Sports MBA Students Provide Analytics Consulting for Farmers Insurance Open
SMBA '22 at the Farmers Insurance Open in January
A highlight of the Spring term for the Sports MBA Class of 2022 was its semester-long consulting project for The Century Club of San Diego, operators of San Diego’s annual PGA TOUR event, the Farmers Insurance Open.
In January, SDSU Sports MBA students assisted on-site at Torrey Pines with event operations throughout the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open (FIO). This is a longstanding SDSU Sports MBA tradition, with classes taking a break every January to afford students the opportunity to gain hands-on event experience at the tournament.
This year, though, in addition to their operational responsibilities with the event, students collected survey responses from spectators and gathered post-event ticketing and concessions data to analyze as part of an analytics course taught by Dr. Bruce Reinig. This project-based learning experience ran concurrently with the Sports MBA program’s Statistics course, helping students apply their classroom learning to real world issues. The students in SMBA ‘22 were assigned various verticals to study related to creating a better experience for FIO guests and volunteers at future events.
Armed with data collected at the 2022 event related to concessions purchases, entrance/exit traffic, fan experience, and corporate hospitality, students conducted thorough analyses of event elements that impact both fans and volunteers. Post-event, the Century Club provided data related to concessions consumption patterns, demographics of ticket buyers, website traffic, and customer satisfaction.
The Century Club of San Diego fully supported the project, with tournament CEO Marty Gorsich and EVP of Communications and Community Affairs, Jennifer Cota, frequently meeting with students to provide resources, assistance, and support for the student projects. Throughout the semester, students met with the client, learned how to apply statistical tools, and evaluated business processes of the event. In addition to client-facing meetings, SDSU Sports MBA alumni Mandy Chatigny (SMBA ‘17) and Kyle Robb (SMBA ‘20) worked alongside students to assist them with their research.
From left to right, Sirena Lopez, Astrid Enciso, and Saif Pirani presenting to The Century Club of San Diego
The MBA students worked on pricing strategies for ticket packages and hospitality, explored the data related to the new ULTRA Pass ticket, optimized volunteer personnel management, and reviewed marketing analytics from social media and website traffic. In April, the entire Century Club staff joined students on campus for final presentations in which teams of Sports MBA students displayed the results of their research and offered strategic recommendations to the client.
“We were excited to expand our relationship with the Sports MBA program with the incorporation into Dr. Reinig’s class,” said Cota. “With the transition to digital ticketing and access to data we’ve never had before, having the class work hand-in-hand with our entire nine-person team was critical in determining meaningful conclusions in a timely manner. The work the students completed has already proven itself to be a significant asset in shaping the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open experience. We look forward to continuing the partnership with the SMBA program.”
SDSU Sports MBA would like to thank Dr. Reinig for coordinating this collaboration as a class project and the Century Club of San Diego for their continued support of the program and the time that their executive team dedicated to students throughout the semester
