Attracting Patrons to a New Sporting Facility - Coursework Example

Attracting patrons to a new sporting facility Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Attracting patrons to a new sporting facility Introduction It is an apparent fact thatthe eventual satisfaction of patrons in any sporting facility plays a central role in influencing the popularity of this facility both at the domestic and international levels. This is based on the fact that they are bound to inform the extent of media coverage in these facilities as well as the willingness of the events promoters to host different sporting activities in these facilities. Australia as a country is credited for attracting and hosting incredible and some of the most successful sporting activities in the history of sports. This has heightened the reputation of the country in its capacity to host these events which has had extensive socio-economic benefits to the host cities as well as the country at large (Cashman, 2002). This success can be epitomized by Australia being a preferred host of the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, the International Rugby Board World Cup in 2003, the Commonwealth games at Melbourne in 2006 as well as some main sporting events held annually, for instance, the Formula One Grand Prix Motorcar race and Australian Open Tennis Tournament based in Melbourne (Taylor & Toohey, 2011). Nonetheless, the advent of increased global terrorism, most notably the 9/11 terroristattack in the United States has culminated to elevated unwillingness of patrons to attend these major sporting events. This is based on the increased concern over public safety in these facilities which has definitely altered the management practice of large events in different countries as the sporting facilities find themselves under persistent pressure to enhance their security levels (Taylor & Toohey, 2011). Against this backdrop, this paper will focus on the ways of attracting patrons to thenew soccer facility in Melbourne, Australia. In addition, it will recommend on the most ideal interventions which can be fundamental in managing the safety of the patrons in this facility, both in the short and long-terms. Attracting patrons to the soccer sporting facility According to Fallahi et. al. (2011) the high attendance of patrons at sporting facilities in domestic, international as well as global soccer events as well as an enormous number of audiences watching and following these matches on TVs at their homes has been key in introducing soccer as the most popular sport in the contemporary times. In Australia, the prominence of soccer has increased in the recent decades with more participation being realized across all the cultural orientations in the country. This has culminated in increased popularity of the game among members of the Australian population, both male and female (Hay, 2006). There are several interventions that the management of the new soccer facility in Melbourne can put into place aimed at attracting more patrons to the new soccer facility in Melbourne, Australia. Firstly, a holistic approach ought to be undertaken by all the stakeholders aimed at harnessing the coexistence of the sporting facility and the local population in the area where it is located. Issues of traffic congestion, noise, lighting and anti-social behaviors ought to be comprehensively addressed to ensure that these effects which are posed by the new soccer facility don’t have detrimental impacts on the local community. As the manager of the new soccer facility mandated with this fundamental role, this can be achieved through a synergy of inputs from all the stakeholders in the development of this soccer facility as well as heightened involvement of the local population. Thus, the decision making process of the formulation and implementation of the different policies at the organizational level ought to take a bottom-up model in order to encompass the concerns at the local level which will ensure both the local ownership of the facility which is central to its long-term sustainability. Consequently, this will culminate to support from local patrons who are bound to perceive the soccer facility as an opportunity for their socio-economic development and a channel for international exposure as opposed to it being a source of inconvenience, increased deviance in the society as well as being a cradle of increased pollution of the environs, mostly noise pollution. This will go a long way in attracting patrons from both the local level, national level as well as the international level. In addition, there is bound to be limited conflicts between this sporting facility and the local agendas since the voice of the members of the local population will heard and considered prior to the execution of any policy that can affect them. On the other hand, other agencies like environmental conservation agencies as well as governmental organs involved with issues like expansion and enhancement of the transportation networks ought to be consulted in the course of policy development and execution at this soccer stadium. This will be central in ensuring that the environmental as well as the traffic congestion issues are harmoniously and effectively addressed which will result in efficient management of this facility. The compliance with the set policies at the local level as well as at the national standards will increase the popularity of this soccer stadium which will have an overall effect of attracting more patrons in the facility. The event organizers will be willing to host the soccer events in this facility as a result of perceived compliance with the national sporting standards and the media will be willing to cover these activities as a result of the increased patrons in the soccer events hosted in this stadium. Thus, a holistic approach in the management of this new facility which entails input from all the concerned stakeholders will be central in attracting more patrons in this soccer stadium at Melbourne. Secondly, Matheson (2006) cited that major sporting events often are credited for injecting extensive socio-economic impacts into the cities which are lucky to host them. This is the main motivation behind the event promoters who envision large numbers of sports patrons flocking in the hotels, businesses, restaurants as well as other secondary facilities and in the process contributing enormous amount of funds to the local economy and offering enormous opportunities to the local population. This is a similar scenario with the soccer facility in Melbourne. In this regard, the management echelon of this facility ought to ensure that these opportunities trickle down to the local population at Melbourne. This is whereby they ought to be extensively involved in the provision of the general services, for