These are selected news articles that showed up in our inboxes on Monday morning that we want to pass along to you.

Stubhub Becomes Official Secondary Ticket Provider for Baylor Athletics (BaylorBears.com)
“The partnership between StubHub and Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement enables barcode integration for a seamless fan experience that provides 100%, digitally delivered tickets to the buyer. In addition, fans have access to print-at-home tickets, streamlined listings to sell unused tickets and the ability to enter supporting venues with their mobile phone.”

Kimmel Center Plans Expansive Naming-rights Sale (Philly.com)
“The sale of naming rights forms the bulk of the Kimmel’s new five-year campaign – its biggest yet – to raise “north of $100 million,” in the words of Kimmel president and CEO Anne Ewers. Proceeds would be used to fund further renovations to the main Kimmel site that opened in 2001, as well as some programs that go on inside.”

Toshiba Mobilizes Fan-going Experiences at Staples Center via Augmented Reality (Mobile Marketer)
“After snapping virtual images with the sports stars, consumers can then share photos across social media, suggesting that there may be an open seat for augmented reality apps in stadiums and arenas.”

Responsible NASCAR Fans Rewarded at Talladega Superspeedway (GlobeNewswire)
“Before the race, 117 fans made the pledge to be a designated driver for their group. All of them had the opportunity to receive a free souvenir photo, instant prizes and a chance to be selected as the Designated Driver of the Race.”

Contemporary Services Corporation Partners with Princeton University (PRNewswire)
“CSC Philadelphia provides guest services, ticket taking, and ushering for the Princeton Tigers football and basketball games at Princeton University Stadium and Jadwin Gymnasium, respectively.”

(Image: Rockin’Rita/Creative Commons)

The Canadian Tire Centre and the Ottawa Senators are partnering with IBM to learn more about fan behavior in order to personalize communication, enhance the arena experience, and increase ticket sales.

“We have an incredibly dedicated fan base that supports our team and players at every turn. We want to make sure we don’t just thank them for their support, but ensure their experience is second to none,” said Peter O’Leary, chief marketing officer and vice-president of ticketing with the Ottawa Senators, in a statement. “Working with IBM, we’ll not only have the chance to collaborate with a tremendous local partner, but we’ll be able to gather new insights on our fans that will allow us to be more efficient in our operations and provide a more personal and enhanced experience for all of our guests.”

According to an IBM press release, their will be five primary goals of the partnership.

Fan Insights and Clustering: To help identify and make sense of fan attitudes, behavior trends, and psychographic characteristics to identify individual fan preferences and offer more personalized interactions.

Fan Experience Effectiveness: To provide visual analysis of fan interactions and uncover opportunities for greater brand and fan interactions.

Lead Scoring: To help drive more effective target offers for renewals, up-sells, and incentives for new customers to maximize revenue.

KPI Dashboard: To help track the success and ROI on key initiatives and campaigns, review and audit all fan metrics, and enable business user discovery and analysis.

Data Warehouse Strategies: To aggregate all data source opportunities including governance, data capture opportunities, and existing sources into a cloud-based warehouse.

IBM Fan Insight for the arena and team will begin in November and be used throughout the season.

“Fans attending games at arenas like Canadian Tire Centre are no longer a ‘captive audience’ to organizations thanks to the advent of smartphones and other technologies. Teams need to take additional steps in order to engage their fans on a higher level,” said Alistair Rennie, general manager of analytics solutions at IBM, in a statement. “With access to more data about fans than ever before, the Ottawa Senators understand that this data can be an incredible resource for engaging their fans where, when, and how they want to be reached while increasing their own operational efficiency.”

(Image: Facebook)

An audit of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (WWCC) recently referenced data from the 2013 Convention Center Operating Expenses and Revenues Report published by VenueDataSource, the research department of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM).

IAVM has closely evaluated the data cited, and has found it to be inaccurate and inconsistent with the actual material available in the original VenueDataSource report.

The findings in the final audit consistently reference average metrics for “large convention centers,” but this data was not presented in the report provided by VenueDataSource, and has led to a significant misuse of the actual report data. The VenueDataSource report included average revenue of $36.04 per TRSF, and average expenses of $37.15 per TRSF*—metrics generated from all surveyed convention centers. The variance in these participating venues is significant, with venue size (square footage), market, management structure, and numerous other criteria demanding careful consideration when applying metrics or attempting to draw conclusions.

Furthermore, any data in the audit referring specifically to Events DC or the WWCC was not sourced in any VenueDataSource report, as IAVM handles all survey data with complete confidentiality.

