2018 Super Bowl

Concordia University St. Paul Concordia University St. Paul

DigitalCommons@CSP DigitalCommons@CSP

Master of Arts in Sport Management College of Kinesiology

2016

2018 Super Bowl 2018 Super Bowl

Tony Dehler

Concordia University, Saint Paul

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Part of the Sports Sciences Commons

Recommended Citation Recommended Citation

Dehler, T. (2016).

2018 Super Bowl

(Thesis, Concordia University, St. Paul). Retrieved from

https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/sport-management_masters/11

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CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, ST. PAUL: ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

DEPARTMENT OF KINESIOLOGY AND HEALTH SCIENCES

2018 Super Bowl

A GRADUATE PROJECT

SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY

in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the degree of

Master of Arts Degree in Sport Management

Tony Dehler

St. Paul, Minnesota

February 2016

iii

Dedications

I would like to dedicate this project to my wife Kelsey. Without the extra work you put

in with the kids and the support you gave me through this process, I would never have made it.

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to the Super Bowl that will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota in

February of 2018. It introduces the organization responsible for the planning of the event, the

event itself; as well as describes the venue in which the game will be played. The paper also

includes marketing strategies for the event, suggestions to minimize risks, methods to manage

employees, and discusses an ethical issue dealing with the event, as well as a personal reflection

on the project and program.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Organization Introduction…………………………………………………1

Chapter Two: Event Introduction ………………………………………………………..4

Chapter Three: Marketing Plan ………………………………………………………….8

Chapter Four: Employee/Volunteer Management ……….………………...……………20

Chapter Five: Risk Management Plan ………………………………………..………….23

Chapter Six: Ethical Analysis …………………………………………………..………..30

Chapter Seven: Personal Statement …………………………………………….………..34

References ……………………………………………………………………….…..…41

Appendix ……………………………………………………………………………….48

Chapter One: Organization Introduction

A quote from Alan Lakein (1979), “Failing to plan is planning to fail”, encompasses the

primary reason why a host city creates specialized committees to help with planning and

organizing large scale events. The Minneapolis Super Bowl committee is comprised of four

executive officers including: Maureen Bausch (CEO), David Hasselman (COO), Wendy

Blackshaw (Senior VP of Marekting and Sales), and Dana Nelson (Executive Director of Legacy

Funds) (PR Newswire, 2015). Each member will be responsible for overseeing a variety of areas

that fall within their strengths as professionals.

Hasselman, as the Chief Operating Officer, will be tasked with overseeing traffic

management plans, securing venues for the different events during Super Bowl week, working

with law enforcement to ensure there is enough of a security presence whenever necessary, as

well as oversee the finance and business connections and needs (PR Newswire, 2015).

Blackshaw’s primary role will be to launch all branding opportunities and create a marketing

plan themed around the Minnesota showcase. This includes launching and maintaining the

“Bold North” brand, which centers on the new, state of the art stadium being built for the

Minnesota Vikings. Blackshaw’s final role will also include securing corporate sponsors for the

event (PR Newswire, 2015). Nelson’s primary responsibility will be the creation and

implementation of a charitable fund that will be used to help support the overall wellbeing of

Minnesota children. The goal of this fund will be to support different organizations with

expenses, and will help to ensure that Super Bowl LII will leave a positive impression on the

people of Minnesota (PR Newswire, 2015). Bausch, as CEO, will be responsible for the general

oversight of all the moving parts for the event. Along with monitoring the members of her team,

she will also be working closely with the National Football League (NFL) to ensure the state of

Minnesota can accommodate all the needs of the NFL.

Although it is important for each committee member to oversee and manage his/her

respective tasks, it is imperative for the entire committee to first work collaboratively to create a

purpose or mission statement for the Super Bowl held in Minnesota. A mission statement is vital

as it serves as a guide for an organization in their decision-making. It offers a vision and a

purpose, and allows for continuous reflection on whether the decisions being made align with the

ultimate goal of the organization (Kokemuller, 2016). Because the Minnesota Super Bowl

committee is yet to publish their mission statement, one was created using various examples

found from previous Super Bowl committees, primarily those of Tampa Bay and Arizona

(Arizona Super Bowl Committee, 2014)(Tampa Bay Host Committee, 2009). It states:

As host to Super Bowl LII (52), we will ensure the readiness of the Minneapolis region;

coordinate the numerous logistics involved with the event and fulfill all obligations to the

National Football League. By successfully doing so, the image of the Minneapolis

region, as well as the entire State of Minnesota, will be enhanced by the positive

impression made on the participants, spectators and viewers of this event, and we will

position our area as a premier site for future Super Bowls/marquee events. And as a

community, we will take advantage of the opportunity to host this event by expanding the

regional economy by an estimated $300 million through tourism that will create jobs;

effectively market our destination; encourage community involvement; contribute to

local business development, and add to the overall quality of life of our residents. We

will conduct our business while maintaining our core values of being ethical, honest and

having a fair manner, and operating in an environment that is rewarding and exciting for

staff.

The proposed mission statement will serve as a guide to the overall goal of the committee, which

is to promote the state of Minnesota, and maximizing the economic benefit of hosting a major

event, on a community (Tampa Bay Host Committee, 2009). The Minneapolis Super Bowl

committee is responsible for organizing an event that will be shown on an international level, and

as such, it is imperative it uses all available resources to maximize the overall success.

Chapter Two: Event Introduction

The truth is the Super Bowl long ago became more than just a football game. It's part of our

culture, like turkey at Thanksgiving and lights at Christmas, and like those holidays — beyond

their meaning — a factor in our economy. Even people who don't like football tune in to watch

the commercials. You can't say that about many things. (Schieffer, 2010, para. 1)

This quote encompasses what the Super Bowl has become in the United States. It has

transformed from a game showcasing the best two teams in the National Football League (NFL),

to a weeklong celebration culminating in one final game on the first Sunday in February. Unlike

other professional sports championships, the Super Bowl is a single game that is played in a

neutral location, decided years in advance. To date, no host team has ever participated in the

actual game (Cary, 2014). This has not stopped cities from putting their names in to bid on the

game being hosted by their city. The 2018 game was awarded to the state of Minnesota in 2014,

four years before the event will actually occur. When played, the game itself will be played in

U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is a new construction stadium that is

scheduled to be complete in July of 2016. The stadium, once completed, will be 1,750,000

square feet. And will encompass approximately thirty-eight acres of land (Vikings.com).

Amenities

One of the primary architectural amenities of the stadium is the roof. Sixty percent, or

approximately 248,000 square feet, will be made up of Ethylene-Tetra-Fluoro-Ethylene (ETFE).

ETFE is a copolymer plastic that acts like glass with regards to allowing natural light into the

stadium while being lighter, less expensive, and cleaner (Campbell, 2015). When completed,

U.S. Bank stadium will be the only professional stadium in the country with this style of roof.

A second amenity of U.S. Bank Stadium is the inclusion of five revolving glass doors on

the West side of the stadium. Ranging in size from 75 feet tall 95 feet tall, they are the world’s

largest pivoting glass doors (Vikings.com). When open, the doors will give fans the opportunity

for an outdoor experience by allowing natural airflow in and out of the stadium.

The final structural amenity is the snow shield being installed on the stadium. The shield

is located on the top of the roof, and will help redirect the snow as it melts off the stadium

(KFAN.com). As the snow slides off the roof, it will go into large basins that are along the edges

of the roof. The basins are equipped with a series of pipes with hot water flowing through them.

