Mary Heath | International Tennis Hall of Fame, chief marketing officer
Mary Heath once worked with professional tennis legend Billie Jean King, helping to run the World Team Tennis league out of an office in Chicago.
Before that it was Boston, making sure pro tennis tournaments across the region ran smoothly. She ran her own sports and entertainment marketing company here in Rhode Island from 1999 to 2008, working on the CVS Health Charity Classic and other events.
And in her off time? You guessed it – she plays tennis.
Heath joined the International Tennis Hall of Fame and its museum as chief marketing officer in 2009. She says she wanted more in Rhode Island than just a weeklong tennis tournament and knew that the year-round museum represented value that could be expanded and spur revenue.
So she set to work.
“I know how loyal people are to the sport. I like what the sport represents; I want to be in front of them,” she said.
Heath’s passion for sports and expertise in event planning, securing sponsorships and increasing revenue have become a perfect storm of success for the hall of fame and its museum. And it happened in the crowded field of sports marketing, of all places.
“Her incredibly strong resume took them to another level in a very competitive arena,” said Evan Smith, president and CEO of Discover Newport, who collaborates with Heath in promoting year-round state attractions.
He said Heath sets high standards for herself in her work.
For instance, when it comes to securing sponsors, Smith said it’s more than just racking up random backers. Heath wants the arrangement to help both sides, and works to ensure sponsors are a good match with the hall of fame, brokering mutually beneficial partnerships. “She personally wants that success factor,” he said.
Sponsor Dell Technologies (formerly EMC) is a perfect example of a creative sponsorship made in heaven. “We tied their story in with ours,” said Heath. As title sponsor of the hall of fame’s yearly ATP World Tour tournament, Dell’s name will be on products seen all over the globe. A new logo was designed, with both companies represented, said Heath.
As part of the arrangement, Dell will offer technology solutions to help the hall of fame communicate its legacy in the modern day: creating a digital archive for the museum. The photos, videos and images of artifacts can then be shared with tennis fans around the world.
Heath, now heading a team of six, is not afraid to aim high, and this determination produces results.
Between 2010 and 2015, sponsorship revenue doubled, with six-figure partnerships that include Rolex, Kia Motors, AARP and Fila. She launched a rebranding campaign and new website. Since 2009, her office has increased revenue from professional ticket sales by 25 percent. In that same time, social media went from 3,000 to 80,000 followers.
Heath has overseen the biggest hall of fame fundraiser – the Legends Ball in New York City – creating a red-carpet event during the U.S. Open and increasing fundraising from $350,000 to $580,000.
“Mary is the same individual on the court and off the court, the same tenacious person. That is just her DNA,” said Smith.
Not afraid of competition, the International Tennis Hall of Fame has also gone after the events market more than ever before. Heath said that instead of relying on inbound traffic, where people call and inquire about weddings, for example, she and her team created an outbound strategy to more aggressively market the hall of fame as a venue. They tout off-site corporate meetings with a museum scavenger hunt, for example.
“We want to be a marketing partner for the state, that’s what we want to do,” said Heath. “The museum, redone two years ago, is a world-class museum. We need to get out more and show them the gem we have here.”
