Afew weeks back I had the honor of hosting a “superpanel” at The National Sports Forum in Round Rock, Texas. We covered a plethora of topics including NIL, declining attendance, and the simple question: “What makes a great employee?

The panel consisted of:

Reid Ryan

Founder/CEO of Ryan Sanders Baseball
Credited with founding 2 minor league baseball clubs (Round Rock Express, Corpus Christi Hooks)
Formerly the President of the Houston Astros leading the club to two world series appearances and 1 world series championship in 2017.

Chris Plonsky

Executive Senior Associate AD at Texas/Chief of Staff
34 years in college athletics
president of NACDA, NACMA and Women Leaders in College Sports (formerly NACWAA), USA Basketball board member

Greg Kish

Senior VP/Head of Revenue at Sofi Stadium @ Hollywood Park
Previously served as General Manager of NFL Relocation Project playing a huge role in bringing the Rams back to Los Angeles
Former executive for 49ers with their partnership with Levi’s Stadium, and sales consultant with Dallas Cowboys

Jeff Price

Chief Commercial Officer at PGA of America leading multiple teams including marketing and communications.
In 2018, Price was instrumental in steering the PGA’s innovative, 11-year media rights partnerships with CBS, ESPN and ESPN+ while also overseeing its relationship with NBC Golf.
In addition, he has helped lead long-term partnerships with global brands such as AIG, Cadillac, KPMG, Michelob ULTRA, National Car Rental, Nike, Polo/Ralph Lauren

As you can imagine with a panel of this caliber, it was difficult to narrow down my questions. We had a solid hour of conversation and could have gone longer. (I encourage you to watch the video—see below). But I thought it would be helpful to summarize my takeaways:

1- NIL is going to change college athletics in a major way. Student-athletes will now have the ability to earn money outside of time spent on their sport. Essentially, it’s like having a job, which every other college student already has the ability to do. Maybe, more importantly, it is a character lesson for young athletes. Bad choices can lead to consequences and what was once selection turns into de-selection if you are not careful of how you carry yourself. It prepares you for life.

2- Now more than ever, people’s time is worth more than their dollar. Attendance is down, but consumption is at an all-time high. The motivation to attend games is no longer just about the team winning or losing, it is about the experience. What can the fan experience from their seat in the arena that they cannot get from their couch at home? It is all about convenience, especially for fans experiencing their first game, or first time at the venue. Let them have such a good time that they cannot wait to come back and experience it again—and bring their friends.

3- What makes a great employee? A great manager. Although you always want positive reinforcement and encouragement from your boss, it is important to have someone tell you, “That is a bad idea.” It is how you learn! Everyone has their strengths, but few of us truly know what those are. A great manager unlocks those strengths, catapulting the employee to future success.

I invite you to watch our full session in the video below. I hope you learn as much as I did.

Today, I had the privilege to share some ideas with our friends at the 2021 College Athletics Leadership Summit in New Orleans. It was the first time this group had gathered in person for two years.

At this moment in culture, we took the time to reflect on how recent events have created a divide among some of the student athletes and staff members we serve. As leaders, these talented men and women at CALS ’21 have the job of helping narrow this divide so that everyone feels included.

I offered to the group that a key to feeling included is sensing that you belong. And, to feel like you belong, you need to be heard. The fundamental breakdown in our culture is that we’ve lost the art of listening.

The goal should be to listen to UNDERSTAND. Now is a great time to be reminded of some of the PITFALLS that trip us up. Here are just a few….

—Daydreaming or thinking of something else (even something as simple as your list of groceries) while another person is speaking;

—Thinking of what to say next

—Judging what the other person is saying

—Listening with a specific goal/outcome in mind

So in some ways, my colleagues at Advent and I are professional listeners. We have to understand our clients’ needs, challenges and stories in order to be able to creatively problem solve for them.

Here are some very specific tips that I would offer you from our experience:

—First: demonstrate that you’re listening by taking notes.
Our team carries notebooks, which we call listening books. It’s one of the first things someone receives when they join our team.
If you can’t take notes, use an app like Otter.ai to record and transcribe notes for you.

—Second: recap in writing what you heard.
By using your notes to speak back to the other person what you heard them say, you give them a chance to clarify
But more importantly, you let them know how deeply you’ve listened to them. Do not start off with your response to what you heard, or what you want them to hear. The only purpose of this communication is for them to know that they’ve been heard
At the end of the email, let them know what you think next steps are, if any.

—Third: use what you heard in a way that honors the person.
This might be referencing something you learned from them in a team meeting. Or it might be acknowledging your appreciation to them for trusting you with their thoughts. If there is something you can act on, find a way to do it.