The melted snow will then be sent into the city sewer system (KFAN.com), with the purpose of

this system being two-fold. The first is to prevent snow and ice from falling on pedestrians

below and the second is preventing a roof collapse like the one that occurred at the Metrodome

in 2010. (See Appendix A for a visual of the structural amenities listed)

The Vikings are also dedicated to bringing U.S. Bank Stadium into the technological age.

They have incorporated many technology upgrades to help with the game day experience. The

first is an upgraded Wi-Fi network. U.S. Bank stadium will incorporate new wireless hotspots

within the handrails around the stadium (KFAN.com). By adding the additional hotspots, it will

ensure the stadium bandwidth can handle the large amounts of people using wireless internet all

at the same time.

Fantasy Football is the key for the next upgrade. According to Forbes, the Fantasy

Football market is estimated at over 70 billion dollars (Goff, 2013). Because of this, it makes

sense that organizations would try to appeal to these fans’ needs. To do this, the Vikings will

dedicate a section of each of their scoreboards to fantasy sports. Two 15-foot sections on each

scoreboard will be used solely for advertising and keeping up to the minute fantasy football

statistics. One of the major selling points of this stadium is the new suites and club seats that are

available. With approximately 116 suites, some of which being on field level, and over 8,000

club seats, fans will have the opportunity to experience the event from closer than ever before

(Vikings.com). Finally, U.S. Bank Stadium addresses the needs of fans with disabilities. The

American Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all new construction stadiums to include a certain

number of seats to accommodate these fans. With a seating capacity of approximately 65,000,

the stadium is required to have 361 handicapped accessible seats. However, the stadium will far

exceed expectations and include 690 wheelchair and companion seats (KFAN.com).

Revenues

According to some analysts, hosting a Super Bowl can add anywhere from 200 million to

upwards of 500 million dollars to the host city’s economy (Karmin, 2013). This is due to the

fact that unlike other major sports championships, the Super Bowl is played at a neutral site

decided years in advance instead of at the participating teams’ stadiums. Fans are then required

to travel if they want to cheer on their team. As stated above, this creates a scenario where a host

city can see large revenue gains during slow periods. The majority of the revenue comes from

restaurants, retail outlets, hotels, and rental vehicles (Corbett, 2015). Because of the unique

nature of the event, the final numbers will not be known until after the event has taken place in

2018. Therefore, research was done on the 2015 Super Bowl, which was played in Glendale,

Arizona in a stadium that is similar in size to U.S. Bank Stadium. Table 1 in Appendix B

compares the sales tax brought into the host community in January and February of 2014 and

2015 through the four main revenue channels listed above. The sales tax represents the money

that is immediately put back into the local economy. The chart does not give the gross revenue

spent throughout the event. The two years represent the year prior to the Super Bowl compared

to the year including the Super Bowl.

Expenses

There are also many expenses when hosting an event of this magnitude. The largest of

these expenses will be the construction of the stadium itself. This project is responsible for the

majority of the state’s expenses for one reason; without the new stadium there would be no Super

Bowl in Minnesota. The state is also responsible for creating and maintaining an infrastructure

that can accommodate the event. This includes creating new roads to alleviate traffic concerns,

upgrading or building hotels to house the out of town fans, as well as providing recreational

amenities for the days leading up to the event. Other expenses include the NFL rebate, or the

amount of money the NFL takes back from the community for various reasons, annual stadium

upkeep, as well as the additional security that will be necessary (Pyke, 2015). Again, because

the final numbers will not be known until the event has taken place; the numbers provided in

Table 2 of Appendix B represent totals from the Super Bowl played in Glendale, Arizona.

There will always be advantages and disadvantages for a host community when hosting a

major event. Therefore, it is imperative for the Super Bowl committee to look at all aspects of

the event, including the financial implications. Doing this allows the committee to work together

to maximize the profit while limiting the possible risks and losses. One such way is to create a

detailed marketing plan that highlights all the possible ways the NFL and the host community

can guarantee their success.

Chapter Three: Marketing Plan

Great marketing plans identify steps or actions that need to be taken in order to achieve

specific goals, and help organizations ensure every person involved has a firm understanding of

the primary mission of the event, as well as the values the organization wishes to promote

(McKinney, 2015). This is important because a true marketing plan has two primary objectives:

to set organizational goals, and try and link the group’s mission statement and core (Pedersen,

Parks, Quarterman, & Thibault, 2011, p. 253). This chapter will discuss strategies and methods

to help showcase the 2018 Super Bowl using the ten P’s of marketing as well as a SWOT

analysis detailing the advantages and disadvantages of the host community.

Purpose

The marketing plan is comprised of four primary goals. The first is to create awareness

of the event within the United States. Because the probability of the host team participating in

the event is extremely small, it is important for the marketing team to reach as many out of town

markets as possible. The second is to create jobs that will build and maintain an infrastructure

that is up to National Football League standards. The third will be to promote the state of

Minnesota itself by focusing on different tourist locations, as well as highlighting other activities

Minnesota has that other states do not. The final goal will be to promote community involvement

by showing local businesses how participation and cooperation can lead to a major increase in

revenue.

Product

The Super Bowl is the primary product to be marketed. It is a game that showcases the

two best teams in the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017-2018 season. There are

many extensions, however, that will be included in the marketing plan due to the fact that the

Super Bowl has transformed from a single event into a week-long celebration known as Super

Bowl week. Throughout the week, the National Football League (NFL) sponsors multiple parties

and musical concerts starting the Sunday prior to the game (TiqIQ Blog, 2015). The host

community will also take advantage of this extra week to promote local attractions and activities

that make Minnesota unique. These activities/attractions include: ice fishing, snowmobiling,

skiing, ice skating, Mall of America, museums, Mayo Clinic, St. Paul Winter Festival, and

various nightclubs throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

Project Market

In doing the market projection for this event, a SWOT analysis was used. This tool

analyzes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the event, with the goal of the

assessment to allow the Super Bowl committee to maximize the success while limiting the

possible threats.

Strengths. When hosting the Super Bowl, the host community will look to draw from

the different strengths the NFL offers. The first is the large fan base of the National Football

League. The high probability of the participating teams being outside markets creates an

intriguing bonus when considering their fans will have to travel to watch their team play. This

provides opportunities to increase new revenue for the community. Next is communication, and

during the planning stage, it is imperative for the Super Bowl committee to be in constant

communication with each other, as well as the managers to ensure no details are overlooked. U.

S. Bank Stadium and the state of Minnesota are the next two strengths attributed to the event.

They are listed together because they work cohesively to make the event possible. Without the

new stadium, the Super Bowl would not be held in Minnesota. This event has added intrigue

because it will only be the second time in the Super Bowl era that the event will be hosted in

Minnesota (Nathanson, 2014). The final strength is the common interest the committee has for

the event, and to make sure the result has a positive impact on the NFL as well as the state itself.

Weaknesses. The first weakness is the lack of experience the Super Bowl committee has

in planning such an event. While the NFL will likely support the committee in decision-making,

the Minnesota Super Bowl committee has never planned an event of this magnitude. The second

weakness is the climate, as Minnesota is not known for its beaches and warm climate. It is

known for its lakes, cold, and snowy weather. This poses a challenge when trying to attract fans

during the winter. The final weakness is the stadium itself in that due to the newness of the

facility, there is a possibility of mechanical or other malfunctions occurring during the final

game.

