In collaboration with the HPU Athletics and my senior capstone course my group developed a comprehensive plan to renovate the tailgate area at Williard Stadium. All of the Canva was created by myself.

1. WILLIARD
STADIUM
TAILGATE
AREA
BY CHRIS SYNAN, PATRICK COONEY,AND FRANKIE LUGOSSY

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary..................................................................1
Background Information.........................................................2
Research: Student Survey....................................................3,4
Background Research..............................................................5
The Panther Den Space........................................................... 6
Fan experience..........................................................................7
alcohol Policy...........................................................................8
Legal Liability........................................................................ 9
Facility Operations.................................................................12
Financials..................................................................................13
Evaluation/Closing Summary.............................................. 14
Marketing Plan........................................................................10,11

3. The High Point University Athletic Department
has experienced an exciting amount of growth
and success. Between HPU's 16 teams they
have been ranked and have continued to
compete on a national level as we grow. And
who can forget about the state of the art
Qubein Arena being built. However, one of the
16 teams that has been left behind when it
comes to attendance and student engagement
has been HPU Baseball and the current Purple
Reign tailgate area at Williard Stadium.
Our client, the HPU Athletic Department, made it clear in their vision for
the space that it should fit into the HPU mold of being extradorinaiy for
the students attending games. Through our research and the designing
of the space we believe that it achieves that while sticking within the
framework of the $100,000 budget and listening to students who we
were able to survey. We firmly believe that not only is this space
extraordinary, but is unique, fun, and will increase student attendance
at HPU Baseball games if implemented. We also believe it is scalable to
other sports and provides the opportunity for the Athletic Department
to generate additional revenue. Lastly, as students entering the sports
industry come graduation we hope to leave our mark on not only the
High Point University Athletic Department, but the whole entire student
body on campus for years to come! Enjoy!
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
STRIVING FOR
EXTRORDINARY!

4. Coy O. Williard Stadium was dedicated in 2007 and has since become
one of the most beautiful small ballparks in the Big South and in the
country. A matter of fact in 2012, a college baseball writer named it the
fourth best small venue in all of division one baseball. And almost of
everyone who steps inside of Williard Stadium agrees that there is
something charming about the 501 seat brick baseball stadium that has
been renovated 4 times during its existence. Amenities of the ballpark
include bathrooms, concessions, a marketing table for in game
giveaways. And of course the Purple Reign Student Area which is the
focus of our renovation proposal. Currently the tailgate area is a small
space located in center field with a couple of picnic tables and that is it!
It doesn't fully utilize the 90x152 foot space. While trash talking the
opposing teams center fielder is fun, the space does not have any other
offerings or amenities to bring students to games and keep students at
games. Furthermore, it is a 4 minute walk to the main part of the
ballpark to use the restroom or buy food!
In the images to the right you will see the current layout of Williard
Stadium and the parameters of the tailgate area space that has been
provided to us by the HPU Athletic Department. Our goal is to utilize as
much of the space as possible!
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION

5. STUDENT SURVEY
During our research we understood the importance of not only researching what other college baseball
stadiums are doing to attract fans to games, but also listening to the voice of current HPU students who are
going to be our target audience for the space. To fully get a grasp of what would excite students and bring
them as well as keep them at games we conducted a survey where we tried to get answers focused on the
following questions:
How often do students attend games?
How Long do students stay at games?
Why don't students attend games or leave early?
How educated are students about Williard stadium?
Would a tailgate area increase attendance?
What will bring students to games?
Is alcohol a game changer?
The results of the survey revealed substantial evidence that supports the current
notion that the current space and the baseball games itself does not draw nearly
enough students. Especially when it comes to creating a fun atmosphere like ones
at other college ballparks who have tailgate areas. Another reason we found is the
fact that HPU students aren't educated enough of the current offerings at Williard
Stadium. One of the most shocking statistics to support this is the fact that 69% of
students surveyed didn't know there was a tailgate area in the space where it is
currently located. Furthermore, the survey revealed that 57% of students surveyed
have never attended a HPU baseball game..And we believe that part of the reason
for this is the fact that the one of the highest responses is the fact that students
don't attend games because they "don't know when games are." This shows that
baseball games needs marketed better to students and that we need amenities
that draw students students to games such as alcohol. The survey revealed that
71% of of students would attend HPU games "more often" or "regularly" if alcohol
were served in the tailgate area. The next page includes the final statistical results
of the survey questions that we found relevant and notable responses that we've
taken into account when planning the tailgate area.

