Dear students, The sports industry is an exciting, fast-paced environment. Sports are a way of bringing communities together, but success in sports requires passion, commitment, and sound strategy to capture the imagination of fans far and wide. Breaking into any industry, let alone pro sports, can be a difficult endeavor. Those with previous experience often have the inside track in attaining new jobs. But how do you get that experience? Vancouver Whitecaps FC are excited to offer you the opportunity to work with our award-winning front office. We are inviting students such as yourself to take part in a unique new program, innovating the way that we interact with the post-secondary community. This year, we are challenging teams of three to four students to create their own selling campaign for our 2016 Caps College Night. The top 12 campaign strategies will have the opportunity to present in front of Whitecaps FC executives, with the top four teams then being selected for a five-week mentorship program. The winning side will implement their strategy, with hands-on practical experience in sports marketing and ticket sales. The top prize will also include $1,000 in cash and/or prizes, exclusive Whitecaps FC match-day experience, and one-of-a-kind Whitecaps FC mentorship. Don t wait for an opportunity, take your opportunity. Best of luck, Rachel Lewis Whitecaps FC Chief Operating Officer
Overview Vancouver Whitecaps FC is excited to present : an opportunity for post-secondary students to create a selling strategy for the Caps, receive mentorship, make money and build a direct line into the world of professional sports. By participating in this five-week program, students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves into an award-winning front office staff. By the end of the program, students will have worked together to create, design, market, sell and execute Whitecaps FC s inaugural Caps College Night in the spring of 2016. Details Teams of three to four (must be enrolled in a post-secondary institution) Submit a three to five page ticket selling campaign strategy on how to engage your university and sell a minimum 200 tickets to launch Caps College Night. Top 12 campaign strategies will get to present in front of Whitecaps FC executives. The top four finalists will move on to the mentorship and execution phase. Mentorship will consist of a five-week program. Execution will see the teams implementing their campaign strategies on campus. $5 from each ticket sold will go back to the teams. Incentives $1000 in cash and/or prizes: The winning team of the four finalists will receive a $1000 in cash and/or prizes! Each group in the top four will receive $5 commission for each ticket sold. Mentorship: All finalists will receive mentorship and coaching from Whitecap FC front office staff and see their strategy come to life. Whitecaps FC tickets: All finalists will receive free match tickets and the winning team will receive an exclusive match day experience! Key Dates January 28 Deadline for submission of campaign strategies February 4 Top 12 presentations to Whitecaps FC executives February 5 Top four finalists announced February 11 to April/May Mentorship and campaign execution Mentorship/workshops are on Thursday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. beginning Thursday, February 11 ending on Thursday, March 10, 2016. For more info contact Emilio at eekuba@whitecapsfc.com or 604.484.7865.
The Case Vancouver Whitecaps FC are a pillar of the local community both on and off the soccer pitch. The team has a proud history going back over 40 years. Our fan base is extremely loyal, championed by our three main independently run supporters groups Raincity Brigade, Curva Collective, and the Southsiders. The atmosphere at the matches is described as the most electric in the city. Throughout Major League Soccer, teams draw the highest percentage of millennial fans compared to any other major sport in North America. Our organization has identified post-secondary students in the Lower Mainland as a key group we want to further engage with and get out to matches. The Club introduced a Student Season Ticket Program in 2013 that offered students a ticket price that catered to the demographic. In 2016, we re refreshing the way we engage and sell tickets to local students with the introduction of Caps College Night. To ensure the success of this initiative we are launching the inaugural Caps Sales Project an opportunity for post-secondary students to create a selling strategy for the Club, receive mentorship, make money and build a direct line into the world of professional sports. The pivotal issue we re looking to solve is: How do we create an engaging night for students and promote it in a way that will resonate with them to draw large numbers of attendees from a variety of schools? Parameters Exact date of Caps College Night will be between April and May 2016. This will be confirmed once the schedule has been released. You ll be able to offer a specially priced $27 ticket. Pre-match, half-time, and post-match activities can be suggested in order to enhance the experience for attendees by adding value to help you sell tickets.
Deliverables In teams of three to four please submit a three to five page ticket selling campaign strategy on how to engage your university and sell tickets to Caps College Night. Your report should include: Objective / Goals: Your objective will be to sell a minimum 200 tickets on your campus. How will you be able to achieve that number? Campaign Overview: What is your big idea? How will your strategy show what makes Whitecaps FC matches the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver. Tactics: How are you going to execute your idea and what tools are you going to use? How will you engage student clubs, groups, campus events and use guerrilla tactics to sell tickets? Timeline: When will you execute your sales strategy and what are the key milestones? Budget/Resources: What will you need? Risks: What roadblock do you think you will encounter trying to promote and sell tickets on campus and how will you overcome them? Criteria Sales Potential - How likely is your strategy going to result in to ticket sales? Brand - How well does your strategy fit and adhere to the Whitecaps FC brand? Feasibility - What is the likelihood of being able to execute your strategy? Creativity - How unique and creative is your strategy? Important Each person in your group will need to sign up for Riipen and create a free user profile. Register by clicking Start this Project and entering each team members name and the post-secondary schools you attend. When finished, upload and submit your selling strategy (PDF or Word Doc). For more info contact Emilio at eekuba@whitecapsfc.com or 604.484.7865. Eligibility All participants must registered post-secondary students. Students may only participate on one team. Teams must be made up of individuals from the same school.