Opportunities. While the weather definitely poses some challenges for the event, it also

offers travelers and fans a very unique experience. Because Minnesota cannot boast about their

beaches and warm weather in February, the Super Bowl committee needs to focus on what they

can offer. There can be competitions or activities built around snow. For example, the

committee could plan a Best Fort or Best Snow Sculpture competition. There is snowmobiling

and ice fishing, as well as ice gardens. There also is the Mall of America, and in addition to the

mall already being the largest mall in the world, it is currently undergoing major overhauls that

will double the size of the mall when finished (Webb, 2013). Going along with the winter theme

is the St. Paul winter carnival which could offer tourists different winter activities to enjoy. Last

is the economic boost hosting this event will bring to the Twin Cities. When looking back at the

1992 event, data shows that during the Super Bowl week, almost every hotel within 100 miles of

the stadium was sold out. Along with this, people were renting out apartments and condos in the

area for large amounts of money (Nathanson, 2014). This data can be extrapolated to show the

possible impact on other local businesses as well.

Threats. The final category in the SWOT analysis is threats. The first threat to the event

is weather. While a snow-clad winter wonderland theme sounds appealing, there is also a

possibility that Mother Nature will not cooperate. While there is no way to predict how the

community or the NFL would handle a blizzard or extreme cold, inclement weather could

prevent all outdoor activities from occurring. The second is the nation’s economic situation.

Because of the travel required to experience this event, financial burdens could prevent fans from

attending. An additional threat relates to travelling fans. Through 49 Super Bowls, there has

never been a host cities team playing in the game (Associate Press, 2014). Therefore, it is

possible that fans of the participating teams will choose to stay home rather than travel and deal

with less than ideal conditions. The final threat involves the local citizens. With the extra traffic

and people, there is a risk that many locals will avoid the downtown area, which in essence could

cancel out the additional revenue.

Overall, the SWOT analysis will be used as a roadmap to help the Minneapolis Super

Bowl plan the event in 2018. Using a tool like a SWOT analysis will not only help with the

planning process, but is instrumental in the plan implementation as well as the follow through.

While its main purpose is to serve as an outline (see Appendix C), it also provides key points that

will keep all parties focused on the overall success of the event.

Position

Positioning an event correctly is just as important as the tactics a committee uses to

promote it. Product positioning is used to differentiate a product from competitors and show the

target audience a unique vision of the product (Pederson, Parks, Quarterman, Thibault, 2011).

Correct positioning can be the difference between success and failure. The Super Bowl is a

unique event with regards to placement because marketers will not know the geographic location

of the target audiences prior to two weeks before the game. Because of this, it is imperative the

Super Bowl committee decide the most appropriate and effective way to reach the fans. This

will be accomplished using social media, television advertisements, billboards, and local radio

stations.

Pick Players

Knowing the target audience is extremely important to the success of an advertising

campaign. This is because each group of people can react differently to a specific type of

marketing. The target audience for this event will be middle-aged males in the middle class.

Simmons (2014) found through quantitative data that 31 percent of families with an average

household income ranging from $75,000-$150,000 dollars a year are National Football League

(NFL) fans. Within that, Simmons (2014) found that 64 percent of males claim to be fans of the

NFL with 21 percent falling into the 35-44 year old age range and 20 percent in the 45-54 year

old age range. Having this information will help structure the marketing tactics around these

households and age groups. Along with this, the primary focus of the marketing campaign will

be the playoff teams’ markets; however, there will also be a continuous attempt to market the

Super Bowl throughout the entire 2018 NFL season.

There are other groups of stakeholders necessary for this event. First, are the players.

And clearly without this group of people, there would be no event for fans to travel to. Second,

would be the facility managers and owners in the local community. With this large of an event,

it would be impossible to be successful without the cooperation of local businesses and facilities.

Grounds crew members are another vital group of people. Because the two teams are likely not

from the host city, there is extra preparation necessary to make the field ready for the game.

Along with this, the members of the grounds crew need to make sure everything is ready for the

half-time show. Often times this involves moving stages, creating queue lines for fans, and

planning special effects. Finally, the team managers/equipment managers are also important for

this event. Equipment managers are responsible for making sure every player has the proper

equipment to be successful.

Package

This event will be presented as an opportunity for family entertainment. While it might

not be plausible for every family to attend the game itself, there will a variety of local activities

and events occurring throughout Super Bowl week aimed towards families. To entice more fans

to travel to the area, Minneapolis could package free or discounted passes to various tourist

locations when they book a hotel.

Price

According to seatgeek.com, the price for the event is determined by two factors. The first

is the participating teams. While ticket prices vary up until the game, the biggest change occurs

once the final teams are decided. A second factor is weather. Fans are slightly more hesitant to

spend thousands of dollars on tickets when they are not guaranteed a great game day experience.

As a result, the average Super Bowl ticket is purchased for $2,000 to $4,000 with suites and

other luxury boxes fetching over $100,000 (Suite Experience Group, 2016).

Promotion

This marketing campaign will focus on visual aspects including pictures and videos of

the stadium, along with images of different winter activities done in Minnesota. It is important

for people see what they can expect throughout the week. Marketers will utilize a variety of

methods to highlight this event including: social media, with a focus on Twitter and Facebook,

television, radio, and billboards. The combination of these different platforms will ensure the

target audience will be reached.

Advertising. The first social media platform is Twitter. In a survey done at in 2013, it

was found that 100 percent of companies who use social media as advertising have a Twitter

account (see Appendix D, Graph 1) (Bullas, 2015). Over the past four years, Twitter has

continued to see the number of accounts grow, with over 288 million regular users being

registered by the fourth quarter of 2014 (Bullas, 2015). Another perk of Twitter is the ability to

create free accounts. While this account has limitations on the ability to reach a large target

audience, it does provide an opportunity to promote the event at a reasonable price. The most

effective Twitter route would be to create an advertising campaign (Twitter Help Center, 2014).

This account costs a minimal amount of money, with the cost based on a bidding system (Twitter

Help Center, 2014). A person or committee is allowed to determine how much money they want

to spend on their daily advertising, as well as an overall budget (Twitter Help Center, 2014).

When the daily amount or overall budget is reached, Twitter will automatically stop advertising

until more money is added. While this method requires some investment, it allows a committee

to target a specific audience (Twitter Help Center, 2014).

Over the past ten years, Facebook has been a juggernaut in the social media realm. With

over 1.3 billion users (See Appendix D Graph 2), organizations need to find ways to incorporate

this platform (Statistics Portal, 2014). One feature Facebook offers is creating an event (Lake,

2015), and allows a committee to provide pictures and videos of the event, setup

giveaways/incentive programs, as well as provide links to different hotels and other activities

that people could book ahead of time. Creating an event page also allows a committee to post

around the clock information that reaches all people (Drell, 2011). However, while it would be

beneficial and effective if done correctly, without a sound plan and an organized committee, it

could become overwhelming and have a negative effect (Drell, 2011).

The third type of advertising is television, both locally and nationally. On a local scale,

the daily news programs would be utilized to help promote the event. Nationally, all NFL events

would be the focus. Research has found that in 2011 the average 30 second ad during an NFL

game was $347,000 (Futterman, Schechner, Vranica, 2011). The price fluctuates for primetime

games and can reach approximately $400,000 to over $600,000 (Futterman, Schechner, Vranica,

2011). Advertising during games raises the level of exposure exponentially. By using television,

the marketing team has the ability to show videos and pictures of the stadium and people

participating in Minnesota’s different activities. Television could also be used as a forum to

promote the Facebook and Twitter page.

