Penn Athletics Selects Spectra by Comcast Spectacor to Provide Ticketing & Fan Engagement Services

PHILADELPHIA, PA--(Marketwired - Jun 21, 2016) - The University of Pennsylvania Athletic Department (Penn Athletics) has selected Spectra by Comcast Spectacor, the experts in hosting and entertainment, to provide Ticketing & Fan Engagement services. In this partnership, Penn Athletics will implement Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement's industry-leading ticketing, access management, Salesforce CRM and marketing services to drive revenue, enhance customer experiences, and increase fan engagement. Penn Athletics is the first Ivy League institution Spectra will provide with integrated services.

"Partnering with Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement is a great step forward for Penn Athletics as it provides us with the best-in-class ticketing and marketing services in college athletics," said Dr. M. Grace Calhoun, Director of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Pennsylvania. "Spectra has a major presence in the city of Philadelphia, and their integrated services will help us provide our fans with enhanced experiences, engagement and interactions with our athletic department."

Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement is the leading provider of ticketing, fundraising, marketing and analytics services in college athletics, powering 120 institutions throughout North America. With the addition of Penn Athletics, Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement now provides ticketing services for four of Philadelphia's Big 5 institutions, as Penn joins Temple University, Saint Joseph's University and Villanova University.

"We are thrilled to partner with the University of Pennsylvania and help enhance every fan experience with fan-friendly ticketing and marketing services," said Dave Butler, President and CEO of Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement. "Spectra has a major presence in Philadelphia across college athletics, pro sports and facilities, and we continue to be industry experts by providing our clients with innovative solutions and services that amplify the customer experience. We view The University of Pennsylvania as an incredibly prestigious school with an excellent reputation both academically and athletically that hosts world-class events, including the Penn Relays, making them a perfect partner for Spectra."

Spectra headquarters are located in Philadelphia at Comcast Spectacor's flagship arena, the Wells Fargo Center. The 20,000-seat arena is home to the Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia 76ers, and is consistently a top-10 venue in the U.S. Spectra is a major provider of sports and entertainment hospitality services throughout Philadelphia. One or more Spectra divisions (Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Ticketing & Fan Engagement) is at work supporting the city's major sports facilities and teams, including Wells Fargo Center, Flyers, 76ers, Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia Union and Talen Energy Stadium.

Penn Athletics is the home of a broad range of tremendous Division I college athletic traditions, including Penn Football, Penn Basketball and iconic Philadelphia sporting landmark facilities Franklin Field and The Palestra. The University is a world leader in innovation and technology across a broad range of industries and academic disciplines. In fact, the world's first computer, ENIAC, was built at The University of Pennsylvania launching innovation in computing technology world-wide.

Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement will provide Penn Athletics with its PAC Ticketing and PAC eCommerce services to implement an all-in-one eCommerce site at www.PennAthletics.com to efficiently sell tickets for its ticketed sports. Penn Athletics will also sell tickets for non-sports events held at Franklin Field and The Palestra, including the Penn Relays and various marquis events. The partnership will allow fans to purchase season ticket packages, mini plans, group tickets and student tickets, and manage their accounts online.

Penn Athletics will also implement PAC Access Management, Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement's digital ticketing service to provide fans with an enhanced event experience. The digital ticketing technology that powers access scanners will enable Quaker fans to have a more seamless experience entering venues at all ticketed events with the ability to bypass will call lines upon arrival with print-at-home tickets or mobile 2D barcode tickets. This also provides Penn Athletics with enhanced real-time attendance reports and information to better serve their customers.

"The customer experience is incredibly important to us, and we are excited to provide our fans with a best-of-breed platform that will improve their experience dramatically," said Roger Reina, Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs at the University of Pennsylvania. "The blending of technological innovation and tradition happen every day on Penn's campus, and we're delighted to bring these enhancements to our fans in The Palestra and Franklin Field."

Penn Athletics will implement Spectra's industry-specific implementation of Salesforce CRM, the No. 1 CRM provider worldwide, to have a 360-degree view of every customer. The platform enables staff to work hand-in-hand to manage all fan interactions with the ability to provide efficient and personalized customer service for ticket sales and renewal efforts, customer relationships, and retention efforts with minimal resources and maintenance. Salesforce CRM also provides real-time reports of sales activities and progress, accessible from any device at any time to help staff track relationships and better communicate with fans and donors.

Penn Athletics will also leverage Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement's email marketing solution PACmail to expand communications and broaden marketing efforts. Penn Athletics will have a robust and integrated platform to tailor marketing messages and campaigns, create segmented databases to instantly reach season ticket holders, fans and students to increase awareness of ticket sales, upcoming events, promotions and event information. The ability to segment messages to specific groups of fans and season ticket holders helps Penn Athletics provide a better customer experience and engagement by targeting customers based on preferences.

In addition to ticketing and marketing services, Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement will provide Penn Athletics with a dedicated Client Partner and eCommerce Operations Specialist as an extension of their staff to help optimize ticketing, marketing and eCommerce strategies, and implement industry best practices to help drive fan engagement and increase revenue.

Spectra is a major provider of sports and entertainment hospitality services in Pennsylvania. One or more Spectra divisions (Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Ticketing & Fan Engagement) are at work supporting 15 universities, venues, teams, and performing arts centers, including:

• University of Pennsylvania (Ticketing & Fan Engagement)
• Temple University (Venue Management, Ticketing & Fan Engagement)
• St. Joseph's University (Ticketing & Fan Engagement)
• Villanova University (Ticketing & Fan Engagement)
• Lehigh University (Ticketing & Fan Engagement)
• Wells Fargo Center (Venue Management, Ticketing & Fan Engagement)
• Philadelphia Flyers (Venue Management, Ticketing & Fan Engagement)
• Philadelphia 76ers (Venue Management, Ticketing & Fan Engagement)
• Philadelphia Soul (Venue Management, Ticketing & Fan Engagement)
• Philadelphia Union (Ticketing & Fan Engagement)
• Talen Energy Stadium (Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, Ticketing & Fan Engagement)
• Citizens Bank Park (Venue Management)
• XFINITY Live! Philadelphia (Venue Management, Food Service & Hospitality)
• Liacouras Center (Venue Management, Ticketing & Fan Engagement)
• Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University (Ticketing & Fan Engagement)

About Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement 
Spectra's Ticketing & Fan Engagement division is a leader in ticketing, fundraising, marketing, and analytics solutions with over 35 years of experience. Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement enables college athletic programs, arenas, professional sports, and performing arts clients to sell more than 120 million tickets per year.

About Spectra
Spectra by Comcast Spectacor is the expert in hosting and entertainment, partnering with over 300 clients at 400 global properties to create memorable experiences for millions of visitors every year. Spectra's expertise is embodied within three divisions: Venue Management (formerly Global Spectrum), Food Services & Hospitality (formerly Ovations Food Services) and Ticketing & Fan Engagement (formerly Paciolan). Learn more at SpectraExperiences.com.

Comcast Spectacor is part of Comcast Corporation, a Fortune 50 media and technology company that operates Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., in addition to Spectra, Comcast Spectacor owns and operates the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center venue. Visit us at ComcastSpectacor.com, PhiladelphiaFlyers.com and WellsFargoCenterPhilly.com for more information.

About Penn Athletics
The University of Pennsylvania's Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics (DRIA) oversees 33 varsity programs and nearly 40 club programs for its undergraduate population, and also services the University's recreational and intramural needs. Penn's varsity programs compete at the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Ivy League. Since the inception of the Ivy League, Penn has won 204 conference championships. In that same time, three Penn teams and 24 individuals have won NCAA championships.