As 2019 comes to a close, we would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to our members, sponsors and partners for their continued support of the SSIA this year. Wishing everyone a happy holiday season and prosperous 2020!
In this month's newsletter, we want to provide you with a pre-Conference checklist and remind you to nominate your peers for the Social Star Awards, complete your Annual Member Updates and save the date for the January Coffee Chat and National Quarterly Call. We will also highlight all of our Partner Programs, along with a member and a sponsor.
If you have any questions or comments, or would like to be considered for a future Highlight opportunity, please contact Krissy at krissy@ssia.us.
~ Your SSIA Team
2020 Conference Checklist
Registration for the 2020 SSIA Conference in Cancun from February 18th-21st is OPEN! We have a great lineup including educational seminars, Cameron Herold as our keynote speaker, entertaining Social Star Awards show, a super fun SSIA Challenge, and more! Be sure to take care of the items listed below.
1) Register for the conference - Don't forget to do this, even if you are using your one free conference attendee member benefit to attend. Click HERE to register.
2) Book your hotel room - Our room block is filling quickly, so hop on it! If you book your room(s) on or before January 1st, you will get a $100 rebate per attendee from the SSIA that can be used towards future membership dues, conference fees or can be deposited directly into your account via ACH. Click HERE to book your room.
3) Sign up for seminars - Some of our seminars have limited space, so check out the agenda to decide which ones you'd like to attend. You know what they say about those early birds! Click HERE to sign up for your seminars.
4) Submit Your Social Star Award Nomination(s) - The process is super easy and we're happy to help collect the details from the club you're nominating! The deadline is midnight EST on January 10th. Click HERE to submit your nominations.
5) Send out your Customer Service Survey - If you plan on participating in the Champions Award for the 2019 fiscal year, please contact Krissy Greenleaf at krissy@ssia.us. The deadline to have your minimum responses submitted is January 20th.
6) Sign up for the Friday Night Social - If you are staying Friday night, please join us for a sunset cruise! Resort credits can be used towards this excursion so that the cost is only $37.50/person. Email krissy@ssia.us to reserve your spot.
7) Connect with your Team Challenge teammates - Challenge teams will be announced shortly. Similar to last year, the Team Challenge won't just last for an afternoon. Instead, points will be awarded throughout the conference week! We need captains for each team, so please let Krissy know if you'd like to step up to the plate to lead your team to victory!
8) Stay tuned for more details about the SSIA Conference App - That’s right, the SSIA is bringing back the conference app, which allows attendees to customize their schedules and manage almost everything related to the conference experience from a smart phone.
Don’t forget, this event is only open to SSIA members, sponsors and partners. Please contact Krissy Greenleaf at krissy@ssia.us if you are interested in membership or becoming a sponsor or partner.
Nominate Your Peers For A Social Star Award
It's time to nominate your peers, your team, and even your office pets (just kidding!) for recognition in the 2019 Social Star Awards!
This year, the award categories that will be voted upon are:
1) Best Industry Collaboration - To include multi-club sponsorship programs, purchasing programs, events or other collaborations that may exist
2) Best Video Campaign - In-house i.e. produced by club employees that do not have a professional background in video production
3) Best Video Campaign - Professionally produced
4) Industry Impact Award - Given to the person(s) or organization(s) that has/have contributed the most to the industry in terms of knowledge share
5) Best Marketing Innovation - Social Media, experiential marketing, grass roots or other format
6) Philanthropy Award - Nominations from the general membership are welcome; however, this award will be determined by the EC
7) Product/Program Innovation - Given to the organization with the most innovative product, league or event offering
8) Legacy Award - For owners and staff that have served the Social Sports Industry for 10+ years (Benchmarks to be recognized every 5 years after Year 10)
9) Partner of the Year - Nominations from the general membership are welcome; however, this award will be determined by the EC
Click HERE to submit your nomination today...and don't forget, you are welcome to nominate your own club!
The deadline to submit your nomination(s) is midnight EST on January 10th. Membership voting will be held Jan 15th-22nd.
Email surveys@ssia.us with questions.
Customer Service Champions Award Survey
Our annual Champions Award provides an opportunity for your club to be recognized for outstanding customer service and for the industry to establish valuable industry benchmarks that members can use to improve their services.
Similar to past years, this award category is self-nominated. Members will nominate themselves by sending out a personalized customer service survey developed by the Executive Committee's Social Star Committee to their customers from the SSIA's Survey Monkey account.
Krissy will set up the survey and provide you with a link to send the surveys to your customers. All participants in the Champions Award then receive detailed data from their specific survey. Each Member's detailed results are private while select unidentifiable scores and benchmarks will be shared with the larger membership and industry and used to determine awards recognition.
Keep an eye out for additional details about the surveys and email Krissy at krissy@ssia.us with any questions.
Submit Your Annual Member Update
Due on or before January 15th, the Annual Member Update is simple and should only take a few minutes to fill out. Keep in mind that this form asks about 2019 total stats and focuses on all the leagues, events and tournaments you offered (so be ready with basic reports on players/participants by sport/event for all leagues that ended in 2019).
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE - if your business owns/operates multiple clubs and/or separate markets, you will need to complete separate forms for each. For those with many clubs/markets, there is a way to enter this information in a spreadsheet that we can share (email info@ssia.us if you want to learn more about that).
What will the update be used for?
Build a better understanding of the SSIA/Social Sports Industry
Establish the SSIA as the go-to destination for information, trends and statistics about the Social Sports Industry
Create/iterate valuable internal member benefits i.e. industry reports, trends benchmarks and sponsorship opportunities
Grow awareness and external member benefits such as industry articles and PR efforts
Remember, this is a requirement for all members and each member needs to fill out one form for each club/market they operate.
