Travel Agent....

THE BOYS OF SPRING:

SELLING BASEBALL'S SPRING TRAINING

Superstar hitters and pitchers aren't the only ones who can make big money during spring training. Savvy agents are also using this rite of renewal as a time to book baseball fanatic clients to Florida.

Since 1888, many major league clubs have made Florida their spring home away from home. In the past ten years, many fans have made spring training an annual baseball vacation. It's an easy sale for many agents.

AGENT ECONOMICS

The most recent study of spring training in Florida shows that the teams and fans generated more than $300 million for the Florida economy, with an average of some $16.5 million per team. The 378,000 full- and part-time jobs associated with spring training represent $3.1 billion in income to Florida employees. Fans pay over $16 million in state and local sales-related taxes. It's no wonder that spring training is big business for everyone, including travel agents.

Ron Safford, director of sports development for the state, says, "Booking client trips to spring training can mean big bucks for travel agents. We've had 20% attendance increases since 1987 and more than 60% of those fans come from outside Florida."

Those out-of-state visitors should be targeted by agents. The typical spring training fan is over 55, spends 23 nights in Florida, and spends more than $150 each day of a spring training trip. The average out-of-state fan will attend at least seven spring training games during a trip to Florida.

BACKGROUND

The Florida Grapefruit League is made up of eighteen teams and will increase to twenty after expansion. Stadiums are located in: Dunedin (Toronto Blue Jays); Clearwater (Philadelphia Phillies); St. Petersburg (St. Louis Cardinals); Lakeland (Detroit Tigers); Plant City (Cincinnati Reds); Winter Haven (Boston Red Sox); Haines City (Kansas City Royals); Kissimmee (Houston Astros); Ft. Meyers (Minnesota Twins); Bradenton (Pittsburgh Pirates); Sarasota (Chicago White Sox); Port Charlotte (Texas Rangers); Vero Beach (Los Angeles Dodgers); Port St. Lucie (New York Mets); West Palm Beach (Montreal Expos and Atlanta Braves); Ft. Lauderdale (New York Yankees); and St. Petersburg (Baltimore Orioles).

Most teams start their training in February and the exhibition games begin in early-March. Games are generally scheduled until early-April, when the teams begin to head north for the regular season. Most travel agents have found that fans like to book their spring training trips in late-March, when most of the regulars are playing.

The best bases for operation are around Tampa, Orlando, or West Palm Beach. USAir offers the most frequent flights into all three cities, while other major carriers serving the state include American, Pan Am, Delta, TWA, and Northwest.

Once there, many stadiums are close together, so a fan can catch at least one game a day. Agents should recommend and book hotel reservations and car rentals.

In contrast to the 80s, tickets can sometimes be hard to procure. It is imperative that agents help clients with ticket arrangements. This can often be done by mail or phone, but it's best to call ahead for availability.

All of the stadiums are smaller than their major league counterparts, allowing baseball fans incredible intimacy, enjoyment, and autograph opportunities. The experience is unlike any regular season game and attracts many annual addicts.

There are two books (see "Resources") that can help agents understand and sell spring training, as well as make perfect gifts. Both books review spring training trips on a team-by-team basis and cover transportation, tickets, accommodations, food, and much more. The price of the books will surely be recouped with spring training commissions.

SOME SPRING TRAINING SALES TIPS

Selling spring training is simply a matter of finding baseball fans with the money and time to spend pursuing their passion. There are many ways to find these fanatics.

Travel agents can contact local major league affiliates to see how they can work together. These contacts can be a major league team, like the hot Atlanta Braves, or one of their minor league clubs, like the Richmond Braves, Greenville Braves, Pulaski Braves, and the Sumter Braves. All 26 major league teams offer these important contact opportunities for agents.

Contacting these local clubs could result in a mailing list of season ticket holders and other fans. It could also lead to package opportunities for agents. For instance, a local agency in Richmond, Virginia has worked for several years with the Richmond Braves. They prepare a mailing to Richmond Braves fans promoting a package to West Palm Beach, including commissionable airfare, accommodations, car rental, tickets, and many other options. With the Braves' success in '91, this package is bound to be successful this spring. Many tour operators are also beginning to push these packages.

There are other ways to contact baseball fans who might be interested in Florida spring training. Local little league teams may be interested in organizing trips. Baseball card collecting is booming and collectors would be very interested in the comparative ease of getting autographs at spring training.

Though many clients will go to Florida specifically for baseball, others may combine it with other Florida vacation options. Fathers may be interested in Orlando's baseball options, but the rest of the family can enjoy Walt Disney World. For others, the lure of the beach may be as strong as the crack of the bat. In any case, these options can result in even bigger bookings for cross-selling agents.

Becoming a baseball expert will lead to many bookings. Spring training is just the start of a long season and there are many other trips where baseball can make the sale. "Dream Weeks" and baseball cruises are now quite popular with loyal fans. By the time the World Series ends in October, smart agents will already be booking spring training trips again.

RESOURCES

--Florida Sports Development Office, 904-488-8347.

Teams:

--Atlanta Braves, West Palm Beach, 407-683-6100.

--Baltimore Orioles, Sarasota, 813-365-0753.

--Boston Red Sox, Winter Haven, 813-293-2900.

--Chicago White Sox, Sarasota, 813-953-3388.

--Cincinnati Reds, Plant City, 813-752-7337.

--Detroit Tigers, Lakeland, 813-682-1401.

--Houston Astros, Kissimmee, 407-933-5500.

--Kansas City Royals, Haines City, 813-424-7115.

--Los Angeles Dodgers, Vero Beach, 407-569-4900.

--Minnesota Twins, Ft. Meyers, 800-28-TWINS.

--Montreal Expos, West Palm Beach, 407-684-6801.

--New York Mets, Port St. Lucie, 407-879-7378.

--New York Yankees, Ft. Lauderdale, 305-776-1921.

--Philadelphia Phillies, Clearwater, 813-442-8496.

--Pittsburgh Pirates, Bradenton, 813-747-3031.

--St. Louis Cardinals, St. Petersburg, 813-896-4641.

--Texas Rangers, Port Charlotte, 813-625-9500.

--Toronto Blue Jays, Dunedin, 813-733-0429.

Books:

--The Baseball Fan's Guide to Spring Training, Mike Shatzkin and Jim Charlton, Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1 Jacob Way, Reading, MA 01867, 800-447-2226 or 617-944-3700.

--The Traveler's Guide to Baseball Spring Training, John Garrity, Andrews and McMeel, 4900 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64112, 816-932-6700.