Tom Backemeyer has a great job.
As the executive vice president of the Everett AquaSox, Backemeyer’s office setting includes sunshine, ball fields, cheering fans, hot dogs, peanuts and a team of players aspiring to be major leaguers.
Even though Minor League Baseball saw a small overal
l attendance drop last year, the industry is healthy and continues to have no shortage of interest by people wanting to own teams.
We recently had a chance to speak with Backemeyer about the business side of operating a minor league baseball team and the challenges he and his staff are facing in growing this business.
Here are the highlights of our conversation:
Question: What do you enjoy the most about running a minor league baseball team? Why?
Answer: I enjoy the challenges that go along with putting on 38 successful events each year. In this industry, you wear numerous hats. There is always something to be done, and with a small staff you end up being involved in numerous areas. Ultimately, our goal is to get as many people as we can in the seats for each game and to make sure each and every fan leaves the ball park having had a great experience.
Q: How did you get started in this industry?
A: Growing up I always had a passion for business and sports, so this industry was a perfect way for me to combine those passions. I started off as an unpaid intern with the Nashville Sounds just to get my foot in the door. After a summer there, I knew this was an industry I could excel in. From there I just kept working hard and have been lucky enough to get some great opportunities along the way. This is now my 10th year in Minor League Baseball, including stops in Nashville, Rancho Cucamonga, Fresno and Everett.
Q: How has the minor league baseball industry changed in the past five years? What will the industry look like in 10 years?
A: Minor League Baseball has become a big business. Attendance league-wide has increased significantly over the last five years and the industry as a whole has advanced in many ways. Like every other successful industry, Minor League Baseball has advanced with technology (however, still a long ways to go in that area) with regards to e-commerce, MiLB.TV, social media, etc.
The trend now is that many companies own multiple teams and they are becoming larger and larger companies as compared to the family-owned teams that were more prevalent in years past. Over the next 10 years, I think you’ll see the industry continue to grow. The affordable, family-friendly entertainment that is provided by minor league teams throughout the country is something that will continue to draw fans.
Q: How has the slow economy affected your business?
A: We’ve seen an adverse affect on companies buying full-season tickets. As certain industries have struggled, some have cut back on that type of spending or instead of coming out to 38 games a year, they may now come to 12. We’ve been very lucky in that our corporate sponsors have grown significantly over the last three years, while our group sales have also increased each year.
Overall, we’ve continued to grow despite the economy. Of course, things could always be better, and as certain industries begin to bounce back, hopefully we’ll see some of that business return. The loyal fan base that we have in Everett has really helped us be successful despite the challenges presented by the economy.
Q: What are some of the characteristics of a successful minor league baseball organization?
A: I would highlight two characteristics: a community that supports and gets behind the team and a manageable stadium lease. Being a sales-focused organization, you have to be aggressive in looking for business and growing your fan base. If you get complacent and sit back and wait for fans to show up, your success will be short-lived. You need to be creative with respect to game presentation and entertainment by, for example, keeping things fresh and looking for new ways to entertain your fans. Lastly, but most importantly, you must value your season ticket holders and sponsors and make sure you deliver to their expectations.
Q: What is stressful about running a minor league team? Why? How can one minimize that?
A: Like any job, there is plenty of stress. For me, the stress primarily comes from the financial performance of the team. When you only have 38 events, every one of them counts and every one of them impacts your bottom line, good or bad. Some things are out of our control: rainouts, bad weather, team performance, etc. But at the end of the year, those can’t be excuses for us, so from that perspective there is some stress tied into each game. We have a limited time to make money each year, so we have to maximize each of those opportunities.
Pat Sisneros is the vice president of college services at Everett Community College. Juergen Kneifel is a senior associate faculty in the EvCC business program.
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