ABSTRACT

One of the biggest misconceptions in sport facility management is that the facility manager does not need to be involved with marketing – that their sole job is related to the operations and management of the actual sport facility. On the contrary, sport facility managers need to have a solid foundation in marketing and should be involved in all aspects of marketing that relate to the sport facility. The knowledge of the sport facility manager with relation to operations and management of the sport facility actually can serve as a significant asset in the development of marketing plans, helping with the understanding of the consumers who use the facility, efficient logistical administration of marketing efforts, and effective application of promotional activities though facility advertising, sponsorships, and atmospherics. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of how the association of sport marketing and sport facilities can interact to best provide products and services that satisfy the needs, wants, and desires of the consumer; aid in the planning, organizing, directing, controlling, budgeting, leading, and evaluation of a sport facility whose primary product and service is related to sport, recreation, leisure, and entertainment; and how the sport facility manager’s understanding of the application of marketing can help with the transfer of goods and services from the producer (the sport facility, the events in the facility, and the organizations utilizing the facility) to the consumer (spectators and participants).