By Terin Frodyma on SwimSwam
The University of Nevada will host a ticketed dual meet against in-state rival UNLV on October 29th, offering a Deck Reserved Experience package to draw more eyes to the sport.
In a press release from the University of Nevada, the deck reserved package includes reserved leather seating directly on the pool deck, plus a complimentary buffet and beverages. Those who purchase the package can also interact with the student-athletes and receive complimentary VIP parking ahead of the competition. This package is priced at $150. The goal is to sell 70 of these VIP packages.
Tickets Can Be Purchased for the Meet HereBrendon Bray, head coach at the University of Nevada, sat down with SwimSwam for an interview to discuss the exciting new opportunities a VIP package brings to the program and the sport.
Bray said that rather than try to change the meet in various ways to bring more eyes to a college meet, attendees want to feel some value.
“I was at the college swim coach convention where we go around and around and around, what is the setup that’s going to get more people there? Let’s put the 50 free on Saturday. Let’s move it to a different day. But the reality is, I think that those are all justifiable reasons to do something, and maybe it’s slightly better.” Bray said in the interview with SwimSwam. “But the thing is… in my community, people want to feel some value. This is a small community, but it’s not a college town… The university is the big thing, and people want to feel important and connected, and they will pay for something that gives them an experience.”
Bray hopes the meet will feel like entertainment to guests, and that some of the money earned will go back to the team itself.
“I’m really about pampering [the guests], making them feel like kings and queens coming in here, and having the meet be the entertainment… the format’s going to be different, people are going to want to watch it,” Bray told SwimSwam. “We’re selling tickets to our athletic department and then we’re creating revenue. I intend to rev-share this with the team… and it’s like actual rev-share. It’s not just like made up money that they’re giving to us.”
Growing up in this community, Bray knew this could potentially bring the area even closer together. He also compares selling suite tickets at a football game and a basketball game to filling the rest of the stadium.
“I hang out with people who are looking to support the community… people who are connected in the community want to be involved in certain things,” Bray said. “You can have a box experience at a football game. I noticed that typically our courtside basketball seats are sold out; our box seats are sold out. But even though our football program may be having kind of a rough season, we’re struggling to fill the stands, but not the box seats. So it just dawned on me from people that I’ve been connected with in town and just what demand is and what people are looking for.”
One of the biggest motivations for this special seating package is the experience, not so much the meet itself, though he has a plan for how the meet can become personal for attendees.
“I’m not so sure that the product is the main reason people want to go to watch. I think it’s also about the experience, the entertainment experience that you’re getting. And I think a lot of people want to support the athletic department in town. I think they’re looking for ways to do that. And when you have a little bit of a personal connection, it adds to it.” Bray added in his interview with SwimSwam. “We plan to have our student athletes write a letter to each group of families or maybe a couple of families… deliver it with some apparel… and then at the meet actually go introduce themselves so that they have someone to root for. That creates a much higher level of connection that’s beyond just the fact that I want to support the swim team because they are a good team or something along those lines.”
Last week, we saw that the College Swimming League sold over 1200 tickets through it’s first two matches, with match 3 already surpassing 1000. That meet also offers VIP on-deck seating with 19 seats available per team, which suggests people are willing to watch strong collegiate racing.
Bray also noted that last season they ran a more fundraiser-style meet, where fans donated to the program and received food and on-deck seating, which appeared to work well, with many fans saying they would be willing to do it again and give even more.
“[Those in attendance] said it was one of the best experiences they’ve had and they would pay a lot more to do it again… I told them I’m going to do it again. We’re going to try to have a lot more people.” Bray told SwimSwam. “Some people said we could sell this for a lot more than we are. I don’t know what that would be. And I don’t know if this is sustainable. I hope it would be. But I just think that this can be a way to add a lot more value. And it also is something that our community with UNLV and our state is supporting.”
“I don’t know if it’s unique. I think every university is kind of unique in what would work, but I feel that hopefully, if this is successful, it’s a way other teams can bring value to their department… I think this is a stronger argument for the value of your program: when people buy tickets and want to be part of it, they may become donors or engage in other ways.”
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