6: How the Business Intelligence Team for the Vegas Golden Knights Overcame Challenges to Deliver Big Wins w/ Kris Knief

In 2017 the Vegas Golden Knights skated their first season. No one expected much. And yet, they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The team did their work on the ice. But the off-ice team did theirs, too.

Think about trying to sell hockey in the middle of the desert. Challenging, right? Especially when you’re working with a brand new team. But that’s not the only challenge the business teams faced.

Vegas is a relatively small local market. But there’s also an abundance of tourism. So, which segment do you go for? And how do you even begin targeting when you don’t have a data set to look at yet? These are just a few of the challenges the team had to overcome. So, how did they do it?

That’s what Kris Knief, Director of Business Intelligence for the Knights, came on the latest episode of the Inside Sports Business Intelligence podcast to talk about.

By focusing on data storytelling, innovation, and good, old patience, Kris and his team have been able to build a strong local fan base and partnerships that drive value.