Sampogna, N., Week 4

Welcome back to my Week 4 Blog

This week was not very eventful. The only field trip we went on was on Wednesday we got to go to the WETM news station were we got to watch a live broadcast of the weather and listen to the anchor and got some really good advice from the whole staff. We got to see how a small news station runs a broadcast and pick s the stories they want to run to the public.

This week we did alot with our book club we had 8 presentations this week and one of them was including yours truly. This isnt the most fun part of the class but it really gave us a chance to get a understanding of how the sports and entertainment marketing world works. The presentations make it so that we have to learn the material and work on our presentation skills for future business meetings or interviews.

Hill, S., Week 4

Hey everyone,

Welcome back to week 4. This week we traveled not far from campus to WETM. Here, we received a tour of the building, where we saw the tech room and where the actual news is filmed. We then received a presentation from Marcy and Lisa. Marcy showed us power points she presents to clients such as Watkins Glen International and Finger Lakes Family Dental. On these power points it described the kind of advertising the client will receive, the price and how often the advertisement will appear. She also talks about her company and the advantages of WETM over their. competitors. Lisa discussed about advertisements. Traditional advertisements are on the decline while advertising on media is increasing immensely. She discussed how pop up ads on websites have changed. Now, they respond to what you search online. Such as, if you are look up North Face clothing, now on pop up ads all appear items from North Face to try and get you back to their site to purchase their items. After our presentations we were able to watch the News live while it was being filmed. I was in the control room for the first 15 minutes and in the room where they actually filmed for the second 15 minutes. This was super cool experience and seeing what goes on behind the camera changed how I will watch the news. This kind of environment seems like a cool one because its not just a office job but things are always changing. Also, you get to experience the news first hand and what happens in the community.

Be sure to come back next week to see how our trip to NYC went. 

Colegrove, A., Week 4

Welcome back to my blog everyone!

This week was filled with exciting adventures to Tipping Point Communications in Rochester, Pegula Sports and Entertainment in Buffalo, and Watkins Glen International. Unfortunately I was not able to attend any of these trips. My classmates filled me in with the details about each place and how much they learned from the people they met during the tours. 

Since I was not able to attend any of the trips, my blog will be a little different this week. While everyone was at Tipping Point Communications and Pegula Sports and Entertainment on Tuesday May 9th, I was home because I had the honor to be my niece’s sponsor for her Confirmation. Even though I wish I could’ve been on the trip, I loved being there for my niece on her Confirmation day. 

When the class was at Watkins Glen International, I was in Rochester for the Empire 8 Baseball Tournament. After only our third year as a program we earned enough wins in conference to earn the number three seed in the conference tournament. It was a huge accomplishment for our program because we are finally making a name for ourselves. I wish I could’ve been there to see the racetrack and learn about their strategies but nothing can beat playing in playoff baseball

On Wednesday May 17th we went to WETM in Elmira. We were able to go behind the scenes at the news station and see how everything is run. We then were able to sit in during a live newscast. It was interesting to see how no one was controlling any of the cameras during the live broadcast. It was a great experience to learn and see how a news station operates on a daily basis.

Tune in next week to learn about some more exciting events 

Collins, A,. Week 4

Greetings and Welcome Back!!

We had quite a week last week. We started our trips on Tuesday when we met with Tipping Point Communications in Rochester, NY and learned about the work their company does for their clients. They work to gather analytics to help their customer make strong business decisions. I enjoyed hearing about the software they use to get the metrics and how they analyze them. Although, not my favorite area of marketing, I still found it facinating.

Our next stop on that trip was to Buffalo to meet with Pegula Sports Entertainment. They are in charge of marketing for the Bills and Sabers which are two very big and exciting markets. We got to tour the Key Bank Center where the Sabers play. It was exciting to see all of the memorabilia around the stadium. It was incredible to hear about the traditions and the experience they sell on. We were honored to be able to check out the player's locker room and see the special seal in the middle which is considered holy. This was truly an amazing trip and a career path I would love to embark on.

On Friday, we ventured over to Watkins Glen to meet with some of the staff from the Watkins Glen International Race Track. We were fortunate enough to tour the facility and track before meeting with the Vice President who gave us a great presentation about their events and what they do to prepare for them. We learned about everything from the how the media tracks the event to the branding and sponsorships that go into promoting a race. One quote from the VP was "If you didn't know who was the primary sponsor of the event, we didn't do our jobs." Afterwards, we got to take our shuttle bus around the track which was one of the coolest parts of the whole trip.