These 3 things seem really simple, but you’ll be surprised by how much traction you gain from adopting a practice of deep listening. These are easy tools to adopt, but that will lead to transformation.

Published by Chiefs Digest
BY MATT DERRICK
SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

Dante Hall stands before a high-definition monitor, his right hand reaching for his forehead in disbelief as he watches the “X-Factor,” the 2003 version of himself, eluding Denver Broncos and racing 93 yards for a touchdown. A moment earlier, Chiefs historian Bob Moore clicked the screen, flicked his finger and brought that moment back to life.

Welcome to the newly rebuilt Chiefs Hall of Honor inside Arrowhead Stadium, fresh off a nearly $9 million renovation and reopening to fans this weekend as the Chiefs kick off the 2021 season hosting the Cleveland Browns.

“I think it’s absolutely amazing, it’s beautiful,” Hall said during a reopening ceremony Thursday evening. “They brought history into the modern era, and done it beautifully.”

Hall was one of the Chiefs alumni spanning six decades of the club’s history attending Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the rebuilt Hall of Honor. Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt believes the renovated hall makes GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium “a bucket list destination for football fans.”

“The best outdoor stadium in the NFL in an iconic birthplace of the modern era of the National Football League,” Hunt said. “The new Hall of Honor only adds to Arrowhead’s legendary status, and I look forward to our great fans enjoying this incredible space for many years to come.”

The Chiefs opened the Hall of Honor at Arrowhead Stadium in 2010. The original hall was built within the main concourse, allowing fans to walk through the hall on game day. The display cases included artifacts from throughout the club’s history along with a commemoration of the American Football League, a salute to the team’s Pro Football of Fame enshrinees, and a spotlight on Lamar Hunt and his contributions to sports as well as recognition of every player in club history.

“It’s a place where we get to honor the great players, coaches and administrators who have helped shaped this organization into what it is today,” Hunt said.

All of those elements remain, with greater grandeur and a dose of interactive wizardry. The Hall of Honor is now completely enclosed in the same location along the main concourse, making the hall a more idyllic destination 365 days a year. The team also plans to open the facility for public and private events, further fulfilling the club’s goal of making Arrowhead Stadium a community asset.

“This hall is magnificent,” said Mitch Holthus, the voice of the Chiefs, during the reopening ceremony. “It is a hall for our fans but it’s also a hall for every one of you players, but it’s also a hall to remember the beginnings of what has become in many ways a one-of-a-kind franchise.”

In addition to the display cases that contain mementos from Len Dawson to Patrick Mahomes and Bobby Bell to Derrick Johnson, the new hall is divided into sections that tell different stories of the team’s history. One wing highlights the club’s Ring of Honor inductees, while another features the club’s members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Around the corner is another area detailing the history of the AFL and the merger with the NFL.

It’s those early Chiefs’ memories that resonate the most for Hunt, who as a child idolized Dawson, Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier and Jan Stenerud.

“I got to see some of those guys in person today but if you walk through the Hall of Honor, you get to see them as well,” Hunt said. “That’s really what brings back those butterflies that I get in my stomach that makes me think about being here with my dad at Arrowhead.”

On the monitors where Hall watched the replay of his epic punt return touchdown against the Broncos, fans can scroll through every player in club history and bring up photos, uniform numbers, statistics and highlights.

“For this great organization, for them to include you in any way, honestly it’s so humbling, it’s so rewarding for all the hard work you put in, the blood, sweat and tears,” Hall said. “Maybe one day, when I’m an old man, I can bring my kids here and be like, ‘Look your dad did enough that the Chiefs felt like I should be in this beautiful, beautiful Hall of Honor.’”

Hunt cut the ribbon to the remodeled Hall of Honor alongside Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Bell, Stenerud, Lanier and Will Shields along with Georgia Buchanan, widow of Hall of Fame inductee Buck Buchanan. A few moments later Hunt stood in front of his favorite place in the new hall, a trophy case that now features a Lombardi Trophy from both Super Bowl IV and Super Bowl LIV. “Of course we now have a couple of Lamar Hunt Trophies in this space as well, so that helps make it extra special,” Hunt said.

He also noted in his remarks there’s plenty of room for expansion.

“I’m very proud of our team,” Hunt said, “and I don’t want to jinx anything, but as Mitch pointed out, I think we have a pretty good chance of winning a few more games this season and, hopefully, adding some more trophies to this beautiful trophy case.”

