x
Visit Mesa Turned a Sold-Out Sporting Event Into a Citywide Banana Pass
When the Savannah Bananas announced their 2025 Banana Ball World Tour would kick off at Mesa’s Sloan Park, Visit Mesa had a sold-out stadium and a city full of fans with no ticket. So the DMO built a digital Banana Pass on Seeker XP, turning a two-day game into a weeklong, citywide celebration.
The pass sent residents and visitors to 14 banana-themed spots across Mesa and gave every check-in a shot at the one thing money couldn’t easily buy: tickets to the game. The campaign went on to win Best Marketing Campaign at the 2025 Arizona Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
Overview
Visit Mesa launched a check-in challenge called Banana Week using Seeker XP’s digital passport platform. From January 26 to 30, participants checked in at banana-themed treats and deals across 14 local businesses, and checking in at three spots earned the Going Bananas badge plus an entry to win two tickets to the sold-out Savannah Bananas game. The pass drew over 4,000 views and the campaign generated 488,000-plus media impressions, turning a sold-out event into foot traffic for local businesses.
At a Glance
- Activation: Banana-Themed Pass
- Location: Mesa, Arizona
- Timeline: January 26–30, 2025
- Audience: Mesa residents and visitors
- Use Cases: Event Activation, Shop Local, Community Engagement
- Experience Type: Digital Passport, Check-in Challenge
- Industry: Destination Marketing
- Features: Digital Badges, Geolocation Check-ins
- Platform: Seeker XP
- Results: 4,000+ pass views, 488,000+ media impressions, 14 participating businesses
About Visit Mesa
Visit Mesa is the destination marketing organization for Mesa, Arizona, the largest city in the East Valley of metro Phoenix and the third-largest city in the state. Branded City Limitless, Mesa sells a range that runs from Sonoran Desert trails and Salt River water recreation to a downtown arts district, the Cactus League spring training scene at Sloan Park, and a growing food culture.
Like many DMOs, Visit Mesa works to convert big visiting moments into spending that reaches local businesses, not just the venue hosting the event. When the Savannah Bananas chose Sloan Park to open their 2025 world tour, the games sold out fast, which left a familiar gap: enormous local excitement and a stadium that couldn’t hold it. Visit Mesa wanted a way to channel that energy into Mesa’s restaurants, breweries, candy shops, and attractions, and to capture it as something measurable.
How it Worked
Visit Mesa promoted the Banana Pass through its website, social channels, and Banana Week press coverage. Anyone could open the pass on their phone and join in seconds, with no app download required.
Once in, participants explored a curated set of 14 banana-themed spots across Mesa, sorted into categories like Dine, Mesa Beer Week, and Water Fun:
- Restaurants and treats — chocolate-dipped bananas at Mad Candy, banana specials at spots like Balboa’s
- Breweries and cider — Banana Split Cider at Cider Corps, tied into Mesa Beer Week
- Outdoor and water recreation — Yak N Sup Canyon Lake Tours, which handed out free banana-flavored chapstick to its first 50 customers
- Attractions — cultural stops like the Musical Instrument Museum and the Arizona Renaissance Festival grounds
Checking in at three of these spots earned participants the Going Bananas badge and an entry to win two tickets to the sold-out game. The reward gave fans a real reason to taste their way across the city rather than just show up on game day.
Activities
Taste the Treats
Participants checked in at banana-themed restaurants, candy shops, and cafes to sample chocolate-dipped bananas and banana specials across Mesa.
Sip the Banana Beer
Tied into Mesa Beer Week, fans checked in at breweries and cider houses for one-off pours like Cider Corps' Banana Split Cider.
Explore the City
Check-ins reached beyond food to water tours, museums, and attractions, pulling participants across Mesa in the days before the game.
Badges
Going Bananas
Check in at 3 banana spots
Rewards
Check in at 3 banana spots: Earn the Going Bananas badge and an entry to win two tickets to the Savannah Bananas game at Sloan Park in Mesa.
The single, attainable milestone kept the barrier low. Three check-ins was enough to feel doable on a normal week in Mesa, and the prize, a seat at a game nobody could get tickets to, did the rest of the motivating.