| Popis: |
In 2009, the Savannah Sports Council hosted its 11 annual Savannah Hockey Classic. In order to assist the future marketing of this event, a study was undertaken to assist the Savannah Sports Council in 3 major ways: (1) To obtain a consumer profile of spectators, (2) to explore the economic impact of the event on the city of Savannah, and (3) to discover the perceived personality of the event (assist in sponsor recruitment). To reach the objectives of the study, a survey was conducted with 267 spectators of the Savannah Hockey Classic. The survey consisted of four sections: (1) Economic impact (2) Consumer behavior & preferences, (3) Attitude and image perceptions of the event and organizing body, and (4) Consumer demographic characteristics. The majority of respondents were male (62%) and Caucasian (95%). While their average age was 36, 78% of respondents were between the ages of 25 to 59. Spectators tended to be educated (61% with a college degree of some sort) and affluent (63% earn > $50,000). Just over half (56%) of the spectators traveled to Savannah to attend the event. Eighty-one of the eighty-three out-of-town respondents reported spending at least 1 night in Savannah. However, 50% of out-of-town respondents said they would have come to Savannah even if the Hockey Classic was not taking place. Eighty-two percent said they would be visiting Savannah at some point in the following 3 months. This suggests that while the Hockey Classic is a popular event, most of the visitors would travel to Savannah even if the event did not take place. Spectators appear to have developed very positive feelings about the Savannah Hockey Classic. On a 7-point scale, respondents reported the following scores on a variety of items: Gratitude toward the Savannah Sports Council for organizing the event was very high 6.5, attitude regarding the success and quality of the hockey event itself was 6.4, and fan identification with the event was reported at 6.1. With regard to the image/brand of the event, respondents perceive the Hockey Classic to be: An exciting event (6.4 out of 7), a sincere/wholesome event (6.3 out of 7), and a competent and successful event (6.3 out of 7). 1 Dees and Hall: Savannah Hockey Classic: An Evaluation of Event Personality and E Published by ScholarWorks@GVSU, 2010 Journal of Tourism Insight s Vol. 1 No. 1 46 visitor-related transportation account for over $2 billion in visitors' spending per year and employ over 17,000 people (Savannah Convention & Visitors Bureau, 2006). Savannah also boasts many sports entertainment options for visitors to this beautiful and historic area. The Greater Savannah Sports Council (GSSC) is an organization that seeks to increase sports activity and spending in the area by marketing and promoting many of the local sporting teams and events such as the Savannah Sand Gnats, Enmark Bridge Run, and Savannah Hockey Classic. The purpose of this study was to assist the Savannah Sports Council with their marketing and promotional efforts for the Savannah Hockey Classic (SHC). An evaluation of the event’s personality and local economic impact was conducted in order to aid SHC event coordinators in creating future marketing strategies aimed at generating increased attendance and revenue via the sport tourism industry. The objective of the study was threefold: (1) To obtain a consumer profile of spectators, (2) to explore the economic impact of the event on the city of Savannah, and (3) to discover the perceived personality of the event (assist in sponsor recruitment). Savannah Hockey Classic Background In 2009, the Savannah Sports Council hosted its 11 annual Savannah Hockey Classic. The SHC has been a prominent winter event that has grown in size and popularity every year since its inception. Aside from the inaugural tournament, held in 1999, the four teams participating in the event have included the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, University of Florida, and Florida State University. Typically, the opening night of the tournament (Friday) showcases the conference rivalries with Georgia competing against Florida and Georgia Tech facing off against Florida State. The home state rivalries are saved for the second night (Saturday) of the event. The Georgia schools have experienced a great deal of success since the tournament’s creation. Only in 2008 did one of the Florida schools win the SHC tournament (FSU). According to WTOC11 (2010) in Savannah: Twelve years this has been going on. And in each of those years, it has grown, including this year [2010] when a third night was added and two more teams brought in to further build on the rivalries that are the heart of the event. But now the Hockey Classic's growth is evident beyond Savannah, the event's identity at least partly responsible for the formation of a new league for SEC teams, the Southeastern Collegiate Hockey Conference. "I think this tournament had a big impact because of the popularity of it," said SECCH commissioner Ken Day, who was part of the Hockey Classic for 11 years as a coach with Georgia Tech. The SHC was held in January, 2009 at the Savannah Civic Center in the heart of downtown Savannah, Georgia. According to their website (Savannah Civic Center, 2010), the Savannah Civic Center is responsible for providing a wide spectrum of entertainment and cultural activities while also hosting conventions, exhibit shows, and social events. The Civic Center currently employs 20 full-time and more than 300 event labor staff. The venue plays host to approximately 900 events annually with a wide variety of entertainment experiences including: WWE & ECW Wrestling, Figure Skating Champions on Ice, Walt Disney on Ice, Ringling Brothers Circus, Best of Broadway Series, concerts and ballet. The Martin Luther King Arena has seating arrangements ranging from 3,500 to 9,600 while the Johnny Mercer Theatre seats 2,506, boasting one of the largest prosceniums in the Southeast. The SHC attracts roughly 10,000 spectators each year to the Savannah Civic Center (9,731 in 2009 and 10,290 in 2010, personal communication from Ben Wilder). |
