Comcast Spectacor, the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment giant, has blended three of its divisions — Global Spectrum, Ovations Food Services and Paciolan — into a single efficient brand called Spectra. Comcast Spectacor operates three principal businesses: the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, the 19,500-seat multipurpose Wells Fargo Center and the newly minted Spectra.
Spectra consists of three newly named sectors all acting as one: Venue Management, formerly Global Spectrum; Food Services and Hospitality, formerly Ovations Food Services; and Ticketing and Fan Engagement, formerly Paciolan.
“Eighteen months ago, when Dave Scott became chief operating officer and president of Comcast Spectacor, one of Dave’s first initiatives was to look at everything we do and think how we could do business better as one,” said Phil Weinberg, executive vice president and general counsel for Comcast Spectacor.
Weinberg said the company wanted to think more collectively about the enterprise rather than viewing it as several independent “cyber” companies owned commonly. “This is a
more integrated, go-to-market approach,” he said.
As part of the evolution, executives wanted the company’s services based around a single brand offering venue management, food hospitality and ticketing.
A Philadelphia branding company was hired to smooth the transition, to take the unit “from a house of brands to a branded house in a simpler, more streamlined way of presenting ourselves to the market,” said Weinberg.
The old companies — Ovations and Paciolan — both came into the fold through acquisition, not “by forming them out of the box,” said Weinberg. “They had their own history and identities. Comcast Spectacor felt they should be together. It’s good to take stock and revaluate what’s in your corporate family.”
Global Spectrum felt it had already offered all the right services to customers, but it was a bit harder to tell the story because of the different names. “This really helps us integrate and go to market in a clean, easy-to-understand fashion for our customers.”
Weinberg commented further on the new divisions under Spectra. Spectra Venue Manage-ment, the old Global Spectrum business, will provide management services to arenas and convention centers.
“What’s changed here is the brand, not the scope of service or our capability,” said Weinberg.
As for Spectra Food Services and Hospitality, formerly Ovations, “nothing has really changed,” said Weinberg. “We consider ourselves experts who help clients host their events in the best way possible with a full range of services.” Spectra Ticketing and Fan Engagement, formerly Paciolan, continues its work as the second-largest ticketing agency in the country after Ticketmaster.
Spectra spent a great deal of time and resources combining sales forces and outreach functions. It will continue its work in both large and small markets across North America, still at root a local company.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on being locally driven in our communities and focused on each project,” said Weinberg. “The same people who booked events at any facility before will continue to do so now.”
For more information go to www.spectraexperiences.com
