December 18, 2023 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Columbus Crew SC News Release
COLUMBUS – The Columbus Crew were commended for their on and off pitch excellence as the Club received “Academy of the Year” and “Best Ticket Sales Initiative of the Year” accolades during the 2023 Mark Abbott MLS Club Awards, as announced by MLS last week.
“We are incredibly proud of our Academy’s growth, success and direction, and being named 2023 Academy of the Year is a testament to the significant investments by our players, staff and leadership over the past several years,” said Columbus Crew President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “Our Technical Director Marc Nicholls, along with Dan Lock, Kelvin Jones and our Academy coaches and staff, aligned with our First Team, Corey Wray and Crew 2, established a vision and a strategic plan that has benefited our Club at all levels of competition, including most recently helping our First Team win our third MLS Cup. Our primary focus is to develop young men as players and individuals, with the key objective of developing professional players along our pathway, and they deserve this recognition for their ongoing efforts that have us positioned as an elite Academy now and for years to come.”
In addition to being named 2023 Academy of the Year, the Crew’s EASE Party Decks were selected as the league’s Ticket Sales Initiative of the Year. As part of the Club’s efforts to expand all-inclusive premium hospitality spaces to maximize building space and meet the high demand, the team during the offseason installed four outdoor bay-style seating areas that accommodate 25-56 people each.
The EASE Party Decks, which include food, beer, wine and soft drinks with the ticket purchase, sold out prior to the start of the 2023 season. Due to the strong response and supporter feedback this year, the Crew are expanding the offering by doubling the amount of bays to eight total in 2024.
“With our hospitality spaces consistently at capacity and interest continuing to increase, our team identified a need for additional premium hospitality spaces in the Columbus market and delivered with an innovative, high-quality experience for our supporters through the EASE Party Decks,” said Haslam Sports Group Chief of Strategy and Development Josh Glessing. “Adam Green, Katie Foglia and Justin Younghans from our business leadership group, along with strong collaboration from many departments and team members, created a unique, engaging space to best serve…
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