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First Off
continued from page 11
forcing the White Sox to forfeit the
second game of the doubleheader.
“I have seen some promotions literally
go up in smoke,” said Veeck, the keynote
speaker at the 2013 NGCOA Annual Conference.
“But it’s never stopped me.”
Veeck has worked for a number of
Major League Baseball clubs and is a partial
owner of several minor league teams,
including the Charleston (South Carolina)
RiverDogs, the Ft. Myers Miracle
and the St. Paul Saints. He encouraged
golf course owners and operators to
think creatively to create promotions
that tempt the outrageous while building
their businesses. The key elements of a
successful promotion include planning,
research, media support and testing.
Effective promotions do not have to be
expensive, Veeck said, but they do need
to be grounded in a great idea.
“Nothing I say here today will cost
you a nickel to do, but you do have to
have an idea,” said Veeck, whose zany
promotional ideas have included hiring
a blind announcer in 1995 to call
a Chicago Cubs-Florida Marlins game
and bringing in a group of mimes to
perform instant replays.
Great ideas share three characteristics,
according to Veeck: They are unique,
they create a dramatic difference in your
business, and they give fans a reason to
believe they should participate. “If you
just have two of those three things, you’ll
get at least 240 percent return on your
investment,” he said.
In addition, Veeck said great
promotions should be complemented
by strong customer service. “We’re in
the experiential business, and service
drives the experience, which drives the
memory.” As an example of his commitment
to customer service and satisfaction,
Veeck sends handwritten notes to
each of his season ticket holders.
Meanwhile, one of the best ways to
improve service and satisfaction is to
welcome complaints, Veeck said. “Nobody
wants to get them, but they’re the
best information we can get.”
Most importantly, Veeck said, don’t
stop promoting, even when times are
tough. “Research shows that the companies
that continued to invest during the
recession are growing at more than 200
percent today, much faster than the ones
that pulled back because they didn’t think
they could afford it,” Veeck said.
A progressive spirit and the willingness
to challenge convention—much
like the ill-fated-yet-wildly-effective
promotion that jump-started Veeck’s career—can
change a company’s fortunes
and keep customers coming back for
more. “The people
who succeed are
the ones who take Extra
the time to look at Extra
Want more highlights
their business and
from the 2013 NGCOA
tear it apart,” Veeck
Annual Conference
Turn to page 46
said. —Bill Bryant
Educational opportunities like
Answers On the Hour abounded
at the Golf Industry Show.
MAKING A MARK ON THE INDUSTRY
TALK OF A FISCAL CLIFF WAS BUT A DISTANT MEMORY as convention center aisles
were crowded and conversations were constant at the Golf Industry Show, which
was held in conjunction with the NGCOA Annual Conference in San Diego.
“Having been in the golf industry for such a long time, I haven’t seen
much that surprises me,” said Mike Hughes, CEO of the NGCOA. “But the
level of vibrancy on the trade show floor—from the enthusiasm of the exhibitors
to the exuberance of the attendees—caught me off guard just a bit. And
I consider myself an optimist.”
Final numbers support Hughes’ claim. The Golf Industry Show attracted
6,018 qualified buyers, who spent time with 515 exhibiting companies covering
172,700 square feet of exhibition space. Total attendance eclipsed 13,000.
In addition to walking the trade show floor, attendees took part in a variety
of on-site educational programming. Offerings ranged from Tech Tips on the Half, which featured such topics as using
technology to drive revenue and customer relationships, and tips to avoid credit card fraud, to Answers On the Hour, with
programming that ranged from strategies for buying and selling a course to redesigning pro shops to meet changing customer
needs. Collectively, the exhibit/educational format appealed to trade show-goers and exhibitors alike.
“The trade show industry as a whole is struggling, but I was very impressed with how much organizers have changed the
show and how they’re constantly working to implement changes that will keep the show fresh,” said Matt Shaffer, superintendent
of Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
Perhaps more importantly, the buzz generated at the Golf Industry Show—particularly coming on the heels of positive
reviews from the PGA Merchandise Show (see page 14)—bodes well for the coming year. “The feedback I received was
extremely positive,” noted Rhett Evans, executive director of the GCSAA. “There is optimism for 2013.”