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Home , New York Islanders

NewYorkNewYork Changing the Fabric of

An Interview with Brett Yormark, Chief Executive Offi cer, and

EDITORS’ NOTE Brett Yormark 173 events; we’re on pace to do more When you’re in survival mode, which we joined the Nets in 2005 after a success- than 220 events and that’s incredible were in , it forces you to think dif- ful six-year period with NASCAR. As for a building that has one core tenant. ferently – to get out of the box and recreate and Vice President, Corporate Marketing in We have reinvented boxing in reinvent. 2003, he oversaw a $750-million deal this borough. We brought back college We’re fortunate to align with the Brooklyn with Nextel Communications, chang- in a big way. The big time brand because of what it means. But we can’t ing the name of stock car racing’s artists around the world have called lose the DNA of our company, which is to al- premier circuit to the NASCAR Nextel Barclays Center home. ways be in that survival mode – to work harder Cup, which was, at the time, the largest Looking at the past four or fi ve and challenge ourselves to get out of the box. sponsorship agreement in the history years in New Jersey, the Nets had their That DNA in combination with this plat- of American sports. Yormark has been challenges. We had an eroding fan base form that we have inherited in Brooklyn will named three times to the “Forty Under and the team and talent level weren’t give us a chance to do some great work. But 40” list by SportsBusiness Journal and Brett Yormark something we were proud of. But we we have to look at things differently because was selected twice to the “40 Under 40” hoped that by the time we got to it’s who we are. list by Crain’s Business. Yormark sits on Brooklyn, we could change that. We have been able to differentiate ourselves the board of the City Parks Foundation. Our GM Billy King did an incredible job in- in a marketplace where there are 10 pro sports venting the team overnight. We went from 22 wins teams and different places to put your entertain- COMPANY BRIEF The Brooklyn Nets (www.brooklyn to 49 and we have a chance to get better next sea- ment dollar. nets.com) are a professional basketball team son. Brooklyn embraced us from the beginning – Was it tough to engage Nets fans when based in Brooklyn, New York. They are a we played to 96 percent capacity throughout the it came to making the move to Brooklyn member of the Atlantic Division of the year and we were in the top fi ve in revenue as from New Jersey? Eastern Conference in the National Basketball far as ticket revenue in the NBA; our merchandise We had some good years in New Jersey Association. After 35 seasons in New Jersey, the sales were ranked 4, up from 31. and then we had some challenging years. We team returned to the state of New York in 2012 How critical was it to be able to offer a wanted to continue to market and position the to play at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn variety of events within the arena? franchise as if we were staying for the next 20 as the Brooklyn Nets. Our from the start was to bring vol- years and not take shortcuts, and we didn’t. Barclays Center (www.barclayscenter.com), ume and variety to Brooklyn. We did a lot of The team suffered a bit on the court, but a multi-purpose indoor arena that sits partly research and realized that concerts would res- our service levels and engagement with our cus- on a platform over the Vanderbilt Yards rail onate here, as would college basketball, tomers never took a step back. We did more yard, is part of the $4.9-billion Atlantic Yards which is under our Brooklyn Hoops moniker, because we wanted to continue to gain support mixed-use project. In addition to the arena, the and Brooklyn Boxing – we built that from the and loyalty during the challenging years. We project will include more than 6,400 residential ground up. Our family entertainment has also also wanted them to follow us to Brooklyn. units, nearly 250,000 square feet of retail space, been very successful because there are so many Quite a few people did follow us because and eight acres of publicly accessible open families living in Brooklyn. we treated them right. With the product going space. The arena hosts the National Basketball Did the corporate partners you brought through the transformation it did, they wanted Association’s Brooklyn Nets along with concerts, in understand what this could be and what to continue their level of fandom and support us. family shows, boxing, college basketball, and Brooklyn is becoming? How important has it been to foster other sporting events. Beginning in 2015, it will They shared our vision of what Brooklyn continuing community engagement? also be home to the New York Islanders of the could be. Some were in it to build their brand It’s critical. When we fi rst moved here, we . or business or both, and they have all accom- dedicated the fi rst week to Brooklyn Nets in the plished that and more. community. We made contact with 5,000 teens Has the reception for the Barclays Center How do you maintain the service through clinics and volunteerism, and we had been what you expected? standards? impact on over 2,000 organizations, be it fi nan- It has probably exceeded my expectations. Our goal early on wasn’t just to get people cial or through volunteering. We have multiple The delay played to our advantage – it gave us to Barclays Center once; it was to give them a pillars for what we stand for in the community a chance to truly understand the market and reason to keep coming back. We knew content such as education, community development, ath- to create some anticipation for the team and would do that, but we don’t control that. letics, and wellness. It’s important, we provide an the arena. It enabled us to meet with agents, I brought in the Disney Institute to handle aspirational element within the community. managers, and promoters within the entertain- all of our onboarding and training. They trained Do you ever take the time to refl ect on ment world and educate them on the merits of over 2,000 employees and they continue to do the success? Brooklyn; and it helped with respect to making this. Everywhere I go, people talk about the We have changed the fabric of Brooklyn sure the building fi t the world we live in today. engagement with our employees. forever, we have created jobs, and we have We have welcomed more than 1.8 million Did your knack for innovation come given people a chance to smile and have fun. guests at Barclays Center and hosted more than from past experiences? But I haven’t really had a chance to pause yet.• 48 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2013 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. VOLUME 36, 4