The Vegas Golden Knights, the team that showed us – what happens in Vegas shouldn’t stay there. On the ice, the story was incredible, but off the ice, the story was better.
The Golden Knights slayed… in every category. The unconventional hockey town embraced the team – Vegas finished fourth in the league in terms of attendance based on percentage of capacity, coming in just below Chicago, Minnesota, and Washington. Beyond attendance, the team led the NHL in merchandise sales. Their social media game created a constant buzz all season, as people weighed in on whether they loved or loathed their spirited method. And their game presentation turned into a headline stealer during their Cinderella Stanley Cup run.
Last season in Vegas, everything was possible. There was no precedent on the way things were done, so they did anything and everything – in the biggest way possible. Heck, they even had a 49/51 instead of a 50/50. The Golden Knights did it the Vegas way, but it was not done by the luck of the dice – it was carefully and methodically created.
As the organization began hand crafting their golden masterpiece, they hired Kerry Bubolz as President & Chief Operating Officer. In an interesting Forbes article, Bubolz was interviewed by Dr. Patrick Rishe for his book, ‘They Shoot… They Score’, on leadership, innovation, and strategy in the sports industry. During the interview, Bubolz discussed the methodical approach behind the Golden Knights’ success in their inaugural season. Upon being hired, Bubolz made a list of the ten most important objectives for the team off the ice in order to find success come puck drop. The plan encompassed all corners of the off-ice operations, and then they got to work.
One of the ten objectives was focused on the needs of the city’s demographic, as hispanics make up 30% of the community. This aided in the direction of the planning of their broadcast deal, as catering to this growing demographic became a priority. It was the Golden Knights’ goal to get at least a percentage of their games distributed in Spanish. This objective was part of their effort to market to the Hispanic community in Las Vegas, continuing to further the NHL’s reach.
Game presentation was another major focus, where Vegas did what Vegas does best. “Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world, and I felt we needed to have a game presentation experience and a fan experience that met the high expectations of the entertainment community,” Bubolz said.
Recognition came from around the league and was on full display during the Stanley Cup Finals. Their eccentric pre-game ceremony was all I heard about as I was touring Europe, many time zones away.
The presentations weren’t what NHL fans were accustomed to seeing, but TSN Analyst Ray Ferraro epitomized the show saying, “If we look at some of the other sports and the way they have changed their in-game experience for the fans – you have to change, you have to move along. Look, it’s not just for a bunch of 60-year-old guys anymore coming to watch the game. The people that are coming, the people that are interested, they want to tweet, they want to take Instagram pictures, they want music, they want entertainment. Vegas provides it all. Oh yeah, and they have got a damn good hockey team too… the music is loud, the people are into it. It’s a terrific night of entertainment.”
With no ceiling, the Golden Knights let nothing hold them down. The Golden Knights questioned the conventional methods, did things differently, and came out with something spectacular. Or, if nothing else, with something worth talking about. So, what happened in Vegas last season – doesn’t need to stay there.
Sara