instance, food, accommodation and transports to the international patrons. Nonetheless, this mandate ought to be delegated to licensed individuals and groups to ensure effectiveness of the nature of services being offered. This will mean effectiveness in delivery of secondary services which will tend to attract more patrons, mostly from the international levels. On the other hand, the events promoters will have the willingness of hosting soccer events in this stadium based on the fact that they are guaranteed of quality services for the incoming patrons which is key to the success of these events. In addition, the participation of the local population will also mean increased acceptance and participation of the patrons at the local level. The combination of these two groups of patrons; local and international will see a sharp increase of the patrons in this stadium both in the short and in the long-term. The other approach that can be key in attracting more patrons in this stadium is through expanding the sponsorship base of this stadium. This is based on the fact that the increased significance of global sporting events has resulted in them being ideal channels of advertisement by different global brands like Nike, Adidas and Coca Cola among others (Bliss, 2010). Thus, as the manager of the new soccer facility in Melbourne seeking for ways of attracting patrons to the stadium, sourcing for more sponsors of the soccer events in this facility will be a key strategy towards realizing this goal. Increasing the level of sponsorship will play two fundamental functions. To begin with, sponsoring of the events in this stadium by international brands mentioned above among others will be central in popularizing the soccer activities in this facility in the international platform. This is based on the fact that these international brands will associate with the events in this stadium as well as include them in their advertising undertakings which will eventually popularize this stadium outside the confines of Melbourne boundaries and the larger Asian pacific region. This will increase the patrons’ base in the international level which will see the stadium attracting more patrons from the international realms both in the long and short terms. Similarly, the revenues accumulated from these sponsorship deals will be integral in enhancing the infrastructure in this stadium. This can be perceived in terms of better seats at the stadium and the soccer pitch. This will tend to attract more patrons based on the perception that they are getting a value of the entrance fee that they paying in order to access the stadium based on the high quality of the stadium. This strategic approach will thus significantly improve the number of patrons in the stadium based on the fact that there has been recent changes in demands by patrons towards enhanced amenity and facilities in regard to comfort, pre/post match entertainment, access to toilets, accessibility of quality food and beverages as well as enhanced facilities for all the patrons in the stadium in regard to gender and age, for instance, children facilities. This will cater for all the patrons getting into the stadium. This will be fundamental, keeping in mind that this stadium is projected to host the Australian Soccer League (A-League) which is a new and growing league. Another salient approach as the manager is to embrace new models of advertisement to popularize the stadium in the market. This is based on the fact that technological advancements have seen increased technological advancements which have culminated in the paradigm shift towards advertisement channels, for instance, the preference of the internet in advertising as opposed to the utility of the print media. This is supported by Lavrakas (2010) who cited that the prominence of the internet in advertisement has heightened in the recent decades based on its wide coverage and extreme effectiveness. This has been coupled with the aspect globalization which has resulted in more internationalization of transmissions of sporting events around globe, for instance, CNN has been transmitting sporting events around all the continents in the globe. Against this backdrop, the management of this new soccer facility in Melbourne will shift its focus towards more technologically oriented advertisement channels like websites, blogs and you-tube to advertise the soccer events at the stadium. This is because they will reach a greater audience as opposed to other channels like the television which will primarily reach the Australian market. This shift of the advertisement will be integral in attracting more patrons, mostly from the international level as a result of the increased popularity of the soccer events in this stadium in Melbourne. Another strategic approach geared towards attracting more patrons to this stadium will be through the development of structures which are multi-purpose in nature as well as providing a footprint which is flexible to all codes. This will ensure that the stadium will be in use all year around, even at time when factors like environmental constraints limit the hosting of soccer events. This will permit revenue generation all year around and in the process attracting more patrons from other games apart from soccer. The last approach will be through providing and guaranteeing increased security to the patrons who come to this facility. This tenet of security is analyzed and recommendations forwarded in the subsequent section. Provision of security to the patrons Hooliganism in soccer, a phenomenon which was previously perceived as the ‘British disease’ has for a long term been a major concern in different European countries, for instance, in Germany, Belgium, Italy and Netherlands among other countries. This trend has culminated to massive destruction of property as well as loss of lives, for instance, the death of 38 Juventus fans in the Heysel Stadium as a result of overcrowding. Diverse factors, for instance, excessive consumption of alcohol in stadiums and racism trends in the sporting facilities among other factors have been attributed to the increased violence in stadiums (Carnibella et. al., 1996). Nonetheless, despite the cause of violence, it remains apparent that this trend poses detrimental effects in hosting major sporting events in different countries. In Australia, violence during sporting facilities has been reported, for instance, the attack on five patrons during the seven-a-side rugby league tournament at Parramatta stadium in 1989 as well as the assaulting of four league officials during the under 15 match at Cabramatta in the western suburbs in the same year (Australian Institute of Criminology, 1989). Despite the fact that violence in the sporting facilities has been less frequent in Australia, it still remains an