Losing the game against the Timberwolves boosted Min Congda's energy, and he who originally wanted to relax became more energetic again.
On the 22nd, he originally planned to go fishing with his friends. When he got up in the morning, he decided to change his plan. He had to go to work!
So, Min Congda drove to the Clippers headquarters at Staples Center very early, and when he came to the general manager's office, he told Ada to summon the team's executives and he wanted to hold a meeting.
Rosser, Olshey and others thought that Min Congda would be very dissatisfied after losing to the Timberwolves and would launch an attack at the meeting.
As a result, after everyone gathered together, Min Congda did not mention the game, but asked Rosser and others to report on the current status of the team's expenses and income.
Rosser said: "After the team's ticket price increased, ticket sales still had some impact. The booking rate for individual tickets has dropped, and complaints from the ticket office have increased significantly. Some fan groups have protested to us, thinking that we The price is too high.”
Due to the shrinkage of the season and the reduction of regular season games, in order to "make up" for the loss in box office revenue, Min Congda "creatively" proposed the genius suggestion of raising the ticket price by the percentage of fewer games.
Of course, Rosser and others couldn't defeat Min Congda, so they had to significantly increase the ticket price.
As a result, the home opener was very good, with full houses and box office revenue exceeding one million, which made the league very satisfied.
But the next few games were somewhat unsatisfactory, especially the game against the Timberwolves, where the team lost and the attendance rate was only 75%.
The attendance rate of 75% should be said to be good, but Rosser knows that it is mainly because of the large number of season tickets sold during the offseason.
However, because the season is shortened, it is impossible to increase the price of season tickets. Instead, they must be sold at a discount.
Individual tickets did not sell well because of the higher prices. Many fans who bought individual tickets did not want to watch the game when they saw that the opponent was the Timberwolves and the ticket price was high.
Rosser suggested: "Mr. Smart, should we adopt a floating ticket system? For less popular opponents like the Timberwolves, the price of individual tickets can be reduced a little more, so that more people are willing to buy tickets to watch the game live. .”
Min Congda shook his head and said: "You are wrong to say that. Our ticket prices can only go up, not down. If our attendance is determined by our opponents, it will be a failure in our team building. Fans come to Staples When watching a game at the Sri Lanka Center, what you really want to watch is our Clippers, regardless of who the opponent is. Therefore, the ticket price remains unchanged. If you encounter a popular team, the ticket price will increase!"
How could Min Congda engage in a price reduction promotion? It is impossible to reduce prices in this life. He would rather the tickets rot and the central seat be empty than sell tickets on a promotional basis.
Hearing what Min Congda said, Rosser had no choice but to nod. He knew that this was Min Congda's usual style.
From a long-term perspective, this firm price strategy does work, as is the case with the Lakers next door.
But the Lakers have a championship, a glorious history, superstars, and loyal fans all over the world, so they never have to worry about selling tickets.
But Rosser still convinced himself, thinking: "Mr. Smart's team building plan is not just for the immediate future, but extremely long-term, five, ten, or even twenty years? He is only in his thirties, can he still be in the team building plan?" I have been in this position for a long time. The Clippers really need to plan well for the long term."
Rosser has been with the Clippers for many years, and he previously followed Sterling's command.
Sterling is typically short-sighted and impatient when it comes to basketball, and he often does some tricks for the sake of small profits.
In order to keep up with his boss's thinking, Rosser naturally did things in a fussy way and focused more on what was in front of him.
After all, if he doesn't look in front of him, the boss will fire him.
After two seasons of "transformation" by Min Congda, Rosser can already understand the meaning of Min Congda's long-term vision.
Looking at all the previous decisions, each one was richly rewarded, Rosser couldn't help but admire him.
After worrying about the box office, Min Congda began to shift his attention to a more important matter.
"Rosser, last week you told me that there was an idea of selling the Great Western Forum Arena. How is this going?"
"Oh, it is now basically certain that the owner of the Great Western Forum Arena does want to sell it. The arena is too old, cannot host a sufficient number of games and activities, and has made ends meet. But so far, it seems that no buyer is willing to take over. "
Since the Lakers moved their home court to Staples Center, the Great Western Forum in Inglewood has never hosted an NBA game.
The location of this arena is very good, with convenient transportation and many residents around it, making it very convenient to watch the game.
In addition to NBA games, many concerts, exhibitions, speeches, and political activities will be held here.
However, due to its age and obsolete venue facilities, the Great Western Forum has gradually become a memory for Los Angeles people.
At present, the arena has entered a stage where it cannot make ends meet. Everyone wants to sell the arena, but no one in Los Angeles is willing to take it.
Min Congda was obviously very interested in this arena and asked: "How much did they bid?"
Rosser said: "The estimated value should be around US$30 million...Mr. Smart, do you want to buy this arena?"
Min Congda nodded and said: "Yes! I have always wanted to build a new arena for the Clippers. But how to build it and where to build it are all problems."
Rosser said: "Building an arena costs a lot of money. Even the Lakers don't have their own arena. And if you want to build a new arena, why buy the Great Western Forum?"
Min Congda said: "It's not easy to find a piece of land suitable for building an arena in Los Angeles, right? The site of the Great Western Forum has long been proven to be an excellent location. We bought the Great Western Forum and then demolished it. , build a new arena on the original site!”
Min Congda's words shocked all the executives. What kind of operation is this?
Buy an old one, tear it down and build a new one? Isn't this a waste of money?
Min Congda said: "I don't want our new arena to be built in the suburbs and let fans endure the pain of traffic jams to watch the game."
Many new NBA arenas have to be built far away from the main city due to location reasons.
For fans in some big cities, whether there will be traffic jams when going to the game is an issue that must be considered.
Some old arenas have not had this problem since they were built long ago.
For example, the once famous Boston Garden Plaza was built on top of the train station.
It is very convenient for fans to watch the game when they get off the subway or train.
Like the Great Western Forum Arena, it has a geographical advantage.
So, after some discussion, everyone felt that this idea was a good one.
But money is an issue.
Min Congda said: "Didn't the two banks grant us more than 30 million yuan in credit before? Rosser, use it!"
Rosser looked bitter and said: "Mr. Smart, if we use these more than 30 million yuan in loans, our asset-liability ratio will be a bit high."
Min Congda chuckled, "Don't worry, the current liabilities will become assets in the future."
But he thought in his heart, go high, go high, the debt will pile up and he will go one step closer to bankruptcy.
Some people died, but not completely...
