The following summary was compiled by Syracuse University student Sam Birdsall from our recent podcast with facilities expert and Columbia faculty member Bill Squires…
One of the most important facets of the industry of sports, that often goes unnoticed is that of facilities and stadium operations. From field control to concessions to parking lot usage, taking care of an arena, stadium, or field is a behind-the-scenes job for a sports fan. An expert in the field, Bill Squires stopped by the Columbia University Sports Podcast to talk about his expertise in facilities and history in sports.
Growing up in New Jersey and attending the US Naval Academy training as an aviator, Bill served as a communications officer in the Navy for 12 years. During a stint in and around Florida while on active duty, Squires contacted the New York Yankees about bringing a large group of shipmates to the Yankees spring training facility in Fort Lauderdale for a spring training game. Word eventually got to the late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and thus began his career in sports facility and event management. After exiting the service, Squires followed up with The Boss and in 1987 he started as Assistant Director of Stadium Operations for Yankee Stadium. Two months later, he took over the roles as the interim director.
Speaking on the legacy of Steinbrenner, “If you were a fan of a team, you would want him to be your owner because he cared so much about winning and he cared so much about the fan.”
Squires has since managed Giants Stadium for both NFL teams, the 1994 World Cup, and a visit from The Pope. Additionally, he was the General Manager for Disney’s Wide World of Sports, and helped open and operate what was formerly Cleveland Browns Stadium, now FirstEnergy Stadium.
Bill has been a long-time lecturer at Columbia University and owns Right Stuff Consulting which specializes in sports facility and event operations. “I realized there were opportunities for me to grow even more by going out on my own.”
He touched on the importance of the fan experience at sporting events, something that wasn’t a popular term years ago. Nowadays, stadia have to have wifi and routers set up to provide the fans access throughout, as well as replay systems on all monitors, entertainment especially in NFL stadiums, and text message systems to answer any and all questions.
Ever since 2001, security has changed in most public places, and this is the same for sports facilities. With newer technology, facial recognition and license plate trackers are used as security measures and also for marketing tactics.
With the FIFA World Cup in season, Squires touches on how facilities run during this time, “It’s almost impossible to design a stadium to satisfy the needs of a World Cup” due to the business of restrooms and points of service during halftime.
Millennials are a key generation that marketers have trouble convincing to attend sporting events. That is why stadiums around the country have installed swimming pools, barbershops, and indoor golf simulators to try and accommodate millennials’ needs.
If you want to begin future working in sports, Bill has a certain part of the industry to start at. “I always encourage young people, from right out of college, get into minor league baseball. There’s always turnover, they’re always looking for people, and you get to work so many different jobs”.
And some attributes and mindsets that individuals should have before they want to get into facility and operations management are:
- “Don’t say I don’t know. Say I’ll find out”
- “Proper prior planning prevents poor performance”
- “Early is on-time, on-time is late, and late is inexcusable”
- “Survey fans and survey workers, make sure they are appreciated”
You can get in touch with the CUSP Show or the Columbia Sport Management Program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports.