The final strategy will be the use of billboards. This platform is cost effective, with prices

ranging from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars based on the location of the ad (Blueline

Media, 2015). According to Blueline Media (2015), some of the more popular/prime locations

can fetch up to 65,000 views a day. While this type of advertisement is not ideal for people to

stop and study, it is the perfect opportunity to promote the Facebook and Twitter page.

Overall, the Super Bowl presents a great opportunity for the city of Minneapolis and the state of

Minnesota. Marketing this event will have a huge impact on the overall success of the project.

Taking the time to promote it will allow fans to get excited about the game and the state. It

offers a chance to show all the ways Minnesota is unique compared to other host cities.

Publicity. Publicity is an area which will not be an issue for this event. Due to the

international attention this event brings with it, television and radio advertisements will be run

constantly on both a national and local level. By combining television and radio advertisements

with the social media platforms listed earlier, the Super Bowl will receive the publicity it deserves.

Promotions. One of the biggest challenges for this event will be to get out of town fans to

travel to a cold climate location in the middle of the winter. To help combat this issue, there are a

variety of strategies businesses and hotels can use in order to promote their facilities. The first

would be to offer discounted tickets or hotel prices for larger groups who make a reservation ahead

of time. Another option would be to package hotel stays with admission tickets to various

attractions. This allows fans to do and experience more on a limited budget. The final strategy

would be to use the publicity channels, primarily television and social media, and create

advertisements and videos to showcase and promote each activity.

Public relations. Showing gratitude towards the local community and businesses is a great

way for the NFL to establish positive relationships. One such way is currently being modeled by

the San Francisco Super Bowl committee and the NFL. It is called the Playmaker program. The

motto of this program is 50 weeks, 50 grants, 50 playmakers (San Francisco Super Bowl

Committee, 2016). Every week, a local non-profit organization is selected for their part in creating

a better local economy with a story being done on the organization and posted on the Super Bowl

website. Along with this, each organization selected is given a $10,000 grant (San Francisco Super

Bowl Committee, 2016). A second program is called business connect, where eligible businesses

have the opportunity to do exclusive business with the NFL during Super Bowl week (San

Francisco Super Bowl Committee, 2016). To be considered for this program, a business must be

owned by one of the following: a minority race, women, veterans, or a person who classifies as

lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) (San Francisco Super Bowl Committee, 2016).

Community relations. There are many ways the National Football League can promote

the event as being community centered. Super Bowl L (50), which is being held at Levi Stadium

in Santa Clara, California, has a Super Bowl city with a variety of exhibits and events for the

public. The biggest exhibit is the NFL experience, where fans will have the opportunity to

participate in activities that simulate the excitement of the Super Bowl, such as kicking a game

winning field goal. Fans can also learn about the history of the event through different displays

and get a close up look at all previous Super Bowl rings. Other events include autograph signings,

meet and greets with past and current players, as well as a variety of music concerts (San Francisco

Super Bowl Committee, 2016).

Media relations. With every large scale event comes the need for a media presence. With

this event, media personnel are granted access for interviews with players and coaches during

media day. This event has evolved over the past couple of years from media only, to now include

musical performances throughout the night, fans being allowed to sit in, as well as moving the

event to primetime (Sharp, 2016).

Personal selling. For this event, face-to-face selling does not play a significant role. While

every team has an allotment of tickets to sell or give away, the demand for the tickets warrants

different strategies. Whether it is through online ticket sales, contest winners, or business

promotions, the ability of organizations to use a variety of mediums means the need for face-to-

face selling fades.

Sponsorship. Sponsorship offers a huge opportunity for a company to advertise their brand

on a large scale. Using the Super Bowl as a forum ensures an organization that millions of people

will be exposed to their product. For Super Bowl L (50), some of the different events that are

being sponsored include: the half time show (Pepsi), Super Bowl City (Verizon), The City Stage

where concerts will be held throughout the week (Levi’s), and the NFL experience (Hyundai) (San

Francisco Super Bowl Committee, 2016).

Place

The primary location for the Super Bowl will be U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis,

Minnesota where the game will be held. Other locations will also be used in the surrounding

cities to host events and activities the week prior to the Super Bowl such as Target Center, the

plaza outside the Cathedral in St. Paul, and the St. Paul Winter Carnival. Ticket availability is

determined based on the participating teams. Thirty-five percent of the tickets will be split in

half (17.5 percent) and will be given to the two fan bases whose teams are playing (Klosowski,

2016).

Five percent of the tickets will go to the host city’s team, while 34.8 percent will be

divided evenly among the other thirty NFL franchises equating 1.2 percent per team (Klosowski,

2016). Tickets for this event are not available to the general public like other sporting

events. To obtain a ticket, a person must do one of two things. First, write a letter to the NFL

requesting tickets to the event at least a year in advance. The second is to be a season ticket

holder for one of the participating teams. Two weeks prior to the event, season ticket holders

will have the opportunity to put their names in a lottery system (Klosowski, 2016). The final

25.2 percent belong to the NFL, and are distributed among various companies, sponsors, media

channels, and networks (Klosowski, 2016).

Promise: Evaluation of Strategy and Tactics

For this event, multiple evaluation techniques will be used to help determine the overall

success. The first is a customer survey. Hotel managers, restaurant owners, as well as various

tourist locations will offer customers a quick three question anonymous survey to fill out. The

questions will be: 1) Where are you from? 2) How long is your stay? 3) Estimate how much

money are you spending on this trip? This will help determine the amount of outside money

being brought into the local economy through economic development. The committee will also

look at the return on investment (ROI) by comparing hotel, restaurant, and local business sales

during the 2018 Super Bowl and previous years spanning the same time frame. The final

evaluation technique is community engagement, where throughout the week members of the

committee will attend various events to gauge the atmosphere and excitement. Using these

different techniques will give an idea on the areas where the marketing plan was successful, and

where improvements need to be made for future planning.

A successful strategic marketing plan will have a huge positive impact on an event. Not

only will it serve as a roadmap, but it will also serve as a learning experience for future events.

Because of this, it is in the best interest of any committee/organization to follow the steps and put

together a complete marketing plan for their event.

Chapter Four: Employee/Volunteer Planning

Being an effective manager takes a variety of skills. Not only does a manager need to be

able to build relationships with co-workers, but they also need to motivate employees to get

necessary tasks completed (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2008). Planning the Super

Bowl is a job that requires both relationship-oriented and task-oriented management. The chapter

will cover both relationship skills and task-oriented skills and discuss why each skill is

important.

