FEVO Guide: Your Preseason Playbook for a Successful Fall Season

The countdown to kickoff has begun.

Whether you're preparing for a packed college football schedule or gearing up for another busy fall sports season, the weeks before your first event are some of the most important of the year. The organizations that see the strongest results are building campaigns, creating experiences, and giving buyers reasons to engage long before opening day.

That's why preseason is your opportunity to build momentum, generate early revenue, and create a season-long strategy that keeps buyers coming back.

Here are eight ways to set yourself up for success before the first whistle.

I. Build More Than Your Ticket Offers

Every great buyer journey begins with a well-crafted ticket Offer.

Think about everything that enhances the game-day experience and consider making it available before buyers ever arrive at the venue. Parking, tailgates, hospitality spaces, premium upgrades, merchandise, food and beverage vouchers, commemorative items, and exclusive experiences all provide opportunities to increase average order value while making planning easier for buyers.

The more complete your Offer feels, the easier it becomes for buyers to purchase everything they need in one seamless checkout.

II. Get Your Theme Night Calendar Locked In Early

Give your promotional calendar as much attention as your schedule.

Preseason is the perfect time to map out your entire calendar, ensuring you have a balanced mix of community events, heritage celebrations, seasonal promotions, family-focused experiences, and pop culture activations.

Look for opportunities to diversify your audience by launching different themes that appeal to different communities, helping you reach new buyers throughout the season.

A well-rounded promotional calendar also gives your marketing team plenty of content to work with months in advance.

III. Package Experiences, Not Just Events

Today's buyers are looking for memorable experiences.

Consider what exclusive opportunities you can package alongside admission, including behind-the-scenes tours, pregame access, hospitality spaces, on-field experiences, VIP lounges, mascot interactions, or other unique moments that can't be purchased elsewhere.

These experiences not only create additional revenue opportunities, they also help differentiate your organization from every other entertainment option competing for attention this fall.

IV. Prepare Your Group Sales Strategy

Fall is one of the busiest times of year for group outings.

Before the season begins, identify the audiences you want to target, including youth organizations, alumni groups, schools, businesses, community organizations, and fundraising partners.

Building these Offers in advance allows your sales team to begin outreach earlier while giving group leaders plenty of time to organize attendance.

Social sharing tools and personalized purchase experiences can also make it easier for groups to grow organically through peer-to-peer promotion.

V. Launch Family Weekend and Campus Experiences Early

For many organizations, Family Weekend is one of the highest-demand events of the year.

Think about how you can sell beyond a single ticket by building an entire weekend experience by bundling admissions, parking, tailgates, merchandise, campus activities, or premium upgrades into one Offer.

The easier you make planning for families, the more valuable your Offer becomes.

The same strategy applies for orientation events, youth clinics, camps, registrations, and other campus experiences that would benefit from a streamlined purchase journey.

VI. Create Your Revenue Calendar Before the Season Starts

Game day is just one opportunity to engage buyers throughout the season.

Build a calendar that includes flash sales, holiday promotions, mini plans, Flex Plans, fundraising campaigns, and limited-time Offers throughout the season.

Spacing these campaigns across your schedule keeps buyers engaged while creating multiple reasons to purchase.

Having these campaigns planned before kickoff also allows marketing and ticketing teams to execute more efficiently when the season gets busy.

VII. Keep Buyers Engaged After Checkout

The purchase is just the beginning of the buyer journey.

Post-purchase engagement is one of the easiest ways to generate additional revenue while improving the overall experience.

Use confirmation emails, exclusive offers, discounts, merchandise opportunities, future event promotions, or loyalty incentives to keep buyers connected after their initial transaction.

A single purchase often creates an opportunity for the next one.

VIII. Build Flexibility Into Your Season

Building flexibility into your strategy helps you adapt throughout the season.

Schedules change. Inventory changes. Demand changes.

Preparing flexible Offer structures before the season starts allows you to respond quickly without rebuilding campaigns from scratch.

Whether you're creating mini plans, customizable ticket packages, promotional bundles, or experiences that evolve throughout the season, flexibility allows your organization to adapt while continuing to meet buyer expectations.

Kickoff Starts Long Before Game Day

The foundation for a successful season is laid during the preseason.

They're built during the weeks leading up to opening day through thoughtful planning, creative packaging, and buyer experiences that extend beyond the event itself.

The organizations that invest in preseason preparation are better positioned to generate revenue early, respond quickly throughout the season, and create memorable experiences that keep buyers coming back.

Ready to prepare for your best fall season yet? Reach out to your FEVO representative or our Onboarding, Training, and Enablement (OTE) team for guidance on building your preseason strategy, launching new Offers, or maximizing the tools available in FEVO Enterprise. You can also log in to the FEVO Academy Training Portal or the FEVO Enterprise Help Center for step-by-step resources, best practices, and setup guides to help you hit the ground running this season.