A major aspect to Sports Business is the ticket sales industry. Instead of giving us a lecture about his career, Jason Aldwell said that he had an interactive task for us to complete.

With Jason Aldwell's direction, our members had the opportunity to test our marketing skills. After splitting us into groups, Aldwell gave us a folder of information about "perspective clients." In reality, he sold tickets to these clients. 

Our objective -- to figure out which package the customer chose. 

The next part of the task included presenting our deal to the other group. Aldwell would then tell us how close we came to the actual deal. The materials to figure out the package included a list of package options for Pirate ticket holders, the upcoming schedule, and the seating arrangements with the costs.

He rewarded the winning team with t-shirts.

From the activity, we learned that you cannot judge a person based on the short bio given. We need to weigh how much they value baseball and attending games. We also need to weigh the lifestyle and never underestimate the amount that the client is willing to spend. Our groups undersold to the clients, when in reality these fans wanted bigger packages so they could attend more games. Jason Aldwell's experience gave us great insight on his business. His energy and charisma made him an awesome guest speaker for our group.

Thanks again for a great meeting Jason!

A prime example of how hard work and traveling are key components to success in the business world, Jason Kobeda is the Manager of Maintenance for the Pittsburgh Pirate's at PNC Park. 

A native to Pittsburgh, Kobeda understands this city's baseball mentality: a family oriented, fun, energetic, experience that embraces the city's history in glass and steel. Kobeda worked up to his position starting with internships with teams including the Cleveland Browns, the Huston Texans, and RMU (his alma mater), Kobeda gained experience and connections. He also worked at the Civic Arena and helped in the planning phases of CONSOL. 

At PNC, Kobeda works tirelessly to provide a unique experience on game day and to maintain important connections with producers and customers. 

Thanks for sharing your story! Let's go Bucs.