Billings Wolves Preparing for First Season
Published on April 1, 2014 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Billings Wolves News Release
When you talk to Marc Burr about the newest IFL team the Billings Wolves, you quickly learn his vision of community first, volunteer and perseverance is not just words but a strong belief. Burr believes that the Billings Wolves are not just a football team. They will become part of the community and the community will become part of them. The pack is stronger together. His vision is community first starting with how to engage the community in every aspect of the franchise from season ticket advisory council members to before game tailgaters to the 9th man at the games. The volunteer piece of the vision is involving the team in the community. Where are the community concerns and issues and where can the team take action. Not where the team can make plans for an appearance, but where can the team show up and help support the community and those who live in it. Perseverance is pursuit of glory. Players who are going hard for 90 minutes every day in practice and on game day playing all the way through and never giving up. Just as there is no clock-out in team owner Shorty Benzel's ranching life, there is no clock-out system for the team side or the business side. Every day, up early, back at it, becoming involved with the community and pursuing glory because the pack is stronger together.
When asked what motivated him to bring a new IFL team to Billings Burr responded, "I think Billings is the ideal city. When you talk to president of the Chamber of Commerce, there are a lot of plans for growth in Billings as much as 5 to 6 percent a year. Billings has a population bigger than Green Bay, Wisconsin and they have NFL team." Burr said that the wheels started to turn and Billings has shown that it will support long term teams like the Mustangs. Billings has a population and geographical location base to bring in large tournaments, expand out to other areas, host major seminars and conferences and people want to come to a town that has more entertainment. The Bakken boom is bringing workers and families from all over the country. Many of them work a week on and a week off and on those weeks off they are looking for entertainment. The Billings Wolves can provide that entertainment. The fans come in for the games, stay at the hotels, eat at the restaurants near the Metra, shop and spend time and money all over Billings. Burr said, "Billings is a major city and it is time for us to show the region that we can sustain the heavy traffic coming into the Billings area."
Burr said of the owner of the Billings Wolves, Shorty Benzel, "With him what you get is a business man who understands the concept of long term involvement. You cannot be a rancher and farmer and not understand the landscape and be in business for over 30 years. He knows what it means to be in for the long haul." Outsiders would not be familiar with the landscape, the territory, or the business people. With all of the previous teams, some people would complain they did not know the owner. With the new ownership, all of their game seats are right with the fans, on the midlevel on the field. If fans want to meet the owners and management during the game, all they need do is walk right up to their seats, which are right next to their own.
The business strategy starts with tickets Burr said. Our ticket buyers are like a shareholder to us, so when you view it that way the shareholder or ticket holder has to reap their investment. Keeping that in mind, we formed an advisory council of local business owners and local people connected into the community who are able to stay connected to the community and report back. The team wants to keep tickets affordable for everyone. Ticket sales launch in about two weeks and season ticket holders are key to the success. In essence, they go and tell people to come to the games. Past the ticket holders, it is the business relationships and going out of your way to connect with local businesses. Making sure that your vision is long term in everything you do. Not setting up a deal with a business for a week but a long term deal planning for two, three or four years down the road. With the owner Shorty being in the farm business and weathering the storms...long term is the key. You have to stay in for the long haul. Create a great experience for ticket holders and be in for the long term with businesses.
The community aspect of the business that is different from the ticket holders includes things like partnering with Zoo Montana for a fun run in June, partnering up with Eagle Rock to do a golf tourney. Burr believes partnering up with community is one of the key concepts of the business model. You cannot just be a football team. You have to be in the community. You have to be a hero...bigger than life. Football teams have to be the same way. Not just be champions on the field, good at home, play an exciting game but it also has to encompass all of Montana and surrounding areas. Burr said, "We can reach out to Great Falls...we can be their team as well. We can be Montana's team...the Rocky mountain team...we can be involved with as many people as possible." Working with local communities and schools to get their bands to come to the game. Open up tailgating at about 4:30 with high school bands pep bands playing and marching leading the fans into the Metra. Lots of fun activities to involve the entire community and surrounding areas. Making the experience one where everyone can find something that they enjoy being a part of, something that makes them want to join the pack. Bringing in live music, local talent to play, fans tailgating to make game day an even bigger and better experience. The team will tap into social media from Facebook, to Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest to name a few to connect community, businesses, fans, and the team all into one pack.
