Spectra by Comcast Spectacor Extends Partnership With the University of California, Irvine

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - Jul 19, 2016) - Spectra by Comcast Spectacor today announced its Ticketing & Fan Engagement division has extended its partnership with the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine). With the extended partnership, UC Irvine will add Spectra's Marketing Automation and Salesforce CRM, and continue to utilize its industry-leading ticketing, fundraising and marketing services to engage fans and donors, further enhance customer service and drive revenue.

"Continuing our partnership with Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement is ideal for UC Irvine, and our fans are able to directly benefit from the leading provider in college athletics," said Mike Izzi, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at UC Irvine. "Through our partnership we continue to implement new technologies and services to be more innovative with a goal to further enhance every touch point with our fans and donors."

Since partnering with Spectra in 2011, UC Irvine has been a leader among college athletics institutions in best practices. At Spectra's annual PACnet community conference in February, UC Irvine was honored as the recipient of the Founder's Award, recognized for its great strides achieved not only in the past year, but since partnering with Spectra.

"For the fifth straight year since the start of our partnership with Spectra, overall revenues for UC Irvine increased, all while enhancing the customer experience," said Phil Wang Senior Associate Athletic Director of Business Affairs at UC Irvine. "This includes an attendance and ticket sales increase of more than 30% from 2014-15, outpacing the trend in college athletics."

To increase customer interactions and further engage with fans and donors, UC Irvine will implement Spectra's PAC Marketing Automation platform to leverage a multi-channel marketing solution integrates with Spectra's ticketing and fundraising platforms. UC Irvine will utilize the platform to create customized, personalized URLs (PURLs) with tailored content for season ticket holders and donors to elevate their experiences and drive renewals. Additionally, the platform will enable staff to deliver customized, triggered campaigns and marketing communications via the athletic department's official newsletter.

UC Irvine will also implement Spectra's industry-specific implementation of Salesforce CRM, the No. 1 CRM provider worldwide, to have a 360-degree view of every customer. The CRM platform integrates directly with Spectra's PAC Marketing Automation platform and enables staff to work hand-in-hand to manage all fan and donor interactions with the ability to provide efficient and personalized customer service.

"We are thrilled to be selected by UC Irvine to continue our long-term partnership to help their innovative and thought-leading athletic department provide one of the best fan and donor experiences," said Dave Butler, President and CEO of Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement. "UC Irvine has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to deliver exceptional services to fans and donors, and they are a phenomenal partner."

UC Irvine will continue to sell tickets to all events in real-time via its centralized ticket office at UCIrvineTickets.com. Powered by Spectra's integrated ticketing and eCommerce platforms, UC Irvine enables customers and students to purchase tickets to all athletic events, family shows and concerts, and performing arts events at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts. The university also integrates Spectra's fundraising platform into its centralized box office to process donations for the Anteater Athletic Fund. UC Irvine will also continue to utilize Spectra's digital ticketing services to provide fans with convenient digital delivery methods via print-at-home or mobile 2D barcode for easy access to events.

Additionally Spectra will continue to provide UC Irvine with agency-like marketing services, in addition to PAC Marketing Automation, including PAC Retargeting, PAC Social Media and PAC Search Marketing to engage with fans and donors, acquire new customers and sell more tickets. By combining these industry-leading marketing services, UC Irvine delivers highly targeted, personalized digital marketing campaigns to fans and donors to increase engagement and drive experiences.

Spectra is a major provider of sports and entertainment hospitality services in California. One or more Spectra divisions (Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Ticketing & Fan Engagement) is at work supporting more than 40 institutions, venues, teams and live entertainment organizations.

About Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement 
Spectra's Ticketing & Fan Engagement division is a leader in ticketing, fundraising, marketing, and analytics solutions with over 35 years of experience. Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement enables college athletic programs, arenas, professional sports, and performing arts clients to sell more than 120 million tickets per year.

About Spectra
Spectra by Comcast Spectacor is the expert in hosting and entertainment, partnering with over 300 clients at 400 global properties to create memorable experiences for millions of visitors every year. Spectra's expertise is embodied within three divisions: Venue Management (formerly Global Spectrum), Food Services & Hospitality (formerly Ovations Food Services) and Ticketing & Fan Engagement (formerly Paciolan). Learn more at SpectraExperiences.com.

Comcast Spectacor is part of Comcast Corporation, a Fortune 50 media and technology company that operates Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., in addition to Spectra, Comcast Spectacor owns and operates the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center venue. Visit us at ComcastSpectacor.com, PhiladelphiaFlyers.com and WellsFargoCenterPhilly.com for more information.