6. Never attended a game
56.9%
Every once in a while
20%
Regularly
18.5%
Often
4.6%
Yes
69.2%
No
30.8%
More often
44.6%
About the same
29.2%
Regularly
26.2%
How often do you attend HPU baseball games?
Did You Know Williard Stadium has a tailgate area?
How much more often would you attend HPU
baseball games if Alcohol was served?
Notable comments
"Need a miniature concession stand
that serves alcohol"
STUDENT SURVEY
"Need more promotion from Athletics: too basketball focused"
"Need elevated stands that look over field""
"The concessions and bathroom too far away"
"More activities other than viewing game"
"Alcohol, Food, Music, and Games"
"Food Trucks, promotions, and fun
giveaways"
What Activities and amenities would
interest you in a new tailgate Area?
10%Of students surveyed have watched a game
from the tailgate area

7. Student Attendance Numbers
BACKGROUND
RESEARCHMuch of our research for the space we want to develop
revolved around looking at what other college baseball
stadiums are doing and proactively responding to the
concerns of students who took part in the survey. We
asked ourselves things like "what are other schools
doing at baseball games?", "what amenities fulfill the
needs of students?, and "how do we stick to the HPU
brand?".For example, one student noted that it is almost
a 4 minute walk to the main part of the ballpark to buy
concessions and use the restroom.
The first thing we did was look at other collegiate baseball stadiums and what exciting things they are
doing in their tailgate zones that will meet the needs of HPU students. One school and stadium that
stood out to us was Baum Walker Stadium for the Arkansas Razorbacks. And part of the reason that we
decided to look at such a school is that they have ranked top 3 in attendance consistently when NCAA
Baseball attendance numbers are released. In the graphic (below), the HPU Athletics has provided us
student attendance numbers for the past three seasons at baseball games. The numbers show that
there has been a steady decline each of the past three years in student attendance. Although baseball
games aren't going to draw the same numbers like SEC schools such as Arkansas or hold the capacity
where Big South rival Campbell plays, we believe there is an opportunity to draw as many students to
the stadium and tailgate area. This is especially the case if games are marketed correctly and provide
enough amenities for students.
The other aspect that initially drew us to Baum Walker Stadium was the fact that they introduced to
Razorback fans a storage container concept from a company called boxLIFE that we are including in the
tailgate space. The aspect that drew us to the concept is that it meets many of the needs that current
students voiced since it is an attraction, a space where students can hang out and view games from the
top deck, and most importantly a location where alcohol/concessions can be conveniently served instead
of walking all the way to the main part of the ballpark. In our research, we discovered that not only is the
concept scalable (can be moved to other athletic events on campus), but it can also generate revenue as
well. It will be the focal point of the tailgate area. Our concept is based on research of what other college
baseball stadiums are doing when it comes to policy and tailgating practices. As well as listening to the
voice of what current HPU students envision the space.
2017 2018 2019
Season Total: 1,105
Average/Game: 58 students
Season Total: 779
Average/Game: 41 students
Season Total: 663
Average/Game: 31 students
FAN EXPERIENCE RESEARCH

8. THE PANTHER DEN
The first thing that we wanted to do with current tailgate area was rebrand and rename the space. Right now,
the space is currently just branded as "Purple Reign" when you look at the center field wall. It doesn't clearly
convey a message like the Cameron Crazies (Duke), the Dawg Pack (Washington), or student sections across
the college landscape. Within the past decade, the student area was named the Panthers Den and we think that
this name should be reborn. It makes it more clear that it is a student section or tailgate area. The focal point of
the Panther Den will be a repurposed storage container unit called a boxSuite. A boxSuite is a 300 square foot
mobile storage container that is easy to set up and meets the many needs of what students voiced. It includes a
bar area where alcohol and concession wil be served, a rooftop deck so students can watch a game, and have
bar seating across it. Below are pictures of what a boxSuite would look like. The BoxSuite is scalable and can be
moved to other atheltic events across campus and be rented out for additional revenue. Outside of the boxsuite
will be a picnic area and other fan experiences such as games.
Depicted is the configuration of the space

