2 min read April 2023 — In an interview with Invest:, Garth Lagerwey, president and CEO of Atlanta United, talked about the demand on the sports industry to be more involved in community efforts, incorporation of technology to enhance the fans’ experiences and why a diversification of the ticket offerings has become essential.
What are some of the key priorities for the team in 2023?
Atlanta is a remarkably diverse environment, and the demographics of our fan base reflects this as they are diverse, young, and tech savvy. Moreover, we try to be in touch with the community as we strive to make Atlanta the hub of soccer in North America. On a micro-level we have set up free youth soccer programming through the Atlanta United Community Fund where we’re getting into underprivileged communities and providing opportunities for youngsters to learn about soccer. Speaking more on a macro-level, we would be very enthusiastic if U.S Soccer was to relocate to Atlanta, which we’ve been reported to be a leading candidate for. In addition, there are marquee soccer tournaments, both at the club and international levels, that are coming to the United States in the lead-up to the World Cup in 2026. We want Atlanta to be a leading candidate for these matches because Mercedes-Benz Stadium is an incredible asset and one of the best stadiums in the world for any sport. Then come 2026 when we host the World Cup, we could have as many as half a dozen games here in Atlanta. If you look at the evolution of the city and go back 30 years to the Olympics in 1996, that’s what started the increased immigration into Atlanta from all over the world. The airport is the crown jewel of the city, so we have great synergies in place to make Atlanta a global city. We want to be strategic with our investments given the incredible rapid fan base, which is the biggest in Major League Soccer (MLS). We want to make sure that we’re thoughtful and strategic about how we deploy the fans’ hard-earned money and reinvest it into the team.
How does Atlanta United act as an economic engine for the Atlanta region?
If you look at the numbers of people that attend our matches, we average about 50,000 fans per game annually, and then multiply that by 18 to 20 games a year, you arguably have more people watching Atlanta United than any other team in the Atlanta market. In economic terms, this means that you’re driving people downtown and creating jobs. From concessions, to parking, to retail around the stadium, all of this feeds the economic engine of the region. Additionally, Mercedes-Benz Stadium itself is such a wonderful entity for the area. Outside of soccer and the NFL, people can come back for a concert, for a college football game, and more. So it really is a resource for the community.
How have ticket sales and event attendance for live events changed in the post-pandemic environment?
Ticket sales have essentially recovered, but what we’re seeing is that ticket buyers have been waiting closer to the show before purchasing, which directly impacts a season-long membership commitment. Also, throughout the industry, until this year, you’re seeing lower show rates as people are tentatively coming and bringing their family to fill in every seat. We are very encouraged through the first part of our season, as we’ve been seeing people start to come back and enjoy life again that may have been negatively impacted by the pandemic or changed habits. This time has challenged us to be more creative in developing ticketing products, from the classic single match purchase and season ticket plan to premium suites and five match plans. We are always looking to diversify our offerings that might be able to drive engagement while providing another avenue for business development. One example that we now offer is a College Pass program targeting students locally allowing them to lock in last-minute tickets at a low cost. It allows them to sit in our supporters’ section for a match, join in our celebration, and we’ve seen an enthusiastic uptick of that type of ticket.
What challenges is the team facing regarding business development and operations, and how are you navigating those?
In the modern world you just have more choices. For example, for the last 50 years if you wanted to watch your sports team play you could just buy a season ticket and that’s it. You didn’t have a lot of choices, but now all of us have become accustomed to a la carte experiences. Similarly, the whole sports industry is working through that a little bit, thus we must continue to innovate and adapt and make sure that we’re giving our season ticket members real value. For example, for our season ticket members we used to send them a gift every year, but now we let them select for themselves what they want from a range of items. Additionally, from a technological perspective, we’re working on an Express Entry system that will allow you to leave your car and walk to your seat in the stadium without ever taking out a ticket or your wallet. Our goal is that this innovative entry process will reduce ingress time, improve operational efficiency, and heighten the experience of our fans and guests in the stadium.
What are some other challenges and hurdles that the sport industry in general is facing?
Other than the changing buying habits, the other big topic is that people expect sports franchises to be good citizens. It’s incumbent upon us to be involved in the community and not just have a transactional relationship. For example, we are engaged in a project called GA 100, in which we aim to build a hundred soccer fields through the Atlanta United Community Fund, and we are trying to build those fields in underprivileged communities to make soccer accessible to more kids. In the long term, we’re building some of our fan base, but the broader aim of this community involvement is to get kids into sports because there are extensive studies showing that kids that play sports have much better outcomes in life. And, again, you see fans spend a lot of their hard-earned money on us, so they want to be represented appropriately.
What would you say about the growing popularity and the impact of MLS in the region?
The engagement that you have in Atlanta is amazing, and this was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up to come here. Soccer has grown across all fronts. The World Cup was this past winter and the U.S men’s team played well, which was a great advertisement for the sport itself. In Atlanta, we have Mercedes-Benz Stadium and an amazing facility in the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground as well, which makes it easy to recruit and appreciate how great of an opportunity we have in terms of setting ourselves up for long-term success.
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