Tampa Bay Lightning Game & Tour

The days continue to shine bright for the Baldwin Wallace Sport Management program as their College Football Playoff Experiential Learning opportunity progresses.

We left off before the Tampa Bay Lightning game on Tuesday and the students loved their in-game experience at Amalie Arena.

“It was great,” said BW junior Sport Management major Jake Jackson. “I’d never been to an NHL game before and this was an awesome experience. I’m looking forward to touring the arena and meeting with some of the Front Office staff tomorrow.”

The game itself was a high-scoring affair with the Lightning falling to the Winnipeg Jets 6-4, but the result didn’t dampen the spirits of the Lightning staffers who gave a tour of the Arena to the students on Wednesday, Jan. 4^th. Led by Account Representative Paige Westlake and Membership Services Executive Hannah Landes, the students explored the Lexus Lounge VIP Club, Chase Club, and Voxology Loge along with an up-close experience with the stadium organ, the Press Box, and all levels and access areas of the arena. 

Following the tour, the group of students met with Senior Director of Season Ticket Membership Travis Pelleymounter, Membership Service Executive Shannon Dixie, Corporate Sales Managers Nicky Gordon and Adam Lawson, and Landes and Westlake.

The questions from the students were numerous and the responses from the Front Office Staff were detailed and informative and ranged from topics such as office culture to hiring processes. All of the staff were impressed with what the students were doing during the College Football Playoff Experiential Learning opportunity and stressed the importance of getting involved and the difference it can make as you look for an entry level job.

Waasan told the students, “You need to have a plan for how you’re going to achieve your goal and define the incremental steps you need to take to get there. And it better be more than the ‘fingers crossed, wish and hope method.’”

During the Q&A, the students also asked what separates the Lightning from other organizations and several of the staffers mentioned the World Class Plus philosophy that permeates the organization. The Lightning employees explained that the philosophy is aimed at providing fans with a World Class experience from the moment they purchase their tickets (and before if they purchase them through the Lightning) until they leave stadium.

It was something the BW students, faculty, and staff definitely noticed on our trip, as we the game was amazing and the tour and Q&A session was done with style and substance.

Overall, with Cleveland lacking an NHL franchise, the Lightning may have some new fans from up north.

For more information on the Baldwin Wallace University Sport Management program, please contact Asst. Professor Dr. Charles Campisi at ccampisi@bw.edu or visit https://www.bw.edu/academics/undergraduate/sport-management/.

Baldwin Wallace University Sport Management: Experiential Learning from Day One!