MAP Proposal Details

Date: 11/29/2007 4:40:54 PM

Project Number:2008.029

Please choose the heading that best describes your organization's project: Domestic U.S. Corporate

Company/Organization: Palace Sports & Entertainment

Industry: Entertainment/Leisure Physical location of Project: Auburn Hills, Michigan

Executive Sponsor: First Name: John Last Name: O'Reilly Title: Executive Vice President & CFO Executive Email: [email protected]

Project liaison Contact: First Name: Michael Last Name:Garrett Business Title:Director, IT and Business systems Division:Information

Systems Address1:5 Championship

Drive Address2: City:Auburn Hills State:MI Zip:48326 Country:USA Business Phone:248-377- 8250 Cell Phone:248-770-1652 Email: [email protected]

U of M Graduate? No If yes, U of M Degree:

Alternate Liaison Contact: First Name: Tom Last Name:Bennett Business Title:Vice President - Human Resources Division:Human Resources Address:5 Championship

Drive City:Auburn Hills State:MI Zip:48326 Country:USA Business Phone: 248-377-

0133 Cell Phone: 248-431-2926

Email: [email protected] U of M Graduate? No If yes, U of M Degree: Year:

Useful Websites: http://www.palacenet.com http://www.nba.com/pistons/ http://www.wnba.com/shock/

Annual Revenue:+

$200M Years in Business:22 No. of Employees:1,

830 (full and part time)

MAP Contact Person:

Briefly explain what you would like the MBA students to know about your company/organization. Please include the primary function of your business/division.

Palace Sports & Entertainment (PSE) is a privately held Michigan business. It is the parent organization for the NBA Detroit Pistons, and WNBA Detroit Shock. Its Michigan venues include one arena: The Palace of Auburn Hills, and two outdoor amphitheaters: DTE Energy Music Theater in Clarkston, Michigan and Meadowbrook Music Festival in Rochester Hills, Michigan. PSE also owns and operates the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning and their home arena in Tampa Florida, the St. Pete Times Forum. PSE also has a majority ownership interest in the Asheville Tourists, a minor league baseball team in Asheville, North Carolina. The company runs over 200 sports, concerts and general entertainment events in its Michigan venues, with a fan attendance base exceeding 2 million per year.

Please define the project in general terms and how it aligns with the organization’s goals and aspirations.

The organization is well received in its target market and enjoys a market demographic that places it in the top echelon of NBA markets. Its sales efforts have evolved over its history from fairly traditional box office sales to multiple points of delivery – box office, direct sales, online, third party (Ticket Master) and other vehicles. The company has launched various initiatives to support this growth, including: · My Company Offer (“MCO”): Web – based program enabling companies to offer specially priced PSE ticket packages to employees as no-cost perks · Customer Relations Management (“CRM”) department – focused on analyzing multiple data sources to facilitate the organization’s sales initiatives and targeted selling. · Websites (“Web”): Three independent websites for Palace, Pistons and Shock, enabling two-way communications with fans with tie-ins for sales of tickets and merchandise.

These and other initiatives work in support of the organization’s sales and marketing teams, and the intention is that they mutually complement one another. But they are housed in departments separate from the sales and marketing groups (CRM and MCO in our Information Technology Department and websites in our Strategic Communications department). This requires careful coordination between groups and presents opportunities for conflict when department priorities diverge. At the same time, we are processing mass quantities of data related to sales, fan interests, merchandise trends etc. and work full-time to wrest meaning and useful analysis from this stream.

The company is interested in evaluating these resources to determine if we are making the best possible use of them as they are structured, and if we are organized to achieve maximum utility from their capabilities.

The MAP team is to make recommendations on the following:

Evaluate our current systems and reporting structures against current and future needs, keeping in mind what we know about our customer base, current programs and available technologies. Determine optimal approach to managing these marketing tools. If time permits, help us establish a strategic direction for one of our internal programs (CRM or website) going forward.

What resources/data will your company/organization provide to the student team to ensure project success?

· Ready access to company executives · Customer analyses · Surveys · Relevant league or entertainment industry data

Please describe your intended goals as well as expected outcomes from this project. Be specific.

· Complete operations analysis · Develop a strategic plan for the combined CRM, MCO and website functions, time permitting.

Please identify the type of project you are proposing. List more than one if applicable; if none of the following identifies your project adequately, please enter what best describes your project.

 Other

Comments: Operations/Organizational Structure/IT Business Strategy/Marketing

How much time do you anticipate the MAP team will be away from the Michigan campus throughout the 7-week period?

1 Weeks away from the Michigan campus

 This is a Local Project

If international travel is expected, please list the countries involved. na

Please add specific details of travel expectations. The MAP Team will drive to our offices in Auburn Hills, Michigan for project orientation the first week. Additional time spent onsite will be determined by the MAP Team and project liaison as the project unfolds and needs are determined for project success.

Local Contact: (If team is working at a remote location)

First Name: Last Name: Business Title: Street Address1: Street Address2: Country: Business Phone: Cell Phone: Email: U of M Graduate? U of M Degree: Year:

International Project Language Requirements:

languages: English

Local Language Skills Desired: Basic Conversation: Required:Y Fluent: 1 team member: More than 1 team member:

Employee policies and company confidentiality vary greatly among projects. Please identify the statement(s) below which describes your company’s best interests.  A student of any nationality may bid on this project  Students are required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement  Students who plan on a Summer internship with a competitor should not bid on this project

Please list your competitors below: Any NBA or WNBA team, or any local sports / entertainment enterprise (i.e. Ilitch Holdings, Detroit Lions)