9. Part of the fan experience that is going to be implemented is serving alcohol from the
trademarked boxLIFE boxSuites. From our survey, it was found that 70.8% of students would
attend game more often or regularly if alcohol were served. Our vision is to make the area
resemble a beer garden where fans can enjoy a drink and a hot dog and watch the game from
either the rooftop or the picnic tables. Furthermore, it is time to adapt and catch up to what other
top athletic departments are doing when it comes to serving alcohol. Just this past year, NC
Governor Roy Cooper passed a bill to allow legal wine and beer sales throughout the UNC system
which includes 11 schools in the North Carolina area. One of which is UNC Wilmington which is a
comparable school that HPU is trying to grow to be and is under the Aramark food service
provider like HPU. Since UNCW has started serving alcohol at basketball games, it has been such
a success and revenue generator that they have expanded it to baseball and other sports as well.
The UNCW Athletic department has also generated additional revenue by getting a 50%
commission on all alcohol sales. Furthermore, given that alcohol is going to be served in the new
Qubein Arena it is a no brainer for the Athletic Department to expand to baseball and other sports
as well just like UNCW has done. Given that this is a reality in drawing more fans to games and
generating revenue, we have kept in mind an alcohol policy and other legal liability issues for the
space on the pages that follow.
There will be three games in the tailgate area that students will be able
to enjoy. It includes the fastest pitch challenge, cornhole, and spikeball.
In our research we found that cornhole and spikeball are the most
common non-alcoholic games at tailgating. Furthermore, fastest
pitch challenges are making its way throughout MLB stadiums and
college stadiums. And HPU students voiced in the survey they wanted it.
The pitching challenge is an activation that can be carried out by the
marketing department each game and students will be able to win
prizes if they get the fastest pitch.
FAN EXPERIENCE
ALCOHOL
GAMES
BOXSUITE AND PICNIC AREA
The boxLife boxSuite as depicted on the previous page is the ultimate amenity for
fans in the Panther Den. Students will no longer have to have a 4 minute walk to the
concession stands and fans will be able to drink and watch the game from the
viewing deck on top of the 300 square foot storage container. Or even better fans
will be able to watch the game from the picnic area that will resemble a beer
garden with string lights. Lastly, students will be able to watch other sporting
events from the TV within the boxSUITE.

10. ALCOHOL POLICY
Rules and Regulations
One alcoholic drink per transaction1.
21+
Wristband Policy
Under 21
$3
The following will be the alcohol policy for HPU baseball games in the
tailgate area. The policy is based on an article in the SportsJournal and
other practices at stadiums such as UNCW, Florida State, and others
2. Must be wearing a purple wristband
to indicate 21+
3. limit of 5 12 oz beers per game
4. Not Allowed leaving tailgate area
with alcohol
5. Must adhere to student code of
conduct and signed waiver.
6. Start serving 30 minutes before
game and stop at top of 7th
There will be a centralized booth at the entrance of the tailgate area
for a Show Pro to check ID's and disperse wristbands. Purple wristbands will
be for fans 21+ and will depict 5 beverages that will be hole punched
every time you buy a beer. On the fifth beer, the wristband will be taken away
to indicate that the fan has reached the five beer limit. Green wristbands will
be handed out to make it clear who is under 21.
Waiver Policy
Another measure that will be taken is that there will be a system in place for
students to sign an assumption of risk and code of conduct waiver. This will be
sent out to students 21+ at the beginning of each semester to be signed.. When
you check in at the booth, it will show that you are in the system when you
swipe your passport and allowed to enter. Guests will sign a waiver on-site

