Tao of Sports Podcast

Andrew Rubinstein left the world of professional sports and group ticket sales to join the ranks of the annual fund at a remote university with Division I hockey in the state of Michigan. Rubinstein shares his choices, how he interacts with potential and current donors using technology such as Zoom, and embraces the idea that there's a longer play at stake when speaking to someone about the school. Rubinstein's background also includes several professional minor league hockey stints, where he learned from the different aspects of selling tickets, including a short time in Tucson with the Roadrunners. Rubinstein is also a budding politician, so he's getting used to having an earful about how to fix every situation imaginable, including those outside of his control.

It's been more than a minute since Garrett Nolan came on the podcast, way back in 2015 on Ep. 449. Nolan was a working stiff for one arena back then, but is now on his own, helping various platforms and partners achieve their revenue goals through his expertise. Nolan talks about his journey from being employed by one venue to his own independent consultancy, which includes concerts, casinos and comedy clubs. Nolan has his own views on ticket bots, their relevancy in the marketplace and what the primary market can do to hinder them altogether.

Craig Cugno has had his work cut out for him, because as much as he wants to have two winning college basketball teams, it means that he has to work that much harder to get their off-site arenas filled up each, eight times a year. Good problems to have. Cugno discusses his start in minor league baseball, selling minor league hockey, then going to the University of Rhode Island athletics, before the University of Connecticut. At the end of it all, Cugno still focuses on the idea that group sales and training matters above all else, because success on the field or court can be fleeting, but good sales techniques will stay forever.

It's been over 11 years since Paul Fruitman came on the podcast. The Canadian sports executive has ventured from ticket sales to corporate to now looking at brand insights for the sports space. Fruitman talks about what changed and what hasn't since that time, and how everything matters now to a brand, less on what is in the stadium, but what eyeballs exist outside of it.

Kyle has had three stints with the Phoenix Suns, first as an intern, then as a group sales rep, then finally, back to take the lead of the organization's overall ticket sales strategy, now as Senior Vice President of Ticket Sales & Service. Kyle shares his vision of how the Suns have managed to do the impossible, create a 133-game sell-out streak off of the backs of the pandemic, and create one of the biggest brands in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Kyle also talks about some of the legacy issues surrounding ticket sales in general, how to mold new account reps into the fold and how to innovate in sport.

The last time that Troy talked to Joe, they were at the 2016 NACDA Conference. Troy was at UC Davis and Joe was at Holy Cross. Now, both are no longer in college athletics, which has changed drastically in that time. Joe made his way out to the southwest, working at both Surprise Stadium, the Cactus League home of the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers, and now at Insignia Events, owned by the Arizona Cardinals for their State Farm Stadium event conversion unit. Joe talks about the variables of changing over a massive stadium for single weekend events, as well as the blurred differences with college athletics and professional sports.

Rob Yowell has the entry of naming rights explode during his time in the industry, and has adopted the ability to sell new brands on the world of sports. Yowell has spent his time over the last few years helping groups such as bitcoin gain entry into the sports world space. Yowell covers some of the ins and outs of that industry segment, along with the role of sport tourism boards in order to attract larger events to a metropolitan area. Yowell also chats about his own experience as a sport educator at Arizona State University.

Mike Dellosa grew up in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, rising to the role of Vice Presiden to Ticket Sales. So when it came to the pandemic, he did something drastic, throwing out the playbook entirely on how to sell tickets to fans. Dellosa felt that desperate times called for desperate measures, and he did whatever it took, by forcing in a different membership model than was witnessed at the organization before. And good thing he did, as Dellosa explains, because even the people he has working for him are now of a different generation, Gen-Z, who as he puts it, have some of the "best BS detectors" imaginable.

Matt Slatus returns to the podcast, now as President & General Manager of Camelback Ranch, the Cactus League home of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. Slatus talks about the decade separation between his podcast guesting adventures, how he took a General Manager job at the Ballpark at The Palm Beaches (Houston Astros & Washington Nationals home), and all of the ins/outs of running a two month Spring Training operation, with a lot of other factors throughout the year.

