Springfield Thunderbirds Honored with Two Awards from AHL

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Thunderbirds were honored by the American Hockey League with four Team Business Service awards at a gala reception during the board of governors’ annual meeting at Hilton Head Island, S.C.

As part of its Team Business Services program, the AHL honored one club from each conference for top revenue growth in four areas during this past season: overall ticket sales, season-ticket sales, group-ticket sales, and corporate sponsorship sales. 

For the 2017-18 season, the Thunderbirds took home two Awards of Excellence in the areas of season-ticket sales growth and corporate sponsorship sales growth. This marked the second consecutive season that Springfield captured these awards.

“After an extremely successful first season, it was a lofty goal and challenge within our organization to achieve an award-winning second season,” said Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa. “These awards of excellence would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our front office, but they also would not have come to fruition without the continued support of our fans and corporate partners. Their involvement with the Springfield Thunderbirds is pivotal to the success of our entire organization, and we are privileged to be able to share these honors with them.”

These awards came just weeks after the Thunderbirds received numerous honors at the 2018 AHL Marketing Meeting presented by ExteNet Systems in Des Moines, Iowa. At that meeting,the Thunderbirds received the AHL award for Most Unique Community Relations Promotion. This past March, Thunderbirds player Eddie Wittchow approached team management with the idea of presenting loyal season ticket holder Katrina King with specialty glasses that would allow Katrina, a legally blind fan, to have the ability to see the action — through her own eyes — for the first time in her life. 

Springfield was also recognized for achieving a greater-than-15% increase in per-game full-season equivalents, a statistic that tracks the combined sales of all ticket packages. The Thunderbirds’ corporate sales team also was recognized for having a greater-than-15% growth in corporate cash sponsorships generated in the market. The organization also was honored for reaching the benchmark of a greater-than-15% growth in per-game group-ticket-sales revenue for a second straight season.

On an individual level, Thunderbirds Senior Account Executive Matthew McRobbie beame the first Thunderbirds sales representative to be recognized as the Eastern Conference’s Top New Season Ticket Sales Executive. 

“It is fantastic that the Springfield Thunderbirds continue to be such a resounding success story in just two seasons,” said Thunderbirds Managing Partner Paul Picknelly. “These honors continue to validate the hard work of so many people who strive to make the Thunderbirds a must-see entertainment attraction in the city of Springfield. We want to thank our sponsors and fans for their continued loyalty to this team and this city.”