whitecapssoccer.com introduces "Surfside Chats". Each week we’ll go one-on-one with your favorite Whitecaps and Breakers stars, youth players, as well as coaches, management and more! We’ll bring you the inside news and views.
This week lets go "Surfside with Rick Ramsbottom" – Feb 15, 2003
Rick Ramsbottom is the Whitecaps new Director of Sales and Marketing. He joined the Whitecaps after 7 years as Manager, of Sales and Marketing for Orca Bay and the Vancouver Canucks. whitecapssoccer.com talks with Rick on the huge success of the Whitecaps Season Ticket/Man United promotion, and what other plans he has for the upcoming season.
[whitecapssoccer.com] - Why would you leave a high profile position with Orca Bay and the Canucks to come to the Whitecaps?
[Ramsbottom] - Good question. It was very difficult to leave the Canucks organization, especially with the team performing as well as they have this season. However, the opportunity of growing the Whitecaps and Breakers into a premier small-sports franchise was very intriguing. The vision of new owner Greg Kerfoot is very exciting, and it was something I wanted to be a part of.
[whitecapssoccer.com] - As part of Orca Bay were you also involved in the marketing of the Vancouver Grizzlies? What was that like?
[Ramsbottom] - Yes, I was involved with marketing the Grizzlies. It was an interesting time, and very challenging from a sales standpoint. We did try a number of creative things, but at the end of the day, the product on the court just didn't progress as we all hoped it would. It was very disappointing when the franchise left for Memphis.
[whitecapssoccer.com] - The Whitecaps have never had a Director of Sales and Marketing. What things will you bring to the club?
[Ramsbottom] - Many of the challenges the franchise has faced in the past is due to the lack of resources in the sales and marketing area. I hope that I can bring some stability and structure to the team's activities, as well as create a long-term plan for success.
[whitecapssoccer.com] - How would you compare your job at Orca Bay and your job now? What challenges do you face, and what opportunities do you see?
[Ramsbottom] - My new job with the Whitecaps covers many more areas than my position with Orca Bay. At Orca Bay, my primary responsibility was to help fill GM Place every night. With the Whitecaps, I am responsible for not only ticket sales, but also sponsorship and merchandise sales. There are a number of challenges ahead of us, but for me, the challenges are also great opportunities. Soccer is so popular in British Columbia, and I see no reason why this franchise can't be extremely successful, both on and off the field.
[whitecapssoccer.com] - Your first Ticket promotion is a big one. You have an EXCLUSIVE agreement with the Manchester / Celtic game organizers (Champions World) to sell tickets. How does this work?
[Ramsbottom] - Yes, thanks to the support of Champions World, we were able to secure the exclusive pre-purchase rights for British Columbia for the July 22nd match in Seattle featuring Manchester United and Celtic. If soccer fans want to guarantee their tickets before they go on sale to the public on March 15th, the only way to do it is with the purchase of Whitecaps Season Tickets. If you love soccer, don't miss this great opportunity!
[whitecapssoccer.com] What advantage does it give Whitecaps fans?
[Ramsbottom] - We were very pleased to be able to secure this opportunity for our Season Ticket Holders. It was important to us to provide our most loyal customers with great value for their purchase.
[whitecapssoccer.com] The promotion seems to be a huge success. Tell us the results to date?
[Ramsbottom] - It's exciting to see the response we've had to this promotion. We've already sold in excess of 350 NEW season tickets for the upcoming season and we're just getting started.
[whitecapssoccer.com] - If the success of the program continues, is there a danger of the offer selling out?
[Ramsbottom] - We do have a finite number of tickets for this game, so if sales continue at the rate we've seen over the first week of the promotion, that could happen. I'd encourage soccer fans to get their Whitecaps season tickets now to ensure their tickets for the Man U/Celtic game, as well as to guarantee the best available seats at Swangard Stadium.
[whitecapssoccer.com] - Youth Soccer is a huge Market for the Club. What programs do you have in place for youth soccer?
[Ramsbottom] - Youth soccer is very important to us. We were very pleased to launch a new program for this season that allows youth soccer clubs to fundraise using Whitecaps tickets. We have set aside 1,500 tickets for each game in support of this program. Clubs can purchase these tickets at 50% off, sell them at full face value, then keep the difference for their fundraising efforts. We've also added some great benefits for participating clubs at the stadium. The program is off to a great start, and 3 of our games are already close to selling out of available fundraising tickets.
[whitecapssoccer.com] - The Club has brought in John Mitchell as director of game-day operations. Mitchell was instrumental in the success of the inaugural FIFA under-19 Women's World Cup tournament here last year. What can the fans expect on game days?
[Ramsbottom] - John is a great guy, and he's going to put on a real show for our fans. Soccer will always be the main focus, but the entertainment surrounding the game will create a better overall experience for all our fans.
[whitecapssoccer.com] - What's been one of the most memorable and successful promotions you had during your time with Orca Bay and the Canucks?
[Ramsbottom] - We tried a number of different promotions...especially on the Grizzlies side. One that comes to mind is our 101 Points for Pasta promotion. If the Grizzlies won, and scored 101 points or more, all fans could redeem their tickets for a free pasta dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory. Unfortunately for everyone, Old Spaghetti Factory didn't have to give away a lot of pasta.
