How to Organize a Fundraising Event for a Nonprofit Organization
In today’s economy, nonprofits are fighting for limited resources while historically successful fundraising efforts no longer seem to be hitting the mark. In this week’s episode, we sat down with the experts in innovative events, KC Crew. Building on their experience from running some of Kansas City’s most unique and fun events for young professionals, they share their experience on how to capture the focus of the next generation of donors while maximizing event impact. Discover how to put on a fundraising event in a way that allows your team to represent your nonprofit rather than get stuck running the event. To learn more from KC Crew, check out their episode on running Adult Sports Leagues.
Investing in Your Team: Strategies for Staff Recruitment, Training, and Retention
Unlock the secrets to building a motivated team. The sports industry inherently comes with hurdles in building a core staff. Late nights, seasonal needs, and unique challenges with the dynamic of working with youth and parents. In this episode, we once again chat with Chuck Stollery, Membership Director of US Indoor to glean expert insights on hiring, retaining talent, and inspiring a winning culture. It’s possible not just to overcome these challenges but by investing in your staff, to create a team that builds your facility up. To hear his thoughts on streamlining operations, check out his first episode, Streamlining Operations: Best Practices for Facility Management
What Is Eatertainment?
Food, play, and fun wrapped up into one: that’s the goal of Eatertainment facilities everywhere. But while you may have heard about Eatertainment options near you, what does that include? What can you expect when you walk into one of these facilities? And, more importantly, why have they absolutely exploded in popularity in recent years? Let’s take a closer look.
Is Tennis Dead: Tips From a Top 50 USTA Facility
Explore the remarkable journey of Overland Park Racquet Club and how it became one of the top Tennis facilities in the Midwest. In this episode, we’re joined by Elliott McDermed, the brain behind this thriving sports facility as an employee-turned co-owner. Elliot shares some of the secrets to their success, from diverse membership options to embracing the rise of pickleball. This one is full of tips on how to run a tennis club from a top 50 USTA facility. For more on racquet sports, check out our episode about pickleball with Chicken N Pickle!
Double Tap KC: How to Open a Virtual Reality Bar
Discover the ultimate virtual reality (VR) experience at Double Tap KC in Kansas City. In this episode, we sit down with Terry Keith owner/operator of Double Tap KC as he delves into their immersive adventures, industry highlights, and the secrets to their success. Explore the future of entertainment with cutting-edge technology and real-world excitement. To hear more about some awesome local experience venues, check out our episode on Sinkers Lounge!
The Benefits of Automated Scheduling for Your Sports Facility
Managing a sports facility is not an easy job. Not only are you managing your staff and equipment, planning facility-wide events, and dealing with day-to-day chaos as it comes — but you’re also trying to make sure that customers get the most out of their time at your facility, and that means scheduling.
Strategic Planning and Design for Sports Facilities
We are joined by an industry veteran this week. Vance Rzepka from VSR Design has worked on everything from T-Ball and high school football facilities to MLB and NFL fields, he’s even worked with Mike Laplante from episode 9: “Scheels Sports Complex: A Soccer Haven in the Heartland.” Vance is full of knowledge on planning and saving money on facility builds and renovations, the best tech to implement in a complex, and keeping up with the evolving landscape of fan-focused facilities. Check out the full episode for tips to enhance your sports facility’s longevity, fan experience, and adaptability.
Selling an Experience: Growth Strategies for Facilities
In this episode, we are joined by Matt Baysinger from Swell Spark, the mother company of Blade and Timber, Sinkers Lounge, and Breakout escape rooms. Matt is very open about the challenges he has faced, the strategies he has used to grow, the failures he has experienced, and how he used that knowledge to continuously improve the customer experience. This one is full of valuable industry knowledge that you won’t want to miss. To hear from another awesome eatertainment venue, check out our episode on Chicken n Pickle!
Creating Engaging Programming for Adult Sports Leagues
In this episode, we are joined once again by Greg Mallory and Mitch LaMendola from KC Crew, as they discuss some of the secret sauce behind how they manage to run so many successful adult sports leagues. They talk through their processes for hiring the right staff, creating and maintaining engaging programming, and collaborating with local businesses. If you want to hear more from the KC Crew team be sure to check out their first episode KC Crew: Running Adult Sports Leagues.
KC Crew: Running Adult Sports Leagues
Welcome to The Facility Playbook, where we examine the dynamic world of facility management and bring you insights from industry experts. In this episode, we are joined by Greg Mallory and Mitch LaMendola from KC Crew, which is the company Luke started that pulled him into the facility and league world. KC Crew runs multiple leagues for tens of thousands of people each year, and has become the go-to organization for adult sports programming in Kansas City. You can hear more of how Luke got started in the industry in our intro episode “Welcome to the Facility Playbook”
