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CAREER REPORT
Introduction
The candidate that I interviewed is Brad Bisbing. He is the Assistant General Manager for Bisons Baseball Inc. and also has responsibility for marketing and public relations. I conducted this interview on April 6th, 2023. I chose Mr. Bisbing because I wanted to learn more about baseball management, marketing and operations. I have attended many baseball games so far in my lifetime and I hoped to gain insight on how an organization prepares for the season. Specifically, I wanted to know more about how the operations model, the sales model and type of career experience I would need to pursue a career in baseball management. Brad received his bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Ithaca College in 2001. He shared with me that he started his career in radio broadcasting producing a daily sports show. He was able to make a connection to the Bisons and began working with the sales and marketing team promoting group sales. He shared that this is a great entry job as you will get experience with sales, promotions and learn about the organization. He moved up to become the director for marketing and public relations where he had responsibility for branding, advertising, marketing, social media and the website. Currently, he is the Assistant General Manager and still oversees marketing and public relations. He also loves hockey and has been the Men’s Hockey Announcer for Niagara University for the last 13 seasons.
Mission/Purpose of the Agency Department
Mr. Bisbing emphasized how important it is to provide a great experience and that the mission statement is a reminder to everyone in the organization. “The Buffalo Bisons are committed to providing their fans with the best sports and family entertainment experience and value at every event at Sahlen Field.” (MiLB.com (n.d.).
Clientele Served
The clients are the fans, sponsors and players. Fans attending are people of all ages but the target demographic is 25-50 years old. The majority of the fans are local to the Buffalo, New York area but they also draw Canadians due to the affiliation with Toronto Blue Jays and the close proximity of about an hour. Mr. Bisbing and his team also work closely with sponsors who are both national and local. His interaction with the players is for promotional work and marketing.
Services and Programs Provided
The Bisons have two programs to boost attendance and create brand loyalty. They offer Season Tickets as well as The “Herd” Membership. Season ticket packages include 75 games. You are able to choose any seat in the ballpark. They start at $600 per seat which is a great deal and more than 50% off single ticket purchase per game. You also get some perks like early entry, VIP Lounge, discounts, promotions. One thing that was unique is that you can exchange unused tickets for future games. The “Herd” Membership – it’s a game of the month promotion. Buyers receive 4 undated tickets for a home game once a month for each of the six months that the team is in season. You can use the tickets in any combination: i.e. four tickets to one game, one ticket to four games, etc. Perks include a year-end hosted party and special discounts and prize drawings. All games take place at Sahlen Field. It was completed right before the 1988 season. It is one of the largest minor league ballparks. In 1988, it hosted the first Triple A All-Star Games. During Covid, the Toronto Blue Jays hosted home games at Sahlen Field. The corporate office is also located at Sahlen Field. (MiLB.com. (n.d.).
Staffing
Mr. Bisbing has 21 full-time employees that focus on marketing, public relations and promotions. During the season, they do employ seasonal team members. This can range from 100-150 people to work various areas including vending, servers, cooks, and janitorial.
Funding Source
There are several sources of funding including ticket sales, advertisements, sponsorships, and merchandise. A large portion is generated from sponsorships both local and national. A local example would be the local casino, Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino and a national example would be Coca-Cola. They also generate funds from ticket sales, season tickets, and merchandise.
Professional Issues
A big part of Mr. Bisbing’s job is filling the stadium with fans. The weather in Buffalo can be a challenge but most fans will come rain, sun or snow. The other challenge he mentioned was Covid. They rely heavily on in-person sales and tourism so being shut down right before the regular season began was difficult. However, because the affiliate team is the Toronto Blue Jays, the MLB team actually played its home games at Sahlen Field which was a big boost. In general, the state of the economy is always something he is watching since fans are using discretionary funds to attend.
Conclusion
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Bisbing. I could tell that he truly is passionate about his job. He was generous with his time and with sharing his experience and career path. He let me know that they offer internships and that internships are the best introduction to the field of baseball operations and marketing. I plan to use the information I gained from this interview to proactively scout similar organizations to increase my chances for obtaining an internship.
Cite
Buffalo Bisons. MiLB.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.milb.com/buffalo/
Introduction
The candidate that I interviewed is Brad Bisbing. He is the Assistant General Manager for Bisons Baseball Inc. and also has responsibility for marketing and public relations. I conducted this interview on April 6th, 2023. I chose Mr. Bisbing because I wanted to learn more about baseball management, marketing and operations. I have attended many baseball games so far in my lifetime and I hoped to gain insight on how an organization prepares for the season. Specifically, I wanted to know more about how the operations model, the sales model and type of career experience I would need to pursue a career in baseball management. Brad received his bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Ithaca College in 2001. He shared with me that he started his career in radio broadcasting producing a daily sports show. He was able to make a connection to the Bisons and began working with the sales and marketing team promoting group sales. He shared that this is a great entry job as you will get experience with sales, promotions and learn about the organization. He moved up to become the director for marketing and public relations where he had responsibility for branding, advertising, marketing, social media and the website. Currently, he is the Assistant General Manager and still oversees marketing and public relations. He also loves hockey and has been the Men’s Hockey Announcer for Niagara University for the last 13 seasons.