11. There will be two different colored wristbands, one which is for people ages 21+,
and the other for people that are below 21 years of age. The bouncer will also be
instructed to not let anyone in who seems too intoxicated or will remove anyone in
the tailgate area who gets too intoxicated. There will be EMT staff on sight, in the
case that someone is too intoxicated and needs medical assistance. As for where
the alcohol is going to be coming from, we are going to use Aramark so that we
don’t break the contract that they have with the school. Another legal liability issue
will be people potentially injuring themselves on the top of the bar where the
seating is. There are the possibilities that people can either fall off the side, get hit
by a home run, fall down the steps, and so on. A way to prevent legal liability, we
will have signs posted all over the tailgate zone, especially at the top of the steps of
the container, that state the risks of being up there and saying to use caution. This
shows that the tailgate zone and school is using expressed assumption of risk. On
top of that, we would also have an electronic waiver form that we would require
everyone who enters to sign. This waiver would cover all of the different risks that a
fan might encounter being in this tailgate area, and eliminate the schools
responsibility for these different risks. This system will recognize if the fan has
previously signed their waiver or not, so if they didn’t they will be required to sign
before entering. If a non-student who is under the age of 18 tries to enter, they will
not be allowed in unless they have a parent or legal guardian sign the waiver for
them. Lastly, if there is inclement weather, we will not host a tailgate for that game.
If the weather calls for thunderstorms the day of the game, we will not open the
tailgate zone since the storage unit is made of metal, which attracts lightning. This
way know one will be near these different potential risks, and we will eliminate all
potential causes of harm.
LEGAL
LIABILITY
The main focus on the legal aspect of this tailgate zone is
alcohol. Since we are serving alcohol within our tailgate
area, a permit is going to be necessary to have. With a
permit, this will allow us to be able to sell alcohol on
school grounds. We will acquire an On-Premises Malt
Beverage Permit from ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control
System), in order to avoid all legal ramifications. This will
allow for the school to legally sell any type of malt
beverage on school grounds, as long as the beverage is in
its original container. On top of that, we will also have to
hire a ShowPro who will be in charge of checking ID’s. He
will also have the responsibility of distributing wristbands
to students. as mentioned before.

12. MARKETING PLAN
Our marketing plan includes various new ways of spreading the
word about games that accommodate today’s generation of
communication, reviving the current tailgate area, and
conceding nearby tailgate experiences. Tailgates held at Coy O.
Willard Stadium will not feature an entry fee and have varying
prices for alcohol. Our promotion strategies include mass emails
sent out by Campus Concierge to students on game days, social
media accounts on platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat,
Twitter, and Facebook. Another unique way to promote to
student is on the HPU Dining app.
Although, it is unconventional we believe sending notification about
games and promotions at the tailgate area through the app is
effective since every student has it downloaded on their phone and
HPU Dine benefits from alcohol/concessions sales if students attend.
Whoever is in charge of the social media accounts and app will post
daily reminders of all details pertaining to the game. These daily
reminders will be posted on each social media platform, as well as
live pictures of the tailgate featured on the story mode of Snapchat,
Facebook, and Instagram. Our target market centers around students
enrolled at High Point University, but we are also targeting family
members of players, local families with children, and local youth
baseball teams. One of our marketing schemes includes amenities to
first 25 students to show up. Some of these potential amenities
include early access to the tailgate zone, a High Point University T-
shirt, a different color wristband to skip lines, and voucher coupons to
the University’s bookstore. Each game will come with a different
giveaway. The top ten students who have the highest attendance
rates will be selected as “Fans of the Year.” They would be rewarded
with the opportunity to have batting practice with the team at the end
of the season. We will have a “fastest-pitch radar” zone which will
feature an opportunity for attendees to throw a baseball at a target,
clock their speed, and the individual with the fastest pitch wins a
prize.

13. MARKETING PLAN
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
SWOT ANALYSIS
LARGE GRASS AREA FOR TAILGATE
SPACE
BEAUTIFUL STADIUM
EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO AND FROM
CAMPUS
NO TRADITIONS (UNLIKE BIG SCHOOLS)
STUDENTS DON'T HAVE INTEREST IN THE
BASEBALL TEAM
CURRENT TAILGATE SPACE NAME
NOT MUCH TO DO OFF CAMPUS,
TAILGATING CAN BE NEW TRADITION
FOR STUDENTS
REVIVE THE PURPLE REIGN FAN BASE
AND CREATE A CULTURE AT THE
SCHOOL THAT REVOLVES AROUND
THAT
TAILGATING FAR AWAY FROM MAIN
PART OF THE STADIUM
OTHER EVENTS ON AND OFF
CAMPUS
A SWOT analysis equipped us with the honest information we needed in order to revive
and improve our intended tailgating experience. After evaluating the scenario and
external variables, our strengths include a beautiful stadium, a tailgate area that is easily
accessible, and an experience that features a large grass area with tables and chairs
already set up that are owned by the University. Critically evaluating the weaknesses
our tailgate area has, we found that our school has no tradition nor spirit. High Point
University’s students don’t pay attention or have any interest in the Baseball team and
devotes more time promoting other sports. Potential for opportunity is present within
the tailgating area, noting that there is little to do off campus, especially during
weekdays, and rather very repetitive weekends. This tailgating experience for the
Baseball team can be the new and exciting activity for students to utilize and engage in.
Several aspects threaten the success of our plan, which include the area being far from
the concession stands and bathrooms. With our tailgate area being in the outfield,
students and attendees would have to walk all the way around to the front of the
stadium in order to access the main part of the stadium with concessions and
bathrooms.