Frank Ingoglia, Research Manager with VenueDataSource, shared that the reported outcomes may require significant correction, and that had he been asked to review the material prior to publication, inconsistencies and misreported results could have been identified and avoided.

“VenueDataSource is managed very carefully to ensure that the metrics collected are meaningful, reliable, and contextually relevant. We pride ourselves on the integrity of our data, and it is counter-productive and misleading to see our report misused in this instance.”

IAVM has contacted the audit team and various reporters covering the story. An initial report published in the Washington Business Journal referenced the incorrect metrics, but a subsequent article posted after IAVM contacted the editor highlights the misused figures:

“The difference between the profitability of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and other large convention facilities in the U.S. may not be as stark as a D.C. Auditor’s report released earlier this week indicated. Convention center manager Events DC and the International Association of Venue Managers, whose report was cited in the D.C. audit, say the numbers compared in the report are incorrect.”

The Washington Post also included a mention of misused data from the IAVM report, and the audit team has notified IAVM that they are currently reviewing the issue internally.

“Our team works hard to make VenueDataSource a reliable tool for our members,” said Vicki Hawarden, CMP, IAVM president and CEO. “The integrity of the data shared remains a top priority, and we are glad to see the auditor and media acknowledge the importance of integrity in how the data is used as well.”

More information about VenueDataSource, or the report referenced in this story, can be obtained by contacting the research department at IAVM.

*TRSF = total rentable square foot

// UPDATE 11/2/15 //

The Office of the D.C Auditor, upon receiving IAVM’s clarification of metrics associated with the VenueDataSource report, has reviewed our concerns and notified us that they will:

1. Revise the audit report to correct comparison data.

2. Offer WWC/Events DC an opportunity to provide revised comments

3. Reissue the report, including an errata paragraph that references the initial release and the error in language around the comparison universe and including revised WWC/Events DC comments if provided.

4. Provide reissued copies to the D.C. Council under a cover letter to Chairman Phil Mendelson (the ODCA oversight chairman) and Finance and Revenue Committee Chairman Jack Evans explaining that this is a reissuance due to error in the initial report.

5. Notify reporters at The Washington Business Journal and The Washington Post about the reissuance and the error in the comparison universe.

Do you want courtside seats to the Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans game? If you have a Samsung Gear VR headset, that’s where you’ll sit.

Tonight, October 27, the NBA and Turner Sports—working with NextVR—will offer access to the first live-streaming, regular season, U.S. professional sports game in virtual reality (VR). In addition, viewers can watch the Warriors’ championship ring presentation at Oracle Arena.

The Warriors aren’t the only team experimenting with VR. So are the Sacramento Kings, who conducted tests of two VR games in the pre-season. The Kings will offer VR streaming of their Wednesday night game, but it will only be available inside the arena.

“The Kings, who are producing their live VR stream Wednesday without direct coordination with the NBA, have been working with the VR technology company Voke,” Daniel Terdiman reported for Fast Company. The team hopes to differentiate its VR offering from that of the NBA’s presentation of the Warriors-Pelicans game by making it platform agnostic, meaning its should be available on any VR platform—such as Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard, or even YouTube 360 or Facebook 360 Video, as well as Gear VR.”

As a venue manager, how do you feel about VR? Is this a new way to grow fan engagement, or will it keep fans away from venues? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section.

(Image: The Golden State Warriors/NBA)

The NBA’s Utah Jazz will now play home games in Vivint Smart Home Arena. Previously known as EnergySolutions Arena, the naming rights for the 19,911-seat venue will be for 10 years.

“The Utah Jazz and the arena have been an incredible economic engine for this region, and have created a tremendous sense of pride among Utahns,” said Todd Pedersen, CEO of Vivint, in a statement. “This agreement extends far beyond a typical ‘logo-on-the-building’ arrangement—it’s a true partnership built around innovation, community impact, and the drive to elevate the prominence of Utah.”

Arena owner and operator Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment and Vivent’s partnership includes an interactive “Vivint Smart Home Experience” on the arena concourse, expertise in products and services to improve the game night fan experience, and upgraded security and automation technology at the basketball facilities.

“I am really pleased about this association between two Utah businesses,” said Gail Miller, owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, in a statement. “Vivint shares our vision of having the arena be a gathering place for our community where millions of visitors can enjoy the Jazz and other first-class entertainment. I also want to thank EnergySolutions for their past contributions and continued support of our company and the Jazz.”

Check out the video below introducing the new name.