EMU Athletics Partners With The Aspire Group

The Aspire Group To Launch Ticket Sales & Service Operation at Eastern Michigan

The Eastern Michigan University Department of Athletics and The Aspire Sport Marketing Group announced today, July 22, that they have signed a multi-year agreement to develop a Fan Relationship Management Center (FRMC) on the Ypsilanti campus. Aspire will staff two full-time employees with the goal of providing year round support in service & retention, outbound sales, ticket operations and revenue strategy.

“We are proud to announce this new partnership with The Aspire Group,” said EMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. “Not only do they bring significant ticket sales and service experience but they have progressive leaders guiding their organization and people who care about the quality of job they do.  We are fortunate to be working together as they will help us continue to build a memorable experience for our fans at Eastern Michigan University.”

Eastern Michigan becomes the third Mid-American Conference (MAC) school The Aspire Group has worked with in 2015 and sixth overall. Within the league, Aspire have provided ticket sales and service support to Western Michigan, Toledo, Miami, Buffalo, Massachusetts and now Eastern Michigan.

“We identified a need within our department,  which we saw Aspire’s capabilities as syncing with perfectly,” stated Tony Orlando, Director of Athletics Marketing for Eastern Michigan University Athletics. “We are building something special here, and taking the program in a direction it has not been before and we are thrilled to have Aspire as part of our family on that journey to new frontiers of excellence.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Eastern Michigan to the Aspire family” stated Bill Fagan, SVP & GM – Fan Relationship Management. “The entire Eastern Michigan staff has been first class since we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.  Their attention towards elevating the fan experience paired with our extensive ticket sales and service experience is the perfect partnership.”

Aspire has promoted Jeff Czachowski to Manager of the EMU FRMC. Previously, Jeff was a Team Leader for the University of Maryland FRMC. While with the Maryland FRMC, Jeff had numerous accomplishments including producing over $350,000 in ticket revenue in one year, establishing a Group Sales division and running the Maryland FRMC’s internship program. Aspire’s Regional VP of Fan Relationship Management, Tony Garrett, will oversee the partnership between Aspire and Eastern Michigan Athletics.

“We see EMU as a school on the rise, and by no coincidence, it has a lot to do with the programs leadership, and student athletes on the fields, courts, tracks, pools, and arenas. We are looking forward to setting a new standard for Eagles fans as they engage with the program on a 12 month basis” said Garrett. “Our company’s work ethic is very in line with that of the hardworking people of Southeast Michigan, we cannot wait to get more fans exposed to game day at The Factory.”

“As a Michigan native, I look forward to building strong relationships with the EMU fan base and the Ypsilanti community,” added Czachowski. “While at Maryland the past three years, I found myself building Terps fans for life, but more importantly, friends for life. I pride myself on loyalty and great customer service, and I look forward to getting to know every ticket holder and taking the fan base to new heights. I am confident that Eastern Michigan University Athletics will take great strides in the coming years.”

For inquiries or further questions, please contact Alan Pandiani at alan.pandiani@theaspriegroupinc.com

About The Aspire Group
The Aspire Group is a global sports and entertainment marketing firm that specializes in enhancing all revenue streams while building lifelong fans for our clients through superb fan engagement and service. The Aspire Group currently works with client partners in North America, Europe and Australia providing ongoing strategic business consulting and research; outsourced services; and implementation support in all facets of sport business and investment optimization. Aspire has become the global leader in outsourced revenue enhancement with over 40 collegiate properties in the USA and over 100 additional sports and entertainment properties who have trusted Aspire to drive revenue, attendance and enterprise value. Recently, The Aspire Group was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Top Ten Best Places To Work For In Sports” and nominated by Sports Business Journal for a “Best In Property Consulting, Sales And Client Services” award for the second time. For more information, please visit www.theaspiregroupinc.com.

About  Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University has been a member of the Mid-American Conference since 1971 and has been among the league’s most successful members. The Division I program boasts 129 MAC team championships over the past 43 years. EMU’s varsity intercollegiate program features 21 different sports, nine men’s teams and 12 women’s teams, the program employs more than 70 full-time staff and supports more than 500 student-athletes. Eastern Michigan has had a representative at every summer Olympics since 1960.