Event Recap: Hussain Naqi ('97)

 

On Tuesday September 17th, Hussain Naqi ('97) was kind enough to speak to the Sports Business Society via Skype. Seventy-three club members attended the first event in SBS's Speaker Series.  A graduate of the Industrial and Labor Relations School, Hussain currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Fan Engagement for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In his role, Naqi is responsible for the Jaguars’ marketing and branding efforts, overseeing the Jaguars’ game day experience, and managing the Jaguars’ fan development efforts in the UK.

Prior to joining Jacksonville in 2012, Naqi served as Vice President of Business Planning and General Counsel at MetLife Stadium. Naqi has worked in sports since 1997; his resume includes stints with the National Football League, NCAA, Major League Baseball, and the New York Mets.

For a look back at all of the social media surrounding the event, check out our Storify post, which chronicles all of the Twitter activity surrounding the event.  The rest of the full recap is right here, after the jump.

The Skype call started with a conventional Q&A session, where Naqi discussed his career path, his current role with the Jaguars, and general sports business issues.  But then the event turned to Twitter, as our guest responded to the over 40 questions tweeted by our club members. Our club experienced tremendous growth in social media presence, with the #CornellSBS hashtag being used over 50 Times, and the twitter handle @CornellSBS gaining 35 New Followers.  We would like to thank Mr. Naqi, as well as our existing and new club members for directly making this happen. 

Naqi spoke of the challenges of working for the Jaguars, namely the small market size and the fact that the on-field product has not been particularly attractive of late. He emphasized that to overcome these challenges he and his team work to directly engage the fan. He stressed the importance of stripping away "any excuse [a fan] has for not coming to a game", such as the inability to watch other games, restricted access to the internet and their fantasy teams, or long lines for concessions.

On the topic of breaking into the sports industry, Naqi maintained that there are a multitude of different paths a prospective student can take, and that there are a wide-ranging array of skills needed in sports business. He offered this advice for any students interested in sports business: "Network and hustle as much as you can. Understand that it is a marathon and not a sprint”.

The Jaguars are heavily involved in London, where they will play one game a year, costing them a game in Jacksonville, for the next four years. When asked about reconciling the interests of the team in both Jacksonville and London, Naqi explained the key role transparency with each group of fans played. The Jaguars display that they care about the Jacksonville fans, but they acknowledge that the market has its limitations. The massive financial gains from playing games in Great Britain, where there are roughly two million fans of American Football, can offset some of those limitations the franchise endures by playing in a small market.

@cornellhkyfan Love the idea of the fantasy lounge, what inspired it and would you consider opening it to fans for away games? #CornellSBS
— Mark PuIaski (@mpulaski27) September 17, 2013

One of the challenges the Jaguars faced when the new ownership group took over was that the stadium was outdated in many facets.  Because the stadium is owned by the city, the team has been unable to modernize their facilities in the manner many NFL teams have done. Naqi saw an opportunity to convert an underutilized hospitality lounge in the stadium into a place for fans to get away from the heat, the lounge is air-conditioned, and check up on how their fantasy teams are doing. The lounge, which is open to any and all fans, is outfitted with high-density wifi, televisions, tablets, and "very comfortable recliners" .

@cornellhkyfan Headline from SI: "Orlando Television Station Issues Apology for Showing Jaguars Game" What was reax to this? #CornellSBS
— Josh Begleiter (@jmsaponar) September 17, 2013

Hussain explained that the Orlando CBS affiliate, which is obligated to show Jaguars game, had been mistakingly promoting the Broncos-Giants game being played at the same time. Once they realized that they had to show the Jaguars-Raiders game, they apologized for the confusion. Our guest was able to offer additional insight into the complex relationship between the NFL, teams, and television networks and their affiliates. 

@cornellhkyfan what did you think of the Seahawks idea of putting undercover police officers as 49ers fans? #CornellSBS
— Zohere Tabrez (@ztab100) September 17, 2013

Hussain explained this is actually a part of a league-wide program to expose unruly fans and increase safety for others.  This initiative plans to reduce safety concerns and offensive behavior in general, which is very much in line with the Jaguars' mindset of eliminating excuses for fans to not come to games.

@cornellhkyfan How much of an impact do fan polls have on administrative decisions in the Jaguars front office? #cornellsbs
— Josh Goldstein (@JoshGoldstein) September 17, 2013

Hussain stressed that the Jaguars do in fact conduct quite a bit of research into their fan base, but also stressed the importance of differing levels of validity this research can have. For example, Hussain brought up the rally held by fans in the stadium parking lot this past Monday advocating for the team to sign Tim Tebow. While it was heavily reported by the national media, the rally only drew 16 fans, indicating that there wasn't nearly as much fan interest in Tebow as the national media wishes there was.

For a look back at all of the social media surrounding the event, check out our Storify post, which chronicles all of the Twitter activity surrounding the event.

As always, ILRSBS extends its thanks to alumni like Hussain Naqi who take time to share their experiences with our members. The information and insight people like Hussain provide to our group is unique and indispensable, and we hope that this is the first of many great events with him.