WHO
WE ARE
Trusted relationships and long-term partnerships is at our core
OUR VISION
To be the most advanced media and technology company in sports and entertainment, building brands and captivating fans.
OUR MISSION
Powering the connection of fans to the brands and experiences they love.
OUR CORE VALUES
Build Trust; Be Fans of One Another; Power Tomorrow; Create & Connect Communities; and Have Fun!
BUILD
TRUST
We believe trust is at the center of our business. Action without accountability leads to mediocrity. Internally and externally, LEARFIELD Amplify is committed to consistently delivering on our goals and objectives.
BE FANS OF
ONE ANOTHER
At LEARFIELD Amplify, we foster a positive, competitive environment where you can learn and grow both professionally and personally. Our goal is to love and serve our partners, staff members, and communities, while delivering the best results possible.
POWER
TOMORROW
Our culture and people are why LEARFIELD Amplify has grown from 1 to more than 100 partnerships. We delivered more than $160 million in new revenues for our partners in 2021.
CREATE &
CONNECT COMMUNITIES
From the onboarding of our staff members to our proven sales training that we coined as the Most Valuable Practices, LEARFIELD Amplify invests to make sure our team members are set up for success. We have a successful history of promoting individuals into leadership positions such as Director and Regional Manager roles.
HAVE
FUN
It is important that we celebrate victories, big or small, for our partners and team members. At LEARFIELD Amplify, we like to make every day fun. Whether that is through our various sales contests and competitions, our annual dodgeball tournament, or visiting our partners and their teams in their communities.
Our commitment to our team members was recognized by Teamwork Online, LLC when we were voted Best Company to Work for in Sports.
Our Leadership Team
LEARFIELD Amplify’s leadership team is privileged to serve our employees, stakeholders, communities, and investors. Building a trust-driven culture rooted in integrity and innovation requires a commitment to diversity and a passion in everything we do.
JOHN HITE
Vice President,
Seating
Franklin YancEy
Vice President, Seating
Kiel Beehler
Senior Director, Business Development
Marcus Madlock
Regional Director, Central
Tyler Reichwein
Vice President, Business Development
Keith Walker
Director, Operations
Jeff Sturdy
Head of Manufacturing
Dana Mercola
Brand Marketing & Communications
Craig Fink
National Director, Development
Matthew Sanchez
Director, Training and Development
Our History
In 1998, John Hite and Franklin Yancey identified what college sports fans have always wanted and never knew they needed: a novel product to make stadium bleacher seating bearable. As students at Virginia Tech, they founded College Comfort, and by 2007, their business provided comfortable stadium seat backs to 40 university partners. Their nationwide success caught the attention of IMG College, which acquired College Comfort in 2010, renaming the brand IMG Seating.
Two Industry Powerhouses Align
Around this same time, IMG College identified a need for professionally trained sales and service teams within college athletics. In January 2011, Temple University became the first IMG College Ticket Solutions partner, which was soon followed by several others. By the end of 2011, IMG College Ticket Solutions had nearly a dozen partners, which led to a joint venture with competitor Learfield to form IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions.
After the merger of Learfield and IMG College at the end of 2018, the two companies formed Learfield IMG College Ticket & Seat Solutions.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH
A little more than a year later, the pandemic forced the acceleration of a third offering: standalone development teams. This new offering’s primary focus was philanthropic fundraising, while supporting premium seating, annual fund, and capital campaigns for athletic development offices across the country.
With a plethora of services and capabilities well-beyond those from the previous decade, LEARFIELD Ticket & Seat Solutions became LEARFIELD Amplify in January 2022.
LEARFIELD Amplify is now a multi-service provider designed to amplify the fan experience by transforming the sales and revenue strategy of its over 100 collegiate and professional sports partners.