Face Off: Optimistic projections for future of North Carolina’s sports industry

Face Off: Optimistic projections for future of North Carolina’s sports industry

2022-09-01T12:46:40-04:00September 1st, 2022|Charlotte, Economy, Raleigh-Durham, Spotlight On, Tourism|

Writer: Joshua Andino 

2 min read September 2022 — Sports entertainment is a key part of most states’ economies, and North Carolina is no exception. While the sports industry was one of the hardest hit at the onset of the pandemic, the rebound and recovery has been notably robust. Professional sports leaders across North Carolina spoke with Invest: to discuss this rebound, growth, fan engagement and optimistic expectations for the future. 

How has the industry, and your organization, rebounded over the course of the last two years?

Mike Birling, Vice President – Baseball Operations, Durham Bulls

It’s been a whirlwind since COVID hit. In 2020, we were getting ready for our season and felt really good heading into Opening Day. Suddenly, everything we worked for was gone. We lost the entire season. Our business runs on people being in large gatherings, so we had to make numerous tough choices. 

Last year, it felt so good to get the team back on the field. We never knew how much we missed having games. Despite there being challenges, such as limited capacities, it felt right. It was important for us that fans knew it was safe. We were taking the necessary precautions. I’m proud of our team, especially everything we went through. 

Dan Rajkowski, Chief Operating Officer, Charlotte Knights

While we were at limited capacity last year, our doors were open and we got back to a more normal season after business was shut down for 18 months. In 2019, we were Top 3 in attendance in the country, averaging close to 9,000 people a night. 2021 saw our first 12 games have just 20% capacity but we were able to inch back from there. We opened up to 100% capacity in May 2021 and on the July 4th weekend, we had three of the largest attendance days in the organization’s history. On the downside, 70% of our group business didn’t come back and there was a reluctance from season ticket holders to renew their tickets based on the uncertainty with COVID-19. 2022 will show an improvement from the past year but we won’t get to those pre-pandemic numbers for at least another year.

Joe LaBue, President, Charlotte FC

Through the past year, there’s been a number of highlights. Coming out of the pandemic, we lost a lot of the momentum we earned after the club was announced in the winter of 2019 with the pandemic following in January. We have been really focused on getting that back in the past 12 months. We’ve made very intentional decisions along with putting a great strategy in place to grow awareness and build excitement for a team that didn’t exist and hadn’t played a match. With that being said, we did start building a roster. Once we started signing players and building an identity, people started noticing us. On March 5, we broke the Major League Soccer attendance record with 74,479 fans at Bank of America Stadium, which was a key for us and something we identified early on as a goal. That momentum that we lost in 2020, we’ve gotten it back, and we’re going to keep building on it. 

What are the creative ways your organization is engaging and connecting with fans?

Birling: We’re trying to attract as many fans as possible, such as through social media. We want to show that we have the best baseball players here; however, we also want to show that it’s all about fun. The Triangle is growing rapidly. We have an untapped market of people who want to come out to have fun. You don’t even have to be a sports fan, or know about the game of baseball to enjoy a night out with the Bulls. 

Rajkowski: We want to get back to what made us successful from the beginning, which is about creating a family environment with affordable pricing. We’re seeing a new energy from fans because people are anxious to get out and congregate with friends again and our venue has always provided for that. Our revenue depends on the in-person experience so getting that out to people was critical.

The biggest key is social media, which has evolved to a level we never could’ve projected even three years ago. If we are going to engage younger fans, it has to be through social media and we have been widespread in that marketing, emphasizing deals and special events. Our Bark at the Ballpark is a good example, where fans can bring their dog to a game. That used to be unheard of but we do it at five home games a season now. It’s about understanding our clientele and how we can cater to them. Fortunately, messaging is so much better and more efficient with technology today. We’ve built a program with HubSpot to collect and analyze data based on feedback from our sponsors and season ticket holders.  

LaBue: As we embark on our inaugural season, I think we have a very realistic expectation that we don’t have the answer to everything right now. We are finding our way. We’ve made some decisions that we were proud of and others that we’ve pivoted from. A lot of that is driven by our engagement with fans and the community at large through club led initiatives or participating in a number of public and private events. Keeping that presence in the community is important, and we’re there listening and asking questions. We’ve sent out post-match surveys after every match, asking for feedback on the game-day experience, trying to figure out what’s working and what opportunities are there. We added a Chief Fan Officer, a unique, first of its kind, position in professional sports that maintains a direct line of communications with our fans and supporters groups to make sure their voices are heard.   

How do you see your industry growing and evolving alongside North Carolina?

Birling: We’re excited about our future. Over the years, we had fantastic attendance; however, we never had anyone living near the ballpark. It’s one of the metrics that Minor League Baseball used to provide: How many people live within walking distance of your ballpark. The Durham Bulls’ ballpark was always one of the lowest in the country. With the influx of companies and apartments coming to downtown, it’s been fun seeing the growth. And with Google, Apple and Meta all coming to the Triangle, we expect great things in the future.  

Rajkowski: Charlotte is a wonderful sports town and it gets better every year. Aside from Major League Soccer, we are the only show in town over the summer, which is when we attract a majority of our fans. We have drawn an average of almost 600,000 fans a year. Those attendance numbers make us one of the Top 5 sports attractions in the Carolinas. But for us to bring in revenue, we have to be more than a sports venue. We also host an annual Christmas festival, Light the Knights, which has been a fantastic enhancement for our business. We also have great public-private partnerships that can utilize our facilities for special events, conferences and meetings. 

LaBue: The sports scene in Charlotte is growing in parallel to the community at large, with a growing population, booming industries and overall success. We play a big part in that. We’re providing opportunities not just for the business community but also for families to come out and enjoy Charlotte. With Charlotte FC, we like to think we’re filling a bit of a gap on the sports and entertainment calendar. There’s obviously a number of things to do in this market. It’s on an upward trajectory and we’re excited about that. 

What are your expectations for the future?

Birling: If you watch the news, it’s worrisome. There’s a recession coming and we all know about inflation. We feel it every day. We are built on inexpensive, family entertainment, so we are trying to keep our prices down, but it’s becoming harder. I’m more confident about the Triangle than other areas in the country. A lot is occurring in the Triangle and various companies are moving in. Is there going to be a slowdown? Yes, there has to be. However, I’m confident about this area in the long term without a doubt. 

Rajkowski: It will be challenging but exciting. 2022 will have to be a year of rebuilding and the years beyond will be about gaining momentum and getting back to the prominence of leading the country in attendance. We have to continue investing in technology at our facilities. Additionally, we are branching out to minority communities to bring more diversity to our fan base because that will enhance the overall atmosphere of our games. We have to always listen to be successful and that goes for our fans, sponsors, partners and clients. It’s a competitive sports industry in Charlotte so we have to do everything we can to distinguish ourselves. There is nothing like the experience of a Knights game. It’s affordable, the players are accessible and it’s a good product on and off the field. The industry is changing and we have to be cognizant of that.  

LaBue: It’s extremely positive. Charlotte is becoming one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. We’re starting at a perfect time because we’re providing an opportunity for people and businesses that are moving here and want to immerse themselves into the community. We have a product that everyone can enjoy. What better vehicle than sports and Charlotte FC? Charlotte overall is a very special place to do business. We’re excited to be involved with the growth of Charlotte and the sports industry. 

For more information, visit: 

Durham Bulls

https://www.milb.com/durham 

Charlotte Knights

https://www.milb.com/charlotte-knights 

Charlotte FC

https://www.charlottefootballclub.com/

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