Please click HERE to start your Annual Member Update and contact Galen Beers at galen@ssia.us with questions, thanks!
Save the Date
Our second SSIA Coffee Chat will be held on Tuesday, January 10th. Topic TBD.
3pm EST for Tier 1 Clubs
3:35pm EST for Tier 2 Clubs
4:10pm EST for Tier 3 Clubs
The Q1 National Quarterly Call will be held Thursday, January 30th from 3-4pm EST.
Member Highlight
Krissy had the chance to catch up with Luke and Katy Wade of KC Crew in Kansas City, MO recently, where they gave her a tour of their awesome new office space at the Hy-Vee Arena and introduced her to the game, QB54!
They decided to make their move earlier this year when the former Kemper Arena site was transformed into a multi-level sports complex. Sports agility, fitness, healthcare services, retail and dining space surround two hardwood floors that total just over 82,000 square feet of event space, including 12 basketball courts that convert to volleyball, futsal and pickleball courts, along with one of the country's largest indoor practice tracks at 350m.
This opportunity not only gave them a ton of extra office space that they can use for hosting captain and ref appreciation parties and networking events, but it also provided them with a great venue for hosting their indoor leagues. They even moved this year's Grilled Cheese Festival to the venue due to rain!
Luke started KC Crew in 2012 when he identified a need for social sports in the Downtown KC area. Katy joined the team in 2016, and now serves as their Event Expert. They have two full-time staffers, Zane and Brian, who tackle marketing and league management, along with their part-time staff member, Erika, who handles their social media. They also rely on a strong relationship with the University of Kansas to find rockstar Sports Management interns to help with running leagues and events.
Best of luck in your awesome space, KC Crew, and keep up the great work!
Sponsor Highlight
Scooter Cardoza with Trinity Graphics came on board as a Gold Sponsor this year. Located in St. Petersburg, Florida, they specialize in screen-printing, embroidery, and promotional products. By combining quality workmanship and distinctive design, they deliver professional results with a personal touch.
"For more than 19 years, we have been delivering superior products and maximizing client budgets," said Scooter. We are honored and proud that both mom-and-pops and the AT&T's of the world have been pleased with our results."
As creatives, they PRIDE themselves on being industry leaders and influencers. They understand the importance for perfection and creating superior quality merch and swag. They understand their clients all have businesses to run and shouldn’t have to worry about when branded merch is arriving. They eliminate the unnecessary stresses though detailed communication to help their clients meet those critical deadlines!
With Trinity Graphics, you get big-company capabilities, but with small-company personal service. Just ask Tampa Bay Club Sport! They have been working together since 2008!
Contact Scooter at 727.709.6536 or sc@trinitygraphics.com, or bend his ear in Cancun!
Partner Programs
Our SSIA Partner Program benefits are designed to help our members, whether it's through cost savings or enjoying some peace of mind in knowing that they are receiving industry-tailored services specifically designed for Sport and Social Clubs and their needs. Plus, these programs bring in residuals to the SSIA, which help us bring members more value and keep costs down.
Check out the different offerings below and get more details and contact information on each program in the Member Locker Room. If you have suggestions for new Partner Program opportunities, please reach out to our Purchasing Co-Chairs, Nikki Hartel with Chicago Sport & Social Club at nikki@chicagosocial.com, and Omid Rafiei with Houston Sports & Social Club at omidr@houstonssc.com. Direct any questions to krissy@ssia.us.
Merchant Services
SSIA members save over $1000 on average when they switch to Gravity Payments! Gravity has partnered with SSIA to offer members exclusive pricing:
Members annually processing $0-$1,800,000 receive a discounted rate of 0.18% + $0.10/ transaction
Members annually processing more than $1,800,000 are eligible for customized rates
They make it easy to understand exactly what the cost to accept credit card payments will be without any hidden fees or surprises!
Insurance
Jason Webb with Bell-Anderson Insurance specializes in working with clients on accident medical and general liability insurance within the sports industry. He offers our members:
Exclusive SSIA rates
Coverage for corporate and social events
Dedicated underwriter and claims team for SSIA members
Peace of mind in knowing that this coverage is industry-leading, with 80% of SSIA member clubs participating in this program!
With Jason’s dedication and intimate experience to this field, he has been able to control costs and design coverage specific to the Sport & Social Industry.
Gear
We are super excited to partner with Baden Sports and offer our members exclusive wholesale pricing on balls, equipment and backyard games! Additionally, you get FREE SHIPPING on orders of $100 or more.
To receive our negotiated rates, contact Krissy at krissy@ssia.us so that she can get you added to our buying portal.
Gametime Technologies' Portable Scoreboard and Audio Player is designed to bring the fun and atmosphere of the stadium to your indoor and outdoor sports and activities. By connecting your iPhone or iPad to the Gametime Scoreboard iOS App, you can remotely control and fully customize your Gametime Scoreboard as you play.
SSIA members receive the following:
25% off the regular price of the unit
Free shipping when 3 or more are purchased
Shirts
Discounts on t-shirts range from $2.25 to $2.70 for white cotton shirts, and $2.90 to $3.50 for colored cotton shirts. Additional discounts apply on 50/50 cotton blend, ash and heather shirts.
Registration for the 2020 SSIA Conference in Cancun from February 18th-21st is OPEN! We have a great lineup including educational seminars, 
Our second SSIA Coffee Chat will be held on Tuesday, January 10th. Topic TBD.
"For more than 19 years, we have been delivering superior products and maximizing client budgets," said Scooter. We are honored and proud that both mom-and-pops and the AT&T's of the world have been pleased with our results."
