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| Tom Wilson: Postseason success “re-energizes our people,” translates into sales boost. |
Tom Wilson has experienced as much success in the past year as many top sports executives hope to have in a lifetime.
Wilson is the right-hand man for Bill Davidson and his Palace Sports & Entertainment ownership group. That group, in the past two weeks, has seen its Detroit Pistons and Tampa Bay Lightning secure NBA and NHL titles, respectively. Those wins follow a WNBA championship for the Detroit Shock last year.
PS&E also owns the AFL Detroit Fury, the Palace of Auburn Hills arena and the DTE Energy Music Theatre.
Wilson, president and CEO of PS&E, sat down with SportsBusiness Journal NBA writer John Lombardo the morning after the Pistons’ Game 4 NBA Finals win over Los Angeles. His comments came one day before the Pistons secured their title.
What have the NBA Finals appearance and Stanley Cup victory done for the Palace organization?
Wilson: First of all, it re-energizes our people. You need to get the prize to convince yourself that you are doing the right things and that there is a payoff. ... From a leveraging standpoint, the playoff runs and winning the [NHL] title translates into far more sales in all areas: tickets, sponsors, public relations. For example, we are about to close on a renewal with Rock Financial as our Pistons team [presenting] sponsor for next season at a higher level than last year. We will also raise Pistons prices across the board by about 10 percent.
How many new Pistons season tickets do you expect to sell, based on the Finals appearance?
Wilson: We should jump from 11,000, where we are now, to around 14,000 full-season equivalents. On the suite side, we have 180 suites and have about 12 in the upper level to sell. We should sell all those.
The Pistons were NBA champions in 1989 and 1990, yet the franchise didn’t reap long-term business benefits as attendance fell in the following seasons. What about this off-season?
Wilson: We have to guard against a certain sense of arrogance. When you have successes, it’s easy to take fans and sponsors for granted. We will still have to emphasize valuing our customers.
Describe your relationship with Bill Davidson. He’s someone who avoids the media and stays out of the spotlight.
Wilson: I talk to him every day, whether it’s for 15 minutes or more than an hour. The great thing about him is that he hires people and leaves them alone. You know, the man is 81 years old and works out every day, and he brings that energy. He also gives us the ability to see things not just for tomorrow, but also from a long-term perspective.
The Pistons are a fine team but lack any true superstars who capture the national spotlight. Do you care that this team isn’t like the nationally known “Bad Boys” championship teams?
Wilson: In the early 1990s, we had Isiah [Thomas] who was a national figure, and we don’t have that. This team is built in an understated mold.
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But what about Rasheed Wallace? He’s not exactly understated, nor does he fit in with your team’s reputation of quiet guys who “go to work.”
Wilson: When he was at Portland, we looked at him, and they said that the players and coaches loved him — but the fans didn’t. He just says what he feels, but we knew he was a good person. He’s emotional, and in a group as quiet as ours, he has brought some spunk to the team.