This past Friday, we got to travel a mile down the road to meet with the crew at WETM television. We got to tour the facility and get a behind the scenes look at what goes into preparing a live newscast. We learned how the producers control the camera, who writes the scripts and the technology they use to produce what you see on your screen at home. We also got to stand in the studio and watch as they filmed the local news at noon. We also learned about the business end of the news such as selling advertisements and airing your favorite television shows. I never knew how much time and work goes in behind the scenes on television. This experience has changed my view on the television industry for the better

Check back next week for our final post! 

Photos: Ainsley Collins

Martin, M., Week 4

Welcome once again,

This past week wasn't the most eventful one, but it was filled with a lot of beneficial information regarding marketing and the future of reaching the consumer. We started off the week with CYK presentations on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday we went to WETM 18 in downtown Elmira and it was a great experience. Every one of our field trips has been very intriguing and beneficial, and this trip was another one of those. 

I was so impressed with how welcoming and comfortable the WETM personnel was with us. Any type of question we had for them, they were more than willing to answer it. Each person we met was so personable, from the lead anchor, all the way up to the Vice President. I personally got a kick out the fact that the Vice President we met was from my home state of Michigan. I also was surprised when I found out that Dr. irons wife worked as a financial analyst at the studio. 

Overall, I thought this week was compensated adequately by just going on one field trip Wednesday. Being able to see the day to day operations of news station was awesome and I know I thoroughly enjoyed it, just as the rest of the class. 

I am looking forward to our trip to New York City this upcoming Tuesday!

Best,

Michael

Sponable, M., Week 4

A major theme of this week has been the importance of different industries with in the sports, media, and entertainment fields have had to evolve in order to remain relevant. For instance, representatives of Watkins Glen International (WGI) discussed how they use large screens at all of the grandstand areas so fans are able to see the portions of the race from different perspectives and, most importantly, what would be out of their view otherwise. Additionally, the track representatives discussed their strategically placed advertisement billboards around the tracks. Televising the races gives companies the opportunity to expand their advertisement viewers from people at the track to everyone at home as well. The track at WGI is a road course with frequent turns and elevation changes, as a result, their billboards cannot be avoided by photographers or TV cameras. Thus creating high demand for their advertising space. The gentlemen we spoke with at WGI were fantastic and gave us ample insight into the industry and how they appeal to an array of demographics across their yearly events.


The Buffalo Sabers also used technology to keep up in the sports industry. The representatives at Key Bank Center during our tour showed us the interior of their events, including their technological aspects. For instance, we say their control center for the jumbo tron, which controls instant replays, advertisements, and the classic kiss cam. We saw where the digital ribbon around either end of the stadium is programmed. Lastly, we observed the view of the press box. This area allows for a full view of the arena as well as equipped with everything they may need during the game. It is important in any industry to be available on several media platforms, such as an app, mobile website, desktop access,  and television.



Television, like all other entertainment industry must compete and evolve to stay relevant. To do so, they have expanded to using the internet to stay available to consumers. During our visit to WETM-TV, a local Elmira station, we learned the behind the scenes actions of TV stations. For instance, marketing in television is a dynamic, complex, and ever changing practice that I did not fully comprehend until our visit. While at WETM I learned that the station purchases certain shows and pays for their purchases through advertisement slots. Some companies purchase advertisements with in a show directly rather than from a station. As a result, all stations who purchase the show must play that commercial. As a means to stay relevant, TV is also utilizing the internet. The station we visited has its own website. Through the site they can track watcher's interests and get a larger understanding of their consumers' interests. It also provides another medium for advertising.  Another way that they differentiate themselves in order to stay relevant is that they cover local news rather than national news. Their consumers have an investment monetarily and emotionally in where they live, thus they care about what is going on in that area.

This week's facilitators major theme was how industries, such as books and movies, and making a shift toward self publishing, due to technology providing access to a digital market. As one of this weeks facilitators, I discussed how amazon has changed the game in terms of publishing and distribution of books, both hard over and electronic copies. Additionally, I talked about the trend of e-books leveling out. This could be due to book lovers still demanding physical copies and the experience of sitting down with a book, rather than a tablet, can provide.

Garder, W., Week 4

This fourth week of class was very enjoyable. As we are approaching the final week, it feels like this term has been flying by. The facilitators this week all gave great presentations and brought about great class discussions about the reading material. The trips we have taken have been wonderful and informative. Each experience has been unique and have tied in with our readings quite well.

