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said. "And any time you can get a package together—maybe a dasher, an interior sign and in-ice logo—it's even better." WHAT ABOUT SMALLER FACILITIES? Dasher and other signage in arenas with thousands of seats can command huge dollars and are often packaged with other sponsorship and advertising inventory such as television commercials and print advertisements in game programs. While selling dasher boards and other signage in large arenas may seem logical and even simple, what about smaller venues that may only see a few hundred or a thousand spectators at the largest events? Regardless of the size of the facility, there are plenty of great opportunities to generate revenue. "One of the biggest questions asked when someone is starting the sales process is how much a dasher board or sign in an arena is worth," said Pat Ferrill, Senior Vice President of the Flyers Skate Zones. "This is also one of the most difficult ques- tions, and I guess the answer is that the signage is worth whatever someone will pay for it." One tip for rink managers is to try and lock in an extended term when negotiating with potential advertisers. These compa- nies have to invest in the materials to make a couple signs, but in the end that is just a one-time cost for them. "Whatever business it is that wants to advertise, 12 months just doesn't do it," Connelly said. "You want to have it in there for a couple years so you can see the results of your placement." The ideal scenario is that they sign a two- or three-year commitment to be in the rink. Try to make it attrac- tive for the term. It's a win-win for both the advertiser and the facility. "If you sell two dasher boards for two years, that's four sales," Connelly said. While there are definite differences in what signage is worth from rink to rink and community to community, there are some standard processes to work through to arrive at a price point. Creating estimates of how much foot traffic comes through the door on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis will be a key figure in deter- mining the value of signage in a facility. "We work with two numbers: one is unique eyeballs and the second is foot traf- fic," Ferrill said. "Advertisers may ask how many people see signs in your facility and of those people, how many are repeat cus- tomers. Showing that a sign isn't only being seen by the same sets of eyeballs over and over can add to the success of your sale." WIN-WIN PARTNERSHIPS A key to any successful sale is making sure that there is value in the relationship for both the advertiser and the facility. That means understanding the business you are selling to and helping them achieve their goals and objectives. Often this will lead to attaching other value-added extensions to a sale. "Advertisers want to get to your cus- tomers and be able to implement and execute a relation- ship where it's a win- win for both the arena and the advertiser," Ferrill said. "The advertiser wants you to deliver your cus- tomers to them, whether through coupons or other means. They want a return on their investment, and offering whatever you can beyond just a sign in the arena will increase that opportunity." Not only will this increase your chance at the initial sale, it will also increase your chances of maintaining a lasting relation- ship, which is crucial because it's much easier to renew an existing contract than it is to create a new sale. "Also make sure to stay in consis- tent communication with your partners," Ferrill said. "If they are looking for information on the arena, send them a report on big events and how much foot traffic came through the door. If there is a photo in the paper with a partner's sign in the background, cut it out and send it to them. Any opportunities there are to let them know that they are getting exposure will help when it comes time to renew the contract." Even a small gesture such as dropping off tickets for big games can go a long way in strengthening the relationship and the advertising renewal for the following season. Discounts on attractions at the rink can also be viewed as nice value-added reasons to renew a contract. "Very rarely do we sell one dasher or sign by itself and then call the advertiser a year later to renew the deal," Ferrill said. "Advertisers want more out of a relation- ship today and arenas are in a position to deliver it, but it's up to the facility to perform. If they do, there is some nice revenue to be made." J Portions of this article ran in a past issue of RINK Magazine. USICERINKS.COM MAY.JUNE.2019 / 37 WHAT MAKES AN ICE ARENA APPEALING TO ADVERTISERS IS THE AMOUNT OF NEW PEOPLE COMING TO THE RINK EVERY YEAR. Regardless of the size of the facility, there are plenty of great opportunities to generate revenue.