14. We developed a strong and strategic Facility and Operations plan with the intent to
keep a consistent experience for our attendants. Our plan for staffing includes utilizing
the current staff of students and interns High Point University’s Athletic Department
has. The Game Day Operations crew are responsible for setting up and tearing down
each game or sporting event while the hospitality team will set up the
alcohol/concession part. Meanwhile, marketing interns will be required to staff the area
if they are performing any activations for students. Our infrastructure plans focus on
permanent fixtures as well as temporary fixtures. Permanent concerns include
concession stands and tailgate tables and chairs as well as the boxSUITE. At our
tailgate zone, we will have strung lights hung around for lighting over the picnic tables
that come from the boxSUITE storage container unit. As the season goes on and hits
Spring, days become longer and nights become shorter making aerial lighting much
less concerning. Most baseball games take place during the day, and when it starts to
get darker the stadiums lighting covers the tailgating area as well. Temporarily, our
concerns including setting up and breaking down games like cornhole, spikeball, and
the fastest pitch in the area where it might interfere with track and field. Furthermore,
within the boxSUITE there are temporary fixtures such as the ladder to the rooftop and
chairs to the bar. At the entry booth, wristbands will be distributed while security
checks ID’s by Show Pros . For students, they will be obligated to show their student
passport as well, for the purposes of keeping attendance rates and extra security.
Lastly, until we work out the logistics of the space we will only limit it to weekend
games so that operationally it is easier to monitor students consuming alcohol. The last
thing we want is students drinking during the week.
FACILITY OPERATIONS
Necessary Staffing overview
1 Show Pro: Show pros are expert crowd managers and have experience at other venues
we researched when it comes to implementing the alcohol wristband policy and crowd
control.
1 HPU security guard: For safety and security measures, makes sure alcohol policy being
enforced
1 Facility ops worker: For setup and breakdown
2 Hospitality workers; to serve alcohol and concessions from BoxSuite

15. boxSUITE Gold Model: $53,900
5 Picnic Tables: $3,500 ($700 each)
Set of 2 HPU Cornhole Boards: $360
Set of 2 Spikeball set: $120
Modey Company Speed Pitching Booth: $1,795
String lights: $290
Total: $59,965
Operations Fund: $40,035
FINANCES
Considering that we don't need to factor in operational costs,
we are going to come in much under of the $100,000 budget.
With that said, that extra wiggle room will give the HPU
Athletics some breathing room when it comes to staffing the
space. Furthermore, there is a potential revenue stream down
the line with the boxSUITE considering it can be moved and
rented out to Panther Club members or other organizations
who want to watch lacrosse or soccer games at Vert Stadium.
The following is the breakdown for the space which will cost
$59,965 and money leftover for operating the space initially
for things such as staffing and an emergency fund for
unexpected costs.

16. EVALUATION AND CLOSING
SUMMARY
Closing Summary
The three of us believe that with the limited space we have and the logistic
concerns we face, we have created a space that meets the needs of students who
voiced their opinion in the survey and beyond. Not only is the space unique, but it
will help reinvigorate campus tradition. Furthermore, it is also a scalable concept
that can be implemented at the current tailgate area at Vert Stadium as well and
generate revenue as the department grows. As our teams continue to grow and
compete at a national level, we believe that in order to do so starts with drawing
students to games who can cheer teams on in exciting new space where they can
stay entertained and engaged.
. As for our group, we worked pretty well together and was able to get things done
in a timely manner. Chris put together all of the Canva, the survey, most
background research, and was the main communicator with Drew Sanchez (who
was a tremendous help when it came to answering our questions). Patrick
developed the marketing plan and Facility Ops section. Frankie researched the
Legal Liability and Alcohol Procedures. The rest was worked on in a collaborative
manner.
Of course, this whole concept depends on if students respond
positively to the new area. We will measure success by asking
the following questions:
Evaluation
Is student attendance increasing at
Baseball Games?
Have there been any issues with the
Alcohol policies in place?
Has the Athletic Department had an
easy time operating the space?
Furthermore, at the end of each season a similar survey will
be provided to students to gain feedback on the space.
This feedback will be important so that HPU can
implement new ideas and make improvements so students
feel like they are heard.