For the first time ever, two team owners sat down during the NBA Finals to discuss organizational success: Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Joe Lacob, owner of the Golden State Warriors.
The full session at Chat Sports: The Minds Behind the Game is available above, and several anecdotes shared during the conversation highlight how leadership and technology are two major ingredients in building a connected culture.
The potential of court-side virtual reality (VR) seats for future revenue was mentioned, and the 39-minute mark includes a brief discussion on the Veritix (just merged with AXS) Flash Seats ticket environment and how “fair, liquid, visible markets” are good for everyone and can help eliminate fans showing up at the box office with invalid tickets.
But above and beyond specific technology, it was the opportunity to listen to customers through social media that Gilbert focused on.
“A guy the other day complained that the cupholder on his seat was broken,” Gilbert said. “He tweeted it to me and the Cavs, I forwarded it to our guy, and within six minutes we’re up there fixing it. If you use social media right, you can get that real, live customer feeling that you can’t get in the ivory tower.”
Building a culture of connectivity, evidenced by Gilbert’s example, is where organizational leaders play a massive role.
For example, Lee Zeidman (@LeeZeidman)—president of STAPLES Center, Microsoft Theater, and L.A. Live—tweets backstage pics and gives away tickets to games and concerts. Look at his feed, and you’ll see photos of Kanye’s birthday party, video of the Nokia-to-Microsoft name conversion, and a ticket giveaway for opening night games to the Lakers, Clippers, and Kings.
What are you doing to build a connected culture with your customers?
If you need a little nudge (or a loving shove) into your role as a culture builder in social media, register for VenueConnect and do not miss Tweets From the Top: How Venue Executives Are Excelling in the Social Stream (Aug 2, 3:30 p.m.).
