cover story bolts` new app will be among the nhl`s

4 TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL
COVER STORY
Turnaround story for Lig
BY ASHLEY GURBAL KRITZER
[email protected]
813-342-2476, @TBBJAshley
A
t 55 years old, at the beginning of his fifth season as the
owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jeff Vinik feels fortunate
to be in a place where he’s able to keep
learning.
Since buying the Lightning in February 2010, Vinik has been learning not
only the business of hockey, but also real
estate development. He’s been assembling the land around the hockey arena and has put together nearly 25 acres
between downtown Tampa and Channelside, as well as Channelside Bay Plaza, the tired waterfront mall next door
to the arena.
“I am a numbers guy — not a brand
guy historically,” Vinik, a former hedge
fund manager, said in a recent interview.
“I think I’m very practical and good at
executing and having a plan. But I’m
learning how to vision, and I’m dreaming big, and I think that’s important.”
If Vinik’s plans for the Lightning and
downtown Tampa come to fruition, the
city’s sporting stature will be elevated,
and the area around the Amalie Arena could become a locus of commercial
activity, the type of vibrant, live-workplay urban environment that Mayor Bob
Buckhorn and other civic leaders have
been working toward for years.
Vinik’s ownership of the team and
interest in downtown Tampa coincide with local and national events that
could add up to unprecedented growth
for both the Lightning and the Bay region
as a whole.
While still lagging its professional football and baseball counterparts,
the National Hockey League is seeing
increased attendance leaguewide and
has set some ambitious revenue goals.
R TECH
Tampa Bay Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik tells his
team when reach their goals, “we’ll move the
targets, because you have to keep getting better.”
The Lightning is engaged in community outreach efforts to expose hockey to
more people, and an upward trend in
season ticket sales reflects the return
on that investment. Outside the arena,
Buckhorn is leading a crusade for urban
revitalization and has pledged support
for Vinik’s plans to pursue a mixed-use
development — residential, hotels, office,
retail, anything to bring more people to
downtown Tampa — on the land he’s
amassed.
“I think if you wanted a picture of a
model owner in any sport, it would be
Jeff Vinik,” Buckhorn said. “Not only
is he committing to putting a winning
product on the ice, he’s not only committed to making sure it’s a great expe-
FORWARD
BOLTS’ NEW APP WILL BE AMONG THE NHL’S MOST ADVANCED
A new Tampa Bay Lightning mobile app is under development
now and should be ready early in this new season.
The app is being designed by Sporting Innovations and
Lightning officials are hopeful the app will be on fans’ musthave lists this fall.
“We don’t want to release it until it has some of the wow
factor,” Lightning Senior Vice President Bill Wickett said.
The team has been working with Sporting Innovations and
the NHL for about 18 months on the new product.
What can fans expect?
Payment options: The new app should allow fans to get in
the stadium with an in-app ticket and pay for concessions and
merchandise from their smartphone.
Geolocation: Fans can expect to get a nudge from their
smartphone when they pass the concession stand with their
favorite beer or when their favorite player’s jersey is available at
the nearest team store because the app knows where you are in
the new Amalie Arena.
Partnerships: The new app eventually will connect you with
the team’s sponsors as well.
“We are trying to do something (with this new app) that will
be at the forefront of all sports teams,” Wickett said.
All NHL teams have an option to use the NHL’s platform for
their app. The Lightning chose to get far more advanced, he
said.
– Chris Wilkerson
rience, but he’s equally committed to the
community.”
Teaching ‘Hockey 101’
When Vinik bought the Lightning
in 2010, it was largely seen as a turnaround project. He’s since poured
$60 million into improvements for
Amalie Arena, renovating the space to
improve fan experience and ultimately
sell more tickets and fulfill his vision of
creating a “world class organization, on
and off the ice.”
“I don’t think we’ve achieved that, but
we’re getting close,” he said. “Like I tell
my team, once we get there, we’ll move
the targets, because you have to keep getting better.”
Internally, Vinik has overhauled the
culture, said Steve Griggs, Lightning
president. That’s translated into a better
fan experience, too, Griggs said, because
happy employees are much better at customer service.
“People feel good about our brand,”
Griggs said, “and it begins and ends with