Task-Oriented

An effective task-oriented manager has many skills with the first being organization. The

Super Bowl is not a one day event. It is a series of event, but rather a series of events that take

place over the course of a week. In order for everything to run smoothly the committee needs to

have a detailed plan in place. The second skill needed is decisiveness. When planning any

event, it is imperative for the leader to make decisions. With large scale events with multiple

moving parts, having a leader that struggles to make quick decisions will have a negative impact

on the overall success of the project. The reason for this is because of the event structure. An

event of this magnitude has a tall structure, with many different levels of employees ranging

from construction workers to the committee Chief Executive Officer. Quick and decisive

decisions are more effective and successful due to the message not becoming distorted as it

works down the tiers of employees. The third skill is effective communication, and is extremely

important for anyone in a management position. However, the importance is heightened for a

high profile event like the Super Bowl. Making sure expectations and goals are clearly laid out is

imperative to the running a successful event. The final skill is work ethic. For a task-orientated

manager, it is extremely important to take a “hands on” approach (Friedman, 2013). This type of

manager should be regularly checking on the different projects, making sure everything is on

track and being done at an acceptable level. These skills are the most important for task-oriented

leaders because they enable the lower-tiered employees to do their jobs at high levels. When

there is a structured set of rules and expectations, as well as a clear vision on what needs to be

accomplished, the employees never have to question what they are doing. Instead, they can

focus their energy on performing the given task to the best of their abilities.

Relationship-Oriented

The second type of leader is the relationship-orientated manager. The first skill this

manager should have is relationship building. This is important because it shows the employees

a leader who cares about them on a personal level (Friedman, 2013). This type of manager

works to create an environment where employees feel safe and promotes collaboration and new

ideas. A second skill is self-assuredness. When a leader is confident with his/her self, it makes it

easier to foster and maintain relationships and other personal networks (Gill, 2016). A third skill

is positivity. While meeting deadlines and quotas are necessary, a leader should also recognize

that meeting the needs of all employees is also needed. By promoting a positive environment,

organizations create employees who are driven to work harder than people who are dissatisfied,

experiencing boredom, or personal conflicts (Anzalone, 2016).

Overall, there is no one perfect method. A manager needs to be extremely careful with

whatever option they choose. If a manager is too task-oriented, they run the risk of lowering

employee morale by showing employees their opinions do not matter (Basu, 2014). However,

being too relationship-oriented has a risk of employees feeling overwhelmed without

communication or direction (Friedman, 2013). Finding a balance between the two different

styles is vital to the success of the Super Bowl. If the Super Bowl committee is too task-

oriented, there is a high risk of employees becoming complacent and not working at the

necessary level. However, because the Super Bowl is an extremely high profile event, it is

imperative for tasks to get done in a timely manner. Therefore, being too relationship oriented

could also be detrimental for the event. Therefore, the goal of the leaders is to create an

environment which allows for creativity as well as a clear, decisive goal.

Chapter Five: Risk Management Plan

Introduction

Due to U.S. Bank Stadium being under construction, a risk management plan was not

able to be done of this facility. Therefore, an assessment was done on TCF Bank stadium, home

of the University of Minnesota Gophers. This stadium was chosen due to the similar location as

well as the similar size to U.S. Bank stadium. Opened in 2009, TCF Bank stadium boasts

amenities not seen in other major stadiums. However, like all other major facilities, TCF Bank

Stadium also has potential hazards that pose and create risks for the players, fans and employees.

This chapter will look at some of those areas to determine what specific risks are being created

as well as give ideas on how the facility director can work to solve or prevent incidents from

occurring (Cotton & Wolohan, 2013).

Facility Manager/ General Information

Every major facility needs a solid team behind the scenes to help it run smoothly. TCF

Bank Stadium is no different and the team starts with the facility manager. TCF Bank’s Facility

Manager is Derek Hillestad, with the primary role being to oversee game day operations and

make sure everything is running properly and orderly. However, this task is impossible for one

person to do alone. Therefore, a hierarchy was created with all staff having different roles and

different responsibilities. Under the Facilities Manager, there is an assistant director of facilities

who is responsible for assisting the Facility Manager in all his duties. Next, there are multiple

Operations Coordinators, whose primary jobs are to set up the schedules for the student workers,

as well as deal with much of the general game day setup and teardown. These workers need to

have knowledge of everything done in the stadium and be able to help solve issues for any type

of event. The Senior Supervisor position is next and is occupied by students who have been

working with the stadium group for six months. Senior Supervisors are responsible for

overseeing the general labor students, with additional responsibilities also including carrying out

a task list put together daily by the operation coordinators. The lowest position on the team is

general laborer. This position is occupied by students who are responsible for the setup and

break down of events, as well as helping with any other jobs that need to be done. While this

type of setup helps make events run smoother, having this many levels makes constant

communication between the groups even more important. One miscommunication could be the

difference between disaster and success.

Facility Mission/Purpose

All great facilities and organizations have a mission statement, which allows people to

better understand the organization (Meshenko, 2016). The Gopher Athletic Facilities team, (the

team in charge of TCF Bank stadium) is no different. According to Tyler Boike, Operations

Coordinator for the stadium, the Athletic Facilities’ mission is “to provide an elite venue for

student-athletes and coaches, unparalleled customer service, innovative thinking and continuous

improvement to ensure we reflect the best of our University to the state of Minnesota and a

nationwide audience” (personal communication, October 13, 2015). Along with the mission

statement, the facilities group boasts a vision that is comprised of three main points. The first is

to invest in making the student-athletes wellbeing a top priority by providing a safe and secure

facility, and continuing to improve the facilities to help enhance the game day experience. This

will be accomplished by recruiting, hiring, developing and retaining a superior staff that is

passionate about facility operations (T. Boike, Personal communication, October 13, 2015). The

second vision is to lead. The facility committee is dedicated to being industry leaders in

innovative ideas, and will strive to research and implement new ideas and technologies that will

improve the operational effectiveness of the facility. The final vision is to win. “We will help

accomplish this by providing facilities that will help recruit, retain and develop top student-

athletes. To help these students not only be successful on the field, but develop into leaders and

help them be successful in their careers” (T. Boike, Personal communication, October 13, 2015).

Maintenance and Assessment of Facility

The facility is maintained on a daily basis. According to Boike (Personal

communication, October 13, 2015), the facility coordinators are responsible for setting up

specific daily task lists that are carried out by general laborers (students) and include all of the

menial jobs that are needed to ensure the facility is ready. These daily tasks include loading and

unloading trucks, cleaning locker rooms, setting up event areas, tearing down event areas, and

clearing walkways, among other things. Along with these student workers, the stadium also

employs multiple general maintenance workers who are responsible for the upkeep of the

stadium. A full time turf specialist is also employed. This specialist is responsible for all things

that have to do with the playing surface, including painting the logos or replacing sections of the

field. This employee is also tasked with making sure the playing surface is safe for the event,

and consulting the facilities director daily as to the status of the field. This constant maintenance

does not go unnoticed. The playing surface is well kept and the stadium itself is clean and well

maintained. The assessment of this facility is that it is well built and has a solid hierarchy in

place to ensure its success.

Standards of Practice

According to Cotton and Wolohan (2013), standards of practice are defined as standards,

guidelines, recommendations or position statements. They are published in order to provide

benchmarks of desirable practices for managers and organizations. In other words, standards of

practice are methods that an organization uses in order to prevent incidents, as well as limit

potential damages. TCF Bank Stadium employs many standards of practice for these reasons.

Before any employee is allowed to work during an event, there are multiple training sessions

required. There are protocols and guidelines for multiple types of incidents. All told, TCF Bank

staff are required to go through eight standards of practice trainings.

The first training is for emergency terminology. This training is intended for staff to

learn different keywords and phrases to be used during an event. It also helps identify where in

the facility staff might encounter types of incidents. For example, the phrase “means of egress”

represents an unobstructed way of travel, which includes stairwells, tunnels, and escalators that

are powered off. The second training is for emergencies stemming from fire, smoke, and water.

