Easton Area School District Online Athletic Ticketing Program Evaluation by Matthew Baltz

Additional Resources - A Look at EastonRoverTickets.com

baltzm — 2014-10-28 01:16:20 UTC

In 2011, the Easton Area School District partnered with University Tickets and began the transition from exclusive in-person athletic ticket sales, to offering online season ticket sales and the opportunity to purchase single-game tickets online as well.

Additional Resources - Easton Area School District Athletics

baltzm — 2014-10-28 01:23:11 UTC

The EASD has a strong tradition of athletic programs and exceptional community support for student-athletes. Traditionally EASD Athletic Office sells over 1000+ season tickets each for football and wrestling. Season tickets are also available for boys and girls basketball. Over 16,000 people annually attend the Thanksgiving Day football game versus Phillipsburg, NJ (Pokrivsak).

Additional Resources - Why Change Ticketing Procedures?

baltzm — 2014-10-28 01:30:21 UTC

Exceptional fan support and demand for tickets, makes the process very time-consuming. The online ticket sales program set out to eliminate the "middle-man" in an effort to create a more convenient process for the consumer and a more efficient process for the Athletic Department. Three years after the program was implemented, the question still remains if the program is meeting its stated goals.

Key Evaluation Questions

baltzm — 2014-10-28 01:52:41 UTC

1. What is the relationship between tickets sold online and tickets sold in-person since the implementation of the program?

2. To what extent has there been an increase in online ticket sales since the implementation of the new program?

3. Do spectators perceive the move to online ticket sales as a positive step towards user-friendliness, efficiency, effectiveness, and convenience within the ticket sales process?

4. Do staff members perceive the move to online ticket sales as a positive step towards grater efficiency and effectiveness within the Athletic Department?

Brief Introduction

baltzm — 2014-10-28 02:01:00 UTC

In recent years, economic downturns and technological advancements have caused every facet of American public education to evaluate their procedures and determine if there is a more efficient or cost-effective way of completing the same tasks. As reported in 2011 in the Sport Management International Journal, athletic departments are facing budgetary challenges and pressures as a result of reduced funding, Title IX requirements, and other factors, and as a result, athletic directors are looking for new and different means for generating revenue (Pierce). This demand for new and more efficient ways of doing business arrived at the doorstep of the Easton Area School District Athletic Department in the spring of 2011 as they began a program to offer online ticket sales to athletic events. The program has continued, virtually unchanged, and without formal assessment since then. This evaluation will seek to assess the program in two capacities. First, has the program proved to be an effective way to sell tickets? Secondly, has the program increased convenience and efficiency amongst separate groups of stakeholders? In this padlet, you will find a key evaluation questions, detailed data collection methods, and the identification of all significant stakeholders. You will also find rationale for conducting theevaluation and key evaluation questions and concerns.

Data Collection & Analysis Strategies

baltzm — 2014-10-29 17:51:54 UTC

This evaluation will use multiple data collection strategies to answer the key evaluation questions. In this section, each question will be addressed, along with the data collection methods selected to answer that particular question.

1. Analysis of Records and Existing Databases

A thorough analysis of athletic department records since 2011 will indicate how many tickets have been sold annually online versus in person. This analysis will also indicate what, if any, increase in online ticket sales has taken plan since the program began.

2. Stakeholder Surveys

Through the creation, distribution, and analysis of two similar, yet differently focused surveys, this evaluation will be able to address key evaluation questions pertaining to the experiences both spectators and staff have had with the online ticketing program.

To address the relationship between tickets sold online and tickets sold in-person since the implementation of the program, this evaluation will analyze archival data provided by the Easton Area School District Athletic Department. Advantages to using archival data include its cost-effective nature and ability to provide easily collectible quantitative data with historical context. This data will be records and existing databases providing a glimpse into the ticket sales records kept over the past 4 years. The same data source and collection method will be utilized to address the second key question regarding the extent to which there has been an increase in online ticket sales since the implementation of the program.

A second data collection method, a survey, will be used to evaluate stakeholders’ experiences with the program, answering the third and fourth evaluation questions. The advantages to using a survey include the inexpensive nature of the survey, increased comfort level of respondents, and the ability to question all respondents in the same manner. These questions will address the experience of staff and spectators during the ticket sales process. The survey will ask questions to determine stakeholders’ feelings on the user-friendliness, efficiency, and convenience of the program.

Program Evaluation Concerns

baltzm — 2014-10-29 17:54:32 UTC

1. Response Error

Will employees of the district provide truthful responses related to their opinion on the program?

2. Data reliability

Will the data provided by the district include reliable, accurate records of ticket sales?

Evaluation Purpose and Relevance

baltzm — 2014-10-29 19:03:20 UTC

Since its implementation in the fall of 2011, the Easton Area School District Online Athletic Ticketing Program has operated without change or evaluation. The program fundamentally altered the manner in which the athletic department did business by adopting the use of modern technology to assit with the typical tasks associated with ticket sales, distribution, and event management. Considering the scope of the change, the ongoing financial investment associated with the program, and the continued state of fiscal crisis the Easton Area School District is in, it is important to analyze and evaluate each investment, procedure, and revenue producing arm of the district. This evaluation will attempt to answer a number of key evaluation questions, but ultimately hopes to determine the effectiveness of the program and whether or not it can be considered a worthwhile investment.

EASD Online Athletic Ticketing Program Logic Model

baltzm — 2014-10-30 13:00:24 UTC

Audio Overview of EASD Online Athletic Ticketing Program Padlet Wall

baltzm — 2014-10-30 16:53:20 UTC

Sample Survey - Draft

baltzm — 2014-11-07 17:50:33 UTC

Cindy Rote

crote6 — 2014-11-08 09:09:25 UTC

Here is my feedback via vacaroo.

Andrea's comments:

2014-11-08 14:35:46 UTC

Good morning, Matt, I liked all of the detail reading through your padlet wall. My understanding of padlet is that it's purpose is to show more of a visually pleasing idea of the project at hand. While I love all of the detail and explanation I think you need to cut down on the paragraph structure. It should read more as bullet points rather than a paragraph. I really liked the final three posts it lent itself really well to understanding your project. So, other than my one suggestion I really like your wall. Great job!