Target renewal rate

[Spiders05]

Quick question. You're managing the ticketing office. What do you think is a reasonable ticket renewal rate for season ticket holders, especially after the last couple of years?

I'm interested to see what others think.

 

[3genspider]

Quick question. You're managing the ticketing office. What do you think is a reasonable ticket renewal rate for season ticket holders, especially after the last couple of years?

I'm interested to see what others think.

At this point it is likely pretty high. Only the most loyal remain as season ticket holders. The real bogie---what is an acceptable growth rate after this season.

 

[Eight Legger]

Do you mean what percentage of season ticket holders from last year would they have expected to renew at the same level for this year? If so, I think I would have been happy with anything over about 60 percent, were this a normal fan base. But I would imagine since many of our season ticket holders will buy regardless of the product, the goal would have been to retain about 75-80%.

 

[MrTbone]

Yeah, not sure if you’re asking the recurrence rate or increasing pricing of renewal.

My guess is recurrence is closer to what EL said, I think it’s already tempered as we likely have a comparatively low percentage of season ticket holders to total available seats. My guess is that translates to low volatility, particularly while prices remain constant.

 

[SpiderRick]

Right now you can buy game day tickets for good seats, what's the incentive to commit to buying tickets for every game? I have always had two season tickets but this year dropped one of them. That seat is always available if I want to have someone go with me, and that won't change until if and when the tickets are harder to come by. I don't think that will happen until we regain a culture of winning every year and returning to relevance.

 

[Spiders05]

Right now you can buy game day tickets for good seats, what's the incentive to commit to buying tickets for every game? I have always had two season tickets but this year dropped one of them. That seat is always available if I want to have someone go with me, and that won't change until if and when the tickets are harder to come by. I don't think that will happen until we regain a culture of winning every year and returning to relevance.

So, what's your target number?

 

[ChoppinBroccoli]

Are you asking for next year or this year?

 

[SpiderRick]

So, what's your target number?

Well, in my family it will be ZERO next year.

 

[Spiders05]

Original question. Going into this year.

 

[MrTbone]

Original question. Going into this year.

If I’m in the ticket office, I’m expecting only slightly less than what the renewal rate has been in prior years. I expect that’s perhaps around 75-85%

 

[SpiderRick]

Original question. Going into this year.

I'm guessing you already have the answer to your question so why don't you just tell us?

 

[ChoppinBroccoli]

90%. Most STH will renew regardless of the team's performance.
Besides, Bob Black told the fans we had a half dozen games against NCAA teams in our non-conference schedule.

 

[Gallipoli]

I would say expect a 10% increase in season ticket holders as compared to last season. It might even be higher. There is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for the program for this season and next season. Most fans will pull for Coach Mooney and the team.

 

[SpiderK]

I would guess about the same as this year. There will be a few new people buying tickets on the promise of a good senior class (assuming they all stay). There will also be the normal attrition of old red sweaters that can no longer physically attend for one reason or another. Heck we have taken a 60% cut in cheerleaders already from last year.

 

[Spiders05]

I'm guessing you already have the answer to your question so why don't you just tell us?

I'm interested to see what fan expectations are versus reality as opposed to providing it as a discussion point to have people take sides (great job/do better). I'll provide it soon. Was just curious.

 

[Spiders05]

Heck we have taken a 60% cut in cheerleaders already from last year.

I think I had heard 6 cheerleaders were abroad last semester. Noticed the numbers were higher last night.

 

[SpiderK]

I think I had heard 6 cheerleaders were abroad last semester. Noticed the numbers were higher last night.

Spider05 in this day and time can we still say “abroad” when we talking about cheerleaders?

 

[DTSpider]

I find this thread rather confusing. I believe the question what do fans expect a normal season ticket renewal rate to be. Whatever the answer, without comparables to other A10 schools I’m not sure what to make of it.

for example, I’d assume that the renewal rate would be >90% just because it’s an uneconomical decision already so if you’ve chosen it, you’d keep choosing it. Every year you lose some, but you’d expect to replace those so I’d say the 5% loss should be made up by a 5% gain. Now, if you throw in things like a recently renovated arena and a coach in the top quartile of salary, I’d expect the pure renewal rate to be >95% and new sales to be higher than losses pushing up the total number of season ticket sales (until such point as you throw a price increase out there to force an exodus of some fans because you need available capacity to sell new season tickets).

a more interesting question to me always is attendance rate. How many of your season tickets are getting used?