Employees are provided information on protocols for calling in incidents as well as the proper

way to escort people from the building, if necessary. Next are medical emergencies. Workers

are instructed on the proper way to evaluate a person who may need medical attention, and how

to relay the information to the proper medical staff once they arrive on the scene. Severe

weather is another extremely important training protocol for this stadium. Because TCF Bank

Stadium is an outdoors stadium in a location that could produce multiple natural disaster

incidents; it is imperative that all employees have a firm understanding of how to handle each

weather scenario. Employees are also responsible for knowing what to do in case of violent

incidents. This training is simply to help identify people who might be a threat, and learn the

proper people to call and notify. The sixth training is a two-fold evacuation procedure. First,

employees are taught how to handle themselves during the incident. It provides specific things

to say to fans, as well as gives them instruction on where to send fans. The second part of this

training is to help employees know the protocol once an event continues after a weather delay, as

well as the protocol for an event being postponed or cancelled. Seventh is a post-emergency

training. This helps employees know exactly what is expected of them after an incident occurs.

It walks them through the forms that need to be filled out, people who need to be contacted and

also gives them strict instructions on those to whom they should not speak. The first seven

protocols are categorized as being “phase one” trainings. This means that all employees will be

required to complete them. The “phase two” protocol, which is one of the most important, is a

more rigorous curriculum and includes a more in-depth look at all the stadium’s functions and is

a requirement for the Senior Supervisors. Some of the modules in this training are: basic venue

information, venue risks by category, policies and procedures and communication techniques.

Upon completion of this training, employees take an exit exam to gauge the effectiveness of the

class (T. Boike, Personal communication, October 13, 2015).

Risks

Risk management is the identification, analysis, assessment, control, and avoidance of

unacceptable risk (Cotton & Wolohan, 2013). Avoiding disasters is the ultimate goal of all

organizations and because of this, it is important to look at all the areas to determine those that

pose the greatest risks. Included below is a risk assessment tool created for TCF Bank Stadium.

This tool has five parts and identfies the possible risks, categorizes the level of damage possible,

lists reasons that make them risks, the people who are at risk, and possible solutions. (See

Appendix E for an outline of the assessment tool).

Risk Classification/Solutions and Recommendations

The first risk, weather, could have catastrophic results if the facility is not careful. Not

only will it be extremely dangerous for fans, but employees as well. Because of Minnesota’s

climate and the fact that TCF is an open-air stadium, all weather elements come into play.

Therefore, to combat this, it is important to have spotters at the game looking for signs of the

different elements, as well as potentially employing a meteorologist to help monitor the radar.

The low railings at TCF also pose a major risk to the fans at the game. While the

frequency of this issue is low, the possible result could be catastrophic. According to Boike

(Personal communication, October 13, 2015), the railings are thirty-two inches tall, or a little

over two and a half feet. While this is designed to make it easier to view the game, it also makes

it easier for a fan to fall over the railing. With the lack of security personnel, the best solution

would be to sacrifice a little bit of a view, and raise the railings to make it safer for everyone.

The third risk is lack of communication. This risk is classified as being low frequency

with low loss potential. Because there are so many different employee groups working during an

event, the possibility of some information getting lost in translation is extremely plausible. All

communication for TCF Stadium is run through a control room, with one person representing

each group sitting next to a phone. Therefore, at any one time, there are eight people fielding

calls for over 700 employees. To improve this, it would be in every person’s best interest to have

more people stationed in the control room to help field incident calls. Having more people will

ensure things do not get overlooked.

The Security at the stadium could also pose a problem. The current setup provides

approximately one security guard for every 250 people. This is a lot of people for one person to

control, especially when there is alcohol involved. While hiring extra security is not built into

most budgets, it is still an area that should not be overlooked and should be monitored in case

additional action is required.

Finally, the evacuation options at TCF create a risk. The stadium capacity is 55,000

people. Throughout the entire stadium, there are two sets of escalators, twelve elevators and

twelve sets of stairs. If we approximate that the top bowl holds around half, or 25,000 people,

that means there will be over 950 people trying to use each of those evacuation methods at the

same time. This is not efficient or safe. To combat this, TCF should look at whether there is

room for additional stairways and/or escalators. These two methods make the most sense because

more people can use them at the same time.

Conclusion

Again, this assessment was not completed for U.S. Bank Stadium where the event will be

played due to current construction. The risk assessment was done a stadium of similar size in a

similar location. While there will never be a perfect facility where fans and employees are never

at risk, it is still important that organizations strive to limit the possible risks as much as possible.

This is accomplished by creating risk management plans and having teams in place to constantly

update protocols and strategies to ensure fans and employees have both the safest and the best

game day experience possible.

Chapter Six: Ethical Analysis

Ethics play an extremely important role in the decisions that humans make on an

everyday basis (Simon, 2010). Every person develops core values which help to determine the

type of person he/she grows up to be. This chapter will look at three ethical philosophies

including: deontology, teleology, and existentialism. It will also discuss whether any of them

play a role in determining what advertisements and half-time shows get selected for the Super

Bowl. The chapter will also look the possible effects the chosen entertainment has on the target

audience.

Deontology

According to Malloy and Zakus (1995), deontology is when right decisions are those that

abide by certain universal principles of conduct, duties, or rules. Within this principle it is

believed that decisions are based on two rationales, religious and societal (Brody, 1983). While

the religious rationale believes all rules are presented by God and humans are therefore obligated

to obey, Brody (1983) claims decisions and moral rules are relative to what society believes to be

right. Kant (1968), on the other hand, states that instead of taking a religious or societal

approach to determining right or wrong, a person should instead focus on their own perception in

determining their actions.

Teleology

Teleology is based on the notion that all positions and decisions are judged solely on their

outcome and consequences (Malloy & Zakus, 1995). This style of thinking is focused on looking

at what decisions can be made to allow for the greatest amount of pleasure while enduring the

least amount of pain (Malloy & Zakus, 1995). The use of teleology sparked the widespread

acceptance of utilitarianism or the belief that actions are morally right or wrong based on how

they affect people (Nathanson, 2010).

Existentialism

Existentialists believe that a person’s behavior is not related to the consequences that

result from decisions, or the rules that he/she are supposed to follow. Instead this theory states

that a person’s actions are a result of their free will and ability to accept all responsibility

(Malloy & Zakus, 1995). The theory states that people are shaped by the decisions they make

instead of pre-determined factors, (e.g., family, society and religion) (Malloy & Zakus, 1995).

Analysis

The Super Bowl has evolved into one of the largest events in the United States.

However, in recent years, the game itself has taken a backseat to the half-time show and

commercials. In 2014, over 110 million people viewed the game between the Denver Broncos

and Seattle Seahawks. While this may seem like a great thing for the game, over 50 percent of

the viewers tuned in solely for the commercials and half-time entertainment (Riccobono, 2014).

This year, a 30 second commercial will cost a company 5 million dollars (Chew, 2016). Because

of this, it is not shocking to see why different companies are trying to push to make sure their

product is remembered. There was a great article written by Ingrid Adamow (2013) following

the 2013 Super Bowl that discussed the moral issues with the commercials. The article talked

about how most of the advertisements followed the same script; half naked men and women,

beer, and other categories that cause controversy. The article did a great job explaining how

although these advertisements may not be the most appropriate, they are still accepted because

they fit in with the culture.