Published by D Magazine, BY BEN SWANGER PUBLISHED IN BUSINESS & ECONOMY SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 6:20 PM JAMES D. SMITH/DALLAS COWBOYS

The Dallas Cowboys and Molson Coors have announced a 10-year, $200 million partnership extension that will usher in the fourth decade for Molson Coors as the sole supplier of alcoholic beverages for the Cowboys.

The announcement was made on Sept. 7 at the ribbon cutting of the new Miller LiteHouse, AT&T Stadium’s latest addition to the Cowboy fan’s experience. The 87,000 square foot outdoor property is home to two beer gardens, six bars, a 70-yard turf football field, over 60 television screens, two fantasy football walls, and the biggest walk-in beer cooler in the state of Texas. The 1,200 square foot cooler will be stocked with over 10,000 beverages consisting of Miller Lite, Vizzy Hard Seltzer, Core Hydration water, and much more. There will also be plenty of snacks including popcorn, assorted chips, pickles, fruit, and more within the cooler.

It took the Cowboys and Miller Lite 18 months to plan and construct the new tailgate experience. In terms of cost, the final numbers are not in yet, but Charlotte Jones, the executive vice president and chief brand officer for the Cowboys, told D CEO, “It was a strong eight-figure deal…an investment that was definitely well worth it.”

The team brought in Nashville-based Advent to help create the look of LiteHouse. The firm previously designed the $1.5 billion Ford Center at The Star in Frisco and the $58 million Comerica Center in Frisco.

“It was really a collaborative effort between Advent, the Cowboys admin, Charlotte Jones leadership, and our team across most Miller Lite,” Adam Dettman, Molson Coors head of partnerships for North America, told D CEO.

The LiteHouse, located just a couple hundred yards away from the west side of AT&T Stadium, is a football fan’s dream. On either side of the 70-yard turf field are two beer gardens shaded by the perfect amount of trees, furnished with wooden sit-down tables and booths, couches, metal standing tables, and bar stools at each of the six bars. Everywhere you turn there are televisions, including two Texas-sized screens beyond the west end zone. Food trucks also will be on the grounds on gamedays.

When Owner, President, and General Manager Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, Texas Stadium was one of the few major sporting venues not to permit the sale of alcohol. “That [change] was at the top of my list,” Jones said, reminiscing on revisions he made within the Cowboys organization.

It took a two-year campaign for Jones to persuade voters to approve the sale of alcoholic beverages at Cowboy games. Beer was previously reserved for establishments formally classified as “fine restaurants.” In 1991, State Sen. Bill Glasgow introduced a bill validating city ordinances to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages inside Texas Stadium. The Senate swiftly approved the bill in a 31-0 vote.

This latest extension with Molson Coors is just another notch on Jones’ business belt that wraps around the burgeoning $6.5 billion sports franchise—the most valuable in the world.

Molson Coors’ rights in the new deal span its entire portfolio, including Vizzy hard seltzer.

The MillerLite House will debut its Cowboy gameday experience Thursday evening (Sept. 9). The property will usher in an estimated 5,000 fans to watch the road matchup between the Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The main attraction might be the game on the 60-plus screens, but what has the Cowboys and Miller Lite most excited is that Texas-sized cooler.

“There have been many times I’ve been drinking beer and wanted to see what it might feel like to be in [an] ice-cold cooler,” Jones said. “And now, all of a sudden, we’ve got it here.”

See the article online here.

People don’t just build a building to build a building, but in fact to tell their story!

In a world where it’s becoming more and more competitive. How are you looking to stand out from the crowd?

This is a topic I have spoken about at several different conferences in the past.

As a business, we always look to identify the reasons why our customers and partners are doing certain things.

Whether it’s a college campus or a sports stadium.

Where most people approach the construction of a building in an emotionless way, we approach it through the lens of telling a story.

We take the time to look at the detail to understand the real reasons why you’ve decided to build this building.

We know it’s not just because you want utility and greater efficiency for your staff, as so many default to.

It’s in fact to build something that says something about your organization.

To set a new record.

To set a new chapter.

To set a new narrative.

To set a new dialogue about your brand.

Whether it’s a college student, a sports professional, recruit, or even a fan, these people aren’t choosing you because of how the building looks!

They’re choosing you over everyone else because of how you made them feel during their experience.

They’re choosing you because of how you connected with them, told your story, and demonstrated how much you care.

It’s the story that we tell throughout all the different elements of business that make the biggest of differences.

We are in the business of moving people, we know how important it is, but my question today is…

Do you?

