Interview with head of basketball team relocation

New Orleans CityBusiness, May 27, 2002 by Ian McNulty

Martins, 38, has led the sales and marketing charge for the Hornets relocation to New Orleans as the team's local director of business operations. This campaign marks the third time he has helped establish a major-league team in a new market.

He began his career working in athletics departments at Villanova University, where he earned a degree in business, and at Georgetown University. In 1988 he joined the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic expansion team, eventually becoming vice president of marketing. He left Florida in 1998 to help start the second version of the National Football League's Cleveland Browns as vice president of communications. He joined the Charlotte Hornets in 2000 after earning his master's degree in business administration. He says he hopes the Hornets' relocation is the last one he has to help orchestrate.

Will the team keep its name? Like a lot of other issues, we're in the process of determining what our long-term strategy is, and the Hornets name and color and logo are all part of our long-term branding philosophy. We have a number of issues that will limit our options in the short run. NBA merchandise issues certainly play a role here. The NBA policies are such that any name or uniform or logo change typically must be applied for two years in advance. There may be some exception because of the relocation. It has to do with licensing arrangements they have with manufacturers and licensees.

What advantages does New Orleans offer the Hornets over Charlotte? We see a market that is definitely regional in scope. We believe we can become not only the favorite team of the city but also the favorite team of the Gulf South. In Charlotte, the team was primarily centered around the city and the fans in that area, although from a merchandising perspective the team was very popular internationally because of our logo. But from a fan standpoint, those fans were concentrated in the Charlotte area. We intend to market this team regionally. We will have a full-time marketing manager in Biloxi and Baton Rouge and we fully believe we can draw from a greater area with this team than when we were in Charlotte.

Is there potential for the team to tap into the New Orleans tourism industry? We've already met with the (New Orleans Metropolitan) Convention and Visitors Bureau and we have brainstormed a few ideas of helping each other. We've pledged our assistance to the CVB to help attract conventions interested in coming to this area. We will have a permanent booth at the convention center to provide information on the team and have ticket sales there. The convention business will be a significant target for us. There are different pieces to the pie of our marketing success. The foundation will be full-time season ticket holders and then ultimately the fans in the outlying region who have weekend and 10- game packages. And then we intend to complement those permanent ticket buyers with the occasional visitor, and hopefully that equation will mean regular sellouts here at the arena. Are the Hornets in competition with the New Orleans Saints? I've always been of the belief that more than one team in a market helps raise the profile of sports overall, helps raise the experience for the fans. We're not concerned about competition. (The Saints) have been very supportive and bought a suite for a very long period, a 10- year commitment, and we will be buying a suite at the Superdome as well in support of them. We've discussed informally that we want to be of support to each other in any way we can. I think having two teams here, when approached in the proper manner, can benefit both of us.

What is the best part of the New Orleans Arena? I think the leaders here took the risk to build this arena hoping the building could attract an NBA franchise. It was one of the major reasons we chose New Orleans. And when they did take that risk, they did their homework. They really looked at what it would take from an NBA perspective to build a state-of-the-art, successful facility. And what they've done here is built a facility that is very fan- friendly. The sight lines are exceptional in every area of the building. They've created a suite experience that will be among the best in the entire country; the suites are as big or bigger than anything in the league. They've created a club seating section that is amongst the best in the entire nation because of the proximity of the seats to the court. All of those elements were very attractive to us. Ultimately, with the addition of the renovations that will be made this summer, this arena will be one of the finest in the NBA.