As we head toward November and the Las Vegas NHL franchise to be named on the 22nd’s fifth month of existence, there are 45 members on the team’s staff. These range from the majority owner to scouts to ticket executives.
A full hockey organization, not including the players, usually has about 200 people on the club, so the league’s newest team is far from being fully staffed. However, after the 45th member, Director of Global Partnerships Steven Duffy, came on board, something dawned on me.
There is a total of one person (unless I’m missing someone) who has ever worked in Las Vegas on the current staff. His name is Jeff Kaminski, a ticket exec who previously worked for IMG/Learfield at UNLV. David Seiden, another ticket exec attended UNLV, but immediately left town upon graduation to work with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But that’s it. One out of 45.
Now, before you jump down my throat, let me just say this, I know Las Vegas has never had a major professional sports team before. I know that means very few currently living, and absolutely no one currently working, in Las Vegas works for a major professional sports franchise. I’m also not picking on anyone currently on the staff, every single one of them has a resume that absolutely qualifies them to be in the building.
But one has to wonder when will this Las Vegas organization will actually have some Las Vegas residents in it. People who know that Desert Inn doesn’t intersect the Strip. Who know today is Nevada Day, not this Halloween thing everyone is talking about. And maybe most importantly know that’s Ne-VAD-ah Day not Ne-VAH-da Day. There’s unquestionably a value to locals helping out a team that’s done a rather poor job of staying relevant locally to this point. People who know the market, who know the ins-and-outs. We’re talking marketing, sales, human relations, you know, the business types.
I know qualified candidates who already live in the city are out there, they tweet me all the time. So when, or maybe I should be asking if, will they’ll ever find their way onto the staff of their hometown’s first ever home team?
Just a thought. Is it June yet?
**Here at SinBin.vegas we have absolutely no intention to work for the Las Vegas Something Knights. We intend on maintaining our own autonomy so we can freely write articles like this and to continuing acting as a watchdog over the organization.**
sparky chewbarky
I guess as each position is addressed, you fill that position with the best person available regardless of where they’re from. However, Las Vegas is a unique animal, so you’d think that, (in the marketing department especially!), you would want people who know the market intimately, and how it works…someone who’s already part of that environment. I’ve also wondered if there’s anyone on the team that’s developing the all-important identity, who’s from here and knows this city and its fanbase, and what it wants.
Greg
Bill Johnson who was president with the Wranglers. He stayed in town after he finished with them. Everyone thought he did great promoting them.
Las Vegas Ticket Sales Veteran
There are people who have worked for minor league teams in Vegas (51s, Outlaws, Wranglers, etc., etc.). Any body who has worked in sports ticket sales can tell you it is unlike any other market for sports. I know of one here with seven years of sports ticket experience, four of them in Las Vegas, and would love to be a part of the Knights organization.