Paciolan and LEARFIELD Ticket Solutions to Spearhead New Marketing and Sales Operation
PLANO, Texas (Dec. 17, 2021) – Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and LEARFIELD announced today the start of a comprehensive marketing and sales relationship to raise awareness of PBR events, engage new fans and continue to increase ticket sales for all PBR-branded events in U.S. A cornerstone component entails opening a cutting-edge national sales center for PBR at LEARFIELD’s corporate headquarters in Plano, Texas.
As PBR moves its Unleash The Beast World Finals to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex beginning in May 2022, LEARFIELD Ticket Solutions has built an in-market outbound sales team to engage with fans locally while also selling remotely for PBR’s other events, including the new PBR Team Series launching in June 2022, across the country. To complement the sales center, Paciolan will be delivering its industry-leading suite of marketing services to enhance the sales team’s performance, including marketing automation, Salesforce administration, and digital marketing. The combination of best-in-class technology and a professionally trained sales team is designed to continue to improve customer service and increase ticket revenue.
“This partnership creates an innovative model relying on a dedicated team which will better engage with PBR fans through best-in-class services, sales and marketing technology,” said Kosha Irby, CMO of PBR. “We will quickly ramp up our outbound sales strategy with LEARFIELD and Paciolan, two proven, successful partners executing a vision that’s unique for any touring sports entity.”
“PBR is a unique hybrid of sports entertainment that delivers one of the most exciting fan experiences in sports,” said Jake Bye, EVP, LEARFIELD Ticket Solutions. “We are excited to work with PBR to help accelerate growth and join forces with Paciolan to fuel results for PBR and set the standard for this type of new, innovative partnership.”
As part of the integrated solution, Paciolan will provide marketing automation for PBR, enabling targeted communications, automated lead nurturing, and personalized customer experiences to grow sales. In addition, marketing automation integrates into PBR’s Salesforce CRM solution, which Paciolan will administer to help manage relationships, monitor opportunities, and track sales efforts. Paciolan’s digital marketing services will also help PBR better engage audiences, acquire new fans, and drive online sales.
The National Sales Center team in Plano will be led by Executive General Manager Calleagh Darby.
“PBR has a track record of innovation in marketing the sport to new fans as well as keeping the at-event experience fresh and exciting for longtime fans,” said Craig Ricks, CMO of Paciolan. “Together with the talented staff at PBR and the LEARFIELD Ticket Solutions team, we will continue to enrich the fan experience in our mandate to serve the sport’s fan base and drive revenue to new heights.”
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LEARFIELD Ticket Solutions currently represents 40 partners nationally for outsourced ticket sales. Its reimagined National Sales Center provides a platform for professional and collegiate clients to leverage remote, season sales support to engage with fans. Through its sophisticated technology, dynamic industry leadership, experience, and first-class sales and service, Ticket Solutions presents an unparalleled solution for universities and professional sports franchises to create engaged relationships with fans across the country while optimizing revenue opportunities.
Paciolan, a LEARFIELD solution, is a leader in ticketing, fundraising, marketing, and analytics solutions with over 40 years of experience serving more than 500 live entertainment organizations. Paciolan enables the sale of more than 120 million tickets per year by powering over 150 college athletic programs, more than 100 professional sports and arenas organizations, 75 performing arts venues, and several regional ticketing partners who serve hundreds of venues.
About PBR (Professional Bull Riders)
PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 500 bull riders compete in more than 200 events annually across the televised PBR Unleash the Beast Tour (UTB), which features the Top 35 bull riders in the world; the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT); the PBR Touring Pro Division (TPD); and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. PBR’s digital assets include RidePass on Pluto TV, which is home to Western sports. PBR is a subsidiary of IMG, a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. For more information, visit PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at Twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.