Go Behind The Scenes On Game Day With This New Orleans Pelicans Exec

Kevin Ferguson
Senior Executive of Premium Accounts, New Orleans Pelicans and Saints
New Orleans, LA
Twitter: @PelicansNBA, @Saints

I took Jopwell's community to work with me for the day via Instagram. Check out what March 27, 2018 looked like for me and my teammates on #PelicansGameDay:

7:00am: My alarm sounds and I’m off to the races. It’s a game day, and my beloved New Orleans Pelicans are playing the Portland Trail Blazers tonight. As a senior executive of premium accounts for the Pelicans and Saints, it’s my job to build meaningful relationships with clients and connect them to great local sporting events. I have to make sure our clients have a fantastic time at the game tonight, and I need to get moving. I jump out of bed, shower, shave, and put on my best suit and tie. Then I eat some fruit and yogurt and grab a coffee before helping my wife get our 11-month-old son, Noah, ready for daycare. I change his diaper while she makes the bottles for the day.

8:00am: Time to hit the road. Fortunately, I have a very short commute to work. After a ten-minute drive, I pull up to our offices, located just outside of New Orleans in an area called Metairie. Our office building is on a campus that includes practice facilities for the Pelicans and Saints as well as a museum, featuring tons of incredible sports memorabilia (including a Saints super bowl trophy). Once inside, I head to the sales floor and greet my teammates. As you might expect of a sports office, our cubicles are decked out with sports paraphernalia and games. I stroll through the hallways and slam dunk a mini basketball before getting to work. The sales staff gathers in the atrium of our office to discuss the focus of the day and upcoming sales goals. Right now, we’re all about renewals. We mostly target large businesses that offer tickets to their customers and/or staff members, and I make sure to identify specific clients who I want to connect with before the game tonight.

9:00am: After the sales meeting, I get caffeined up and then prioritize my day by making a handwritten to-do list. I write down all of my tasks for the day including: calls, proposals, emails, and sales. My list is 90% functional and 10% aspirational. On the aspirational front, I always set a daily revenue goal, which indicates how much revenue I want to sell and the specific premium accounts I hope to secure. Once my list is complete, I make calls to help connect fans with tickets for this week’s games.

11:00am: The game prep continues. I email clients with information about the night ahead (from the lounge’s menu options to game notes) and compile a list of people who I need to meet with tonight. I finish up by packing gift bags for the grandchildren of one of my top clients who I’ll see at the game. I’m sure to include T-shirts, hats, and two autographed basketballs.

1:30pm: I grab lunch in the cafeteria with my colleagues from the sales team. I peruse the lunch options (which are provided at no cost for all staff members) and opt for some chicken, vegetables, and a salad. While we eat, we talk excitedly about the upcoming game.

3:40pm: After sending some emails, I head to the arena. I always try to arrive two and a half hours before tip off, so I have time to set up. I check in on our two club lounges, which are dedicated to our floor seat holders, making sure the areas are clean and have the proper signage and displays. Then, I distribute rosters to all of the check-in areas so they’re available for our floor patrons.

5:30pm: Early doors open and I greet my clients and invite them to sit courtside for the pregame warmup. This is a great opportunity to catch up with them. We chat about their work, and I ask a ton of questions. I have a natural curiosity that’s really well suited to this job. In my role, I have the opportunity to learn a ton about many different people and their work. Over the years, as I’ve built relationships with clients, I’ve spent time touring a shrimp processing plant on the bayou and visited the corner offices of the biggest law firms in town. I love getting to know a wide array of people and helping them enjoy our product. Before the game begins, I make sure everyone has everything they need, and then I stop by the box office to handle any last minute ticket requests.

7:00pm: Game time! I check out tip-off and then take laps between the lounges and seats to make sure everyone’s enjoying themselves. During halftime, I hang out with clients at the courtside club, where there is great food and drinks, before everyone returns to their seats for the second half of the game. It’s a nail-biter as the Trail Blazers and Pels battle it out. Ultimately, the Trail Blazers get the W with a final score of 107-103. I’m always bummed after a loss, but closing out the night with my clients puts me in a better mood. Over the years we’ve built genuine relationships and I’m looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow.

The New Orleans Pelicans are a Jopwell partner company.

Images courtesy of Kevin Ferguson