Yahoo Sports Ottawa Senators Score Preseason Victory With Wednesday's Media Event
When the Ottawa Senators invited the media, bloggers, podcasters and social media influencers to the Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday to check out renovations, sample the latest additions to the concessions, and listen to representatives from several departments within the organization discuss new initiatives for the upcoming season, it felt like someone proverbially opened the windows and doors to the building and let the fresh air in.
Whether it was unearthing the 'Coming in Hot Podcast' guys to record a live broadcast from the depths of the arena or watching people from different platforms and backgrounds integrate and interact, it was impossible to be present at this event and fail to recognize that it represented a new era.
It felt different.
Well, almost everything felt different. After almost 30 years of existence, a portion of the day was still dedicated to post-game parking lot egress discussion. But everything else? It felt like an outreach for collaboration and an enhanced sense of community.
This theme of community prevailed throughout the day.
After outlining how the organization is working with the MTO to have the Lot 1 parking area empty directly onto the eastbound 417 highway, Chris Phillips, the iconic defenceman and vice-president of business operations, announced several improvements to the Canadian Tire Centre.
Club CIBC, which lies near the Gate 2 entrance and is open to all fans, will have its interior glass wall removed and be accessible via the 100-level concourse. The organization is ramping up its efforts to improve already popular sections. New loges are being added to Club Bell while an exclusive bar is being built underneath the Brookstreet Lounge grandstands for its patrons.
The Senators' senior vice-president of marketing and customer engagement, Jeff Harrop, revealed that the organization would soon launch their 'Sens 360' digital content initiative.
If these are simply the first steps in what has the potential to be a robust and unique platform giving fans access to behind-the-scenes content that they would not usually have, it will be a welcome development.
In a tidy piece of business designed to build brand awareness, Harrop also announced a multi-year partnership with the LPGA's Brooke Henderson.
Related: Ottawa Senators Sign Partnership Deal with LPGA Star Brooke Henderson
Smith Falls' golf prodigy will wear Senators-coloured apparel once per tournament and have Senators branding on her golf towels and water bottles.
The Senators' Community Foundation raised $1.4 million last year for the Ottawa and Gatineau regions, while the team's renewal rate for season ticket holders is holding at 90 percent. In another example of self-awareness, senior Vice-President, marketing and customer engagement Jacqueline Belsito, the president of the Senators Community Foundation and Brendan Du Vall, the vice-president of ticket sales and service, both emphasized a willingness to work with the media and influencers to amplify the organization's work and mutually advance their interests.
During general manager Steve Staios' availability, he reiterated the importance of affording Linus Ullmark and his family the time to experience and get comfortable in this city before initiating formal discussions on a contract extension.
"Everything else will take care of itself," Staios said. "The most important thing is Linus and (his wife) Moa, getting them comfortable in our community and to understand what a great place it is in Ottawa."
With so much emphasis on community and outreach, Wednesday's events represented a philosophical shift from the previous regime. Not surprisingly, it coincided with the debuts of Ian Mendes and Sylvain St-Laurent in their respective roles as vice-president and director of communications.
If this event was a precursor of what is to come, the organization is in good hands.
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Related: Ottawa Senators Sign 38-Year-Old Former Toronto Maple Leafs Winger to a PTO