Burr said, "Businesses get to see us out and doing things in the community and with the community. Everyone gets to see us working out in the community. Working in the schools with donation programs, raising funds, and supporting drives at schools. Saturday Live booths offer ways to be involved with the team and the team involved with the community. The school backpack meal program offers another way for the team to be involved in and with the community." The team is looking into possibly doing a classroom giveaway event and looking for a company that will do the same idea with them such as a 28 ticket giveaway for a home game. Kids that join the pack can sign up for three camps to be offered during the season and get all three of them for $35.00. Burr said, "We want to see as many people as possible at the arena all dressed in Wolves red supporting the team at every game. Everybody becomes part of the team...part of the organization...part of the community. It is not about just the team, it is about everyone being the team. The team's own 9th man who will be able see their names on the Wolf Pack banners that will fly at the Metra."
Burr said he feels like he is on the campaign trail most days. He wants to introduce himself and the team to people well in advance of the first game. Businesses want to know you are in it for the long term. So the team is approaching everything with long term goals. The team must have support of community. Burr said, "We feel that Billings wants to support the team, wants the team here and wants to have something to be involved in and be supportive from February to June. Businesses want to see that support and see a team stay team stay in Billings for years to come with the support of community. We will be the team the community wants."
Burr said he thinks of things in two-sided terms, business and football. In terms of football, he said that everything tells him that you have to win at home to get to post season and winning starts 90 minutes at a time. A normal practice is 90 minutes of intensity to prepare for the game, take it serious, and are prepared to play on the weekend. From the business aspect, Burr said he listened to concerns about the Metra and what the businesses want. Normal IFL teams bring 3600 fans and the Metra seats 8700 fans and the Wolves want 8700 fans in the seats for games. A great atmosphere for everyone with a product on the field that is made up of men who are great role models, along with great half time shows that possibly could include short concerts. From a business standpoint, we want to sell out the arena.
From the football side of things, Burr said he is looking to build a dynasty. He acknowledged that a lot of people say you should not discuss that kind of thing when starting out. He also said that Bill Gates found something missing and he went after it. He did not say I hope to do well. He wanted to dominate his arena. The Wolves want to dominate their arena as well. He said that he is focused on lineman because they are where the team starts with a great offensive and defensive line. Without this, there is no quarterback that will be successful. Burr said try outs are on May 3 locally. He is hoping to see some Montana college players as well as local players who used to play here for Billings. The Wolves are looking to build team for long term. Burr said, "I am looking at the rivalry series with Wyoming and I want to win that rivalry every year." Burr said he is working in partnership with Coach Walton on the players that are brought in. Burr has utmost faith in first time head coach James Walton. He said that Coach Walton provides guidance for the team that comes with no bad habits and a huge willingness to learn to be better. Burr said that Walton is a student of the game, extremely offense minded, and understands the game and the community. They are working together to build the team to the best it can be but at the end of the day the coach has to be able to coach the system he intends to use. To that end, Burr said he looks for guys who are going to fit the coach's scheme. Team work goes from the front office down to work together to put a great product on the field. Everyone subscribes to the team philosophy unselfish play equals championship play.
The Wolves will begin play in the IFL's Intense Conference in February of 2015. Ticket sales are scheduled to start in about two weeks with some discounted packages available. The Wolves are looking for fans and businesses to join their pack. To join the pack now visit the Billings Wolves website http://billingswolves.com/ Like them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/billingswolves Follow them on Twitter https://twitter.com/BillingsWolves
Indoor Football League Stories from April 1, 2014
- Billings Wolves Preparing for First Season - Billings Wolves
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