ATLANTA, GA – University of Maine Athletics and Playfly Aspire have announced a multi-year sales, service, and consulting partnership. Playfly Aspire staff will maximize premium and general ticket revenue for the Black Bears while enriching the department’s philanthropic giving program through best-in-class relationship building.
Playfly Aspire’s award-winning Consulting & Analytics team will play a pivotal role in fan journey mapping and monetization related to Maine’s $170M athletics facilities master plan. Price sensitivity research, benchmarking, and dynamic modeling will ensure full venues and a healthy bottom line as Maine unveils renovations to Alfond Arena and later Morse Arena.
Playfly alumnus and 25 year industry veteran, Marcus Myrick (MLS, USL), will lead the dedicated on-site team in Orono. As Director of Sales & Service for Playfly Aspire’s National Sales Center from 2016-2019, Myrick oversaw an Atlanta-based sales team responsible for the NFL Pro Bowl, the US Open (Tennis), Major League Lacrosse, and multiple NCAA properties. Playfly Group Vice President, Justin Morelli, will oversee the partnership as a whole, delivering the Playfly Aspire difference through industry best practice sharing and coordination of support via in-house resources and strategic vendor partnerships.
University of Maine Director of Athletics, Jude Killy, on his trust in Playfly Aspire:
“Playfly’s attention to detail, people-first approach, and record of results make them a valuable addition to the Maine athletics team. We are excited to have them as partners, and for us to work together seamlessly in ways that maximize our revenue opportunities and fan experiences.”
Chad Cardinal, Senior Vice President and Head of Playfly Aspire Properties, expressed enthusiasm on serving the Black Bears:
“We are thrilled to bring best practices, a data-driven approach, and fan research and pricing capabilities to Black Bear Nation. With a proven leader in Marcus on site and a transformational capital project underway, we are confident in our ability to make an impact growing fan relationships, ticket revenue, and donations. It’s an important time for Maine athletics, and we are excited to get to work.”
About Maine Athletics
Maine Athletics is home to eight men’s programs and nine women’s programs. The Black Bears compete in three major conferences; America East, Hockey East, and the Coastal Athletic Association (football). In total, UMaine has won three National Championships and has more than 940 champions, including nearly 200 All-Americans and more than 550 all-conference performers. In addition, student-athletes have earned a 3.0 grade point average for nearly 20 straight years (40 semesters), dating back to the turn of the century. As the state’s only Division I program, Maine Athletics is committed to developing high-character champions filled with pride and integrity who are dedicated to excellence in the classroom and in competition. Maine Athletics strives to unite their community by mirroring the state’s deep-rooted commitment to perseverance, hard work and meaningful impact in all of its endeavors. By intentionally fostering a diverse, welcoming environment, Black Bear athletics is dedicated to equipping the next generation of leaders for success after sport.
About Playfly Aspire
Playfly Aspire is an award-winning revenue generation partner, recognized as a top employer in the sports industry by Forbes and Front Office Sports. Renowned for innovative consulting, sales, and partnership services, Playfly Aspire pioneered the outsourced ticket sales niche, revolutionizing with its first Fan Relationship Management Center (FRMC) at Georgia Tech in 2009. Over the past 15 years, more than 300 collegiate and professional sports properties have trusted Playfly Aspire to drive revenue, attendance, and enterprise-value growth through strategic consulting and research, sales and service training, and best-in-industry fan relationship management.
For more information about Playfly Aspire, visit: www.playflyaspire.com and follow us on all our social media channels, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
For project and partnership inquiries, contact:
Joe Kronander at joe.kronander@playfly.com
