I have been a member of the British American Business Council Houston (BABC) now for a couple of years, and I always really enjoy their events. Most recently, I attended the BABC International Business Awards Finalists Reception. The success of the Houston Chapter of the BABC can greatly be attributed to the organization’s Executive Director, Becci Himes. She provides tremendous support and leadership to the organization, and is always making introductions between members.
One of the people that I had an opportunity to meet at this recent gathering was Steve Powell, Senior Vice President of Business Development for the Houston Dynamo. He graciously agreed to chat with me by phone, as I interviewed him for my Houston Relocation Blog. He told me that he has been in the U.S. off and on for about 30 years now, and he shared with me some of the excitement surrounding the Houston Dynamo and the building of the new stadium, which is due for completion in May 2012.
Here are some of the highlights from our conversation…
- Steve Powell, Sr. VP of Business Development for Houston Dynamo
While I was meant to be the one doing the interviewing, Steve started by asking me a very poignant question: “So Michelle, who are the readers of your blog?” “Great question,” said I! I shared with him that my blog is currently bringing in about 3,500+ hits every month, with a growing number of readers and followers every week. I told him that my audience tends to be quite diverse, including people who are involved in the global relocation industry and real estate throughout the Houston area, as well as around Texas, nationally and some international followers. That includes many transferees, relocation management companies, various corporations and organizations, HR professionals, real estate professionals, my competitors, and pretty much anybody in between.
I told Steve that one of the main purposes of my Houston Relocation Blog is to continually build a buzz around things that make Houston such an exciting city to live in, and what better than to discuss the excitement surrounding the Houston Dynamo and the building of the new stadium.
Like so many of the wonderful people who I have met through the BABC, Steve hales from London, England, but has planted roots here in Houston. Soccer, of course, is HUGE in the U.K.
While soccer is a newer sport to me than my beloved football (the kind with the helmets and pads), I have always admired its worldwide popularity, and have wondered why it has such a comparatively slower appeal to the masses here in the U.S. I asked Steve what he thought the biggest difference is between soccer in the U.S. and in Houston, versus soccer in Europe. He responded, “I put a lot of it down to history. In the U.K., it’s the sport.” He said that the league itself is a lot older…130 or 140 years old. He added, “Soccer has put some significant anchors down in south Texas. There are more boys and girls playing soccer right now than any other sport.” He said that it’s much more educated now, with a lot of people having grown up with soccer, who are now watching their kids play soccer.
We also talked a lot about the Dynamo and the appeal for Houston’s international community. Houston is very much a melting pot, and has become residence to many international transferees who have moved to Houston by way of their employers. Steve said that there are also a lot of international people who have moved to Houston who have brought the love of soccer with them. When they find out about the teams available through the schools and extracurricular activities, as well as the Dynamo, it becomes very exciting and important to them. Houston is very diverse city, with a large international population, and a growing number of people living here in Houston who support and are fans of soccer.
I asked Steve how the season ticket sales were coming along. He said with great enthusiasm that they are “selling seats like crazy.” He said, “We have 33 suites, and more than 50 percent of those have already sold. Additionally, we have already sold out of our club seats. We did a lot of research to price it correctly.” He said that the Dynamo games offer great client entertainment. They have a lot of oil and gas companies that have bought season tickets and that he wants to encourage companies to consider season ticket purchases as a great way to develop business relationships for both the U.S. based and overseas clients.
With regards to the upcoming season, Steve says that they are revving up the excitement and selling season tickets. “We are only going to have one time to do this right and maximize the enthusiasm and excitement of a new venue, and this is that time. You’ve got to make that great first impression,” he said.
With only less than 50 percent of their suites available, Steve says that he wants to be in a position to be able to invite as many companies as possible to take advantage of these opportunities before they are gone. Once they are gone, they are gone for 3 years. They are also looking at companies that might end up getting the naming rights for the stadium. They plan to have 40-50 events per year at this venue, and they are looking for the right company for those naming rights.
I asked Steve to share with me his experiences with the BABC Houston, the benefits he has enjoyed, and his involvement. He quickly stated, “Becci Himes is a friend. We have involvement in many chambers, but BABC has been especially fruitful in making us the right introductions. It has provided us with great opportunities to meet and connect with other great people (such as yourself), and businesses that understand what we are about and have similar goals.” I couldn’t agree more! The BABC Houston is one of the most important Houston organizations that I belong to as well. And I agree, a big shout out to Becci Himes is in order! She gets it!
David Beckham
Steve and I ended our discussion with the excitement surrounding the Dynamo season finale game on October 23rd. Why is this such an exciting way to end the season, you ask? Well, the game is against the L.A. Galaxy, which boasts of a player named David Beckham. You may have heard of him! Steve also mentioned that this game represents the team’s last regular season game in Robertson’s Stadium, which is a finale in itself.
As for me, I am very excited about the Houston Dynamo and hope that you will be too! I hope to see you at a future game. If you are new to the Houston area, this is the perfect way to get fired up about our new love of soccer.
For season ticket information, please call 713.276.GOAL (4625) or visit www.houstondynamo.com.
