FYI from MCI™

Ballgames, bargains and boats: Operators find ways to boost business

Casino trips and local charters may be the bread and butter of most motor coach businesses, but smart operators are always on the lookout for new ways to attract more customers and build a steady clientele. We've put together a few of the more successful emerging trends of the last few years, and all of them have potential for operators of all sizes.

Best seats in the house — and on the road

The ABA estimates that nearly half of member operators offer trips to sporting events, but it's not every operator that's as committed to making them succeed as Todd Holland of Ramblin Express, Colorado. Over the past eight years, Holland has worked out a winning formula for his area's biggest draw, the Denver Bronco home games. Many of his customers are season ticket holders from outlying areas just looking for an easy way to get to the stadium without having to worry about long drives, expensive parking and long walks from remote lots — not to mention the ability to enjoy various refreshments during the game.

Ramblin Express works to make the rides almost as entertaining as the events themselves, with onboard raffles, blooper-reel viewing and more, and their popularity is evident — there are often as many as five buses bound for a game, sometimes more if it's a particularly hot ticket. And tickets are something else Ramblin Express does well. To accommodate demand for those who have not obtained their own tickets, Holland holds several season tickets and has cultivated a relationship with a trustworthy ticket broker. "We have a negotiated rate," says Holland. "There are many people who aren't comfortable calling a broker themselves. We have a good reputation for providing this service, and people know we give them the tickets we say we're going to give them." Adds Holland, "I just wish there were more home football games."

Your town doesn't need to be home to a major sports franchise to take advantage of this market. The ABA reminds members to consider all sorts of sports — NASCAR, bowling, soccer, and school team events. Women's sports have seen great growth in particular, according to the ABA.

Line service for less

It almost seems counterintuitive to slash prices to make money, but Coach USA's Megabus has ridden its bargain-basement one-dollar fares to public prominence. The premise is simple — offer a few fares at prices that would make any Walmart jealous. Attract the attention of potential customers as well as major media outlets including the Wall Street Journal for the kind of advertising that money can't buy — and then advertise anyhow, making full use of city buses and rapid transit to target likely passengers. Price the rest of the seats reasonably, and watch the coaches fill up. Megabus serves Midwestern cities including Chicago and Minneapolis, and it attracted more than 70,000 riders in its first four months. And in an instance of trends meeting, St. Louis Cardinals fans have reportedly been using the service to get to games in Chicago. Booking is done over the Internet, which keeps expenses down to about $1.70 a mile. There's no reason a similar concept couldn't find just as much favor in other areas of the country.

Shore things

Buses and boats go together like silver and gold. Holland America is perhaps the best known for riding the tour-to-port wave with its fleet of luxury MCI coaches serving cruise customers ashore, but other operators are in on the act as well. Loren Jones of Northwest Iowa Tours has been pairing cruises and coaches since 1983, sending customers down the Amazon, along the Alaska coast and through the Caribbean — and often on pre-cruise sightseeing trips as well. "It's another way of making use of our equipment," says Jones, who saw an opportunity to offer his customers more travel options. "It's a nice addition to our business." Jones cautions that creating and selling cruise trips takes a lot of planning and coordination, and that it helps to create strong relationships with the cruise lines. Says Jones, "It takes a lot of detail work, and it's not something you can just jump into."

Partnering with a local travel agency or other businesses may be a good idea as well. Jones has had especially good luck working with his IMG partners, tapping affiliates for shore trips abroad and creating co-marketed trips that enable coach operators to offer cruises to their customers without making a major commitment.

Smart operators are always keeping their eyes open for the latest opportunities. From ghost tours to seafood feasts, much of it is a matter of being in tune with your local market. If you have a popular tour that's out of the ordinary, let us know! E-mail us at fyi@mcicoach.com, and we may talk to you for a future story.