Marketing Insights from a Career in Sports|Luke Gilbert, San Diego Seals (DH 021) - a podcast by Shawn Walchef

Luke Gilbert has lived a rich life in professional sports.

From building partnerships, to marketing, to sales, to tech, to media, to being a former lacrosse player himself, the San Diego Seals Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships has gained experience and expertise in all angles of the sports entertainment business.During his impressive sports journey, he's worked with large venues, teams, and leagues including NASCAR, Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, and Major League Soccer.

Luke Gilbert is a real Sports Renaissance Man.On this episode of Digital Hospitality, we sit down with Luke Gilbert in the San Diego Seals Team Store to talk about his career in sports, building strong partnerships, and how to deal with setbacks in business and life.

The conversation is full of great ideas, and is often hilarious and revealing. Make sure you check out the entire episode so you can hear about Luke Gilbert's sojourn in the skies during his time as a flight attendant.

His personality really shines on this episode.Listen, watch, and read about Luke Gilbert's fascinating journey and we hope you'll be inspired on your own.
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The sport of lacrosse has long been a part of Luke Gilbert's life. He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and was a fan of the Baltimore Thunder, often attending their games.

That's back when the uniforms featured tight spandex shorts. How times have changed.

In 2003, Luke Gilbert was even drafted to play in the National Lacrosse League's former San Jose Stealth team.

Now he gets to have a big part of making a team operation run smoothly and strategically with his work activating successful partnerships for the San Diego Seals.As you can probably tell, Luke Gilbert loves lacrosse. It's easy to see why. With a 30-second shot clock and a tight field size to maneuver in, it's an action-packed sport.

If you've been to a hockey game, Seals lacrosse matches have a similar feel. Of course, lacrosse is an entirely unique experience that any fan of sports should check out."It's just non-stop action, up and down the field,"Luke Gilbert said about lacrosse."It's played in the same space as an NHL hockey rink, like the San Diego Gulls for example. Same size field, same set-up with the boards and the glass.""You don't have to be a lacrosse fan, you just have to be a sports fan who enjoys action."Lacrosse has a lot of room to grow, but with people like Luke Gilbert and the Seals and NLL operations running the show, it's sure to continue catching fire around the country.
Part of a Team:It takes a lot of work to run any business. The many moving parts of a sports operation like the San Diego Seals makes it particularly challenging.

That’s why it takes a talented team to pull off. The Seals, and the National Lacrosse League, are clearly up for the challenge. https://www.nll.com/

As a digitally focused sports property, the Seals has used strategy and original content to build up a passionate fan base that is growing day by day.The team's @sealslax official Instagram account is already at about 21,000 followers thanks to an engaging presence, a steady flow of new content, and exciting giveaways and promotions.


Owner Joe Tsai, who's a very busy man with lots of important things to do minute by minute, is able to keep track of his teams and their achievements through the connecting abilities of digital media and the smart phone."How can he stay close to the Seals, how can he stay close to his other teams, and it literally comes down to that digital component,"Luke Gilbert said on the podcast.
That's one of the many powers of incorporating digital media into your operation. Think about it: How do you stay in touch with the brands you care about? Chances are most of those touch points are digital, through your phone or computer or television or, nowadays, maybe even your refrigerator.

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