Last Friday, we visited Watkins Glen International for an unforgettable experience. After touring the facilities and meeting with Chris Banker, Jose Cervantes, and VP Jon Beckman to learn about the history of the location and the marketing strategies involved with their events, we got to take a ride on the racetrack in our bus. It was awesome to see behind the scenes of a racetrack, especially from a marketing standpoint. They discussed the various target markets for the variety of races and events held there and how they have changed over the years to adapt to the changing landscape of the industry.

This Wednesday, we walked over to WETM to tour the NBC-affiliated television studio and offices. I really enjoyed this trip because of my interests in film and broadcasting. It was really cool to see how technology has changed the way things are done in this industry from remote-controlled cameras, fiber-optic broadcasting, and the ability for WETM to utilize both their website and Facebook page to keep engaged with viewers in the local market. Getting to see how television ads are sold as well as seeing a live broadcast of the news in person was a truly great experience that I will not soon forget.

Cocca, S., Week 4

This week we visited WETM-TV, the local NBC station located in downtown Elmira. Here we met with several members of the back office as well as the TV anchors. We had the opportunity to see the various production parts and got to see a real media plan. The media plan was interesting because it showed the reach of their advertisements, the demographics, expected return, etc. One of the coolest things we got to do was be in the newsroom when they were broadcasting the news at noon. It is a lot quieter than you realize and almost everything is automated behind the scenes.

This week we also spent a lot of time in class. The class facilitators discussed sponsorship for athletes and celebrity endorsements, the influence of new technology and platforms on the delivery of content and advertising, and how publishers and producers are being replaced by self publishers/producers. It was particularly interesting to hear that book publishing is starting to see an up-turn because people have come to realize they like the feel and readability of a physical book; which is directly contradicting most critics who say that digital is the future of literature (Marisa Sponable).

 We had the opportunity last week to visit two awesome companies as  well, Tipping Point Communications and Pegula  Sports and Entertainment (owners of the Buffalo  Bills and the Buffalo Sabre). Here we got to speak  to their marketing managements and see a behind  the scenes look of how marketing works in these  two organizations. Tipping Point brought us in and  gave us the background of the company and how it  was founded and later gave us a demonstration of  how they use Hubspot to manage their content  marketing. Pegula Entertainment gave us a tour of  Key Bank Stadium and presented a lesson to us on  how they advertise the Sabres and how they  determine the strategies to employ.

Kogan, Y,. Week 4

Welcome once again,

The past week wasn't the most exciting one, just because we did not have many field trips,  in fact we had only one trip to WETM - TV. On the other hand, we had the chance to focus on our books club reading, and study on some different cases in the sport and entertainment industries.  

I had the opportunity for the first time in my life to be behind the scenes of a TV station, and to understand the meaning of the people behind the camera lens. 

I was so impressed with how welcoming and comfortable the WETM personnel was with us.

In our book clubs, i found interesting the decision sport teams put in, if to invest in young talents or buying quality players. Also, the way coaches and organization deals with the power of the superstars and the talent compensation models.   

Next week we have our trip to New York City which i'm really excited for! 

Tracey, P., Week 4

The fourth week of our class we only went on one field trip, but that didn't take away how adventurous it was. On Wednesday we went to WETM in Elmira and took a tour around the news station. This field was extremely exciting because we got to witness a live news broadcast. Besides all the exciting events we witnessed we learned the ins and outs of the company. We sat in a conference room and discovered how NBC tries to separate themselves from the competition. Witnessing how a news company operates differed my views on the news marketing system. I've found a new appreciation for the NBC news even if I don't agree with all of their views!

WETM

Hughson, S. Week 4

Welcome to week 4!!

There are several different experiences that we went on these past few days that I will share with you! This includes our visits to Tipping Point Communications, the Key Banks Center, Watkins Glen International, and WETM-TV.

Tipping Point Communications is an advertising agency that works with other companies, large and small, with their own media and advertising strategies including media buying, public relations, digital marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, and focus groups. I found this visit to be extremely informative and exciting. They spoke to us as if we were on the same level as them and inspired us to go into whatever field we want to and to be passionate about it. They were very easy to listen to and made us hope that we enjoy our jobs as much as they do in the future. One key aspect I took from this trip was how important their core values are such as integrity, trust, likeability, teamwork and others. Along with this they really showed us the steps they take towards making and capitalizing on marketing leads and lead generation.