Kathy Burrows has been a guest and friend of the podcast for over a decade. So its fitting that she be the first guest since 2019, when the podcast was last updated. Things have changed in the industry, for the better, as the phone crusher model seems to be dead or dying. Kathy talks about what she has learned, especially by asking those buyers what is being done right or wrong to sell them, and how she has incorporated critical thinking leadership training into her sales model for upper management.

Stagefront's Mike Guiffre co-hosts this podcast with Troy, discussing various components of searching for the hidden fan. In this episode, data is discussed, along with what that data actually means, in a constructive conversation toward driving revenue in different ways. Including the Don Cherry firing.

Sarah Uhran has taken the concept of personal branding for athletes and turned it on its head. Uhran represents a new type of dynamic that showcases not only the athlete brand from what the public sees, but also the consistent advisor role of ensuring athlete success in their personal or professional interactions with others. Uhran discusses how she has helped guide athletes toward the best decisions possible throughout her involvement with her clients. Twitter: @SarahUhran

Chris Spano ties various components of the primary and secondary ticket markets together, working for MLB, NFL and NHL teams, along with working at StubHub. Now, at the American Hockey League, Spano discusses some of the ways that the secondary ticket market can even help minor league hockey survive and thrive in a constant push for new inventory sales to the open market. Spano also talks about ways to train staff, along with the understanding that group sales, not season tickets, tend to be the main focus of every AHL team moving forward. @CSpano1980

Graham Oliphant has helped the growth of rugby in the United States and the United Kingdom, creating a strategic planning effort that other sport organizations have begun to follow. Oliphant talks about the impact of Major League Rugby in America, which has launched successfully with the Seattle Seawolves beginning a sellout streak and developing a winning format for other MLR teams to follow as expansion of the league nears. Oliphant also runs the London 9 Festival due for July 2018. Twitter: @Jumbo230

Jim Sweeney is just getting started in a period when most people are looking at retirement. Sweeny serves as an international board member and the head of FIMBA USA (Federation of International Masters Basketball Association). The International Olympic Committee calls FIMBA the best senior sports federation in the world. Sweeney talks about how FIMBA hosted its 15th world championship in 2017 in Italy, with over 367 teams, and almost 6,000 players from around the world. Twitter: @FIMBA

The BMW Championship represents a unique challenge for Jeff Lapsansky, since he has to sell tickets to a PGA Tour event that moves every other year to a different city. Lapsansky discusses some of the ways that he drives ticket sales and marketing for the event, as well as ensures that pricing maximizes the possibility of a return for the non-profit organization running the BMW Championship. Twitter: @JeffLaps

The weather doesn't stop a great ticket sales staff from selling. John Markiewicz shares his knowledge about selling in cold weather for baseball and hot weather for hockey. Markiewicz talks about his strategy in driving group ticket sales for Chicago White Sox games in April where the temperature is a high of 8 degrees, and selling hockey in Florida, where it is always hot out, and yet, the goal is to get everyone inside a building to watch a winter sport. Markiewicz covers some of the details of selling third party tickets for Purdue. Twitter: @johnm_whitesox

As if it couldn't get confusing enough, Troy King comes on the podcast to share a funny episode at the 2018 National Sports Forum regarding Troy Kirby, Troy Tutt and Troy Kirby and one confused gentleman who said "Hi Troy" when all three turned around at once. King talks about his time at Churchill Downs, selling over 70 events beyond the Oaks & Derby. King shares his experiences in selling horse racing, as well as major and minor league baseball.

Zach Dayton returns to the podcast after nearly four years since his original one (Ep. 328). Dayton talks about his transition from Pace University, a D2 school, to Fairfield University, which is Division 1. Dayton shares his insight into bringing not only fresh ideas, but also ways to help implement those ideas beyond the presentation stage with traditionalists in a group. Twitter: @Zach_Dayton

Fresh off her departure of a second stint with the Corvallis Knights, former COO Holly Marie Jones shares her insight into the West Coast League baseball franchise's brand, and how she was able to enhance it through merchandise, ticket sales and concessions. Jones discusses how the presence of the mascot, along with a sidekick, helped boost the Knights' community efforts as well as shaping the overall food & beverage experience for the fans by bringing it all in-house. Twitter: @HollyMarieJones