Catching Up With Twins Senior VP/Business Development Laura Day

Twins Senior VP/Business  Development Laura Day

Q: Which team has the biggest buzz in Minneapolis: the Twins, Wild, Vikings or T’Wolves? 

Day: Depends on the season. The summer is definitely the Twins. The Wild just made the playoffs this past season, so there has clearly been a lot of buzz around them.

Q: So you just saw a game at the new Nationals Park, what did you think?

Day: You know, they’ve done a really good job. I’m just amazed that they were able to construct that building in 23 months. As you know, we’re building our new facility and we're still two years out. It was really great to see what the Nationals have accomplished in such a -- relatively speaking -- short period of time. I thought there were some great seat sections, great sightlines and their scoreboard was fantastic. The one area that the park has a sort of vibe was the Red Porch over in left-center field with the standing room only. We’re looking to see if we can incorporate a similar sort of gathering community area at the new Twins ballpark.

Q: What’s a typical day like for you with the Twins?

Day: Well that’s one reason I love my job. There is no typical day. No day is status quo. I work with a really great group of highly professional people in a very high performing organization. These days, we’re working on our premium seats sales campaign for the new ballpark. That includes our club seat product as well as our premium seats. We’re at about 75% sold at two years out before the opening, which is a pretty good thing. We’re also focusing on finalizing our season-ticket holder transition plan and program pricing strategies for the new ballpark. So I guess the primary focus of my day is new ballpark-related and concentrating on the deep discussions we’re having with major corporate partners on naming rights and founding partnerships. 

Q: On the naming rights front, you were involved with getting the Wild’s naming-rights deal done. How is that process going with the new Twins ballpark and what were you able to learn about the Minneapolis business community during the Xcel Energy Center deal that could help here?

Day: Well, we’re really fortunate in that Minneapolis is the 15th largest DMA. We are home to many Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies like Best Buy and Target and General Mills and 3M. In one way or another, most of what I like to call those 'Minnesota legacy' companies participate with the Twins. Just as an example, General Mills is our largest season-ticket holder and one of our first ever. When the team moved from Washington, DC to Minneapolis in 1961, they were one of the first to raise their hand and buy season tickets, and they’ve been with us ever since, including having a marketing relationship. ... While this has been almost a decade-long process, we’ve been talking to our corporate partners during that same amount of time, and they’re chomping at the bit to be a part of the new ballpark. Now the time is finally upon us where we can start engaging in meaningful and impactful conversations with these people since we’ve defined the assets and have an idea of what the ballpark will look like.

Twins Ballpark To Incorporate  New Technologies

Day: Much like the Mets and Citi Field, our focus is going to be to ensure that we have a converged technology network platform that will allow us to evolve and adapt quickly, because, as you know, technology changes quickly. We are looking at all the latest and greatest in scoreboard technology, IPTV, etc. In some cases, these things will get expensive. We have to make decisions and prioritize what is most important. At the end of the day, we have an owner who is very committed to doing this right. All the things like loaded tickets and all of that point of sale technology, we’ll be right there. It’s very much a core design principle that we have, in questioning how do we embrace and adapt technology in a way that is going to improve and enhance our fan experience and improve operations at the ballpark. There is lots of great technology out there, but some of it is really, really new and not here yet. If you think of something like an HDTV or plasma screen, five years ago they weren’t around in ballparks. We’ve got a great tech guru on staff who keeps us abreast of the latest. For us it's about scalability and ability to remain nimble with the new technology that comes out in the future.

Q: We’ve seen several mid-market teams lock up young players at the beginning of the current season. The Twins decided to part ways with both Torii Hunter and Johan Santana before this season. Is locking up your own young talent crucial to opening a new facility for the Twins?

Day: It’s critical. First, as you know, during the offseason, Billy Smith became our new GM, and he’s a long-tenured Twins employee. He worked closely with (former GM) Terry Ryan for many, many years. During this past offseason, a key factor was making sure we had the likes of Joe Mauer under a long-term contract. Of course, we signed Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer, and those three are our anchors, combined with the new young talent, some of which was procured by the Johan trade. Carlos Gomez comes to mind, and Twins fans have almost overnight come to love this kid. Building toward a new ballpark, these guys will be the foundation, and it’s a good foundation to have when you’ve got an MVP and a batting champ. These are two young guys who can have great, long careers with the Twins, and I think people are excited.

Q: What was it like being one of the first employees for the Minnesota Wild. What’s it like to start up a franchise?

Day: It was very different for me. I had always worked with very mature brands, building and capitalizing on that foundation. Hockey back in 1999 was nothing new to the fans in Minnesota. The market more resembles a Canadian hockey market, much like some of the Canadian border cities like Detroit. When the North Stars moved, it left a big void. The hockey fan base in Minneapolis, however, is different than that for Twins baseball in that the hockey fan base is smaller, but their passion runs so deeply. Matt Majka, who is still the Wild’s Executive Vice President, is one of the more masterful marketers in sports. He led the charge in marketing for the brand and led a grassroots effort, making the team and front office very accessible to the fans. Much like we are now seeing a pent up demand for outdoor baseball and a world class baseball facility, there was that pent up demand for hockey. It was a magical scenario with the people who were there at the start. No job was too big or too small. We were fortunate to have the Naegeles as owners, and I’m sad to see them take on a new chapter in their lives, but I think (Owner) Craig Leipold coming in will be a great thing for the franchise and the fans. He’s a hockey guy.

Q: What sports business story will you be following in 2008?

Day: Technology. I need to educate myself more on that front. I’m very curious how franchises and facilities are embracing the magnitude of technology that is available, and how ultimately it will improve the fan experience.

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