On the same day we traveled to Buffalo to talk to some of Pegula Sports and Entertainment's marketers. This trip was not only very cool because we were able to tour the entire Buffalo Sabres arena from the entrance to the Lexus suite to the media room and finally the actual Sabres locker room! As a hockey player who has been to the Key Banks Center to watch the Sabres play a few times it was a completely new experience to see it from different levels and a new perspective besides as a customer or as a hockey player who has played in an arena like it.

As a marketer you really see all the sponsorships and companies that advertise strategically throughout the arena and everything that you can do with a facility as large and versatile as the Key Bank center. When we sat down after our tour we really were able to see what they both do for advertising the arena and the teams that they hold. We were taught how their are different markets you can target but you have to be careful how you do so.





The next was Watkins Glen International which is the famous race track in Watkins Glen. We were first given a tour of the PR and media facility which was an amazing center full of resources and everything one would need. This included photography rooms, the press conference room, and upstairs media rooms along with a dining hall for meals. It was a fairly new center and I cannot imagine how crazy and packed it gets on big race or event days.

When we sat down and were able to get an idea of how the company runs from the marketing, sales, and PR perspectives it was amazing to me at how many markets the track reaches. The only thing I knew about the track before visiting was that it sometimes holds NASCAR events but it was interesting to find out that they actually have several different events such as the Wine festival and concerts that require them to target and market to almost every different segment out there. 

They have to be able to understand how to market to women, men, teenagers, children, as well as people of a vast range of incomes from billionaires who come to drive their million dollar cars on the track to those who come for NASCAR on a family get away weekend. I loved learning at how they are able to successfully reach all these groups and use their facility to as many events as they can. To end the trip we were even able to take our TERPS bus for two laps around the track!


Lastly, we visited WETM-TV down the street from campus in the city of Elmira. This was a new trip for us as we visited a well known television station where the focus was on TV marketing. We learned from our books that television marketing is still a huge market for companies to invest in because of its ability to reach a vast amount of viewers and potential consumers. At WETM-TV we were able to learn how they reach other companies to sell ad space and this is what helps them as a company as well as other companies for their own advertising. The best part about this trip was that we were able to watch the news being streamed live not only from inside the studio but from the producing room as well which was a completely new view on the daily news.

A very exciting and eventful week full of experiences and trips! 

Awoyemi, F., Week 4

   Hello welcome to my blog, today I will be discussing about week 4 class activities. The class was invited to Tipping point communications where we met with the CEO Michelle  and her co-workers.  Tipping point is a media company that brings brands product, stories or information to life with the use of digital technology. I loved the time spent with Michelle especially when she talked about the company's core value. The word likability was stressed not only for clients but also for co -workers.    

After leaving Tipping point communications the class headed to Pegula Sports and entertainment. I enjoyed every bit of the time I spent there, the class was taken around for a tour to different locations. At the end of the tour the class was invited to a presentation that spoke on how to market sports, using an example of #one buffalo,  and having some of the hockey players to sing the Christmas song in a hilarious way.  

The class also went to Watkins Glen and it was an amazing experience.  We met with Watkins Glen Pr, the ticket sales supervisor and the Vice president. All spoke about the history of Watkins and ssome of their marketing strategies. We were taken on a little tour by the PR upon arrival, from the photography room to the press conference room then the media room. After that we met with the ticket sales supervisor that spoke about a change in the market target. 

 Lastly the class went to Elmira's WETM television station. I really loved being there, I got to experience the behind the scenes of a news broadcast. One thing I learned from the class visit to WETM is that time is a very crucial thing in a TV station. 

Isaacs, M., Week 4

Week 4 was full of excitement and plenty of trips!

To begin with we headed out to Rochester, New York to go to Tipping Point Communications. This is a company that does the marketing and media buying for other businesses. This company seemed like a company that any individual would be lucky to work for. The reason I believe this is because when sharing their core values, they stressed the term likability. This is something that is often forgot about in the work place, so the fact that they build themselves on the idea respecting not only clients, but coworkers as well is amazing. At Tipping Point Communications, we also learned how they built lead generation through an online company to track their clients potential costumers activities, something I had not really had the chance to see in action prior.

