Several members of the student Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Hospitality Association (HA) met with Paige Sauer, former professional women’s basketball player and general manager of the Summit Sports & Ice Complex. The visit on Friday, February 16 also included the Lansing Wolves hockey game.
Purpose:
To explore a unique location to hold events ranging from hockey tournaments to wedding receptions to fraternity formals.
Key Points:
Speaker Paige Sauer discussed the importance of thinking outside the box when bidding on events. For example, in one large multipurpose room can host a wide range of events such as: volleyball tournaments, softball tournaments, raves, Greek Life formals, and even Presidential candidate rallies. Paige also stressed the importance of having a liquor license; allowing her an opportunity to host more diverse events at the Complex. From a management perspective, she explained that she provided assistant managers much freedom to bring in different types of events and manage their staff without “hovering.” She trusts her managers and they trust and respect her. Finally, Paige discussed the importance of renovations and keeping the space fresh. You must invest in your space to keep customers returning.
“As a student minoring in Sports Business Management, it was awesome to hear from Paige about the intersection of my two areas of interests.” – Erika Witte (BA ’18)