 

[Gallipoli]

Easy answer: a 10% increase or more over existing numbers. Demand will be stronger at the end of this year. It always is after a good season. Even in down years, the fan base was loyal.

 

[ChoppinBroccoli]

Easy answer: a 10% increase or more over existing numbers. Demand will be stronger at the end of this year. It always is after a good season. Even in down years, the fan base was loyal.

That's not the question he's asking.

 

[Spiders05]

a more interesting question to me always is attendance rate. How many of your season tickets are getting used?

I think this is a great question as well. Sure hope it is being tracked. That said, the original question, simply, is based off the last two years, what would be your expectation for renewals heading into the '19-'20 season?

 

[Gallipoli]

I think this is a great question as well. Sure hope it is being tracked. That said, the original question, simply, is based off the last two years, what would be your expectation for renewals heading into the '19-'20 season?

Based on my anecdotal evidence, I believe enthusiasm is up. There will be increased demand for season tickets next year. However, I suggest that if there is concern, the ticket office should offer season tickets on a discounted basis, maybe on a sliding scale.

 

[MrTbone]

Based on my anecdotal evidence, I believe enthusiasm is up. There will be increased demand for season tickets next year. However, I suggest that if there is concern, the ticket office should offer season tickets on a discounted basis, maybe on a sliding scale.

There’s a direct correlation between enthusiasm and winning. I don’t know that there’s a significant lift on season tickets in our case because demand overall is modest. I think a discount on season tickets while nice is unlikely, I think the ticket office has confidence that the price is in essence recession-proof, there are steady buyers they don’t seem overly worried about losing or enticing back.

 

[97spiderfan]

90% retention. You know Mooney and the admin have pissed some people off with the lackluster performance and tone deaf response to it over the past few years, so you know you are going to lose some. On the plus side, our season ticket package is a great value and we should be able to capitalize more on the casual fan, espicially considering VCU tickets have outpriced most of these fans.

On a more typical year, I think the goal would be 5% growth in season ticket sales, but this is not a typical situation.

Now 05, I really want to know, if you know what the goal was and what our actual retention rate was.

 

[Eight Legger]

I know for a fact that prior to last season, the ticket folks were sweating because of the number of non-renewals. So that may skew things a bit since some people already had dropped their seats prior to last year.

 

[SpiderK]

I don’t pretend to know how we are doing with season tickets, however watching some of the other A-10 games on tv we look like Cameron Indoor in comparison. Mason was a ghost town a couple nights ago. I know VCU and Dayton draw, but the rest not so much. We have to be in the top 4. Although accurate attendance numbers are impossible to come by.

 

[Eight Legger]

Agreed. We are getting butts in seats, which is no small fear for anyone these days. Even VCU is not selling out until the day of their games.

 

[MolivaManiac]

Perhaps the Ticket Office could send us a survey that takes a half hour to complete to gather some intel on developing retention strategies?

 

[DTSpider]

Perhaps the Ticket Office could send us a survey that takes a half hour to complete to gather some intel on developing retention strategies?

that football survey was obnoxious. Have been waiting for someone else to post something. If that is what we’re using to make decisions than we have the wrong decision makers

 

[mojo-spider]

Perhaps the Ticket Office could send us a survey that takes a half hour to complete to gather some intel on developing retention strategies?

Ha! It wasn't totally worthless...

I think I recommended winning more games and CAA Championships, as well as, earning FCS playoff bids at least a half dozen times in my 30 minutes!

Go Spiders!

 

[urfan1]

that football survey was obnoxious. Have been waiting for someone else to post something. If that is what we’re using to make decisions than we have the wrong decision makers

When did you get one? I haven't seen one yet.

 

[bullfrog91]

Survey was way too long

 

[DTSpider]

It was emailed to me.

It felt like the ticket office was trying to justify that a winning program isn’t important.

 

[3genspider]

Ha! It wasn't totally worthless...

I think I recommended winning more games and CAA Championships, as well as, earning FCS playoff bids at least a half dozen times in my 30 minutes!

Go Spiders!

ditto

 

[GKiller]

90%