In that same trip we took a stop in Buffalo, New York at KeyBank arena to meet with Pegula Sports and Entertainment. KeyBank Arena is well known for being the arena where the Buffalo Sabres play and we got to tour it. While touring could see how much such places really on sponsors and marketing. From the Lexus VIP lounge to the Mercedes suite to the major sponsors around the jumbo scene, this is a major part in the business. We then met with two individuals from Pegula Sports and Entertainment to see what goes into these marketing aspects. They explained how for each sports team they market for there is a different fan group they must appeal to. Each year their method of how they reach them changes. One thing I found extremely interesting was for the Sabres they could not reach their female fans through the typical "women want to be taught sports" for they are already so knowledge that they reached out to them by making an event night out of it, even including alumni.

Our next stop later in the week was to Watkins Glen International. On this trip we saw the media and writers room where they are constantly working in to post on event weekends and I was shocked to see how big they are! This showed me how much media comes to such events on big weekends. After seeing the Gatorade victory lane, we learned a little bit more about the company. One major idea that stuck out to me was that they have no set target market. For each event the market changes so they much change how they go about reaching such individuals. An interesting change that Watkins Glen International is trying to implement is changing their target market for Nascar. Instead of wanting to continue to reach older individuals, they are attempting to reach out to millennials. They are doing so by implementing a new bundle package to try to get them interested.



The following week got to take a trip to WETM-TV. Here we learned that despite what many people think, television is still very relevant and popular. One of the goals of companies like this is to sell more advertisements than what they are paying to air the shows. After seeing a practice presentation for a company to invest into advertising through WETM, I understood the purpose of doing so and how successful it can be. They pitch their sales to different companies to show how they can reach their target market through specified plans. My favorite part of this experience was we got to see live news in action. It was interesting to not only see the anchors filming, but also the behind the scenes. I was amazed to see how calm and collected they were for if it was me live I would have been stressed!

Make sure to come back next week for my last blog post!

Cunningham, L., Week 4

Another week. Another round of exciting field trips!
This week includes: an agency, a sports arena, a international racetrack, and a television station.

Our first trip was highly anticipated for many in the class, as we were visiting Rochester and Buffalo. Having never been to Rochester, I was quite excited to see whether it lived up to the hype, and did it ever! What a beautiful city, it’s no wonder people love it so much.

At Tipping Point Communications we were given the history of how the company was built from the ground up. It was very interesting to listen to Michelle discuss her experiences as a young entrepreneur and how she handles her staff and her clients. We were then walked through a current case study involving one of their clients. This entire experience was very light-hearted and pleasant, while still serving the purpose of being incredibly informative. They did a great job of making us want to work there or do business with them.

After a short drive and a, slightly sloppy, picnic on the bus, we arrived at KeyBank Center and took a tour of the massive facility. Our hosts went into a lot of depth and went out of their way to show us hidden facets of the building and make the tour a truly deluxe experience. We ended the day with Pegula Sports and Entertainment sitting us down to show us how they market their multitude of brands throughout the year. It was very interesting to see how they choose to segment their markets and what tactics they use to best reach them.

Next we found ourselves speeding around the international speedway at Watkins Glen International, in a TERPS bus. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I look forward to bragging about for years to come. Our hosts were most gracious and offered an exclusive insight into their lives on the track and in the office. Their season has only just begun and it was clear that the anticipation was rising for a very busy summer of events.

And finally, we visited WETM-TV, a short walk from campus. Our hosts welcomed us into their well air conditioned studio and show us how television is still a huge market for reaching potential consumers; something we've discussed in class. They told us their process for procuring and retaining people and companies that fill their advertising space; a tricky job that they make look easy.

However the most unique part of this trip was watching the news being broadcasted live, from both the studio as well as the production room. There were some spots where if you were to move an inch to your right, you might appear on camera. Thankfully, we were all quite professional and did not attempt such theatrics during the live broadcast. But we certainly had a lot of fun when "viewers like you" were not tuned in!

Chivers, K., Week 4

Welcome Back!

This week was extremely exciting and the excursions and experiential learning trips were both educational and exciting. First, the class took a trip to Key Bank Center in Buffalo, New York to meet with members from Pegula Sports and Entertainment. This experience was unforgettable because I have a passion for the sport of hockey, and we were able to tour and learn more about the marketing efforts and jobs for an NHL hockey team, the Buffalo Sabres! Another experiential learning was to WETM-TV.



Pegula Sports and Entertainment




































First, we toured the arena from the private suites and media boxes high in the stadium, to the interview room and players locker rooms. This was extremely interesting because the the locker room for a professional sports team is one of the most wanted things to see by fans. It was additionally intriguing to tour the building not from a sports point of view, but from a business point of view. The venue was different from others that I have personally seen, but it had its own assets that give Buffalo a name for itself. For instance, the marketing campaign "One Buffalo" is seen heavily throughout the entire arena. This trip made me realize that the sports industry is one that I would like to be in the future because of the feeling that I received from being in that arena and spending time in it.

