Tuesday, April 2, 2024
By Kinslee Braddy
Amidst the vibrant streets of Durham lies a diamond- the heartstring of the community. And at the center of it all lies an unlikely team of entrepreneurs with one goal: creating wow moments.
The Durham Bulls is a baseball organization of full-time employers, interns and other staff dedicated to fostering a memorable game day experience.Experience aside, there are critical values that employers must keep in mind.General manager Tyler Parsons emphasized the importance of said values.
“We’ve just got a lot of different departments and a lot of different buckets that we have operating both in-season and out-of-season,” Parsons said. “They’re all really tied together to represent the brand in the iconic way that we need to, and operating the DBAP, so we are an overall facility and a community asset year-round.”
As well as baseball games, the Bulls offer up their stadium for a range of community events. The Bulls have hosted many concerts, festivals and large-scale catering events. Regardless of whether the event-in-question is a baseball game or concert, the value of community remains the same to the employers.
Whether you are two or 82, the overall core mission of the Bulls is to be a community asset for all. “We want to be a community gathering place for people in this community and outside the community,” Parsons said. “We want people to come in here and visit, to socialize, to have a good time, to put smiles on faces and to bring economic vitality here to downtown Durham into this overall region here.”
The Durham Bulls offer a variety of promotions and experiences that allow the park to be family friendly. From Wool E. Bull go-kart riding to Dollar Dog Thursday, the Bulls have something for everyone. In addition to promotions, the organization has made renovations to ensure the environment is well-suited for families. The insertion of a climate-controlled area for parents and a playground for kids highlights the Bull’s commitment to an outstanding family experience
“We want to be that safe community gathering place where people get a chance to have a good time and put some smiles on people’s faces,” Parsons said.
The Bulls hope that the addition of family-forward spaces and kid-minded promotions, such as bouncy houses and mascot involvement, will help provide a more pleasurable experience for families in attendance.
No matter which marketing aspect attracts fans to the park, the Bulls hope each visitor gets the most out of their experience.
“We want fans to be happy,” Parsons says. “We want them to have enjoyment and to really unplug from everything they have going on or any problems they have.”
With the rapid growth of Durham, the Bulls have seen noticeable success since establishing the franchise in 1902.
“We’re in a great area here,” Parsons said. “We’re in a great market. We have an iconic brand and we’ve been really fortunate to have a lot of support in this community and continue to grow and deliver on our expectations from them.”
The Durham Bulls have worked wholeheartedly to build an organization to ensure a more integrated community. Countless efforts to promote organization-wide unity have gone unnoticed to establish a community centered around the experience.
“One of the major things we’re talking about right now is creating wow moments intentionally for our fans each and every day,” Parsons said. “You know, a special moment where we are exceeding the guest’s expectations and creating a special memorable moment for them that will be long lasting.”
With the 2024 baseball season fast-approaching, the Durham Bulls invite all members and nonmembers of Durham to experience gameday. Whether you attend as an individual looking for a good time or as a dream-filled kid running around the stadium, the Durham Bulls have it all.