest in the sport can get exclusive discounts, ranging from 10% to 20%, on their ticket purchases. Giving special treatment to your most valuable customers will make them feel that you appreciate their support and value their opinion. It also creates a sense of pride among the participants, which could result in increased customer loyalty.
Establish A Club
The community of hockey fans is a vast one, and it goes beyond the four walls of your local rink. You can take advantage of this by establishing a fan club. Your fan club can be a private club, which you can establish with the help of an expert in fan engagement. It can also be open to the public, like the Atlanta Braves’, who have established a joint fan club with the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers. The purpose of your fan club is to establish a nucleus of fans who are already interested in the sport and to provide a space for them to interact.
Host Charity Events
Another effective way of marketing an upcoming game is to host a charity event. You can partner with a local charity or non-profit organization and raise money that will go to helping the less fortunate. By involving your fans in a good deed, you not only get to advertise for free but you can also establish a connection with a potentially large audience.
Include Key Players From The Sport
A star player heading to your town for a game is probably the most valuable asset you can have. Including them in your promotional material is an effective way of getting fans interested in the sport. The best way to do this is to include them in key selling points in your campaign. This could mean anything from having them appear in an advertisement or on your website to having them speak at an event you host.
To conclude, remember that while it’s great to go to a hockey game and meet the players, it’s not worth it to go and buy tickets just to watch them play. Try to go to a game when there’s some significance, like an alumni game or a tournament. This way, you’ll get to see the players perform at their best while also making the most of your experience.