Mission/Purpose of the Agency Department
Mr. Bisbing emphasized how important it is to provide a great experience and that the mission statement is a reminder to everyone in the organization. “The Buffalo Bisons are committed to providing their fans with the best sports and family entertainment experience and value at every event at Sahlen Field.” (MiLB.com (n.d.).
Clientele Served
The clients are the fans, sponsors and players. Fans attending are people of all ages but the target demographic is 25-50 years old. The majority of the fans are local to the Buffalo, New York area but they also draw Canadians due to the affiliation with Toronto Blue Jays and the close proximity of about an hour. Mr. Bisbing and his team also work closely with sponsors who are both national and local. His interaction with the players is for promotional work and marketing.
Services and Programs Provided
The Bisons have two programs to boost attendance and create brand loyalty. They offer Season Tickets as well as The “Herd” Membership. Season ticket packages include 75 games. You are able to choose any seat in the ballpark. They start at $600 per seat which is a great deal and more than 50% off single ticket purchase per game. You also get some perks like early entry, VIP Lounge, discounts, promotions. One thing that was unique is that you can exchange unused tickets for future games. The “Herd” Membership – it’s a game of the month promotion. Buyers receive 4 undated tickets for a home game once a month for each of the six months that the team is in season. You can use the tickets in any combination: i.e. four tickets to one game, one ticket to four games, etc. Perks include a year-end hosted party and special discounts and prize drawings. All games take place at Sahlen Field. It was completed right before the 1988 season. It is one of the largest minor league ballparks. In 1988, it hosted the first Triple A All-Star Games. During Covid, the Toronto Blue Jays hosted home games at Sahlen Field. The corporate office is also located at Sahlen Field. (MiLB.com. (n.d.).
Staffing
Mr. Bisbing has 21 full-time employees that focus on marketing, public relations and promotions. During the season, they do employ seasonal team members. This can range from 100-150 people to work various areas including vending, servers, cooks, and janitorial.
Funding Source
There are several sources of funding including ticket sales, advertisements, sponsorships, and merchandise. A large portion is generated from sponsorships both local and national. A local example would be the local casino, Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino and a national example would be Coca-Cola. They also generate funds from ticket sales, season tickets, and merchandise.
Professional Issues
A big part of Mr. Bisbing’s job is filling the stadium with fans. The weather in Buffalo can be a challenge but most fans will come rain, sun or snow. The other challenge he mentioned was Covid. They rely heavily on in-person sales and tourism so being shut down right before the regular season began was difficult. However, because the affiliate team is the Toronto Blue Jays, the MLB team actually played its home games at Sahlen Field which was a big boost. In general, the state of the economy is always something he is watching since fans are using discretionary funds to attend.
Conclusion
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Bisbing. I could tell that he truly is passionate about his job. He was generous with his time and with sharing his experience and career path. He let me know that they offer internships and that internships are the best introduction to the field of baseball operations and marketing. I plan to use the information I gained from this interview to proactively scout similar organizations to increase my chances for obtaining an internship.
Cite
Buffalo Bisons. MiLB.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.milb.com/buffalo/
COURSEWORK
COMPLETED COURSE WORK
SUMMER 2022
ENGL 15: Rhetoric and Comp
NUTR 100: Nutrition Applications for a Healthy Lifestyle
FALL 2022 SEMESTER
BBH 102S Values, Health and Academic Success
ECON 104 Macroeconomic Analysis
GEOSC 10 National Park Geology
RPTM 236 Leadership and Group Dynamics in Recreation Services
SOC 1 Intro Sociology
SPRING 2023 SEMESTER
ASTRO 7N Artistic Universe
CAS 100A Effective Speech
RPTM 101 Intro Recreation Services
THEA 112 Intro Music Theatre
SUMMER 2022
ENGL 15: Rhetoric and Comp
NUTR 100: Nutrition Applications for a Healthy Lifestyle
FALL 2022 SEMESTER
BBH 102S Values, Health and Academic Success
ECON 104 Macroeconomic Analysis
GEOSC 10 National Park Geology
RPTM 236 Leadership and Group Dynamics in Recreation Services
SOC 1 Intro Sociology
SPRING 2023 SEMESTER
ASTRO 7N Artistic Universe
CAS 100A Effective Speech
RPTM 101 Intro Recreation Services
THEA 112 Intro Music Theatre