Watkins Glen International

Our next adventure of the week was to Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. Not only was this excursion in close proximity to school, but I didn't know that such a large sporting venue was so close to Elmira College. In a nutshell, I learned that Watkins Glen International is a large and one of the oldest car racing tracks, and races every kind of well-known cars, including one NASCAR race. Car racing is a marketers dream because everything from the cars to the edge of the track can be labeled with sponsorships. One humorous aspect that we learned was that even trash cans can be sponsored and slapped with a brand logo or label. Practically anything in the car racing industry can help a company get "hits", or name recognition. The many different demographics of car racing was also mentioned and was interesting to me the difficulty of marketing such events to the several demographics of viewers. Finally, the cap on the entertaining trip was driving the bus around the race track, which was an unforgettable experience. 

WETM-TV
 



The class visited WETM-TV on Wednesday, May 17th, located in Elmira, New York. The television station is an affiliate of the NBC Network, therefore show both local news as well as national programming. We learned about the controls and how each program and live show is put on air, and how each program can be adjusted through the control room (pictured right). We were even given the chance to sit-in on the live news at noon, which was extremely interesting to hear such fabulous speakers perform in their profession. It became clear to me that people are very invested in the news in this day in age, even though there is a rise in digital and obtaining news from that medium. Personally, I enjoy watching the local news and it was very interesting to see the process as a whole, and the how different television stations establish their competitive advantage.

Tune in next week to learn about next weeks experiential learning adventures!

McKlevis, J., Week 4

WETM

On our field trip to WETM we learned about television broadcasting through a hands-on experience from a local station. I have been watching this station since I was a kid. My parents always had it on every morning before work and every evening before dinner. Interesting enough, my parents still do this at home, however I have not continued this routine at school. As the world modernizes news, younger generations tend to stray away from watching news on traditional platforms. More and more, people are reading news on their mobile devices and laptops versus turning on a TV. WETM combats this challenge by having all of their news updated to their Facebook page and Twitter account. Real time updates help the people not able to tune into a television set if they are at work or at school.

At WETM, we were able to take a tour of the studio and truly see how much goes in to producing a network. First, we saw the production room. I thought there would have been a lot more people on all of the computers and that it would have been a lot more hectic. However, it made sense with the switch to everything being most digital and pre-programmed that you would need less people running the on-air content. It was even more eerie to be in the live studio watching the news at noon and only having the two news anchors present. Nobody was working the cameras. Nobody was working the teleprompter. Nobody was giving cues and signals. Everything was being control from the room upstairs and if we weren’t there to observe, the room would have been completely silent and empty. 

WGI

Our trip through Watkins Glen took us to the International Speedway. Although I have lived half an hour away from this race track my whole life, I have never visited. It was a unique experience and an eye opening one too. I always went along with the stereotype that the race track was a place for the “redneck” NASCAR fans. Though NASCAR is a huge attraction at The Glen, there are many other attractions as well. They market to the richer people by having the Vintage Grand Prix and the INDY car Grand Prix. Then they also have other events now like the Finger Lakes Wine Festival and the TicketGalaxy Beer Festival. These events market to other people who want to gather in an area that brings the regions greatest wineries or microbreweries. Finally, they are trying to attract more millennials by offering a special package targeted specifically at bringing in the younger crowd. 

 Buffalo- Pegula Sports Entertainment

Having the opportunity meet with top marketing executives and managers from Pegula Sports Entertainment and the Key Bank Center in Buffalo was a once in a lifetime experience. Pegula Sports is responsible for running the operations of the Buffalo Sabres, a National Hockey League team out of Buffalo, New York. I have been to Buffalo a few times but I had never visited the Key Bank Center. When we arrived there, it reminded me so much of the TD Garden Center in Boston, Massachusetts where the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics games are played. We got a full tour of the facilities, starting off with the Lexus Club. This club is offered to special ticket holders that spend a certain amount of money and get the perks of what is like a “VIP” club. This tactic is used as a marketing scheme to get more people to buy better tickets and spend more money. We were also able to see an up close view of the rink, a quick stop in the Mercedes-Benz suite, and even a sneak peak into the Buffalo Sabres locker room.