The half-time show is another discussion. Like stated above, 50 percent, or half of the

fans who watch the Super Bowl tune in solely for the commercials and half-time show

(Riccobono, 2014). Therefore, it is extremely important for the NFL to have top performers.

With these top tier performers, the NFL sometimes sacrifices modesty for hype and flair. If we

look back at the past ten performances, there have been at least two that stick out above the

others. The first was in 2004 when Janet Jackson had a “wardrobe malfunction” during her

performance (Dresdale, 2016). The type of interaction between her and fellow performer Justin

Timberlake focused more on the sexual tension than the music itself. While the “malfunction”

itself warrants looking into, one can wonder if the style of performance also played a role in it

occurring. The other event was in 2013 when Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child took the stage.

From the revealing outfit she wore, to the constant gyrating and sexual innuendos presented

through her dancing, the NFL and Super Bowl committee need to evaluate whether the current

material is generating the right publicity.

When looking at the information, it seems the NFL and television network use a

combination of teleology and deontology when deciding the Super Bowl entertainment.

Teleology is used because the main focus is the pleasure of the fans. The success of the event is

based on the attendance, viewer numbers, amount of products sold, while also looking at the

amount of revenue generated. When dealing with hundreds of millions of dollars, it is safe to

say the NFL and television networks are focused on pleasure first, and consequences later.

Deontology fits into this discussion as well because of the audience needed to make the

event successful. The organizations responsible for the advertisements and half-time show know

what type of entertainment is the most profitable. While it does not always sit well morally with

some, the decisions are based on the direction of our culture and society. Even though it is

always a goal to follow a set of rules and guidelines as far as conduct and appropriateness, often

times the money and the hype trump everything else.

In conclusion, the NFL and the television network know exactly what they are doing.

They understand how big of an event the Super Bowl is, and have found out exactly what they

need to make people want more. While the direction they take might not always be the most

appropriate, until our society decides to focus more on Brody’s (1983) theory of a religious

rationale, the nation needs to either embrace it for what it is or work together to find a solution to

fix it.

Chapter Seven: Personal Statement

Master’s Degree

I have been involved in organized sports since I was 5 years old. I played and lettered in

three sports in high school and started coaching when I was a freshman in college. For the past

ten years, I have coached a variety of sports including: basketball, football and baseball at levels

ranging from sixth grade to head Varsity. After my first experience, I quickly realized that sports

will always be an integral part of my life, whether through coaching or administration. I enrolled

in this program in order to help me further my knowledge and understanding of the sports world,

as well as provide me opportunities in roles such as Athletic/Activities Director at either a high

school or collegiate level, or a front office job with a professional sports franchise.

Program Influences

One of the biggest things I have learned about leadership is the more experience and

knowledge a person has, the more successful a leader he/she will become. This program has

opened my eyes to many things that I did not know about leadership. One of our first

assignments was to write a paper on the business model used in college sports. What I learned

from that assignment was every organization is run differently, and the success achieved is due

to the knowledge of the people in charge. For this assignment, I interviewed the Athletic

Director at Saint John’s University, Tom Stock, to learn how the University runs their athletic

program. It was an eye opening experience to learn about all the different areas that work

cohesively to create a profitable and successful program. This led right into our Organizational

Leadership class, where we had to develop a leadership plan for our Capstone Event. These first

few classes helped teach me about different ways to structure an organization to maximize

efficiency. For example, I really benefited from Gareth Jones’ (2013) article that discussed tall

and flat organizations and how each style can impact overall success. Along with that, the article

also discussed the differences between differentiation and integration, and how each of these

concepts affects the overall structure of an organization (Jones, 2013). This led me to learn

about the different roles each style brings to an organization, and helped me to develop my own

hierarchy system for my final capstone project.

While these provided a solid foundation for my leadership style, the three classes that

have benefited me the most are the marketing, finance, and management/leadership classes. It

was an amazing opportunity to learn about the SWOT analysis, and see the major impacts it can

have on an organization. I also learned how a detailed SWOT analysis can help me in my current

profession. It helps me dissect my lesson plans to determine what I need to modify in order to

maximize student success.

In the finance class, I felt I had a solid understanding of how the numbers would work

based on my experience teaching math and growing up in a family of accountants. However, the

depth and style of questions we worked on throughout the class really helped me gain a deeper

understanding of how many levels there are within a sports franchise. This class also helped me

to develop different strategies and ideas on how I could successfully manage an organization’s

budget in order to maximize their profit and limit their possible debt.

The final piece of the puzzle was the management and leadership class. This was a

fantastic class in regards to identifying and building a leadership style. Throughout this class I

learned a lot about my style of leadership. I learned the importance of flexibility, and how my

style tends to be a combination of multiple approaches. The class also equipped me with many

necessary tools to continue my learning and help further develop and master my leadership

techniques.

Current Leadership Opportunities

I have the opportunity to be in a leadership role every day of my life. Between juggling

time as a father of four, to my time molding the minds of hundreds of students every day in my

classroom, I find myself changing and adapting my leadership approach constantly. Within my

current leadership model, I am constantly using the five practices of exemplary leadership,

including model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act and

encourage the heart (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). However, of these five, three of them stick

out. The first is lead by example or model the way. I firmly believe that modeling the way helps

a leader to gain the trust of his/her followers, and helps them to feel more comfortable with the

decisions being made. Personal experience has shown me that people who say one thing but do

another or preach something without modeling it themselves have a much shorter leadership

stint. The second key practice in my daily profession is having a shared vision. So much of my

job is preparing students for the state exams at the end of the year. At the beginning of each

year, my students and I all set goals for each other on where we want our achievement level to be

by the end of the school year. Once the goals are set, I constantly try to find ways to keep them

motivated to work hard and achieve their goals. The third practice and maybe the most important

in my profession is encourage the heart. In my job as a remedial math teacher, a big part of my

success comes from my ability to form deep relationships with each of my students and truly get

to know who they are as a person. Kouzes and Posner (2012) talk about this element as the

ability to recognize contributions made by these individuals and celebrate the victories which

create a positive atmosphere. Being that my students often struggle with math, and have seen

little to no success in their math careers, it is imperative that I take advantage of the small

victories that each student experiences throughout the year. By taking the time to acknowledge

these successes, it creates an environment where students feel respected. Additionally, when

they feel respected, the students are much more likely to work harder to try and meet your

expectations and goals for them.

For my current leadership style, I find myself using more of an authoritative style.

Authoritative leaders dictate policies and procedures, decide what goals are to be achieved, and

direct all activities without much input from their subordinates (Business dictionary, 2016). The

nature of my job puts me in a situation where it is necessary for me to assume this role. With

specific standards I need to teach, and state tests to prepare the students for, there is not much

room for an alternative style. While it is not the perfect style, and one I do not plan to use for the

rest of my professional career, my current career has provided me a great look at both its

strengths and weaknesses.

Future Leadership Opportunities

While I have had many opportunities to be in leadership roles already my career, there

are many positions I hope to reach within the near future. The first is a head baseball coach at

the high school or collegiate level. This type of role would require me to maintain my current

autocratic leadership style for many reasons. The first is that a team needs to know who is in

charge and there cannot be any doubt when a decision is made. Along with this style, I would

make sure to employ the lead by example approach. It is a lot easier to get a team behind you

and to buy-in to your philosophy and methods when you are holding yourself to the same

standards as them.

