University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Elevates Operation with New Partnership

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Athletics has partnered with The Aspire Group, the global leader in sport & entertainment revenue enhancement, to develop an in-depth Ticket Marketing, Sales and Service plan complete with fan research, ticket pricing workshop, and execution strategies. Aspire’s Strategic Consulting and Research (SC&R) team will work closely with UTRGV Athletics on these initiatives in order to engage their fan base, aligning their brand with the growth and innovation of the Rio Grande Valley, while staying true to the spirit of South Texas.

“We look forward to working closely with The Aspire Group to gain a 360-degree view of our fan base and develop an extensive Ticket Marketing, Sales and Service (TiMSS) plan,” stated Vince Volpe, Deputy Director of Athletics/Chief Operating Officer for UTRGV. “This TiMSS plan will be the catalyst in driving our Department forward as we expand our brand.”

The Aspire Group will collect insight through various surveys to establish an understanding of the current fan base and their connection to the University’s brand. The growing University community will be closely evaluated to create a sense of tradition and pride honoring the legacy institutions of the University of Texas – Pan American and the University of Texas – Brownsville while building for the future of the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley.

“We are excited to launch this extensive partnership with UTRGV Athletics to provide their team with the necessary strategy to enhance and grow the engagement within their fan base and community,” stated Michael Farris, Director of Strategic Consulting & Research for The Aspire Group.  “With over 1.3 million people living in the Rio Grande Valley, UTRGV is a sleeping giant and the collaborative ticket marketing, sales, and service strategy that we will create with UTRGV will position them as the leading collegiate athletic program in Southern Texas. The team spirit and energy within their athletic department is sure to fuel this project to success.”

For inquires or further questions, please contact A.J. Smith at aj.smith@theaspiregroupinc.com

 

About The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley was created by the Texas Legislature on Dec. 7, 2012, in a historic move that combined the resources and assets of UTPA and UTB, and, for the first time, made it possible for residents of the Rio Grande Valley to benefit from the Permanent University Fund. The institution will also be home to a School of Medicine and will transform Texas and the nation by becoming a leader in student success, teaching, research, and healthcare. UTRGV enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine will open in 2016.

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 sports business and investment optimization. Aspire has become the global leader in outsourced revenue enhancement with more than 60 collegiate properties in the USA and over 100 more sports and entertainment properties who have trusted Aspire to drive revenue, attendance and enterprise value. In the last two years, The Aspire Group was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Top 10 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 and awarded a 2016 “Sales and Marketing” Stadium Business Award. For more information, please visit www.theaspiregroupinc.com.