area of concern(Australian Institute of Criminology, 1989), and violence, specifically in football ought to be effectively curtailed aimed at encouraging viewership, participation and the generic interest in the game (Booth & Brooks, 2012). The trends in design and safety of stadiums have changed overtime. This is whereby towards the end of the 19th century, the sporting facilities, for instance, in New York and Chicago were predominantly crowded, having wooden structures and having inadequate life safety designs. However, the epochs between early 20th century and the WW2 culminated advancements in the design of safer sporting facilities and the subsequent three decades saw the advancements of steel and concrete structures which exhibited some sense of uniformity in terms of amenities and rudimentary design. In the early 1070s, there were enhancements of dedicated and specialized practices in architecture in the sporting world (Lamberth, 2005). In the contemporary world, there have been improvements of the audio/visual technology, incorporation of centralized monitoring, access and control systems which are computerized as well as development of new designs which permit more space for staging, marshaling and storage purposes during sporting events (Lamberth, 2005). On the other hand, a discourse in the previous section outlined the rise of global terrorism as a major area of concern towards ensuring the safety of patrons in the sporting facilities. This is because the concentration of millions of people in the stadiums can be perfect targets by terrorists which can yield mass casualties. Against this backdrop, guaranteeing the safety of patrons in this soccer facility at Melbourne will be integral in its success as an ideal spot for hosting national as well as international soccer events. In regard to the area outside the stadium, the access to this facility ought to be supported by an efficient routes network to facilitate private transportation and where possible, a link with the public transport in the vicinity of this stadium. In addition, large and legible sign posts offering direction in the stadium ought to be set-up. Both of this will be very fundamental for evacuation purposes in case of an emergency (FIFA, 2008). In regard to the perimeter of the stadium, checkpoints and turnstiles, it is obligatory for all the entry points into this stadium to be well equipped with gadgets for inspecting the gadgets as well as people who are entering the stadium as well as effective storage facilities for the purposes of storing these facilities. In addition, the access gates must be structures in such a way that they can be opened and closed with maximum ease without posing any danger to the patrons. These gates should also be robust enough to endure any pressure from massive crowds of people. In addition, the checkpoints and turnstiles at the stadium ought to be fireproof and have the capacity to withstand extreme pressure (FIFA, 2008). While the checkpoints mentioned above will be fundamental in curtailing sneaking in of dangerous facilities in the stadium, the perimeter of this stadium ought to be compliant with the FIFA requirements of the perimeter height both for that surrounding the field of play and the larger stadium. Another important security measure at the stadium is through deployment of maximum security personnel prior and during the soccer events. This can be facilitated through coordination with the local security authority and other agencies in Melbourne. This is imperative in calming down any potential violence as well as helping in the evacuation process in case of an emergency. In regard to the patrons’ area, robust and stable partitions ought to be erected separating the patrons for two opposing teams. This is important in preventing any possible aggression between these two groups in case of discontentment of either groups with the progress or outcomes of the soccer match. Moreover, the entry and exit routes for these groups should be separated as much as possible to prevent any possibility of an aggressive encounter either before or after the match (FIFA, 2008). FIFA has also directed that the first aid and emergency services, fire service as well as the law enforcement agencies be allocated rooms which are to act as their control centers. These rooms ought to have a clear view of the patrons’ stands as well as any other areas in the stadium which are considered as having safety and security concerns. In addition, zoom video cameras should be installed at strategic locations in the stadium, for instance, the entry points and be effectively networked to the monitors in the control rooms. A freeze frame facility also has to be available at any given time in order to facilitate the identification of individuals in the pitch within the shortest time possible (FIFA, 2008). In a situation whereby a soccer match will be played in a situation with limited natural lighting, the entry and exit points, the paths in the stadiums as well as the patrons’ stands ought to be properly illuminated in order to ensure maximum security. A back-up power supply should also be installed to aid in the lighting process in case of power failure (FIFA, 2008). Lastly, only patrons with valid tickets should be permitted to enter the stadium, as well as the use of workers’ identity cards for the personnel deployed in the stadium. Utmost caution ought to be undertaken in admitting individuals and groups in the stadiums. In addition, the management of this stadium ought to avoid selling tickets during the material day of the soccer event which can result in scrambling and pose safety hazards to the patrons wishing to enter the stadium. All the above are some of the safety measures which can be incorporated in this stadium at Melbourne to guarantee the safety of the patrons. The elevation of the safety standards will eventually have an impact in reinforcing the previously discussed approaches of attracting patrons into the stadium. Conclusion The above discourse has evidenced diverse strategic approaches of attracting patrons to the new soccer facility in the Melbourne. Effectiveness in implementation of the explored approaches will mostly be vital in anticipation of the Australian Soccer league (A-League) matches which will be hosted in this stadium. Nonetheless, prudent safety measures recommended on the preceding section ought to be implemented to guarantee the safety of the patrons, both from the international and national levels. References Australian Institute of Criminology (1989). Violence in Sport. Retrieved September 28, 2012 fromhttp://www.aic.gov.au/documents/A/D/4/%7BAD48492F-47AA-4F2E-B906-BF413C8C2A51%7Dvt04.pdf. Bliss, S. (2010). Australia’s global sport linkscase study soccer world cup 2010. 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