Winston-Salem, NC (March 11, 2013) – To keep pace with its rapid growth to two dozen partners, including the addition of Utah State University announced today, IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions has created a regional management structure consisting of a national sales director and four regional managers, promoted from the operation’s most successful properties. The changes will help the leading outsourced ticketing company continue to deliver exceptional revenue results while setting standards in customer service for university athletic departments.
Now with 24 partners, IMG Learfield Ticketing Solutions sells more tickets to university athletic events than any other outbound ticket sales company. Five of these schools have passed the $1 million mark in additional ticket revenues, and two, Tennessee and Penn State – have surpassed $3 million in new revenue. Additionally, client partner Appalachian State led FCS attendance an average of 26,358 fans per game.
In 2012, the ticketing business generated $53.7 million in ticket revenues to schools, plus an additional $5.2 million in donations collected.
Reporting to newly appointed National Sales Director Brad Sexton, the regions are led by:
• AJ Arem, Regional Manager, South: Arem has been General Manager for Tennessee where his team sold more than $3 million in new ticket revenues for the school.
• Chris Bain, Regional Manager, Mid-Atlantic : Bain, former General Manager for Temple, was promoted to Director of Sales Management in 2012 to launch new properties and enhance sales training and will continue in this role in addition to overseeing the Mid-Atlantic region.
• Matt Smith, Regional Manager, West: Smith is currently general manager at UNLV, where the operation completed a historic ticket sales push for men’s basketball resulting in 137% growth in new ticket revenue.
A search is underway for the North East Regional manager.
Prior to his promotion, National Sales Director Sexton had been General Manager for the Penn State property, where he led a team that has generated more than $3 million in new ticket revenues for the University including more than doubling new football season ticket sales from the previous year and increasing football group ticket revenue nearly 100 percent.
Arem, Bain and Sexton were three of the original members of a team at UCF under Matt DiFebo that is credited with pioneering today’s concepts of outbound ticket sales in college athletics. The DiFebo Company was acquired by IMG in January, 2011. A joint venture with Learfield in March, 2012, created the current company.
“We’re very proud of being able to promote executives in our system who have excelled in delivering superior results and have grown as leaders,” said Matt DiFebo, VP and Managing Director, IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions. “The new regional structure is a testament to our commitment to invest in the talent, resources, systems and support to continue to deliver sales and service at the highest possible levels.”
The Regional team will be rolling out to all IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions properties a new MVP (Most Valuable Practices) Program. This proprietary training and development is the culmination of more than two decades of benchmarking best ticket practices from collegiate and professional sports. The result is comprehensive sales training customized for the college sales area and taught year round to all IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions’ employees.
“The MVP program is the backbone of our sales culture and gives us the edge in increasing support to our properties, creating the optimal school-specific business plans, and being the best in the marketplace,” DiFebo said.
About IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions
Initially launched in January of 2011 as IMG College Ticket Solutions, and strengthened by a merger in March 2012, IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions provides colleges a professional sales force to maximize ticket sales. Either working from within the athletic department or from the national sales center in Winston-Salem, N.C., this privatized ticket solution increases attendance and revenues generated from athletic events as well as choice and convenience when fans purchase tickets. Led by VP and Managing Director Matt DiFebo, IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions offers colleges a ticket sales and customized revenue solution ranging from consulting to comprehensive outsourcing. Current partners include: University of Akron, Appalachian State University, University of Arkansas, Auburn University, University of California, Davis, University of Colorado, Duke University, Georgia State University, UNC Greensboro, University of Nevada Las Vegas, North Carolina State, University of Oklahoma, Penn State University, University of Richmond, San Jose State University, University of Texas at San Antonio, University of South Florida, Syracuse University, University of Tennessee, Temple University, Troy University, University of Texas El Paso, and Utah State University.