Two years ago, when speaking at a conference, I made the statement, “Declining attendance at live entertainment/sporting events is the gigantic elephant in the room that has to be addressed.”

Little did we know that what was to come. Isn’t it amazing how times change?

As we move out of what has been the strangest and most difficult period in multiple decades, now more than ever people, are craving live experiences.

We’re already seeing that with crowds coming back for live sporting events and concerts.

One thing we are taking a lot of time to think about with our customers is how to think outside the box.

How do we come up with ideas that keep these crowds at these levels once we return to some form of normality?

One thing is for sure.

We will always look to do things differently.

We will always look to create those moments where we can move our audiences, generating emotions that they want to keep returning to.

It’s the whole reason we do what we do!

Two years ago, when speaking at a conference, I made the statement, “Declining attendance at live entertainment/sporting events is the gigantic elephant in the room that has to be addressed.”

Little did we know that what was to come. Isn’t it amazing how times change?

As we move out of what has been the strangest and most difficult period in multiple decades, now more than ever people, are craving live experiences.

We’re already seeing that with crowds coming back for live sporting events and concerts.

One thing we are taking a lot of time to think about with our customers is how to think outside the box.

How do we come up with ideas that keep these crowds at these levels once we return to some form of normality?

One thing is for sure.

We will always look to do things differently.

We will always look to create those moments where we can move our audiences, generating emotions that they want to keep returning to.

It’s the whole reason we do what we do!

“How often should we express gratitude to those around us for what our teams have accomplished?

A question that was asked and one which I answered…

“At least once per week, if not every single day!”

Success and progress cannot be taken for granted, and today I want to shed light on some of the fantastic work our team has been doing over the past 7 days:

We hosted our first “in-person” Sandbox (collaborative design thinking exercise) in over 18 months with a national association that will be relocating its home headquarters next year.

We welcomed more than 70 collegiate athletic administrators for lunch on Saturday as part of their annual AD’s for Christ conference.

We are knee-deep in a number of installation projects across multiple states. With the build-up of work over the last few months, our installations team is doing a great job.

Production is underway on a collegiate stadium renovation project that will make its debut this fall.

And last, but not least, we are applying the final touches to a NFL team’s new Hall of Fame project—opening soon!

After taking the time to reflect on this, it truly does amaze me how much progress there is when you’re on the lookout for it.

I am so proud of the work we are doing.

I would love to know how often your organization pauses to reflect and express gratitude.

Here’s to another great week.

#team #gratitude #movepeople #designthinking

Here are 3 things that we believe the greatest brands do.

They aren’t typically the most obvious.

But they are very powerful

1. They identify and empathize with their audience.

They realize the importance of knowing the perspective of their audience.

They take the time to listen, to understand the wants, needs, problems, issues, and how they can then use them to connect.

2. They think deliberately about the stories they want to be told.

Whether it’s in their Marketing, their Email, or their social media, they look to communicate in a way that helps define their brand.

3. They have complete clarity on their key differentiators.

They don’t want to appear like every other business in their industry.

They understand what makes them stand out, they make it measurable and meaningful in the mind of the audience so it can be qualified and is clear.

For me, in today’s world, there is nothing more important than the way you connect with your audience, prospects, and customers.

Be conscious of everything your business does.

It all adds up and creates a perception in people’s minds which can stick very quickly.

Whether you want it to or not.

Lots of people seem to ask me “John, why does storytelling play such a big part in building a brand?”

Here’s why …

To us, the art of identifying and maximizing a brand’s story is what enables us to stand out.

Brands are simply the perceptions or stories in the mind of the audience that add or subtract value and enable choice.

When you take a look at the best brands, they all seem to have a unique set of stories that provide an emotional connection to their audience.

The best ones guide or direct the stories that they want to tell.

Those who don’t, let their customers define the story and unfortunately seem to lose their identity in the process.

At Advent, we take a deep dive into the DNA of an organization.

We call it “StoryMining”, more to come on that in a future post.

But in essence, we equip ourselves with important messages that we can use within the designs that we create to bring them to life.

From the magic table we incorporated into the design at Stanford University’s Home of Champions emphasizing the stories of hundreds of student athletes throughout Cardinal history…

All the way to creating the “elevated moments” when working with the University of North Carolina on the iconic “shoe wall.”

It’s the elevated moments that we remember.

It’s these moments that turn into stories that people want to share that bring brands to life.

It’s why they are the pinnacle of what we do with each and every one of our projects and what continues to drive us forward.

Stories are what connect us, they are what bring us together and for us the core focus for anything we are a part of.

We look to move people, and to do that, the connection is everything.