Sports venues stir nostalgia

FIELD OF DREAMS: Cox Business Director of Sales Steve Hughes is ready for action in the infield during a recent company outing at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
FIELD OF DREAMS: Cox Business Director of Sales Steve Hughes is ready for action in the infield during a recent company outing at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Ross L. Nelson says the key to a successful corporate outing is to make it unique.

“If it’s something people don’t normally get to do, that makes it special,” he said.

That’s why Nelson, vice president of West Warwick-based Cox Business, a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., says he tries each year to find new, exciting and inexpensive venues for his team at the telecommunications business to come together for meetings outside of the workplace where they can blow off steam.

McCoy Stadium, home to the Pawtucket Red Sox, and other sporting venues in the region, can be counted on to provide those valuable experiences, he says.

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This month, Nelson was slated to go with about 75 employees to hold meetings, have a BBQ and take live batting practice at the Triple-A Boston Red Sox affiliate’s home field in Pawtucket. This would be the third company excursion to the stadium.

“I think it’s a unique venue because growing up in Rhode Island and going to games, you never got onto the field,” Nelson said. “And for people who like to play [baseball], you get this chance to hit a home run, but quickly find out that it’s hard to get it out of the infield.”

Corporate outings, if done well, have the potential to boost company morale, increase productivity and build comradery between employees, so it’s hardly surprising businesses would turn to sporting venues, where these ideals are synonymous with team-building, according to PawSox Vice President of Marketing Michael L. Gwynn.

“Having great comradery at the end of the day can really tie the bow on a productive meeting,” Gwynn said.

Sporting venues, such as McCoy Stadium and the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, home to the Providence Bruins, or “P-Bruins,” are always looking for new ways to grow annual revenue, and hosting corporate outings and events certainly helps.

The PawSox, for instance, have been developing their in-season corporate events since 1973, according to Gwynn. Nowadays, businesses can watch games from hospitality suites at the ground level near home plate for about $1,025 to $1,350, or at the BBQ and party-tent area along the right-field foul line with all-you-can-eat buffets starting at $29 per person.

The PawSox ownership group has been eyeing a move to build a new stadium in Providence. Hosting corporate events is one solution offered up for how the ballpark would remain profitable at times during the year when no games are being played. The proposed move thus far, however, has been met with public skepticism.

The P-Bruins, who hold their games at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in downtown Providence, also offer corporate-outings packages during the season with savings of up to 50 percent on tickets, according to their website. Visiting companies get recognized on the center-ice scoreboard. A team representative could not be immediately reached for comment.

Rhode Island’s newest semi-professional sports team, The Providence Sky Chiefs, is seeking increased corporate opportunities for its upcoming 2015-16 season. The team, in its inaugural season competing in the American Basketball Association, finished the season ranked No. 4 overall in the 76-team league, according to its website.

The team is in the process of building its fan base and finalizing a home court for the upcoming season, which would be followed by various ticket packages, according to Vice President of Communications Deb Weinreich.

“We’d like to increase and enhance our partnership in the community and the corporate world as we continue to grow,” she said.

According to a recent study headed by Seungwon “Shawn” Lee, assistant professor of tourism and event management at George Mason University, group meetings at sport venues are advantageous for a number of reasons, including stadium accessibility, on-site amenities and an ability to “tap into personal identity and nostalgia.”

The study suggests that being at a sporting event or a sports venue can subconsciously push clients, or colleagues, into childhood memories, which makes the venues a “unique experience.”

Gwynn says the PawSox a few years ago started hosting off-season services, so businesses, such as Cox, could come in and use McCoy for daylong meetings or to help boost morale.

The number of interested companies is growing steadily, Gwynn said, who adds that the live-batting practice is a real hit.

“Everyone is rooting for you to get a hit and men and women alike get up at the plate – it adds to the overall enjoyment,” he said. •

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