Using a Sport Event within Coordinated Destination Marketing: A Case History of the New Mexico Bowl

Abstract

Sports events are important tools in the marketing of destinations. Events attract outsiders who provide economic impact. They also attract media attention that allows for a place to be seen in a favorable light as well as help position a city as a tourist destination for the event and in the succeeding years. The purpose of this case study is to provide information and examples of cooperative marketing efforts by various destination marketing stakeholders within a community, based upon the development of an American college football bowl game. Included will be a brief discussion of the creation of the game as a place marketing tool, development of outside activities that are designed to add to the value perceived by visitors, and techniques used to encourage involvement by the various stakeholders in the local hospitality industry. 1 Barnes and Ballou: Case Study: New Mexico Bowl Published by Digital Commons @ Kent State University Libraries, 2014 Barnes & Ballou 103 Teaching Notes Theoretical Areas and Applicable Courses The theoretical areas that coincide with this case study are related to place marketing. Place marketing, or place branding is ever-increasing in importance as competition between cities luring event producers has never been higher. With that, Destination Marketing Organizations are using sports events as a way to appeal and attract out-of-town travelers. The term, ‘place’ may refer to a mechanism of distribution and also a physical location, such as a destination city or region (Schneider & Bradish, 2006). As such, place marketing may be considered advertising and promotions that creates a positive place image, develops attractions for tourists, and improves infrastructure and quality of life within a community (Malecki, 2004). More specifically, if we are marketing a place as a tourist destination, place marketing and destination marketing are interchangeable terms and the strategies used to attract visitors are the same. This case study is applicable to several departments on a campus. It would be beneficial to sports administration, hospitality management, and marketing programs campus-wide. Specific to sports administration, it would be part of curriculum in sports marketing courses, especially when dealing with destination marketing brand image, and how that image is used to attract visitors and worldwide media exposure through broadcast events. It would also fit well in a sports finance course and should be introduced in topical areas such as economic impact, public vs. private sector spending, using facilities to attract new customers, and the role a short-term event can play in increasing direct spending, and where those dollars are being spent. The New Mexico Bowl case study could also be used in an event management class in facilitation discussions, and how representatives from several different local organizations came together to produce this game from the start. Dialogue pertaining to getting buy-in from the city, state, university, local media, local ticket-buying audience should be represented and role playing 2 The Journal of SPORT, Vol. 3 [2014], Iss. 1, Art. 5 http://digitalcommons.kent.edu/sport/vol3/iss1/5 Case Study: New Mexico Bowl 104 exercises could be done using this case study going back to when the game was just an idea and taking into account all the different attitudes that had to be brought together, discussed, and accepted before the decision was rendered on whether to move forward with