Creating an Optimal Stadium Experience w/Tennessee Titans' Sam Fischer

Going to a game is an investment both in time and money for fans, who hope that being at the event itself will provide a lasting impression above and beyond watching it on TV. In addition, the stadium experience is the most direct way for teams to build brand loyalty, grow their fanbase, and bring fans back. Therefore, knowing how to manage sporting events is crucial to an organization's success.

Today's guest on the WorkInSports Podcast is the Tennessee Titans' Sam Fischer, who joined the team as Stadium Experience Manager in 2021. Fischer spent her entire sports career working in baseball, even rising to Assistant General Manager of the Asheville Tourists before joining the Titans. Between her internships and full-time positions, she’s seen what goes into putting on a successful event in areas such as game operations, creative marketing, game day presentation, and sales.

How to Manage Sporting Events

The fans' stadium experience begins when they decide to purchase a ticket and attend a live sporting event. A smooth online (or in-person) ticket buying experience and efficient traffic control and parking set the tone before fans even step through the gate. Some of the other expectations for a positive fan experience include:

•    Security quickly moving people through their checkpoints
•    Concession lines moving reasonably fast
•    Engaging promotional events that involve the crowd
•    Ushers responding appropriately when issues arise

None of these areas involve the game's result on the field, but all of them inform whether fans return to the stadium for another contest. When these supporting areas work well, fans are more likely to come back. When they don’t, organizations will receive complaints on social media, get bad reviews, and lose returning fans.

Listen to the full episode of the WorkInSports Podcast as the Tennessee Titans' Sam Fischer shares:

•    Her "street to seat" approach to managing the stadium experience
•    How her experience in minor league baseball built her diverse skillset
•    How important it was for her to be flexible in her career when she started out
•    What her experience as Ashville Tourists’ Assistant GM was like

Be sure to subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast for more sports career advice from VP of Content and Engaged Learning Brian Clapp. You can also see additional content on our YouTube channel and TikTok.