USL News Release
Thursday, January 27, 2011
TAMPA, Fla. – United Soccer Leagues welcomed owners and executives from USL PRO teams to its Tampa headquarters Thursday for a full-day workshop designed to enhance revenue opportunities for the 2011 season and beyond.
USL management and team services staff provided the 15 USL PRO teams with the latest industry standards and best practices in the areas of ticket sales, sponsorship sales, marketing, promotions, communications and new media during the seven-hour seminar. Teams also received ticket sales, marketing, sponsorship and best practices operational manuals during the seminar.
“We are dedicated to providing our teams with all the necessary tools to operate at a high level for the long term,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said. “Our team services staff has been expanded greatly during the past year, and its sole purpose is to assist all USL teams in raising the level for all areas of their operations, both on and off the field. Today was just an early step in a process that will continue year-round in the form of site visits, conference calls and additional seminars.”
Leading the day’s activities were USL PRO Senior Director Chris Economides and USL PRO Operations Manager Jason Arnold, with contributions from Director of Corporate Partnerships Chris Barno, Sales Coordinator Steven Short, Communications Director Jay Preble and New Media Director Seth Witkowicz.
“I’ve been off the walls with all of this information, especially ticket sales,” Wilmington Hammerheads owner Bill Rudisill said. “The new USL group has really taken this league to another level. I really feel a lot of support and resources, and I’m real impressed to this point.
“We’ve been gone a year, but we’re seeing it as an opportunity to take our club to another level and after today’s information, especially in the ticket sales angle – that’s where I’ve gotten most out of – I’m extremely excited.”
“It’s just great that the league has taken the initiative to oversee the teams off the field, and you have to be a part of it,” Los Angeles Blues Vice President Charlie Naimo said following the seminar. “You never stop learning and you’ve got to learn from the best franchises like Rochester, Orlando City and Charleston. There are so many good franchises to learn from that when the league puts everybody together, it’s a good thing.”
USL PRO is the strongest, best operated and most sophisticated North American men’s professional soccer league below MLS, both on and off the field. Focused on franchise stability and longevity, USL PRO will feature an unprecedented six teams with more than a decade of operational experience in 2011, and more than 100 years of combined operational experience. It will also benefit from national television and online broadcast packages.
The 2011 USL PRO season will open on Saturday, April 2, with the postseason slated to kick off August 19 following the 180-game regular season.