A second future leadership opportunity I hope to achieve is an Athletic Director at the

collegiate level. If I hope to get to this position, it will be important for me to combine my

current autocratic leadership method, with the democratic method. After interviewing the

Athletic Director at Saint John’s, I learned how impossible it is for one person to effectively

control everything. It is extremely important that an A.D. surrounds himself/herself with people

who they can trust to make decisions. The democratic style encourages a slightly more open

concept of leadership where the decision making responsibilities are shared (Defining-

Leadership, 2013). This style is also a team concept, where the views and opinions of others are

also valued (Defining-Leadership, 2013).

The final future leadership opportunity I strive to achieve would be in the realm of

professional sports. The ideal situation would as a General Manager for a sports franchise. This

role would require me to further my understanding and use of a democratic style of leadership

because of all the moving parts within an organization. I would look to take advantage of

everyone’s experience and knowledge to work collaboratively with them in order to come to a

consensus on different personnel and business decisions. By enabling others to share their views

and opinions, it will create a better professional environment and allow for everyone to agree on

a long-term vision for the organization (Apex Leadership, 2013).

Five-Year Plan

My five-year plan centers on two theories and approaches. The first is the traits

approach. This approach is the belief that leaders are born and not made (Measom,

2015). Measom (2015) discusses how true leaders possess a set of skills that cannot be taught or

learned through life experiences. Instead, these characteristics and are inherited and include

humor, charisma, integrity, or intelligence (Measom, 2015). The reason I believe this is a

foundation for my long-term plan is that I feel I possess many of the qualities listed. Being in the

profession I am in currently, I see many people who do not have those inherited qualities try to

overcompensate with their students. They feel their other life experience will be enough to

overcome the lack of natural skills. In most cases, these professionals do not last longer than a

year or two. And while my current profession is not where I see myself long-term, it has shown

me that I do have the natural skills that are needed to be an effective leader.

However, like all things, my long-term leadership plan is a work in progress. It is

important to constantly reflect and reassess where you are to make sure you continue to improve

and adapt to the times. In preparation for this chapter, I went to MindTools.com and did a

Leadership Tools skill assessment. By answering the questions, I was able to see where I fit on

the leadership continuum. The different outcomes include; not a leader, potential leader, and

emerging leader. Upon completion of the test, the assessment breaks an individual’s responses

down into specific traits and skills to determine strengths and weaknesses. I earned a score of 77

out of 90, which put me in the emerging leader category (53-90). Some of my highest sections

were providing a compelling vision, the ability to motivate, self-confidence, and managing

performance effectively (Mind Tools, 2016). All of these areas, along with that I will continue

to develop over the course of my professional career will aide me in my leadership development.

Using the tools stated in the previous paragraphs, I have come up with a plan to help

achieve my professional goals. I will continue to reflect and build off of my current leadership

style to further develop my skills and work to incorporate them into my profession. I will

continue to seek out opportunities to gain real-life experience in coaching and administrative

roles with two primary goals in mind. The first is having a forward-looking mentality. Forward

looking is defined as looking to and planning for the future (Merrian-Webster). Because I want

to end up in an administrative position at a collegiate or professional level, it is necessary for me

to start looking for opportunities now that will help me in the future. The type of experience I

am considering for this would include additional head coaching experience, a high school

athletic director or dean of students, an assistant collegiate coach, or any sports management

position at the collegiate or professional level.

All of these experiences would tie into my second goal which is to become a credible

leader. Kouzes and Posner (2012) define a credible leader as someone who excels in three areas

which include; trustworthiness, expertise, and dynamism. By continuing to educate myself on

the newest leadership practices and continuing to gain work experience, I will help myself

become a more credible leader. In order to achieve my goal of professional front office, I will

need to prove I have a great understanding on how to effectively run and operate a franchise, as

well as show organizations successes I have had at previous institutions. And the more

experience and success I bring into a job, the more vital I become to an organization.

Conclusion

Leadership is something that will never fade. There will always be a need for effective

leaders. And while it is my belief that people are born leaders, it is something that needs to be

worked at and developed. Great leaders strive to constantly better themselves and are always

looking for new and innovative ways to become more effective and reach more people. By

constantly reflecting on my own style and approach and continuing to use the methods discussed

throughout this chapter; I will continue to work towards becoming a great leader.

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Appendices

Appendix A

U.S. Bank Stadium Pictures

ETFE Roof Pivoting Doors

Snow Shield

Appendix B

Revenue and Expense Reports

Table 1

Revenue Source

Revenue

2014

Revenue

2015

Percent

Increase

Restaurants/Bars

3,703,772

4,589,346

19 percent

Retail

4,847,500

5,334,825

9 percent

Hotels

2697000

3182430

18 percent

Rental Cars

300

percent

12,000+ returned the day after the

game

Total:

11248272

13106601

17 percent

Table 2

Expense

Source

Stadium

Security

Stadium

Upkeep

NFL Tax

Refund

Infrastructure

Dollar

Amount

498 Million

3 Million

12 Million

Approx. 4

Million

30-40 Million

percent of

Budget

90 percent

.5 percent

2 percent

.7 percent

5.4-7.2

percent

Appendix C

SWOT Analysis

Appendix D

Strengths (Internal, positive factors)

Weaknesses (Internal, negative factors)

 Large football fan base to draw

from

 Continuous communication

between members of the Super

Bowl committee.

 Committee will be

composed of dedicated,

hardworking people

who share a common

interest of wanting to

maximize the success of

the event

 New stadium

 New Location

 Personnel Inexperience (only hosted

one prior time (1992)

 Not much to build off

 Not enough tourist attractions,

activities

 New stadium

 Unforeseen operational

issues

Opportunities (external, positive factors)

Threats (External, negative factors)

 Weather

 New experience for

many

 New stadium

 Winter activities

 Many have never

experienced snow

 Ice skating

 skiing

 Mall of America

 Mayo Clinic

 Night Clubs

 Winter Carnival

 Affordable, family

friendly activities

 Economic Boost

 tourists travelling and

spending money in local

community

 Weather for the outdoor activities

(impossible to predict)

 Activities (ice fishing over golf?)

 Infrastructure (large enough?)

 Do we have the right pieces

in place

 Economic Climate

 What is the state of the

economy both nationally

and locally?

 Local Economic Impact

 Will there be a significant

benefit?

Social Media Platforms

Graph 1

Graph 2

Appendix E

Risk Assessment Tool

Risk

Frequency/Rating

At-Risk People

Reasons

Solutions

*Severe

Weather

*Low/ Catastrophic

*Fans/Employees

*Open stadium

*Location

*A lot of possible

disasters

*Retractable roof

*Meteorologist

on site

* Fans Falling

Over Low

Railings

*Low/Critical or

Catastrophic

*Fans

*Intoxication

*Crowded aisles

*Easy to fall over

*Raise Railings

*More security

*Lack of

Communicatio

*Low/ Critical

*Fans

*Employees

*Too many

employees

*Too many levels in

the hierarchy

*Easy to forget info

*Lack of

technology.

*Less Levels

*Better structure

*More efficient

*Lack of

Security

*High/Critical

*Employees

*Fans

*A lot of people for

amount of security

*Hard to control

crowd

*Hire more

security

*Lack of exit

options

*Low/ Critical

*Employees

*Fans

*Limited elevators

and escalators

*Lack of stairways

*small hallways

*Add more exits

*Have structured

evacuation plan

*More security

in exit areas