A Passion for Sports and a Journey into Athletics
Cameron Wissle, the Director of External Operations at the Peach Belt Conference, has spent the last four years overseeing ticketing for 18 annual championship events, spanning men’s, women’s sports competitions. The conference has institutions located primarily in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. His journey into sports administration is rooted in a deep passion for athletics. Growing up in an athletic family, he was exposed to sports from an early age. His mom played college basketball, and his dad played volleyball, setting the stage for Cameron to get involved in every sport imaginable — baseball, basketball, soccer, and even golf. By the time he got to college, Cameron knew he wanted to stay close to sports, but he wasn’t sure how. After some encouragement from his parents to get a business degree, he found his niche working for his university’s athletic department.
Cameron’s role in the athletic department eventually led him to become the President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), a responsibility that eventually brought him into the world of conference-level athletics.
Simplifying Game-Day Operations
Recognizing an opportunity for improvement, Cameron set out to modernize the ticketing process and enhance the overall fan experience.
Cameron’s primary responsibility is overseeing ticketing for the conference’s 18 championship events each year. This involves a wide variety of tasks, from setting up online ticketing platforms to managing attendance tracking and ensuring a smooth event-day experience for fans. What’s particularly interesting about his role is that ticketing for these events isn’t just about selling tickets — it’s about managing the entire fan experience.
Although some fans and schools were initially hesitant about moving away from in-person cash sales, the transition has now become a standard practice across most of the institutions in the conference.
“We’re a conference that does online ticketing only, and while that transition was challenging at first, it's made things a lot easier over the last few years. As more of our schools implemented online ticketing themselves, it made our events run much smoother.”
The Technology The Powers Ticketing: Hometown
To manage the conference’s online ticketing, Cameron and his team rely on Hometown, which allows event organizers to handle ticket sales, distribution, and scanning all in one place. According to Cameron, the process is simple, efficient, and saves his team valuable time.
The Hometown system lets Cameron and his team create ticket sites well in advance of events. The basics — dates, times, and titles — are entered first, and as details like venue information or opponents are finalized, the ticketing site can be updated in real time. The ease of updating event details is a game-changer, especially when there’s uncertainty around things like the hosting location or final opponent.
"Once we know the details, we can quickly update everything. If there's a change — like a rain delay or a venue switch — I can update the ticket information in minutes, ensuring everything runs smoothly for our fans and staff."
For him, this seamless technology integration isn’t just about saving time, it’s also about improving the experience for attendees. Fans can access tickets quickly via QR codes or direct links shared on social media and event websites. There’s no need for complicated in-person transactions — everything can be done on their phones.
Managing Challenges and Finding Solutions
Cameron recalls one memorable incident occurred during a rain delay at a baseball championship event. What could have been a stressful situation was made much easier thanks to the Hometown support team.
“We had to handle a rainout, and there were all these logistical questions. The game’s rescheduled, and we had to manage how to get the right tickets to the right people. We called our support rep at 7:30 at night, and he walked us through the entire process, even though it was late. That kind of support made all the difference when time was tight, and we had to get the ticketing sorted out quickly."
Using Data to Drive Improvement
Another important aspect of Cameron’s job is analyzing ticket sales data. With Hometown, Cameron can track how many tickets have been sold, how many fans have scanned in, and the overall attendance rate. This data is not only valuable for reporting purposes but also helps the conference make better decisions for future events.
“We’re able to use this data to track how our championships are performing. It helps us plan for merchandise sales, staffing, and even attendance expectations for future events. For example, if we see that we’re hitting a high percentage of scanned tickets early on, we can make decisions about staffing levels at the gates. Or, if we’re seeing low sales at certain venues, we can adjust our promotional strategies."
Looking Ahead: A Busy Year of Championships
As Cameron wraps up another successful championship season, he’s already preparing for the spring events that are just around the corner. The first championship event of the year is slated for late February, followed by basketball in March, and a packed schedule thereafter.
Cameron Wissle’s role as Director of External Operations is multifaceted and critical to the success of every championship event. From managing online ticketing to troubleshooting on the fly, Cameron’s attention to detail and commitment to improving the fan experience ensures that everything runs smoothly. With the help of tools like Hometown and a dedicated support team, Cameron and his colleagues are able to focus on what matters most: delivering unforgettable experiences for the student-athletes and fans alike.
As the Peach Belt Conference continues to grow and evolve, Cameron’s work behind the scenes will be crucial to ensuring that ticketing, fan engagement, and event management remain streamlined and efficient — all while keeping that love for sports at the heart of everything he does.
