ANDREW BRAGMAN ENCOURAGES HIS TEAM TO MAKE GUESTS SMILE AS THEY GREET TICKET HOLDERS ENTERING NATIONALS PARK IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
“I want a welcoming face at the front door,” Bragman said. “They have to make a positive first impression. It’s the first person that a lot of people are going to see (when they enter the stadium). We have people from all over the country and the world visiting. We’re setting someone up to have a great time at the ballpark.”
Bragman was chosen by his peers as a Venues Today 2018 Ticketing Star for his work ethic and accomplishments.
He had a successful 2017, overseeing tick¬eting for the 81¬game season and post season for Major League Baseball’s Nationals. Bragman also is in charge of concert tickets at Nationals Park and was promoted to the vice president of ticket operations and sales opti¬mization at the Washington Nationals Baseball Club.
“With his most recent promotion he is also taking on additional duties in analytics for ticket marketing. Andrew has worked in pro¬fessional baseball ticketing and SMG arenas for close to 15 years, the last two and a half with the Washington Nationals, during which time he has been promoted three times: from director to senior director to executive director to VP,” stated his nomination form for Box Office Star (renamed Ticketing Star).
The next 12 months are set to bring new heights to his career as he helps the 41,000¬seat Nationals Park prepare to host Major League Baseball’s All¬Star game on July 17, 2018.
The All¬Star game is one of the reasons
“It’s one of the reasons I’m here. Knowing the All¬Star game was going to Washington in 2018, it was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of that.”
ANDREW BRAGMAN
VICE PRESIDENT, TICKET OPERATIONS WASHINGTON NATIONALS BASEBALL CLUB
Bragman left his position as the director of ticket operations for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015.
“It’s one of the reasons I’m here. Knowing the All¬Star game was going to Washington in 2018, it was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of that,” Bragman said.
His boss, Mike Shane, the senior vice president for consumer revenue for the Washington Nationals, thinks highly of Bragman, his work and his ability to run a top notch ticketing operation.
“The only reason I’m able to sleep at night is knowing that he’s on top of it,” Shane said. “Until you’ve been a part of an All¬Star Game, you don’t really know what goes into it… you have to execute it flawlessly. You only get one chance. Of all the things I worry about, the execution of ticketing is never one of them and that completely applies to Andrew.”
“I’ve been in sports for 15¬plus years; as far as I can tell, he’s the best in the business,” Shane said. “Not only his knowledge base, he knows the industry inside and out. He’s disci¬plined himself to know all the aspects. He’s very, very smart, but that doesn’t keep him from applying himself to learn more.”
He’s worked in ticket operations since 2004, starting at the Fresno Grizzlies in California where he eventually became the director of tickets. He then was hired at Oracle Arena and Oakland Alameda Country Coliseum, an SMG¬managed facility.
“I was the box office manager, and he was the assistant box office manager. Andrew was my first official employee. I had never been a manager before,” said Chris Convery, who is now the box office manager for SMG in Philadelphia. “Andrew loves everything. He’s just a really smart guy. He didn’t look at things from the normal point of view.”
“He puts himself in the fans’ shoes,” he said. “He’s always looking to find ways to make himself better from the customer’s point of view and for the fan experience.”
It goes back to the Golden Rule, Convery said.
Bragman adopted Convery’s management style, especially when it comes to hiring people he can trust.
“In the world of ticketing, we’re dealing with assets and tickets,” Bragman said. “It’s a lot of money. I trust my staff; I have a lot of faith in them here. I was really lucky with the people that I had as managers and mentors along the way. I’m a big believer in having rela¬tionships with my team and throughout the organization.”
Bragman always is listening to colleagues and working to improve all aspects of the ball¬park.
“He really looks out for the good of the organization and all the initiatives we’re rolling out and makes sure they’re all executed the best that they can be,” Shane said. “He’s not there to wine and dine and have fun, he’s there to learn.”
As Bragman prepares for the All¬Star Game and a few big concerts at Nationals Park in 2018, he always reminds himself and his team to stop and smell the roses.
“Walk out to the stadium and make sure you take a few minutes to enjoy it,” Bragman said.